Table Of ContentBASICS
Anna Fox
creative photography
Natasha Caruana
03
RESEARCH IN
PHOTOGRAPHY
BEHIND THE IMAGE
2nd
edition
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Research in Photography: Behind the Image
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First published in 2012
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Cover image © Shiho Kito
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Cover image © Shiho Kito
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0.1
BISrBitiNsh: LibraPrBy: Catalog9u7i8ng-1--in3-5P0u0b1l0ic-a4t9io-n9 Data Title: from ‘Ever After’
A catalogueeP reDcFo: rd fo9r 7th8i-s1 -b3o5o0k0 i1s0 a-v5a0il-a5b le from the British Library
Artist: Wiebke Leister
eBook: 978-1-350010-52-9
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Leister’s project Lovers, Liars
ASe craietsa:l oBga rseiccso rCdr ehaatsiv bee Pehno rteoqguraepshteyd for this book and Laughter extends her earlier
research interest in the mouth
IPSrBinNte: d9 7a8n-d0 b-3o6u7n-d55 in2 0In5d-3ia ( hbk) and the photographic portrayal of
laughing and smiling to look at the
ISBN: 978-1-350-01049-9 (pbk)
rather invisible and unattainable
ISBN: 978-1-003-09303-9 (ebk)
features of love and kissing. Leister
works with a variety of media,
including drawing, photography,
To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com collage, and writing (both
and sign up for our newsletters. academic and fiction).
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Research in Photography: Behind the Image
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Introduction 6
1 2 3
Planning 11 Developing ideas Practice as research –
A research proposal 12 through research 35 art-based
Where to do photography 75
Being informed:
History 22 background research 36 What to do and why 76
The Internet 46 Studios 80
Being informed:
Theory 26 Archives 50 Street photography 84
Case study 1: Other interactive Style, genre, medium
Shot at dawn 28 forms of research 56 and technique 92
Activity 1: How research Post-production 102
Recording ideas 33 informs practice 60
Applying research
Case study 2: to practice 108
Flora 71 Making judgements 114
Activity 2:
Compiling your
An illustrated story 73 research 116
Blogging 120
Storing your archive 124
Case study 3:
Melinda Gibson 127
Activity 3:
Pioneers of
photography 131
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Contents
4 5 6
Practice as research – Research The impact
commercial and practice 167 of research 193
photography 133 Testing the relevance The bigger picture:
Researching for of what you are doing 168 Reflection 194
commercial projects 134 Audience and context 170 Photographers’
Starting points 140 archives 202
Revisiting past
Directing the idea 148 research 172 Putting research
Types of commercial Thinking time 174 into context 204
photography 154 Modifying a plan 180 Case study 6:
Hashem el Madani 207
Case study 4: Final production 182
Nik Adam and Activity 6:
Case study 5:
Luke Norman 161 Booklet 209
Clare Strand 189
Activity 4:
Activity 5:
Making a mood board 164
Context and meaning 191
Conclusion 211
Glossary 212
Bibliography and webography 214
Index 215
Acknowledgments and picture credits 219
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Contents
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Introduction
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Research and exploration are vital elements It can be tempting to think that research is
of the photographer’s practice; together not relevant to your work, but if you think
they form part of the process of making carefully and spend some time reflecting
photographic projects. Photographers on a recent project, you can trace how it
can carry out their research in many evolved. What were its influences? How
different ways, but essentially a body of did the project start? Were you reading a
photographic work is developed through particular book, viewing a website, listening
knowledge gained in exploring the medium: to specific music, or experiencing something
investigating histories and theories of else that affected you? What was happening
photography, observing the world, reading in the world at the time you worked on
and listening, taking part in debate, critical the project? These questions can reveal
reflection, and numerous other activities. the development of a body of work.
This book introduces a range of research
Your everyday life and where you live also
methods for photography and suggests
affects the development of your work. Once
new ways of thinking about the medium.
you understand the value of research and
Finding out how other photographers work, what it can be, it makes sense to start
what informs them, why they are passionate recording the research process. Documenting
about the work they do, and how they the process for the future enables critical
produce their photographs is a truly exciting reflection; evaluating what you have done
part of the research process. Photographers helps you decide where to go next.
model the way they work on the knowledge
they have gained about how others operate.
