WIP...

A glimpse into the mind of the artist.

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Images of mine (and Mitch’s) work from the SAE exhibition, ‘Textures’.

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Working through images, the glitching process for this particular image. This was a simple image to work on, given that it was just a documentary photography image and I didn’t need to focus on keeping a certain element still clearly recognisable (such as the face or fashion). Most of my other images from the actually staged photoshoots that I have glitch edited have so many iterations saved on my computer. Some I’ve combined to create the final image that was put into my book, and others were completely scrapped. 

I am sure that with practice I could create and recreate the same looks (as I was learning how to do towards the end of the process), but honestly I think half of the fun is giving the computer the control of your image (particularly given the technological influence elements and story of my lookbook) and sometimes being surprised by the results that you otherwise would not have thought to edit in such a way.

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hey.

this is what’s on the inside.

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Some more inspo for my photobook and editing.

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Practicing/working on glitch art.

Edited my photo using elements from this tutorial by AqatixOfficial.

There is also a website which you can use to process and glitch your photos, but I would rather the control afforded to me by manually doing it through tutorials I think.

I also attempted another glitch using this tutorial, which allows the computer to corrupt the photo data. You have a lot less control over the end product though. However, it may work well as an overlay for texture or as a partial crop to photoshop into the original image. The other thing I could attempt is a compilation of all of these images on one page, or to allow the computer to glitch the photo, then look at which elements of that glitched photo that I enjoy, and then recreate them manually using photoshop.

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So yesterday I hit the 40 hours (halfway) point on my ‘80 hours of internship’...

Just thought I would stop for a bit of reflection.

(Playtesting the game ‘Deep Ice’ that we are developing with Pop Up Playground. Lachlan and I had play NPCs in need of rescuing) I am planning to stay at my internship until I graduate in 2 trimesters, which will mean that I would have been there for a whole year (which will look great as previous experience on my resume, should I decide to apply for a job with another company when I graduate, given that many of them ask for at least a year worth of ‘real world experience’). I know a lot of people who are also doing the internship are complaining about not getting the hours, but I’ve been using this as an opportunity to say yes to whatever projects or tasks they throw at me. I put my hand up to work on most projects (the ones that I have knowledge in, not stuff I couldn’t be at least a bit helpful in - like audio or animation), and in fact I think they have been noticing this too as I have been specifically invited to work on particular projects, or contacted for my opinions on things. That is really pleasing because it means that they can see that I am enthusiastic and trying hard. Basically I’m trying to treat this as though it were my actual job, instead of an unpaid internship. Putting my hand up for lots of things has meant a much larger workload than I am used to, given that I am also juggling full time uni coursework and trying to manage my health issues on top of that. However I’ve been utilizing my time management, making lots of use of my calendar planner apps and such on my gmail and phone, making gantt charts and ‘to do’ lists. It is very difficult and exhausting, but I would like to potentially have a job to come into once I graduate (ideally). Working with Pop Up Playground has allowed me to practice the graphic design skills that I have been learning and honing throughout my course, as well as teaching me a bunch of things which, while may not directly relate to graphic design, I think can be utilized in any business model. Particularly when running your own small business (which is essentially what most freelancers do). Amongst other things they’ve taught me: - OH&S, health and safety, and the legalities of working in the live games industry (and similar things to be mindful of if you are running your own business, regardless of interaction with the public or not) - How sometimes you have to take on projects that aren’t necessarily all that exciting to you, so that you can fund your larger, more obscure, or more experimental projects. - How to manage team members, work in teams, and keep people on task. - How to scale games to work for small groups (5-6 people like in Deep Ice), or larger groups (100+ people at the football club CityDash). - What is involved in conceptualizing, creating, playtesting, advertising, etc a game. Also how to streamline this process. - That no idea is invalid. - What playtesting is, and how to do it effectively. Not only that, but also how to take on board player feedback and utilize it constructively. - How to minimize costs without affecting the player experience ( which is vital to a small business) - The unpredictability of how a player may approach a problem or task in game, and how to work with that or at least prepare for it. I am looking forward to working more hours with such an easy going and nurturing group of people, and can see myself continuing to learn and grow as I do so. All of which is vital to my practice, not only as a graphic designer, but potential freelancer, and person working within the arts and games industry.

