Rachel Papo - Desperately Perfect

Whilst searching to images similar to Bill Henson's work on Google I found the following image:



It is entitled "Backstage" and was taken by photographer Rachel Papo in 2007, at the Opera in St. Petersburg, Russia. The photograph reflect absorption from a totally different perspective. The two girls could be members of the ballet ensemble or they could be students watching the artists during rehearsals. Nonetheless, the basic process is similar to what the audience does when attending a show. They immerse themselves in the narrative and attempt to understand exactly what is going on. Each person interprets things in a unique manner and that influences his/her reactions and facial expressions.

From the entire series called "Desperately Perfect" this is the only one which related to the topic I aim to explore. The other images depict ballet students during training and rehearsals.

Desperately Perfect can be viewed by accessing the following link:

http://www.rachelpapo.com/perfect1.html

Perhaps, that is another reason why I have decided to go and photographs shows taking place at Opera theaters. I hope to be able to capture something similar yet different which would make my project personal instead of just reproducing other people's work.

Possible shooting locations

Until now,  the locations I have thought of are the following:

- The Opera Theater in Brasov, Romania.
- The Winter Gardens in Margate, UK
- The Marlowe Theater in Canterbury, UK
- possibly the Opera House and Royal Albert Hall in London

I'm not entirely sure if permission is required when photographing the audience at the venue, instead of the actual performance. Sending an email and asking for more information would be a useful thing to do in order to avoid any unexpected situations and negative responses.

The reason why I have chosen these locations is due to the nature of the shows which take place there and the audience who shall attend the events. I'm likely to get shots which are similar to Bill Henson's work, with the elegant outfits and classy jewelry.

I have also thought about trying to obtain an interview via email with the photographer Bill Henson. If that were possible I would ask him questions about the project, what has inspired him to photograph those people and how he managed to obtain the images.

One of the most challenging aspects of this project is having to work in a set amount of time. I am aware that I might not get all the images I want from 3 or 4 shows. I might have to keep shooting until I get the desired results, however, I have to be aware of the time limit and project deadline.
In addition to this, the project will most likely become an ongoing one because I might become more and more interested in this certain theme. 



Definitions and meanings

I have looked for definitions in order to gain better understanding of the meaning and context of words.

Absorption - (n.) 1. The act or process of absorbing or the condition of being absorbed.
                            2. A state of mental concentration.

Theatrical - (adj.) 1. Of, relating to, or suitable for dramatic performance or the theater.
                             2. Marked by exaggerated self-display and unnatural behavior;

 Immersion - (n.) 1. Complete attention; intense mental effort

At first glance, these words seem to have something in common: they are related to the human mind and behavior. Intense mental effort leads to changes in our expressions, actions and perception. The condition of being absorbed in a show or performance may make us forget we are in a room with other people and therefore enable us to act naturally as if nobody else was watching. In a space where other people are present, we all tend to act theatrical and build up masks which hide our true thoughts and identity.

Perhaps that is what I wish to capture when photographing the audience at a show. Their true unaltered and unmasked faces when they observe what is going on, on stage. Ideally, I want my images to portray the complete attention of the viewers mind when his/her portrait is being taken. It is almost is if I become invisible in his mind's eye and the person is unable to identify me, due to the high level of concentration developed by the brain.

Bill Henson has managed to do that in some of his images from the Opera House in Paris.
Those photographs will be one of my main points of reference throughout the evolution of the project. 

Michael Fried - Absorption and Theatricality

Absorption and theatricality: Painting and the Beholder in the Age of Diderot.

By Michael Fried.

During my last tutorial, one of the reading material suggested is by art critic and art historian Michael Fried. I have managed to find this book online at the following link:

Absorption and Theatricality by M. Fried

I have began reading it and already found some connections to the theme I am exploring through my Major Practical Project. At the moment I am unable to reflect upon the words in the book because I required more time and thinking process to completely understand the points raised by the author.

This post will be updated along the way, as soon as I find the answers and explanations I am looking for. Reflection on the text will be made after further reading.

Roland Barthes - Camera Lucida

Roland Barthes talks about an intriguing aspect of photography in chapter 5 of the publication Camera Lucida.

The chapter entitled symbolically, He Who Is Photographed analyses the difference between not knowing one is being photographed and being aware of the photographer pointing the camera directly towards you.

"It can happen that I am observed without knowing it, and again I cannot speak of this experience, since I have determined to be guided by the consciousness of my feelings. But very often (too often, to my taste) I have been photographed and knew it. Now, once I feel myself observed by the lens, everything changes: I constitute myself in the process of ‘posing’, I instantaneously make another body for myself, I transform myself in advance into an image. This transforamtion is an active one: I feel that the Photograph creates my body or mortifies it, according to its caprice."

