Networked Media W5

Analogue Photography

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer whose famous and influential work spanned over decades. Born in 1908 in Chanteloup, France, he grew to love the arts from an early age. in 1927, he studied painting under Andre Lhote, then further studied at Cambridge University. In 1931, after a stint in the Army, he went to Africa and his love for photography grew. When he moved to France after a year, he bought his first 35mm Leica.

By the mid-1930s Cartier-Bresson had gained commercial success, with exhibits located in Mexico, New York, and Madrid. In 1935 he befriended photographer Paul Strand who introduced him to the film he would experiment with. Inspired, Cartier-Bresson moved back to France where he worked assisting filmmaker Jean Revoir for the next three years.

In 1940, Cartier-Bresson joined the army after the German invasion of France but was captured, and was in a prisoner-of-war camp for three years. He then managed to escape after several failed attempts, immediately returning to his photography and film. After the war, he traveled to India, where he spent time with Mahatma Ghandi before his assasination in 1948. His work documenting Ghandi’s death became one of Life Magazine’s most acclaimed photo essay.

In 1947 he teamed with 5 others and co-founded Magnum Photos, after aiming to solidify photojournalism as a legitimate news and art form. In his life up to that point, Cartier-Bresson had photographed the Spanish Civil War, Chinese Revolution, George VI’s coronation, and had many subjects including Marilyn Monroe. On top of this, his magazine clients included Life, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vogue. In 1952 he published his first book, The Decisive Moment,  which contained his work from the past two decades.

In 1966, he quit Magnum photos, focusing instead on his drawing and painting. He did not partake in interviews and refused to discuss his photography career. In 2003 the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson was created in Paris, securing his legacy. He also was awarded numerous awards and honorary doctorates later in his life. He passed away in his home in Provence, in 2004, at 95 years old.

Behind Le Gare de Saint Lazare (the Gare Saint-Lazare) – Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1932

Henri Cartier-Bresson | Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare (1932 ...

Behind Le Gare de Saint Lazare, by Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1932, MoMA, viewed March 29 2020, <https://www.moma.org/collection/works/98333>

How was the photo authored?

The image was taken behind the Saint-Lazare train station in Paris, France. It was shot without flash, on Cartier-Bresson’s 35mm Leica camera, which was both small enough and quick enough to take an immediate photograph. It was a dreary day, cold, and wet, with puddles of water encapsulating the ground of the image, and still. Demonstrating Cartier-Bresson’s ‘Decisive Moment’, it shows a man running over the water puddles, which reflects his entire sillhouette exactly in the mirror-like water. Elements indicative of the time include the Railowsky’s Circus poster, also with a performer on the front. The man, as the subject, mirrors the performer, bringing the circus to the real life in this one moment.

How was the photo published?

It was printed by process of gelatin silver print, in the 1950’s. Because of the film camera, there is no ability to review the image, which furthers his concept of the decisive moment of the photograph. It also means there is no instant result to show for his work, with time taken to produce it.

How was the photo distributed?

Although there is no information on where the image was immediately displayed, based on Cartier-Bresson’s commercial success in the early 1930’s it is assumed it was exhibited at some point. Currently, the image is on display in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, and is shared throughout the internet, regarded as one of his best works.

References:

Biography.com Editors 2019, Henri Cartier-Bresson Biography, Biography.com, viewed 29 March 2020 <https://www.biography.com/artist/henri-cartier-bresson>

MoMA 2020, Henri Cartier-Bresson Behind the Gare St. Lazare 1932, viewed 29 March 2020 <https://www.moma.org/collection/works/98333>

Time Editors n.d., Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, Time 100 Photos, viewed 29 March 2020 <http://100photos.time.com/photos/henri-cartier-bresson-behind-gare-saint-lazare>

 

Future Machina W4

It was a fully online week of learning this week, which I have found to be an okay alternative to face-to-face. Given all of this going on I don’t have much to reflect on this week, but I did get inspired by some of the talk in class about Black Mirror so I did watch a few episodes. Nosedive is one of the most popular, and I can see why! The way technology and an online space can so directly impact an individual’s life is what I explored in my Assignment 1, so it is definitely a prevalent issue. Especially if we think about now so many people working from home, and also people who work in social media, it is a scary prospect that your whole life can rely on it, and disappear in an instant.

