Photographer Research: Jamie Livingston -

Photographer Research - 

Name: Jamie Livingston
Born: 25 October 1956

Death: 25 October 1997

Birthplace: New York, America
Occupation: Photographer, film-maker and circus performer

(30-03-1980)

Connotation: This image appears to depict the nostalgic and caring nature of the photographer who spent so long capturing the images and organising them. It could also connote the level of importance that photography played in Livingston's life as there is inception of a photograph within another photograph which conveys how deeply significant it is and his devotion to not only the photographs themselves but also to the subject in the images. 

Denotation: This image is explicit in showing the journey of photography that Livingston had started. This image was captured relatively early in the 18 year process and shows the amount of photographs taken accumulating after taken a single polaroid everyday of his life from 1979 to 1997. 

Context: This photograph is in 1980, falling only one year after beginning the photographic project and shows the beginning of a lengthy 18 year photographic series. 

(02-09-1980)

Connotation: The mural on the wall is a religious scene depicting the figure of Jesus and a cross above the almost silhouetted subject in the self portrait. The wall has more graffiti on it conveying symbols and what appears to be initials. The significance of religion is not outlined in the photographic work of Jamie Livingston and could therefore be inferred in many ways. The fact that the subject is shadow could be implicit of the idea that people who have religious affiliations often refer to it as "having seen the light" which could mean that the subject is an atheist and is not exposed to the "light" of religion. 

Denotation: The above scan of a polaroid depicts a graffiti mural of a religious figure and other semiotic signs which are in focus in the background of the image whilst depth of field and lighting places the subject, who is in the right third of the composition, out of focus in the foreground and poorly lit. 

Context: This image, like the other above it, is also from the second year of the photographic series and depicts an almost amateur aesthetic and appearance of photo documentary in the similar way that people take photographs of family and friends and compile them into photo albums and such. The reason for this may be because Livingston's work was not compiled and widely shared with audience until after his death when friends and family began putting the images together to tell a more positive story of life opposed to the tragic and untimely death of Jamie Livingston. 

(18-09-1997)

Connotation: This image shows an anonymous subject, known to be Livingston himself due to the subject matter and nature of the project, surrounded by his pills. There is pen graffiti over the image to fill in details missed due to over exposure but also to fill in details to an audience who might not understand the purpose of the medicine. The notes on the photograph create a naive almost child-like atmosphere through the drawing to create a more light-hearted interpretation of the difficulty of facing cancer; the doodles convey the messages "chemotherapy dispose of properly" and "2nd cycle". 

Denotation: The above photograph conveys a subject who is composed on the outer edge of the image and is instead conveyed through the objects on the table which are medicine bottles and pills. There is pen doodling on the photograph to fill in area of the image that became too over exposed. 

Context: This photograph was captured in Livingston's final year and is only a month short of his death. The photograph shows the endless fight and hope and courage that the photographer conveyed throughout his life and death. 

(25-10-1997)

Connotation: This photograph depicts the death of Jamie Livingston; the photograph itself was captured by a friend or family member as the end of a story and the end of a life. The blur of the photograph shows movement at the time of the photograph being taken and could therefore imply the emotions and turmoil felt by those around him to loose such an important person. The subject is framed by another two people though who help to provide an insight into the many people who loved Livingston. The setting places them in a hospital and the colours also convey this but are also important in their connotative meanings. The white is a colour of serenity and peace and paired with the blue for sorrow of loss conveys the end to life. 

Denotation: The main subject who is the photographer himself is central to the image surrounded by two other subjects who's faces cannot be seen; the main focus is the blurred depiction of Jamie Livingston who is the man responsible for capturing so many photographs of people around him who finally had the camera take a photo of him whilst held in another persons hands. The lighting is contrasting in that some highlighted areas are over exposed and other areas under exposed. The focus is blurred which was most likely caused by movement on the photographers part as a result of the commotion seen within the image. 

Context: This is the final image in a series of over 6000 photographs that cover 18 years of one man's life and also of those around him during his journey. This image is the almost cyclical in that it is the date of Jamie Livingston's birthday and also the day of his death. The capturing of photographs for this series ended on this day but continued to live on through the compilation of the photographs by friends and family to create a photographic legacy and memoir to their loved one. 

Influence -

This series has influenced me immensely in the idea that the subject of the photograph does not always have to turn out as planned, as is shown in the one edited by physically doodling on the images, and that they also do not always have to depict something with lots of hidden meanings but instead convey what is important whether thats friends and family, an experience or something others may perceive as trivial. It also allowed me to understand that the depiction of self through photography doesn't have to be a self portrait but can instead be photographs of people and things important to the shaping and construction of yourself. 

Summary -

This photograph shows how I was directly influenced by the images of Livingston in relation to the technique of polaroid photography but also the physical post production editing and manipulation of an image to convey the details that might either be unseen due to overexposure or because they are implied messages hidden beneath the main body of the photograph itself. As another factor, Jamie Livingston has allowed me to appreciate the photographic processes of polaroid images even when they do not go fully according to plan due to limited light settings and such; all of this is evidence in the image "18-09-1997".