Script

I am about to start editing the script for the movie I have been designing to show the way people act around cameras. Here is the script: 

Script for movie:

Starts with making of the camera bag and sign etc- close up, not sure what’s happening. Cycle down to place and hang it up. Blows in the wind.

VO: In the society we live in, there is an obsession around images. This obsession is related to the capturing of images, and the capturing of images of ourselves. Where ever you go, you are always surrounded by cameras, by people taking photos, by people posing, by people capturing images.

At this point there are shots of tourists posing and smiling at the camera, and shots of people taking photos of each other.

What interests me is how people behave around cameras. The second when they begin to pose. Barthes explains it as:  "When I feel myself observed by a lens, everything changes; I constitute myself in the process of posing. I instantaneously make another body for myself. I transform myself in advance into an image."

Shots of people posing.

I am planning to hang 50 disposable cameras up around several cities in England, with a sign asking people to take photos of themselves. In the act of taking a photo of themselves, and the photo people take, I can see how people act when asked to photograph themselves and their behaviour relating to cameras.

Here are a few examples of people taking a photo of themselves with the cameras I provided

.

The thought process seems to be:

What is that?

Why this there a camera hanging up?

Who is this for?

What do they want me to take a photo of?

What SHALL I take a photo of?

If I take a photo of myself, how does the photographer expect me to pose?

How do I normally pose in photographs?

What does this situation (in public) mean for how I pose in this photograph?

What have others done?

Is anyone watching? (photographer included)

I am being asked to take a photo, does it matter that I don't know for?

Is this creepy?

I am being asked to take a photo; does this mean I have to be arty?

I want to be in the photo, what is the best way to do this?

Ask someone or selfie?

How do I want myself to be represented? Selfie is too down with kids but I am bit embarrassed to ask someone else…

How does the photographer expect me to be represented?

Do i have everything I want in the frame?

Is the film Ok?

This part has a double of filming picking up camera and looking through lens and other people interacting with the camera, and then leaving.

This thought process which I imagine happens when people take the photos shows a huge awareness and inter-textuality of how to construct a photo and how to represent oneself in a photo. Here is how a few of the photos turned out…

Show photos from before and also videosàbecome photos from Oxford

But what do these photos mean further than that we all know how to use cameras nowadays?

Well, if I run a couple of the photos together, you can see a few similarities in the way the people in the photos decided to set the picture up, and how to behave in the picture. All these people are posing, and they are consciously setting up a public image of themselves to show to the photo project. Look at this one, for example, they all lean close together and smile, arms around each other- they are close and happy, constructing a representation for the public which shows them as positive and rounded. People pose in the photos similarly, also, suggesting that the way they pose is pre-determined by other texts they have come into contact with. Culture has told them how to pose, and they adhere to this idea.

Here is an example of how people approach the cameras:

Film of someone approaching camera and taking photo- quick.

There is little thought in the way people approach the camera. People want to interact; they want to be part of the project without even knowing what it is, or where the photos are going. This seems to link to various anxieties around photographs and people.

This firstly shows a need to interact in a reality, an anxiety about being able to construct the reality yourself. With all the photos people take of each other, all of the surveillance cameras and constant documentation, people are not in control of their own image anymore. People are anxious to control their image. When they pick up the camera I have left, they do not just want to interact with the project, they also want to be able to control their image and give out an image of themselves which is constructed and perfect.

This might seem to show that people are anxious about what the rest of the world thinks when seeing the photo? I feel that because people don’t know where the images are going, this isn’t the fear. People aren’t scared that, as Sontang suggests, their image will give someone else possession of them, no… The anxiety seems to be that if they aren’t photographed, they won’t be able to prove it happened. Again, because of all the images which are being taken all the time, and they way that now we can take hundreds of photos, photography has become more than a photo; photography is a way of experiencing and remembering the past. This film shows people taking hundreds of photos; if they do not, can they prove it happened?

In taking a photo with the camera I provide, people are able to tell everyone they existed there, in that moment, that they took part.

And feelings after that towards the final image? Well, it’s disposable.

Camera being collected. Me collecting photos from boots. Film family looking at photos/me looking at photos with someone else. Talking about how weird and personal and voyeuristic it feels.

End. 

I also did a few more cameras hanging up, here is a photo:

This article struck me as being quite an interesting aside to my project; it shows an anxiety about memory and about using photos as memory; this suggests a fear over forgetting and about creating. Here someone says outright that they can't remember if they do not photograph, and begins to wonder if they actually have memories which aren't photos at all.
I had a similar experience with my sisters at christmas. We all thought we remembered something which was in a photo, but after talking to our parents, realized that none of us were even anywhere near the photo when it happened. Th photo has taken on meaning and stories by being a family object, and because of the photo being so alike to memory, we all feel as if we were there, when we were not. This suggests that photographs have become similuarca to memory and experience. This is quite a scary idea, or at least is slightly shocking.
In my project, people use photographs to say that they are "here"; they want to participate in many realities, even if they do not know whose it is. This is both a fear of being forgotten and a need to create reality, as well as rethink of disposable identities.

