The type of photography I enjoy taking is nature, architecture, people and unusual objects or situations; the type of things that pull me to taking these photographs are usually bold colours or patterns as they catch my eye and I believe they would create intriguing photos. The reason I enjoy taking photographs full of colour or completely lacking colour is because they evoke emotions and then when the photographs contain an unusual subject matter people create there own perceptions which is what I like to portray through my photography (endless possibility and stories). Some key factors to the way I take images are: the composition, framing and all the formal elements as these are the thoughts that run through my head before taking images. These photographs usually occur when I am going on journeys and so I believe new experiences and places have a key influence within my photography. However, I do believe I still have to improve the way I take images by looking at the world through different angles in my camera and considering how other people might take the images. This means stepping out of my comfort zone and looking at things differently so that I can create better images.
Analysing Tom Hunter's images:
This photo has many key aspects to it which make it a very intriguing photo to look at. The main factors that I was looking at when examining this photograph was: light, framing, space, composition, colour and focus. Hunter has used the natural lighting from the window very well in this photograph as it highlights the bed and the main elements in this photograph very well. I can tell the light is natural/ available light because it defuses across the bed however, if it was a spot light it would be focused on a specific area. The light coming in from the window is warm and enhances certain colours within the room. For example, the natural light that hits the bed makes the pillows, bed sheets, women and picture above the bed stand out. It does this because all the colours have similar tones and so link together. These colours contrast to the rest of the colours in the room because they are bright and the other are various tones of browns or dark shades. Whilst they contrast the pinky-purple bed sheets also compliment the browns on the wall making the picture eye catching. Hunter uses the space in the room very well to create negative space around all the objects he wishes to emphasise. For example, the pictures on the walls are surrounded by nothing but negative space so this makes them stand out more. The bed is also surrounded by negative space which is dark and this draws your eyes more to the bed and girl which hunter clearly wants people to focus on. The framing of this photo is slightly off centre and that is due to the way Hunter has composed the image. He has placed objects all around the room that link to the bed and the women which means that the main subject of the photograph does not need to be in middle of the photograph to catch peoples attention or to put his message across. Everything in this image is in focus and not one object is blurry. I believe this creates a very calming and warm vibe as it suggests that everything in the room is very still and lifeless.
This photo has many key aspects to it which make it a very intriguing photo to look at. The main factors that I was looking at when examining this photograph was: light, framing, space, composition, colour and focus. Hunter has used the natural lighting from the window very well in this photograph as it highlights the bed and the main elements in this photograph very well. I can tell the light is natural/ available light because it defuses across the bed however, if it was a spot light it would be focused on a specific area. The light coming in from the window is warm and enhances certain colours within the room. For example, the natural light that hits the bed makes the pillows, bed sheets, women and picture above the bed stand out. It does this because all the colours have similar tones and so link together. These colours contrast to the rest of the colours in the room because they are bright and the other are various tones of browns or dark shades. Whilst they contrast the pinky-purple bed sheets also compliment the browns on the wall making the picture eye catching. Hunter uses the space in the room very well to create negative space around all the objects he wishes to emphasise. For example, the pictures on the walls are surrounded by nothing but negative space so this makes them stand out more. The bed is also surrounded by negative space which is dark and this draws your eyes more to the bed and girl which hunter clearly wants people to focus on. The framing of this photo is slightly off centre and that is due to the way Hunter has composed the image. He has placed objects all around the room that link to the bed and the women which means that the main subject of the photograph does not need to be in middle of the photograph to catch peoples attention or to put his message across. Everything in this image is in focus and not one object is blurry. I believe this creates a very calming and warm vibe as it suggests that everything in the room is very still and lifeless.
Threshold concepts
The threshold concept I choose was threshold concept number 8. This is "Photographs consist of formal and visual elements and have their own 'grammar'". The reason I choose this concept is because when taking photographs I specifically focus on line, shape, colour and framing. This is because these things normally catch my eye and cause me to take photographs. The type of photography I take is normally nature, architecture or unusual evens/ subjects. This links to concept number 8 as in nature there is always colours which evoke emotion and there is always strange events occurring in the world to be photographed. This also links to threshold concept 6 that photography is by chance as I like to capture unusual things that do not occur in everyday life. Architecture is really interesting as there is also bold lines and shapes within buildings which stand out to me when taking a picture.
Peter Fraser
Fraser is a contemporary photographer who is interested in using colour and poetic truths to make intriguing photographs. His photographs put across messages and share unique perspectives that make people look deep into his images. From a young age Fraser has been influenced by the quote: 'The idea that there is no hierarchical relationship between large and small, as everything in the Universe is made of small things' This came from the film "powers of ten" and shows Fraser that you can take a picture of anything very simple but make it intriguing. This is probably why Fraser has a lot of work that focuses on simple objects you would see in everyday life. All of Frasers images are still life and not set up as he just likes to bring out the beauty of objects instead of creating an image. William Eggleston has been a big inspiration for Fraser and has shown him how colour can make a real big difference to photographs and you can see when you look at his images, the framing is similar to Eggleston. He was inspired through Eggleston's work and the time they spent working together in New York.
