The Audible Past and Uses of Photography - Research Paper Example

? Research Log Book Teacher’s ID First Entry: The Audible Past The audible past presents the transformation of voice recording machines into hearing aids that had various purposes. There were several versions of phonautographs that were invented in the 19th century as a simple physical apparatus that would imitate human hearing. However, the same hearing aids transformed into hearing machines and acted as a medium of sound replication. This imitation of human ear raised questions about production of original sounds and its copies. Most of these phonautographs followed principles of physics and acoustics and were based on structure of middle ear of a human (Sterne, 2003). It is also important to note that every new inventor of phonographs had their own distinguished motives attached to their inventions (Sterne, 2003). Where Berliner wanted to investigate aesthetic possibilities, Edison wanted to use it for educational and social purposes. So, the sound reproduction machines actually transformed into hearing machines that cultural and social values attached to them. From their onwards, there has been a continuous advancement in the given field. The first intended purpose of phonautographs was to produce sound on the paper i.e. create documents of sound’s frequency that can be read by humans instead of machines (Feaster, 2010). Later on, the same principle was used to recreate sounds. Personal analysis of this phenomenon of sound recreation helped in understanding that sound reproduction actually undermines the social process of sound creation. We are surrounded by machines in the form of amplifiers, roofer, hi-fi sonic systems, musical recordings that just reproduce the sounds burnt into optical discs. However, this burning of sound into disc not only put an end to a learning process that was a by-product of sound production on a paper but also fails to illustrate the actual experience of first production of sound. In addition to that, the essence of original sound is already lost too. The sound of music and speech that we hear every day in the compact storage devices is already tempered and edited. Therefore, the user of sound does not have access to the real sound. The only replication of real sound that is available these days is in the form of real-time radio. Although radio itself as a medium does not follow the principles of phonautographs however electronic devices used to play these radio channels do follow simple rules of sound reproduction. Hence, phonautographs do exist in 21st century as well but real sound is not in the reach of many of us. Second Entry: The Printing Press as an Agent of Change. Argument presented by Elizabeth Eisenstein illustrated the revolution in printing after the advent of typography. Although her selected time period and regional studies are rather limited and her analysis cannot be applied on general European and Asian literature however it does illustrate the transformation that medieval literature went through after revolution in printing press. More than Eisenstein, McLuhan appears to be a strong advocate of use of technology in preservation and dissemination of literature (Leed, 1982). McLuhan recognizes the importance of technological advancements for literature and believes in modification of typographic culture under the influence of electronic media. Where print helped in brining oral speech to a visual space, use of electronic medium is allowing this visual space to be at readily available for human use irrespective of time and space (Eisenstein, 1979). I personally use kindle for reading books which would have been impossible to carry with me otherwise. Eisenstein believes that most of the literature uses stereotypes and cliches for reproduction of literature and continuous reproduction can have an effect of reinforcement on those who have access to this frequently referenced literature (Odin, 1997). Hence, it can be said that emergence of printing press paved ways for more technological advancements instead of being a revolution itself. Although Elizabeth’s notion is considered opposite to Raymond Williams’ theory however Raymond’s connotations appear more holistic when it comes to revolutionizing technology (as illustrated in week 4 presentation). Print media acted as a reinforcement of pre-established beliefs with varying views available on a single subject (Leed, 1982). Television on the other hand, withdrew personal touch from the information available on electronic media and also enforced centralized opinions that result in specific kind of social behaviour. If current literature is examined in the light of Eisenstein’s connotations, the standardization of message, less tainted religious and scientific knowledge, better accessibility of literature would be easily observed (Eisenstein, 1979). Same scientific research is available in the form of printed journal articles as well as electronic copies that are a replica of first published article. There are many movies available that are originally based on novels published in the 19th century. Some of the examples of such movies include Pride and Prejudice, Friday Night Lights, Bridget Jones Diary, The Silence of the Lambs, and the last of Mohicans. All these novels received positive responses from critiques and huge appreciation from their readers. Although the print media disseminated these literary pieces in mass public at a very cheap cost, further replication through visual media enhanced their life and made them accessible for a longer period. Third Entry: Remediation- Understanding New Media Remediation has acted as the basis of transformation from one media to another. However, it is important to acknowledge that the intended use of all forms of media would be to capture immediacy. Every new medium promises a better reproduction of previous medium and results in hypermediacy with continuous references to original work. Hence, the new virtual medium is a refashioned and improved version of print, television, photography and film. Bolter (1999) argues that all forms of media use hypermediacy to deliver their messages. Broadcasts of news channels are an effective example of this notion. The resignation of Pope Benedict was streamed live on many national channels through television and web on real-time basis (CBC News, 2013; The Globe and Mail, 2013). Despite being real-time, the content was followed up by scroll bars, text-based messages, reviews of general public in the form of videos