Photography in the Politics of Memory: On Photography

On Photography 6

Altamash التمش — Wed, 22 May 2024 02:10:47 GMT

Golden Ratios or ‘Divine Proportions’ are commonly deployed in the composition of visual-expression these days. Although the popularisation is often attributed to Da Vinci, his use of this concept in his art is likely unintentional. It, symbolised by φ, approximately 1.618, originates from the Fibonacci sequence, where each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers. The ratio is determined by dividing a line into two unequal parts so that the longer part divided by the smaller part equals the whole length divided by the longer part. The idea is expressed as a/b = (a+b)/a = φ, where a is the longer part of the line, b is the shorter part, and φ is the golden ratio.

The ratio enhances photographic composition by dividing the frame into thirds and placing the subject at intersections, achieving balance, especially in landscape and architectural photography. In post-processing, cropping an image according to the golden ratio positions key elements more appealingly. The spiral guides the viewer's eye through the image to the focal points, creating dynamic compositions.

Most of the photos in this collection are presently available on display on my Instagram, and this post was concurrently uploaded on my Medium and my Substack.

On Photography 5

Altamash التمش — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 12:13:18 GMT

Photography had once marked a turning point in the realm of pictorial reproduction, liberating the hand from its essential artistic functions, and bestowing the same exclusively upon the eyes behind lenses.[i] Inasmuch as the emancipation of this visual art from the contextual, the physiognomic, the political, and the scientific once rendered it creative,[ii] it has undoubtedly become the foremost apparatus for the politicization of memory, especially in this era of post-truth. Perhaps, it is a result of how truly creative photographs can warp into extensively influencing or even becoming the very context, the very physiognomy, the very politics, and the very science underlying our personal, public, and collective memory, as opposed to merely being a creature of its devices.

Prosthetic cultures can enable an individual to extend their potential through technological aids, and this can even include the reshaping of self-identity.[iii] Photography's power to frame and fix objects allows strategic decision-making and conscious manipulation of identity, transforming previously fixed aspects. This prosthetic renegotiation has profound implications for agency, responsibility, and collective identification. The ethics of this culture involves redefining the relationship between aesthetics and morality, embracing an exploration of styles without a fixed origin. The conventional paradigm merely focused on visual perception and treated photographs as two-dimensional objects for passive observation, overlooking the concealed and latent elements of the medium.[iv] However, the intricacy of modern images extends beyond mere visibility these days, encompassing binary data, algorithms, and network processes. The intersection of the digital realm and photography goes beyond a straightforward portrayal of reality, giving rise to a post-representational and latent image of diversity, marked by self-reproduction and widespread dissemination.

This photographic ubiquity is not exclusive to the digital era, it has historical roots.[v] While the notion has shortcomings, exploring its complexities is crucial for understanding its presence and absence in various contexts. Even so, the digital transformation introduced uncertainty regarding the current and future nature of photography.[vi] Its vast proliferation of commercial and personal archives continues to generate unease, prompting inquiries into photography's role in memory. The historical context of photography as a memory tool is often seen as intertwined with a wider narrative of memory devices, demanding a perpetual contemplation of their impact on human culture. Despite photography's popularity as a fine art, it continues to face challenges in aesthetic criticism.[vii] The principal hindrance to its advancement lies in the prevailing perception of the camera as a syntax-free and passive instrument solely dedicated to capturing visuals.

In archival practices, photographs play a role in measuring and knowing individuals, enhancing their status as a carrier and building block of cultural memory.[viii] Furthermore, the processual approach in the study of social memory, focusing on articulation, negotiation, and contestation, can be applied to photographs, destabilizing their meanings and exploring the afterlife of iconic images. Memory in the realm of art politics involves the examination and interpretation of various forms of remembrance, memory accounts, and memory texts.[ix] By treating expressions as interpretive material, it can utilize analytical methods for interpreting culture. Even as the interrelation of photography and memory has been acknowledged, the extent of photography's role in everyday social remembering remains an underexplored and fertile domain, warranting further inquiry.[x] Since beliefs are generally based on memory, the study of its epistemology has been neglected until recently.[xi] The traditional view sees memory as stored information like books in a library, while the current psychological consensus views memory as a constructive process rather than mere storage and retrieval.

Photographs possess unique pragmatic epistemic value as spatially agnostic informants when other information carriers demand more inflexible conditions in use.[xii] The photographic episteme recognizes photography as an epistemological entity i.e., constituting a distinct system of knowledge.[xiii] The emergence and evolution of this episteme are rooted in the interplay of contrasting photographic discourses and their cultural and institutional manifestations. Despite potential overlaps and contradictions among these discourses, they ultimately share fundamental values despite apparent disparities. Notably, the renowned divisions in photography theories and histories, characterized by scientific or artistic approaches, objectivity or subjectivity, and considerations of the real, ideal, or virtual, all contribute to the episteme in which photography operates and finds acceptance across multifarious practices.

The transformative power of photography as an epistemological entity, highlights the complex interplay of identity, ethics, and aesthetics, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of its impact on human culture. To advance our comprehension of this ubiquitous medium, exploration of its roots, challenges, and implications is essential. Most of the pondering on memory is presently available on display on my Instagram, and this post was concurrently uploaded on my Medium and my Substack.

[i] See Walter Benjamin & Harry Zohn (translated from the former's 1935 essay), The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, Illuminations (1969).

[ii] See Walter Benjamin & Esther Leslie (translated from the former's 1931 essay), Small History of Photography On Photography (2015).

[iii] See Celia Lury, Prosthetic Culture: Photography, Memory, and Identity (1998).