500 word intro

essay plan:

A photo project from the eyes of the people on the street, documenting themselves. how people behave in front of the camera, reflecting the anxiety about identity and the anxiety about being photographed and "existing". Relates to fluidity, self, culture. Bring in Sontang, etc

-start off talking about street photography and a brief over-view of how people behave in front of the camera and how it relates to different people's anxiety's about society and photography.
-would then talk about the project- give people a camera, ask them to take a photograph, see what happens.
-mention the seflie, and the idea about self-photography, and then need to photograph yourself because you are represented all the time by security cameras.
-Talk about how this has meant a constant reproduction of images of self. Reproduction of reality and then reality becoming photography.
-Talk about the construction of self to the rest of the world; influenced by intextuality
-The constant production fo self and reproduction of self; identity is fluid and disposable.


I am currently also in the process of making the film which i am going to hand in on the 7th. The film will look a but like this one (if i am lucky)
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/238859335/leaving-a-disposable-camera-in-the-park

i am having a lot of trouble getting people to interact with the camera while not seeing me. I am going to spend tomorrow in various locations trying out different techniques. Tomorrow is set to be sunny and nice, so hopefully this will be good!

Some practical stuff

Production Budget:

Item	Cost
50 disposable cameras	£1.55 each
Postage of Cameras	£3 per 10
Film development	£4.99 per camera
Equipment for hanging Cameras	String: £1.00 Plastic Wallets: £2.00
Travel (to London/Oxford)	Approx: £50 over the months
TOTAL	£395

Final Project Budget:

I will already have all the prints, so I should be spending too much on print. As my idea stands (about the frames) I would be hoping to spend less than £50 extra pounds on this.

Equipment list

50 disposable cameras

String

Plastic Wallets

Other camera to take photo of process (usually Nikon D5100)

Pen and paper to communicate idea to audience.

Location list (40 for sure, 10 will be spontaneous)

Brighton:

In front of the pier

Next to the Brighton Eye

In front of the doughnut in Brighton, opposite the Grand Hotel

In front of West Pier

Pavillion Gardens

Pavillion Gardens

Outside Brighton Public Library

Outside St Peters church, Brighton

The Seven Sisters

Coledean Lane Bus stop

Stanmer Park

Stanmer Park

University of Sussex meeting house

Library square, University of Sussex

The fountain near the sea (?!)

Oxford:

Outside the Radcliffe Camera

Outside the Radcliffe Camera

In the centre of the Covered Market, on the post box

University Parks, Oxford

Port Meadow, Burgess Field entrance

Port Meadow, 3 Bridges

Corn Market

Outside the Summertown coop

Magdalene Tower

Broad Street

Martyrs Memorial

Christchurch Park

Christchurch Park

London (Potentially)

Tate Modern

Tate Modern

London Bridge

Embankment

The Millennium bridge

Hyde Park Corner

A tree near Buckingham Palace (hopefully won’t be misinterpreted as a bomb)

St Pauls

Timeline:

November

Research photographers

Reading

Visiting galleries

Collect 10 rolls of film, Brighton

Presentation

December

Collect 10 rolls of film, Oxford

Reading and research

Research into gallery/display

Essay and hand-in preparation

Presentation 6^th

January

Hand in 7^th

More reading and research

Experiment with display techniques.

Collect 10 rolls of film, Oxford and Brighton

February

Collect 10 rolls of film, Brighton and Berlin (?)

Reading and research,

Experiment with gallery. Finalize how it is going to look.

Planning final hand in

March

Collect 10 rolls of film, London and Brighton. Last one!

Gather all photos and put online for participants

Start to collect material for hand in.

Pre-show people and get feedback

April

Re-shoot and re-do photos if not enough.

Prepare final hand in examples and display

Essay and write up of blog

Feedback and re-evaluation of all material

May

Final touches to hand in

Hand in (what date?)

Start to prepare the degree show

June

Degree show June 10^th?

I got some more feedback; a lot of people said that they really like the photos because they make them feel warm and fuzzy, because they awake feelings of normal-ness and people being people. I also had the feedback that they were interested in the selfie aspect- they felt that people always wanted to be present in the photograph, that it sort of makes a reality through the medium.
A lot of people also suggested that the analogue feel made the photos seem more significant and lovely; the fact that you can hold the photos in their hand, and that there are only 12 in a roll, make them seem more important.
Tomorrow, I am going to hang up a new camera in oxford and hope to have a few more photos soon.

