Refection - What is Singapore culture?

Singapore Culture

-Everything also mixed, like "Rojak"

Singapore boasts a variety of ethnic races and cultures. In this diversity of cultures, we have meshed up a "rojak" mix of what we called our own.

One of the best example of such would be of course, Singlish. A unique language that cannot be found in major dictionaries (although "kiasu" was recently found in a certain english dictionary, with its definition: Singaporeans).

Many Singaporeans expressed conflicting views with regards to this (non-)language. More importantly, within these varied opinions, many actually think that Singlish provides us a great sense of belonging and is very much part of the local heartlanders' lives.


- Food, shopping, and everything nice

With this, certain places immediately come to mind, Orchard and Geylang.

The former, needless to say, is the heart of our city, with a wide variety of shopping malls and important banking districts (see, meshed again).

The latter deserves greater recognition. It is more commonly known as the "Red Light District", but those who enjoys good food will definitely vote for Geylang. Under the bright billboard signs of different eateries and beyond the shady dark corners of back alleys, you can find delicious munchy yum yum in this little corner of Singapore.

in my opinion, it can be said to be one of the most representative places in Singapore.

- PAP

In asking what is Sinapore culture, how can we leave out our founding and still ruling government?

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew helped us develop our country, and shaped our nation with an identity of meritocracy and excellence.

PAP can be said to be another representative of Singapore's culture. I mean, who can argue that most Singaporeans will go against the rules set by the ruling government? We depend very much on the incentive policies on housing and childcare, etc. in order to make our lives a better one.

Without PAP leaders' efficient and apt capabilities, there might not be a GP dicussion of whether young Singaporeans are apathetic by nature. The government has helped us grow as a nation, a well as shaping Singaporeans' mindsets through the implemented measures and policies.

A culture is shaped by the society, which is made up of its people and its intitutions. Therefore, the PAP regime is undeniably a very part of Singapore's culture as well.

Assignment 6 - Photo Analysis

For my photo analysis, Gerald and I examined the new Louis Vuitton travel advertisements, in particular the image of Catherine Deneuve.

Catherine Deneuve, by Annie Leibovitz

Background on Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve is an academy award nominated French actress reputed for playing a series of ice maidens during her early years in film. To the French, she is the very model of elegance. For more information on her, do visit her profile on wikipedia.

Analysis

Iconic Signs
Catherine, as explained earlier, is iconic of French elegance, an attribute they are known for. The LV prints on the trunks, on the other hand, has become iconic of the brand it represents over the years. Today, the logo is associated with upper class society as only the wealthy can afford to carry LV products.

Indexical Signs
In this image, the smoke is indexical of a steam train that runs on coal. This helps to create an aged 80s feel to the image. The old film light setup further enhances this portrayal. The film light is also indexical of a film setup, which is closely related to Catherine's status as an actress who was well known in the 80s. All in all, this serves to cast the image of an 80s film set in the minds of the viewer.

Symbolic Signs
I feel that to understand the symbolic value of this photo, one must look into the history of the brand. LV started off as a trunk maker in the past, thus by portraying scenes of travel, the brand is trying to draw a link with it's heritage. The 80s set and steam train represent a period of economic boom and travel, which goes well with the theme in this series. Catherine embodies both past and present as she was well known for her films in the 80s, and yet her name has lived on in the present, as LV has.

Denotation and Connotation
The image was created to serve as a "window" into the past. Furthermore, it denotes both Catherine and the brand LV as a symbol of class and status.

Semantics
Train and Station - Travel
Heels and Coat - Power, Prestige and Status
Film Set - Limelight/ Center of attraction
1980s Travel setup - LV's roots in trunk making

Pragmatics
Train - Mobility of cosmopolitans
Communicative Effects - Symbol of social status and prestige.

Codes
The genre of this image is fashion. It, however, also serves as a "snapshot" into the 80s. Kinetically, Catherine's posture speaks of sensuality and feminism, coupled with an aura of strength in her cool and aloof expression.

Comparison

Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi, by Annie Leibovitz

Mikhail Gorbachev, by Annie Leibovitz

We have decided to compare Catherine's image with that of Agassi and Mikhail Gorbachev from the same series.

These images are similar in the sense that the big coats that the models are wearing serves as a symbol of power and prestige. The train, the big car and the hotel room all serve to promote mobility and give the idea of travel. Lastly, the closeness of the luggage to the models suggests that it is an integral part of travel.

The differences in the images are that the one with the couple is more casual as compared to the other two. The hand carry luggages in the other two images suggest that LV can be a handy choice in short travels too.

