I experimented with a few paint experiments. In the first I used an old crusty paintbrush to make scratchy, angry red marks over my image which added a raw, branded pattern to the surface. This works well on the lighter tones on the skin, where it decorates the peaceful tones there, however less well on the darker areas, where it can barely be seen.
In the second experiment, I used black ink to highlight certain areas (around the body to make the model stand out) and add a long, winding pattern covering the rest of the photo, which took on a zebra pattern when applied to the lighter tones in the image. I really dislike this image, as I feel like the ink serves no purpose within it (and in fact detracts from the original image), however I felt like it was necessary to experiment with a range of materials to identify their results. I will not be using either of these two processes in my final piece, as I feel they are not successful.
In this experiment, I used a craft knife to scratch over the image and create a angry, violent texture which connects well with the depressed, black mood to this image. I focused the scratching over the model to symbolize the turmoil and to also break up the lack of detail in the dark block black tones on the model's clothing; I left the scratches off the face, so the emotions played out on her facial expressions were still visible to the viewer. This process is not my favorite, however I feel it adds an interesting and effective mood to the image, which I like.
Although I feel at this time I am most likely going to produce my final piece in digital form, I also experimented with methods in the darkroom.
I exposed this image for half the time (six seconds) and then flipped the negative over, laying it on top of the original exposed image for the remaining exposure time. This worked to create a ghostly, gemini effect, which I really like, and I feel works well with the peaceful, wandering facial expression, and the soft, harmonious tones and lines. However, I didn't expose the image for long enough, thus this experiment didn't have enough dark tones so needed to be edited in Photoshop; this made it deteriorate in quality. I'd need to experiment further in the darkroom to find the perfect exposure time if I was going to continue this effect with my final piece.
This experiment is a more of an abstract one. I dipped a paintbrush in developer solution and used it to write a word across the photo paper, before developing the image for the full time. I feel this experiment would have worked better if I had used a smaller paintbrush to give thinner lines to the writing, thus making it more legible and more effective within the photo.
I finally cut up the negative to play around with the arrangement and placement. I overlapped the negatives to create diagnol lines of dramatically darker and lighter tones due to less or more light being let through. The distortion of placement also created an interruption of the body's flowing lines, which created an abstract look to this photo. The overlapping lines look reminiscent of a shattered mirror, which conflicts with the original peaceful feeling to this photo, although I feel this works well in giving the photo a slightly cubist edge in the strong use of lines, and the idea of cutting and re-arranging of the image.
Thursday 26 January 2012
Wednesday 25 January 2012
This photograph is taken from Sally Mann's series 'Immediate Family', and is titled 'At Warm Springs' in 1991.
Sally Mann is most famous for her portraits of her children and close relations, taken against the backdrop of her woodland home in Virginia, Sally Mann's black and white photographs of her children portray the universal qualities of dignity, individuality and intimacy. The series 'Immediate Family' was both critizised and acclaimed by the art world when it was shown in 1992. It was perceived as extremely controversial, as several images portray her children frolicking around in little or no clothing, and some would argue that these images were not suitable to be shown in public. The series arrived as the maelstrom surrounding the McMartin preschool sex-abuse trials in California was finally waning and the hysteria around the sexualizing of children perhaps seemed to be ebbing, but her portraits stirred controversy while they brought her fame, renewing concerns that America’s young were no longer adequately and safely kept.
The main subject of this photo is the young girl's head emerging above the water, surrounded by a reflected halo of light. This becomes the main focus, due to being surrounded by an ominous seeping area of black, whilst being highlight and 'protected' by the angelic white tone of the circle. In my opinion, this photo has a strong theme of protection. The white reflected highlight acts as a guard, encircling the young girl's emerging head and protecting her from the threatening black tone surrounding her. Tonal symbolism is important in this image; with the darkest tone of black symbolizing negative, evil and darkness whilst the striking white tone is playing the part of the innocent protector.
Mann has chosen, in my opinion, to shoot this photo in black and white to highlight the story of the protecting tones described above. I feel she has also done this to draw attention to the peacefulness of this shot, which is shown also in the young child's sleeping face, and the use of colour would have disrupted the fluidicity of the harmonizing tones in this image.
The most striking formal element for me, other than the tonal effect I have mentioned, is the texture in this image, which is one of the first things that my eye is drawn to in this image. The strikingly mattered texture around the young girl's head reminds me of a tree's roots, which adds another natural source to add further peace to this photo. The mattered hair does at first look distressed, but then my mind is drawn to the idea above, which again creates a protective, mystic barrier around the young girl. This area is also the most in-focus area in the photo, particually the area of hair closest to the camera.
This photo has a shallow depth of field, with a section of hair and the child's face in focus (the upper center of the image), which works to make the black surround look larger and more threatening, but also keeping this photo defined as a portrait, keeping the eye focused on the facial features of the girl.
Sally Mann used a 8 × 10 view camera to capture this portrait in fine detail. It looks as if this photo is taken from above the subject, giving the feeling of her being small and more innocent/vulnerable, but also perhaps stood at the edge of the lake, so that the young girl was only in the shallow area. The halo of light reflected in the water could be a studio light or some kind of artificial light placed high above the surface of the water to subtly light this image, as the dark tones would suggest that this photo was taken at night. It also allows the highlights to only gather around the child, and for the light to be controlled more effectively than if natural light was used.
This piece of art also reminds me of the mythical creature 'Medusa' who has snakes for hair, as from a distance, the hair transforms into either thicker strands which become bolder, or thinner wisps which fade away into the water, so this gives the impression of the thicker strands becoming snakes. I think that Mann has done this to add an air of mystery to the image, but also because Medusa's snakes served to protect her, and so it links in with the protection theme within this image.
Sally Mann is most famous for her portraits of her children and close relations, taken against the backdrop of her woodland home in Virginia, Sally Mann's black and white photographs of her children portray the universal qualities of dignity, individuality and intimacy. The series 'Immediate Family' was both critizised and acclaimed by the art world when it was shown in 1992. It was perceived as extremely controversial, as several images portray her children frolicking around in little or no clothing, and some would argue that these images were not suitable to be shown in public. The series arrived as the maelstrom surrounding the McMartin preschool sex-abuse trials in California was finally waning and the hysteria around the sexualizing of children perhaps seemed to be ebbing, but her portraits stirred controversy while they brought her fame, renewing concerns that America’s young were no longer adequately and safely kept.
The main subject of this photo is the young girl's head emerging above the water, surrounded by a reflected halo of light. This becomes the main focus, due to being surrounded by an ominous seeping area of black, whilst being highlight and 'protected' by the angelic white tone of the circle. In my opinion, this photo has a strong theme of protection. The white reflected highlight acts as a guard, encircling the young girl's emerging head and protecting her from the threatening black tone surrounding her. Tonal symbolism is important in this image; with the darkest tone of black symbolizing negative, evil and darkness whilst the striking white tone is playing the part of the innocent protector.