[nevver]

Remember

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For my photobook I want to play with this villainization of technology. It fascinates me. The idea that we were/are better off before mobile phones, internet, etc etc. Personally I love being connected 24/7, not having a phone, the internet, a tv, etc makes me feel like I’ve lost a limb. Some people may see that as a bad thing, but I just feel like it’s an extension of me. I can see the negatives involved, always being contactable means that people seem to have lost the concept of ‘contacting people only during work hours’, for example. I want to show being the master of your own destiny, that you choose how you are presented to the world, that you shape your world, and that this more positive outlook on technology seems to far outweigh the older view of it being a bad thing (probably due to more and more generations now growing up not knowing anything but the technology). I feel like my generation in particular has a unique view on technology, as we were one of the only ones to grow up with technology as it was coming into its own, we know what life was like before Google, etc and yet we are just as knowledgeable and effective at using technology as some of the younger generations who are growing up with it. I’m hoping that my photobook will be able to accurately show this casual perspective of technology. That it is a tool to be utilized.

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Did a photoshoot with these two cyber babes on the weekend, got my other model lined up, then onto photo editing and layouts. Do I wish I had started on this project sooner? Yes. But I feel like, no matter how early I begin a project, I am likely to always wish I started sooner, even if I started the day I got the brief! 

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This week’s photo challenge is ‘Body Image’ and we were meant to present it in an Art Nouveau style. I chose to reflect upon the (not really that recent) uproar that came about when Instagram blocked the hashtag ‘curvy’.

People were really angry when it was discovered that Instagram had blocked the hashtag ‘curvy’, the company said that it was to discourage the sharing of nude pics - much like their blocking of the use of the eggplant emoji (Griffin, 2015).  “I think what this boils down to is the fact that curvier bodies are simply treated as more obscene than thin bodies, even when there is just as much exposed.” Mulshine, 2015, quotes Curvily blogger Sarah Chiwaya. 

Mulshine goes on to explain why this ‘simple’ ban is the cause of so much concern. “This ban frustrates Chiwaya because it could slow down the body acceptance movement that’s taken hold online.“The idea that all bodies are beautiful and worthy of respect is starting to take hold in a way it never has before,” she said, “and a big reason for that is the increased representation of different body types on social media. For Instagram to stomp all over one of the most popular hashtags for women above model size is incredibly disapopinting.”She also pointed out that while #curvy is banned, #thin and #skinny are still intact. If you search either of those, Instagram will let you see the photos associated with it, but with a content advisory saying the images “may contain graphic content.” 

I used a reference image by Alphonse Mucha as the main inspiration for my colour and design choices. Utilizing the heavy outlining and finding a frame online from a free stock source that had all the flowing linework and floral elements that are key in the Art Nouveau style. I would really have preferred to draw all that linework myself, but it was too much work to expect to complete in the allotted timeframe, given my current workload. I am thinking that creating a series of something similar would be a fantastic idea for my final project, using images I have taken myself as a base. 

I placed the image I created in a faux Instagram frame/layout to put it into the context not only of the banning of the ‘curvy’ hashtag, but also just the context of social media in general.

What I wanted to represent in the image I created was the fact that social media allows us to live out our fantasies (if we so choose), to become our very own works of art. Not only that, but also the fact that we should be accepting of body image, of other people’s and our own, regardless of what society deems acceptable or appropriate. Confidence is important, loving your own skin is important, you are beautiful...and that is what I wanted to show.