"The portrait photograph is a closed field of forces. Four image repertoires intersect here, oppose and distort each other. In the front of the lens, I am at the same time: the one I think I am , the one I want others to think I am, the one the photographer thinks I am, and the one he makes use of to exhibit his art. in other words, a strange action: I do not stop immitating myself, and because of this, each time I am ( or let myself be) photographedI invariably suffer from a sensation of inauthenticity, sometimes of imposture ( comparable to certain nightmares).

Barthe's words have given me something to ponder upon because I have ended up asking myself how I wish to capture the subjects I am going to photograph, whilst attending various shows including concerts, operas and maybe even theater shows. Do I want the people to know they are being photographed, should I choose the other option and go incognito if possible, trying to work "undercover". Another way of doing it would be not caring if the person is aware that his portait is being taken or not. The question is: How would that affect the final outcome of my project? 

If my aim is to document the process of being absorbed into a performance then I should do my best to capture the model's expression without making him/her aware of that. I might be able to do that if I manage to find the best location to position myself during the show, so that I can see the audience but they wouldn't be able to spot me. I am likely to use a telephoto lens as it enables me to get a close up of the subject without having to go too close. My intention is to shoot digitally because it provides me with instant access to the images and the ability to produce a larger number of photographs per show.

Due to reduced amounts of light, wide aperture should be used ( I am thinking f/2.8) high ISO (1600-2000) and perhaps taking a tripod with me at the shows wouldn't be a bad idea either. I might require longer exposures and that would help me maintain the stability of the camera and lens.   

Robbie Cooper - Immersion

The following photographer documents the process of being absorbed from another perspective.
He captures the facial expressions of children whilst playing video games and evidences the level of immersion developed by each of them in relation to the action taking place in the game.







In some of the images, the artist manages to capture the subject when he's actually looking at the camera. He has managed to do that by recording them trough the screen. Yet again, the subjects have no idea that they are being photographed/recorded and therefore allow themselves to act naturally and freely without feeling intimidated by the camera. 
Had they been aware of the documenting process, the models surely wouldn't have acted the way they did.  I have attached the video produced by Robbie Cooper which reflects the "Immersion" process.


 

In this video the author talks about the project and what has inspired him to create it.




Bill Henson - Paris Opera Project


This is the series of work which determined me to focus on Absorption and Theatricality.
The images were taken at the Opera Theater in Paris during 1990-1991.
What struck me the most about them was the simplicity of the framing and expressions of each subject.



Details such as jewelry and facial features are enhanced by the reduced amount of light, drawing the viewers attention when looking at the images. 



She reminded me of a painting due to her elegance and facial expression.
Framing has played an important role in achieving this effect. 

 Subjects not knowing they are photographed tend to act naturally and in this case, enjoy the show they are watching. However, when the photographer is identified by the subject, his/her facial expression and attitude tend to quickly change.
 This was the best example I could find which evidences the difference between knowing that one's picture is being taken and being absorbed by the narrative developing on stage.

The full series can be found by accessing the following link:

http://www.roslynoxley9.com.au/artists/18/Bill_Henson/84/

Sound technicians

These are the unedited images of the sound technicians taken during concerts in Bristol, London and Norwich. The light sources are considerably low and therefore this series of work wouldn't be the strongest.

Lacuna Coil @ Koko, London.



Sabaton @ Waterfront, Norwich.


Rhapsody @ 02 Academy Islington, London.


Motorhead @ Colston Hall, Bristol. 




Initial project ideas.


The environmental portraiture assignment received in year 2 has triggered my interest in concert and live performance photography. During the summer I have continued exploring and experimenting with this type of imagery, when attending festivals and concerts. I can see myself being a concert or press photographer in the future so my aim is to build a strong portfolio of work.

As a result, I wanted to base my major practical project on this theme. After attending a series of tutorials and discussing my ideas I got to the conclusion that submitting portraits of musicians for this project might not be the best option due to the fact that my images couldn't be too different from the ones taken by other photographers in the photo pit. 

In order to create a strong and personalized series of work, I had to focus on other aspects such as perhaps the audience attending this type of shows or maybe even the space before and after the event. During concerts I tried to photograph the audience but the results were not the ones I was expecting. Reduced amounts of light required longer exposures and due to the nature of the event, movement ruined my entire concept. 

One aspect I found quite interesting was the technical part of the stage performance. Each artist requires people known as sound technicians to make sure their live sound is perfect, and make the necessary adjustments when needed.  I began photographing them during the concerts I attended and then booked another tutorial to show some of the images I obtained.

The feedback received, indicated that I should keep searching for ideas related to stage photography and focus on the idea of people watching a show without showing the actual event.   
After doing some research I decided that my project would based on Absorption & Theatricality instead of live performances. 

I am glad that I managed to finally establish my final theme for the MPP.
Until now, I felt a bit stressed about this matter but now I am more confident and look forward to shooting the images.