ardn716geo

[ardn716geo]

Positioning statement

Racism is a topic not many people want to discuss. Still, for many of us who are a part of the minority, racism shows up in quiet ways, being reduced to nothing but negative stereotypes, such as "Lazy" and "Aggressive."

Through this project, I wanted to capture the more boring, everyday lives often left out of the media. Growing up in South Auckland, I was made aware quite quickly of how my community was portrayed in the media and how it affected us. From the name-calling to being followed around in stores, it was very apparent that racism is an issue in New Zealand; it is just not something many people want to deal with. But I never understood how people could even believe these lies. There is a lot of beauty, a lot of depth that is often unseen or thought about, but when there is a lack of understanding, people are more easily influenced and stereotypes fill the gap, easy to label an entire community as "bad" then to understand. My trouble in paradise is racism, or more specifically, stereotypes.

I called this project Brown, a straight-to-the-point name of what kind of content the photo book would have inside, but also the perspective the book would be following. The perspective of a brown girl who lives in South Auckland. I wanted to show the quieter parts of life that a lot of us young Polynesians live, from eating chicken nibbles to the making of leis for the upcoming graduations, these are normal parts that are often left out. I wanted to drive home the point that for many of us who live here are all just doing our own thing, no criminal activity involved.

When I first started coming up with this theme, I was heavily influenced by Raymond Sagapoutele and his interview talking about the Pasifika perspective in photography. He talks about many things, but I was especially interested in the discussion of the importance of who is taking the photo, and how that can play an important role in storytelling. This helps ground my work because by taking this and adding it into my photography, it helped me remember that even though what I may be taking a photo of may not be uniquely "polynesian," the fact that it is in my home in a way does and helps the idea that this is apart of my everyday life as a pacific islander.

When looking for inspiration for this project, I looked at Geoffery Matautia, a photographer based in South Auckland. I enjoyed going through his front yard series and his white Sunday one. Both series highlight the community from family to church, he was able to capture the warmth that comes with being with people. Another photographer I looked into was Evotia Tamua and her series 'Salesi: A Village in Samoa'. A lot of candid photos portraying the more simple life back home in Samoa, and for me just like Geoffrey's work it was able to show community as well as documenting every day life.

One of my goals was to just get better at taking photos and working with a camera; in past assignments, I heavily relied on editing to do all the heavy lifting for me. Through this assignment, I feel as if I have gotten a bit better at working the camera, knowing what good lighting is, and knowing how to make the photos not so blurry.

When taking photos, one of the main issues I ran into was the weather. I initially wanted to take a lot of my images outside, but with the weather, I had to change that idea. I ended up taking a lot of photos indoors. I initially wanted to take a lot more posed portrait photos, but scheduling with the different models I wanted to use was always an issue. I had to take a step back from that original idea and used a lot more items that I had at home that could represent my theme differently. That is why there is a lot more items seen in my photobook, from the colourful flowers to images of a banana tree found in my backyard, I really had to get creative with what was on hand instead of relying on people to properly portray my idea.

I wanted to make my photos as bright as I could, taking inspiration from the different artist models, I wanted to make the photos warm and welcoming for everyone who will see them. That is why many of my photos have an orange tinge to them. When it came time to putting the photobook together, I didn't really like the idea of them being put individually, so much that I felt as if the photos were more fun to look at being put together but I also felt the images spoke for themselves when put side by side. I finally decided on an A4 landscape size, emulating a photo album and playing into the idea of being welcomed into an experience not a lot of people get to see.

This work is not meant to be the end of racism altogether. I saw it as more of a small glimpse into a community that is often overlooked. The quiet and boring parts of life are a shared experience amongst a lot of us islanders who live in South Auckland, and these parts deserve to be seen too.

[ardn716geo]

Wk 12: Feedback & Book blurb

More explanation

Clear photo for the cover

Designy thingy for the back

Two empty pages for the first ones lol

More writing/ More explanation

More detail shots

instagram tiles / posters? / instagram stories

little captions explaining where the photos

have more images by itself

Capturing everyday life in photography can go against stereotypes because it can show the normal realities that are usually left out of mainstream media. For marginalized communities, stereotypes push people into simple labels, e.g, aggressive, poor, or loud. Simplifying these communities makes it easier for society to generalize them.

Through showing the more "boring" moments, it allows us to show a more "human" side and makes it harder for those simple and easy labels to stick, through these photos, I am wanting to push back against the idea that my community is more than the struggles we have been boxed into.