[iv] See Daniel Rubinstein, How Photography Changed Philosophy (2023).

[v] See Jacob W. Lewis & Kyle Parry, Introduction: Ubiquity Has a History, Ubiquity Photography’s Multitudes - 31 Lieven Gevaert Series (2021)>

[vi] See David Bate, The Memory of Photography 3 (2) Photographies (2010).

[vii] See Peter Wollheim, Optics, Aesthetics, Epistemology: The History of Photography Reconsidered Thesis submitted to Simon Fraser University (1977).

[viii] See Olga Shevchenko, “The mirror with a memory” Placing photography in memory studies Routledge International Handbook of Memory Studies (2015).

[ix] See Annette Kuhn, Photography and cultural memory: a methodological exploration 22 (3) Visual Studies (2007).

[x] See Michael Pickering & Emily Keightly, Photography, Music and Memory Pieces of the Past in Everyday Life (2015).

[xi] See Mary Salvaggio, The Epistemology of Memory Beliefs Dissertation submitted to Rutgers University (2018).

[xii] See Jonathan Cohen and Aaron Meskin, On The Epistemic Value of Photographs 62 (2) The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism - Special Issue: Art, Mind, and Cognitive Science (2004).

[xiii] See David Bate, Photography after Postmodernism: Barthes, Stieglitz, and the Art of Memory (2023).

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On Photography 4

Altamash التمش — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:53:27 GMT

Often, it feels as though there is a dichotomy rooted within the spatiality of photographs, as it is not merely a form of artistic self-expression, but also inherently positioned as among the foremost tools of archiving memory. Even as it is impossible to wield photography to assert complete control over the subject matter akin to a surrealist painting, it is equally impossible to assert a complete lack of control akin to archival cinematography. Thus, photos seem to exist in an interstice of creative oversight. The artistic methodology of natural framing represents an intricate approach characterized by the strategic placement of the primary subject in relation to surrounding elements, which are astutely incorporated to captivate the observer's gaze. In essence, the art of natural framing in photography entails an inherent utilization of the elements present within the frame itself, harnessing their inherent visual attributes as dynamic framing devices. Branches, archways, and the interplay of light and shadows, among others, stand as prominent exemplars of these artistic tools that skillfully encase the central subject. Each element plays an instrumental role in delineating the boundaries of the composition, providing a figurative stage on which the subject takes center stage

Most of the photos in this collection are presently available on display on my Instagram, and this post was concurrently uploaded on my Medium and my Substack.

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On Photography 3

Altamash التمش — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 20:01:12 GMT

While learning photography, it is likely that the standard for composition that one is often introduced to at the outset is the rule of thirds. Even as this guideline was first codified in 1797, it continues to prosper in the information age evidently. Initially, the artist would imagine dividing the image into a grid of nine equal parts using two horizontal and two vertical lines in their minds for its implementation. Most cameras are programmed to provide this visual representation these days. The positioning of key elements along these lines or at their intersections creates a visually engaging composition that fosters dynamic balance and guides the viewer's gaze. This can construct aesthetically compelling images with an inherent sense of harmony.

Most of the photos in this collection are presently available on display on my Instagram without the grid, and this post was concurrently uploaded on my Medium and my Substack.

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On Photography 2

Altamash التمش — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 12:05:45 GMT

This part falls within the former end of this spectrum; it introduces and addresses the basics of the long-exposed style of shooting. This is a popular genre that can be identified by slower shutter speeds and distortion (blurring and smearing in movement). It generally requires dark neutral density filters or locations with minimal light, because of the aperture and ISO compensation necessary to sustain slower shutter speeds. It can be deployed for a variety of uses. For example, the first entry in the collection depicts my friend (Sourabh) as the subject to create a surreal reflection of him through his movements. However, like the second entry (the self-portrait), it can also be deployed for more abstract designs. Outside human beings, the ideal subject is the direction of light, the flow of water, and the deviations.

Most of the photos in this collection are presently available on display @__kaltoo on Instagram, and this post was first uploaded as this blog on the Medium.

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On Photography 1

Altamash التمش — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 15:09:18 GMT

Even as photos thrive in the information economy, calling photography underrepresented in both artistic and academic setting would still be akin to an understatement. In this series, I deconstruct the fundamental thought underlying styles and techniques in modern photography that are often taken for either granted or actively vilified. This part falls within the latter end of this spectrum; it introduces and addresses the basics of the selectively coloured technique in post processing.

The genre can be identified by partial coloration in monochromatic imagery using editing software (e.g. Adobe Photoshop). Despite the popularisation of colour theory having furthered creativity in photography, the idea of warping colour selectively in post processing is still frowned on. Most writing on selective colour photography begins with a cautionary warning of sorts (much like here); this style is not likely to be received well.

The technique can be deployed to present unique juxtaposition output. As depicted in the collection below, selectively coloured photographs exist in variety from the more profound to the more gimmicky. However, that exclusively speaks to its nature as a tool. Colour theory is gaining prominence, and selectively concealing colour can pivot into becoming instrumental in perceiving progression. For example, my set titled Yellow (featured at the Indian Periodical, available here) utilizes dissonance in similarly coloured schemes with compositional deviation to guide the eye (comparison between selectively coloured and unedited photographs is available here). However, and especially with relation the self-portraits below, this is not all the depth this style holds. It can create emphasis in subtlety, sensationalize colour, and even be utilized for messaging.

Most of the photos in this collection are presently available on display @__kaltoo on Instagram, and this post was first uploaded as this blog on the Medium.

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