There is really no such thing as an ‘original’
idea: all ideas have been informed by
looking at or studying other things as well
as experimenting with the medium.
A body of photographic work is developed through
knowledge gained in exploring the medium.
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6–7
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Planning Practice as research – art-based
photography
The first chapter takes a close look at the initial
stages of the research process: planning your What does practice-based research mean?
project, researching historical contexts and Having looked at the early stages of planning,
exploring relevant theory. It encourages you this chapter concentrates on exploring
to consider the reasons you have for making practice and looks at how it relates to other
your work. The importance of considering forms of research. Genre and style are
and articulating what you want to do and explored, and editing is brought into the
why is introduced in the context of proposal discussion as a way of analyzing practice.
writing. Budget preparation and timetabling This chapter also examines how continuous
are discussed as part of the written proposal. evaluation informs the development of a body
of work and shows that critical reflection is
valuable at every stage. Consider compiling
Developing ideas through research
your research; making a record of your
The second chapter investigates a range of research is invaluable. To make the most
potential research tools, places to visit and of the work you have done, it is vital to find
things to do as part of the research process. ways of bringing order to your research
The value of the widest range of resources is materials. There are many different ways of
considered, as well as how to get the most doing this, and there is scope to develop
out of each one. The chapter looks at where your own personal method. This chapter
to find what you need and how to develop a looks at some of the available methods
framework for research. The value of archives, for compiling your research, including
museums and the Internet is discussed, workbooks, sketchbooks, archives and blogs.
along with conducting interactive research.
Practice as research – commercial
photography
If you are planning to work in the commercial
sectors of photography, you will also need
to engage with a research process. Picture
editors and art directors will ask for a range
of materials to evidence your thinking. These
might include proposals and mood boards as
well as test shots. This chapter looks at the
various forms of research that a commercial
photographer undertakes, how they use
it, and how they record their processes.
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Introduction
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Introduction
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8–9
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Research and practice The impact of research
Research and practice are intrinsically Research is meaningful: methods of
linked and form a continuous working evaluating and reflecting on your research
process, sparking new ideas and innovative allow you to improve your future work. This
ways of working. This chapter explores the final chapter looks at the value that has been
connection between research and practice; placed on research in the contemporary
it considers how all aspects of thinking, world, in archives as well as in the display of
researching and producing are parts of the photographers’ research in exhibitions. Today’s
process. It explores taking time to reflect curators are keen to make us aware of the
on your research, explaining how revisiting work that goes on behind the making of
past research and modifying existing photographs and to emphasize that a single
plans can benefit your projects. Context great image has not been made in a vacuum.
and audience are discussed, and the
importance of research ethics is highlighted.
How to use this book
This book has been written to unravel
some of the mysteries that lie behind
the making of images and bodies of
photographic work. Research is a process
that is always happening when one is an
artist or photographer; it is invaluable to
investigate how best to do your research
and then allow it to inform your practice. The
best way to use this book is to start from
the beginning and read the chapters in the
order they were written. Our explanation
and discussion about the research process
unfolds gradually through the chapters,
each chapter building on the previous one.
0.2 Each case study gives you more specific
information on a particular photographer,
Title: From the series
Guantanamo: If the light revealing the research process for one of their
goes out projects. Each activity gives you an exercise
Source/Artist: Edmund Clark to do that illustrates some of the points we
Edmund Clark made this work over are making in a practical way. When you
several years visiting the American undertake these activities, you will reach a
prison at Guantanamo Bay that
new level of understanding about research.
has housed numerous political
prisoners since the attacks of 9/11
in the US. The work combines
images of interiors in the camp with
images of the homes that inmates
returned to after their release. This
combining of images from different
places is disconcerting and
emphasizes the extreme sense of
disorientation felt by those who are
trying to rebuild their homes.
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Introduction
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