Conclusion
What makes Catherine's shot stand out is what she represents. To the French, Catherine is the embodiment of their culture. Thus, for the French label to feature Catherine in the image best portrays LV's roots as a trunk maker will touch the hearts of the French public.

This however, will lose its impact when promoted in countries outside Europe as many will not have been exposed to Catherine's films. It will thus be difficult for them to draw the link between what Catherine symbolizes.

Self Evaluation
What I have learnt through this exercise is that the theories for analyzing an image can overlap one another easily. The same image can be interpreted in many ways using the same theory. But for an image to have it's intended effect, there needs to be a certain amount of consistency in the viewer's interpretation of the image regardless of the theories used.

For this exercise, I would give Gerald and I 95/100. We both feel that we have given a very thorough examination of the image.

Peer Evaluation
I liked Yikang's group's analysis of the portrayal of Hawaii. He had provided ideas on how the posters had portrayed the island to the foreign eye and how it was not in line with reality. For this, I will grade his team 88/100.

The presentation that left a deep impression on me was Jieying's group's presentation on the series of air pollution images. Not only was the presentation well developed and designed, the images had brought about a fresh perspective to what air pollution images could be instead of the common "wasted landscape" portrayal. For this I will rate her team 100/100.

Therefore, using Jieying's work as a perfect 10 standard,
my group gets 9.5/10
and Yikang's group 8.8/10

Assignment 5 - Creep

We were supposed to shoot an object at 3 different angles -- Realism, Formalism and Expressionism.

Brainstorming Ideas
The theme is "Creep".

Okies~ Creepy Crawlies, creeps (plants), creepy lurking strangers, creeping shadows, creeping growth and even soil creep!


The following was my trial on shadows as my creep:

Shadows- the Creeping Growth

#1- Realism #2- Formalism
#3- Expressionism

The shadows were an interesting idea that popped out from random thoughts while conversing with my friend. However, the colours are lacking in this set of shadows. I could probably work out better if the photos were in black and white.

In any case, the following set's the group of photos I presented to the class. As compared to the previous set, I felt that the mood and colours for this set was more in line with my concept.

Creeping Growth

#1- Realism #2- Formalism
#3- Expressionism

Creative Concept
The tree is a representation of life.

#1 Realism -

The tree is "life", and it is a form of creeping growth.

Creep in this case can be identified as the tree ("life"), the shadow of the tree, and/or the time that creeps by us.

Since it's a realism shot, I tried to go wide angle and capture everything in the scene to make it more a realist what-you-see-is-what-you-get photo.

#2 Formalism -

In life, we usually start out as a blank (illustrated by the blue sky). As we grow, we start experiencing different things, good and bad. The leaves and branches represent the relationships that entwine us, as well as the unhappy memories that starts to fill us with dread(the "creeping" of the branches across the frame).

These experiences and memories creep onto what was previously a blank, filling up our life gradually as we go along.

My interpretation of formalism is made up of shapes and forms that enable the viewer to perceive the subject as an aesthetic object. I tried out various abstract angle shots. The final shot was captured by shooting up from below the tree, and it was originally in vertical orientation. However, I decided to rotate the photo 90 degrees as a landscape view instead (as shown above), cos I thought the rotation allows it to be further away from its actual form (realist in some sense) and more as a formalist picture.

#3 Expressionism-

Following through with my story idea, I decided to express hope in the midst of the "creeps" that may come along in our lives.

It was around 5 p.m. in the evening and it was a "golden hour" (no pun intended) since the light from the setting sun is so beautiful.

Using the tree as my silhouette, it represents the darkness and depression that we may feel. I positioned myself in such a way that I can capture the sun's flare coming through the tree itself.

The flare symbolises a ray of hope and it is intended to convey a message to my viewers:
You may only see darkness and feel despaired. But if you change a perspective, a position, you will be able to see something beautiful beyond the unhappiness.

Many a times, all that is needed is for us to reposition ourselves, to shift our perception, and the situation may just change for the better. This is also the reason why I tried to capture a surreal and calm feel for this shot.

Classroom Critique
Someone (cant remember who) commented that the sun flare was a nice touch to the expressionist shot. :)

There were mixed reviews regarding my intentional rotation of formalist shot. Some of the classmates thought there's no need to switch orientation. Others, such as Xin Ying, agreed that the switch makes the picture more inclined to formalism and away form realism. Mr Reddy also commented that he preferred the original orientation, but that it's a wse decision to make the switch.

For this assignment, I am most impressed by Yi Kang's shots. They are all expressionism shots to some extent, maybe due to the nostalgic feel the black and white photos give.

