#PHONAR has moved to a new site at www.phonar.org

As has become fairly standard operating procedure at this time of year #phonar enters a kind of pupa-like stasis. During this gestation period the onsite class decide how they’re going to emerge and how they’re going to transform some of the momentum they garnered during the live ten week iteration. Very exciting …

Meanwhile it’s time to hand out some tub-thumping praise to a few standout participants who really kicked all kinds of #phonar-ass in all kinds of beautiful ways. Big shout out to Suren Makkar aka #PhonarBangalore – we loved your work. Props to Julián Péter aka #PhonarBratislava and huge respect for (I think) being the first online participant and maritime student to “attend” every single session and complete every task #TopOfTheClass and a LinkedIn recommendation coming your way. A very warm slap on the shoulder to the mysterious wordsmith Mr Peter Wilson – we love your storytelling. And a special thank you to the Ms Priyanka Ghetia for inspiring us to push further, wider and younger with our open classes – we hope you get to go to the university of your choice and trust we’ll see much more of your work in the future because you #Rock.

. . . → Read More: So long, and thanks for all the fish.

Wow – ten weeks just scream by when you’re having #phun. This week we “pitched” our projects to the rest of the group and then presented in whatever shape they currently are. We knew they’d be sketches or first drafts rather than finished pieces (as most have been produced in one week), but even still the general level of quality was #phonar phabulous – I said we wouldn’t post the session as everyone was a bit nervous (and I’m kind) but hell, here’s just a little taster of what you missed – please add a link to your own #phonar phavourite (either your own work or another participant’s).

“Imagine if all the information accumulated within you, which forms the image of yourself, your existence, was copyrighted. Every part that makes up your character, your thoughts, knowledge and skills is being borrowed by the people surrounding you. Since the moment you are born you observe and imitate. We are designed by nature to evolve and in order to achieve this we copy and remix.”

Joseph Kesisoglou

 

 

“Memorias da Guerra” by Melissa Santos

“Becoming Me” by Spohie Moet

 

 

There’s a whole bunch more that . . . → Read More: #Phonar final presentations

 

Huge Phonar thanks to everyone who offered help and advice to get us through our recent hacking. All the special love is going out to Greg Milligan (left) and Matt Johnston (right) for waging all out war against the evil forces of SpamJackular and his minions.

Step 1 was to literally plug themselves into the mainframe and go down the teletube and into the minds of the baddies to melt their brains with phonar awesomeness.

Step 2 Was to plug me into a holographic stimulator and then assimilate me into this website, which is why it appears as though nothing ever happened. So long as I remain alive and plugged in we are good to go.

I think that’s what they meant - to be honest the language got a bit techy so I interpreted and rephrased for clarity’s sake.

Alridee then .. final week, lets go to work.

jw

Thanks to Suren Makkar aka #PhonarBangalore for this lump of remix inspiration and you can see Suren’s journey through #phonar on over on his Tumblr Page

@surenmakkar https://t.co/UjAwcP6BcB Came across this and thought I should share!#phonar13 #phonar

An Instagram short film from Thomas Jullien on Vimeo.

 

 

More photographer story-telling inspiration – my mentor and friend Steve Pyke is a great story teller in his own right and Moonbug by Nicola Bruce is the story of Steve photographing as many of the people associated with the Apollo, Mercury and Gemini programs as he could (ably assisted by yours truly). Here are three clips posted to YoTub to whet your appetite .

Al Bean

Pete Conrad

Buzz Aldrin

jw

Session 8 Alternative #BTF task – Reflection

This is the fourth and final of our alternative tasks which have be set by Professor and Author of Bending The Frame, Fred Ritchin. If you missed Fred’s talks then you’ll want to go back to the lectures from the start of the class – they’re well worth it. This iteration of Phonar has been re-written to draw on Fred’s Bending the Frame so if you do these tasks then please use both of the #phonar and #BTF hashtags.

 

Source an image of the Coventry blitz. Ask yourself “how would this have been presented in today’s social and multi media environment? In what ways would it difffer? Is it better or worse?”.

Blog a 250 word reflective account.

 

Really pleased to have pulled in this chat with Matt and very grateful to current #phonar student Alex for allowing us to sit in on his quasi-tutorial (even though the work is an early noodle rather than a rough-cut – he said I had to make that clear). There are links below to examples of Matt’s work which he mentions in the piece and don’t miss the awesome set of tips that just out in a big blob towards the end. This one’s a keeper.

