Floris Lafontant is a graduate student in the joint M.A. in Art History and Museum Studies Certificate Program. Floris and fellow Art History graduate students Kira Lapinsky and Theresa Nelson were awarded a University of St. Thomas Graduate Team Research Grant to research street art with Dr. Heather Shirey this summer.

From left to right: me, Floris Lafontant graduate students Marilyn Burnett, Kira Lapinsky and Theresa Nelson, and art history professor Dr. Heather Shirey. Taken at “Beyond the Streets” in Los Angeles.]

This past summer, I joined Dr. Heather Shirey and a group of fellow graduate students on a research project studying street art across the United States. We explored street art through several avenues: guided tours, designated arts areas, museum exhibitions, and of course, the streets. In collaboration with STELAR at the University of St. Thomas, we tested three models of 360° cameras to document our research. While I am neither a professional photographer or the most tech-savvy person, I love to play with new technology and explore its potential. With that said, here are my impressions on 360° cameras as a beginner.

I tried the Insta360 One (left) and RICOH THETA SC (right) cameras While comparable, I mainly used the Theta because the hard case that the Insta360 One came with had caused a permanent and noticeable blur on the lens. I also preferred the Theta’s friendly pink color. 

A 360° camera captures a full 360-degree photograph or video. The cameras we tested could take a photo manually by pressing a button or remotely via a smartphone app connected through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. I preferred the devices that could connect via Bluetooth. I found it provided the most reliable and hassle-free form of connectivity. It also allowed my phone to stay connected to Wi-Fi or data at the same time (important when shooting in museums with poor cellular reception and free Wi-Fi).

This is an example of 360° image exported in a fisheye format. Taken in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood.

The 360° cameras can take both still photographs and videos, however, video drains the camera battery significantly faster than still photography. This is an important consideration when traveling since recharge opportunities are limited. The resulting 360° image can be shared as either an immersive experience or transformed for a two-dimensional screen. While there are digital VR headsets, there are budget-friendly models that simply require a smartphone and a cardboard viewer to experience your photo in 360°. You can also choose to share a 360° photo online as is, allowing the viewer to click and drag to view the different angles. Google Photos and Facebook both allow for easy sharing of 360° images. You might choose to share your image in a two-dimensional format as either an animated video or gif or as a screen capture. This can be accomplished through a smartphone app or desktop application. I used the THETA+ app on my iPhone and tried both the Theta and Insta360 desktop applications with equal success. The editing options in the THETA+ app will feel somewhat familiar to anyone who has used Instagram to edit a photo.

This is an example of 360° image exported in a rectilinear format. Thanks to the remote option and the camera’s small size, I was able to take this photo of a gated doorway. Taken in Downtown Los Angeles.

While virtual reality has become fairly common (who hasn’t been a virtual traveler in Google Street View?), 360° cameras have only become reasonably available for the general public within the past five years. As with any new technology used publicly, it’s important to act as a good ambassador for that technology. This means making a person’s first experience with that technology as positive as possible. If people show curiosity as you set up your 360° camera (cameras that look nothing like a typical camera), take a moment to introduce yourself, the camera, and why you’re using it. Smartphone applications allow for quick downloads so you can show an inquisitive bystander a photo moments after you take it. When shooting in a museum space, be considerate of both museum attendants and photography policy. As a new technology, many museums may not have an established policy the use of 360° cameras in the museum. As such, it is important to be upfront. Ask if it is okay if you can take this kind of photo, if you may use a tripod, and if you may leave the camera unattended to take a photo remotely. The camera can present a trip hazard so try to avoid peak museum hours. If a museum asks that you not use a 360° camera or places a limitation on its use, respect that decision. By being proactive, considerate and respectful, you can use 360° cameras to capture incredibly useful photographs and at the same time expose many to a new and exciting technology.

Floris Lafontant is a graduate student in the Masters of Art History program and the Museum Studies graduate certificate program.

Over the end of June and beginning of July, I traveled to China with fellow graduate student Jayne Cole and Dr. Elizabeth Kindall. The seventeen-day trip was arranged around important sites for each of our research projects. I had never been to Asia before and I was excited for the chance to continue the research I began in Dr. Kindall’s Fall 2016 Contemporary Chinese Art course.

Jayne (right) and I visited the Forbidden City first. This established our baseline for historic site visit experiences.

Jayne and I arrived in Beijing, where we met Dr. Kindall. Over the next seventeen days we traversed China to five other cities: Hangzhou, Ningbo, Nanjing, Yangzhou, and Shanghai. We visited a range of historic sites from tourist staples like the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square to traditional gardens, history museums, and contemporary art museums. We visited sites that were swarming with fellow tourists as well as museums where we were the only visitors in the expansive halls. My research specifically pertained to two art museums in Shanghai, but I think the knowledge acquired by visiting the gamut of historic sites was crucial for forming a well-rounded and informed argument.

We traveled by plane, train, high-speed train, cab, subway, bus, and foot. I constantly wished I had packed lighter.

I was incredibly grateful to travel with Dr. Kindall. This was my first research trip abroad and my first time in a country where I did not speak the language at all. What could have been a stressful time was instead a deeply informative and enlightening experience with Dr. Kindall’s guidance, experience, and language skills.

Teamwork was essential to keep from feeling too overwhelmed.

Jayne and I acted as each other’s research assistants throughout the trip. After traveling so far and with only so much time at each site, I found having a partner invaluable. Our goal was to gather as much information as possible to use upon our return to Minnesota. We traded off on taking notes, took countless photos, and bounced ideas and questions off each other. It helped having a friend and colleague to talk through all the new information we acquired throughout our days.

Long Museum West Bund, Shanghai.

Surrounding this research trip, I did an independent study with Dr. Jayme Yahr to develop my research into a Museum Studies focused paper. In my original paper for Dr. Kindall’s seminar, I researched Chinese art collector couple Wang Wei and Liu Yiqian. I argued for a connection between Wang Wei’s gender identity and the art collection she shares with her husband. My goal with the research trip abroad was to see if this idea was manifested in her private museums in Shanghai.

Jayne and I stand between the Chinese characters for “Art Street” in Hangzhou.

The two private museums we visited in Shanghai were the Long Museum West Bund and the Long Museum Pudong, both owned by Wang Wei and Liu Yiqian. Following the visits, I felt that the museums did not provide substantial evidence to support or refute my original claims. At the time, it was frustrating to feel as though more than a semester’s worth of research had come to a dead end. With Dr. Yahr’s guidance, I shifted focus and reevaluated my research. Rather than investigate identity and gender studies, I found my research supported an analysis of identity and the tenuous line between collector and consumer. Building off my observations of the Long Museum West Bund and my study of Wang Wei’s interviews since 2009, I completed a paper titled “Now on Display: Wang Wei and Liu Yiqian.” The final result is not what I had expected to achieve at the start of my independent study. It would never have taken the direction it did without my research trip to experience the museums in China first-hand.

Jayne helps me by taking notes while I process my thoughts and observations in the Zhan Wang exhibition at the Long Museum West Bund.