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

The video I have shown here is of a candle being lit. I chose this design as it is incredibly simple as well as as self explanatory and the design itself has been utilised and rather unchanged for thousands of years.

The video was taken using the rear camera of my iPhone 7, I propped the phone up in a static position on my kitchen bench and held down the record button as the function within the Instagram app whilst I lit the the wick. For the most part I found this to work well however I believe that if I had have recorded the video externally either via another device or using the phones video recording functions it would have allowed me further flexibility with the recording. The square frame format worked very well for this object because of its size and the function I was capturing it fill a good amount of space within the frame drawing the audiences attention to the relevant details. I used minimal lighting within the room and what lighting I did have was set to a warm setting, this was done so that the audience was able to interpret and recognise the object in question before the action of lighting it and then once lit the tones would remain similar, additionally there was no flash used when authoring this video.

Furthermore, I applied the Mayfair filter which gave the footage an additional layer of warmth and I altered the duration of the clip by cutting a segment from the end of the clip in order to tidy up the footage.

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

This shot was rather easy to execute, I briefly thought about how I was going to do it and was able to capture the footage I intended on the first attempt. I geo-tagged the location where the footage was taken and a caption describing the video. I tried to find where I could set the video yo play automatically but could not see how to alter this therefore the video is configured to play once it has been clicked on same as my previous one.

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

This video was uploaded to Instagram and during the posting process I opted to have it linked and distributed to Twitter and Tumbler as well. Interestingly I wanted to actually have it linked to Facebook and Tumbler due to previous experience Twitter not actually showing the visual content only the text, however when I attempted to do this it would not link my Facebook account for some reason and was only left with the options of Tumbler and Twitter. This is something that I will definitely be looking further into to see how I can rectify this moving forward.

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

This video is of some branches with red leaves (I couldn’t find any flowers) being placed into a mid 1970’s Italian glass vase. I chose this due to the simplistic nature of its design and how self explanatory the design itself is. The function is obvious and there is only one possible way to carry out that function.

To capture this video I used the rear camera of my iPhone 7, I held the camera in one hand while I placed the branches in with the other. I found this rather frustrating, it was my original intent to have the phone standing stationary using a small tripod however I was not aware of Instagram’s requirement to hold down the record button continuously to capture the shot, due to that I had to rethink my approach. I rather liked the square frame format for this video and was able to create some interesting angles and shapes within the frame. It was shot with a white tiled background and I placed a square piece of travertine marble underneath the vase to give the video some extra dimensions. I did not use the cameras built in flash for this video instead I utilised the over bench lighting that was there, additionally I applied the Amaro filter to the footage, this made the purple in the vase and the red of the leave slightly more vibrant and added a very slight amount of vignetting. I did not cut or alter the duration of the clip and allowed the audio to remain, I did chose a particular frame which should serve as the cover image as I felt that it looked more appealing stirring with the foliage in  the vase.

Comparing this process within Instagram to other video processors, Again I found this to be quite restrictive. when capturing video using my iPhone there are many more options for manipulation, additionally when I need to take higher quality or more cinematic footage I use my Sony mirrorless system which has a multitude of setting allowing me to customise my shot accordingly.

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

Before I came up with my final product I had a few trail and errors but the subject remained the same. I experimented with different angles, lighting and position as well as various ways in which the camera was positioned. I geo-tagged the location where the footage was taken and a caption describing the video. The video is configured to play once it has been clicked on, the only reason for this is simply because I wasn’t aware that there was another option however it is something I will explore for my next video potentially.

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

While going through the process of uploading this video to Instagram I opted to have it linked and distributed to Twitter and Tumbler as well, I did this by selecting which social media sites I wished to distribute it too via a list that Instagram offers when publishing and activating the corresponding switches to the ones that I desired. They appeared on both accounts however a point to note is that only the associated caption was made visible on Twitter and not the video whereas Tumbler published both the footage and caption. This was done to extend the reach of the post and increase its exposure to the intended audience.

Additionally, I included several hash tags within the caption, these were selected by their association to the vase and serve to facilitate further intertextuality between pages of common themes and concepts.