I showed people the idea about putting the photo in photo frames too, and most people seemed to not really get why I would do that. I was thinking therefore that I might have to re-think about ideas about how to show it. i was remembering a photo project which looked like this:


There are photos everywhere- on clothes pegs and on the walls; they are surrounded by images. This looks nice and can be linked to theory. However, it doesn't seem to link that much to my idea. I was thinking, I could just cover a wall in the photo booklets, or i could do what I was first inspired to do; like the "Beautiful horizons" project- give people a light box and let them look at the negatives. I really liked this aspect of this gallery and project. This wouldn't be too hard to do, and I could also decorate an area with the photos to illustrate.
Then again, what seems to touch people most about the project is that they can hold the photos, that the photos look like from their own archives. Most people don't have a light box at home, so this takes away from that experience. It also doesn't really link to the ideas about behavior around cameras.
What might be cool is a photo booth thing; like, you go inside and get ready to take a photo and then the other photos appear on the screen, which might suggest a sort of sameness between people. This is impossible, though.
Maybe I could attach disposable cameras on the wall INSIDE the gallery and ask people to take photos of themselves. Inside the plastic wallets, I would have each photo album hanging. I could then ask people to look inside and look at the photos; they would be able to see how they might behave, and how others did.
This is a good idea!!!
Here is a drawn example:

some reading and research into how others introduce photo projects

I have to write a short introduction to my photo project. I was searching the internet for a few other examples of this, and how to write it. Here are a few examples:

1) "On May 15 2012, Aday.org asked people around the world to pick up their cameras to photograph daily life. Bringing together thousands of both amateur and professional photographers, the project mirrors how we lead our everyday lives in 2012. The resulting collection is a unique document of what really lies close to us and how photography connects us.The entire collection of 100 000 images from more than 165 countries can be viewed here on the Aday.org site, open for everyone to explore. All photos have also been donated to research faculties to be saved for future generations.The Aday.org project was initiated by the Swedish non-profit foundation Expressions of Humankind. Our mission is to use the power of photography to create, share and inspire perspectives on daily life – today and tomorrow. The foundation and project is backed by a highly respected Global Advisory Council. "

2) "Project 50 — 50 days, 50 photos with a 50mm lens. Simple concept but to actually complete this project at a reasonable standard takes some serious dedication, personal motivation, oh & good friends help too.

I get asked a lot — “Why are you doing this?”, generally my answer is — “Just for the sake of it”. But let me expand on that a little more. To me the value of this project is completely inherent in the act of doing it or, more importantly, the act of completing it at a level of quality with which I am happy — I'm doing it to prove to myself that I can."

3) Silverlens Gillman Barracks is proud to present Locus, the first solo exhibition of works by Filipino artist Poklong Anading in Singapore. 

Fresh from a residency in Bandung, Indonesia, Anading (b.1975) will present a suite of recent projects characterized by his seemingly instinctive ability of uncovering links and hidden connections between such diverse subjects like street performing (busking), analysis of progress in the Built City and the rituals of daily, urban living.

Anading has been described as an alchemist of the ordinary¹. Partial to process, he is wont of setting up systems or mechanics that would allow his works to create and compose themselves, resulting in pieces that are steeped in chance and ambiguity, where even the accidental is respected well enough to be incorporated into the work, as if cues from a silent collaborator.  

From footages of inverted skylines to a street performing monkey walking on stilts, from layered photographs of towering cranes arranged by gravity to cosmically fallen bread crumbs, Anading effortlessly weaves a grand tale of intertwined narratives that reveal his idiosyncratic storytelling genius. It could be by design or perhaps by chance, still the image of the sky permeates through each piece, as if a thread that strings the elements together or a common backdrop, an immense cauldron that catches and keeps everything contained. I surmise that if we venture to observe a little closer, this could actually offer us a rare glimpse into the artist’s worldview, and in a strange way, could also mirror or shine a light into our own relative position in the universe as well.  This is the first of series of six exhibitions programmed by Gary-Ross Pastrana for Silverlens Gillman Barracks in Singapore. Succeeding shows will showcase works by leading figures in Contemporary Filipino Art like Maria Taniguchi, Nona Garcia, Yason Banal and Victor Balanon. 

I have a few ideas from these. The first two are quite relaxed and laid-back, but they are written in quite a catchy way; they get the point and aim of the project over very quickly, which I liked a lot. They are not very in-depth however, and do not really have any theory and stuff in. I guess this is because they are introducing internet photo series, whereas I need to do a more scholarly essay for school. I like their style, however.  The other one is much more in depth, it goes into a bit more detail of the way that he might use more academic ideas to base his project, and how he might shoot in a style to say something; the other projects are more participatory, and therefore seem to have less written in them; as a viewer you are encouraged to feel/make your mind up by yourself. I feel like this is more like mine, but i guess that for a hand in I have to be more acedemic. Sooo, I will try and connect these two styles. I will try and have a quite laid back style and not give away exactly what the project means, while also being in depth with references and readings. 

