Monday 4/1/21 - Reading Task

"Species and Spaces and other Pieces" by Georges Perec

Overall I felt this was something fascinating to read. More specifically how he used text to take up the pages, writing in a very unusual way with text dropping down or using a footnote just to mention how he likes them. He brought up some interesting points about using space but I did feel lost and confused multiple times throughout the text because he was frequently rambling. In regards to my own work I record space through film and photography, whilst it doesn't mean I have the same freedoms as say someone who does painitng I can still record space in a variety of ways. I can record space as it is and is constructed for realism. I can use different techniques to show it in an imagined state such as adding distortion. I can also use photography to portray space in different sizes, make them feel more open or more claustrophobic just by changing the zoom, the focus or the angle.

"Ways of Seeing" by John Berger

One line in the chapter stood out to me as I felt like it was relevant to my work, "The photographer's way of seeing is reflected in his choice of subject". I agree with this line as both in photgraphy and film I focus on my choice of subject, I choose what I want the viewer to focus on and the same can be said with all filmmakers and photographers. Through my photography I can show how I see things and my interpretations. Subjects are focused on for a reason and there are a range of methods as to how we can percieve them. Changes in perspective, poses or by additions such as text (as mentioned in the chapter) can change the context we see them, when looking from below they have a sense of power over us or when we look from a distance it feels as if we are spying on them. If two different photographers took a photo of the same subject the outcome could be vastly different, one could portray it as something nostalgic through a vintage style of photo. The other could portray the subject as something to be feared. This is all down to how the photographer looks and reads into things. The audience could also interpret the image differently based on how they see things.