Overall Comments
Beauty and Sublime are tricky concepts and the strength of your assignment (for me) is that you have decided to make a bold interpretation of the brief by presenting pairs of images juxtaposing beauty and sublime in each pairing. Conceptual depth (aka a good idea) becomes more and more important as we progress through Level 2.
I will be making a few suggestions for your research which as 'context' is 25% of the marks at level 2.
Assessment potential (after Assignment 1)
You may want to get credit for your own hard work and achievements with the OCA by formally submitting your work for assessment at the end of the module. More and more people are taking the idea of lifelong learning seriously by submitting their work for assessment but it is entirely up to you. We are just as keen to support you whether you study for pleasure or to gain qualifications. Please consider whether you want to put your work forward for assessment and let me know your decision when you submit Assignment 2. I can then give you feedback on how well your work meets the assessment requirements
Feedback on assignment
Images
From the brief: 'you may choose to support, question or subvert accepted definitions of these terms'.
You have chosen to support the accepted definitions of the terms and have produced a set of images for each which successfully do just that appropriately using Nature, atmospheric conditions from sunset to storm, scale, etc.
You have also successfully used a number of different techniques, such as shutter speed to create images of beauty and the sublime - such as the misty water look. This is a form of coding.
The danger with supporting the accepted definitions is that our work may become conventional and formulaic in some ways and may end up not challenging the viewer, or ourselves, in a deeper sense. For me, although I don't find you individual images particularly challenging, your pairing idea, as i have mentioned above, is a bold and interesting move.
Notes
You have taken care to meet all the 5 aims for assignment notes in the brief.
When you evaluate, you might like to use the OCA guidance for critical reviews:
- description (a description, for instance, of an image)
- interpretation (analysis of the chosen work - what it tries to achieve)
- judgement (your opinion of the work)
- contextual application (how this study has affected your work work)
It just needs practice. Of course it is writing practice and you want to be taking pictures like most of us probably (!) - but writing great evaluations as you go will help enormously your progress in the course.
Reading with naturally help develop these skills - no one is born with them. Check out the critical essay at the beginning of a good book on photography for instance. When you write try to keep a somewhat serious style; avoid being too 'loose' such as : a bit of sun and wind'.
Finally, try to evaluate your images throughout your notes rather than as a Conclusion at the end - it will look more substantial and thought through.
Learning Logs or Blogs / Critical essays
Dont forget to send links of any learning log pages you would like me to look at with your assignments.
Good to see scanned pages of your notebooks on your blog!
PLease add a tab for context at the top of you blog - this will be reading and viweing that you do as research throughout the module.
Good that you have researched on the web and locally to support the assignment but do reference some of the more academic sources recommended in the course in your assignment notes as well. The photographers, books and articles cited in the course notes will quickly steer you to the most authoritative sources on the topic in hand, which you can then read around as you choose of course.
Suggested reading/ viewing
Plenty of suggestions in the course. With a bot of research you can find pdfs of key texts freely available on the web and books can be cheaply had second hand onlne via Amazon, Abe, Foyles etc (personally I rarely find the best prices on ebay). Most of my personal collection will have been bought foe less than £10 each inc,postage I would think.
Conclusions and targets for next assignment
A good start with the significant transition up to Level 2. Don't be afraid to take risks and move out of your comfort zone for Part 2. Risk implies the possibility of failure, but when written up in your notes and used as a basis to experiment further, creative (not personal!) risk will add enourmous value to your coursework.
I am particularly happy with with this feedback considering I was so uncomfortable and weary of the content of my assignment on submission.
It's good to have advice regarding writing practice as this is a huge weak point for me. At least for future assignments I can now try to progress with my evaluations of my work and make it more academic as opposed to a less formal writing that I have done previously.
There is nothing that I feel I need to alter in my assignment submission following this feedback so I feel I can move onto the next chapter in the knowledge that assignment 1 was a successful assignment.
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