Selfies
Comparing Selfies Across Time
Here are two self portraits:
Omar Victor Diop's costume selfies
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Diop becomes different past African historical figures. He does this so that they are not forgotten and are remembered through his art. He wants these parts of his culture and history to be remembered in a modern form of media that everyone can understand. When asked about what he would say to small children wanting to do the same thing that he does, responded by saying that they should not wait and to just do it, weather they have a expensive camera or professional equipment.
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To recreate this, I plan to dress up as Mr Miyagi (Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita) from The Karate Kid (1984) because it's a good movie.
Mask selfies
I had made the mask and put on a suit jacket so me and another student went into the studio.
Here are the pictures he took of me.
And these are the pictures I took of him and his mask.
I had some time left over so I decided to make another mask, this time I tried to be more creative and put make a design more tailored around me sense of humour because I just made this one for fun.
In my own time, I then decided to take some pictures of myself that I had on my phone and photoshop the mask to them.
History of the mirror selfie
Mirror selfies have been a trend since the early 20th century. There is no real reason to why photographers take mirror pictures other than they look cool.
Selfie Instruction Collage
- Select the 6 images that you feel best represent you.
- Make a pile of these 6 pages on your desk.
- Take the top page and cut a hole in it (Note: it doesn't have to be perfect). Put both pieces at bottom of your pile.
- Take the (new) top page and tear it in half. Put both pieces at the bottom of your pile.
- Take the (new) top page and cut out a shape at random. Put both pieces at the bottom of your pile.
- Take the (new) top page and cut round an object. Put both pieces at the bottom of your pile.
- Take the (new) top page and tear a strip from the (top or bottom) edge. Put both pieces at the bottom of your pile.
- Take the (new) top page, and cut or tear it in whichever way you choose. Put the pieces at the bottom of your pile.
- Place the A3 sheet of cartridge paper in front of you (portrait or landscape format).
- Without altering them, arrange the pieces of paper from your pile on the A3 sheet to create a pleasing collage. Carefully photograph your first arrangement.
- Again, without altering them, repeat this process, re-arranging the various elements on the A3 sheet until you are happy with the results. Photograph carefully.
- You may now adapt the pieces in any way you like - cutting, tearing etc. Make a new collage, this time sticking them to the A3 sheet of cartridge paper.
- Photograph your finished collage carefully.
- On your Selfies page add the title Selfie Instruction Collage.
- Copy and paste this list of instructions.
- Add a Gallery and upload the images you have taken today of your collages.
- Write a brief evaluation (WWW/EBI) reflecting on what it was like to make a collage by following instructions and how you feel about the results.
- Answer the question: Is the collage a self-portrait?
- If you complete all of this, try experimenting with layering the collage using the single-colour function on the photocopier.
WWW: |
EBI: |
I think that this process quite successful because even though the first image had turned out to be quite dull, the photocopied version had turned out very interesting and the contrast worked well with the chaoticness of the original image.
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Even though the photocopy turned out very well, the original is boring and doesn't have many vibrant colour (they are quite neutral and dull). I could’ve also arranged the images in more unique and strange ways.
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Is this a self portrait?
Yes, I think my collage is a self portrait because it features one picture of me (top right of the original image).
Narrative Sequencing: Lee Friedlander's Shadow Selfies
WWW: |
EBI:
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Effective storyline that shows a different, forced perspective that can interpret images differently to how they were taken
The photos had an interesting composition but it didn't have a very major effect and may have made been more confusing to read. |
The captions could be less basic and contain more details that would aid the photos in telling a story. The photos didn't take up that much space, they could have been more spread out and use more of the paper so there was less negative space.
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What is the role of the shadow in the sequences?
Shadow is used in photography to create contrast to and original image and the subject.
How did adding words impact the images?
Words impact images by adding context and story to them.
What has narrative sequencing taught us about the nature of photography?
That many stories and narratives can be created from the same images.
Extended writing task
I can see many similarities and differences between Chicago, 1980 by Kenneth Josephson and Roma by Francesca Woodman. Both are selfies but vastly different in how they are taken. Josephson’s photo is very natural and candid, not very prepared. However, Woodman’s photograph is the opposite; set up and staged.
