Photoresearch Visions

What lens-based culture is, understood by DINNO

Regarding the first exercise, we thought about what is the definition of lens-based culture and explored its different meanings and applications from our point of view.

For this activity, we use our Miro board in order to create a visual representation of what we were thinking about it. We included visions of the lens-based culture such as:

• How was the information presented in the past, in the form of printed newspapers, a very physical way: in contrast to how we obtain information today and express ourselves throughout digital media, social networks and even emojis. The notorious shift from the physical to the digital in the field of communication.

• We also analyzed the path on how, as human beings, we preserve and storage our memories. At the beginning, through the use of determined artifacts and analogical processes to obtain a palpable product, and nowadays, where photography has evolved to such a point that integrates new types of specialized cameras and lenses that are use according to the situation or the object that is going to be portrayed.

• We explored how the use of images can transcend into an emotional way of communication. The several range of feelings that just one image is able to express without using any kind of headlines or even words. We realized that images, themselves can be developed into a universal graphic speech.

• Last but not least, we examined the various forms of the language and the different elements that can be incorporated to make it understandable to certain groups. This perspective combines the overview of mosaic thinking, sign language, Braille and even music sheets as an accessible way of communication.

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How you have described and envision as a group the field of relations around the Camera

One of the things that we acknowledged in this particular exercise, is the level of complexity that is involved in the process of creating and capturing an image. This activity showed us that:

• The camera plays a role as a key element in a much bigger system. It also can be contemplated as an object bridge that connects the other elements that surround the mentioned system.

• One of the identified elements is the photographer, the persona/object that ignites the action of portraying something. This element, itself can also be considered as a set, a set that includes other elements such as the objective, an ideology, a gaze…

• Another element of the system could be the product, the form that comes out of the action of taking a picture, an image. This can represent different aspects in relation to the subject and the perspective.

• The image is directly connected with the context and the channels that are going to be used to spread it, these channels can be the internet, newspapers, social media and even photo albums.

• Another element in this complex system is the audience, which shares a close relation with more elements, such as the time, the different mindsets and beliefs.

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How you envision the role of photo research in your project: What expectations you have from it (Including some useful contributions you have received from your colleagues).

As a group, we consider that these types of activities can help us expand our level of conceptualization, increasing our abstract thinking and developing our reasoning in graphic conceptualization. From these we can expect:

• Translate the definition of empathy or its related terms, into a visual form of representation that requires to be understandable at first sight and that needs to be cohesive with the exposed elements.

• The presented elements share a relationship with each other, the whole picture itself, can be considered as a visual composition that has to transmit a clear no-words speech of empathy.

• The usage of images showed to be a very efficient way of communication of feelings and sensations that can be adopted in order to connect with the audience, recreate awareness and emulate the sense of being in someone else's skin.

• The appliance of colors plus chromatic play, could be a potent resource in the discussion of empathy and therefore, the transmission of feelings to the spectators on an x period of observation and even after it.

• From the first to last image, the set of pictures requires to be conceived as a whole story, with the purpose of triggering a desire for a world with more empathy.

• Photo Portraits could be used as an expressive tool with a focus on the authentic representation of thoughts, feelings and situations of the object/ subject with the intention of channeling it through an image.