Assignment 2/Tutorial 4

Assignment 2 was about finding a concept related to the Keitai Phenomenon. Concept first, technical aspects second. When Assignment 2 was given out, the first concept that came to mind was voyeurism. With the ubiquity of mobile phones, and their multi-functionality, one can never be sure if his or her privacy is being invaded at any one moment of their lives, especially in public places. Voyeurism describes an intrusive eye into people's real, unguarded lives, and is (at least, to me) a perfect example to describe how mobile phones can be an invasion of privacy.

In order to translate my concept into reality, I thought about how each picture could individually bring out the concept of voyeurism, and yet, could be brought together in sequence and have a common theme as well. I thought about the places people regarded as private, such as the toilet, their rooms, and the various camera positions that would bring out a sense of invasion. Black and white for the photos would be nice, because it brings out a certain emotion, or even creepiness, to the photos. It could even be said to give the photos a sombre mood, addressing the serious issue of voyeurism. I also got some inspiration from Cindy Sherman, an artist who deliberately creates everyday settings for her photo artworks.

I chose to use decanted and low angle shots for the last three photos to give a sense of uneasiness to the photos. Especially for the last photo, by placing a pan in the foreground, I wanted to show how the photographer was "creeping" up on the girl. In all four shots, the girl is not looking or looking away from the camera. This shows how she is 1. unaware of the invading camera, and 2. acting as a voyeur too, looking at something interesting (maybe someone else's life?) beyond the camera.

Class critique: I brought these photos to tutorial. Basically, the feedback was that, though the composition and treatment of the photos were good, the message (or theme) of voyeurism is not that clear. It needs to be stronger, more provocative, especially for the last two photos. Even if the girl was acting as the voyeur, her expressions could be more expressive and vivid to entice the viewers' imagination more.