Malaysia Ads and Censorship

Using sexy and nudity images to advertise a product is a norm in the western society. It works tremendously well which can be shown in the sales records. For examples, the fashion brands, such as D&G, BOSS, cK and many other brands, sexism is mainly used as their advertising strategy.

In the Asia countries, especially the South-east asian countries, we have a lot of culture restriction, law and regulations which are very different from the West. In Malaysia, sex-role advertising is basically forbidden and restricted by the government. It is because Malay is the biggest ethnic group, which practiced Islam which have to "tutup aurat" (cover your intimate part - including women's hair, shoulder and arms, thigh and legs, and more). In their believes, sex is only for husband and wife, it's very private and no to be promote. So, they have to avoid and remove any sexual images and appearance from the environment at the best effort.

 

I believed these AirAsia ads are rare cases which I didn't see it on the print, I believed that these are the ads campaign that runs online. Obviously, AirAsia is copying Virgin Atlantic which they selling hot girls as the air steward who offer the best service for the mens. It's mainly targeted to non-muslim, but it's improper in Malaysia context.

I can see the intention of banning sex in Malaysia, but "tutup aurat"in some of the states, like Terengganu, Perlis and other which is heavily practised Islam, it's unacceptable for me. Although banning sex in Malaysia is creating barrier for our creativity, but sometime it's a force to push us further. For example, MC2 (MC square) cleverly make fun of the "tutup aurat"restriction and came out an outstanding promoting video which widely shared until now.

Semiotic Analysis of an Ads

When people started to learn about semiotic analysis of advertisement, they often refer to the fragrant, fashion and cosmetic ads that are "selling sex". It is a good reference because they are easy to understand, visually appealing, and the most important it seducing you. But there are many ads in the market that worth for studying.

Durex "O"- Love Gel

Denotation: A scene captured on the bed side, with tablet drawer scratched by female hand.

Connotation: A clock shows 23:36, that means it's midnight. Plus, the dim light and purple bed and pillow show it is a secret and private place and time for female. The most eye-catching part is the powerful scratch on the table, which it mean the she is having a great and pleasure sex. It never happened before and it's so great until she crushed the corner of the tablet. At the end, what is contributing this happening? The Durex lubricate!

How designer use Instagram?

Portfolio is important for a designer, because it helps them to get paid jobs and clients. Many designer choose to create a online website to post their previous works, it is a standard method and it projects the image of profession. 

Other then creating a website, building up your portfolio in the social networking site is another good option, like Instagram, which has the ability to reach more audiences than the typical website.

Many designer and the creative agency started to share their works in the Instagram, because it can generate a lot of attention and interest. Audiences like to see the designer working process, their inspiration and as well as the mistake. So, keep posting your work to show your passion in the creative industry.

Instagram is a great place to find inspiration. When your work gained a lot of interest, your followers will give feedbacks and also feed your page with lot of other's works and designs.

Here are some of the Instagram images which is inspiring from the big companies.

Intel - keeps raising the bar. Good luck to
all of this year's Olympic athletes.

Sharpie - Eye spy PSYclone! 

Starbucks - Who's your pick this season?

Taco Bell - Merry #Christmas.

References:
"HOW TO USE INSTAGRAM TO SHOWCASE YOUR DESIGNS" Accessed on August 7, 2013.
http://www.thedesignrange.com/2013/07/23/how-to-use-instagram-to-showcase-your-designs/
"WHY I LOVE INSTAGRAM."
http://www.doorsixteen.com/2011/05/19/why-i-love-instagram/
"These 20 Brands Have Mastered The Use Of Instagram"
http://www.businessinsider.com/these-20-brands-have-mastered-the-use-of-instagram-2013-1?op=1

Get inspiration from Instagram

Instagram is a great medium for the amateur and professional. Instead of capturing meaningless food photos or an amazing scene, explore the new ways to use Instagram and how to define Instagram is a great medium is more important.