Analysis comparisons of photos

i wanted to compare these two photos because of their example of camera behavior. The first shows a group of young teenagers posing, whole the second is a glorious sunset over Brighton. The first is blurry, at an angle, cutting out a few people, and careless. The second is well set up, the placement of the telescope is central, the horizon is flat. Immediately, you can see that the first person is "trained" in using cameras which are phone cameras; instant photographs, blur-proof and low quailty. The second is taken by someone who is "trained" in more advanced photography. I find it interesting you can see the difference; this suggests that the type of cameras we use affects the way we photograph, and the sort of photos we expect very much reflects culture. Young culture is more about the instant gratuitous seflie, the quick representation of reality which needn't be good quality because you can take hundreds, while the trained photographer will understand the disposable camera and take photos which are considered, thoughtful and the sort you would stop at and admire. This shows that culture and which camera type we access influnces the way we photograph ourselves.

Example of photo project and feedback

An example of how I might display; lots and lots of photo frames filled with the cheap photo booklets. The photos on these booklets all look the same; a photograph of beautiful women laughing, repeated over and over. Their place in the photo frames suggests firstly their personal nature, (placed in a context where family photos or treasured items might exist)  while their placement in frames (which suggests importance) contrasts to their repetitious image.

This shows the photo project in one;  to us, out moments and personal selves are important, we want to show the world and take many; yet they are a repetitious series of images, they all are about front (as the booklets are) about construction of image, while hiding the truths underneath (as the gritty photos underneath the flaps of the booklets show) It further suggests our need to show the world that we are here, that we have experiences; they are on show in frames, important images of the same experience. It is also a cross over of public/private; suggesting firstly that we are happier to show the world our lives and selves by giving images out willy nilly, but also that the private moments, which are hidden like gems under the bland covers, are still exsistant.

I showed a lot of people all the photos so far and I got so much positive feedback. What people like most is that they can go through the photos and look at people. They are excited to discover photos, excited to look at people and wonder who they are, why they are posing, what they are doing. A lot of people commented that it was a strangely moving experience; you witness personal moments of other people; it's like viewing snapshots of humanity. Someone also suggested that because all the people were posing similarly to how her friends might pose,  she felt as if knew them, or could relate to them. Most people understood the context of construction and experience of reality instantly. I asked them all is they would take part in a project if they saw a camera asking them to. Most people said: Of course not! but when I pressed them said they might. this seems to link to the people who wont take the camera if others are watching them; people worry about being seen to care about photos.

This has made me content that I need to keep the photos interactive and to keep the booklets; the project is a found photography project in that I "find" the photos others leave, and the viewer "finds" moments in each pack. I kind of think that looking at others also is a strange reassurance; because we are anxious about photography, and who has an image of us, if we cannot construct a reality- by looking at others in the act of constructing, we are reassured by their actions. 

I need to take more photos, but this seems good! 

Analysis of a one photo

This photo shows a group of kids holding up a North Eastern University flag. they took two photos; the first shows them without the flag, laughing and relaxing like tourists. This is the second one, where they are much more upright and serious. (below is the first photo)

This sequence illustrates some further ideas about behavior around cameras. the first photo shows a group of teenagers mucking around. They found the camera and have set up a pose (holding a girl up) which denotes their closeness and friendship (they lean close together, they trust each other because they are holding each other up) and their smiles denote their happiness and contentedness. That they are holding a girl up, diverting from normal smile and lean pose, suggests their thought process about appearing kooky, different. It also suggests that after being in/taking photos, they know the norm (smiling, posing) but that they decide to divert from it. This suggests a high awareness of photo posing, construction of self in photos and inter-texuality to other photos. This pose sets them up in a positive and fun way. Presumably they hope to later the find the photo and add it to their list of constructions which say: We were here, we had fun, we're happy.

The second photo is interesting, because you can see their thought process. the flag shows that they are university students from America, presumably on a school trip, because they have a school flag. The first photo is a social construction, the sort of photo you put on facebook or social media- it has different constructions to the next one, in which the 4 stand straight, pose and smile normally, hold their flag in front of them, denoting their pride and importance of the school. Their poses are similar; head tilt to the side, neat smile, both feet on the floor. This is a different sort of construction- serious and dedicated to school, to keeping up appearances for their university. The two photos run together to show a high awareness of construction and how to act in photos to create two various images.

 It also suggests that while they were having fun in front of a camera, one of them started to say: "hey what if school see's this?" This anxiety about being seen as an "ambassador" of their uni suggests a fear of surveillance and the far reaching power of image. But it also suggests that they might think their uni would WANT their students to be photographed; their students to appear in far away places looking happy. To be photographed is a great thing; it creates an image for the university, it demonstrates experiences. That they didn't know who would get the photos seems to not matter; to be photographed and know that they will be represented somewhere is what the people seem to be interested in.

