Blog Post – Week 11 (Video)

Week 11 – Video

How did you author (the photo or video) you recorded to upload to Instagram?

I authored this video with the rear camera of my Samsung s10e, taking video of two knobs on my Edirol PCR-500 MIDI controller, one that clicks with each fraction of a turn, and another that turns smoothly. In order to fit the video into the square frame required by Instagram, canted angles were used, giving the video a sort of modern feeling to it. The video is also one of two of my video posts that actually have sound, as the noise made by the clicky knob is a key component of the content the video is pushing. This video was also recorded using the Instagram app, as opposed to being recorded in the camera app and uploaded through Instagram. This was mainly because I wanted to make use of the start-stop feature of the Instagram video recorder, allowing me to take 5 second shots of both knobs and edit them together without any effort. This creates a neat effect and adds in clarity, explaining the point of the video quickly and concisely, whereas one long take might have become a bit too slow to match with the style of Instagram content. No filter was used, and the Instagram app doesn’t allow for adjustments on videos, but this wasn’t a problem as the subject was well lit and in focus.

How did you publish (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?

Some segments of the video took a couple of takes to look right, as my hands are naturally shaky and the framing of the shots given the angles and shape of the keyboard had to be very tight, but structural redesigns of how the post would be formatted were unnecessary. I experimented with using Emoji in the caption to make it pop out more, something that I observed being used during my analysis of networked videos previously. Specifically, I added ‘Sound on!’ with a speaker emoji to the start of my caption, as the noise is an important part of the posting. The same hashtags as the image posted previously were also used.

How did you distribute (the photo or video) you published on Instagram to other social media services?

The image was uploaded to Instagram, and automatically reposted to Twitter and Tumblr.

 

Blog Post – Week 11 (Photo)

Week 11 – Photo

How did you author (the photo or video) you recorded to upload to Instagram?

This week’s photo was taken on the main camera on my Samsung s10e and is of the pitch bend and modulation wheel on my Edirol PCR-500 MIDI controller. The shot is meant to highlight the unpleasant texture on the wheel as a result of the rubber degrading, making it sticky and prone to getting dust and hair stuck on it. A close up angle was used, with autofocus aiding in the recording of the image by automatically adjusting depth of field to make the background out of focus while the subject is crystal clear. This does a really good job of highlighting the little details and conveying the point. The angle the photo was taken at is also more flat than in previous postings, allowing for the wooden headboard to be seen in the background as opposed to the red bedsheets featured previously. The depth of field fixes this, however, with the colour appearing more red. No filter was used, but brightness was raised and the Instagram ‘shadows’ modifier was raised to bring out detail in the shadows and bring some brightness to a bit of a shady picture.

How did you publish (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?

A couple of test shots were initially taken to try and get the angle right, so as to show off the keyboard and maybe a bit of red in the background, as some pictures ended up with the blue wallpaper in frame. I continued my experimentation with almost ‘Buzzfeed’-like captioning, with a ‘Yucky!’ at the start of the caption to grab the reader’s attention. Over time, my captions have also gotten longer, but more concise in conveying their meaning. The hashtags #design, #roland, #edirol and #keyboard were used. I initially wanted to tag the Roland Corporation’s Instagram account, but it turns out they didn’t have one, so no user or geotags were used.

How did you distribute (the photo or video) you published on Instagram to other social media services?

Similarly to the other postings, the picture was shared to Twitter and Tumblr automatically through Instagram. A disappearing story with the ‘Stay Home’ sticker was also posted to aid in visibility. While I don’t think the Stay Home sticker actually does anything for the algorithm, I like the sentiment, and it gives the account a less corporate feeling, as now it’s clear a person put some care into the curation of the account.

Blog Post – Week 10 (Video)

Week 10 – Video

How did you author (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?

This week’s video was recorded using the rear camera of my Samsung s10e, and is of me winding film on, taking a photo, rewinding film, opening the rear of the camera and then closing it, demonstrating the miniaturization featured in my film camera. Similarly to the photo, I was unable to record this with the Instagram camera, so it was instead taken with my camera app sitting on the edge of my bedhead looking at a downward angle. This also meant that half the frame was a mess of books and wood, so the video was also cropped to make sure that all that was in frame was the red surface and the camera. I also had to ensure that my shadow didn’t affect the video too much, so trimming at the start and end to get my arms out of the video was used. I was unable to use any adjustments on the video apart from filters, and all the filters just made the overexposed or shiny parts of the camera look too bright, so the video has little changed in that regard.

