The Design (Learning) Cycle

                                       Research, Research, Research

                          

The research that you do fits the ‘Design Cycle Model’ this is a cyclic event where continual evaluation takes place.

You may start with the ‘Design Stage’ and plan what you wish to explore based on inspirations from your research. Then the idea will enter the ‘Development Stage’ where the whole concept, theme, resources and equipment required will be considered.

The ‘Implementation Stage’ is where the actual photography will take place in a practical way. And the ‘Analysis Stage’ is where you can reflect back on how well the outcome has met the initial thoughts and ideas.

All the way through all of these stages you will be continually evaluating how well your project is evolving. This takes the form of a reflective process where you will consider what went well, what you think needs improving and what you would do differently next time. The areas identified can then be rectified, and so you will go round the cycle again repeating the same process hopefully in an upward spiral raising the level of your work each time.

The whole point of research is to examine the images of photographers who are renowned in their own particular field or genre. The analysis or deconstruction of these images is very valuable and will enable you to add value to your own work.

The main key words you can use to identify the value from the photographs are;

Composition, Colour, Shapes, Patterns, Lines, Tonal Range, Frames, Rule of thirds, Texture, Form, Focal Point, Perspective, Scale,  Denotation, Connotation, (literal and implied meanings).

For 'example' for a portrait photography theme the research area could start with;

Working in your blogger, determine and identify useful information, i.e. subject matter on the theme for study, examples of suggested and personally chosen artists, your own photographs.  Analyse, organise and manipulate your research, i.e. evidence of development of ideas - visual thinking, through studies and exploration and experimentation with media and ideas.   Some artists you may wish to refer to are: Rembrandt, Steve Pyke, Annie Liebovitz, Tom hunter, Richard Avedon, Julia Margaret Cameron, Josef Karsh, Sarah Jones, Edward Steichen, David Bailey, Arnold Newman, Irving Penn, Diane Arbus, Mary Ellen Mark, Rankin, Nadav Kander

Or for street photography you may wish to research and critically analyse the following;

Some artists you may wish to refer to are: Andy Goldsworthy, Richard Long, Kurt Schwitters,  Callum Colvin, Marcel Duchamp, Christo, Mari Mahr, John Blakemore, Joseph Cornell, Max Ernst, Henri Matisse, David Hockney, John Piper, Elizabeth Frink, Damien Hirst, and Tracey Emin. www.artistsbooks.com    www.aragopress.arago.co.uk

Or,

Collect and evaluate relevant examples of black and white photography.  Examine the work of some of the following photographers and artists:

Paul Strand, Edward Weston, Ralph Gibson, Ansel Adams, Aaron Siskind, Minor White, Walker Evans, Don McCullin, Chris Killip… www.pbs.org/art21/artists/mann  http://masters-of-photography.com/

Research is to help inform and inspire in your chosen area of photography and you should identify what is you like about the images and how you can add that value to your own work.

The research needs to come from magazines, books, the internet , the library or from an exhibition you may of seen. It may be you have been watching a series on photography on telly, or a guest speaker at an event. You need to reference where this information has come from and put links on your blog where required.

All students are required to research the work of a minimum of 5 photographers. From these you must collate at least 10 photographs and evidenced these in your blog . For each photographer you are required to write a minimum of 500 words– for level 3. All of this written work needs to be free written by yourself and not cut and paste (plagiarism). This word count may be spread across several blogs and thus be met in smaller pieces of written evidence.