Research - Thomas Ruff & The Bechers.

 Your research changes from this point onward to a different format. 

Over this unit you're required to research 5 Photographers (More if you wish) starting with Thomas Ruff and The Bechers. 

The written component requires that you identify the creative intention of the Photographers... 

• Why are they making these images, what is their purpose, how are they used and what is the story/narrative?

The other part of the research is to explain and anlayse...

• why the materials, techniques, process and equipment have been used in this Photography, why has the photographer opted for this approach?

Watch the following videos to support your research work 

 

The Bechers (2) Becher - YouTube

Thomas Ruff Objectivity  (2) Thomas Ruff / The Renewal of Contemporary Photography - YouTube

Thomas Ruff  (2) THOMAS RUFF - photographs 1979-2011 / Official Trailer - YouTube

TOP TIP

I would create an A3 - three column word document and name it Unit 04 Research and use the document for your intro and the Photographer Research only. 

For each of the photographers you'll be instructed to research each week, you need to produce a column of images/diagrams supporting your work and at the most a column of written work, but you might find you produce less written work which is fine as long as it addresses the points above. 

Both of the Photographers work with the idea of Objectivity - another example of Objectivity that you might be aware of is passport Photography. Similar to the work of Ruff and the Becher's,  passports are subject to a rigorous, mechanical approach to how they are made. This is one of the key aspects of working in an objective way. This needs to be applied to your first set of images shot on the Pentax K1000 camera using film. Photoguidance_v7.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

More here on the Bechers

Poodle: 1st year Research Task The Bechers (secphotofun.blogspot.com)

https://www.clarkgoldsberry.com/teaching--scraps--notes/category/bernd-hilla-becher

Basics of Unit 04

 Similar to your previous Unit 09, this assignment requires that you demonstrate the use of a good range of different materials, techniques and processes used within the production of Photography and Art and Design. The techniques are varied and involve mixing art techniques with Photography in processes and techniques known as 'Mixed media'.

You'll need to explore and experiment with a range of different Photographic papers and films and there'll be a cost aspect to this as films are not cheap, so over the duration of this unit 4 or 5 different films are going to cost you in the region of about £40 and the specialist papers are also expensive. The total cost will be around £50 - £60 spread across the duration of the unit. 

You'll be using the Pentax K1000 camera and you'll initially be shooting each other in the college using a deadpan approach. After the first week, once you've been introduced to the camera you'll need to pick someone who you're going to Photograph on a regular basis as your final set of images will need to depict your chosen person in a range of different places and situations aiming to show who that person is, what they do, where they live and what they are interested in. The final two pieces are to be produced as A3 composites made up of many images using some of the techniques you've learned during the assignment.

The research you'll be doing will give you ideas of different ways you can approach your own images.  The written work will need to focus on how and why the photographers  have used their materials, techniques and processes to produce their images, what impact does it have on the images and how does the use of MTP's help to convey meaning, message and narrative? 

The work will be produced in the usual A3 design sheets in the way that you have been working on Unit 09. See your assignment for more details. 

Unit 04 - Weekly Evaluations (Reflective practice).

At the start of the Unit 04 assignment before your research you need to write up an introduction that establishes that you're fully aware of the requirements of the brief. 

Each week read over your introduction or read through the assignment and familiarise yourself with what it is you need to do in order to meet the requirements of the brief. In these weekly evaluations explain and evaluate why...

• what you've done during the week has met the requirements of the brief

Also look at the work you've done and identify weaknesses and mistakes you've made and make...

• Detailed suggestions as to how you might improve the work.

Make the work analytical by pre-fixing your response with the words What if and then analysing what might have happened if you'd gone about your work in a different way.

Also explain...

• What value is there in the work that you've produced

TOP TIP Each week when you write this work up use the bolded text as headings for each of the sections where you reflect on your work.