I saw this photo, which shows hundreds of people filming the pope coming into power. I thought it was an interesting link to how we as humans take so many photos, and live life through this. This event will be captured millions of times on so many devices; reality is hyper-real, and also experience and memory will be formed through the eye of a lens.
This links to my idea about how people now create experience and memory through cameras. When people interact with the project, they want to take part in reality; and now, to take part in reality, you must be photographed, or photograph- to control it.
The photo is also an example of the way in which we are watched constantly. Other than surveillance cameras, we also are photographed and filmed constantly by others. Our own reality and image is taken and belongs to hundreds of other photographers; this links to both ideas; about the total relaxation of identity and image, we are no longer fearful of "possession", but it also suggests a strong anxiety that reality cannot exist without photography of it, and that we as selves cannot exist without photographic evidence.



This also relates to this photo, which shows a selfie by Obama, the Danish Prime minister and Cameron, at Mandela's funeral. Its a pretty funny photo- watching those who constantly construct very well thought out images of themselves- act in a way in which they interact with normal culture. It is also quite funny seeing them photograph as normal culture dictates.

analysing a photo (for presentation)

Going to be analysing this photo in reference to some of the ideas I have been reading about:

1) Pose; relates to the stuff talked about by Barthes. When a lens looks at you, you immediately "imitate yourself" and "make yourself an image""I pose. I know I am posing. I want you to know I am posing, but this must not alter my individuality." Here we see two people posing obviously. They smile and hold the camera in a "selfie" way, slightly above (which is more attractive.) They know they are posing, we know they are posing. They present themselves as "they want to be seen"

2) Links to selfie; inter-texuality to other texts/context of time. Selfie is very much of the time. This shows how the way we photograph is dominated by attitudes of the time. Many of the photos I received were in this similar style.

3) We put on a public image; this is the pose, the selfie, but also the smile, the closeness. They are sending out a public representation to the world that they are happy, in a for-filling relationship- they are "anxious about the cameras disapproval", and so pose in a way society approves of, and put on a wishes expression and representation.

4) This links to how society is now. We are always filmed and represented on social media and surveillance cameras. Because we do not have control over it, these images of self (like above) are on the rise. This is the "symbolic I", ourselves as we think we should be seen and represented. This couple chose to take a photo of themselves with no other input of a photographer; no one can impose attitudes or thoughts on them. This is "their" view, as many people chose to take the photo.

5) On a strangely contrasting note, the constant photographing and representing of ourselves on media has led to a strange relaxation in our attitude to image and identity. Susan Sontang; talks about how worried she is about "possession of self" in an image. These people interact with a camera, without knowing who the public is, and don't even want the picture. This suggests a very much relaxes attitude to who owns our image; it is disposable and can be repeated and repeated many times in many places.

6) photos have therefore become less precious and more disposable. Then why take them? Why would these people take  photo with a random camera? This is another difference to past times; photos are now a way to say that they were here. "photography is a way to experience things", and once you start using photographs to experience things, they become a way to remember the experiences, and after they become the memories of experiences, if you do not photograph something, then you can not be sure it happened. These people interacted with a camera because they wanted to document that they were here, in this moment. They wanted an unlimited amount of people to know.

7) This is a very personal moment, they include no one else, they lean close together, they seem happy and in the moment. I felt like a vouyeur looking at this, and yet the had specifically given me this image of themselves. This suggests a change in the public/private sphere; before such personal moments were only held by people who "use" the photo, they were "hung on family walls", within a context. Now, with the impossible amount of representation and images of our identity, such moments are taken from their personal setting, and given to the public; this links to the idea that our identity and what makes us "us", or gives us meaning, is much more malleable and flexible- it can be represented, disposed of, represented again.

so, for presentation:

This is a street photography project, told from the eyes of the people on the street. It will investigate the way the public behaves when asked to photograph themselves. It will particularly look at how we behave in front of cameras, and how the way we photograph is informed by the hyper-real, photo-mediated society. It will look at how this has changed the way we view the real and our own identity.

1) Poses, as we want to be seen
2) Intertexuality and context, informed by other texts
3) Public image
4) Control over images- symbolic I- have to create lots of images.
5) Contrast; possession of image not a problem, identity can be constructed/changed/malleable.
6) Photos more disposable, but why take? photos as a way to experience things.
7) Public/private

For display:

I want to put all of the boots photo booklets in expensive art frames and hang them up. I will have 50 plus booklets, and they all have the photo on the outside, of the "public" image, the desired representation of self. people can interact with the photos, and go and explore them. Found photographs. Also can see hundreds of people all posing similairly; suggests the context of time, how we THINK we should look, as well as the endless repetition of them and similar representations. Also people can look at how people have given me images, disposibleness.

Some more reading (after earlier today)

From the book: "Picturing ourselves"-
"autobiography is an extension of control over self image..." but that "the autobiographer stands apart from the self, tried to envision and read it from a vantage distanced from the passage of time."

