Tea Vutmej

Thank you!

2007-11-27T13:41:00.001+08:00

And now, the end is near... :)

I want to thank to my team for all the help and great mood! As well, I want to thank to our Prof. Reddy and whole class of CNM3223 Fall 2007!

It's been funny, different, amusing and educational all the way! It's been great!

Final Project: Exhibition! Showing affection!

2007-11-26T23:08:00.000+08:00

Brothers’ Body Language

When brothers show their affection, it rarely comes in hugs and kisses, and this is just one of the ways a young boy is expressing his emotions. It also reminds me of a feeling I had when I was a kid and there was nothing to worry about except what to do next and with who or what to play. Just enjoying the moment in what you can do almost everything and you have your parents’ love protecting you.

Small World In A Bigger One

This couple are sharing their moment of happiness and represent a small unit vs. a big city, real world, which is facing them. Their strength is shown with black colour, and although they’re a small part of this photo, together they face no fear in fighting challenges of the reality.

Love Means Giving, Love Means Feeding

A young couple is showing their affection in random things, but those things are that grown ups forget to do in their “serious relationships”. Also, the guy is probably not even aware how his cultural role is defined here: a man as a food supplier is taking care of his “little woman”.

Three pics above are my favorites from all I took during those two week. I feel a moment in each of it and especially like the first one, because of the "rushy" background, as in the foreground we see such a random moment showing youth and joy.

Singapore from my perception!

2007-11-11T15:23:00.000+08:00

This will probably be totally different comment on Singapore's culture as it's looked through different eyes. And it is possible that I will not answer the question but add some extra spice on the topic.

There are three things I cherish the most living here: climate, food and positive atmosphere. I could live here just because of those three, although Singapore has even more to offer. I noticed many times, Singaporeans take it for granted and interpret it as humidity, 'all we do is eat' and "positive atmosphere?". First of all those things are what u get to enjoy every day, and for that matter I would point it double.

So much diversity on a little island big as one of the biggest islands in Croatia (out of 1200 of them) and with a population of my whole country!!! What distinguishes this one is transport efficiency, strict rules and modesty. Totally opposite from that is craziness which occurs every Saturday on Orchard Road where showing off with the newest BMW model and shopping, shopping, shopping! That is a pure influence of West and maybe a new culture to become.

Geylang at nights is another thing that very much distinguishes S'pore from a random multimillion city! It's a hedonistic paradise with a tradition so strong that it's impossible to shut down. Young girls/boys selling their body next to the best stalls of local food. And all that is taken for granted as well. No hypocrisy! Both just doing their business! I tried to take some photos there from the car and that was a very stupid thing to do as the pimp saw us, and the whole gang stood in front of the car and wouldn't move till I show and prove I didn't take any!

When it comes to people, my experiences are mostly very positive. What I like the most about Singaporeans is their positive attitude and rare gossip. They are pretty modest but then hard working, shy but still outgoing and open.

How can I write this in more objective way? Hmmm...hard as I am amused by things and facts people here are use too.

Another thing which I appreciate is that my neighbours are from Malay, Thai, Singaporean, Germans, Americans, and I certainly won't forget, Italians and most of them live here for over than 10 years and consider themselves to be Singaporeans! That reminds me on another great thing: religion diversity! A lot of tolerance and it seems as everybody just minds their own business!

Assignment 6

2007-10-27T12:25:00.000+08:00

Photo Analysis

We analysed a picture which is a part of a bigger advert. We chose to go with this pic because it is intriguing, interesting and captivating but simple and beautiful at first sight. It is a commercial photo but it looks more artistic then commercial. There's a lot of room for the interpretation in terms of what is happening in the pic. Also, we found the setting quite unique and definitely it takes us to some other time which is even more emphasised with warm colours.

Important signifiers (signifier is the form which the sign takes) are boy, camera, marbles laid on the floor, woman's legs and outfit. Signified, i.e. the concept it presents is a prank that is being played on a lady and the whole incident is photographed by the boy.

3 interrelated disciplines of semiotics are: 1. syntax- the boy sitting in the corner,woman's legs, marbles, door, light
2. semantics- why a boy and not a girl?; camera as the object used for 'gazing'; woman's legs, colours used
3. pragmatics- prediction of an image

4 components of semiotics we recognized: marbles and camera as the sign vehicle; the prank played by a boy as a designatum, the boy as the interpretant and the woman as the interpreter.