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

This photo is of a vintage receiver built in the 1960’s. I chose it as an example of its complex design, it has various switches and turn dials that perform certain functions however it is not obviously understood how it works. This may well be due to the age of the device and at the time of its release those functions may have been common knowledge, however by the way it is designed it is not self explanatory and a person would not be able to understand its functionality without prior knowledge.

I captured the image using the rear facing camera of an Apple iPhone 7, and used a chair as a stability platform with which to take the image from. I found the square format that Instagram offers a little frustrating. due to the shape of the receiver I would have preferred to take the image in a landscape format in keeping with the overall shape. I did not use the cameras built in flash however I positioned two vertical cool light work lamps on either side facing the receiver, additionally I applied the Valencia filter to the image, this accentuated the midtones and washed out the highlight and shadows giving the image a somewhat more vintage appearance.

Comparing this process within Instagram to other photography processors, I found this to be quite restrictive. most of the time I use my iPhone for photography and there are many more options for manipulation, additionally when I need to take higher quality images I use my Sony mirrorless system which has a multitude of setting allowing me to customise my shot accordingly.

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

I took a number of pictures trying out different distances, angles and lighting options before settling on my final image, it was important for me that the receiver be illuminated quite significantly allowing the detail to be seen, additionally I wanted it to be aligned symmetrically so the front of the device features predominantly. I geo-tagged the location where it was taken and a caption describing the image. In the caption I included several hash tags linking associated pages of interest to the post.

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

While going through the process of uploading this image to Instagram I opted to have it linked and distributed to Twitter and Tumbler as well, I did this by selecting which social media sites I wished to distribute it too via a list that Instagram offers when publishing and activating the corresponding switches to the ones that I desired. They appeared on both accounts however a point to note is that only the associated caption was made visible on Twitter and not the photo where as Tumbler published both the image and caption. This was done to extend the reach of the post and increase its exposure to the intended audience.

Additionally as stated previously I included several hash tags within the caption, these were selected by their association to the receiver and serve to facilitate further intertextuality between pages of common themes and concepts .

Assignment 2 – Review
Name: Shaun Rimes s3530111

 I declare that in submitting all work for this assessment I have read, understood and agree to the content and expectations of the assessment declaration – https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/support-and-facilities/student-support/equitable-learning-services

Blog reflections

Week 5 – Analogue Photography (practice analysis)

Week 6 – Analogue Video (practice analysis)

Week 7 – Networked Photography (practice analysis)

Week 8 – Networked Video (practice analysis)

Word count: 1089 words

1. Provide a definition for ‘analogue photography’.

Analogue is the term used to define the process with which physical properties can be copied and stored onto another physical form (Lister 2009), and in the case of photography, there are a number of physical, mechanical and chemical stages that occur before a photograph is produced.

When a camera captures an image, the shutter opens briefly allowing light in and exposes a film strip to that image. Furthermore, it is magnified through the lens and this exposure burns an imprint of it into the film. That film is then developed into a negative which is projected onto light-sensitive paper and bathed in various chemicals in order to create the photograph (Leibovitz, A 2019).

As this process is very time consuming and requires a photographer to have numerous rolls of film on hand when shooting, artist like Henri Cartier Bresson have tended to be very specific with the images they capture, waiting for just the right moment when something unique happens.

2. Provide a definition for ‘analogue video’.

Analogue video, much like photography uses light in order to capture a physical image and then recreate that same image in a duplicate physical form however in this instance it’s the recreation of moving images (Lister et al. 2009). The process for capturing and displaying analogue video involves a video camera scanning an electron beam onto phosphor and its intensity is determined by the amount of light focused on it by the lens. That beam is then transmitted to either a recording device which records voltage changes of the electron beam onto tape or a display device which converts the voltage back into an electron beam and directs it to another phosphorus surface that the image is recreated on and can then be viewed (Norman 2014). An example of this process can be seen in the works of Num June Paik. His “TV Buddha” for example shows a video camera capturing an image of a wooden buddha using this system and then transmitting a copy on a display monitor.