Talks about how the act of taking a photo of oneself, of making a "representational image" is the construction of "I". There is trouble in this though- representation-creating is never finished, never complete, never totally controlled. As Barthes says: "What I want is that my mobile image, buffeted among thousands of shifting photographs, altering with age and situation, should always coincide with my profound self. But its the contrary which must be said; myself never coincides with my image, for it is the image which is heavy, motionless, solid, and myself which is light."

so... we photograph ourselves to try and control our representation, among the thousands of others, to try and show who we truly are, and yet, as Mark Twain finds, this is impossible, the image never changes, it is a solid, the self beneath is "easily graspable", made into a un-complex object. Death of an author (Foucault) 

 This an image of Mark Twain, who spent lots of time reconstructing and reshooting his self-image to try and "capture his soul".

The answer to this; "hyper-manufacturing of images"- to try and control, to try and show who we are.

Especially important in a world where we are represented unknowingly, unwittingly, from all sides by surveillance- photography has become an identity thing, a way of making solid what it actually fluid and ever changing; if it is said that if you didn't photograph it, it never happened, then is it also true, if we do not photograph ourselves, we do not exist, are unrepresented, are out of control. 

This all links into anxiety about self-image, and also about how disposable photos are now- we must keep creating, keep constructing, to keep control.

"photographs show that someone has been there- photographic honesty and immediacy of photographic representation"
"photographs are not simply the things they represent, but must be made through the culture that creates or consumes them."

More Barthes:
"When I feel myself observed by a lens, everything changes; I constitute myself in the process of posing. I instantaneously make another body for myself. I transform myself in advance into an image." This is an active thing, because the photograph "creates my body, or mortifies it."
"I lend myself to the social game. I pose, i know i am posing, I want you to know i am posing, but this must not..alter my essence of individuality"
"In front of a lens I am the same time the one I think I am, the one the photographer thinks I am, the one others think I am, the ones which is used to exhibit." (also what various audience members think I am?) "I do not stop imitating myself"
This is all very useful, about the act of being photographed. Likens the act of being photographed as a subject like being made into an object- like dieing. Links to death of an author.

This made me think of this hiliar video:

which shows people in clubs posing for photos, when its actually a video which is being taken. It's funny to watch these kids keeping a pose, because each pose says something very precise to the rest of the world. But as its a video- perhaps 6 seconds long- you can see quite how constructed each pose is. pretty funny. 

Some more disposable camera projects
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2012/may/07/trashcam-photography-in-pictures

I saw this disposable camera project, which is all the dustmen in Hamburg who make the wheelie bins into pinhole cameras. I love the creativity of this more than the photos; the idea of making something which people associate with rubbish and digsust into something useful and beautiful and artistsic.


These photos are really cool too- I like their style, which is actually quite good quality and rather beautiful despite the fact that they are made inside a bin.

I also like that they are pin-hole cameras, which make them seem even more like someone is peeking out of the side of a bin; this is really cool and a great effect. 

feedback

We did some more feedback of ideas. I also realised that I have lots and lots of things which link to my work, but it needs to be more specific. Interestingly, the rest of the class responded to the photos by saying that they were abut how people acted in relation to cameras; it was about the behaviour of humans in the presence of the camera, how they pose, how they think through what they are expected and about how analogue is different to digital surveillance. This is not how I was thinking- I was much more interested in the idea of how people are giving me a personal moment and I'm giving it to the public; I guess i was focusing on the method and not the photos.
I could change the project, so it was a focus on these ideas- the behaviour of people in front of a camera- by the idea of posing, of setting up a representation of themselves and acting in a certain way. I could link this into the ideas that we use photography as a way to experience things, to construct a reality; even if they do not know who the audience are.
This is still lots of ideas. I don't want to pick one because there is no much you can read into it. I also liked my ideas about how to display it with private/public.

"A photography project which investigates the way the public behave when asked to photograph themselves. It will particularly looking at how in our hyper-real, photo-mediated society, the way we photograph is informed by this this constant representation, but also how such a society changes our views on what is private, and how now, to photograph is to make reality 'real'." 

I might have to cut this down more too (at least for this presentation next week) But this seems like a good basis. I have a few more books to read on this subject, so i'll read after taking notes on them. I was wondering whether the way I want to display the photos link to this. My ideas of display where very much linked to the private/public- so the photo book and the tent. I was also struct today (after i took all my photos into class) that everyone loved looking through the little booklets of photos, and being able to look at the photos themselves. In this case, I was wondering whether I could just have a gallery space with a big frame, and then just have each booklet pinned there; people can through the photos themselves.  This doesn't really link to the main point of the project; I could say that by putting these photos (which are street photos, disposable, given to me freely, disposable identities) in a place which is the one place photos are considered art, and to be stared at- that I am giving these street-disposable-shit images a place to be looked at, and studied....
COULD I HIDE PHOTOS IN THE BUILDING

I need to think about this more. BUT on other news, for my film to be handed in January, I have written a shot list:
1) Making cameras- close ups, not really sure what they mean. Close up of writing, etc.
2) Fast paced cycle to town, and hang up photos.
3) cameras flapping in the wind, etc.
4) People looking and not interacting.
5) Cameras in the wind.
6) People interacting.
7) Some of the photos. Me explaining the stories of them.
8) More interaction/hanging cameras, VO of me explaining about the project (maybe?)
9) taking cameras at end of day, full.
10) getting photos at boots, looking at them.
11) More photos
END.