Please tweet your notes and comments using the #phonar hashtag and Matt is @MattFordVI when quoting.

Matt’s Facebook page.

Vignette Interactive.

Here are a few examples of the video work we have done for Human Rights Watch: http://mm.hrw.org/content/egypt-mass-attacks-churches http://mm.hrw.org/content/egypt-epidemic-sexual-violence http://mm.hrw.org/content/video-dispatch-deaths-chaos-egypt Video and interactive map http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/06/05/syria-attacks-schools-endanger-students

Some of my interactive work for the Associated Press Responsive HTML for all devices http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2013/syria/ http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2012/egypt-elex/

Flash productions from a couple years back http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_international/iraq_election2010/ http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/campaign_plus/races2010/ http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/wdc/killer_blue/ http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/campaign_plus/big_issue/

This week’s Guest Feature builds both on the way we’ve been experiencing the classes so far and on the subject matter. We’ve considered storytelling in various guises , telling our stories and those of other people but this week there are two subjects and two practices but only one film.

The movie is about the Photographer Ian Macdonald but the movie is made by his son, the photographer/curator and now film-maker Jamie Macdonald. So its kind of a pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time exercise – please tweet your comments and questions to and about the work below, which is at the same time the work of both Ian and Jamie – the story of a story-teller.

Tag your tweets #Phonar (Jamie is @jamemac , Francis Hodgeson is @HodgsonF) and do a Phonar search on Twitter to tune into the conversation.

Shooting Time Loop-1 from Jamie Macdonald on Vimeo.

 

More links than you can shake a stick at:

Ian’s site > www.ianmacdonald.co.uk Ian’s Dealer > http://www.sotherans.co.uk

Jamie’s site > www.jamiemacdonald.co.uk Jamie’s Course > http://ccad.ac.uk/ba-hons-photography/

 

[View the story "#phonar session 8: Ian Macdonald by Jamie Macdonald" on Storify]

 

 

. . . → Read More: #Phonar session 8: Pt1 Ian Macdonald by Jamie Macdonald

CAN YOU STILL HEAR US AT THE BACK?

 

Dave Dugdale CC BY-SA

This morning saw our 10,000th classmate come by for this iteration of #phonar, just at the point where another (Cali)Phonar class opens up starting from session one (if you came by late you can follow along with them). That’s pretty amazing and thanks to everyone for spreading the #PhonarPhun – the astonishing thing for us is that 10k figure is only people coming to this wordpress version of the class. It doesn’t include people engaging with #phonar over in Flickr, Soundcloud, Google+ , Facebook and of course Twitter – where #Phonar trended last week – has a “class” ever done that?

HELLO! #phonar is on fire this morning! pic.twitter.com/vqrSyzlSvd

— Kate Green (@KateGreen28) November 13, 2013

 

Right – that’s enough gloating – lets go to work – our current task is featured over on BOINGBOING

 

Prizes for the best photographed #phonar merch placements – you can download @daisywarejarret ‘s designs here and print them out as stickers and posters, then photograph them in situ.

@Jonathan_Worth a post-surf gift from the beach #phonar pic.twitter.com/fohBIKPgGY

— Mimi Ito (@mizuko) September 29, 2013

 

nb- no androids were harmed in this sticking

 

Jerome, AZ. The cliffs behind are the cliffs over the town of Sedona. (thanks Cogdog for correction -jw)

#Phonar present in the #WPPh house. Not only in sticker but also flesh and blood @Jonathan_Worth #WPPh_RC #Change pic.twitter.com/bqSUm7L2WV

— Eefje Ludwig (@eefita) October 16, 2013

#PhonarAmsterdam World Press Photo HQ

Laptop of @CathyCasserly Director of Creative Commons Global

 

Growing Phonar in Arizona , USA by @cogdog

#PhoamBath #Awesome

 

 

 

The Desktop and laptop of Author Cory Doctorow.

. . . → Read More: #phonar on the radar

There’s a lot of stage nerves this week as we get to meet one of our photo-heros and hear about his work being re-imagined as comic books and video games – session VII is all about MARCUS BLEASDALE.

Usual drill – listen along, tweet your notes and comments using the #phonar hashtag, and storify your own global set of notes afterwards which should be augmented with links, photos and other materials pertinent to your area of interest..

Right, lets go to work.

Task from Marcus:

Tips for the aspiring photographer/storyteller/photojournalist.

- Don’t go to news events, find your own story. Cover the unreported and stick with it.

- Think about your style and how you want to represent your work.

- Don’t rush to join an agency, take your time, reflect, work out what is best for you.