3. Provide a definition for ‘networked photography’.

Photography has evolved considerably in numerous areas the most notable however would have to be the proliferation of digital camera technology integrated with mobile phones. There are certainly more formal digital cameras out there that physically resemble their analogue predecessors but the introduction of cameras into mobile phones was a catalyst for a cultural phenomenon where everyday people began documenting their own lives unlike ever before and are now the default camera of choice for consumers (Palmer 2014).

A digital image is made up of a grid of pixels, those pixels are allocated with a number which represents the colour and shade of each of them. The image is stored either within a device’s memory or on a removable memory card. Furthermore, it can be electronically transferred from one electronic device to another as a data package via a network. In this digital form the image can be modified in innumerable ways and the author can copy, display, print their work as desired (Cummins 2008).

4. Provide a definition for ‘networked video’.

Networked video is a digital recording of a moving image captured for the purpose of distribution on online network platforms. This form of documentation began in the early 2000 long before YouTube’s launch in 2005 and since that time has proliferated throughout society and become an integral part of the cultural zeitgeist (Berry 2018).

The production of the digital video is much the same as digital photography including the capacity for unlimited variability and manipulation however in this case it is dealing with moving images rather than still (Spielmann 2007). There are some limitations with networked video dependant on which particular site you use to distribute it, for instance Instagram has restrictions on the time limit of videos posted on their service.

5. Provide definitions for the terms ‘authoring’, ‘publishing’ and ‘distributing’.

Authoring refers to how the different forms of media are created. This includes but is not limited to, the creative process, the type of equipment used and elements of the mise en scéne.

Publishing and distribution are the processes that facilitate the particular media creation to reach its intended audience. The medium that is used for this depends on the media form and the artists intent, for example, a photographer can choose to have his work appear on an online network, within a magazine publication, as part of an art exhibit or all of the above.

6. What differences and similarities did you discover between the way analogue and networked photos are authored, published and distributed?

The differences between the way analogue and digital photos are authored, published and distributed are numerous. The process to author analogue photographs is quite complex involving chemicals and requires a level of education to understand the process, furthermore there is a time delay with analogue as photographers cannot be certain of what image they captured until they have processed the film, where as digital cameras afford the author the ability to instantly view their work via display screens (Price & Wells 2015). Before the internet photographs publication and distribution options were limited to that of a physical form such as magazines and art galleries, however once the internet came to be it opened up a multitude of new options for which authors could connect to audiences with their work, additionally with the introduction of camera phones authorship became capable to do so on the move and “are capable not only of recording and displaying images but also instantly sharing them” (Palmer 2014).

Similarities between the way analogue and digital are authored are mise en scéne and the creative forethought that goes into the construction of a shot. Furthermore, light remains to be an integral part of both forms as part of the shot itself and an essential element of both technologies. With regards to publication and distribution mediums such as book and magazine are still widely used by photographers to reach their intended audience as well as displaying their collections as part of art exhibits.

7. What differences and similarities did you discover between the way analogue and networked videos are authored, published and distributed?

The differences between authoring analogue and digital video most obviously is the different types of equipment and technology used to capture the video, additionally with regards to the editing process analogue requires the entire physical object to be altered which is a long drawn out process where as digital remains in a permanent state of flux until its final distribution point allowing innumerable possibilities for fast and easy editing and manipulation (Lister et al. 2009). Publishing and distribution before the digital space was restricted to art galleries, theatres and analogue home entertainment technologies whereas networked video has dissolved the limitations of accessibility due to the nature that it exists on a network rather than having a physical location.

The similarities for authoring these two types of video is that they both still require a physical video camera to capture the footage and light remains to be an essential element for both forms. Commonalities also exist in the way that creators target specific audiences and distribute according to that intent.

References:

Berry, T.B 2018, ‘Videoblogging Before Youtube’, Institute of Network Cultures, Theory on Demand, viewed 3^rd May 2020, http://networkcultures.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Videoblogging-Before-YouTube-web.pdf

Cummins, J 2008, ‘Digital versus Analogue Photography: A Comparative Analysis’, Master Thesis, Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland.