New photos!

Lots of new photos today. I got quite a few printed up. My concern is that several of the cameras I got broke and I lost about half of the photos die to this.. which is rather a large amount of money! SO i have to try and get them from a different company next time. Anyway, here are some photos.

This first one is from campus, as are several. I had quite a funny day, because i hung the camera in the hipster area and went away. Of course, I came back 4 hours alter and it had gone (hipsters and their retro malarkey) So I stood there and waited angrily and after a few minutes, a guy came out of the meeting house, red faced, and returned the camera. On looking at the photos, most are "arty" shots instagram would have loved, but sadly actual retro disposable cameras are not good at capturing stuff, and there was a few blurry crappy ones, which I haven't included here, but reflect on camera useage.

 This next one is of a couple whom saw me putting up the camera. It came out really dark, but i like this grainyness of the image and idea that even in the dark people are going to think cameras work. (why didn't they use a flash?! who knows)

These are a few photos from campus near hipster area. I like the cross section of sussex students they show! They all vaguely similar poses, as with everything. Pre-culture determined? awareness of construction... but you can tell what sort of cameras they are used to. Because they shoot in low level/ fast/ not framed etc etc, you can tell that they are used to cheap but high quality phone cameras.

Several beautiful shots of Brighton here!

This is my all -time favorite photo- it's beautiful; the person who took it knew exactly what they were doing :) I like this shot because it is well composed. Might be my cover photo for the project? I like this because it's had thought, people have considered that this project is for something and someone, and have taken a photo accordingly. It sets up all sorts of constructions about love and stuff too.

This photo is the foot of a tramp who stole my camera. I had to run after him with a tripod to get it back, though he claims he was going to put it back after taking photos. (not sure i beleive him) Here is his foot:

And an under the chin shot:

Loved this one below in contrast to all the boring smiley adult ones. These kids know how to use a camera and obviously know how to selfie. For them, they dont have to show the world how happy and pretty they are- only that they are having fun and are silly and cool. I liked this because I felt like I know them, and also because they contrast.

I showed this dog picture to my mum and now it is her background; obviously good for the dog lovers of this project.

This is a generic coupel shot; I have lots of these. Was wondering how they look the same- culture tells couples they have to pose like this? Or is this a natural thing to do as a couple? I feel that the word "natural" is stupid to use, because everything is pre-determined. This photo below is how as a culture we think couples should take photos of themselves. This is ideal happy couple photo. When i read it, I see this too- they look close, happy, content, no-one else there,

I want to take a film of people as they interact with the camera, and i decided I would do this filming today. So i set up the two disposable cameras, and also my own DSLR, which I filmed the people interacting with the project with, but in a sly way.

Quite interestingly, when people saw I was filming, or even looking, they refused to interact with the camera. Even if they were reading the sign and taking the camera out, if they saw I was looking, they would run away. This is annoying for my idea to make a film out of their interactions, and also quite a strange reflection on human nature. Is it a feeling of being watched that they don't like? Or acting silly? When I went away, the cameras filled up fast- suggesting my presence did affect the photographing. I'm not sure how to reflect this in my work; I suppose what its saying is that for us photographing oneself is something still personal, and by watching, we are violating a very intimate thing- the construction of self. because when you take a photo, you are thinking about social codes, constructing an image. To do this in front of someone shows that it IS a construct, not a norm, which I guess is why everyone ran away when I was looking; very interesting! This not only backs up my project but asks other questions. People are often happy to selfie with others watching and to take photos of them- but because they are showing to want to take part in a reality which isn't there's, this is embarrassing. This is a new anxiety to write about!

I am happy with the photos which have people in; I find the people interesting, I guess because they have a mystery and air about them, while the landscape shots are pretty generic. (I like shots of tramp feet) so next time I might ask people only to photograph themselves.
I also like the stories I have to tell about photos. I was thinking the video I make to hand in, in January, will be a first few shots of me making the bag with the camera in, then people interacting and the camera hanging, then several photos, and me telling their story. This is going to be a bit hard to do if people run away when filming. I might have to try and hide a bit more next time.

