My Surveillance Images

Dear Class,

I wanted to share some of my own images as a part of the surveillance project. Below this post are photos that I have reposted from my Flickr account that I have taken during the past year with my Holga camera during my travels. I hope it will give you some inspiration when you are out spying on the world around you.

Think outside of the box when you are doing this project. Surveillance usually implies that you are watching someone or something, but does that all it mean? Perhaps the area that you are surveying does not have any human movement and is deserted? Does that not make for an interesting image? For example, office buildings will have surveillance around the clock, but who (or what) are they watching out for in an empty building?

Tempus fugit.

FuXin Station

FuXin Station, originally uploaded by HRH Ken.

Other times you could be spying on a crowded transit station and the camera shake creates confusion and tension. Perhaps this is how you feel when you know you are being watched?

Car Park

Car Park, originally uploaded by HRH Ken.

Sometimes your surveillance images can be as empty as this garage.

Ferris Wheel

Ferris Wheel, originally uploaded by HRH Ken.

Class Critique

Choose one of the photos from the Surveillance blog with a group and answer the following questions:

1. Read the story or theme in the image.
2. What visual cues in the images shape the story/theme? From the subject? Observe the background?
3. How does this image make you feel? Explain.
4. Describe the atmosphere as if you were there- what would you smell, hear, feel? What would be just outside of the frame?
5. What happened just before and just after this image was taken?
6. How is this an example of surveillance photography?

Once you have answered an image with your group, then select one of your own to critique.

Caffenol-C Examples

Majors,

I wanted to show you some results from the early test rolls that I developed with Caffenol. As you can see, sometimes it may stain your film brown and other times it will be completely black and white. The unexpectedness of the development process is what I love about Caffenol and certainly merits more exploration.

Anonymous Photography Collaboration Project Blog

Hello Class,

I just wanted to let you all know that I will be posting your images that you have created on a blog that was created for the Anonymous Photography Collaboration Project. As you all create your own images, please submit them to me so that I can continue to upload them to the blog.

The blog address is: http://anonymousphotographycollaboration.blogspot.com/

Surveillance1- Reflection

Look over your photos and select your 5 favourites.
Put your top 1 in the share folder title it with your name. Then in word, insert the image and answer the following questions:

Reflect on your experiences.
Where did you set up your camera first?
Why did you select the area to survey?
How long did you remain in the same area?
What sort of images did you capture?
Were you satisfied with the results? Why or why not?
Describe your favourite image; explain why it is your favourite.
How did you feel while you were taking the photos? Anxious, awkward…

Exposed: Surveillance, Voyeurism and the Camera

Shizuka Yokomizo, Stranger No. 2 1999
Last summer I visited the Tate Modern Gallery in London. I saw an exhibition that inspired this project. Since its invention, the camera has been used to make images surreptitiously and satisfy the desire to see what is hidden. Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera examines photography's role in voyeuristic looking from the middle of the nineteenth century to the present day. It includes pictures taken by professional photographers and artists, but also images made without our knowledge on a daily basis through the proliferation of CCTV.

Check out the web site: Tate Modern
and also see: The Tate Modern Channel
Make sure you view Philip Lorca-DiCorcia and Laurie Long.

In class we will explore various Photographers who have explored the world candidly as voyeurs and photojournalists to document life as it happens without prejudice.


Robert Frank



Henri Cartier Bresson


Philip-Lorca DiCorcia


Laurie Long



Weegee


Nan Goldin

My Noise + Silence

Hello Class,

I wanted to share my roll of images. My theme was Noise and it was shot on the Silence roll. I interpreted noise by shooting self portraits in an extremely noisy environment: Lonsdale Quay. Unfortunately there wasn't as many people there on Saturday as I had hoped. Perhaps I should have gone to Granville Island. In any case, I also thought about noise in a non photography aspect and decided to also process push process the film with Caffenol-C that had washing soda which was not completely dissolved.

I pushed the film 3 stops and agitated vigorously during the development process. I wanted the images to have extra grain and the gritty soda to create dots on my film. Worked out just as I planned.

Caffenol-C

For those of you who will be using Caffenol-C to develop your negatives, here is the recipe when you are mixing the developer:

5 tablespoons of instant coffee (must be caffeinated)

3 tablespoons of washing soda

1 teaspoon of vitamin C

5oo mL of 68-70 degrees (Fahrenheit) water

In two SEPARATE beakers measure out 250 mL of water to the correct temperature. Mix in coffee in one and washing soda in the other. Once the instant coffee has completely dissolved mix in the vitamin C into the COFFEE mixture. Make sure that your washing soda has completely dissolved prior to adding it to your coffee mixture. Also make sure that all the micro-bubbles have dissipated from both containers before together. This will ensure that all the necessary ingredients have properly dissolved.

Processing times will vary, however, based on tests done on the Ilford Delta 100 film, developing time is roughly around 15 minutes. I usually stop with water, but remember to check that your water temperature is cold (around 68 or below) otherwise your film may fog. Fix, hypo, and wash as usual.

Good luck and I look forward to seeing your results!

Image Sample

Photo Majors,

I hope that you all were able to take advantage of the weather this weekend and took shots based on your themes. I want to take this time to remind you that your rolls are due tomorrow (September 21st) as we will start developing film. For the grade 11s, you will use the regular developer and standard methods to develop your film. Grade 12s, you will use Caffenol-C and we will go over PUSH/PULL technique as well.

For the remainder of the week, there will be darkroom demonstrations and refersher seminars. You are required to print 1 contact sheet and 5 proof prints. More specific insturctions will be given during class.

Finally, I wanted to share some results with you. I have already scanned Alex and Sam's negatives and took the liberty of working on an image.

Welcome

Hello Photo Majors,

Welcome to Photography 11/12 Major blog. Here is where I will keep you updated once + per week on assignments, events, field trips, links, resources, notes... etc. Please make a note of the address and visit often.

This is a special year, I would like to first acknowledge Ken Ku. Ken graduated from LFAS in 2003, then continued his education at SanFransisco Art Institute and is an artist in residence at LFAS this year. Super exciting!

Jayme Johnson who graduated from LFAS in 2010, will be working as a Lab Technician to assist you in the darkroom for part of the year. Please welcome these two photo enthusiasts to the class. Also, ask them lots of questions and challenge them, they want to help.