Mann has chosen, in my opinion, to shoot this photo in black and white to highlight the story of the protecting tones described above. I feel she has also done this to draw attention to the peacefulness of this shot, which is shown also in the young child's sleeping face, and the use of colour would have disrupted the fluidicity of the harmonizing tones in this image.
The most striking formal element for me, other than the tonal effect I have mentioned, is the texture in this image, which is one of the first things that my eye is drawn to in this image. The strikingly mattered texture around the young girl's head reminds me of a tree's roots, which adds another natural source to add further peace to this photo. The mattered hair does at first look distressed, but then my mind is drawn to the idea above, which again creates a protective, mystic barrier around the young girl. This area is also the most in-focus area in the photo, particually the area of hair closest to the camera.
This photo has a shallow depth of field, with a section of hair and the child's face in focus (the upper center of the image), which works to make the black surround look larger and more threatening, but also keeping this photo defined as a portrait, keeping the eye focused on the facial features of the girl.
Sally Mann used a 8 × 10 view camera to capture this portrait in fine detail. It looks as if this photo is taken from above the subject, giving the feeling of her being small and more innocent/vulnerable, but also perhaps stood at the edge of the lake, so that the young girl was only in the shallow area. The halo of light reflected in the water could be a studio light or some kind of artificial light placed high above the surface of the water to subtly light this image, as the dark tones would suggest that this photo was taken at night. It also allows the highlights to only gather around the child, and for the light to be controlled more effectively than if natural light was used.
This piece of art also reminds me of the mythical creature 'Medusa' who has snakes for hair, as from a distance, the hair transforms into either thicker strands which become bolder, or thinner wisps which fade away into the water, so this gives the impression of the thicker strands becoming snakes. I think that Mann has done this to add an air of mystery to the image, but also because Medusa's snakes served to protect her, and so it links in with the protection theme within this image.
Sunday 22 January 2012
On these experiments, I experimented in Photoshop with using different types of black and white filters to vary the shadows and highlights in each area, I also experimented with using sepia tone.
1. I used a 'blue filter', which overall lightened the tones in the photography, which I don't like, as this photo is supposed to have a dark, negative mood and I feel as if dark tones would connote this mood well. I especially do not like how it has lightened the sky to an abnormally bright white.
2. This was created by using a 'high contrast red filter', which added almost a airbrushed look to this photo, due to it smoothing and lightening out the texture, which creates an almost fuzzy texture, which in my opinion 'beautifies' this photo. However, this is exactly the opposite of what I wanted to achieve, as I wanted this image to be raw in the style of Corrine Day, and I feel like this tonal setting makes the photo look more like a set-up, 'false' shot.
3. I experimented with a sepia tone to see what the image looked like given a look of age. I feel like a more subtle version of this would help achieve the brassiness and dirty tones that Day's photos have, although I may have to think about darkening the tones, as it has lessened the contrast, and thus the striking nature of this photo. I shall also later on experiment with applying a sepia tone manually (tea-staining), and compare both results to see which I feel is more successful.
4. I feel as if this is the most successful out of my black and white experiments, as it has enhances the contrast between the dark and light tones, creating a more striking image. I particually like the way it has darkened the tones underneath the area, so they seem more like black sockets, which, to me, connotes the misery which is being expressed there. I feel this also connotes well to the expression 'eyes are the window to the soul', which draws me further into using this effect. It has also darkened the sky so that it becomes more fluid within the image, instead of blaring out, such as in experiment 1. To create this experiment, I used the 'infrared' filter.
page 1
blue filter
high contrast red filter
sepia hardlight 35%
infrared
diffuse glow
In this experiment I again used Photoshop, however applied a subtle filter called 'diffuse glow' which gave the image a softer, creamier texture. I rather like this photo, as I feel the softened effect has created a blurry, dream-like quality to the image, which looks almost angelic. This creates a contrast with the raw dark tones and shadows which I feel makes the interest more interesting. I does, however, remove some of the impact, and also my researched artists all use clear, crisp images so it doesn't work very well as a response to them.
copied image lighten 100%
page 2
burnt paper texture soft light 81%
In this random experiment, I copied the image twice, placing them next to the original to create 'ghosts'. Due to the replicated image of the fine and light texture of the hair, I feel like this could be used as a response to Nick Knight's work, however darker tones would be needed to add definition and more of an emphasis on clothes would need to be included. It has a strong feminine feeling to it, which I like. I blended the image by changing the blending layer to 'soft light' and the opacity to 81% to contrast the opaque look of the original with the translucent copies.
I noticed from my contact sheet that these photos followed a 'time-line' and I wanted to highlight the progression in time by placing them next to each other in a set of three. I like the way this experiment turned out, as I feel it tells a story and a sense of time, almost looking like an image of a filmstrip. A further experiment could be done to highlight this by perhaps adding a sepia tone and a filmstrip boarder, although this wouldn't connote to my artists, however it would be interesting to see what the effects were.
In this experimented I used a texture layered over a photo which I originally thought has too bland for use. The texture I used was of burnt paper, however when applied it created a look that was similar to a bruised back, which I like as it created a feeling of damage and misuse which is common in Day's 'Diary' works, and also the brown-ish, dirty tone is similar. This image could be said to be controversial, as in the look of being beaten isn't a nice nor pleasing sight to look at, but I feel it works in this image's favor, transforming a dull photo into one with impact.
texture scratched background colour dodge 84%
In Photoshop, I applied a layer which has scratched white areas, and used the blending mode of 'colour doge' to fade out the coloured background and reduced the opacity to 84%. I feel this experiment has worked well in giving it a harsher mood, and I particually like the way the scratches are centered around the model, so it looks like the turmoil and angry emotions caused by the scratches are surrounding her, and that she is curling up to protect herself from them, therefore creating a story in this image.
handmade coffee stained
I experimented with creating the sepia tone I created in Photoshop in an earlier experiment, however manually, by using coffee to stain. I do not like this experiment at all, as the stain has muted the colours and made it lack contrast, therefore making this image bland and muddy looking. The stain has also not taken evenly, so looks cheap and dirty. It could possibly be improved by instead of using coffee, soaking it in tea, however I much prefer the digital form of creating a sepia image. I will defiantly not be using this effect in my final piece.
handcrumpled and torn
I added physical texture to this photo by crumpling and tearing it by hand, which I found was another way of adding a abused and threatening mood to this photo due to the savage crumpling and tearing creating a veiny texture to the surface, which contrasts effectively due to the theme of protection and fragility created by the model's foetal pose; making a contrast of abuse and protection. I feel as if this experiment could be improved by crumpling the image up around the model, and leaving her unaffected as this would leave her form undisturbed and easier viewed.
burnt/cigerette burnt handmade
I feel this experiment would work better if I used a lighter photo, so you could see better the brown scorch marks where I hand burnt this image by using a lighter. I am considering using the cigarette burn effect in my final piece, as it both adds a rough, uneven and fragile texture to the photo, and combines it with the feeling of damage and misuse or pain, which connotes well to the image the photo is of; the image is a raw, 'ugly' image and the idea of cigarettes matches this. I manipulates the shape of the photo by burning the corners off which furthered this feeling.
