Module 1 – PHO701
Week One – Global Images
Week Two – Interdisciplinary Approaches
Week Three – Rethinking Photographers
Week Four – Collaboration
Week Five – Power and Responsibilities
Week Six – Oral Presentations Draft
Week Seven – Strategic Choices
Week Eight – Work in Progress
Week Nine – Critical Theory
Week Ten – Theory in Practice
Week Eleven – Reflections
Week Twelve – Submissions
Number of posts: PositionsPractice 56
All Posts
- Positions & Practice Reflections – Grades – Where To, Now? May 26, 2018Well, the grades are in for the Project Proposal and the Work in Progress portfolio. I think it’s fair to say that I have mixed ...Read more...
- 26 Vinyl Records May 23, 2018Ed Ruscha (1937 – ) created Twenty-Six Gasoline Stations in 1963, a small, self published book. Ruscha set in motion a new way to think about photography ...Read more...
- Positions and Practice Work in Progress May 3, 2018Just submitted … Read more...
- Week Eleven Reflections April 29, 2018I think this week I had a creative breakthrough. As noted before, I am interested in ‘traces’, aftermath photography. Sophie Ristelhueber‘s work comes to mind. And ...Read more...
- Week Ten Reflections April 22, 2018Well, back at it with a vengeance. This week has mainly been about getting the P&P Proposal started, although more detail on how to do ...Read more...
- The Beetle in a Box – and Critical Theory April 19, 2018Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889 – 1951) might just be the most influential philosopher of the 20th century. At Cambridge he was under Bertrand Russell‘s tutelage, essentially being ...Read more...
- Traces April 17, 2018I am considering ways to use post-processing in the representation of traces, as part of the Cambodia project. The intent is to heighten emotional engagement ...Read more...
- Communicating my Photographic Practice April 16, 2018My best pictures tell an unfinished story, with a sense of place or personality – evoking questions of who, what, where, when. As Hiroji Kubota said, ...Read more...
- Theory in Practice – Wassily Kandinsky April 15, 2018The first purely abstract painting is generally recognised as Wassily Kandinsky‘s ‘Untitled – First abstraction‘ of 1910. This is in the header above. Kandinsky had been ...Read more...
- Week Nine Reflections April 13, 2018Very interesting discussion on my self-critique and my recent work in today’s webinar. Thank you Gary, Danny, Ashley, Emma & Howard. Not going to go into ...Read more...
- Giving constructive, critical feedback April 12, 2018A couple of thoughts on the use of Critical Theory in photography. Firstly, intrinsic to any process of critique is the practice of feedback. That may be ...Read more...
- My Practice – A Critical View April 10, 2018As I noted in my Oral Presentation, I have worked with many different genres of photography – travel, street, events and documentary. If there is ...Read more...
- It versus About in Critical Theory April 10, 2018So, what have we here? A nicely constructed, painterly, abstracted image, technically well executed. In certain contexts, it could be seen fine art photography, perhaps? In Barthian ...Read more...
- Positions and Practice Oral Presentation – Final April 1, 2018 YouTube Original April 17th, 1975, after years of war, the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh. Within twenty-four hours they emptied the city of 2 million people, and ...Read more...
- Week Eight Reflections March 25, 2018Now, where to start. With the positives! I got some great ideas on presenting my work this week, mainly from Danny, who, with his own work, ...Read more...
- Exposure – Photo Stories March 23, 2018Many thanks to Danny North for pointing out exposure.co. Experimenting with how to better tell stories for the Cambodian project. Created with ExposureRead more...
- Week Seven Reflections – Peer Challenge March 21, 2018There were two main activities this week. First, I was challenged by Danny North to talk to 4 strangers, get some of their ‘story’, and then ...Read more...
- Martha Rosler, Decoys and Disruptions March 20, 2018Martha Rosler, Decoys and Disruptions (2004) Lookers, Buyers, Dealers And Makers: Thoughts On Audience (1979) ‘More and more clearly the subject of art has become the self ...Read more...