[ardn716geo]

Wk 10: Stuff & More

Stuff for the pres:

Captions for all photos

In the beginning explain your theme

Hero image / Blog link / Title

Mockups of books

Things to look at and kind of expand on:

But as time has progressed, more and more of us, whether we come from fine arts or journalism, taking up the camera and being the voice for our communities, especially those of us in the diaspora, and how we connect and find identity on our land that is historically part of a wider, I guess, Pacific community, but more recently considered something more colonial. So, for us and for this program, it’s a chance for us to really provide a perspective that is not mainstream. More often than not the mainstream view of our communities has not been the most positive when it’s put out there. (https://theviifoundation.org/resource/new-digital-storytellers-in-aotearoa/)

Feedback:

Growth and regrowth

Reshoot alot of images (alot of single items)

Pick hero image

New title

Edited images

[ardn716geo]

Wk 9: WIP Book

This is just a starting point to consider possibly doing a book instead. I wanted to make a book because I would be able to make a double-page spread where I can have the pages lay flat, allowing the image details to be taken in by the viewer. I thought that would be nice.

[ardn716geo]

Photos I've edited and I like

[ardn716geo]

Additional photos

[ardn716geo]

Wk 9: Class notes

Things to look at:

Street life and home stories

What have I been up to?

Taking photos, having to take as many photos as I can as much as I can.

What problems have I run into? How were they resolved?

When taking photos, one of the main issues I ran into was the weather. I initially wanted to take a lot of my images outside, but with the bad rain as of late, I have completely had to change that idea. I have been taking a lot of my photos indoors, but it has definitely changed the way I view my project now. And I have really had to move out of my comfort zone because of it, I usually like taking candid photos, but obviously that isnt a realiable way of taking all of my photos. One of the ways I fixed this issue was really taking a step back away from taking portrait like photos and have to look at what else I could capture that could represent my theme.

Who have I been researching and how has it influenced my work?

Feedback in person:

Autobiographical images

Use home friends and family

Showing the more 'real' parts of life

Stereotypes are created due to people not knowing

Reflecting on the trouble in paradise exhibit:

One thing I took away from walking around and seeing all the photos was how would I group my photos together, what comes first and what would come last and what I would want my hero image to be.

[ardn716geo]

Wk 8: Update on photos

The first half of the photos I took in preparation for grad week. I had different ideas about culture and environment, making lei's are usually done by hand by the woman in the household these are exclusively made in celebration of someone.

How will I tie all these images together into a coherent theme (That I actually care about)? Trouble in paradise? What is mine?

Thinking broader?

Possibly look at the overlooked parts of culture, the more mundane but real day-to-day things that we, younger islanders, are doing. Negative stereotypes for islanders are still prevalent in today's society.

The boring, the normal, the mundane parts that the media doesn't really show because it doesn't feed into an interesting headline.

Few highlights (unedited)

Other half:

I actually don't like any of these photos; the lighting is so dark, but I will reshoot this whole section of photos.

[ardn716geo]

Wk 7: Reflection & Stuff

Over the next week or so I want to reshoot a good chunk of my photos, I want to kinda just focus on a skill that is lighting and framing.

What is the project?

Showing the more caring and gentle side that isn't always shown and appreciated

What are your objectives?

Wanting to highlight different woman in their spaces, and working on proper lighting and framing

Target audiance?

What are your planned deliverables?

[ardn716geo]

Edited photos:

I was pretty swamped over the break so I had to kinda squeeze this shoot on a not so nice day. Looking back I kinda realised all I had was just a "vibe" and no set proper plan on how to pose people. I don't usually like taking photos of people when they have to pose it feels awkward. But going into the reshoot I want to be taking proper lighting and actual poses that people can refer to when I am taking photos. It also helps the photos not look so odd? I took heaps of photos but only really liked 11 photos.

[ardn716geo]

Test photos:

[ardn716geo]

Wk 5: Class notes

Pushes past the past the norm lol

Likes title

Dynamic range of shots

20 to 30 photos (aw god)

Ways to expand further

Speaking to issues and concerns to self

foregrounding pacific positivity

Fact and fiction play around with it

The personal is political

close up on a banana lol

needs more detail in the run sheet

wants to clarify what exactly what my project is

Shoot in other places

Mike adams (photographer)

Go high concept tell a story less literal

Needs something to push past the accessible

Shoot interior

[ardn716geo]

Photos I liked

Photos are edited

[ardn716geo]

Test shoot

Models had work lol so I used my sister and the sun wasn't out, defs not the vibe

[ardn716geo]

Additional Research into photographers:

Who are they?

What do I like about their work?

Evotia Tamua: Evotia is a Samoan photographer specializing in portrait, documentary and commercial work. For me, I really enjoyed her photo series ‘Salesi: A Village in Samoa’ This series was twenty years in the making, and those photos show the simplicity of life back home. These photos invoke alot of emotions, for me they bring feelings nostalgia and a sense of belonging something that I want to implement into my own personal work.