In addition, there's strong conceptual idea behind his shots. I particularly like the idea of self-consciousness as the 'creep'. It is in my opinion that of everyone in class, Yikang's one of the few who has successfully developed a strong style of his own.

For the last expressionist shot, however, I didn't quite understand the picture until he pointed out the shadow within it. I think the expression value of this shot can be enhanced if he can have darker shadows, allowing more contrast and in turn a clearer view of the subject (the shadow against the torchlight).

I also liked Xin Ying's "The creep in the back alley". She has strong technical skills, and her pictures are mostly able to stand on their own. These set of photos were well-executed and I particularly enjoy her expressionist shot. The ingenius use of handphone light to outline the creep's facial features, shifting the focus to the form and shape of the subject, making it an excellent formalist shot.

The realist picture can probably be improved with a change in angle of shot, or change in colour tone. Currently, it is more inclined to expressionist and formalist. Perhaps a close up, or shooting from outside alley in instead will make it more realistic. Just my two cents worth.

Assessment
Yikang - 10/10
Xin Ying - 9.5/10

Using Yikang's photos as the perfect 10 standard, I think my work is worth 8.5/10.

Cheers!

Assignment 4 - Photo Montage

The Day After - Hope

I will be missing tomorrow's tutorial, so I'm putting my montage earlier than usual to open it for critique (and to prove that I did my work heh).

This week's assignment was to create a photomontage in Hockney's "Joiner" style with a minimum length of 16inches. The theme is "The Day After".

Creative Concept

I spent a whole load of time trying to figure out an interpretation for "The Day After". It seems to go along the lines of something happening, and the consequences that occur after that. Action-reaction.

An interesting idea that popped up was "casual sex". The night before, the day after. (get it?)
The issues that usually arise from the act; unwanted pregnancies, abortions, HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases.

I could have taken a classic bed scene shot, but it doesn't really describe/explain the "after" component very well.

Then, I began to think mass destruction, carnage, war, rampant fighting and unrest. With it comes death and gloom. Very powerful image, but me being me, I reject its negative feel.

I kept pushing myself to think of something positive, something more heartening.

I thought of what matters most at the end of the day. I thought of hope, love, and happiness.

After any upset, be it natural disasters or war, no matter the extent of destruction, eventually things will always become "normal" once again. Life goes on.

I expanded on this idea of hope and try to think of a graphical representation of it. I thought nature will be a very good representative of how life goes on despite challenges that face us. The waves will continue crashing against the shores, the plants and trees will continue to grow, and the sun will always rise and set again tomorrow. Thus, the picture was born.

The collaging proved to be a great challenge for me. Although I took photos of various objects within the scene at different angles and distances, I still had difficulty making them fit as prettily as Hockney's. I thought the final product look somewhat decent, but something seems to be lacking, can't quite point a finger upon it.

Any comments/suggestions?

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Classroom Critique
Due to my absence, I can't comment on my classmates' works until they blog their entries.

So far, a few eye-catching pieces include Desmond's The Day After:Micro & Macro Process.
It seems to me that he used MANY photos to complete this collage. It's very impressive in terms of size, but other than that, the picture is still rather static. There isn't a centre of focus and the viewer's eye may tend to stray around about the picture.

He can perhaps try focusing an object in the picture, zooming in and blowing it up, and then the background details.

Puay Lin's airport departure board really catches my eye when I was hopping from one blog to another. She may not have used as many pictures as Desmond, but somehow the "feel" is there. I read the comments fellow classmates left for her, and I do agree that the picture angle can be widened further. Instead of zooming all the way in to the board, can include the walls around it and people walking past to recreate the actual scene feel more realistically. A good attempt. :)

Gerald's montage is interesting, in that he actually flipped his original image up to create mirror images for his concept. As usual, his idea is unconventional, but not lacking in creativity.

I actually thought the use of mirror images help the viewer to take a closer look, trying to guess the reason behind this move. It's a nice, subtle touch which does not overkill, yet raises questions. Good job!

Shena's "Where will you be, the day after" is another montage that poses questions for the viewer who sees it. Looking at the track, I can really imagine myself asking the questions pertaining to directions in life, the complexity in our choices, many deep thoughts.

Technically, I'm personally very impressed by her successful attempt in imitating the "Joiner" style. Her collage gives me a 3D-as-if-I'm-in-the-picture-too feel; this is a very important element, not just because it's required in our assignment, but because being able to put the viewers right into this picture can then truly slam the "life" questions in their faces and make them think.