1. I used a 'blue filter', which overall lightened the tones in the photography, which I don't like, as this photo is supposed to have a dark, negative mood and I feel as if dark tones would connote this mood well. I especially do not like how it has lightened the sky to an abnormally bright white.
2. This was created by using a 'high contrast red filter', which added almost a airbrushed look to this photo, due to it smoothing and lightening out the texture, which creates an almost fuzzy texture, which in my opinion 'beautifies' this photo. However, this is exactly the opposite of what I wanted to achieve, as I wanted this image to be raw in the style of Corrine Day, and I feel like this tonal setting makes the photo look more like a set-up, 'false' shot.
3. I experimented with a sepia tone to see what the image looked like given a look of age. I feel like a more subtle version of this would help achieve the brassiness and dirty tones that Day's photos have, although I may have to think about darkening the tones, as it has lessened the contrast, and thus the striking nature of this photo. I shall also later on experiment with applying a sepia tone manually (tea-staining), and compare both results to see which I feel is more successful.
4. I feel as if this is the most successful out of my black and white experiments, as it has enhances the contrast between the dark and light tones, creating a more striking image. I particually like the way it has darkened the tones underneath the area, so they seem more like black sockets, which, to me, connotes the misery which is being expressed there. I feel this also connotes well to the expression 'eyes are the window to the soul', which draws me further into using this effect. It has also darkened the sky so that it becomes more fluid within the image, instead of blaring out, such as in experiment 1. To create this experiment, I used the 'infrared' filter.
page 1
blue filter
high contrast red filter
sepia hardlight 35%
infrared
diffuse glow
In this experiment I again used Photoshop, however applied a subtle filter called 'diffuse glow' which gave the image a softer, creamier texture. I rather like this photo, as I feel the softened effect has created a blurry, dream-like quality to the image, which looks almost angelic. This creates a contrast with the raw dark tones and shadows which I feel makes the interest more interesting. I does, however, remove some of the impact, and also my researched artists all use clear, crisp images so it doesn't work very well as a response to them.
copied image lighten 100%
page 2
burnt paper texture soft light 81%
In this random experiment, I copied the image twice, placing them next to the original to create 'ghosts'. Due to the replicated image of the fine and light texture of the hair, I feel like this could be used as a response to Nick Knight's work, however darker tones would be needed to add definition and more of an emphasis on clothes would need to be included. It has a strong feminine feeling to it, which I like. I blended the image by changing the blending layer to 'soft light' and the opacity to 81% to contrast the opaque look of the original with the translucent copies.
I noticed from my contact sheet that these photos followed a 'time-line' and I wanted to highlight the progression in time by placing them next to each other in a set of three. I like the way this experiment turned out, as I feel it tells a story and a sense of time, almost looking like an image of a filmstrip. A further experiment could be done to highlight this by perhaps adding a sepia tone and a filmstrip boarder, although this wouldn't connote to my artists, however it would be interesting to see what the effects were.
In this experimented I used a texture layered over a photo which I originally thought has too bland for use. The texture I used was of burnt paper, however when applied it created a look that was similar to a bruised back, which I like as it created a feeling of damage and misuse which is common in Day's 'Diary' works, and also the brown-ish, dirty tone is similar. This image could be said to be controversial, as in the look of being beaten isn't a nice nor pleasing sight to look at, but I feel it works in this image's favor, transforming a dull photo into one with impact.
texture scratched background colour dodge 84%
In Photoshop, I applied a layer which has scratched white areas, and used the blending mode of 'colour doge' to fade out the coloured background and reduced the opacity to 84%. I feel this experiment has worked well in giving it a harsher mood, and I particually like the way the scratches are centered around the model, so it looks like the turmoil and angry emotions caused by the scratches are surrounding her, and that she is curling up to protect herself from them, therefore creating a story in this image.
handmade coffee stained
I experimented with creating the sepia tone I created in Photoshop in an earlier experiment, however manually, by using coffee to stain. I do not like this experiment at all, as the stain has muted the colours and made it lack contrast, therefore making this image bland and muddy looking. The stain has also not taken evenly, so looks cheap and dirty. It could possibly be improved by instead of using coffee, soaking it in tea, however I much prefer the digital form of creating a sepia image. I will defiantly not be using this effect in my final piece.
handcrumpled and torn
I added physical texture to this photo by crumpling and tearing it by hand, which I found was another way of adding a abused and threatening mood to this photo due to the savage crumpling and tearing creating a veiny texture to the surface, which contrasts effectively due to the theme of protection and fragility created by the model's foetal pose; making a contrast of abuse and protection. I feel as if this experiment could be improved by crumpling the image up around the model, and leaving her unaffected as this would leave her form undisturbed and easier viewed.
burnt/cigerette burnt handmade
I feel this experiment would work better if I used a lighter photo, so you could see better the brown scorch marks where I hand burnt this image by using a lighter. I am considering using the cigarette burn effect in my final piece, as it both adds a rough, uneven and fragile texture to the photo, and combines it with the feeling of damage and misuse or pain, which connotes well to the image the photo is of; the image is a raw, 'ugly' image and the idea of cigarettes matches this. I manipulates the shape of the photo by burning the corners off which furthered this feeling.
Thursday 12 January 2012
Antenatal Screening
Screening in antenatal terms is used to check if their is anything wrong with the baby before it is born, therefore giving the parents a chance to prepare and decide what path they would like to take - whether to continue with the pregnancy or not if something is wrong. It allows them not to 'be in the dark' about the health of their baby and if something is wrong, allows time for decisions to be calmly made. Antenatal screening is carried out before birth and provides the parents of the infant with information about the health of their unborn child.
The most common procedures of antenatal screening are amniocentesis, which can diagnose sickle cell anemia, spina bifida and downs syndrome, and CVS, which is done earlier than amniocentesis and as a safer alternative. Having amniocentesis carries a slight chance of miscarriage so the parents have to weight up whether or not they are prepared to take the chance. The parents could find out what disorders the baby could of had, but they will have to deal with the guilt or regret if it causes miscarriage. Some people will be prepared to take the chance, as they will be certain about the health of the baby, although some will not take the test as they would of kept the baby even if wasn't healthy.