Nosedive

(Image taken from http://diggitmagazine.com/book-reviews/nosedive-vicious-take-social-media)

Networked Media W4

Unfortunately I missed the class this week, due to the current world events I was in the middle of nowhere driving all the way home to stay with my parents. When I was on the drive, I managed to catch up on a few different things – podcast episodes, Netflix episodes, and even some Youtube videos when I got home, as I am a self-diagnosed addict, and often prioritise it over any schoolwork that I must complete. When I finally got around to the lecture however, it was revealed to me that all of these things are identified as ‘new media’. When defining new media, we can look at it in terms of its often digital format, online presence, and its constantly evolving form. In one day, I engaged with all three of these aspects of new media.

I think it is important to highlight too how these forms of new media overlap, and for this example I think of YouTube and  Netflix. For example, Youtuber Colleen Ballinger, made famous for her character ‘Miranda Sings’ began online with a YouTube channel, then began her Netflix show ‘Haters Back Off!”. While she has gained international and varied success, many other creators, franchises, and ideas are being shared throughout these platforms. I think when considering new media it is therefore important to recognise the creators fluctuating between platforms, whilst also looking at the audience that goes with it. This  is an indication of the evolving nature of new media, one where information is connected through many different people and platforms. This in turn also influences users, who may follow people throughout different platforms and forms of this new media.

 

Future Machina W3

This week was all about AI. In a current day sense, what has stood out to me is that voice assistants such as Alexa or Siri are eavesdropping into our lives more than we might think. In the Privacy Attitudes of Smart Speaker Users reading it was shown that half of the study participants did even know that were always being listened to, and all of this information was being stored. I can think back to when these sort of technologies were being introduced, and not buying into it because I was skeptical of this fact. To find out that this is a genuine phenomenon was personally surprising, so no wonder it is not widely known. In the article, Alexa Are You Invading My Privacy? It is stated that the conversations ‘overheard’ by these voice assistants are considered legal evidence and can be used in court cases introduces a whole can of worms that perhaps most people do not want to buy themselves into. I somewhat looked into this in my assignment 1. One of my technologies was  a voice assistant. I explored potential consequences of this in terms of how it might fail and how that can destroy aspects of someone’s job and life were they to be completely dependent on the technology.

Networked Media W3

This week, with focus on ‘The Web’, was an introduction to the web being a virtual space, the internet being an interface that keeps the web connected. The diagrams of how the web decentralises information was particularly interesting to me, I found it a lot easier to understand how information spreads through various sources. It is also interesting to think about in terms of how this has developed, even in the last hundred years, and what that may mean for the future of the web.

Emphasis on YouTube was also a good insight into how it expands, based on how much traffic the site receives. This ‘idea, called a participatory communication paradigm’ is relevant to many different platforms, and will only continue to expand.

Also the look into UGC (user-generated content) and it being an intimate feedback loop, is another indication that these platforms will continue to grow. All of these ideas will continue to inspire my learning as I use Instagram personally, and even think about how I personally feel when I upload content. As discussed in previous weeks, the satisfaction we feel when we see the likes coming only continues to fuel our desire to keep uploading. Just thinking of my own UGC, it definitely increases the more recognition I receive, further proving this never-ending feedback loop.

Networked Media W2

This week, we were focused on affordance, and in particular the affordances of Instagram. Prior to this week I had not heard of Donald Norman, but just from the readings in The Design of Everyday Things, my eyes were opened to looking at and analysing affordance in the world around me.

