Assignment 4: The Day After - Joiner

Theme:
Photomontage in artist David Hockney’s style which he called “joiner”.
Hockney explored difference between mechanical view and eye’s/minds view (single vs. multiple point of view).
What is photomontage:
Photomontage is the process (and result) of making a composite photograph by cutting and joining a number of other photographs.


Where will you be, the day after.

(click for larger image)

"Where will you be, the day after."

i'm quite certain many of us have asked ourselves this, hm well at least i do, many times too. there are so many things that all of us wish to do, but we'll never get down to doing it and end up living the life that we are stuck in.

there are many interpretations to this rhetorical question, and each different question one gets will relate closely to themselves. i hope that through this piece of work, people will bring themselves to think about their lives and what they really want. not calling for deep thinking, just a 5 mins self evaluation of our own lives, and maybe for that short period of time we'll find what we really want inside.

for me, i've always wanted to travel. i've always loved travelling for the diverse cultures and things to experience. my dad used to tell me the purpose of life is to allow us to daringly explore and learn everytg around us. he believes in no restrictions in learning, and that travel would expose us to different cultures that would make us better people. i guess he has influenced me and taught me well (: this railway shot is in a sense my constant reminder of me and my dad's belief.

this work is a collation of approximately 400 photos. i stood at a specific spot and moved the tripod from left to right so as to ensure that the photos will not be messy when i'm piecing them together. my sd card is full (more than 900 shots) when i'm done shooting for the day, and i was perspiring like a mad cow haha. saved up some memory space and went to the few more distinct objects to take close up shots of their different parts in different angles.

the work took 4 days of piecing :\ it was really tiring, especially since i'm using a laptop and it just kept hanging iwas almost driven crazy from waiting. this is my 2nd piece of work actually, the first one didn't work out. remember i mentioned that i took close up shot of some significant objects? i started with piecing them tog, and the 6 currently "blown up in size" objects turned out small and insignificant. it was because i kept them at their original size (not blown up). it looks boring and probably can pass off as a single shot photo.

i felt so displeased with it. but the thought of erasing the done-up piece and start over again is not exactly exciting :\ however being quite the perfectionist (at times haha), i had to do it :( this time round, i did the piecing as though im doing a jigsaw puzzle. start from the 4 corners and inch inwards the middle. when reaching the parts where the significant objects are supposed to be, i would used the close-up shots taken to form bigger size images. this is so to create emphasis on them as these are the important objects i want to highlight to the viewer. the tracks are naturally huge from the angle of the shots, so it was left alone as it is. importantly, the exit for the trains in the background is blown up 3times the original size. the 3 signs by the tracks and the operating devices (the blue box at the right, the direction signals in the middle) are blown up as well, 2-4 times their original sizes, depending on how estatically pleasing they look to me :)

my purpose for blowing these objects up is to draw awareness to their significance and their relation to the theme "where will you be, the day after." the signs symbolise the reminder to people about the direction they are heading. the operating devices symbolise the things/ppl that meet travellers on their way to search for what they want. they might motivate or hinder their journey and thus cause the change of tracks (paths in life). essentially, the exit symbolise the unexpected route ahead, hence bringing the theme into audience's mind.

evaluation:

i like Yikang's work best. he was on his trip in cambodia, and i'm sure time constraint is a huge obstacle. to be able to produce such work within a short period of time is not easy, and not satisfying too, as he mentioned in his entry. it is understandable, photomontage is not something you can force yourself to sit down and do within a specific time. there are small details or methods that one might miss out, and the longer time it is, the better one can improve on the work. so i'm really impressed with his "remember pursat", especially the bending of the parallel street. initially i thought it was already a bent street. knowing that this montage cannot be replaced with a snapshot of the scene makes the work more impressive. what's more, i like the message that he's conveying. "remember pursat" reminds me of the village in Cambodia that i've been to, and always telling myself that i will be back to visit the kids and see how the adults are doing. however, eventually this feeling will slip away.. and it'll just become a thing of the past. having seen his montage brings me back to how i felt then. maybe cos i can relate to it, i do feel the sense of nostagia it evokes :) however, i still like my work best. haha yes throw aside modesty, i will be shameless just this once. i am proud of my work, and i rarely feel this way. it feels good haha. the 4days of editing, the pails of sweat, my laggy laptop, the thoughts i put into it (i dont think this hard oftenly haha), and being able to tear away from the norm to insert emphasis on details are some things that make me feel like grading myself a 100. :) pls do comment if you think otherwise alright? taking mine as a perfect 10, i give yikang a 92! :)

Assignment 3: Change - Photo Essay

Theme:

We live in a country where only thing which is constant is change.