Target groups which antenatal tests will be offered to are to mother's who are over 35 at the time of the pregnancy, if there is a history of disease or disorder in the family or if a previous child has a condition. This is because these groups are more likely to be effected by disorders which could be picked up by the screening process, and so will be more successful and effective.
Antenatal screening includes bio chemical results, which are blood tests carried out on a woman for the levels of chemicals, for example, looking for a high amount of AFPC which could indicate Spina Bifida. It also could be genetic screening on the foetus (amniocentesis or CVS), which checks for chromosomal abnormalities, or an ultrasound of the foetus to check for physical abnormalities.
There are many advantages to antenatal screening, most to do with the physiological advantages in preparing the parents with the status of their baby. The parents will have to think about many things when deciding whether to carry on witht he pregnany, or terminating it. These include the quality of life the child will have when it ages, for example with down's syndrome and dwarfism these are illnesses which will majorly effect the child throughout it's like, and so the parents will have to decide if they can continue with the commitment of caring for the effected child. Also, who will look after the child when the parents die, which is another reasons why the over 35's are targeted for screening, and whether the child will be looked after by care or siblings within the family. Also, the parents will have to decide if they have enough time and money to look after the child, and to pay for care, medicine, treatments and specialist help, which also brings to them having to take into consideration how many children they already have and how a new child with difficulties would fit within the family. A family with lots of children already may not be able to cope, and so may terminate the pregnancy, however a family with no current children may be more able to cope and so are more likely to carry on with the pregnancy. Antenatal screening helps parents decide on these choices with the most knowlage they can currently have, and so decide with a well informed mind.
Although, there are things which prevent people from choosing screening. For example, religious people may believe that God has given them the life, and so it is perfect just the way it is. Some religions see disabilities as a 'test' from God, and other religions do not allow abortions due to the Sanctity Of Life. Other expected parents may not take the offered screening tests as they have already decided they will love the baby regardless of whether it is healthy or not, and also if the couple have previously struggled to conceive they will be less likely to terminate the pregnancy.
Roughly 1/100 infants tested for down's syndrome using amniocentesis will have a positive result. This may not at first glance seem very cost effective, but diagnosing a condition early means that expense could be saved further down the line. You also have to weigh up the gain, in that the one family who has the child with down's now has all the information to make the right choices for them, and isn't wandering around in the dark.
Child and infant screening
The purpose of screening in children and infants is to check for disease or disorders that if not treated or corrected early on could progress into something that needs more intensive treatment or could potentionally stunt development and affect the child for a longer period of time.
If a condition is detected early enough then it can be treated and managed through simple measures such as a change in diet or lifestyle, which is more cost-effective in the long run, as leaving it to develop would cause more expensive treatments to be needed. For example PKU (Phenylketonuria), if detected and managed, the child will not get brain damage, therefore will not have a lifelong disability and this reduces the cost to the NHS and tax payers. The cost of screening in the UK is expensive, therefore costs the NHS large sums of money, but if you compare this with the treatment costs for developed illnesses that would have been missed if not screened, then the screening process works out as very cost effective indeed. If screening did not happen in the UK, more children would develop conditions that could be prevented or treated easily, this costing the NHS more money in the long run.
Some people would argue against this, as only 1 in 2600 children and infants that are screened have it, thus the NHS is doing 2599 'unnecessary' procedures. However, it does save the one child that is detected with PKU from brain damage and a life of suffering.
There is also the benefits to the family which are gained; early detection prevents the parents the lifelong commitment, stress and financial burden of having to look after a disabled child, and also prevents the child from falling behind their peers, therefore giving them a greater chance of a normal life.
PUT THIS IN A TABLE
PKU - Heel prick test, which is quite painful for the baby and may cause it to cry - if not screened and the baby has high levels of phenylalanine in their blood due to not having the enzyme to break it down then it will cause brain damage - the child will not be able to meet its potential as it has brain damage, therefore it's quality of life will be limited.
Thalassaemia - also the heel prick blood test - the child will require regular blood transfusions to provide the haemoglobin that the body needs - this would mean that the child would be in and out of hospital (blood is needed every two to four weeks), and will also be tired often, so will not be able to participate fully in activities.
Dental - a routine check will involve a visual examination of the teeth and surface probing - if not screened then if improper care is taken of the teeth it will cause pain and loss of teeth - this means that the child will have problems speaking, eating and the arrangement of the mouth may develop wrong.
Sight - a routine eye check will involve reading from a snellen chart, and also a refraction test if a problem is detected - if not treated it will effect the child's language and ability to read - this will effect their lives by hindering their progress at school, therefore stunting their learning.
Hearing - a hearing test for a child will normally involve them being introduced to a series of sounds, and identifying whether they respond correctly to them - if not screened the child will lack in hearing, therefore effecting their language development - this means that the child will not be able to communicate effectively.
Hip dysplasia - the test involves manipulate the baby’s hips to check the stability of the hip joints looking for a clunking noise - if not screened then it will cause problems with the physical development which means the infant will not be able to crawl or walk properly - this effects the child's life as it will potentionally not be able to walk and so will have problems with mobility.
Adult screening
It is especially important to carry on being screened as you age, as the older you get, the more likely the body is to make mistakes due to mitosis, therefore such disorders such as cancer are more probable to arise.
When diseases are detected early enough through screening it means that the treatment is more likely to be successful, the patient is more likely to survive, they are mire likely to recover fully and also the treatment will cost less as the disease has not advanced.
Examples of adult screening include regular eye tests, hearing tests and blood tests.
As you get older, screening processes will look for certain disease and malfunction that are more common as you age. Screening in the form of an eye test can detect Glaucoma, which could cause blindness if not treated due to the build-up of pressure within the eye, therefore screening could identify this problem arising, and tackle it before it progresses too far. An eye test could also detect Astigmatism (when the cornea is not a perfectly curved shape0, which could be easily corrected through glasses and prevent sight problems which will worsen if not corrected, and therefore cost the NHS more money.
Adult screening is expensive, as more serious conditions are likely to arise with age, which take more money to identify and treat. Although, if no screening procedures existed then the condition would most likely go unnoticed until it was too late, or until treatment costed a substantial amount of money to treat in comparison to what it would cost to treat if caught early though the methods of screening. Not getting screening and the progression of the disease could also pose a greater risk to the patient's life.
To reduce the cost to the NHS, specific people are targeted for certain screening tests; those most at risk. For example, all woman over the age of 40 are invited for a breast screening as the risk factor increases the older you are, or if you have a previous family history of cancer.
Regular screening for cancers such as of the breast, cervical and testicular take place usually before symptoms occur, as the lump may not be big enough to feel through self-screening, and it means that the cancer can be treated earlier (if detected) and so the patient will have a higher chance of a successful and quicker recovery.
