The fifth and final assignment in the Open College of the Arts Art of Photography course is ‘Applying the Techniques of Illustration and Narrative’. This assignment is designed to draw on all the techniques and approaches developed over the previous four assignments and the course participant is required to prepare the assignment in the form of a picture essay for a magazine with one cover image and up to 12 images inside. Each image, according to the course notes (p180) should have a caption and a short text linking images can be used. The assignment follows the section below dealing with Assessment Criteria and Reflection.
Assessment Criteria and Reflection
At Level 4 of the OCA programmes the emphasis is on the acquisition of skills and good working habits including the keeping of learning logs . Additionally, Level 4 students should be informing themselves about others’ work by reading and viewing exhibitions. The learning logs associated with this assignment, which is itself being submitted as a blog, are all found at ‘adivinglifeblog.wordpress.com’. There are four types of blog; exercises associated with projects, reflections, book reviews and exhibition and photographer reviews. In general terms, therefore, the requirements of the programme are being met. The specific assessment criteria for Level 4 programmes, together with my reflection of how this assignment measures against them, are given below.
The Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills – materials, techniques,observational skills, visual awareness, design and compositional skills.
The images captured for these exercises and assignments have involved still life, street and nighttime photography, a range of locations, lighting conditions and subjects that, in turn, have required the use of the full range of camera settings and techniques including slow and fast shutter speeds, narrow and wide apertures, changes in ISO and the use of a tripod. Additionally, post image processing has involved conversion from RAW, cropping, perspective correction and levels adjustments. The work to date therefore has demonstrated a wide range of technical skills.
The Quality of Outcome; content, application of knowledge, presentation of work in a coherent manner, discernment, conceptualisation of thoughts, communication of ideas.
This assignment represents the culmination of the skills and knowledge gained in the course to date. The application of design principles, the management of lighting conditions and colour and, in particular, the conscious use of illustration and narration signify and coherent approach to image making. The use of regular reflection, based on self generated insights and tutor feedback has ensured that my development has maintained momentum throughout the course. The work has been structured appropriately and narrated to ensure that lines of thought within the work are clear.
The Demonstration of Creativity; imagination, invention, development of a personal voice.
A key underpinning context to this final submission was the feedback from Assignment Four, a reflection on which is here. The essence of the feedback was that while I had exhibited a strong and robust capacity to engage with the material and make images as part of the exercises I needed to work to use those techniques to build a body of work with a theme or an identified outcome. This in turn required engagement with the project at an emotional as well as a technical level. The advice to think about why rather than how I was making an image was important. This insight triggered a review of the image making that I have engaged in that met both technical and emotional requirements. Once this review was completed I had gained greater insight into the images that met both criteria and, very interestingly, those images were the ones that critics, including the tutor, noted as being ones that held the viewer. This insight has proved particularly important in helping to understand what my ‘voice’ might be. Although much more work is needed I have feel I have achieved something of a breakththrough.
In addition to the course notes I have found the following texts of particular benefit in the preparation of this assignment.
Context and Narrative (2011). Maria Short. AVA Publishing. 175pp. The book is reviewed here.
Composition (2012). 2nd Edition. David Prakel. Ava Publishing. 192pp. The book is reviewed here.
Context; reflection, research, critical thinking (learning log).
Because I have a research background I am used to the need for reflection and critical thinking and am happy that the blogs in which the exercises, book reviews, exhibition reviews and reflections are covered are providing me with appropriate learning opportunities.
The Assignment
Dockland to Playground – A Celebration
All Shiny and New – The Samuel Beckett Bridge and National Exhibition Centre
Where the Grand Canal Meets the River Liffey
What was a rat infested complex of basins and warehouses around where the Grand Canal meets the River Liffey has been almost completely transformed into an upmarket, celebrity occupied, playground with the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, the Samuel Beckett Bridge and the National Exhibition Centre as jewels in the crown of this part of Dublin.
Digging Down to Build Up
The quays upon which this part of Dublin has been built were engineered by men working in trying conditions. In metal boxes – caissons – into which compressed air was pumped to keep out the water they dug the bases for foundations beneath the waters of the Liffey with the ever present risk of Caisson’s Disease – the bends.
Reminders of a Past
Glimpses of a Future
Present and Past
Into the mid 1990’s this part of Dublin was a dangerous, run down complex of warehouses, bond stores and early bars servicing the docker communities.
Keeping Warm in the Present
Keeping Warm in the Past
Where the citizens of this area now warm themselves by jogging and dining alfresco with blanket wraparounds the citizens in the past worked loading and unloading barges that made their way into the south Midlands along the Grand Canal. The horses that towed the barges and made the deliveries around Dublin towing carts had to be tied up somewhere.
Playground
Entertainment
The Daniel Liebskind designed Bord Gais Energy Theatre is the centre piece of the ‘Grand Canal Plaza’ and now offers lunchtime and evening entertainment. In 1975 I worked on the reconstruction of a warehouse in the Grand Canal Dock and lunchtime entertainment was usually the retrieval of the body of some poor soul who had either fallen in drunk or been pushed into one of the canal basins. The area has definitely changed for the better.
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