Photographic Manipulation

The extent to which photography has gone is beyond limitations. The continuing expansion of photography in the presence of the technological revolution shows that it has no bounds and is quite fascinating at that. The mere fact that any photograph can be taken and copied or manipulated (to produce a chosen image) is eerie in the sense that what you are looking at does, in fact, not exist. Photography is a form of art and should be considered as such, and only as such. By people being able to doctor pictures, it is showing that they are expressing what they want people to divulge. It is scray to think that someone can walk past me and take a picture of me; and then, the next day, on the internet there is a picture of me kissing a donkey's ass or something. Yet I would know for a fact that it never happened. However, who would believe me if people often tend to believe what they see? At least if people saw that it was a drawing or something then it would simply be regarded as a drawing and a thought and nothing more. It is hard to believe what you see if it is a reconstructed representation of reality,which allows for an extreme case of manipulation. A representation of reality is not reality in itself, but a simple representation of that reality; and, what is not real is basically a creation of humankind.

Instruments of Photography

There are various instruments used for photography and there have been many used and developed over the past. It is all about the technological advancement and consistent changing fashions that influence the different types of instruments that exist today. Photography involves taking many things into consideration: the size of the picture, the length of the shot, the angle to be used, the desired quality of the picture, the actual colouring to be used or emphasised etc….

Development of Photography

Photography began a long time ago. Its development dates back to the eighteenth century. It began from mixing nitric acid, silver and chalk, where it was discovered that a darkening colour appeared after contact with direct sunlight. Thus began the black and white photography that is still witnessed today. The beginning of photography was a wholly scientific process that involved patience etc. However, as it developed it took on a huge attraction from artists and art-lovers alike. It was here that it became a form of art. It is amazing to note how photography has developed over the centuries into what it is today. In the early stages of development, it would take a few hours just for one photograph to be taken; plus, there were shadows as if the sun was shining from both sides. Now, a photograph can be taken and produced in an instant. From big boxes to small phones, the development of photography has co-existed with the progressiveness of technology. It is now possible for people to go deep down into the ocean and capture pictures of fish and other marine life. The development of photography even led to the development of motion pictures (a bunch of photo-stills put together to produce a continuous set of actions), which now play a major role in the entertainment industry. It is now even possible for a picture to be edited for various purposes. In terms of magazine publishing, a lot of photographs are edited; this is also known as air-brushing. Air-brushing is rather common in magazine publishing, where magazines get to manipulate the representations of reality in any way suitable. Photography has gone from science to art to forms of expression.

Selectivity

It is interesting to look at the way in which selectivity occurs in photography. When one is trying to get the 'perfect shot' everything has to be 'perfect' and according to someone's specific ideals. It is here where preparation and planning is often undertaken to ensure that a photograph displays what the photographer had intended to photograph. However, that is looking at things in minimal perspective. Looking at the bigger picture, photographs that are put in newspapers have gone through a process of selectivity known as gatekeeping. This process is common all over the world through all most forms of media (even in extreme cases the internet: if you look at China for instance, where the word DEMOCRACY cannot even be found on google. Imagine that? I bet you this blog will not even be accessible in China due to the fact that I have used the word democracy). It is whereby people can view selected pictures so as to be influenced, in a way, by those pictures that generally promote a certain ideology. The globe is a big place with competing ideologies, where the competition can be seen in the media. Ideology has even been referred to as image manipulation. There is, in fact, a fascinating article put forward on: http://www.transparencynow.com/news/Ideol.htm . You should check it out just for curiosity's sake. But then, how much easier is it to manipulate someone other than by controlling the gatekeeping process? Where there is a war taking place, it is more common to show the destruction of buildings than the piles of corpses all over the place.

