PHOTOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATION What’s your investigation about?!! What’s the question that drives your investigation?!! Question the Causes / Effects / Impact / Morals / Political / Social Issues Reflect over your mind map What influences Art?

What influences Art? Morals Music Artists / Designers Raising Awareness Historical Events Literature Film / Cinema Speaking Out Causes Art Movements Identity Fashion Injustice War Money Past Culture Political Views Social Issues News Media Festivals What influences Art? Tabloids Religion Belief Personal experiences Science Faith Development of Technologies Family / Friends Relationships Painting / Photography Society Love Death Sex Emotions Film / Digital Public Personal Vision Investigations Environment Internet Audience Communicating Personal Ideas Nature Surroundings Reacting against traditions / art movements Travel Communities

1. What is the date, title, and subject matter of the photograph? Research Inspirational Photographers – Answer each point below (150 words) : 1. What is the date, title, and subject matter of the photograph? Subject Matter (Portrait / Landscape / Still-Life) Where (Studio / Location) When (Day / Twilight / Night) 2. What are they trying to communicate through their photographs? Research and explain the Ideas / Concepts behind their work Find a quote to explain their intentions What are they trying to say? (Positive / Negative / Neutral) 3. How have they used the camera to communicate their ideas? Annotate around the image. Which camera techniques have they used? How does this affect the mood of the image? 4. Who and what has inspired and influenced their ideas and how? Which photographers / artists have helped develop their ideas?

Example of Research Layout Photographer’s Name: Gregory Crewdson Title: Untitled (Ophelia), 2001 Large format camera10x8 maximum detail quality large depth of field links to F64’s group ethos Tableau staged shoot Cinematic images that strongly reference TV programmes such as The Twilight Zone or films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind Elaborately staged film set weeks of planning and complicated, behind-the-scenes production. Explores the relationship between the domestic and fantasy Composition borrowed from Millais’s painting Ophelia, 1851-52 Cold, anxiety and isolated mood Photographer’s Quote: “I have always been fascinated by the poetic condition of twilight and it’s transformative quality. It has the power of turning the ordinary into something magical and otherworldly. My wish is for the narrative in the pictures to work within that circumstance. It is that sense of in-between-ness that interests me.” (150 words explaining the quote and ideas behind the photographers work and how they have influenced your ideas.) Crewdson’s work draws the viewer into this surreal twilight world where there is a feeling of suspense and anticipation. His work combines his childhood memories with his passion for sci-fi films. He elaborately creates large scale movie sets to produce an everyday scene of American homes and neighbourhoods and then transforms these mundane homes into surreal and cinematic narratives. Crewdson’s work inspires me to create a feeling of anticipation and tension within my own work.

Example of Research Pages

1. What do you intend to photograph? Planning Photo Shoot – Answer each point below 1. What do you intend to photograph? Subject Matter (Portrait / Landscape / Still-Life) Where (Studio / Location) When (Day / Twilight / Night) 2. What are you trying to communicate through your photographs? Explain your Ideas / Concepts behind your work Why are you taking the photographs? What are you trying to say? (Positive / Negative / Neutral) 3. How will you use the camera to communicate your ideas? What camera techniques will you use? How do you expect your images to look? 4. Who has inspired and influenced your ideas and how? Which photographers have helped develop your ideas?

Example of Planning Photo Shoot Links with research (Visual / Technique / Concept) Experimentation: in front of the camera / in camera / post production Models / Poses / Props / Wardrobe Camera Techniques / Equipment Theme / Concept / Idea Inspiration Concept Contextual Inspiration (Articles / Statistics / News) What Subject Matter ? (Portrait / Landscape / Still-Life) C4 Thursday 21 February 2008 9pm Visualisation Sketch Where? (Studio / Location) Possible Challenges (Problem Solving) When? (Day / Twilight / Night)

Example of Planning Photo Shoot

3. Who has inspired and influenced your ideas and how? Contact Sheet Evaluation – Answer each point below (150 words) : 1. How successfully do your photographs communicate your concept? Highlight the successful / unsuccessful photographs Evaluate which photographs successfully communicate your concept and explain why? 2. How have you experimented with the camera explain how this communicates your ideas? Annotate around the photographs the techniques you have used i.e. cropping, camera settings, vantage point, exposure, lighting, subject matter, model Evaluate and explain how your experimentations communicate your ideas. 3. Who has inspired and influenced your ideas and how? Include thumbnails of the photographers who have helped develop your ideas? Evaluate and explain how your research has influenced and developed your ideas i.e. Visual / Technique / Concept

Example of a Contact Sheet Evaluation (25 – 30 images per sheet) Annotate around each photo Highlight : successful / unsuccessful, cropping, subject matter, camera settings, exposure, experimentation, communicates ideas. Thumbnails of research / inspiration Shoot Evaluation (150 words) How successful was your shoot and do you think your images communicate your ideas? How have you experimented with the camera and during the shoot and explain why? How has your research influenced you and your ideas? Be honest if you feel your shoot could be improved explain what you would do next time.

Example of a Contact Sheet Evaluation

Evaluate Experimentations – Answer each point below (100 words) : 1. What are you trying to communicate through your experimentations? Explain your Ideas / Concepts behind your image and experimentation What are you trying to say? (Positive / Negative / Neutral) 2. How have you experimented with techniques to communicate your ideas? What techniques have you used? How has this affected the look of your image? Show an example of the original image alongside your experimentation Before After 4. Who has inspired and influenced your ideas and techniques and how? Which photographers have helped develop your ideas and techniques? Include a thumbnail of their work to show connections

Screen Shots of alterations / enhancements made to the image. Example of Evaluating Experimentations – Answer each point below (150 words) : Annotate changes you have made to the image Title of what type of experimentation Before After Thumbnails of research / inspiration Experimentation Evaluation (150 words) Explain why you have experimented with this technique how does it relate to your idea / concept? How does it help communicate your ideas successfully? How did you accomplish this technique? How does your research / inspiration photographers link to your experimentations?

Example of Evaluating Experimentations

Guy Bourdin