We think that behind a pretty ans somewhat sweet picture are parents with young children targeted as they are the one to buy their kids expensive toys so kids would be more creative when playing their games.

Next two photos are another example of a 'camera gazers'!

Next photograph is another pic from the "Le Enfants"production and it shows a boy in a different composition but almost same situation. He's filming an older man, probably his gran dad, and judging by the way the grandad is showing him his back...it's easy to conclude he's filming gran dad's snoring! Again a creative prank of a playful boy using expensive toys!

And with our last example shows how just parts of human body can say a lot about a person. This is an example of a gazer as well, but this time we don't see the gazer. But just a quick look at his hands will give u a pretty good clue: a guy between 20-40 years, a bit funky judging the ring on his finger; he has a hair rubber on the right arm and so he probably has a long hair...

I think we did a very good job and give good examples for what we state. i am very happy with the choice of photo as it distingushes a lot from other what I have seen during tutorials! I don't know do we have to rate ourselves for this as well, but if we do I would give to Rebbecca and me 9.5 out of 10.

Assignment 5

2007-10-27T12:21:00.000+08:00

Creep

One subject three intentions: Realistic, formalistic and expressionistic interpretation.

First select a subject and then give three different views where realistic is window to the world picture, formalistic is arty element of the first one, and expressionistic is to state a point relevant to the theme.

I took a shot of part of the Clarke Quay as my realistic view. It includes shininess of the city, small part of the bay and tourists walking around the bay. formalistic pic is showing CQ's famous little house-restaurants. It's taken from the same spot but different direction and with the old bicycle 'parked' in the middle of touristic area gives u a hint that it isn't just a touristic area as tourists don't ride that kind of bike. And the third photo is a photo of a business guy probably having a break of his work and although he's in the beautiful bay, although there's a gorgeous day outside he's in his own world with his problems coping for a solution and do not notice anything. So, what I really like with these pics is that I manage to show tourists, low class Singaporeans and business mans in CQ which is known strictly as a tourist spot! Other than that I really like my pics! :) So I would give myself 9.5 out of 10! Hope u'll like ti too!
The theme creep I showed through sneaking behind guy's back in my third pic. How easy can u get in somebody's closeness and even almost read what the person thinks without the person's awareness. And my object is CQ, but in the third photo it's shown from 'inside', so background is telling the observer that the guy is in CQ, but more of it gives a small clue of what's happening in CQ, that's why I said from inside.

Assignment 4: The day after- Joiner

2007-10-03T12:50:00.000+08:00

This was very interesting assignment for me. First I needed to get the idea what am I really suppose to do and then what do I want to show. I visualise a scene which most of us experience almost every day: RUSH. The idea was to show how many people walk the same line and share their steps with thousands of others...I have some parts in the pic that are blurry because I wanted to show ppl who were at the same spot yesterday. In main focus I put objects that are obviously not nicely cut in so they help draw viewer into a picture and create dynamic. Background is cut in a softer way so it doesn't interrupt the viewer.

HOWEVER... I really had headache over the project because I wanted to do a finish in the morning before the class, but the lab, again!, wasn't open! So I went to another where I finished and saved it and then the computer froze and I lost half of my data. So I had to do it again and was rushing with all the cropping...so at the end the photo is all about RUSH! :)

I think my photo has a lot of dynamic and isn't just nice, it's interesting and that is what I want in my work, to make you think and ask why, and then find your own answers! We'll see what the class will say! I would rate myself 8.5 out of 10! It's a joiner full of energy! :)

Assignment 3: Change- photo essay

2007-09-21T00:26:00.000+08:00

I wanted to show how life changes. This is a story with a lot of us can relate. He is just a kid and don't have any worries but to play with his friends. His mother is always full of care and looks where he is...House is full of family who come to visit and everybody is happy...One day he leaves the house he grew up in, in search for his path. A mother is left alone...thinking where her children are and feeling nostalgic...all those photos reminding her how it use to be. And once small boy is now in some modern city looking for a career but still remembering...