Bibliography

Griffin, A. 'The Words Instagram Doesn't Want You To Search For'. The Independent. N.p., 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/instagram-blocks-searches-for-curvy-10392976.html

Mulshine, M. 'Here's Why Instagram Banned Users From Tagging Photos With The Word 'Curvy''. Business Insider Australia. N.p., 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. http://www.businessinsider.com.au/curvy-plus-size-hashtag-banned-from-instagram-2015-7?r=US&IR=T

[screencapstyle-blog]

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I’ve been looking at lookbooks and photosets, trying to work out how I can make a bunch of photos look like they belong together, even if they don’t necessarily have the same things in them, etc. Colour schemes, same or similar photo treatments, or even having a similar framing or visual balance, are some ways of overcoming this problem that I’ve found. These stills show some absolutely fantastic colour scheme choices, styling and framing, so much so that I thought they actually were part of someone’s lookbook! 

http://live.drjays.com/index.php/2013/05/13/solange-takes-a-tour-of-brooklyn-in-locked-in-closets-mini-video/

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Week 8

So it turns out that my photobook idea has evolved into a kind of faux lookbook. So now I am doing my research into lookbooks. Finding ones that aren’t blah and boring as hell is surprisingly difficult actually hahaha.

A lot of the photos are copyrighted as well, so I’ll likely just make a design research document to go along with my finished files and submit it, rather than risk getting my blog taken down by posting the images (which I am assuming is also why I can’t find any of these images already on Tumblr anyway). I am currently trying to organize shoots for next week and the week after, depending on the availability of my models.

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One of the final edits from the photo workshops I did with Nelli Huie.

Model: Zelia Rose MUA: Aneta Nabrdalik Photography and editing: Sian Bennett (me)

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Spent last Thursday dressing up as a zombie to help out the guys at PopUp Playground run their Halloween CityDash. It is a little difficult since I can’t be a guard, what with my chronic back and knee issues meaning that I can’t run. But it is really interesting to see the setting up/packing up, how the event is run, and player enjoyment. These are all things which are important in any sort of gaming event regardless of if it is live or digital, and I feel like a lot of the things I am being shown can be put to use in various other situations, particularly the player functionality and interaction components. We’ve already been discussing ideas for other events and games, which is a totally exciting and inspiring thing to be a part of.

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This week’s photography challenge was based around the concept of ‘Politics’. We had to choose a political issue that had recently been discussed in the media and create an image based upon it. The design of the final images should be influenced by Constructivist art theory. The topic I chose was the recent passing of the Mass Data Retention Law. Under this law internet and telephone providers are required to store user’s metadata for a period of up to two years for access without a warrant by law-enforcement agencies. It is supposed to help keep tabs on possible issues arising in this whole ‘war on terror’ thing that the government has been cramming down our throats as of late. Simple enough right? Although it sounds like it goes against some key philosophies that the Western world holds close at heart, privacy, etc etc. The issue then arises that in Australia there is no actual definition as to what metadata is exactly in relations to telecommunications companies. This is due to the fact that with the rapid changes in technology, law enforcement agencies do not want to accidentally limit the information that they may or may not have access to. However I feel like it is this kind of fuzzy definition that has really gotten Australians up in arms about the issue, and feeling like they are having their privacy invaded rather than helping enforce the law. I’ve seen a large number of totally law abiding citizens petitioning these changes, even when the government made clear that the data retained did not include the content of their texts, calls, emails, etc. So basically in this image that is what I tried to capture. Using an image of Malcom Turnbull, with very standoffish - negative body language as the main source of my image, representing his bullheaded approach to getting this law passed, despite the outcry from the Australian public. I also tried to represent technology through the choice of font, and through the use of binary and circuitry texture. I was trying to echo the shapes, colours and lines used in much of Lissitzky’s work. But I don’t feel like I adequately achieved this. My work is still far too busy in terms of what is going on in it. This is why I attempted a second run at this piece. This attempt was more simplified, focusing more on shapes, texture and contained the minimal colour scheme I had in mind. I still did not achieve an accurate Constructivist look or feel, but it was better than my original attempt.

