#visual response

In the process of printing the zine, I first made an appointment with James in the repo print room via email with an attached short description of how I wanted the zine to be printed; considering the viewer's interpretation of the subjects presented and the depiction of the photographs in the publication. I ‘packaged’ the contents of the InDesign file for the transfer from my laptop to the computers in the repo to preserve the photographs applied and the positioning, if the file isn’t packaged the photographs will display missing links to the original files and will be unable to print the sources attached to the file. Once, the contents of the publication had been transferred onto the print computers, I explained to James the premise of the project and how I wanted to present the photographs in the publication to elevate their depiction through the presentation and the experience of the journey through the publication. As I explained and presented the photographs that would be displayed, James commented on how I could construct the zine to align directly with the context of the project. James explained that due to the number of pages in the zine the interior of the book may leak out over the opening page, although this can be prevented by equally using the guillotine on each page to obtain a correct scale so the exterior cover of the zine would tie the contents together. I decided to employ matte paper simply to conserve the quality of colour in the photographs and to reduce light glare distracting the viewer's attention on the evidence provided in the photographic series. After deciding on the paper type, I scaled the InDesign file to print the A5 zine, purposely for the quick informative feature and the easy accessibility of the scale.  

While waiting for the publication to print, I wanted to analyse Joan Foncuberta’s A5 Sputnik publication again to analyse the presentation of the photographic evidence accounting towards the overall context; to utilise transferable skills to adapt into my own practice to emphasise the quality of the photographs and preserving the correct interpretations to portray. Although, I didn’t consider altering any features of the publication after referencing Sputnik as I believe the depiction of the photographs in the zine relate directly and conceptually to the concept - communicating the context effectively through the aesthetics. Once the individual pages were printed, I went to scale down the prints with the guillotine in the cutting room - isolating the photograph from white frame presenting the image, removing it from it’s content to provide a visual gateway into the content of the Trappist-1f. Although, I soon realised that after I had individually scaled down all of the prints to A4 spreads that I should’ve scaled the photographs after stapling the pages together to obtain an equal size on the pages allowing the cover/back to sit firmly above the content. I managed to remove the excess paper sticking out from the interior with a knife, however, if I was to do this again or re-publish it I would definitely staple the sequence of the prints first, then scale down the pages. I found it exceedingly difficult to compile the A4 spreads together chronologically due to the 15 black pages and the minimalism in the presentation, although I managed to follow the PDF reader opened in Preview to direct the sequencing correctly.

Overall, I am pleased with the final outcome of the publication. I believe it portrays and communicates the context of the project, even without previous knowledge on the zine or the Trappist-1, the viewer is able to interpret the photographs from the recognisable features of space, but however, because the photographs are presented in a tangible publication, the photographs appear factual aligned with text and the title of the Trappist-1; when realistically the photographs are fake hoaxes, deceiving the viewers by experimenting with interpretation and representation - symbolising the indistinguishable vision of post-production applicants on the photograph, formulating the interpretation. If I was to do this again, I would staple the photographs in sequence first and then scale the vertices of the prints to obtain an equal scale within the publication to avoid any further alterations, plus I probably would’ve printed the exterior of the publication on thicker density of paper to apply a professional approach to the material, and ultimately constructing professional interpretations gained by the viewer when analysing the publication. I believe the zine works effectively as a visual produce responding conceptually to the truth and objectivity context of the essay. I will submit the zine as a final product for the response, but I was also considering printing the photographs individually as A4/3 prints to expose the aesthetic and elevate the significance of the photographs through large depictions. I will book a print slot with James again to print the photographs or if not, I will contact SpinPrint in Barnsley to print the photographs.

Photograph of the scaled A4 double spread pages, not sequenced. 

Photograph of the scaled A4 double spreads, not sequenced. 

Photograph of the front of the zine.

It is approximately 235 trillion miles from the Earth to the Trappist-1. So I question first how do I write 235 trillion and secondly how can I divide this into 10-20 sheets that will represent an equal specific distance? I have discovered that in a trillion there is 12 zeros - so I would apply 235 to the 12 zeros to create 235 trillion for the division in the calculator. I have already decided that I want to display around 10-20 photographs of the black photographs representing the atmosphere and depths of the universe, enabling the viewer to participate on the journey into the discovery. 

1,000,000,000,000 - 1 trillion 

235,000,000,000,000 - 235 trillion 

As an initial test, I divided 235,000,000,000,000 by 15 = 1.5666667e+13, however, the result confused me so I researched what the small e signifies to understand the equation. If the answer is too big, the calculator will generate for instance 1.e4-20 which means one times ten to the power of 20 or 1.0 with the decimal point moved 20 places to the right. 

So, to understand how many photographs I could produce with an equal distance presented in each I must do 235 trillion ÷ 15 (photographs) = 