Nike is a great example in using the Instagram as a tool to promote their brand. Having a contest and get inspiration for the design of your shoes is awesome. Not only you can get colour from the your Instagram pictures, it also added a litter story to tell when you look at the shoes.

Reference:

"Nike PHOTOid: Design Awesome Kicks Inspired by Your Instagrams" Accessed August 7, 2013. 

http://gizmodo.com/5995049/nike-photoid-design-awesome-kicks-inspired-by-your-instagrams

Journalism in the era of Instagram

Can you imagine that the newspaper started to feature Instagram-filtered images on the front page? The New York Times used the Instagram portrait of Alex Rodriguez which taken by the photographer Nick Laham as the front page image in the March.

It's fascinating that the professional and neutral photojournalism is influenced by the Instagram and then transformed itself the unimaginable way.

Chip Litherland - a Florida-based freelance photographer, mentioned that this kind of approarch is unacceptable and he thought, "This is the beginning of the end"

The filter of Instagram is like a heavy reprocessing of Photoshop, it applied heavy saturation and contrast, or it can be called as over manipulation. This tools really change the original image of things and alter the reality. But some readers able to accept it as they see it as a photographer's personal stamp.

The visual thinking of society is changing. Everyone can be photographer, everyone is documenting their life and experience with the phone camera.

But the most important point is trying to use the tools to benefit us and not let is to use us.

References:

"How Instagram Remade Photography" Accessed August 7, 2013. 

http://readwrite.com/2013/06/21/instagram-photos-forever#awesm=~odL5lRHydTCSvv

"How Journalists Are Using Instagram" Accessed August 7, 2013. 

http://readwrite.com/2012/09/24/how-journalists-are-using-instagram#awesm=~odN8WvHGiT1vhy

"Instagram turns amateurs into artists" Accessed August 7, 2013. 

http://mg.co.za/article/2012-12-21-00-instagram-turns-amateurs-into-artists

Instagram and fashion industry with Coco Rocha

Like the typical runway model, Coco Rocha shoot a lot of "model-off-duty" photos and she found out that these photos usually gather more interest and discussion than campaigns and editorials.

In this digital age, she realised that it is very important to reach the audience outside of the traditional fashion magazine and the billboard ads.

For examples, she is utilising all the online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and she had gained ten million followers from the worldwide.

For just a photo of her at home, she ables to gather 30,000 likes and 5,000 comments about it. The power of influence is more greater than the editorials and the feedback is always direct and straight-forward.

She and her husband take a lot of pictures with their phone, but they seldom upload to directly right away. Thus ,she came out with this idea that "selections are always about quality versus quantity." It is more important that to share something that is really interesting and what would her followers find interested. 

References:

"Why I Instagram" Accessed on August 7, 2013 

http://www.vogue.com/vogue-daily/article/why-i-instagram/#1

"Oscar de la Renta Uses Instagram to Reveal Fall Fashion Campaign" Accessed on August 7, 2013 

http://www.contentstandard.com/social-media/oscar-de-la-renta-uses-instagram-to-reveal-fall-fashion-campaign/

Why everyone loves Instagram?

Instagram is a new kind of social network which people share their photos each other. Unlike Twitter which allows you to update your status with only text, Instagram lets you capture and share your photos, and applies your photos with some filter effects to imitate those lomography cameras.

Instagram has been gaining more popularity than ever, so why do people love to use Instagram?

Photos vs Words

Nowadays, people consumer more images and video, rather than words and texts. We all are visually driven people. Sometimes, it is very hard to communicate in words, so taking some pictures will make things easier. 

When you open your Facebook or Twitter, you will see a lot of complaints that it's Monday, bad experiences and things like that. While in Instagram, people usually share beautiful images and more positive emotions.

Negative comments in Facebook vs
Positive images in Instagram

Bridging the gap

Take the photo with DSLR or phone camera? Although DSLR gives you more effort and creativity to control the shutter, aperture and other, but the simplicity and the casual of Instagram is the biggest attraction.