and text, simultaneous commentary of the news reader and many other elements. The idea of this real-time inflow of information is to create immediacy and reduce the gap between origin of thought and understanding of that thought by one and others. Language and symbols are used extensively in all kind of media to reduce this gap. Even websites use graphics, visuals, videos and texts to create this sense of immediacy. Another important aspect of remediation is multiplication of information in new medium and eradication in the older one. Cassettes were extensively used for audio and video clips in 90s; however they were replaced by CDs and USBs. Since these new mediums provide better storage and improved quality of output of the same end-product, they have made previous medium obsolete. Hence, the double logic of remediation leads to abolition of older electronic and print media due to refashioned digital media. It is important to note that the users of technology are always striving for immediacy. This is precisely the reason why many TV channels have real-time reality shows followed up by live viewership and electronic polls. Where every new medium attempts to replace the old one, they may exist simultaneously. Many websites contain content from different time periods replicated in the form of graphics, texts, video streams etc. Same is illustrated in BBC’s website as well. The selected webpage contains illustration of the great depression in a textual form and graphics. In the left column, there is an option for audio files and real-time message board where visitors can begin a discussion or post their comments on an existing one. All these attempts of amalgamating multiple media are to achieve a high quality real-time experience whenever a new digital medium replaces an old one. Fourth Entry: Uses of Photography Berger has been very descriptive in his account of uses of photography. He illustrates how camera became a tool of capturing and redefining real life. It was also used as a tool of creating notions and propagandas that affected masses and history greatly. There have been many photographs that have been criticised for the meaning that they depicted. One of these photographs was about Sudan Famine UN food camp in which a vulture was waiting for a child to die (World Famous Photos, 2013). There are many similar photographs that have shaken masses due to meanings that they portray. With advent of light weight cameras, photography became a habit and part of daily life than a luxury. It also gave birth to today’s film industry. Cameras allowed instances of life to be captured in isolation and without any continuity or interconnectedness to any other motion taking place simultaneously. Berger has further explained a photograph to be more adequate replacement of paintings as it is not a replica or an interpretation but a trace of real life itself. Another important aspect of photography is an opportunity to edit which is not available otherwise in other mediums. Unlike painting or a movie, photographs act as a storage medium and do not contain any meaning unless they contribute to a living memory. Such editing also leads to changes in meanings that the picture can depict. One of the most famous examples of photo editing was the Tourist Guy (2001) (World Famous Photos, 2013). The picture supposedly captured a tourist right before the 9/11 incident. However, inconsistencies in the details of the event and the picture later on helped in declaring it as hoax. However, it was declared as the best photoshopped picture. With the help of editing, a regular picture of a tourist transformed into a viral internet humour. Public photographs contain a set of information and viewers derive different meanings out of them based on their own ideology and philosophy. Presence of cameras in the capitalist environment of 20th century aided society to relieve itself from the burden of past and provided an opportunity to create new meanings and judgements. Hence, through cameras, masses view reality and rulers of the society use it as a tool of surveillance. There are many instances where social media websites like Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter have been named as tools used by governments to keep track of individuals since these websites provide access to user’s personal photographic memory. Berger also explains that photographs can be used to create a new social or political memory. Eventually, the context of such memory replaces the real time with narrated time and develops a new radical system having new political, social, economic and cultural meaning. Pictures of burning monk, the lynching of young blacks (1930), Omayra SA?nchez (1985), segregated water fountain (1950) and fire on Marlborough Street (1975) are some other examples of photographs that gained fame due to their context (World Famous Photos, 2013). References BBC.co.uk., 2013. The Depression of the 1930s. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/britain/depressionrev1.shtml [Accessed 20 October, 2013]. Berger, J., 1991. Uses of Photography. NY: Vintage International. Bolter, D.J., 1999. Remediation: understanding new media. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. CBC News., 2013, February, 11. Pope Benedict to Resign.[online] Available at: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/02/11/bc-pope-resigns-vancouver-reaction.html [Accessed 20 October, 2013]. Eisenstein, E., 1979. The Printing Press as an Agent of Change. New York: Cambridge UP. Feaster, P. ed., 2010. The Phonautographic Manuscripts of Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville. FirstSounds. Leed, E.J., 1982. Elizabeth Eisenstein's The Printing Press as an Agent of Change and the Structure of Communications Revolutions. American Journal of Sociology, 88(2), pp. 413-429. The Globe and Mail., 2013, February, 11. Pope Benedict’s Sudden Resignation Reveals an Independent Mind. The Globe and Mail. [online] Available at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/editorials/pope-benedicts-sudden-resignation-reveals-an-independent-mind/article8467574/?service=mobile [Accessed 20 October, 2013]. Sterne, J., 2003. The Audible Past: Cultural Origins of Sound Reproduction. Duke University Press Books. World Famous Photos, 2013. Famous Photos. [online] Available at: http://www.worldsfamousphotos.com/ [Accessed 20 October, 2013]. Odin, J.K., 1997. Technologies of Writing. [online] Available at: http://www.hawaii.edu/aln/printing.htm [Accessed 20 October, 2013]. Read More