Photography

What is it about photography that makes it important to us in our lives? Quite simple really, it freezes moments in time that can be appreciated for pretty much eternity and anywhere (possible) in the world. Looking at a photograph, it allows the viewer to be able to relive a moment from history, or witness something that merely happened in the past. However, the development of photography comes from the progression of art; or rather, the art of expression. Being able to express something allows a form of communication that enables ideas and messages that may be shared by one person to many people. There is, in fact, a phrase that says a picture tells a thousand words. The fact of the matter is a picture tells a story, just like a photo does. However, a frozen moment in time can easily be prepared for by the photographer or the person (people) being photographed. It is here where it must be mentioned that deception is possible to occur. The fact that someone can stage a photograph means that it cannot be regarded as evidence. Even in a court of law, photographs are considered inadmissable as items of evidence. Which puts photography firmly into the category of art. It is nothing but art. For example, when a person decides to capture a picture of something, quite a few things have to be taken into account: the angle of the shot, the length of the shot, as well as what 'should' or 'should not'. This brings on the question of selectivity.

Popular Music and Culture

Blessings People,


I'm sure you're aware that populr music refers to the most common music that is aired daily on radio and television. Quite a number of people belive it to be the 'Britney Spears' or 'Michael Jackson' type of sound, when, hoever, hip hop and neo-RnB can also be seen as popular music - in South African society we can say that House music is quite popular. This then means that popular music refers to the mainstream music that we often are exposed to.



With the assistance of new mass media, a few music genres have found popularity within the members of society; particularly the young generation. Since genres vary from each other in terms of lyrical content; moral/message; the life-styles lived by members or musicians in that genre; the dresscode/attire of the musicians as well as the followers of that genre and also the places/locations of gathering where shows occur or where people (genre followers) 'hang out'. From this we can see that the genres create subcultures in our society where an identity is is also created for those invloved in that genres. Stereotypes and other perceptions arise when outsiders analyse the genres since they do not understand they culture lived by those individuals. For example, people belonging in the punk culture can possess atributes such as mohawks and such others; those who've adopt the neo-hip hop culture can be spotted by their baggy clothes and jewellery..



From viewing people from different cultures that are created by music genres one can see the distinction physically before they even understand the person individually.. Does this mean that the persona displays the identity of the population or does it mean that to belong to any of these just subcultures one actually has to act; dress; talk and walk a certain way? Is this the identity that a person has to live by? Its difficult to say since the new world (postmodern) requires people to live by an identity that is 'designed' on their behalf by society. What can a person call real? If the social identity is that which is created and the one obtained from subcultures, for instance, is one which a person 'chooses' themselves - they join the subculture knowing what identity is instore for them and probably one they have seeked..

What do you think? Check out the MTV website and explore the various cultures created by various popular music genres.. Its quite a thrill to see all the genres creating what is called 'popular music' yet the content of each genre has immense distinctions from most others.. See For Your Self..


Peace and Blessings...

From Traditional to Digital Music Production - Fruity Loops Studio

Hey There. .

I've told you how the move or transformation of music has come from the tradition to the modern era of invention - which includes computer technology. In sociology this developed as the Era of Modernity and came about with the Modernisation Theory being adopted to explain development. Emile Durkheim states that a society moves from traditional culture to modern culture with a relationship of interdependency between people. I belive that there are obvious alterations to pre-industrial ethics as people start accepting norms and values which are established by the society as a whole. Marxism says that these norms and values, though, are of the dominant class; meaning that the subordinate class is victim of ideological control.

With the development of New Media and technology, we can see several traditional elements and cultural norms and arts (such as music and narrative) being replaced or "improved" upon by technology and scientific epistemology..

Looking at music we can see the development of genres which contribute to the forming of subcultures in society such as Hip Hop; Punk and such others - where individuals share common social interests - these subcultures create a sense of belonging for their members. Even when looking at virtual reality - people recreate their identities to suite whatever they may prefer, therefore the new media becomes an element in creating social groupings; social identity and also individual identity, but removes pre-obtained cultural ways of living while trying to create a common way. Marx, as mentioned, sees this common way being conformity to the dominant class's ideology (please comment and/or criticise this).

The move from the traditional methods of music production to the modern digital music producion has given people advantages and an opportunities. Anyone can take advantage of a digital software such as Fruity Loops Studio (FLS) and create a master piece instrumental of any genre. You don't really have to learn to play any musical instruments, just learn how to use the software and take time perfect it to be maybe even better than composers such as Abdulah Ibrahim.