- The Cruel Radiance – Susie Linfield March 18, 2018I just read The Cruel Radiance: Photography and Political violence, by Susie Linfield (University of Chicago Press, 2010), and found it totally fascinating. Essentially, Linfield ...Read more...
- Peer Challenge March 15, 2018Danny North challenged me to find a local cafe, sit down and make conversation with anyone who sits nearby. Talk to them for at least ...Read more...
- Week Six Reflections – Draft Oral Presentation March 11, 2018This week, some very simple reflections, as the focus was on getting a draft Oral Presentation done. To say it was a scramble was an understatement. ...Read more...
- Faux Pas March 11, 2018I was at the so-called Leica ‘mothership’ in Wetzlar, a few months back, and was wandering around the campus. I noticed some really interesting plants, ...Read more...
- Some notes on Ariella Azoulay’s writing March 10, 2018These notes are not a full book review – more the key points that struck me, appropriate to my project work. On ‘The Civil Contract of ...Read more...
- Oral Presentation – Draft March 8, 2018 April 17th, 1975, after years of war, the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh. Within twenty four hours they emptied the city of around 2 million people, ...Read more...
- Week Five Reflections – Phnom Penh March 6, 2018This week most of the reflection must be about Cambodia, scoping for my project. I arrived on Thursday 1st, and leaving today, the 6th. A truly ...Read more...
- Photographer’s Mission February 27, 2018We been been asked to state our ‘photographic mission’. Here’s mine: What are your responsibilities? Firstly, in all of my work, I have a responsibility to adhere to ...Read more...
- Week Four Reflections – Collaboration February 24, 2018It was huge fun to collaborate with Corin Rossouw, Howard Pratt and Rob Jones, on a short multimedia project, ‘The Journey‘. The project forced me to ...Read more...
- Constructs and Seeing February 24, 2018In talking with Steph Cosgrove about my documentary work at the recent Falmouth ‘Face 2 Face’, she was good enough to share some videos about the image ...Read more...
- Week Three Reflections February 21, 2018What a great week, spilling over into week four, and dominated by the Falmouth Face to Face. I’ll try to break my (over loaded) thoughts into ...Read more...
- The Camera as Judge and Executioner February 15, 2018Archiving the Unspeakable, by Michelle Caswell, is a fascinating read. It deals with the role of photographic archives in the activities of the Khmer Rouge ...Read more...
- The Filters of Citizen Journalism February 13, 2018It would seem to me that there are many themes flowing through this week’s work on Rethinking Photographers. I’ll pick four: First, the impact of technology on ...Read more...
- Truth in Photographs February 13, 2018There are many different philosophical theories of truth – pragmatism, coherence, realism, correspondence, language etc. That said, it is indeed TRUE that there are many theories. That is ...Read more...
- Qs week 3 – “Rethinking Photographers” February 12, 2018Presentation 1: Photographers on Film Q: How else do popular representations of photographers contribute to perceived social and cultural values of the profession? Read my post on ...Read more...
- Non-Photographers and Professionals February 11, 2018Whilst I would agree that in principle all photographers as just that – photographers, there are clearly subsets of photographers. Some earn a living by ...Read more...
- Week Two Reflections February 10, 2018Four overall thoughts: It’s all totally fascinating I am reading and writing too much, and need to get out and shoot more Really enjoying the interaction with my ...Read more...
- Memory, Narration and Curation in Photography February 10, 2018Reading Roland Barthes‘ Camera Lucida reminded me of a post I wrote in 2014. Here it is, in full. In recent meetings and photo shoots with friends, ...Read more...
- Roland Barthes – Camera Lucida – An ultimately depressing book February 10, 2018Camera Lucida, by Roland Barthes, is an odd book. It has become a classic text on the subject – yet Barthes was not a photographer, ...Read more...
- Three Images – Contexts & Disciplines February 7, 2018For this week’s webinar with Gary, we have been asked to consider the disciplines other than photography, and the critical contexts which are relevant to ...Read more...
- Joseph Wright of Derby February 7, 2018Several of my fellow students have noted painters such as Caravaggio and Rembrandt as inspirations, with their mastery of both light and compositions, delivering works ...Read more...
