Parameters of photographic practice

14 February 2001

These parameters are an incomplete list. I use them to define what I am currently doing in these terms and see what the alternatives (and combination of alternatives) would lead to. So this is a heuristic tool; a bit dry, but it may be helpful. The heuristic parses the choice space of each picture taken, demonstrating that these choices could have been otherwise.

Social situation (while taking pictures)

• Social interaction between photographer and photographed—non-involvement
• Photographer acts alone—part of group of people
• Type of photographed persons: friends—aquaintances—strangers
• Status of photographed persons: explicit contract/model—implicit 'contract'—candid photography
• Camera exposed—camera concealed
• Duration: long-term residence—quick shoot-and-leave
• Assistance by others: yes—no

Place

• Urban—rural
• Wealthy—poor
• Indoors—outdoors
• Busy-crowded—quiet
• Private/commercial—public
• Transit areas—dwelling areas

Cultural context

• Photographer: local—alien
• Familiarity with social & cultural practices: high—non-existent
• Economic: payed commission—unpayed

Approach

• Planning: following set concept—opportunistic choices
• Involvement of photographed persons: instructed people acting—no acting, 'recording'
• Preparation: recording of predictable event—capturing non-event
• Intention regarding photographic choice: stong—none
• Attempt to capture 'right' moment—predetermined moment—random
• Degree of control: view finder control—no control

Content

• Empty landscape—cityscape—portrait of people—situation
• Passing people (initially unaware)—static people (mostly aware)
• People look into camera—aware but don't look—people seem unaware
• Objects as sujets or with with strong symbolic connotation—non-descript

Atmospheric Situation

• Time of day
• Sunny—overcast—rain—snow

Technical

• Film speed:—(digital / analog)
• Resolution-noise: strong grain-noise—high resolution
• Aperture: high—low depth of focus
• Length of exposure: moment frozen—motion blur
• View distortion: strong—imperceptible
• Focus length / framing: tele view—fisheye view
• Focus distance: far—close
• Focus quality: sharp—blurred
• Brightness: overexposed—underexposed
• Contrast: high—low
• Lighting: available light—flash or lights set
• Rigidity of point of view: fixed—flexible
• Level of point of view: high—low
• Orientation of point of view: level—slanted
• Shot context: one shot—series of shots
• Shot intervals: short—long