I think in terms of social media and other modern technologies including game controllers (like we watched in the video), it has stuck out to me that the design needs to feel intuitive and develop as users gain and develop knowledge. For example, as was discussed in the class, one can login to a new social media app and automatically know how to use it to a certain extent, based on their prior knowledge of other social media apps and computer literacy. I think of it as there being a universal language of symbols and icons that all users understand, and has become commonplace and essentially second nature in today’s society. In addition to this week’s work, I will definitely make time to check out The Art of Design on Netflix, and the Ian Spalter episode specifically, who is the head designer of Instagram.

 

 

Future Machina W2

This week, we were introduced to the world of deep fakes. Prior to this week I had only seen the Jordan Peele/Buzzfeed video – which circulated around Facebook in 2018 when it came out. Additionally, in 2019, I watched one of Shane Dawson’s conspiracy theory videos where he contextualises deep fakes as a way to ‘steal’ the identity of a celebrity and how this is also used in the porn industry, without consent (both the original videos’ creator and the identity of the celebrity).

https://youtu.be/BHLBaOASC74

In the reading, Are Deep Fakes a Shallow Concern? Deep fakes are very much seen as a potential weapon, and a means for deception in the media. I find it interesting that both Reddit and Facebook almost immediately shut down any deep fake content, because it was (and still is) a relatively new idea to the average person.  I would like to think that because of this, we will not being seeing any deception in the media caused by deep fakes, but given the rise of AI technologies and the introduction of synthetic models and actors, there is always going to be that risk of forgery. I  think that in this case it is about finding a balance in the advancements of technology we do see. How can we encourage the development of AI and so quickly condemn the misuse of these technologies? When we used Luminar 4 and Pixaloop in class, that was an interesting exercise in seeing how easily things can be manipulated. By the click of a button, we could replace the sky with no further action required. Now, if we were to go and post these online, and let people believe this was a real photograph, that is not automatically considered foul play. But where is that line, and when will we know we have overstepped it?

Future Machina W1

This week was an introduction to futurology and AI – two subjects that I have a minimal understanding of. Learning that AI really is all around us, and consumes our day-to-day lives is something I had never put a second thought to, and yet it is happening before my eyes. I think one of the most important takeaways of understanding AI’s prominence in society today is that we must embrace it’s growth and not resist. Even just seeing the array of examples where AI has facilitated growth in almost every industry, from medical sciences to food services – confirms to me that it is important to learn.

The interview exercise was an enlightening experience in learning how others could see AI developing our future. One point that was made was that the sky is really the limit in terms of what we can create – if we can imagine it, we can some day achieve it. I am interested in exploring this throughout future classes, and reflecting on where these ideas come from. Is it purely from necessity or do creators set their mind to bringing to life their own imaginations?

Additionally, looking at everyone’s ‘futurology starter packs’ was incredibly interesting as it showed some patterns in the way we all imagine technology to develop, even in our own lifetimes. Notably, the rise of face-ID and tracking, and lab-grown meat and organs. Some of us were influenced by media portrayals of the future too (e.g. Black Mirror). I am interested in exploring this further both in class and when watching films or TV shows that have a distinct portrayal of the future – dystopian or otherwise. The point that a lot of these visions are stemmed from current cultural concerns is important too and I think further exploring how futurology has developed over different periods of time will be fascinating.

 

Networked Media W1

After discussing Instagram with the class, it is clear: every one of us uses the app for a different purpose, whether that is to give or receive something. Personally I believe we can see Instagram on a spectrum of privacy and publicity – on one end, we have a private account, with a following of our closest friends and family, and interact directly with them. On the other side, we have a page with millions of followers, sponsorships, and a subject with a personal brand. It is clear that there is disparity between creative posts, and branded posts. In the lecture it was also discussed that Instagram can be analysed in a few different ways, and one of these involves looking at how the app has changed over time. This is also relevant in relation to other apps including Facebook. Another thing to consider is the methods of distribution and connectivity between apps when it comes to sharing. These are all concepts and ideas that I look forward to exploring, and will be sure to look out for when using Instagram and other apps for personal use.