As adults, patients are able to choose whether or not to get screened, as apposed to parents or carers decided for them when they are still underage. There are some people who decide against getting screened, whether or not they are offered. These include those with religious beliefs which conflict with the procedures of screening; some religions (such as Jehovah witness) would disagree with the intervention of science do to them believing that God has his reasons for giving them the illness, and other religions would believe it to be a 'test' from God.
Others would rather live in the unknown as to is they have a disease or disorder as they would find it hard to accept the truth that they are ill, have given up hope (if they are too old or have an history), or are scared to know they outcome of the tests, especially if it runs in the family.
Screening in antenatal terms is used to check if their is anything wrong with the baby before it is born, therefore giving the parents a chance to prepare and decide what path they would like to take - whether to continue with the pregnancy or not if something is wrong. It allows them not to 'be in the dark' about the health of their baby and if something is wrong, allows time for decisions to be calmly made. Antenatal screening is carried out before birth and provides the parents of the infant with information about the health of their unborn child.
The most common procedures of antenatal screening are amniocentesis, which can diagnose sickle cell anemia, spina bifida and downs syndrome, and CVS, which is done earlier than amniocentesis and as a safer alternative. Having amniocentesis carries a slight chance of miscarriage so the parents have to weight up whether or not they are prepared to take the chance. The parents could find out what disorders the baby could of had, but they will have to deal with the guilt or regret if it causes miscarriage. Some people will be prepared to take the chance, as they will be certain about the health of the baby, although some will not take the test as they would of kept the baby even if wasn't healthy.
Target groups which antenatal tests will be offered to are to mother's who are over 35 at the time of the pregnancy, if there is a history of disease or disorder in the family or if a previous child has a condition. This is because these groups are more likely to be effected by disorders which could be picked up by the screening process, and so will be more successful and effective.
Antenatal screening includes bio chemical results, which are blood tests carried out on a woman for the levels of chemicals, for example, looking for a high amount of AFPC which could indicate Spina Bifida. It also could be genetic screening on the foetus (amniocentesis or CVS), which checks for chromosomal abnormalities, or an ultrasound of the foetus to check for physical abnormalities.
There are many advantages to antenatal screening, most to do with the physiological advantages in preparing the parents with the status of their baby. The parents will have to think about many things when deciding whether to carry on witht he pregnany, or terminating it. These include the quality of life the child will have when it ages, for example with down's syndrome and dwarfism these are illnesses which will majorly effect the child throughout it's like, and so the parents will have to decide if they can continue with the commitment of caring for the effected child. Also, who will look after the child when the parents die, which is another reasons why the over 35's are targeted for screening, and whether the child will be looked after by care or siblings within the family. Also, the parents will have to decide if they have enough time and money to look after the child, and to pay for care, medicine, treatments and specialist help, which also brings to them having to take into consideration how many children they already have and how a new child with difficulties would fit within the family. A family with lots of children already may not be able to cope, and so may terminate the pregnancy, however a family with no current children may be more able to cope and so are more likely to carry on with the pregnancy. Antenatal screening helps parents decide on these choices with the most knowlage they can currently have, and so decide with a well informed mind.
Although, there are things which prevent people from choosing screening. For example, religious people may believe that God has given them the life, and so it is perfect just the way it is. Some religions see disabilities as a 'test' from God, and other religions do not allow abortions due to the Sanctity Of Life. Other expected parents may not take the offered screening tests as they have already decided they will love the baby regardless of whether it is healthy or not, and also if the couple have previously struggled to conceive they will be less likely to terminate the pregnancy.
Roughly 1/100 infants tested for down's syndrome using amniocentesis will have a positive result. This may not at first glance seem very cost effective, but diagnosing a condition early means that expense could be saved further down the line. You also have to weigh up the gain, in that the one family who has the child with down's now has all the information to make the right choices for them, and isn't wandering around in the dark.
Child and infant screening
The purpose of screening in children and infants is to check for disease or disorders that if not treated or corrected early on could progress into something that needs more intensive treatment or could potentionally stunt development and affect the child for a longer period of time.
If a condition is detected early enough then it can be treated and managed through simple measures such as a change in diet or lifestyle, which is more cost-effective in the long run, as leaving it to develop would cause more expensive treatments to be needed. For example PKU (Phenylketonuria), if detected and managed, the child will not get brain damage, therefore will not have a lifelong disability and this reduces the cost to the NHS and tax payers. The cost of screening in the UK is expensive, therefore costs the NHS large sums of money, but if you compare this with the treatment costs for developed illnesses that would have been missed if not screened, then the screening process works out as very cost effective indeed. If screening did not happen in the UK, more children would develop conditions that could be prevented or treated easily, this costing the NHS more money in the long run.
Some people would argue against this, as only 1 in 2600 children and infants that are screened have it, thus the NHS is doing 2599 'unnecessary' procedures. However, it does save the one child that is detected with PKU from brain damage and a life of suffering.
There is also the benefits to the family which are gained; early detection prevents the parents the lifelong commitment, stress and financial burden of having to look after a disabled child, and also prevents the child from falling behind their peers, therefore giving them a greater chance of a normal life.
PUT THIS IN A TABLE
PKU - Heel prick test, which is quite painful for the baby and may cause it to cry - if not screened and the baby has high levels of phenylalanine in their blood due to not having the enzyme to break it down then it will cause brain damage - the child will not be able to meet its potential as it has brain damage, therefore it's quality of life will be limited.
Thalassaemia - also the heel prick blood test - the child will require regular blood transfusions to provide the haemoglobin that the body needs - this would mean that the child would be in and out of hospital (blood is needed every two to four weeks), and will also be tired often, so will not be able to participate fully in activities.
Dental - a routine check will involve a visual examination of the teeth and surface probing - if not screened then if improper care is taken of the teeth it will cause pain and loss of teeth - this means that the child will have problems speaking, eating and the arrangement of the mouth may develop wrong.
Sight - a routine eye check will involve reading from a snellen chart, and also a refraction test if a problem is detected - if not treated it will effect the child's language and ability to read - this will effect their lives by hindering their progress at school, therefore stunting their learning.
Hearing - a hearing test for a child will normally involve them being introduced to a series of sounds, and identifying whether they respond correctly to them - if not screened the child will lack in hearing, therefore effecting their language development - this means that the child will not be able to communicate effectively.
Hip dysplasia - the test involves manipulate the baby’s hips to check the stability of the hip joints looking for a clunking noise - if not screened then it will cause problems with the physical development which means the infant will not be able to crawl or walk properly - this effects the child's life as it will potentionally not be able to walk and so will have problems with mobility.
Adult screening
It is especially important to carry on being screened as you age, as the older you get, the more likely the body is to make mistakes due to mitosis, therefore such disorders such as cancer are more probable to arise.
When diseases are detected early enough through screening it means that the treatment is more likely to be successful, the patient is more likely to survive, they are mire likely to recover fully and also the treatment will cost less as the disease has not advanced.