Fruity Loops comes with a large and diverse collection of instruments (from percussion to bass to strings) and once a person learns how to use this (programme), a lot of things are possible. I started playing around with this software in 2005 and I'm trying to master it. What it (and all other softwares after learning the operation) requires is the users creativity in terms of music - guitar/piano lessons are expensive and take time.

However, you do need to understand how music composition works and its requirements - the advantage is that you don't need instrument playing abilties. Ironically, its also an advantage if one can play an instrument, as this adds a better understanding of that particular instruments and its best abilities and also can contribute to digitally playing the instrument.

The users can get an opportunity, through the use of such softwares, to explore their creativity. Infact, one could become a superstar producer as they master the software and also become more creative as they grow musically. Popular music producer, Timberland (USA), is actually a user of FL Studio and is currently ranked as one of the top producers of contemporary Hip Hop and Popular Music (Pop). Producers such as Quincy Jones (USA) and Sankomota (SA) will always be recognized as legendary and gifted producers, but with New Media technology, all a person needs is a computer and a software to work themselves up to being top producers.

New Media, then, enures the users' participation in the available media - anyone can now do several things that they couldn't or wouldn't have been able to do previously.

Explore FL Studio on its Web-site and see if it makes sense to you - I think its a fantastic programme to use . . Click on This Link

Peace and Blessings..

Look At This....

Hey. . . If you've read my post before this you'll remember me talking about the bongo drum and its cousin, the Conga drum - - these were two of the pioner Beats from the African tradiotion.. The mystery behind them is that can put someone in an hypnotic trance. But the thing is, its not a mystery...

FROM THESE CAME THE PERCUSSIONS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE DRUM KIT.. . . .

The drums became one of the best musical inventions, contributing to just about every music genre (except the opera and some classical symphonies, such others) . . The drums are basically the "Beat" of any musical instrumental; they are the trance setters.. I like the drums, infact I should get a Yamaha drum kit - the Japanese often know what they're doing.



THE DRUM MACHINE


Then came this - The Drum Machine. .This is basically a digital drum kit, enabling a person to programme a drum loop into the machine which then plays the loop/rhythm back as if it were played live. The more the drum machine became upgraded and computerized more input channels were created with this; making it seem as if the drummer has a lot of arms like the Hindu God, Shiva.. Imagine an Octopus playing the drums live with all tentacles holding drum-sticks (not chicken pieces) and playing; there'll be eight different sounds of beat, don't you think?


That is what the drum machine enables one to do, infact, the development of technology as a whole has made "the impossible possible" and several things that humans couldn't do (like one person playing the drum with eight arms) are now possible and most people are estatic because of this. It does remove the skill part of composition though, but the creativity is still there - all one has to do is learn how to use the technology such as a drum machine and then apply their musical creativity to ensure a good final production. Whereas for the drum kit and bongos/congas, a person also requires the physical skill and ability to play a rhythm. .
So who do we call a better producer/composer - the live or the digital composers? Does new technology give an advantage or does it remove skill, over power skill and possibility? I guess in the virtual world we are all able to do whatever we want - that how humans can play any instrument if their acquire a computer software such as Fruity Loops; Reason and Cue Base to name a few.


DIGITAL PRODUCION

This is a software called Fruity Loops Studio (FL Studio), it basicall enable one to compose a full song using all types of instruments (from the drum itself to a violin; guitar; bass guitar or even an organ). . . I've attached a link which allows you to download the demo version of this software and you can see what you can put together, test you musical creativity - it could actually be your future.. You can also Save your song as MP3 format and play at your parties; imagine YOUR production being played at any event - Check it Out . . Peace and Blessings...


Click Here..

The Traditional...The Drum

Hey People,

You know when music began it differed in Western culture to the African culture. I don't want to get deep and critical in analysing both cultures at once, so I'll start with Africa...