Photo essay: Create 8 to 12 pictures essay on above theme. Select appropriate point of view which addresses the theme. eg.
- Economic changes and human condition
- Age, relations and rat race
- Geography and time
- Cultural invasion - unified world etc. etc.

Thing changes, but nothing changes.

my little sister (she's a real sweetie(: ) made a scrapbook for my birthday last yr, if i can post it online i would really do so to boast it to all of you :) but anyway, i was flipping through it (again!) when i saw the phrase in the book "Things changes, but nothing changes." It was meant to show no matter how fast we grow up and move in separate paths, we'll always have the love we have when we were young. it touches me very deeply, and inspired me to work around this theme.

initially, i wanted to do a "documentary" depiction of the growth from kids to teenagers to adults to the elderly, with the constancy of the presence of love for each other. the love mentioned here represents siblings love. the plan was to have 2 kids holding hands looking out into the sea. the feel should be a soft, peaceful and comfortable one, without any noise, disruption; just them and the calm sea. the next photo would be of 2 youths, holding hands, standing at the similar place, in the same position, holding hands. repetitively, 2 adults and 2 aged people will be doing the same thing. i really love this theme, but it wasn't carried out in the end, which makes me quite sad. the only problem is getting the 2 kids, without which this whole photo essay would lose its meaning. so anyway :( it didn't work out. am just posting it here to make myself feel better.

yes, so this is my finalised photo essay. i'm equally happy with it as with the concept i had in the beginning. so yes, all's well :)

in this series, i'm depicting that while things around them (the old generation/people) changes, becomes distorted and corrupted, modernized and in a sense, scary, these lovely old people still stay the same. they go through their lives as usual, doing what pleases them, not being affected to join the ugly races that this new world has created. i have also inserted photos of things that are gradually lost over time, such as the coffee flask+sock, the ancient incense paper burner, the letter box made out of red old plastic container, the temple which no one visits anymore (with its gates closed always, yet a pious old lady would without fail place 3 incense sticks there daily).

F/6.3, 1/20, 18mm

F/4, 1/40, 20mm

1/60, F6.3, 31mm

F4.2, 1/60, 30mm

F4.5, 1/30, 32mm

F8, 1/80, 18mm

F4.2, 1/50, 28mm

F4.2, 1/50, 30mm

F4.5, 1/30, 26mm

F4.5, 1/60, 34mm

F4.8, 1/30, 35mm

i took alot of time and effort to do this assignment :) proud of myself! haha. the first was the trip to the market. i didn't sleep the night before just so i can wake up at 630am to make my way to the market. i can't even wake up early enough to reach class on time :/ so yes.

i went to take some photos of the aunties practicing qi-gong/martial arts. however, the photos didnt turn out well as i was late and missed the class. (can you believe it they started at 530am?!) but the auntie was very cute! she kept wanting to pose for me haha. i requested for 2shots of her doing her qi-gong, but she insisted to stand really near the camera, "bi jiao hao kan lah," she said. hahaha so in the end i took them to please her:), and even say she's pretty 'cos she said she's old already:(

walked a bus-stop dist to the market nearby..it's at ginza (if you know where it is, it's very near sch!). i was very scared actually, i had never taken photos of people and movements, and i'm not skilled enough to be able to take good voyeuristic photos haha. anyway i tried to take some secretive photos, turned out bad though. but i kept one of the for my presentation (backview of old man with towel ard his neck), not particularly cos it's a good photo or anytg. it was overexposed in fact. but it reminds me of the fond candid moment that commence my heartwarming morning at the market. the old man suddenly turned around and said "hor hor! ni tou pai wo de zao!" (tsk,tsk, you are secretly taking my photo!") haha so adorable right! he said it with a mischevious grin, that of a li'l kid. and i do like the feel of the photo, the way he looks out into the market (and at his wife in the background tending the store), the way his presence contrasts with the concrete floor of the slightly more modern wet-market. it represents how things change, but some things just stay the same (i.e. the old man and his passion for his meat stall/his relationship with his wife).