- Qs week 2 – 3rd presentation – “Fields of Cultural Interest” February 6, 2018Q: Which of the disciplines discussed here do you feel is most relevant to Sam Shere’s famous photograph? In the ‘fields of cultural interest’ (Roland Barthes), ...Read more...
- Qs week 2 – 2nd presentation – “Photography and Art of Science” February 6, 2018Q: How do you think that the relationship between photography, science and technology has affected how we attribute ideas around knowledge and truth to the ...Read more...
- Photography and … February 6, 2018Coursework this week is to consider what discipline I feel photography of any kind has a particularly interesting or relevant relationship to. I would like to look ...Read more...
- Qs week 2 – 1st presentation – “Multiple media and Interdisciplinary practices” February 5, 2018Q: What does the moving image tell you about the still photographic image? The presentation did a great job in illustrating the similarities and differences of ...Read more...
- The Caged Bird February 5, 2018Was very taken by this from Joel Saarda, writing about his inspiration for photography as part of Week 2, Interdisciplinary. Joel was referring to Maya Angelou’s “Caged Bird” ...Read more...
- Morning email February 5, 2018Having my (essential) morning coffee, and opened my email. In the old days, it was a rather painstaking process of having passports and documents checked on ...Read more...
- Other than … Year Zero February 4, 2018In April 1994, Ingrid and I first visited Cambodia, with our three youngest children. Michala was 6, Victoria was 4, and Dan was just over ...Read more...
- A Poet not a Logician February 3, 2018I am a rather ‘logical’ person. My BA is in Mathematics and Philosophy. I have an MSc in Consulting and Coaching for Change from HEC. ...Read more...
- Interdisciplinarity February 3, 2018The theme of Week Two is close to my heart, as I am Visiting Professor at the Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre of Excellence for Teaching and ...Read more...
- P&P Week One Reflections February 2, 2018Exhilarated. Really excited to be part of an academically strong, creatively challenging program – great faculty, and very talented students. One of my goals in joining ...Read more...
- Qs week 1 – 3rd presentation – “Global Image: Unity and Change” February 2, 2018Q: Do you think the power and influence of the photograph is overstated? ‘Still’ photography is just one of many media that impact social discourse, especially in ...Read more...
- Qs week 1 – 2nd presentation – “Global Image: Windows on the World” February 1, 2018Q: What do you make of the mirror and window analogy? A very apt one. The camera functions both ways, inward and outward looking. The downside ...Read more...
- Three Images – My Practice January 31, 2018I have chosen three images, reflecting different aspects of my ‘people’ photography. Events, Street and Documentary. The first (and header image) is a recent Event that ...Read more...
- Qs week 1 – 1st Presentation – “Global image: Worldwide Medium” January 31, 2018Q: Do you see any parallels between the historic spread of photography and the transmission of digital imagery today? In both cases, a new technology spread ...Read more...
- A Global Image Re-Make January 30, 2018I would like to offer a ‘reverse re-make’, with, I hope, good reason. Sebastião Salgado is rightly seen as one of today’s most influential photographers. As ...Read more...
- There’s always an image January 29, 2018I am at the University of Leeds today, teaching, and I took this picture at Kings Cross – shot and edited on iPhone 7Plus. Seems to me ...Read more...
- Globalisation – a Personal Tale January 26, 2018Week One reading includes ‘Global Photography‘, by David Bate, in Photography: The Key Concepts (2016). Bate starts his chapter with: “Globalization” is a term now commonly used ...Read more...
- Landscape January 25, 2018I have been studying the materials for Positions and Practices, and was quite taken with the chapter on Territorial Photography by Joel Snyder, in the ...Read more...
- Possible Cambodia documentary project January 24, 2018We first visited Cambodia in 1994, with our three youngest children, Michala, Vicky & Dan. Dan was 18 months old at the time. And we ...Read more...
- Falmouth Flexible MA Photography January 23, 2018This new blog is to note my progress in the two year Falmouth Flexible MA Photography, which starts on January 29th. Modules include: Positions & Practice. The first ...Read more...