Southsides:

Geoffery Matautia aka Southsides is a samoan photographer based here in auckland. Community is a constant theme throughout his work, from his series of front yard photos to the series he did with documenting white sunday. That sense of community is felt through these candid photos of families is special. Especially with the cultural context behind it all, in alot of pacific communities community is important, and capturing that is powerful.

[ardn716geo]

Wk 4 Class notes & SDL

Trouble in paradise and the issue I am wanting to base my shoot on, what is the relation between the two.

The general idea for majority of New Zealanders is that racism is a foreign concept, something that isn't even prevalent in the country because we are such a melting pot. But a lot of racism in this country just isn't talked about. The connection between trouble in paradise and my concept is that I am wanting to highlight a topic and go agaisnt the stereotypes in our community. My concept specifically is going to look into the negative stereotypes that are placed on pacific islanders in south auckland, and wanting to present pacific islanders in a softer, gentle way.

THOUGHT PROCESS:

Currently going back and forth between if I want to keep it just for woman or if i want to kind of open it up for men and woman I feel like it will be more impactful in a way if I did both but for woman culturally we are usually looked past and are now seen more as homemakers. (Defs need to find articles backing up what I am throwing down)

The context that we live in is not "global." Everyone's lived experience is not the same.

Presentation:

Research

Inspo - Moodboard

Skills Matrix (Things I want to learn and things I am interested in)

A Photographer

B Photographer

C Photographer

Case Study (600-800 words connection and relevance)

Runsheet

Test Photos

References

Gotta like go deep on dis: The "theoretical critique" as based on the 3 C's of concept, context, content – what is the overall concept or idea of the project; on what kind of media platform is the work published (magazine, billboards, online, book), in what geographic region, historical timeframe (is it current or is it from many years ago?), target audience (e.g. teenagers), and what is in the images?

[ardn716geo]

Wk 3 SDL Draft

Soft Representation: A Photoshoot

This photoshoot is about challenging stereotypes and celebrating the gentle, caring, and tender side of brown women something that isn’t always seen or appreciated. Through intimate photos, I want to capture softness, and warmth, creating images that feel authentic. This is about representation that goes beyond expectations showing brown women in all their grace and beauty.

https://art-newzealand.com/144-gago/

Tanu Gago is a Samoan creative and was raised in Manukau, he draws alot of inspiration from his life in South Auckland. In an online article online 'Silent figures,' by Daniel M. Satele it says that "Tanu Gago is not a photographer. A conceptual artist." His images are able to tell a deeper story. He is able to create these carefully planned images that is able to show his identity and culture.

Tanu Gago is a conceptual artist, he worked closely with technicians and other models to stage his photographic work. The photo series "Jerry the Fa'afafine" and "Avanoa o Tama." His work for the Avanoa o Tama is an exploration into Tanu Gago's identity, of being a pacific gay male he talks about how he struggled with identifying a clear distiction of pacific masculinity that he felt comfortable relating to. Alot of the spaces that Gago's photos take place are tied into a deeper meaning, a direct link to the stuggles of finding a connection in pacfic communities. By also highlighting this gap there is other underlying themes such as the traditional expectations of men and challenging stereotypes. 

The compisition of the image Peter + William clearly shows the divide that Gago speaks about. The different ideas of masculinity within the pacific community can be shown as the male in the front is brightly lit while the male in the back is shadowed. There is a use of negative space inbetween the models to emphasise the struggle with identifying a clear distiction of pacific masculinity that he felt comfortable relating to. Despite the gap between the two the background is able to tie the image together, due to its familiarity for most pacific islanders, it really pushes it's viewers to reflect on the idea of masculinity within their own community.

Themes of isolation are also apparent, in the image 'lupeni' it has a similar compisiton to the previous image. Their are four models in this image with one at the front. The model in the front is brightly lit while the others fall into the background in the shadows. But with the use of the ‘rule of thirds’, this is able to further push the theme of isolation as the model in the front is far from the others. A clear divide once again being shown, the enviroment in where this image is taken places these models into reality making this type of scene something that could be seen in real life.

The use of these enviroments shines a light onto how tied we are to our surrondings, and how it is able to effect our sense of self. The delibrate storytelling in these images are important because it really allows viewers to questioning our way of labeling ourselves. Avanoa o Tama is also able to push against stereotypes that are placed on pacific men specifically south auckland men, in Gago’s work being able to present men who are comfortable with femininity it opens the discussion on what can pacific islander men be like and what do we deem masculine in a western society.

In conclusion, Avanoa o Tama is a powerful example of photography being a tool in storytelling as it is able to not only visually show the meaning but also allows discussions on what else could this image represent. The compositions of these images really highlights the blurred lines of masculinty within the pacific community, and the lighting is able to highlight themes of isolation from a community. But the cultrual side of this photo series is interesting as Tanu Gago is able to challenge the pre-existing ideas around what masculinty is and what it can be.