How did you publish (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?

No curation was required for this video, and all the same hashtags as the accompanying photo post were used. I’ve found that a pleasing format for this account is taking one device and looking at both the positive and negative aspects of its design, so this video looks at the positive while the photo looks more at the negative, making for a nice duality. This posting also had the mysterious “Canon” geotag.

How did you distribute (the photo or video) you published on Instagram to other social media services?

This photo was distributed the same way as the accompanying photo, being posted to Instagram then reposted across to Tumblr and Twitter. This video also got its own disappearing story advertising that it was a new post.

Blog Post – Week 10 (Photo)

Week 10 – Photo

How did you author (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?

This week’s photo was recorded using the front facing camera of my Samsung s10e, and is of my pinky finger locating to the film rewind button on my camera. The selfie camera was required for this photo as the shot required looking at the bottom of the camera, making the colouring and angle significantly different to other postings, as it doesn’t have the characteristic red background. The photo shows the underside of the camera and how the pinky finger naturally locates to the button on the bottom, showing off a poor design choice. The photo had the Ludwig filter used on it as well as a boost in image warmth, as the cameras on my phone naturally look a bit washed out, and the angle looking towards ceiling lights overexposed some areas. The image also isn’t a perfect square, as it had to be rotated around to get the camera facing the right way. A small amount of zoom in the editing phase also made sure that the focus was on the button and not on any other part of the camera, increasing the legibility of the photograph. This photo also needed to be recorded using the main camera app as opposed to the Instagram app’s camera, as it doesn’t have a hands-free or timer option.

How did you publish (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?

Little curation was needed, although experimentation to do with which camera to use was necessary. A description with an added “Infuriating!” at the beginning was added to make sure that the point of the image was clear, as well as to create a bit of emotion and entice a viewer to actually pay attention to what’s in the image. The hashtags #design, #photography, #film, #camera and #canon were used to aid in visibility. I also experimented with a geotag of just “Canon”, presumably relating to the company.

How did you distribute (the photo or video) you published on Instagram to other social media services?

This photo was distributed the same way as the previous postings, getting posted on the Instagram account to my handful of followers, as well as being mirrored on the Twitter and Tumblr affiliates

Blog Post – Week 9 (Video)

Week 9 – Video

How did you author (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?

This week’s video was recorded using the rear camera of my Samsung s10e, and is of me inserting and ejecting a cartridge on my Nintendo Famicom. The video is a single shot, and audio has been left on to show off the mechanical noises. I chose a specific cover image from the middle of the video, showing the cartridge inserted, as the red and white device with a black cartridge in the centre is not only more visually striking, but a more iconic image than a console without. The Juno filter was used to make the red colours more clear and create some contrast within the video, although no other corrections were required.

How did you publish (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?

This video didn’t require any retakes or curation in order to get the shot I wanted. Similar hashtags to those used in the photo post were also used, those being #nintendo, #design and #famicom. No #famicomdisksystem tag was required as this video didn’t feature it, just the base unit. A geotag was also not included on this video, as like with the photo post, it didn’t seem appropriate for the content, as location wasn’t really a factor. I could analyse how to make geotagging more relevant for future postings, as it could help with visibility.

How did you distribute (the photo or video) you published on Instagram to other social media services?

This photo was distributed the same way as the accompanying photo, being posted to Instagram and then reposted on Twitter and Tumblr. The story advertising this post also advertises the two other social media accounts, providing their usernames and showing a little message to go follow them too. This story has also been highlighted, meaning any new followers will be able to view this story even after 24 hours, and it will also appear at the top of the gallery, increasing its visibility and aiding in advertising the other social media accounts.

Blog Post – Week 9 (Photo)

Week 9 – Photo

How did you author (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?