Leibovitz, A 2019, Complete Guide to Film Photography: How to Develop Film and Film vs. Digital Photography, Masterclass, viewed 1^st May 2020, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/complete-guide-to-film-photography#how-does-film-photography-work

Lister, M, Dovey, J, Giddings, S, Grant, I & Kelly, K 2009, New Media: A Critical Introduction, Routledge, New York, pp. 16-21.

Norman, T 2014, Integrated Security Systems Design: Electronics Elements (Detailed Discussion), 2^nd edn, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK.

Palmer, D 2014, ‘Mobile Media Photography’, The Routledge Companion to Mobile Media, Routledge, New York, US.

Price, D & Wells, L 2015, Photography: A Critical Introduction, 5th ed, Routledge, New York, pp. 9-27.

Spielmann, Y 2007, Video: The Reflexive Medium, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, pp 1-6.

Mike Corey

Who is the practitioner (what is their name?) and when were they practicing?

Mike Corey is a Canadian born Marine Biologist graduate that turned film maker that is known for seeking out the bizarre and extreme sides of travel (Fearless And Far n.d.). After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Canada, Corey backpacked around the world volunteering as a research assistant for various scientists studying ocean conservation (BBC 2020). During that time Corey always had a camera with him which afforded him the opportunity to capture unique content that he won several international travel video competitions for and launched his career into travel filmmaking (Fearless And Far n.d.). Corey has been traveling the world for the past 9 years documenting some of the most unique and obscure cultures and destinations creating content for his YouTube channel and as a presenter on the BBC Travel Show (Hoffman 2019).

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

The title of the video piece I have chosen to do my analysis on is “Sunken Warships of Coron”

https://www.instagram.com/tv/BkSfQgulfDN/?hl=en

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

This video was produced on the 21^st June 2018.

How was the photo or video authored?

The video uses a combination of natural light shinning through various corroded sections of the sunken warships and handheld flashlights.

There is no specific information as to what equipment Corey used for this particular video however the camera he has stated he uses mostly is the Sony A7s due to its low light performance. The lens he tends to use most of the time and what he considers his work horse is a Zeiss 16-35mm F4 zoom lens as the range affords him the ability to shoot a variety of different scenes one of which being hand held facing himself which features quite a bit in this video (Mike Corey 2017).

Additionally, because the video was filmed underwater he would have used a camera housing in order to protect the equipment from damage.

The raw video footage would have been saved onto an SD card within the camera then imported into an editing program in order to cut the footage together, add effects such as the title screen and a soundtrack.

How was the photo or video published and distributed?

This video was published on Corey’s Instagram page “Fearless & Far” as part of his IGTV feed. IGTV works in conjunction with Instagram and is designed for mobile optimized viewing of long-form videos (DMI n.d.). This allows the user to post videos that are longer than the constraints of Instagram normally allow.

The video serves as somewhat of a preview for a longer video piece entitled “SCUBA DIVING Coron Palawan Philippines | WRECK diving w/ Exploring with Cody” published on his YouTube channel also named “Fearless & Far” where most of his video content is published and distributed.

References:

BBC 2020, World News – The Travel Show, viewed 30^th April 2020, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/5HH2VXCksbThj137SndDzWD/mike-corey

DMI n.d., DMI Daily Digest – What is IGTV Video and How Can Brands Use It, Digital Marketing Institute, viewed 30^th April 2020, https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/en-au/blog/what-is-igtv-video-and-how-can-brands-use-it

Fearless And Far n.d., About Mike Corey, viewed 30^th April 2020, https://fearlessandfar.com/about-me

Hoffman, D 2019, Celebrity Travel Addict: TV Host Mike Corey of Fearless & Far and the BBC Travel Show, David’s Been Here, viewed 30^th April 2020, https://davidsbeenhere.com/2019/06/18/celebrity-travel-addicts-mike-corey-of-fearless-far/

Mike Corey 2017, Most Efficient Travel Camera Set-up For Video/What’s in my Backpack, YouTube, 25^thNovember, Fearless & Far, viewed 30^th April 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi8RS6APR4g

Mike Corey 2018, SCUBA DIVING Coron Palawan Philippines / WRECK diving w/ Exploring with Cody, YouTube, 6^th December, Fearless & Far, viewed 30^th April 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVa1bOwyprA