SCANOGRAPHY
For the first week Imaging Lab, I had the chance to use a scanner as a medium for photography. I thought that it was interesting because I would never have thought of using a scanner as a tool to create photographs. To me, the scanner had always only had one purpose – to scan documents, but through experimenting with different objects on the scanner, it was very interesting to see how I could create different effects (like glitchy effects, swirls etc.) which I would usually think to do in Photoshop. This made me think about how as a designer, I can sometimes be over reliant on software so it reminds me that creativity can also be expressed by experimenting with day to day tools/objects.
PROCESS AND EXPERIMENTATION
In teams, we first wanted to first understand how the scanner works and how it would interact with different objects, therefore we started by placing random objects like papers clips and pins on the scanner. Then we started experimenting by moving the objects around while it was scanning, and we were able to achieve certain wavy effects which made the scans look more dynamic. We also played around with the DPI when scanning and found that the higher the DPI, the scans looked more crisp and clear even if we move the objects. Lower dpi made the scans looked more blurry which captured motion and movement. I felt that the results of experimenting with the scanner was very interesting as the scans did not look like the actual objects. The results were very abstract and different from the usual commercial photography and I felt that if used in ads, you could tell a story not just through the final image but with the process of choosing the objects and placing it on the scanner.
THE BRIEF
Singapore is a densely populated environment, therefore in some estates, it is not uncommon for noise to be generated at the common spaces at HDBs during the wee hours. (void decks, basketball courts and multipurpose sports hall) Hence, there is a need to remind individuals making noise to be more considerate, highlight to residents that there will always be some congregational noise and encourage them to be more tolerant for a harmonious and comfortable neighbourhood.
PROCESS
For this assignment, I teamed up with Pearleen. We started by thinking up concepts, in which angle we should address the noise problem and the call to action. The concept we decided to go for was to come up with a series of images that would express the frustration and pain felt by the residents when others are insensitive and create excessive noise during the wee hours. Through this series, we wanted to target these noise makers to empathise with the frustration felt by the residents when they make noise so that they can show more consideration in the future.
CONCEPT RATIONALE
In this image, we wanted to express how the residents face high frequencies of noise travelling to their ears – disrupting their sleep. With the head lying on the scanner, it shows a scene of a resident lying on a pillow, trying to get a good night's rest, however due to these inconsiderate noise makers, they are unable to. The noise frequencies were created by shifting the paper clips while scanning.
Based on our research, we found that the main cause of noise at the location was due to entertainment. During our time at the location, we observed that noise was created due to people gathering, people at the coffeeshop drinking and people in their homes singing. Therefore, our concept for this image was to imitate a static TV. The TV is a source of entertainment to many, similar to these noise makers. Immersed in their own entertainment and fun, they forget about the disruption they may cause to residents. They perceive their noise to be out of fun and joy. On the contrary, the other residents faces STATIC – it is loud, fuzzy and frustrating. With both parties perceiving noise in different ways, we wanted to express the need for both sides to be more considerate of each other. This image originally in black and white however I decided to edit it to embody loud colours as a visual expression of the noise.
I remember during one of our interviews with the residents, one of them mentioned she would wear earphones to listen to music to block out the noise. She said that even with earphones, she was still able to hear the noise made by the inconsiderate residents. Hence, that was the concept of our image. Using the scanner, we were able to create a zig zag effect on the earphone wires. We wanted to express the external noise coming from these noise makers. With the sharp zig zags, it depicts the noise as loud and painful to the ears. I also edited the image to have a solemn blue colour, to express how these excessive noises are upsetting.
REFLECTION
In conclusion, I think that scanography is a unique method of photography where by a story is not created through only the final image itself, but the process behind it. The most interesting part for me was how the results of each scan is always very unexpected, and I felt inclined to try out moving the objects in many different ways to see what effect it would create. Some challenges I faced was when I was brainstorming for a concept and direction for the assignment. As there were quite some limitations and considerations when using the scanner such as the lighting and space constraints, it was difficult to think of ways to express noise. After which, me and my teammate just decided to randomly experiment with different objects, it was only then we were able to slowly think of a concept. Therefore, I thought this experience taught me the importance of exploring with other tools to be creative other than the digital softwares I usually use, and also to "just start" when I'm feeling stuck as experimenting can help in the process of building up an idea.