I still haven’t passed my GCSE Maths and was attempting to solve astromathematics, after visiting the technicians in LCA I decided to contact a mathematician at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physical Sciences of Leeds University for advice on dividing 235 trillion by 15/20 to gather an equal distance on each blank photograph that equivalates to the overall distance between Earth and Trappist-1: 39.5±1.3 ly. I explained the context of the project to inform the direction of the project, I found out it’d be simpler to work out the equation if the 15 photos represented 2.6 light years (39/15) to then convert the number of light years into miles, in this case, one black photograph is 1.52866667 (1.528) x 10^13 miles, . So 1.528 x 10^13 multiplied by 15 would equivalate to 39.5±1.3 ly - the total distance between Earth and Trappist-1. Each page the viewer enthrals a deeper discovery, not just into the tangible aspects of the book but 1.528 x 10^13 miles closer to Trappist-1. I will position suitable photographs in regard to the discoverable features of the publication to preserve the attention of the viewers while presenting subtle intriguing information. The black blank photographs will assist the publications overall aesthetic, symbolising the visual atmosphere of the universe while contextualising 1.528 x 10^13 miles assigned to each tangible page of the publication. Although, I believe the presentation will compliment the photographs position in the series and it’s overall depiction; there isn’t no content to perceive the photograph must work in a correlative contextual relation to highlight the intentions of its depiction. The photographs were created in my bedroom around 4 am with a Fuji X-pro1, I simply photographed the corner of my bedroom and decreased the aperture to achieve a black underexposed photograph, reduced to one single block colour - preserving the photographic consistency of the deceptive trickery, symbolising the realism of post-production in photography. I must consider the ratio between the blank black photographs and the detailed ones, to impose the conceptual narrative within the publication - more blank black photographs would create a corresponding visual environment in the publication, applying context to the detailed photographs. I will begin to consider the sequencing of the context inside the publication in relation to the concept and considering how the viewer will interpret the ultimate myth. 

Photograph of the annotated map of Leeds University.  

After studying Joan Foncuberta’s Sputnik series and Mishka Henner's reappropriation of Robert Frank’s The Americans; I have decided to respond to the truth and objectivity context by correlating the subject depictions of Foncuberta with Henner’s photographic recontextualization, utilising post-production techniques to modify and recontextualise the interpretation portrayed on the original to appear truthful. The photographs will act as evidence from the multiple layers of post-production, blocking the original subject depiction; disguised beneath the superimposed layers of aesthetics. I will utilise post-production as the persuasive tactic for the evidence, like the Colin Powell’s pre-war UN presentation & the Active Citizens to construct a pseudoword upon the trace of the real - the orthodox indexical representations.

In the astonishing discovery of the Spitzer Space Telescope, a dwarf star 39ly away, the Trappist-1 was located with seven planets orbiting, three of them positioned in the habitable zone, possible to host life form from the oceans of water. I began to research further into the phenomenon when I discovered that there were no visual representations of the planets and or the star, only illustrative artists interpretations based upon scientific factual information. I wanted to create a visual insight, never formally seen before to emphasise the evidence features of the photographs - symbolising the realism of the context to deceive the viewer. It allowed me to question how I could portray the recontextualised photographs as evidence - I understood I would have to utilise post-production modifications, but I had to consider the subjects presented in the composition to formulate symbolistic features of space to lure in the viewer. If the original photograph doesn’t represent considerations or features associated typically to space and the preconceived discovery of the Trappist-1, the deceptive features presented will not align with the context to deceive the viewer - I must consider what I am presenting as evidence and how the post-production will dismantle the depiction to the basic fundamental features. As Joan Foncuberta presents the viewer with a wide-range of photographic evidence depicting both literal and conceptual representations featuring: portrait, location, documentary, vernacular and medical imagery all accounting and emphasising to the realism of the event. I must consider what I should include in the photograph and how I should be composed, in reference to the context, to successfully deceive the viewers. I’ve had several ideas on what photographic subjects I should include for the post-production; chewing gum on the pavement - when the white balance is decreased and the shadows are increased the chewing gum appears like white stars against a black background. Also, back in Barnsley, I have discovered several old pit-stacks that when the subject is isolated from the background, the pit-stack is recontextualised on a blank canvas appearing as planets; the chewing gum photographs will stabilise the context of the project, relating visually to space atmosphere increasing the credibility of the pit-stacks relevance in the series when the evidence is aligned together, emphasising the significance of the photographs presented. I have begun to experiment with the representation of chewing gum and it’s visual relations with the depiction of stars, seen below, utilising post-production techniques to increase the density of the black background from the white balance and shadows, highlighting the white splats of chewing gum as stars. I was extremely pleased with the results and believe they communicate the context of the essay and the overall discovery of the Trappst-1 effectively, although I do believe I should take more photographs of the chewing gum positioned closer and further from the subject to obtain different results in perspectives, emphasising the scale and quantity of space. On the contact sheet from the initial minor test shoot, displayed below, I noticed that the chewing gum can only be presented as stars if the photograph appears vertical to the subject, positioned directly above the pavement as an aerial view; considering the perspective of the telescope and duplicating the realism of the forgery - presenting the stars as direct forms in front of the camera. Also, to assist with the post-production and presentation of the subject, I decreased the exposure compensation manually on the Fuji Xpro1 to photograph the pavement as underexposed as possible, preserving detail in the chewing gum while relating visually to the atmosphere of space. I will continue photographing chewing gum on the pavement with the scale consideration for the outcome of the representation while analysing everyday banal objects and perceptions into recognisable symbolistic features accounting towards the deceptive information for the Trappist-1 discovery. 

Artist's concept appeared on the cover of the journal Nature on Feb. 23, 2017.Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Artist's concept shows what each of the TRAPPIST-1 planets may look like, based on available data about their sizes, masses and orbital distances.Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Photograph of evidence brainstorm in the notebook. 

Starography:

Below, I have presented photographs from the initial test shoot depicting pavements tattooed with chewing gum to recontextualise the aesthetics, applying deceptive features and superimposed hoaxes to visually relate directly to the context of the project.

Contact sheet for the initial test shoot

Manipulation Examples:

Original Photograph of decaying tile.

Post-Produced Version of decaying tile. 

Had stomach problems today, probably a delayed response to some bacteria from my recent Israel trip. This forced rest became a forced sit down session to do a visual response to the almost 2-weeks trip. Motifs from the trip are all embeded, including some personal God moments. I have received so much blessing from leading this group of 44. Much healing took place as well. God is good! Some photos…