Schedule and budget, reading and gallery

 Schedule:

Before December 10th- 10 rolls of film
December 10th-7th January- Project coursework
January: 10 rolls
February: 10 rolls
March: 10 rolls
April: 10 rolls
May: Hand in
June: Degree program

Budget
50 cameras: 1.50 each- £75
50 rolls of film: 3.99 for photos- £199
Initial price: £274

Some more reading, linked to below:
 SO, book: Photography, a critical intro, Liz Wells.
-> the idea that the world we live in uses images in a different way. This is partly because it is different to how it was before- modernisation. "in the western world, it is as individuals that people experience themselves, independently from family etc. In the 20th century, consumer economy has moved from a focus on work ethic/self discipline, to a libidinous gratification which encourages us to identify our pleasures in order to define them."
This has meant a change in the way we photograph ourselves, ie- the SELFIE.

Just typing selfie online comes up with a huge number of blogs and articles which love or hate selfies. Some people say that selfies are a way of "addressing confidence and image issues" and that they are a "way of allowing particularity young people to participate with the world" (http://healthland.time.com/2013/09/06/why-selfies-matter/) while some see selfies as part of a "shallow, self centered me me me culture", and that it is "all young people aspire to", and that they are "narcissistic junk" (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/brian-reade-the-selfie-sums-2813772)
I bring the selfie in here because, primarily the photos people take are selfies. Some are not- people pose, perhaps having asked an onlooker or a one of the friend/family have volunteered. But most are not, most are unashamed selfies. I suppose this reflects on the more modern culture of self and identity, of needing to be photographed somewhere to have "been" there, to need to be IN a photograph  to conform and produce an identity, even if you have no idea where the identity is going. It links into the modern culture (I'm sure if i tried the same thing 50 years ago, I would get completely different results, if any at all) and into how we experience or create reality. The writer goes onto to suggest that photos are now about "challenging and conforming identity", and "portraying the individual as they wish to be seen."

The book writer goes onto to write more about the public/private image, about how photos are now "malleable, more disposable", not "Precious one-offs", while at the same time photos are a medium has increased hugely, as a way to document and record. These two opposing themes link pretty well with my work- about how we give photos away thoughtlessly, and yet tirelessly produce them.
It also talks about users and readers of photography, which is important. Users are the takers, the people who are the "private" viewers of the photo, or in the photo, who understand the relationships between the objects/people, who know context, memoirs and meaning. This is something I was struck by when viewing the photos- I felt intrusive on these often personal moments, I didnt know who these people were, I was an outsider- and yet they were inviting me in. There are also "readers" of photos, which are the ones in the "public" reading the photos, who don't know the context and have to tease the meaning out. This was me when viewing these photos, and I could tell they meant something, I could guess at what they meant, but I had no idea if I was right.

All this is really interesting! I have two rolls of film waiting to be developed, so no more news on photography yet. BUT news on gallery!
I went to a gallery in Brighton, the Brighton University Gallery, which had a very strange exhibition by Svankmajer. The exhibition was a variety of mediums, and lots of themes, most of them surreal- there was a animation/real film of Alice in wonderland, teddy bears with penis's, and my fave bit, a warped natural science bit where he had built fantastical creatures out of bits of other animals.

In terms of the gallery, it was just a pretty cool mix of mediums, so you had glass cases, puppet theaters, films going on, noises, pictures and sculptures. I liked how it was shown- there were different areas to go and sit, which was nice, to soak everything in.  I liked that there was a lot fo humor in the work too, which made it not so boring to look at it- it was exciting. I liked that all the work was subversive and made you look twice- it loos like a normal natural history museum, but it's not, its a fantastical beast gallery- pretty cool! This was my favorite one underneath, it's a stuffed hedgehog chopped in half, like a scientific analysis, but inside is a crystal- subverting what is expected and making it hyper-real, as well as commenting on fantasy/reality, and how everything in the natural world is connected.

I liked I guess this shows that multimedia, or when there is LOTS to look at, that's when it is exciting. This leads me onto thinking about my own work. I have several ideas which I might do of my own work:

1) I was thinking about maybe putting ALL the photos up on the wall, and having them in a sort of explosion shape- on the ceiling, the wall, the floor (hoping to have a corner for this) Like a waterfall of images, maybe coming out of a camera itself. This might represent the explosion of images we deal with daily, and how putting them all together, we have a "family portrait" of Brighton.

2) Photo diary- so having the photos in a book, like a photo gallery. This might also access the idea of a "family portrait" of Brighton, but all the people in it have no connection except that they picked up the camera- sort of creates connections but doesn't; these weak tie networks link to the internet also. Also comments on public/private- people from the public took private photos in the public, gave them to me (a public viewer) which I might display in a private fashion for the public?

3) A photo tent; I wanted the photos to surround people also- was thinking a photo tent/room where the walls, ceiling and floor are all covered in photos. I didn't really have any reason for this, but I could say that it could be the  how we are completely surrounded by photos, and we use them to say "we're here" to everyone else; but everyone does the same. As you have to go in a room, it would also be commenting on private/public photos-  "private" are the ones we hang inside; yet I am hanging public photos in a "private" place and inviting people in- suggests a converge of public/private, user and reader.

That's it for now. Might have more ideas as reading continues.