Marvellous piece of work.

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Assessment
Desmond -7.8/10 (for effort)

Puay Lin - 7.5/10

Gerald - 8.5/10

Shena - 10/10

In comparison to Shena's work, I think my montage is worth 7.5/10.

Cheers!

Assignment 3 - Photostory

#1. What it used to be -- Kampong lifestyle Olympus E-300
focal length 14mm.
F/4. 1/200 sec. ISO-400.

#2. Cluttered Simplicity Olympus E-300
focal length 14mm.
F/5.6. 1/640 sec. ISO-400.

#3. It all used to be so simple. Olympus E-300
focal length 14mm.
F/2.8. 1/80 sec. ISO-100.

#4. Then came progress. Olympus E-300
focal length 24mm.
F/4.5. 1/320 sec. ISO-100.

#5. Towering skyscrapers everywhere. Olympus E-300
focal length 14mm.
F/22. 1/200 sec. ISO-100.

#6. Hurried pace everytime. Olympus E-300
focal length 14mm.
F/22. 1/8 sec. ISO-100.

#7. Stop and observe. Olympus E-300
focal length 54mm.
F/22. 1/5 sec. ISO-100.

#8. Did we throw away anything impt? Olympus E-300
focal length 47mm.
F/5. 1/40 sec. ISO-100.

#8. Who is this looking so helpless? Olympus E-300
focal length 54mm.
F/5. 1/40 sec. ISO-100.

#9. A plea for help Olympus E-300
focal length 54mm.
F/5.6. 1/60 sec. ISO-200.

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My Concept

We were asked to do a photostory of 8-12 photos. The theme was "Change".

It's probably one of my most commonly used word, along with the quote that "Change is the only constant thing around."

I've thought of shooting my own "evolution", the experiences I've been through my past 21years of life. Execution proves to be a difficulty for an photography amateur like me (esp with the use of DSLR, all the manual settings. Still learning, still learning.). I went as far as thinking up possible compositions for some of the shots, but let's just say I'm not quite there yet.

So, my second idea. Economical change sounds straightforward enough. Easy execution, simple delivery.

On the other hand, it sounded a bit too effortless, as if not much work done. I wanted my story to have an impact, to evoke thoughts upon my viewers. Is there anything that changed along with our economy? Did we all change for the better?

It may be a bit cliche, but I thought of our societal changes. The issues that we keep seeing on newspapers, the policies that our government keeps trying to revise to fit the "changing" Singapore.

I won't dare say I'm a great philanthropist who devotes much of my time in social work or volunteering, but I've always felt strongly about some of the social issues of our time and hoped to contribute however little my capabilities allow.

Hence, the emphasis of the 3 elderly people at the end of my story. Despite progress, we still have people picking at rubbish and people without homes sleeping under bridges (yes, you can really find homeless people in Singapore). Many of these helpless people are often the elderly. The traditional Chinese within me was like screaming 'Why? How? What?!'. Where have their kids gone? Why are they so alone?

We have progressed in development, we always boast. Have we really?

In the midst of progress, have we abandoned our social responsibilities towards other people around us?

Besides the changes that have already occurred, what other changes can we put forth to make everyone's lives a better one?

Life is short. Make it a meaningful one, for you and me and him and her.

Every little effort counts.

P.S. Pardon me for the incoherent philanthropic speech. Just some of my thoughts. Please feel free to comment. Thanks. :)

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Classroom Critique

For this assignment, there were a couple of interesting works in class.

My personal favourites were Gerald's "Dreams" and Yikang's "This was my JC".

Gerald's story idea was creative and fresh, an interesting approach to tackling the given topic. The execution style was clean and straightforward.

My only concern was the "mugshot" at the end (the one with a paper bag over his head). It looked a bit ambiguous and I wasn't quite sure of its meaning until he explained it verbally.

Yikang's photostory had a personal effect on me, as I came from PJC as well. My first year was spent in the old campus which he took his photos in, and seeing the photos did remind me of the days I've had there, as well as a distant sadness for the building's present desolated state.

I thought his wide shots expressed the space and emptiness really well, and the inclusion of himself in the photos with objects he'd use in the building's previous state was a nice touch, adding contradiction (and thus, depth) to his photos.

I did not really like the gloomy feel though, personal preference, but I guess the gloom does add to the expression of emptiness in his story.