Examples of adult screening include regular eye tests, hearing tests and blood tests.
As you get older, screening processes will look for certain disease and malfunction that are more common as you age. Screening in the form of an eye test can detect Glaucoma, which could cause blindness if not treated due to the build-up of pressure within the eye, therefore screening could identify this problem arising, and tackle it before it progresses too far. An eye test could also detect Astigmatism (when the cornea is not a perfectly curved shape0, which could be easily corrected through glasses and prevent sight problems which will worsen if not corrected, and therefore cost the NHS more money.
Adult screening is expensive, as more serious conditions are likely to arise with age, which take more money to identify and treat. Although, if no screening procedures existed then the condition would most likely go unnoticed until it was too late, or until treatment costed a substantial amount of money to treat in comparison to what it would cost to treat if caught early though the methods of screening. Not getting screening and the progression of the disease could also pose a greater risk to the patient's life.
To reduce the cost to the NHS, specific people are targeted for certain screening tests; those most at risk. For example, all woman over the age of 40 are invited for a breast screening as the risk factor increases the older you are, or if you have a previous family history of cancer.
Regular screening for cancers such as of the breast, cervical and testicular take place usually before symptoms occur, as the lump may not be big enough to feel through self-screening, and it means that the cancer can be treated earlier (if detected) and so the patient will have a higher chance of a successful and quicker recovery.
As adults, patients are able to choose whether or not to get screened, as apposed to parents or carers decided for them when they are still underage. There are some people who decide against getting screened, whether or not they are offered. These include those with religious beliefs which conflict with the procedures of screening; some religions (such as Jehovah witness) would disagree with the intervention of science do to them believing that God has his reasons for giving them the illness, and other religions would believe it to be a 'test' from God.
Others would rather live in the unknown as to is they have a disease or disorder as they would find it hard to accept the truth that they are ill, have given up hope (if they are too old or have an history), or are scared to know they outcome of the tests, especially if it runs in the family.
Wednesday 11 January 2012
graphics evaluation
Over the documentary illustration brief, I explored several new methods of creating graphics, including alot of digital colouring techniques, such as using the fill tool, the lasso tool to colour and using the clone tool to add texture and pattern. I ended up using all of these techniques in my final piece, as I felt they could be combined well together to give an impressive final effect. I found, like always, the digital side of it to be very enjoyable, however I did include more manual line work in my final piece in the form of a contour line college illustration as this connected with my artist Dave Howell's style, however I did end up colouring it digitally to also connect with Olivier Krugler's (my other chosen artist) method of working. I also experimented with various methods of drawing with lines, including blind drawing, using different thickness of lines, contour lines, using the light box over pattern paper and using carbon paper.
I believe that my strengths in this project lied in my willingness to experiment, as I focused on spending more time on my experiments that I did in previous projects, taking inspiration from my artists, which I think improved my overall final piece. By experimenting more, I was able to look at all my choices in my selection for my final piece and choose the most suitable and successful ones to push further in my designs.
I looked at three designers in this project, Josh Cochram, Dave Howells, and Olivier Krugler. In the end, I focused these down to gathering inspiration from just the two artists, Howells and Krugler as I preferred their ways of working and their pieces of work over Cochram's and found them easier to combine into one piece of art. I was inspired by both their works handmade feel and the sense of time that was gathered from their documentary illustrations and also other areas which I have annotated.
I feel that in this project that I should have produced more typography experiments, as comparing them to my drawing experiments, they seem to be lacking, although I am happy with the final font which I have chosen for my final piece.
I feel that I took several ideas and was inspired by both of my artists a great deal; my final piece shows Howells' layering/collaging technique, his single lines sketches, his use of maps included in a layering style, and the way his work doesn't always have a definite setting. From Krugler, my works shows his colouring technique, which I liked a great deal, his idea of busy vs empty, his style of leaving things unfinished and his notes about the documentry journey, adding a personal feel which I tried to also include in my final piece. I also tried to include both of their styles of including a obvious sense of time and movement in the piece, which I did by leaving things unfinished, using a typewriter font which added a feeling of the past, along with a coffee stain, which showed time, and the use of a conversation in text.
Overall, I found this project most enjoyable, particually the digital colouring work and experimenting with different arrangements and also different methods of working manually with lines as I felt I could gain alot of freedom to experiment in these areas.
I believe that my strengths in this project lied in my willingness to experiment, as I focused on spending more time on my experiments that I did in previous projects, taking inspiration from my artists, which I think improved my overall final piece. By experimenting more, I was able to look at all my choices in my selection for my final piece and choose the most suitable and successful ones to push further in my designs.
I looked at three designers in this project, Josh Cochram, Dave Howells, and Olivier Krugler. In the end, I focused these down to gathering inspiration from just the two artists, Howells and Krugler as I preferred their ways of working and their pieces of work over Cochram's and found them easier to combine into one piece of art. I was inspired by both their works handmade feel and the sense of time that was gathered from their documentary illustrations and also other areas which I have annotated.
I feel that in this project that I should have produced more typography experiments, as comparing them to my drawing experiments, they seem to be lacking, although I am happy with the final font which I have chosen for my final piece.
I feel that I took several ideas and was inspired by both of my artists a great deal; my final piece shows Howells' layering/collaging technique, his single lines sketches, his use of maps included in a layering style, and the way his work doesn't always have a definite setting. From Krugler, my works shows his colouring technique, which I liked a great deal, his idea of busy vs empty, his style of leaving things unfinished and his notes about the documentry journey, adding a personal feel which I tried to also include in my final piece. I also tried to include both of their styles of including a obvious sense of time and movement in the piece, which I did by leaving things unfinished, using a typewriter font which added a feeling of the past, along with a coffee stain, which showed time, and the use of a conversation in text.
Overall, I found this project most enjoyable, particually the digital colouring work and experimenting with different arrangements and also different methods of working manually with lines as I felt I could gain alot of freedom to experiment in these areas.
Thursday 29 December 2011
GEORGINA BRIXTON - CORRINE DAY ANALYSIS
Georgina Brixton, 1995 - Corrine Day
Corrine Day made a distinctive contribution to fashion photography in the early 1990's. She was one of the pioneers of a style that is candid and hard-hitting. Day continues to work for style magazines such as Ray Gun, Dazed & Confused and Vogue Homme International. In contrast to the traditional and glamorous images which dominated fashion photography during the late 1908's, Day's work represents a more informal, confrontational, and confessional approach to the medium. She has used unconventional and sometimes androgynous models to question to gender sterotyping found in the mainstream media and magazines.