The feedback what I got from the class was to rearrange the photos which I did. I think that was a good comment and I wasn't paying enough attention to the outside world thinking everybody would get the point. Another comment was that I'm telling a story and not showing a change. I understand what my group meant by that but I think this is the way I perceive change, and I wanted to show change of life. The freedom of perceiving! :) I want to stick with my idea and do not change it except to do better prints! :)

Professor Reddy said my pics are dull. As my English isn't so good I know dull means boring and not interesting! And I really liked my shots this time!!! :) I just checked in dictionary that dull could mean dark as well, so I might have a chance still, huh? :)

I grade myself 8 out of 10 because I have some good shots there: you can almost feel some of those photos. But I have to think exact order of the photos and put some off to make it simple, and technically two of my photos aren't clear, but I didn't have heart not to put them in cause I like them.

About the class I thin Paul Yang is doing a great job and puts much of effort, not to mention money :), in his pics. He's also a good feedback provider and a helpful colleague. The rest of the class? It is hard to say because it was too many photos and we all lost interest after 10-th presenter. A lot of it depends how you print your photos. If they are printed at a bigger size they look better at the first sight...so, the concentration in the class should be extremely high to revalue all the pics with more or less objective point of view including to have always on your mind that some photos look good only because they are bigger or printed on a glossy paper.

Other than that...I like my group. Almost every time somebody surprises me with an idea, and that's for me the most important. Because technique is what you can learn, and once (I hope) we all will, but the idea is what differentiates you from others!

Assignment 2: Exposure

2007-09-12T01:52:00.001+08:00

I finally redid this assignment in a way that I am satisfied!!! Check out what I did! :)

I am very happy with what I did here and like to have a consistency considering the theme of two new pics. I would give myself 9.5 out of 10 and am a little bit sorry I have no class to 'judge me'! :)

The Old Version!

As we were suppose to get some depth in our pics, I wanted to try what I can do with small distance objects. I think I got some depth in field on the picture that has a tree in it. The other one is cool because the composition reminds me on Croatian coastline. the mistake is the part with blurry stones in the right- front of the picture, so I would like to repeat the pic and try to get blue part blurry which will remind more on the sea and I will have dept in the field! So, another thing to do from the beginning! :) I love white stones and there's a slight touch of feng shui in theese pics not only for objects that are in it.
I would rate myself 7 out of 10, because I like colours and I like objects in the photo which are not recognizable if you see just one of those two. The class said they like the motion in both pics, but I could improve it if I redo the left one in which right part of the pic is out of focus, and it makes the photo looks a bit heavy on the right side. I still didn't do that as that was tooken at friend's appartment so as soon as I get to chance to visit him again I'll redo it.
From other work I seen that day what stayed in my head was Paul's work: really love his colours on the orange old house and blue boat. I liked Ong Yu Lin's work with the purple background and a contrast yellow flower.

Digital Photography and Imaging

2007-08-30T23:22:00.000+08:00

Final version of Ass.1. Photogram

I wanted to crop the part with the metal hair clips on the fabric, but I did it from the beginning and while I was playing with my ideas I did a totally different thing. It has a stronger impression and is B&W which I am not to keen to use. But everything is original, no cropping, no photoshop, no curves... My only problem is that I cannot decide which one to print but I figure it out with the help of your comments! :)

As I was saying I am still debating between two of those. In the second one there's more aggression and the first one gives a nice flow and sense of movement. I give myself 9.5 out of 10 and can wait to make prints out of them.

Assignment 1: Photogram

I'm not quite satisfied with this and think I'm going to change it but just to show what I did here. I wanted to keep it simple and without an art note, just plain composition at the first sight. So, the idea was: women and their bags: so many unnecessary things in it. I love calming colors, and what I see is a humorous presumption. What I would change? Hmm, I put a fabric as a background and I really like that idea! Maybe an enlarged part of this pic would make you wonder. Like the right-upper part where u see clutchers... I'll see what I can do. :) I rate myself here with 7 out of 10. I think the idea is ok, but maybe I would create a better effect if I put less things in the pic. On the other hand, I thought I cannot show how women take a lot of unnecessary things in their bag if I just put one accessory. My class said they like the background because it's interesting and colours are calming. Prof. Reddy said it looks like a pic of expensive things!!! :) Other than that I managed to have an original idea, this is a small detail of what women need and use every day and I think almost all women can relate to have their jewelery thrown out their bed. I remember somebody said colours are so calming that he would put it in his room, which I find as a real compliment! :) From class's work I like Ong Yu Lin's yellow flower with the purple background! Colours are great and would say she was pretty original although she used one of the most photographed object: flower!