While comparing the two photographs it quickly becomes clear that Chicago, 1980 is a busy and chaotic scene but even through this it has an obvious and unsubtle way of conveying what its subject (the hand of the driver that Josephson’s shadow is seen on) is. Woodman’s photograph works in a unique way. Woodman’s photo contrasts the earlier one in every way; a calmer and less noisy room should make it easy to focus on a subject but the use of frames and many subjects to choose from challenge this. There are many people in Josephson’s photo that you can clearly see and many frames as well, but the one that stands out is the cardboard Josephson holds to highlight what he chose to focus on. Whereas Roma shows many frames and subjects that leaves the viewer to question what they are supposed to look at. The subject could be the person wrapped in a swirly material and the frame being the doorway, or the frame could be the door inside the room and the subject is the person behind its hand – the subject is the doorway, and the frame is the border of the photograph, leaving the people and objects behind it as nothing more than what happened to be in the background.
What was surprising was how many things Josephson and Woodman could have chosen to be the subject of their images. In Chicago, 1980 there are many people or vehicles in the background that he could have selected but chose a small detail like the hand to highlight instead. Woodman could have chosen a singular subject to focus on and kept some of the eeriness of the original photograph. These both can be considered as a very unconventional approach to a self-portrait as Roma has no obvious sign to which of the two people seen in the final piece is Woodman. And Josephson is very obviously in the photograph, with his arm visible and incorporating the shadow selfie, but instead of focusing on himself he focuses on someone else.
This leaves me to question if either of them can really be seen as full self-portraits. Other questions these images suggest is why they were taken? Why was Chicago, 1980 taken at that exact time with those exact pictures? Did he plan to take that exact kind of picture when he was walking around? Out of all things that could have been happening on that road and out of the final frame on that day, why did Josephson notice that hand? Why was Roma choreographed the way it was? Which one is Woodman? Who is the person next to her? Where is the room? What gave her the idea for this photo? What was she trying to say with this photo? I personally prefer Chicago, 1980 and feel like it many change the way I compose shadow selfies in the future, but it is obvious there is a lot more to say about Roma and I feel like it has made me question what makes a self-portrait.
While comparing the two photographs it quickly becomes clear that Chicago, 1980 is a busy and chaotic scene but even through this it has an obvious and unsubtle way of conveying what its subject (the hand of the driver that Josephson’s shadow is seen on) is. Woodman’s photograph works in a unique way. Woodman’s photo contrasts the earlier one in every way; a calmer and less noisy room should make it easy to focus on a subject but the use of frames and many subjects to choose from challenge this. There are many people in Josephson’s photo that you can clearly see and many frames as well, but the one that stands out is the cardboard Josephson holds to highlight what he chose to focus on. Whereas Roma shows many frames and subjects that leaves the viewer to question what they are supposed to look at. The subject could be the person wrapped in a swirly material and the frame being the doorway, or the frame could be the door inside the room and the subject is the person behind its hand – the subject is the doorway, and the frame is the border of the photograph, leaving the people and objects behind it as nothing more than what happened to be in the background.
What was surprising was how many things Josephson and Woodman could have chosen to be the subject of their images. In Chicago, 1980 there are many people or vehicles in the background that he could have selected but chose a small detail like the hand to highlight instead. Woodman could have chosen a singular subject to focus on and kept some of the eeriness of the original photograph. These both can be considered as a very unconventional approach to a self-portrait as Roma has no obvious sign to which of the two people seen in the final piece is Woodman. And Josephson is very obviously in the photograph, with his arm visible and incorporating the shadow selfie, but instead of focusing on himself he focuses on someone else.
This leaves me to question if either of them can really be seen as full self-portraits. Other questions these images suggest is why they were taken? Why was Chicago, 1980 taken at that exact time with those exact pictures? Did he plan to take that exact kind of picture when he was walking around? Out of all things that could have been happening on that road and out of the final frame on that day, why did Josephson notice that hand? Why was Roma choreographed the way it was? Which one is Woodman? Who is the person next to her? Where is the room? What gave her the idea for this photo? What was she trying to say with this photo? I personally prefer Chicago, 1980 and feel like it many change the way I compose shadow selfies in the future, but it is obvious there is a lot more to say about Roma and I feel like it has made me question what makes a self-portrait.
The Cubist Selfie
WWW:This design works quite well as I combined two images together to create a strange us of multiple limbs in hopes to confuse the viewer.
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EBI:.Not all of the strips were even and the pictures still have pencil marking from where I was planning out where to cut and glue
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