Tim Moynihan, the senior editor of PCWorld, believes that Instagram is filling the gap that it allows people to exert creativity by choosing the right filter for the right photo.

References:

"Why Is Instagram So Popular?"Accessed on August 7, 2013 http://www.techhive.com/article/253254/why_is_instagram_so_popular_.html

"5 Killer Ways To Rock Instagram For Business" Accessed on August 7, 2013 

http://www.bitrebels.com/social/5-killer-business-instagram-tips/

Photoshop and Advertising industry

It's a great contrast when comparing the use if photoshop in photojournalism and advertising industry. The advertising industry is using the power of technology, to "perfect" all the images of women. Commonly, you can find that majority of the images of the women are being digitally manipulated. For examples, the pore-free skin, blemish and wrinkle free, unrealistic scale of eyes and size of waist.

At the same time, it distorts our perceptions of normal, healthy and the natural appearance of a women. 

We should keep it in mind that these digitally altered portraits are commercials. They use it to capture the consumer attention and advertise the product. None of these is real and they are mis-leading.

Same as the fast food company, you will never get a burger that looks the same with the advertisement. And, they placed a tiny sentence, "for illustration purpose only", to avoid "any" mis-leading.

Back to ourselves, are these what we want? Maybe our passionate pursuit of perfect and beauty is hard-wired with our mind, it is part of human nature. 

References:

Robert Hirsch, 2007. Westwood Light and Lens Bundle: Light and Lens: Photography in the Digital Age. 1 Edition. Focal Press. p21 and p22.

"Photoshopping altering images and our minds!" Accessed August 3, 2013. http://www.beautyredefined.net/photoshopping-altering-images-and-our-minds/

"Don’t Let the Retouched Photographs of the World Affect Your Own Self Image" Accessed August 3, 2013. http://petapixel.com/2013/07/10/dont-let-the-retouched-photographs-of-the-world-affect-your-own-self-image/

"What's behind the culture of Photoshop in advertising" Accessed August 3, 2013. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/whats-behind-the-culture-of-photoshop-in-advertising/article10111740/

Photoshop and Photojournalism

The debate about the practice of image manipulation in the photojournalism never stop. It is because the the use of digital technology to create and manipulate their work are challenging the profession of journalist, and some people unable to accept it.

Back to the ethics of a professional journalist, it is their responsibility to inform the public with integrity, independence and accountability. But in this vast sea of change, the photojournalist has to struggling more to stay right on their responsibility.

Generally, using Photoshop to alter the framing, saturation and lighting, to achieve the artistic and commercial goals is accepted by the public, where as there should be nothing to hide.

Most of the photojournalist work in the electronic darkrooms nowadays, there are endless tweaks for a photo in the Photoshop. Thus, the boundary of the truth and "what can be manipulated" has been blurred in the past decade. So, the question come to us that what kinds of alterations are more acceptable by us morally.


References:
"world press photo 2013 image alteration controversy" Accessed on August 6, 2013
 http://www.designboom.com/art/world-press-photo-2013-image-alteration-controversy/
"Darkrooms are Irrelevant and The Truth Matters" Accessed on August 6, 2013
http://petapixel.com/2013/02/20/darkrooms-are-irrelevant-and-the-truth-matters/
"Ethics:Some Things Never Change" Accessed on August 6, 2013
http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0602/ethics.html

Photoshop - a big tools for the crowd

Photoshop is becoming
better or worst?

Photoshop has grown and changed over decades, Adobe keeps stuffing a lot of functions inside the photoshop every year to make it new and unexpected. Then it cost you hundreds dollars to upgrade, to buy a newer version of photoshop which full with new features and lack of improvements and innovation.

I started to use photoshop when I was in high school. It is photoshop CS2, which it included all the functions that I need, it is quite stable and i was having a good time with it. But the photoshop today bloated with a lot of unnecessary functions, like the 3D tools that I will never use it. 

It is more than just a professional image editing software, it is the only professional image editing software that you can find. So you have to live with it.

