Chronography 1:
Eadweard Muybridge
Overview
Edwweard Muybridge produced 781 sets of animals and people in locomotion. In 1884 he filmed wild animals at the Philadelphia Zoological Garden. In 1885 he filmed horses, farm, and domesticated animals at the Gentlemans Driving Park. A portable backdrop was marked off in 5cm squares using threads. These assisted with following the path of movements which were captured by two arrays of individual cameras. 24 of which were arranged parallel to the backdrop. 12 more were positioned at each end, at a perpendicular or 60-degree angle. The cameras allowed three photographs to be taken simultaneously – one from each array. The photographs in each array were numbered in chronological order in the direciton of movement. (Sometimes the animals did not move according to plan.)
With the ability to capture instants up to 1/2000th of a second, the invention of photography allowed Muybridge to capture nuances of movements that were previously too rapid to observe — shifts in the center of gravity, sequencing in the rhythms of limbs, changes in head position — resolving many scientific and artistic debates.
Instructions
This investigation may take the form of a series of photographs (chronophotography) or a series of drawings or other images (chronography).
This could also be some combination of techniques, for example, using photographs as a basis for the production of drawings or modifying the scene (in the spirit of Marey) to amplify certain features with graphical or other marks applied to the real-world subject while suppressings others by allowing them to blend into a backgroudn context like a green screen or black backdrop.
Produce a series of instants, no less than 16, from the direct observation of a real-world event. Success will depend on your thoughtfulness and care in:
- Staging of the event
- Framing it
- Considering what instants to capture in relation to moments of change
You may find you need to capture more instants than you need and then carefully select the ones that support your presentation of time unfolding.
Required Reading:
Marta Braun, Picturing Time, Chapter 3.
Optional Reading:
Marta Braun, Picturing Time, Chapter 2: The Graphic Method.
Marta Braun, Edweard Muybridge, Chapter 6: Stopping Time on Stanford’s Ranch.
Rebecca Solnit, River of Shadows, Stopping Time.
Rebecca Solnit, River of Shadows, The Annihilation of Time and Space.
Photographic Methods:
Step 1:
Take a burst (see below) or video of a movement. Think carefully about how you position the camera and frame the movement.
For a burst on an iPhone:
- Open the Camera app and frame your shot.
- On an iPhone XS, iPhone 11, or newer, swipe the Shutter button all the way to the left. On an iPhone X or older, just tap and hold the Shutter button.
- Alternatively, you can go to Settings > Camera > Use Volume Up for Burst and then hold the Volume Up button on the side of your iPhone. The second method works regardless of the model.
- You’ll see a counter in the center that shows the number of photos taken. Let go of the button when you’ve taken enough photos or have captured what you wanted.
Step 2:
If not a burst, export the video to stills.
Step 3:
Import the stills into InDesign to generate a three different image sequences:
- Equal Time Interval
- Selected moments
- Any 3rd way of your choosing.
Other Relevant Tutorials
Other References:
Edweard Mubridge, The Human Figure in Motion, 1907.
Edweard Muybridge, Horses and Other Animals in Motion, 1985.
Online Zoetrope by Andy Giger.