JanaWeek 2: Method & Meaning
Updated: Feb 20
How is my picture being received by the person looking at it? Why do I take a picture, and how do I use the technology to depict the subject in my own way. What is my intention, and do I have a goal to tell a bigger or more coherent story? In this way I come, a little backwards, from meaning, via method, to concept.
In the right order, I should, of course, first think about which story I want to tell, and then what method I will use to implement it.
This type of photography requires a thought or a whole world of thoughts - that also includes imagination, planning and preparation, ideas, and willingness to change; Using the knowledge of how to take photos and the technology available to you.
In the search for meaning and using authentic methodology, we will eventually develop our own signature.
In our second week, Method & Meaning was on the agenda. Each participant presented two of their own images, and Colin Pantall gave each corresponding suggestions of artists, which could help us develop our aspirations, or to provide us with an inspiration for work to come. Links to the websites can be found at the end.
The Article: Why photograph when every picture has already been made? brought me a step further, alongside the work of Kensuke Koike, artist I didn't know before.
Since I'm a bit behind the group in terms of time, I didn't choose any of my own pictures for the presentation, which I would like to do here now.
The pictures I chose were created with the intention of showing the city of Prague as I see it, away from the typical places of tourism. I lived in Prague for almost 20 years after the wall fell and visit whenever I can.
When I walk through the city, especially in the evening, I have the feeling that Franz Kafka could be walking around the corner in any of the old streets. The melancholy mixes with the mysteriousness and dangers through irregular and unpredictable insights into the secretive buildings. A similar feeling to the one I feel when reading Kafka.
I took this picture in the middle of the night through the glass front door of a bookshop in Prague. The light on the back wall was caused by someone turning a car in the back yard. Kafka's poster on the glass looked like a negative at the moment. Simply Kafka
This second picture was taken years later during my visit last summer. It was early evening at the Prague Castle, while clouds covered the sky in seconds, turning it dark, and the rain transforming the smooth stone floor into a mirror. In this picture I photographed a room through a window that had a view of the city on the other side. The space behind me was reflected in the front window. The statue on the left is in the room and the other sculptures are outside. Simply Kafka
In both pictures, I regret not having the right equipment with me. Above all, I missed a tripod. Only with the help of post processing was it possible to bring more shadows and contrast into the pictures. The yellowish sepia tone is too harsh for me. Unfortunately, I'm really not a master at post-processing. I still have a lot to learn.
I'm open to all criticism...
links worth looking at:
Work by Alexandra Lethbridge - The Meteorite Hunter