Telling Tales - Freya

For this project we was in groups and had to look into a piece of art, and then analyze why and what it was the piece narrated to us before we actually found out the reasoning behind it was. Our group got given a painting by Frida Kahlo, called 'The Two Fridas'.

I initially knew quite a bit about the painting as i have looked into art quite extensively in the past, so i could identify whom the painting was by, roughly when and what media is was done on. I also more or less remember what the painting was of. 'The Two Fridas' is a painting done around the time of the death of her husband, Diego. The painting is believed to depict two personalities. On the right of the picture is 'the Frida' the her husband loved and respected and depicts her holding a small portrait of Diego as a child whereas on the left of the painting is a Frida as a more european wearing a victorian dress of which her husband didn't like. Her heart is exposed on both Fridas as this is believed to show her pain. From the portrait she is holding on the right side there's a vein that runs around her and to the abandoned Frida and ends with the surgical pincers with just blood dripping from them onto her dress which indicates she trying to stop from bleeding to death but it keeps dripping.

We then proceed to put them up on the wall in a timeline form to show the progression, from the years 1000 to 2011.

I havent really learnt anything different from the lessons aside from what i already knew. I find looking back in art to be a worthwhile thing to do in my own time. Not only does it show you, particularly with some of the example present in the timeline above, the history of art but it also has a historical value to it as narration art is depicting a story. Most times than not, it is supposedly from a time and event that the event truly did happen.

Examples of story/narrative art.

Nature Forging a Baby, from the Roman de la Rose

Low Countries, 1490-1500

Entry into Jerusalem - Giotto di Bondone

The Martyrdom of St. Peter - Masaccio

Calling of St. Matthew - Caravaggio

Burial of St. Lucy - Caravaggio

Waiting Room - George Tooker

The Subway - George Tooker

Interrogation - Leon Gloub

"After the Fall" - Ben Hodges

Exhibit Thyself - Sharon

As an aspiring artist, it is important for them to know means which they can publish their work and help promote themselves and possibly gain work.

One of the methods is by the use of the internet. Artists mostly have their own website to show off their work, this is a good way to display your work to a wider audience as it is accessible to most people.

There are numerous good websites which enable the user to gain a wider audience. Facebook and twitter, tumblr and sites a like are a good way of talking and interacting with fellow users. It allows you to upload and update people who view your page what youre current projects and work/offers you can provide for people. Also allow you to possibly meet other people and other photographers, which could lead numerous possibilities.

Another way to promote yourself is by print. Posters, leaflets or anything of that sort as this can be handed to people to show them offers you have on, or events that you have coming up where your works being shown.

So I had to make an A3 poster, leaflet A5 that would promote an imaginary exhibition of my work in Leeds Gallery.

The theme I picked for the poster was 'People of the Streets'. It links in to my work that I enjoy being street photography. This allows me to include the main work I've done for the posters etc.

The essential information needed on promotional material, is 

• My name
• the title of the exhibition
• venue
• date
• and also a photo I've taken which gives an idea of whats on view

All this information is important for the viewer and makes it clear what going on. I want to include clear and visible text as the photography appearing on them will be black and white.

A poster that is similar to what i want to produce. 

My posters etc.

I went for a ariel text for both the poster and the leaflet (below), to keep a clean and simple look.

The next is of a web banner. I did a simple text on one side and a photograph on the other, which I think looks nice.

Evaluation

I believe that my self promotional material is of good quality and I could use in the future as a means to promote myself as a photographer. 

Picture Promotion - Sharon

Zack Arias is a photographer who is active in the online side of photography. He runs a blog on his website and uses twitter as means of interacting with people who like his work. Also, he used tumblr as a means to get questions off of people to answer (which is over with) and made a book called 'Photography Q&A : Real Questions. Real Answers.'

His website is laid out simple and clean with all links clearly visible, however does not include his social media links. His about page features all details such as his past jobs and companies he has worked for, being different brand and publications. Also all speaking engagements and magazine articles he had done/been in.

Ibarionex Perello is active online. He has a podcast where he interviews other photographers. He uses some social networks, such as twitter, google plus, instagram also youtube where he talks about different photographs.

I like his website as everything is visibly clear with links to his websites and social media, his portfolio and other projects such as the podcast are featured and is not cluttered with it like some photography websites can be.

Severin Koller has a website along with a blog which he updates now and again. He promotes himself by using mostly all of the leading social websites.

I don't really like photography websites that are black as much as i do the cleaner look, but I like kollers website though. It features all the need information as well as links to different things being easily accessible.

Colour Correction.

For this, all I did was open the file and make the adjusted the colour so that the white appeared brighter and have more of a clean look, but avoiding making it blown out.

Before

After

Portfolio

Idea

For the layout of my portfolio/book to hand to the client, i am going to look at previous books i have made using indesign to give me an idea of how i should lay out these photographs and also look at examples from professional books to see how they are laying it out. I wanted to ensure that I captured the feel of the shop in the photographs I choose and also the layout of the portfolio being clean and well presented like the shop.

Layout examples.

Postcard

We had to create a postcard which was to be handed to the clients which we did the photography for in order for them to keep in contact with me if the every wished for me to do photography for them again. Here is the postcard I did, I choose this photograph as I like it and feel its an adequate image for it.

Evaluation

I ended up completing the book to a standard which I feel is of an adequate level, with the inclusion of my best photographs along with a photograph of both the owners and outside of the shop. I did however forget to add my contact details. But overall, i am satisfied with the book myself.