The first photo post on my new account @tech.design.rmit was authored very pretty simply. I used the main camera on my Samsung s10e with a slight zoom in (as it naturally has a bit of a fisheye effect) to take photos of my Nintendo Famicom and Famicom Disk System on my bed, providing a nice red background for the red, black and white devices. The framing of the shots masked the mess of wires behind the system in the first shot, giving a clean and tidy aesthetic, which was then contrasted by the uneven and messy nature of the second photo, showing off the poor design choice. The square frame of the Instagram camera was not too much of a creative hinderance, as the shots I was taking were reasonably tight to begin with. However, it did affect the angles I could shoot at, making the frame a little tighter than I would otherwise be comfortable with so as to ensure that the furniture in my room wasn’t visible. This photo was taken without flash, as the lighting in my room is bright enough already. Despite this, some image adjustment was required, as the exposure looked a bit dim on the first photo and a bit washed out on the second. I used the Juno filter on the first image to try and deepen the reds, combined with an increase in brightness and decrease in contrast to bring out darker spots and then balance out the image overall. The second frame was essentially the opposite, with no filter being used and opposite brightness and contrast controls being adjusted to try and bring some more dynamic range to what initially was a rather grey looking photo. This process is not very normal to me, as on my main account I usually either take photos with no effects and minimal cropping, or I go completely overboard with filters and corrections for comedic effect. Given the more almost commercial nature of an account such as this, I felt that striking somewhere in the middle would allow me to define an aesthetic while not swinging too far in either silly or boring territory. I would like to continue this experimentation in the future.

How did you publish (the photo or video) you recorded for upload to Instagram?

I took a couple of images before I got the one I ended up posting, but these had poor angles that didn’t show off the Famicom and the Disk System as well as the ones I ended up posting. A text caption was added giving a brief description of what was in the scene, as well as explaining my feelings about the design choices made by Nintendo between the two devices. I thought after posting that it sounded a bit sarcastic and corporate, despite the sentiment being sincere, so for future postings I should work on how I write my captions. I also tagged the image with #nintendo, #famicom, #famicomdisksystem and #design, all Nintendo and design appropriate tags, matching the subject of the images. No geotagging or account tagging seemed necessary given the content of the posting, however future devices might benefit from posting tangentially related locations or accounts, like maybe factories or company marketing accounts for a bit of flair.

How did you distribute (the photo or video) you published on Instagram to other social media services?

https://twitter.com/melbourneandco1

https://techdesignrmit.tumblr.com/

I chose to distribute my posts to Instagram, as well as to Twitter and Tumblr, as both of these platforms are friendly to the Instagram format of images and videos, as well as natively interfacing with Instagram itself.

On Instagram, the photo was distributed to my handful of followers, as I advertised the new account person to person, as well as through the explore tab. The use of hashtags and a geotag means this will reach some specific groups better, as well as the interactions had on the image itself propelling the account further. I also posted a disappearing story to inform followers of the new post.

The Twitter and Tumblr accounts might have a harder time getting exposure, but the process of distribution on these other platforms is very simple, with Instagram allowing syncing of accounts between platforms. Both accounts share the same name (or as close as was allowed) as the Instagram account, hopefully providing a logical connection and increasing the potential for people who find one to find the others. The Tumblr account was created new, however the Twitter account was repurposed from another one that I’d made previously, meaning that the username is correct but the handle is different. This hopefully shouldn’t affect exposure or branding, as it’s still easily searchable by tech.design.rmit.

Blog Post – Week 8

Week 8 – Networked Video

Shiba Charmy – massage, 2020

Who is the practitioner and when were they practicing?

The practitioners I have chosen to analyse are the users behind the Instagram account @shiba_charmy, a vlogging account run by the family who owns the eponymous Shiba Inu dog. Charmy has been on Instagram since 2015 and became an internet sensation for viral images comparing her to a croissant, bringing her to internet fame rivalling other famous animals, with 375k followers on Instagram, more than @kabosumama (the famous Doge) and @balltze (another meme dog, Cheems) combined. The videos and photos are light-hearted and cute, and clearly bring in money, with ads for LINE stamps (stickers for a Japanese messenger app) and even TV and film appearances adorning the saved stories tab.

What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse?

The video I have chosen to analyse has no title, but is captioned “massage mofumofu~ fuwafuwa~”.

With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced?

The video was produced in 2020 and was uploaded to Instagram on April 25.

How was the photo or video authored?

This video was likely shot on a Sony Xperia phone, as the account owners have a deal with Sony. The video is short and features one of the owners massaging Charmy’s cheeks while she smiles photogenically at the camera, creating a very cute and light-hearted tone to the video. The shot is entirely done in pastel colours to complement Charmy’s natural fur patterning, as well as to keep in line with the style set by other content on the account. A bright and gentle appearance also helps to make the videos look high quality and professional, helping them to stand out in a cluttered discover tab. Very bright exposure is also used accompanying the colour scheme, not only contributing to the style but also helping to mask any imperfections in Charmy’s fur, making a clean and marketable final product.