I'm sure we all assume that we know that the first form of musical instrument in Africa was the drum, right? Well, that assumption is true. Infact, it dates back years before Era of Slavery. In African subcultures, the drum was used for various meditational purposes; entertainment (dancing, clapping and the drum-beat). The Conga and the Bongo drum are two of the first forms of drums, other such as the marimba were later developed.

What strikes me is this book I read by By Rene T. A. Lysloff, Leslie C. Gay, Andrew (FRW) Rosson titled Music and Techoculture - it has this section on the development of musical rhythm in Africa: it, firstly, acknowledges the Conga and the Bongo as the firsts, but then it mentions the hypnotical secrets burried within the African Rhythm composed with these drums, interesting? Tell me what you think.

The rhythm created a hypnotic trance induction which was experienced by the listener and also strongly by the composer. A consistence rhythm kept playing and trapped the listener in trance making them intouch with nature harmonically - (the philosopher Socrates spoke of harmonic relations of humans to society and vice cersa: Humansare living primates and nature keeps the living alive).

My Point: Through this reading I can say that: once the rhythm of life is understood, the harmony with nature ensure that everything stays in place.

However, meaning differs from generation to generation - music forms have developed from just the drum and the drum is used differently as genres of music start to develop (Rock, House, Bossanova and so on), but if you take the African myth of hypnotic inductions you might start realising how the Beat in a musical instrumanetal does 'hypnotise' someone - it even etermines the way you dance to the music. For this one reason composers and music producers such as Quincy Jones and Andreas Volenvedar see the percussion and the drums as probably the most important element in copmosing a musical instrumental.

Since more genres were emerging, from the Bongos came the drumkit - included the Hihats; the Snare drum; the Kick/bass drum; the toms - and its drum features differed in accordance with the genre. The as we move into a more technological society the invention of The Drum-Machine was significant to the modern. To play the drum (drumkit or bongos) requires skill, but with drum-machine on can simply programme the drum rhythm into the machine for the machine to play it (this requires skill, in a way, but also a alot creativity). Would you say that its malleable? It does allow one to compose any Beat or drum-rhythm.

Click on the Link and get enlightened about The Drum-Machine - this link will allow you to use a drum-machine online and save you production as mp3. Digital Technology is fabulous and it makes a lot of the previously impossible possible. It is on it s way to dominating the world and is currently manipulating us to use it and popularize it, making it an upcoming domination..Is that good or bad? Because of it, more people can produce music by using new technology and new media forms such as computers and the internet..You can to . . Click on the Link, Launch the DigiDrum-Machine from Groove Lab and try it Out . . . All you have to do is Launch It..

Click Here

Peace and Blessings..

Global Thinking

The way in which to dominate the world is by manipulating the global thinking machine (i.e. the minds of the majority of people). How can there be a revolution when the revolutionists are programmed not to do so? With the ascending progress and development of the media, there is a growing depedency on communication to the masses through the media (whichever form that might be). At the same time, chosen (closed) messages are given to open-minded people who have to -in a way- conform to offered ideologies which are promoted through the "privately owned" institutions of the media. Through one-way communication only certain viewpoints are given forward, whereas the receivers of such information are unable to reply with contradicting (or contrasting) viewpoints or comments or criticisms of such promoted viewpoints. He who controls the global media controls the world's mode of thinking.

The Music - Kwezi

Hey people (friends, colleagues and strangers)..

I represent the beat. I'm sure everybody is aware that some of hte first musical instruments were sounds such as finger-snapping and foot-tapping or stomping to others. Well, some people believe the cave started it by bashing clubs on each other's skulls - who knows? finger-snapping sounds more convincing to me.. As media and technology improved, the development of instruments such as the drumkit came and pu a whole knew effect to music production - with assistance other percussion instruments (shakers; tamborines), bass, keys and string instruments to name a few.

Today you can access software with all these little instruments programmed onto them - meaning with access to a computer, you can become a SUPER STAR music producer, or you can just make a couple of sounds you might like hearing.

OK, my name is Kwezi Sontange - you can call me Kwezi :-) - I'm going make sure you stay informed about the music - did you know they call it Digital Music these days?