"In the eighties you had to wear loads of make-up. I didn't like the fac poses and phony faces. I thought fashion photography was about the photographer, instead of the person they photographed"
The girl in the photograph is Georgina Cooper. Georgina Cooper is a British model and has been in a number of shhots including one that made it onto the cover of Vogue in 2002 aswell as being on the cover to The Face in 1997. Georgina has also been involved in a number of fashion shows with her first being in 1997. There are a number of photographs in 'The Diary, (Corrine Day's book which included personal photos of her life) of Georgina , and in a number of them she is wearing very revealing clothing which includes just a hoodie half zipped up with no bra on and just knickers on her bottom half. From doing my research, all of the photographs in 'The Diary' are of Corrine Day's close friends and family therefore Georgina knew Corrine very well in order to build up the confidence and close relationship to be photographed wearing revealing clothing as well as Corrine photograph her personal life. "I was pleased for her because Georgina is a genuine kind of person"
This photo is not a conventional fashion shop, instead being more in the candid photography genre. The model is caught off guard, in a scene not usually connected with high-class fashion modelling (a dirty, grimy flat in Brixton, hence the name of the photograph), giving a broken down, 'fallen from grace' story to the photo. This is unusual as many fashion shoots consist of backdrops, different costumes and hair and make-up done, this is what made Corinne Day unique and therefore made her famous as her photographs were so controversial in the way of Glamour vs Anti-Glamour. Corrine Day never made any of her models up in make-up and put them in front of backgrounds as this costs too much, therefore she wanted to keep things minimal, which leaves your mind to toy with the idea of both the emptiness and the fullness of the photo; the only two things that are in the photograph are Georgina Cooper and the leather sofa, therefore there is a sense of emptiness, yet the photograph is interesting in that you can look at it for a while and it sparks a number of questions that you want answering. A story is built up behind this photograph. To me, the story is one of drug use, and a hint of prostitution. The model's position is her fallen over, or crawling around the floor in a drug ridden state, enhanced by her dark, vacant eyes and frail form which make the model look weak and helpless, but also a twisted, hunched over, uncomfortable position makes her look dark, like she;s struggling, with her arm reaching out for help, but the other offering support.
From looking at the photo, there isn't too much similarity between any media/art works that I can think of. However I can think of similarities from my imagination of the type of drug and alcohol, sex fueled lifestyle some models may lead. Day may be quoting this in her selection of this photo. However on first seeing this photo, I thought that Georgina may have been a prostitute. However that may be purely judgmental instead of me having a pre-existing idea of a media work that she could of quoted.
In fashion, the look 'heroin chic' was popular at the time that this photo was taken, with the main cover girl for the faze being Kate Moss. The trend was started by Day before the mainstream caught up, so her work before the trend hit the big-time was often critized, but afterwards was hailed as being very in fashion and highly in-demand. A grungy style, sunken eyes and a gaunt appearance were common among models and I feel that what Day has done in this photo has taken that fashion back into it's origins and place the model with the 'heroin chic' looks into the surroundings that would most likely house a heroin addict, fitting two pieces together. This creates a shocking photo to myself and others. It takes wheat is usually seen as a beautiful, ideal person and makes them play in an ugly and much less than ideal situation. In the late 1980's/early 1990's heroin gained popularity and became the drug of choice, even Corinne Day herself was addicted. I feel this was also showing the horror and the ugly side to the glamorized addiction to drugs.
After researching Day and her work, I discovered that this was not actually a staged shot, but instead a personal candid shot of one of her model friends, Georgina Cooper, and thus paints a true portrait of a person on drugs, and allows the viewer to see a much more intimate and personal side to the model. This shot was taken at the height of the 'heroin chic' movement, so I feel this was Day's response to the look suddenly becoming desirable, (as she has been documenting the realities of drug use and it's outcomes before).
Lines in this photo are mostly straight and sharp, including lots of obvious angles, which give a violent feel to this photo. The significance of the angles is important because angles and straight lines symbolize conflict and bad emotions and are also more striking to the eye than soft, flowing lines, Day wanted this photo to be striking and shocking to get her point and her message across. Lines go diagonal due to Day holding the camera at an angle. She has done this to create a strange, different view point, which looks disturbing to the eye. It also gives the look of the twisted world that someone who is on drugs would see, with things not how they are meant to be, creating a 'strung-out' feeling to the image.
The photo is worn with the tinge of age adding years onto it, perhaps symbolizing her being stuck in the rut of addiction, seemingly endless, and also adding to the dirty feel of the location.
Unnatural lighting has been used to light this shot, i'm guessing a light of a separate flash placed higher and to the right of the camera. This mainly highlights the model making her the main focus, although I am particully drawn to the back of the model, as it is both highlighted, divided into two and has delicate, femininely curved lines (although the hips still have some degree of control and structure) which contrast with the sharp angles in this shot. The use of unnatural lighting leaves this photo looking almost like a 'deer caught in headlights', although the model is too out of it to realize the photo is being taken. The bright flash is directed towards the center, light the headlights and the photo graduates to shadows towards the edges of the photo, reminiscent of the dark of the night, The photo fading to black at the edges also borders the photo, naming it seem closed in and confined. This contrasts with the overall scene of the photograph being empty, which aslo plays with the idea of emptiness/fullness again.
Corrine Day made a distinctive contribution to fashion photography in the early 1990's. She was one of the pioneers of a style that is candid and hard-hitting. Day continues to work for style magazines such as Ray Gun, Dazed & Confused and Vogue Homme International. In contrast to the traditional and glamorous images which dominated fashion photography during the late 1908's, Day's work represents a more informal, confrontational, and confessional approach to the medium. She has used unconventional and sometimes androgynous models to question to gender sterotyping found in the mainstream media and magazines.
"In the eighties you had to wear loads of make-up. I didn't like the fac poses and phony faces. I thought fashion photography was about the photographer, instead of the person they photographed"
The girl in the photograph is Georgina Cooper. Georgina Cooper is a British model and has been in a number of shhots including one that made it onto the cover of Vogue in 2002 aswell as being on the cover to The Face in 1997. Georgina has also been involved in a number of fashion shows with her first being in 1997. There are a number of photographs in 'The Diary, (Corrine Day's book which included personal photos of her life) of Georgina , and in a number of them she is wearing very revealing clothing which includes just a hoodie half zipped up with no bra on and just knickers on her bottom half. From doing my research, all of the photographs in 'The Diary' are of Corrine Day's close friends and family therefore Georgina knew Corrine very well in order to build up the confidence and close relationship to be photographed wearing revealing clothing as well as Corrine photograph her personal life. "I was pleased for her because Georgina is a genuine kind of person"
This photo is not a conventional fashion shop, instead being more in the candid photography genre. The model is caught off guard, in a scene not usually connected with high-class fashion modelling (a dirty, grimy flat in Brixton, hence the name of the photograph), giving a broken down, 'fallen from grace' story to the photo. This is unusual as many fashion shoots consist of backdrops, different costumes and hair and make-up done, this is what made Corinne Day unique and therefore made her famous as her photographs were so controversial in the way of Glamour vs Anti-Glamour. Corrine Day never made any of her models up in make-up and put them in front of backgrounds as this costs too much, therefore she wanted to keep things minimal, which leaves your mind to toy with the idea of both the emptiness and the fullness of the photo; the only two things that are in the photograph are Georgina Cooper and the leather sofa, therefore there is a sense of emptiness, yet the photograph is interesting in that you can look at it for a while and it sparks a number of questions that you want answering. A story is built up behind this photograph. To me, the story is one of drug use, and a hint of prostitution. The model's position is her fallen over, or crawling around the floor in a drug ridden state, enhanced by her dark, vacant eyes and frail form which make the model look weak and helpless, but also a twisted, hunched over, uncomfortable position makes her look dark, like she;s struggling, with her arm reaching out for help, but the other offering support.