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Assessment

Gerald's "Dreams" -- 8.5/10

Yikang's "This was my JC" -- 9.5/10

In comparison, I'll give myself a 8/10, scoring low on creativity, but making it up with a couple of points in execution, the angle/composition of some of my taken shots. :p

Assignment 2 - 2 8R Photos

We are supposed to come up with 2 8R photos, anything we like. It's my first time handling a SLR, and though I'm not exactly awed by the photos I took, I thought they made sufficient presence on their own.

Creative Concept

#1 - A Child's Innocence
I've always enjoyed observing people, and babies and kids are my personal favourites. It is interesting to look at them play, when they laugh, it is true laughter, and without much worries.

A part of me have always dreaded growing up, and I always try my very best to retain any childlike qualities, as if they're the only way for me to be truly happy, like a child. The most endearing quality of a child is often their expression. Be it when they're sleeping, or when they're playing, you can always see laughter twinkling in their eyes, innocence on their faces, and/or true appreciation for the simplest things around them.

I seek to capture these expressions in this assignment. Can't say I failed, though it is indeed there is much room for improvement.

Olympus E-300
focal length 45mm.
F/5.6. 1/200 sec. ISO-400.

Comments
-Off-focus. Focus on wheel instead of baby.
- Try to take in background into consideration as well when shooting photos. It's a bit cluttered.

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#2 - East Meets West (Lantern Contrast)
My original intention was to shoot the elderly, so that I can contrast between my former photo with it. However, while looking through the shots I've taken, I thought the lantern shot makes a good photo, easily the best I've taken all day.

This was a chance shot. I was walking along the shophouses after visiting my friend at the hospital, and thought the red lantern looks interesting with the white lamps set as its background. I was trying to show a contrast between old and new, oriental and westernised influences.

It was around 7 p.m. in the evening and the sky was just starting to get dark. The stone lion, road bend and lights from the background added an extra touch to this shot. I'm quite pleased with the eventual shot I presented in class.

Olympus E-300
focal length 14mm.
F/3.5. 1/30 sec. ISO-800.

Comments
-Sheryl: The photo has all the basic colours in it. I think the time you took this photo was just nice. It's very pretty.
-Gerald: Can see some noise when the photo is blown up to 8R. Can try to retake the shot on a tripod stand to reduce handshake.

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Classroom Critique

I am most impressed by the shots Jie Ying presented in class. Her freehand butterfly shot is simple yet speaks for itself. Contrary to her personal critique, I thought the high aperture helps to focus attention on the foreground towards the butterfly sitting on the flower. A great shot.

"The Straw Hat" gives me a similar feeling of simplicity, with added nostalgia and a bit of holiday mood (lol think Redang and beaches). Both her shots use high aperture to reduce the depth of field and focus the eye to the objects in the foreground. Maybe it's just me, but I thought that it really adds a certain feel to the photos.

However, I still prefer the original version before she cropped it tight. The space around is filled with the blurry background, which does little to vie attention with the main object. I thought the space (which includes the chair, no idea why, it just feels weird after the chair is cropped out) gives the viewer more room for imagination.

Nevertheless, I am greatly impressed by her first attempt with the tricky SLR.

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Assessment
I give Jie Ying a perfect 10/10 for both her shots, to credit her for excellent camera control and photo composition.

In comparison, my "Child's Innocence" scores a 7.3/10 and the lantern a 9.5/10. That averages out to 8.4/10 for both my shots.

P.S. This is another shot of the lanterns I took as suggested by my friend. Thought the use of the wall to reflect the lanterns was quite cool too, so put the photo up to share. :)

Assignment 1 - Photogram

Objective: Create a photogram using a scanner

Materials in consideration included various textures/shapes, such as lace, bubbles, crystals, feather, photo negatives, and glass bottles.

I presented the following in tutorial.

.exclamation.

I think my character encompasses the characteristics of an exclamation mark.

I am loud, highly dramatic in my actions and exclaims easily.

Remarks from my classmates included that the exclamation mark wasn't too clear.

Gerald also mentioned that the below piece of artwork is much better in terms of colour and expression.

.solitude.

The bottle stands alone without any other accessorizing because that's how I am.

I like to isolate myself in my own world sometimes.

I edited the colours to give it a rusty old remnisce feel.

Memories are important to me, because they freeze the happy moments I have in life and teach me lessons through my own experiences.
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After the first tutorial presentation, I felt that I might have failed to grasp the requirements of this assignment fully.

Some of my classmates' ideas were much bolder, and creativity much executed.

I give myself 60/100 for this assignment, a mediocre pass because I definitely didnt give it my best shot.

My favourite work included Paul's "The Harmony of Film" and Dasmond's "Advertising Me".

I give the both of them 95/100 for overall aesthetic design and creativity.