Adobe is building the application for everyone. Thus, it never say "no" to a new feature, that's is what makes it so powerful and also where the problem is. Everyone want to be photoshop expert. That's why they included all the function in it and never try redesigning and rebuilding it.

Photoshop is a good tools for everyone, includes the people who work in creative industry. With abundant of functions, effects and filters, it is more important that you find new ways to use it and use it to open the possibilities and unlimited creativity inside you.


Reference:
"Photoshop is a city for everyone: how Adobe endlessly rebuilds its classic app" Accessed on August 6, 2013
http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/13/3959868/photoshop-is-a-city-for-everyone-how-adobe-endlessly-rebuilds-its

Five ways the digital camera changed us

Never look down a small invention. Did you know the first digital camera is invented by Steven Sasson for Kodak. But the company didn't fully support his invention, and failed to adapt the digital evolution. 

The true spark of digital camera, the most revolutionary part is the introduction of the camera phone. I believe that everyone has a camera phone in their pocket which is 24 hours 7 days standby and ready to capture everything with just a click or maybe touch, precisely.

The invention of digital camera has great impact on the professional photographers. It is because photography is no longer a expensive practice and who gonna to take care about the technical parts, like the viewing angle, layout and arrangement, or exposure, where is I can just point and shoot.

This is what that separate amateur who use digital camera, from the professional photographers who use DSLR, who have better scent of art.

But how have the digital camera changed us?


1. "I was there"

I believe that people did capture food photos before, when the food is served to them. If you go to see a concert, definitely there are a lot of people who were holding their phone to capture the whole footage.

Just want to ask, is the food feeding you or your phone? Is you or your phone enjoying the concert?

Wouldn't it better to taste the food right away, instead of capturing tons of photos and wait until the food don't taste good anymore.


2. We're taking more snaps

The invention of digital camera frees us from the limited 24 exposure-roll of film. It can be easily to take hundreds of photos for nothing.  That make us hard to appreciate a good photo, as the digital camera makes photography easy and effortless.

3. People are better photographers

Thanks to the tiny litter screen, people are able to check their images immediately after taking the shoot. Professional photographer also use the screen to have a glance on the images. Not like the old time when you only able to view the photos after you develop it in the darkroom.

Everything is automated on the digital camera. That means it helps you to eliminate the technical problems, but at the same time, it also limits yourself to explore the functions and the controls of the camera. 

There is no problem to set it to automatic mode. But it kills your creativity to explore more, and play with the composition, the focus, the shutter speed and aperture which may lead to even better photograph.


4. Citizen journalism

Everyone love to film stuffs. Before the invention of digital camera, people keep the film for the most precious moment, because the film is expensive and limited frames for a roll. They need to know what will going to happen in the advance and hit the button once, one particular shoot for one moment.

But now, there is no limited amount of frame on a camera. So, it opens the possibility for us to capture the whole activity. You might find some unexpected shoot during that time and you will no going to miss any one of the shoot if you keep pressing the button.


5. We're all archivists

There are 360 billion digital photos taken in 2011, which is way more than the photos taken last century. Facebook claims that there are 300 million photos being uploaded every single day.

Nowadays, people can take 500 photos or more on a holiday. Just in one year, there maybe will be thousands photos that had been taken. This will become a problem that the best shoot or the most valuable ones can be lost in the large amount of dross.

This also make us to think twice before pressing the shutter.

Reference:

"Five ways the digital camera changed us" Accessed on August 5, 2013

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16483509

"Reality Check: Professional Photography Is Going Away" Accessed on August 5, 2013

http://rising.blackstar.com/reality-check-professional-photography-is-going-away.html

The rise of the digital imaging

We have to thank Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre, who made the first photographic process to the public, the daguerreotype. People have been discovering new photography method to record and present their world. 

Then the daguerreotype was replaced by the flexible film and now the chemical process to develop images in the darkroom have been replaced by the electronic digital studio. 

Now, photographer or the image-maker can use computer to manipulate their photo and increase their workflow, instead of stick himself or herself inside the darkroom, handling lot of chemical and also need to face the risk of damaging the film. 