it was really a heartwarming morning at the wet market. i intended to stay only for an hour or so, but in the end i was there till 12pm, and thus i missed the chess session at the block opposite. didn't matter tho, 'cos this is really the best photo-taking moment i had. (yes i know i keep repeating that haha) the happy old man (the old man mentioned before) announced my presence to everyone around the market with his twinkly laughter, and he brought me to his best friend's stall :) he was selling pork too (see the lack of competition in them!), and i was asked to take him posing with his meat haha. he then led me to the stall selling preserved and dried products like herbs, sausages etc. (the bright photo with a red shirt auntie) the colours, the lighting and the light-hearted auntie fills the photo with happiness and energy. p/s: she even wants me to be her daughter-in-law, she told her brother! haha. i understand hokkien leh auntie heh :) it was really sweet, it feels warm and fuzzy, tho i just got to know her.

then i was linked and brought around from one stall to another, i really covered every stall in the whole market, thrice. haha. the chicken seller said he wants me to take him assembling his chicken meat, saying he understands i need the natural element in my photo, really appreciate him alot! i particularly like the old clock, the alter and the red light it emits, the red banner, the fa-gao(some pastry presented to worship the god) in the background. it shows how the tradition always stays, as long as one believes in it, and they do.

other photos chosen from the market-day are the ones i call window into his never-changing life and the egg seller in the first photo, the small gap is the only view he has of the whole market. in that manner he works everyday, looking out only when customers come, working in his own world. it is a window INTO HIS life because i want to depict that while things change around, one can always find solace in looking into his life (just like the rest of the elderly), just like i did. the egg buyer was chosen cos my mum made the comment that she likes it alot :) and especially so cos this scene reminds her of her past as a kid, when this type of 'choose-your-own-eggs' stalls are still around. i'm really glad to have stumbled onto it :)

i also witnessed the scaling of fishes, more shocking, the killing of fishes as tall as me (bloood omg). the fishmonger also introduced me fishes that are yummy, how to cook them, and also this super special fish that only has one side, so it has 2 eyes on one side, and the other is pure white it is so shocking my tummy sank. (YES it exists! but i did not take any photo of it cos the auntie was v engrossed in telling me the folktale of the fish haha - ask me if you're interested!) so my day (yes my day, cos i went back and slpt like a pig) ended with a cup of tea and 2 eggs, which i ate in very bleary eyes but precious experience :)

1 day later, i realised im still lacking of photos from other aspect of un-change. i wanted photos of old men at chess, so my mum was so sweet to drive me to an aging hougang area (where the horrid fire accident happened), where i found my cobbler too! my mum warned me about the old people there, saying they are slightly more cranky so don't intrude too much. frankly speaking, i wasn't afraid, cos of my pleasant marketing experience :) i asked my mum to walk ard first while i take my photos. when she returned i was chatting amicably with all the uncles haha. only one of them refused to be in the shot, while the rest are very encouraging. they tell me which angle nicer, who more handsome, what are the games they are playing. it's so heartwarming to see them acting so warm, without wearing any guards or artificial emotions. even tho the world ard them has changed, so much so that everyone has their guards up almost all the time, and most of the time smiles are not as sincere as it is.. these lovely people stay the same way as they are, pure, sincere. in order not to alarm them unnecessarily, i gave a cause for my photo-taking - to depict old traditions that are dying out. sadly, their conversation reached the topic when one said (in hokkien) "take me, before i die out too.." it really breaks my heart, and to tell the truth i almost teared there and then. they are wary of the changes ard them after all, i'm just so proud of them to be able to lead the life they want to despite all these.

my mum then drove me to selegie rd, where it was a path into another world. those who have been there i'm sure you know what i mean :) neverending rows of trees, incense sticks on the sand, old playgrounds, letter"box".. which i took some of them to depict things that are gradually fading away from our lives, being replaced by modern inventions. however, they still exist in this small part of the world i've found.

i dropped by the farm, (owned by my mum's friend. there's horse and goats and chickens check it out if you're passing by there!) and took many photos of old charcoal stove, coffee flask+sock, trishaw, kitchen, etc. after that, i ended my trip with a visit at the deserted temple, whereby though the gates are closed, a pious old lady would still offer incense sticks daily. it is touching how such small actions usually overlooked by us are of so much importance to them who still believes, and thus for them, nothing changes.

yes i know this is an extremely long entry, and it's like a dear diary kind of text. but i really do want to bring you (if anyone is reading this i hope!) on the learning journey i've been on. it's so heartwarming, so eye-opening, i want to share it. hopefully it is for you too :)

feedback:
following are 2 other photos that i printed out, but was unsure whether to replace the 2 similar ones presented in class. made my decision not to do so after feedback :)


the chinese words in the 1st cobbler photo gives a better authentic, traditional feel.