From looking at the photo, there isn't too much similarity between any media/art works that I can think of. However I can think of similarities from my imagination of the type of drug and alcohol, sex fueled lifestyle some models may lead. Day may be quoting this in her selection of this photo. However on first seeing this photo, I thought that Georgina may have been a prostitute. However that may be purely judgmental instead of me having a pre-existing idea of a media work that she could of quoted.
In fashion, the look 'heroin chic' was popular at the time that this photo was taken, with the main cover girl for the faze being Kate Moss. The trend was started by Day before the mainstream caught up, so her work before the trend hit the big-time was often critized, but afterwards was hailed as being very in fashion and highly in-demand. A grungy style, sunken eyes and a gaunt appearance were common among models and I feel that what Day has done in this photo has taken that fashion back into it's origins and place the model with the 'heroin chic' looks into the surroundings that would most likely house a heroin addict, fitting two pieces together. This creates a shocking photo to myself and others. It takes wheat is usually seen as a beautiful, ideal person and makes them play in an ugly and much less than ideal situation. In the late 1980's/early 1990's heroin gained popularity and became the drug of choice, even Corinne Day herself was addicted. I feel this was also showing the horror and the ugly side to the glamorized addiction to drugs.
After researching Day and her work, I discovered that this was not actually a staged shot, but instead a personal candid shot of one of her model friends, Georgina Cooper, and thus paints a true portrait of a person on drugs, and allows the viewer to see a much more intimate and personal side to the model. This shot was taken at the height of the 'heroin chic' movement, so I feel this was Day's response to the look suddenly becoming desirable, (as she has been documenting the realities of drug use and it's outcomes before).
Lines in this photo are mostly straight and sharp, including lots of obvious angles, which give a violent feel to this photo. The significance of the angles is important because angles and straight lines symbolize conflict and bad emotions and are also more striking to the eye than soft, flowing lines, Day wanted this photo to be striking and shocking to get her point and her message across. Lines go diagonal due to Day holding the camera at an angle. She has done this to create a strange, different view point, which looks disturbing to the eye. It also gives the look of the twisted world that someone who is on drugs would see, with things not how they are meant to be, creating a 'strung-out' feeling to the image.
The photo is worn with the tinge of age adding years onto it, perhaps symbolizing her being stuck in the rut of addiction, seemingly endless, and also adding to the dirty feel of the location.
Unnatural lighting has been used to light this shot, i'm guessing a light of a separate flash placed higher and to the right of the camera. This mainly highlights the model making her the main focus, although I am particully drawn to the back of the model, as it is both highlighted, divided into two and has delicate, femininely curved lines (although the hips still have some degree of control and structure) which contrast with the sharp angles in this shot. The use of unnatural lighting leaves this photo looking almost like a 'deer caught in headlights', although the model is too out of it to realize the photo is being taken. The bright flash is directed towards the center, light the headlights and the photo graduates to shadows towards the edges of the photo, reminiscent of the dark of the night, The photo fading to black at the edges also borders the photo, naming it seem closed in and confined. This contrasts with the overall scene of the photograph being empty, which aslo plays with the idea of emptiness/fullness again.
Wednesday 28 December 2011
RANKIN
John Rankin Waddell, working name Rankin, born 1966 in Scotland is a British portrait and fashion photographer.
Earning a reputation for creative portraiture and a talent for capturing the character and spirit of his subjects, Rankin quickly became a formidable force in photography, shooting Brit-pop bands including Pulp and Blur and pop stars such as Kylie and Madonna. Rankin's career continued to blossom and covers for German Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Area and GQ quickly followed.
His body of work includes some of the most influential politicians, popular musicians, revered artists and celebrated models since the early 90's. However, Rankin also continued to take on projects that featured ordinary people, often questioning established notions of beauty and causing controversy and igniting debates along the way.
Rankin's portraits portray an element of the subject's personality in his shots. For example, he shot Lindsay Lohan (formally young and pure, now gone off the rails). He used her current image, styling her in leather with messy hair and heels, but with child-like, defensive poses; contrasting the past with the present. He will take their most dominant feature and attempt to make it the main focus of the image.
Rankin's images (especially his fashion shots and his special projects) have the common theme of nudity, or sexual hints. He likes to focus on the female body, and display it in it's whole, natural form. On his website, he has a whole section dedicated to lingerie, and has a special project circulating around macro images of people in open mouthed kisses.
"With my photographs I'm always trying to capture something a bit quirky about someone, something a bit different, because that's what I find beautiful. It's about being honest about what I see, but I also don;t want to take pictures that piss people pff. I don't want people to be upset when they look at their own image."
Earning a reputation for creative portraiture and a talent for capturing the character and spirit of his subjects, Rankin quickly became a formidable force in photography, shooting Brit-pop bands including Pulp and Blur and pop stars such as Kylie and Madonna. Rankin's career continued to blossom and covers for German Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Area and GQ quickly followed.
His body of work includes some of the most influential politicians, popular musicians, revered artists and celebrated models since the early 90's. However, Rankin also continued to take on projects that featured ordinary people, often questioning established notions of beauty and causing controversy and igniting debates along the way.
Rankin's portraits portray an element of the subject's personality in his shots. For example, he shot Lindsay Lohan (formally young and pure, now gone off the rails). He used her current image, styling her in leather with messy hair and heels, but with child-like, defensive poses; contrasting the past with the present. He will take their most dominant feature and attempt to make it the main focus of the image.
Rankin's images (especially his fashion shots and his special projects) have the common theme of nudity, or sexual hints. He likes to focus on the female body, and display it in it's whole, natural form. On his website, he has a whole section dedicated to lingerie, and has a special project circulating around macro images of people in open mouthed kisses.
"With my photographs I'm always trying to capture something a bit quirky about someone, something a bit different, because that's what I find beautiful. It's about being honest about what I see, but I also don;t want to take pictures that piss people pff. I don't want people to be upset when they look at their own image."
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