Digital imaging software is replacing the darkroom

By using the digital camera, photographer have the ability to view their image instantly and then modify the images right away. So, they save the time to develop the image from the film like the old time. And also save the cost to run the darkroom.

The digital imaging also made the images mrs easier and quicker to distribute and transmit around the world.  Yes, it definitely can reach to a larger audiences in short amount of time.

Is it opening the new way for people to make images or is it challenging the credibility of photography?



References:
1. Robert Hirsch, 2007. Westwood Light and Lens Bundle: Light and Lens: Photography in the Digital     Age. 1 Edition. Focal Press. p5,p6,p13-p16.
2. "Digital Technology's impact on society" Accessed on August 4, 2013
http://picturethispictureme.blogspot.com/2012/12/digital-technologys-impact-on-society.html
3. "How Digital Technology has Changed Photojournalism" Accessed on August 4, 2013 http://www.adorama.com/alc/0012375/article/How-Digital-Technology-Has-Changed-Photojournalism

The future form factor of camera?

Conran camera brings back the retro spirit to the digital camera

Yes, it's a digital camera, with a very ground-breaking outlook. If you owned a film camera, you will definitely know that film camera can let you to control all the settings, you can easily navigate the shutter speed, aperture, focus and more.

Nowadays, the digital camera has become a point and shoot device. Lack of the control makes a lot of difficulty for a professional photography when making images. So, Conran found this problem and he is building this device with the essence and functionality of a camera should have.

Do you ever keep taking and viewing the photos on your camera and then missed all the beautiful scene of you trip?

This is why Conran didn't include a screen on this product, because most of us has smartphone and PC that built with high resolution which can be used to view your photos afterward.

This also brings back the element of surprise on the digital camera. Lack of screen on this device not only makes it more portable and lightweight, we will also never know what you had been captured. Surprise can be found when you check on the images, that makes the images more memorable.

I will definitely buy this product if it's available, because it makes you appreciate the scene that you're having at that moment. Look and observe the world with your eyes, instead of keep checking the tiny lithe screen of your camera and forget to enjoy your trip.

Reference:
"Radical Conran camera brings back element of surprise" Accessed on August 4, 2013
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130318-radical-camera-goes-back-in-time
"Conran imagines a digital camera with a retro spirit" Accessed on August 4, 2013
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130318-a-digital-camera-with-retro-looks

Digital vs traditional film photography, which one better?

Digital versus film photography has been a great topic of debate in the photography world. Some people claim that digital is better than film, meanwhile other people insist on the film photography is better than digital. Actually, there is no one correct answer for this question. Thus, it depends on what you want to do, one tool might be better than another. 

I'm not going to describe about the function or the theory behind it. But I would like to point out two points, which is the image quality, workflow speed and credibility.

For the image quality, digital and film photography have their own strong point. As the technology advances, much higher resolution was packed into the digital camera. From the old-school VGA and 2 megapixels camera grows to the recently 41 megapixels Nokia camera smartphone, the megapixels race will not stop. 

But the digital cameras will never meet the resolution of the film. Digital photography is stuck in whatever quality you shot. The only way to blow up an image is resampling by using software, but it's just the computer calculation and there is no real data from the particular scene capture. 

While the image quality of the film is depending on the scanner that you are using. The professional film scanner is able to extract 100 megapixels or more from the film. Studies shown that large format film will need 800 megapixels to emulate and it's very hard to achieve in these days.

For the colour reproduction, digital cameras are more accurate on the colour, while the colour of the film will fades and also depends on the film development process. Digital camera also has a better dealing on the colour noise, which will lead to a better image quality. Film with high ISO might have a lot of grain and noise which will reduce the quality of the image.