Bibliography

BBC News,. 'Australia Begins Mass Data Retention Under New Law - BBC News'. N.p., 2015. Web. 2 Nov. 2015. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-34513124

BBC News,. 'Australia Passes Controversial New Metadata Law - BBC News'. N.p., 2015. Web. 2 Nov. 2015. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-32061421

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I spent a few hours yesterday helping create clues, and scout locations for said clues for the Halloween CityDash being run by PopUp Playground. It was exhausting but fun. We all know I love anything to do with Halloween lol.

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In class the question was brought up about editing photos, or rather models in photos...how much is too much, and when does it get to a point that your model might even get offended that you shopped them to oblivion. Sheri responded that it was up to us as artists/photographers to decide how we want to present our work, and what kind of an influence we want to have on people, whether that be one that reinforces beauty stereotypes or not. Also, that it was important to remember that the level of editing will also depend on the project as well.

It got me thinking, all week in fact, but I think I finally have a response...or rather, I think I finally worked out my ‘correct level of editing’. I want to represent in the photos I take, not only my concepts, but the models behind them. Not just how they look outside, but how they look inside too. If I come across a model who is just a pleasure to work with and a beautiful person to talk with and be around, but in my photos she looks pretty, but average...I sure as hell am gonna photoshop those photos until her inner beauty is showing to its full potential! Whether that means a full on airbrushing and filter treatment, or just tidying up stray hairs and blemishes. Because the camera doesn’t show people as the human eye sees them, it means a little photoshop is necessary to get a ‘true to life’ feel, unless you’ve got the perfect lens, angles, lighting, etc for every single shot.

Maybe as my skills progress I will need photoshop less and less to achieve exactly what it is I am looking for, but ultimately I don’t see photoshop as being a big evil thing to use. I think it is an amazing tool to use to further my art, but not a crutch to depend upon.

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I’m thinking I might get a few photos like this, mirrored or otherwise highly edited, of my model (this is one she has taken herself _spaceprincess_ or @dexedrinebarbie )...done in the studio, under some really interesting lighting experiments, to use for my photobook. We’ve been doing photography workshops and have them lined up for the next 3 weeks I believe, so I will likely start organising shoots once those are done...I’d like to start sooner to be quite honest though.

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This fortnightly photo challenge theme is ‘Poverty’. It made me think of an article I’d come across on one of those “Humans of New York” (or similar) sites, talking about how a phone is the most important item a refugee can have - and how people say that “refugee’s can’t have it too bad if they still have access to phones”. --- “More than a billion people around the world rely on smartphones and their ubiquitous messaging and social media apps, but none more so than the hundreds of thousands of people who are fleeing war, hunger, and famine in the Middle East and Africa. The massive crowds of refugees and migrants from Syria and elsewhere who have flooded Europe this year, and continue to arrive en masse, are relying heavily on smartphone apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, and Facebook Messenger, along with other tools like Google Maps, as they risk perilous sea crossings, skirt unfriendly border crossings, and try to keep in touch with their loved ones.“Our phones and power banks are more important for our journey than anything, even more important than food,” a Syrian named Wael told Agence France Presse on the Greek island of Kos.

Clothes and food can be purchased relatively cheaply, and even cash can be electronically transferred, but a smartphone is crucial. Smugglers who take the refugees across the Mediterranean drastically limit what people can take on board, but the phones are too precious to give up, they say. “ (Kozlowska, 2015.) ---

It made me think about people’s perspective of poverty, sometimes it seems as though people imagine you need to pass ‘x’ criteria to be considered poor, homeless, poverty stricken, etc. Especially when it comes to these people needing help or consideration. I guess that also speaks to the poverty of people’s compassion. I was going to take this photo on a simple black background, making it more of a neatly organized product photograph...but I feel like the texture in the background lends to the story of trials and tribulations that people experience through poverty. Not to mention the juxtaposition of the smoothness of the phone screen against the textured background is very visually appealing. Bibliography Kozlowska, H. 'The Most Crucial Item That Migrants And Refugees Carry Is A Smartphone'. Quartz. N.p., 2015. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.