Updates!

Pls note the changes/additions:

1. Assignment 2: revised photos, analysis and grades are up.
2. Assignment 4: self assessment is up.
3. Assignment 5: posted!
4. Assignment 6: posted!
5. Singapore Culture

Happy studying everyone (:

Singapore Culture

Singapore Culture

When mentioned Singapore Culture, Singaporeans (hopefully not the foreigners too) would probably wave it off with an "arg, as though Singapore has any culture." Does Singapore really have no culture to call its own? Or are we too blinded and mesmerized by other countries' cultures that Singapore just seem so bland.

Singapore is bursting with culture, and it does not need anyone to be superbly observant to notice this. Our multi-racial society is a huge contribution to shaping Singapore's own culture. And who says culture has to have only 1 or few identity? We might have been too caught up with digging and searching for 1 identity to represent the whole that we overlooked Singapore's rich diverse cultures. 

Singapore stands out because of our diverse ethnic groups. We are like a kaleidoscope; the many mirrors represent our different ethic groups. Like how the reflection of the mirrors creates unique and magnificent patterns, our differences are what gives Singapore her rich and authentic cultures. Instead of lamenting that Singapore's culture is copied from elsewhere and has no originality, we can take the perspective that ours is a bundle of cultures from all over the world. Moreover, with such differences, our ability to stay together harmoniously, even better, give way and complement each other, is what makes Singapore special.

Of course, our kiasu-ism, our repressed freedom of expression, and our inability to accept extreme sterotyped people/actions are much detested. People stand for hours for free goodies, parents queue up for their kids' school enrollment, 'chopping' seats with tissue packets, waiting till the last half hour to get half priced sushi at Carrefour, our ever-so-silent speakers' corner, dutifully paying taxes and fines, making small noises during bus fare hike only to eventually die down, looking at people with piercings/tattoos/gays with a different eye.. such are things that makes us feel ugly as Singaporeans. But who is to say that other countries do not have their ugly sides as well? The difference is that while Singaporeans would probably think that cos of these, there is nothing else to be proud of, other countries focus on their positive side and bring that out to shine as their own culture.

Singapore has its warm nature to be proud of. We are able to live together harmoniously with this greatly diversed ethnicity around us. While other countries are unable to accomodate just 1 race that is different from the majority, we are able to adapt and understand the ethnic differences. I think this is a remarkable culture on its own, diversity.

Assignment 6: Photo Analysis

Theme: Analysing a picture

Select any image from one of the following genres of photograph from recent publication (news paper, magazine, online) 

• Photojournalism
  
• Social documentary
  
• Commercial photography

Analyse the picture: List how selected photograph might be read by target audience.

presentation can be viewed at http://vimeo.com/342972

firstly, i would like to thank Mr. Reddy and my group members for allowing me to join my group! (: i couldn't get a partner for this assignment and later realised my tutorial group holds an odd number of students. Yikang and Sheryl have been very welcoming and understanding, and we had fun doing this presentation! the commercial photographs each of us brought to consolidate are fun, unique and we were really teaching and learning quite a bit from each other during meetings (: thanks you two!

Rhetorical Trope: Mattel Matchbox Toy Cars Print Advertisment

Aim of this commercial photography:

Brand Image and Product Awareness

In this commercial photograph, Mattel is promoting that it is able to produce the most realistic scale model toy cars.

What tropes are involved?

1. palm
2. car (on the palm)
   

How are they used to influence the preferred reading?

1. The symbolic meaning of any object that is placed on the place represents something that is small and minature.
2. Evoke intended confusion: is it the actual size of a car? or is it a toy car?

This method of photographing kittens/puppies/baby animals was a hype few years ago. 

Similarly, the palm is a metonym for a rhetorical trope. A seemingly larger (hence impossible to fit on a palm) object would have its size questioned. With that it will bring about awareness and target audience's interest. The target audience would be the ones who are interested in the object on the palm, regardless of size. After capturing their interest, the palm will give audience the perception that the object on the hand would have similar intricate details of that of the actual object.

Please visit Yikang's and Sheryl's sites for their photo analysis! Yikang will be giving his take on social semiotics and modality and Sheryl will be discussing about Paradigmatic Analysis and Syntagmatics.

Evaluation:

i like Gerald's and Raine's presentation. Their photos give clear presentation of the different semiotics that we've learnt in class. their presentation refreshes what i've learnt, and gave me more insights as well. i find that i learnt quite a lot from their presentation, and that's a good sign isn't it? (:

using their work as a perfect 10 standard,

i rate our work 9.1/10

Assignment 5: Creep

One subject, three intentions.

Realism

Formalism

Expressionism

Subject: stairs

Creep stands for: height phobia (shots angled downwards from higher level)

Realism:

Is the notion that the photograph offers a straightforward "transparent" view of the world, subscribing to a tradition that considered pictures to offer "a window on the world': close to what we would have seen had we been there at the time the photograph was taken.

as this is meant to be a "window on the world", i took the shot by positioning my camera angled downwards, just like how we would look down at our feet and stairs when we're descending. the shot will be the straightforward view of the person who has height phobia.

Formalism:

Considered the photograph as an aesthetic object. The view holds that while the photograph may offer a limited view of the world, it is primarily a flat surface that supports a pattern of light, shade and colours. In this context when we look at a photograph we are always aware of the properties of the photographic medium.

i particularly like this shot alot (: the lighting from the small openings at the sides works well with the rough gradient of the ground to give texture to the photo. the unlit parts of the photo gives a dark and creepy feel. the railings clean straight lines and sharp turns pulls the viewer's attention to the middle of the photo - the blank black triangle. there is a never-ending feel, as though we are really drawn into and falling through that opening into that black space. repetitive patterns (notice there's no circles only lines?) give aesthetical value to the photo. also, the simple white and "black" composition is pleasing to the eyes. i agree with my class that there is bound to be overlaps of the 3 interpretations in the photos, as while this is meant to be an aesthetic object, it still speaks a little of "heights".

Expressionism:

Implies the use of the photograph to express the feelings or ideas of the photographer that may go beyond the initial appearance of the image and its material qualities. In this context the photograph may express the photographer's emotional feelings or a strongly held political viewpoint or social comment.

this shot was taken with the camera positioned to almost touching the ground, angled downwards. the steepness of the stairs and the focus on only the stairs give audiences the feel of fear to descend. i attempted to give a jitterish feel, like "i'm taking a step next, and next, and next?! and next??" the railings were left out of the photo to give it a more unstable feel.

evaluation:

my favourite is chew yue's. i think that her photos falls clearly into the 3 catogories of realism, formalism, expressionism. there are comments that there are overlaps in her photos, but comparatively with some of us, i think chew yue's shots are rather obvious in showing which goes to what category. as mr. reddy and my classmates has discussed, it is inevitable that there will be a mixture of two or more of aesthetic intentions in each piece. that aside, i like her unique take on creep, especially her effort to bring across this social issue through her photos.

using hers as a perfect 10 work, i rate mine an 8.5/10 :)