Reference
1. "Film vs. Digital Cameras." Accessed August 3, 2013. 
     http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/filmdig.htm
2. "Film versus Digital My Summary"Accessed August 3, 2013. 
     http://www.clarkvision.com/imagedetail/film.vs.digital.summary1.html
3. "Is a film SLR camera better than a digital SLR camera?" Accessed August 3, 2013. 
    http://crave.cnet.co.uk/digitalcameras/is-a-film-slr-camera-better-than-a-digital-slr-camera-49293064/

Why do we take photos?

Thousands years ago, people started to made paintings about their environment, beginning from tracing their hands, drawing the animals and then drawing abstract patterns on the rock and the wall of the cave. These are the ways that people use to express themselves and also to record what they think of the world and who they are.

We take photos because words cannot always describe and express our feelings satisfactorily. That's why photography plays their roles, because pictures are the fundamental component of how human observes things, what is happening at that moment, what is your feeling, but nevertheless what is your perspective of the world.

Photos and pictures are meant to be shared. You can think that it is a private activity or I  just want to keep it myself and it is a tool to record my feeling. But this is wrong! Because pictures will lose its purpose if you don't share it.

Just think that photography as a conversation among the photographer, the subject and the viewer. In the conversation, the participants not only exchange words but also create meaning. Then, they will have creative interaction and reach a conclusion that accepted by them.

Lastly, this quote is awesome!

"If i could explain to you what I meant there would be  no reason to dance." -Isadora Duncan, the mother of modern dance.

Reference:

1. Robert Hirsch, 2007. Westwood Light and Lens Bundle: Light and Lens: Photography in the Digital     Age. 1 Edition. Focal Press. p3-p4.

2. “Why Do We Take Photos? – PictureCorrect.” Accessed August 3, 2013.    http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/why-do-we-take-photos/.

Images:

“World’s Oldest Cave Art Found—Made by Neanderthals?” Accessed August 3, 2013. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/06/120614-neanderthal-cave-paintings-spain-science-pike/.

"1900-isadora-duncan-and-the-birth-of-modern-dance" Accessed August 3, 2013.

http://www.danceconsortium.com/features/dance-resources/dance-handbook/1900-isadora-duncan-and-the-birth-of-modern-dance/

Question analysis and brainstorming

After weeks of consideration, I had made my choice to select question no.6.

Critically examine the popular usage of digital cameras, Photoshop, or Instagram  and its impact on professionals in the creative industry.

Basically, I will start with the definition and introduction of the keywords, such as digital cameras, photoshop, Instagram and also creative industry.

Then, I will bring up some of the critical question for each section.

1. How to differentiate digital cameras and DSLR, are they the same? What is the impact of this media on the professionals who own the DSLR or the traditional film cameras?

2. Is Photoshop invented for the professional industry or just for the public/the amateur? How they treat photoshop differently and what is their perspective?

3. The rise of the new media/new platform - Instagram (social network). Do the professional photographer use Instagram to get inspiration from it?

4. What is creative industry? Besides photography and graphic design, can we consider advertising, art & craft, film, music and etc as the members of creative industry?

5. The perspective of modernism and post-modernism on these new media. What is the perspective of the new generation on the works of the professionals.

Forming my personal idea, opinion and my direction will be developed onwards.



Wow,there's a lot of workload!

Exploration

With a very briefly run through, question number 1, 3 and 6 really draw my attention and I'm going to go deeper on it. In the library, I found some of the books are related to these few questions.

Critical and Cultural Theory - by Dani Cavallaro

This book will act as my main reference and tool to analysis different types of media and have a better understanding on the media, how the media is generated, and what is the influences on our culture?


The Beauty Myth - by Naomi Wolf

This book is a great reference for the question no. 3, it describes feminism in a detail and great way. But I felt very silly to borrow this book, because I still haven't decided my topic yet.


After some exploration on the internet, there are some blog and online journal which are very useful.
1. http://madiamissionaryschool4.blogspot.com/
2. http://katiebirdmedia.wordpress.com/
3. http://scmc3001.wordpress.com/
4. http://mediaculture2020.blogspot.com/

Definitely, I need more time to decide which topic is the chosen one.