- Forge real and sustainable partnerships which synergize with your vision of what you want to create and say about the world and continue to work with them.

- Work out how you represent emotion and relationships and that will create your strongest work

 

Further reading:

http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/

http://www.viiphoto.com/news/tag/marcus-bleasdale/

http://soundofdrowning.com/unspeakable_things.html

http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/feature/2290573/marcus-bleasdales-zero-hour-from-photography-to-the-world-of-video-games

 

[View the story "Phonar Session . . . → Read More: #Phonar session 7

I’m Jonathan and I love stories. In fact I don’t think there’s much more important than people’s stories. And I’m not that fussed about how I learn about them, so long as they get heard. I earned a living since 1994 as a photo story-teller, telling other people’s stories here in England. I’m the first person in my family to go to college, and the first photographer – which is awesome as no one in my family can tell me I’m doing it wrong. So you can see my pics at jonathanworth.com – now I need to know what you love (two lines), what you hate (two lines) and what you would like to get out of our relationship (two lines) and a face (a selfie – jpg).

 

@AlexMasonPhoto I’m Alex, I love imagery and telling stories within my work. I find people fascinating and like to document their lives and I use a camera as a tool for helping me do this. It seems natural for me to express myself through imagery. I enjoy spending time outdoors, listening to music and spending time with my brothers. I am really getting into making short films. I am currently making a film about Freerunners/Parkour runners. My favourite short . . . → Read More: Caliphonar – Introductions

Photographer and founder of the Pathshala Institute in Bangladesh, Shahidul Alam sets an alternative task for #phonar this week, one that turned into a life’s work for him.

You have 7 days. Go.

Use images to identify an inequality within your own space (could be your geographic or your social space – your street or your family album for example), having done so work out a mechanism through which you can transform it.

 

You can hear Shahidul’s original talk below:

 

 

Session 6 Alternative #BTF task – Framing For The Future

This is the third and penultimate of our alternative tasks which have be set by Professor and Author of Bending The Frame, Fred Ritchin. If you missed Fred’s talks then you’ll want to go back to the lectures from the start of the class – they’re well worth it. This iteration of Phonar has been re-written to draw on Fred’s Bending the Frame so if you do these tasks then please use both of the #phonar and #BTF hashtags.

 

“Framing for the Future” Make a series of images covering different events / locations / environments over a week for which you record all possible factual data alongside (names/dates/location/weather etc, keep the data clinical – facts only). At the same time make a separate sets of notes on how you felt personally when making the images (your mood, physical state of being etc), use Chapter 1 of Bending the Frame for inspiration.

Additional: Share the images with other people, once with the facts and once with the your feelings and ask people to describe how this information changes their experience of the work. Reflect and blog your thoughts on their responses.

Combine the two into . . . → Read More: #BTF Creative Task: Framing For The Future

Its another full one so lets go to work -

We are in conversation this week with Photographer Sara Davidmann and Photographer, Educator and Entrepreneur  Shahidul Alam of the Pathshala Institute, Bangladesh. Two very different practitioners but both continuing to build on our discussions around the gravity of the role of storyteller and picking up on themes brought up by Fred Ritchin and David Campbell.

Usual drill – as you listen please tweet your notes and comments using the #phonar hashtag and don’t forget to storify the global set of notes/tweets afterwards.

 

Sarah Davidmann

Images discussed here are at Sara’s website http://saradavidmann.com/

Here are the Storified notes , please make your own set and augment them with related links.

Shahidul Alam

Links for images and projects mentioned:

http://pathshala.net/

http://drik.net/shahidul-alam-my-journey-as-a-witness/

http://everydayafrica.tumblr.com/

.. and here are the Storified notes from Shahidul’s session, please make your own set and augment them with . . . → Read More: #phonar Session 6

Session 5 Alternative #BTF task – Re-framing The Present

This is the second of our alternative tasks which have be set by Professor and Author of Bending The Frame, Fred Ritchin. If you missed Fred’s talks then you’ll want to go back to the lectures from the start of the class – they’re well worth it. This iteration of Phonar has been re-written to draw on Fred’s Bending the Frame so if you do these tasks then please use both of the #phonar and #BTF hashtags.

Alt task: “Re-framing the Present” Tell the story of a current news event. Use all of the available and appropriate perspectives at your disposal to make a version of the story which you feel is more accurate. It needn’t be a national news event it might be hyper local, perhaps you see a national narrative that doesn’t reflect your local/cultural reality etc

Development: Make alternative versions of differing publications/ broadcast channels, which reflect nationally and or culturally . . . → Read More: Creative Task: Reframing the Present #BTF

“A Post-Photographic Portrait”

The culmination of this module will be the production of a “post-photographic portrait”.