How was the photo or video published?

The photo was published to Instagram on April 25, 2020, along with a “new post” story, a disappearing video advertising that a new post has been added to the account. The video was also released alongside another post, a set of four photos, increasing visibility and providing extra incentive for users to spend more time on the @shiba_charmy Instagram account.

How was the photo or video distributed?

As with any other Instagram post, this content from @shiba_charmy is pushed directly to the feed of all 375k followers, and is accessible either by directly searching for the account or through the algorithm on the Discover tab. However, this post also makes use of hashtags, a system for categorising posts based on their content, with this post using both Japanese and English tags for #shiba, #shibainu, #dog, #doglover, #pecoinubu (?), #adorable, and #massage. This allows for greater visibility in the algorithm, as if users interact with these hashtags elsewhere they will be more likely to be recommended @shiba_charmy’s content, as well as providing a more general way of finding the image by searching for associated Shiba Inu content.

Blog Post – Week 7

Week 7 – Networked Photography

Simone Bramante – Porta Sempione, 2020

Who is the practitioner and when were they practicing?

The practitioner in this analysis is Simone Bramante, a photographer from Bologna, Italy, who goes by the handle @brahmino on Instagram, and has been posting online since 2012. Bramante is a photographer who works with many brands and companies and posts his less commercial work on his Instagram account with almost a million followers, showing a unique, colourful, whimsical style of digital photography.

What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse (can you provide a link?)

The photo I have chosen is one of Porta Sempione, also known as The Gate of Peace, in Milan, Italy.

With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced?

This photo was taken during a photoshoot in Milan in early 2020 and posted to Bramante’s Instagram account on March 15th.

How was the photo or video authored?

This photo was taken on a digital camera, either a DSLR (Canon 5D Mk IV) or a mirrorless (Sony A7R III or a Leica SL/Q), as Bramante uses both varieties. The photo obeys the rule of thirds, with the arch being centred with roughly equal amounts of space around it being filled with sky and road. The early morning sun peeking through the centre of the arch, combined with expert colour correction and management of exposure creates a gentle yet vibrant colour scheme to the photo, making it stick out in an Instagram user’s discover tab, while not being over the top.

How was the photo or video published?

The photo was uploaded to Bramante’s Instagram account after being transferred from a professional quality camera on March 15th, 2020, and was used as a part of an advertisement for an Italian language live stream Bramante has been participating in on @whatitalyis.

How was the photo or video distributed?

This photo is distributed via Instagram, meaning that two different groups are able to view and access the work. One is followers of Bramante, of which there are currently 998,000, who will see this image on their feed. The other is those who aren’t following Bramante, with these users likely seeing the photo recommended to them in the discover tab of Instagram based on the algorithm, with users who have shown an interest in photography or Italy being more likely to see it.

References:

Brahmino.com. 2020. Simone Bramante // Brahmino – Photographer // Director. [online] Available at: <https://www.brahmino.com/>.

Blog Post – Week 6

Week 6 – Analogue Video

Nam June Paik – TV Buddha, 1974

Who is the practitioner and when were they practicing?

The practitioner in this example is Nam June Paik (1932-2006), a Korean American artist credited with the foundation of “video art”, being active between 1963 and 2004. Nam had a unique art style, using technology and electronics to create his works, and was also influenced by the Fluxus movement, an artistic movement aiming to make art more available to the masses by focussing more on the artistic process rather than the final product.

What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse?

The video I have chosen to analyse is TV Buddha, an installation made many times in different permutations around the world. The specific example I am using for this analysis is the one owned by the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/342.2011.a-f/

With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced?

This video installation was originally made in 1974 and exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, but the NSW version I am using as an example was created in 1976.

How was the photo or video authored?

The video consists of a wooden Maitreya (Buddha of the Future) statue sat upon a white block looking at a round analogue television set, with a CCTV camera on a tripod behind the TV set looking back at the Buddha statue, making the statue both the object and the subject of the work. The sparse nature of the installation and the inherent quietness of such an apparently simple work makes it feel quite isolating, with the closeup of the statue’s face on the television set giving an almost uncomfortable vibe. The nature of the analogue video reacting immediately to changes in the camera also gives the inanimate object life and presence, as if conditions change, the piece reflects that.