this photo shows more of competitive chess, livelier, as one of my classmates commented. i do feel so too, and thus was quite lost as to which photo to choose. however after their comments, and my sister's comment that the 1st presented photo presents more of patience, i decided that it suits my theme more. so yes, thanks for helping! :)


evaluation:

yikang's work is the one that kept tugging for my attention throughout the whole presentation. (ever felt the urge to keep looking at a photo?) it exudes a mysterious feel, and seems to whisper that there's more going on in the photos and i have to take another look, and yet another closer look at them. he is effective in using depth to create the sense of viewer's presence in the scene itself. as i had commented in class, i really did feel like i was right there at the place, looking back at him staring back blankly. it is creepy to an extent, and sad too, cos i can feel the overwhelming decay and the life that it once held. and it does not disappoint, for upon closer look we can see yikang holding different objects, representative of the meaning of the place to him and his fellow pjc friends. the photos do bring a mellow feel to me, and im sure to many other viewers too.

i think he deserves a 9/10 (cos of the darkness of the photos, some details are lost. but i do understand the lighting was really bad, and it's impressive he could even make such beautiful shots under such condition.)

using his work as a perfect 10 standard, i rate mine as 9/10. for capturing the moments, for the efforts to travel different places (mostly unexplored), to interact and learn from the experiences of my subjects rather than a usual snap-and-go. and to be able to see things through their eyes.

Assignment 2 [Revised!]: Exposure - Light, Colour, Texture, Patterns

here are some shots that i promised in the previous post. a revised edition :)

after tutorial class, i was feeling depressed about my lack of skills in taking photos, especially since now that i have a DSLR of my own i have much higher expectations of myself. it used to be a snapshot method of taking photos, and i've always envied people who can take really nice photos. (do look through the sites i've linked at the sidebar!) now that i've a chance to learn and produce these photos i should have done it better. so feeling very very determined, i lugged my D40, tripod and walked down the street of private houses.

before that, i tried out metering, AF focus, aperture, shutter speed and focal length by randomly snapping things around me :) it was extremely satisfying to see that your photos do have focus, trust me, the feeling of not knowing to knowing is really electrifying (haha weird usage of word).

i was elated when i shot this photo :) actually, it is my first attempt after applying the class feedback, and it turned out nice i was motivated! the texture of the skin of the onion and the net is what i like best :) let me gush a little more alright, it's a happy feel haha. so yes, i like the way the colours are played around in the photo - the yellow net, the lighter shade of brown of the table, and the textured brown of the onion skin. the nice colour combination would not be as apparant and pleasing to the eyes if not for the focus and the blurring of the background, thus focus is very very utmost important in photography, at least for still life photography i believe. do correct me if i've said it wrong :)



this cat photo is a little overexposed, but i like the play of sunlight on her expression. more importantly, at least to me, is the capture of her emotion in the shot. she was snarling and the right shutter speed got the expression frozen into a shot :)




i like the first shot :) i remember hearing from class (i think!) that the best time to take good photos are in the morning (morning sun rays) and before the sun sets. the shot was taken at ard 620pm, thus effectively the soft rays of the sun would fall gently on the flowers to give a peaceful glow. i experienced around with different angles of natural lighting and metering (i.e. focus in this case).


the last photo here is an experiment to capture colours, texture and patterns. i was attempting to get textures of the cracks on the wall, the exposed roots and the bright colour contrast of the fresh green plant against the blue wall. the intended effect came off well in the shot :)

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overexposed, but somehow i still like this. it gives a feel that the branch is going to gradually disappearing into thin air, leaving only bright white light. just posting this cos i like the feel it gives, no link to the assignment :)


digression aside, my favourites are chew yue's and paul's photos. take a look at the previous post on Assignment 2(the first attempt), i've commented on and linked them :)

using chew yue's work as a perfect 10 grade, i would give myself a 8.4/10.

for my initial self-assessment grade, i used the wrong grading method of not comparing with my first choice photo :) i believe for making the effort to venture out for round 2 and 3 attempts, so to familiarize with the feedback info i got from class and the improvement (it is really much improved right i hope! haha), i would like to give a higher grade as a reward :P i really did learn from this tutorial session alot, and i'm really grateful to the class for their help :):)