You should source and develop a subject whose story you tell through the production and broadcast of a “A Post-Photographic Portrait”; a phrase that we will investigate and clarify over the course of the module. Your decisions throughout  this process should build upon and further develop the work we’ve begun in creative workshop and throughout the lecture series. This process should be evidenced explicitly and succinctly on your blog as well  ( a 500 word reflective summary would do the trick).

Boom ! Easy-peasy.

Julián Péter @JuloPeter @Jonathan_Worth Hi! Bit confused on the latest task. Do we create a “new” post-photographic portrait, or do we transform our previous work?

JW >> Here’s a slightly longer answer than the 140 characters twitter allows: Perhaps see the task as a license (should one be needed) to “break out of the frame”. To break out of stills, to use sound, explore multi-point perspective and grapple with non-linear narratives. It’s the chance to make a bigger and more ambitious project than the weekly tasks and now that you’ve established a weekly turnaround of work you should find it easier to build something substantial. . . . → Read More: A Post-Photographic Portrait

Aaron Guy works at the North of England Institute of Mining where he has the daunting task of digitizing much of the institutes artefacts as well as transforming, categorizing and publishing them in new forms. Here Aaron takes us on a brief tour of the Institute and answers questions on the transformation of this great archive.

Below the photofilm/tour/interview you can see the stunning ‘Working, Void’, a piece produced by Aaron in response to much of the material he has been working with at the institute…

Matt J

Storify notes:

[View the story "Aaron Guy - Working with the Archive" . . . → Read More: Aaron Guy: Working with the Archive

Hopefully its no surprise that there’s loads to squash into this week’s session – so lets go to work …

In the class[room] we will be dividing into two. One half of the class will be listening to the interview with Lebanese Photographer Dalia Khamissy on her work “The Missing” – prior to listening to that if you’re not familiar with the work then head over to ye olde BBC and watch #phonar contributor Benjamin Chesterton’s piece for starters.

Dalia Khamissy © All Rights Reserved

 

(use this hashtag for your notes and comments #phonar #DK)

 

The other half of the group will be listening to the interview with Saudi photographer Wasma Mansour where she talks about her “Single Saudi Women” project. Both groups will tweet their notes  (please tweet yours using the hashtag #phonar and #DK or #WM accordingly) and when we come back together each group will present a precis for seminar discussion.

Untitled, (c-type print, 20”x16”, edition of 5 + 2 AP)

(use this hashtag for your notes and comments . . . → Read More: #Phonar Session 5

Amazing that it’s only week four and there’s so much awesome work coming in already – here are just a few of our faves.  If your work is featured we’ll need a postal address so we can send you some #PhonarMerch* (email jonathan@phonar.org). Everyone featured gets one of our numbered “Keep Calm” chrome ink prints, printed on textured heavyweight paper.

This is a picture I did not take from Sophie Moet on Vimeo.

 

Phonar: Pre-Task.

Ben Parfitt     @bpart

 

#phonar pre-task.

 

*#PhonarMerch – as in . . . → Read More: #phonarSpotlight Wall of Fave

 

I sat in on this week’s conversation between David Campbell and writer Carole Naggar; they discuss her biography on Magnum co-founder George Rodger. From his early years as a struggling photographer, to the establishment of Magnum and about his photographic legacy following assignments such as Bergen-Belsen. Tweet your notes with the #phonar hashtag.

- Kate Green ( @KateGreen28 )

George Rodger © All . . . → Read More: David Campbell in conversation with Carole Naggar on Magnum Founder George Rodger

Session 4 Alternative #BTF task – Re-framing The Past

This is the first of our alternative tasks which have be set by Professor and Author of Bending The Frame, Fred Ritchin. If you missed Fred’s talks then you’ll want to go back to the lectures from the start of the class – they’re well worth it. This iteration of Phonar has been re-written to draw on Fred’s Bending the Frame so if you do these tasks then please use both of the #phonar and #BTF hashtags.

Alt task: “Reframing the Past” Tell the story of an historical news event. Use all of the available and appropriate “with hindsight” perspectives to make a version of the story which you feel is more accurate. Use sources that include witnesses from that moment in time.

Development: Make alternative versions of differing publications/ broadcast channels, which reflect nationally and or culturally . . . → Read More: Creative Task: Re-framing the Past #BTF

Listen!