How was the photo or video published?

This video is, by it’s nature, live, with recordings of the screen existing but missing the point of the work. The live feedback loop of the camera looking at the statue looking at the screen showing the video of the statue makes the video entirely reliant on the existence of these artefacts in a specific location, with the analogue nature of the video adding to the fleeting existence of the work over time.

How was the photo or video distributed?

The video has been distributed all over the world in museum and art gallery exhibitions, as the piece is more an arrangement of objects rather than one specific artefact, reflecting the Dadaist and Fluxus inspirations Nam had. The NSW Art Gallery version of the TV Buddha installation has its statue signed by Nam, providing some practical link back to the artist, but otherwise it is just one of many sets of television sets, CCTV cameras and Buddha statues arranged by Nam, found all over the world.

References:

Public Delivery. 2019. Nam June Paik’s TV Buddhas – His Best-Known Work. [online] Available at: <https://publicdelivery.org/nam-june-paik-tv-buddha/>.

Artgallery.nsw.gov.au. 2020. TV Buddha, (1976) By Nam June Paik. [online] Available at: <https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/works/342.2011.a-f/?tab=about>.

Blog Post – Week 5

Week 5 – Analogue Photography

Henri Cartier-Bresson – Madrid, 1933

Who is the practitioner and when were they practicing?

The practitioner in this example is Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), a French photographer active roughly from 1932 to 1968. With a background in painting, Cartier-Bresson considered himself a surrealist artist more so than the photojournalist he was often labelled, focussing more on the composition and aesthetic value of his works rather than the political and historical recording that they so elegantly provide.

What is the title of the photo or video you have chosen to analyse?

The photo in this example was taken in Madrid in 1933, and is labelled by Cartier-Bresson’s foundation Magnum Photos as “A Group of People in Front of a Wall with Small Windows”.

https://www.magnumphotos.com/par46659/

With the photo or video, you are examining when was it produced?

This photo was taken in 1933.

How was the photo or video authored?

This photo was taken on a Leica 35mm film camera on black and white film. The small form factor of the Leica cameras allowed for more flexibility in spontaneity and framing compared to other common cameras at the time (with Cartier-Bresson having started using a Leica in 1932). The photo is a brilliant example of Cartier-Bresson’s influence from the art world, particularly to do with cubism and surrealism. The high contrast of the photo creates a natural progression from the heads of the children in the foreground to the patchwork of tiny windows on the building in the background, with Huxley Parlour remarking that the photo shows Cartier-Bresson using “geometry to create structure from which order could be derived amidst the chaos of life.”

How was the photo or video published?

This photo, having been taken well before even the invention of the first digital computer, was printed using analogue processes from a 35mm film negative, with one of the oldest prints owned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York being a gelatine silver print. Since then, many other copies of the photograph have been made for galleries across the world, and in the 21st century, high quality scans are also available online.

How was the photo or video distributed?

The photo was originally distributed in exhibitions and photobooks, with the photo likely having appeared in his first exhibition in the Julien Levy gallery in 1933, showing off many other photos taken around Europe. Since then, it has been printed in various books and shown in hundreds of modern photography exhibits, going as far back as the mid-1950s. With the advent of the internet, online distribution is also now viable, with the photo easily accessible and able to be licensed from Magnum Photography.

References:

The Museum of Modern Art. 2020. Henri Cartier-Bresson. Madrid. 1933 | Moma. [online] Available at: <https://www.moma.org/collection/works/49901?artist_id=1000&locale=en&page=1&sov_referrer=artist>

Huxley-Parlour Gallery. 2020. Equilibrium And Geometry: Henri Cartier-Bresson In Madrid | Huxley-Parlour Gallery. [online] Available at: <https://huxleyparlour.com/equilibrium-and-geometry-henri-cartier-bresson-in-madrid/>.

Magnum Photos. 2020. Henri Cartier-Bresson • Photographer Profile • Magnum Photos. [online] Available at: <https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/henri-cartier-bresson/>.

Magnumphotos.com. 2020. Henri Cartier-Bresson A Group Of People In Front Of A Wall Filled With Small Windows. Madrid, Spain. 1933.| Magnum Photos. [online] Available at: <https://www.magnumphotos.com/par46659/> [Accessed 1 May 2020].