Record a personal story to share with the group.

You should speak your story in person and it’s telling should last approx. 2 minutes (if you prefer to record and publish in advance, that’s fine, otherwise it’s delivered live in session and stays within the closed group).

You should especially consider your choice of story/subject, your audience and your verbal delivery – in terms of your script, language, pace and intonation. No accompanying soundscape.

No pictures. Just a story.

In preparation for this week’s task which which will involve preparing to tell your own story, we have embedded a talk below from Lisa Potts. Lisa was awarded the George Medal after confronting paranoid schizophrenic Horrett Campbell who wielded a machete in a brutal attack on children under Potts’ care at a nursery in Wolverhampton, 1996.

Here, Pott’s talks off the attack as well as her treatment by the media since the attack. Lisa Potts Talk #phonar by mjohnstonmedia

If you choose to, your audio should be uploaded to Soundcloud and added to the #phonar Soundcloud group found here.

Other links:

(10.49) Embedded . . . → Read More: Creative Task : “Spoken narrative”

Apologies in advance for the amount of content this week – we only have seven weeks to go and we have a lot to get through so there are two “lectures” for this session, some tasks, practical top-tips plus feedbacks on last week’s and tasks set by Stephen Mayes (technically – regarding your CV/Resume, that means you can say you’ve worked for the director of the World Press Award Award and VII Agency – I do accept thanks via paypal fyi   Luckily if you’re following online you can spread the four hours of weekly phonar goodness over a whole week’s-worth of toast or even a whole loaf of longer.

Please tweet your notes and comments as you listen to this conversation largely between Stephen Mayes and Fred Ritchin , with a little jDub magic sprinkled a’top. This is the first part – second part to be published during the week .

And if that weren’t enough – sit down and get ready to be super moved by Stephen introducing us to Tim Hetherington, though if you already knew Tim and his work it’d be awesome if you’d add your thoughts to the conversation by tweeting with our classhtag: #phonar.

 

Tim Hetherington – . . . → Read More: Phonar session 3

Direction from @stephenmayes is that you please watch these two Tim Hetherington pieces and tweet your notes , comments and questions with the #phonar hashtag. If you think of work that might be  complimentary or however relevant  please share links  in the comments.

Sleeping Soldiers_single screen (2009) from Tim Hetherington on Vimeo.

Diary (2010) from Tim Hetherington . . . → Read More: Preparation for #phonar session 3

For this week’s session Prof Fred Ritchin introduces his book Bending the Frame and some of the rationale behind it and his previous two.

“My concern is that if the media takes to doing what Russell is demonstrating now, that people, the public will begin to disbelieve photographs generally and it won’t be as effective and as powerful a document of social communication as it has been for the last 150 years.” Fred Ritchin 1990

Please tweet your comments, notes and questions with the #phonar hashtag

UPDATE : Had to pull this storify by Cognitive Psychologist Mariana Funes which includes notes from the lecture – awesome having you in the “global classroom” Mariana.

The embed isn’t playing nicely so if its not loading here’s the link.

 

[View the story "The intent of the storyteller" . . . → Read More: Session 2 Fred Ritchin

Mankind cannot survive on bread alone and so on the Wednesday God invented #PhonarFood . Wrestling with photography’s second paradigm shift is calorie-heavy work and so understandably requires constant dietary management. Each week someone will demonstrate the necessary culinary commitment to keep the #phonar fire fed.

 

Cookie Monster Toes by ~MintyMocha on deviantART

Next week’s installment is brought to you by the letters M and S aka #Phonar13′s very own Cookie Monsters : Melissa ‘s S and S (think CheekyGirls crossed with Sesame Street).

 

They will be blowing the #PhonarFood archive away with . . . → Read More: #PhonarFood

Head of  all things #Greco-Phonar ( Ioseph Kesisoglou ) suggested we all watch :

and quite frankly we think the idea of a film we all watch each week is a jolly good one – in fact if San Francisco hadn’t already hit upon the idea of choosing #phonar contributor Cory Doctorow‘s book “Little Brother” as their “One Book One City” then we’d probably of suggested it in a similar manner.

And on that note – you need to read Little Brother (free download link) and With a Little Help (name your own price) if you want to take Phonar to the next level. They are great digital literacy/fluency lessons disguised as awesome stories – the kind of stuff that (teachers please turn away now) actually makes reading/listening/ learning [think photography?] – fun, compulsive . . . → Read More: #PhonarFilms