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Fraser does not set up his images and is influenced by Henri cartier-bresson which also seems to be the case in his contemporary Martin Parrs images. This may be because they have studied his images when at art college together or have done projects surrounding him. Whilst they have a similarity of capturing decisive moments they also have many differences. For example, Parr is very loud and likes to try bring out a element of comedy in his pictures however, Fraser uses banal objects in his photography to bring a sense of everyday life into his photography. His series of images "Lost for words" contains lots of objects you would find in the house or outside in the garden. He then uses framing, composition and colour to make this everyday objects intriguing. This is a perfect example of how he is influenced by both Bresson and Eggleston. One of the main reasons Eggleston influenced Fraser is because he portrays messages and shows a "psychological landscape" through his images and this is what Fraser wants to do.
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Variety of Frasers images:
Throughout Frasers images there is the common theme of seemingly trite photographs and this goes on through many series of photographs he has taken. He uses things he would see when walking down the street or in a house to create intriguing photographs. He does this by using artificial light and other formal elements such as, line and shape to create a visually compelling photographs. For example, the picture of the pencils in the basket onto of a scribbled drawing is something you could find in any child's bedroom or any school but he has made the colours stand out through flash. The lines of the pencils/pens also link to the lines scribbled on the paper which draws peoples attention to a picture that could and should be perceived as boring. This links back to the quote that Fraser was inspired by when he was little as he is showing that anything no matter how smaller or simple can look pleasant as long as you look at it from a different perspective. Colour is also very strong in most of Frasers images as although sometimes he can make the colour in images look dull which makes the images look flat this adds to the effect of the image. The flatness of the images have a strong link to most of Fraser's subject maters as the subject matter is normally casual objects you could find around your house or town.
Fraser's projects:
These images come from a series called "Lost For Words" and the reason I am drawn to it is because all the items in the images can be found in any house which makes the images relatable to everyone. My favourite picture from this series is the photograph of the two boat ornaments that appear to be on scrunched blue paper. This is my favourite as Fraser has used artificial light on the paper to create reflections across it which to me remind me of the sun reflecting off of the sea. This is therefore, an eye capturing image as everyone can relate to seeing the sea in the sun and so also creates reminiscent feelings. Light is a common theme in all of these photos and it is clear that Fraser uses light to highlight certain things on objects or to make the subject stand out more. For example, in the picture of the fruit you can tell the light is coming in from the window but also looks like Fraser has used flash to enhance the colour of the fruit. This creates a sort of over exposed effect on some of the fruit causing some tone to become bleached out however, it really makes some of the colours stand out ( the red grapes). The composition of these images are all quite similar and they are often very busy with the objects of the images quite close to the centre. This is probably thought of when images have been taken as the rule of thirds make you focus on certain element straight away and Fraser often has a object in these spots. In all of Frasers images there is a clear focus as there is always an object or objects that stand out above the rest. For example, in the photograph of the two breads this is all there is to focus on and so it makes you look more deeply into line and tones etc. This is also similar with the singular pink ornament that appears to be placed on a dark service. This being on its own makes you focus more on the detail of the ornament itself than whats going on in the background. In most of these images there is some sort of negative space that create shapes even if there isn't much background space. An example of this is in Frasers picture of the dolls there are so many shapes caused by negative space; this can be seen between the chair legs the dolls are sitting on (triangles and rectangles are formed here).
All the images from this grouping are from a series called "Everyday icons" and to me they are quite similar to "lost for words" as they are banal objects that occur in everyday life. I feel like I really connect with these images as everywhere you go you will see something similar to at least one of the objects in the photographs. My favourite image is the image of the street sign in the bush; this is my favourite as I believe it evokes emotions. The picture to me looks like the sign is being submerged slowly into the bush and sooner or later it will not be there anymore. This evokes emotions of empathy and loneliness as sooner or later no one will know or care about the sign. This picture is quite ironic as although the image states it is a dark lane and looks like it is night time Fraser has clearly used flash to brighten the photograph and make the image stand out. The use of flash makes the twigs in the photograph more defined and also makes the leaves have different shades due to where the light is based. Another way you can tell the image has artificial light is due to how bright the top section of the image is compared to the bottom. In most of these images you can tell flash has been used to enhance colour or make a certain object stand out. For example, in the picture of the luggage you can tell there is flash due to the shadow in the top right. Also this is apparent on the black board as there is a massive reflection coming back towards the camera from the flash. The composition of these images are all quite similar and also have a similar style to those in "Lost for words". This is apparent because the subject is almost always central and image quite busy/full. This therefore also shows, that Fraser has a clear focus in his work as there is always a subject he is trying to make stand out. This is clearly shown in the picture of the suitcase where the suitcase is filling most of the image but there is nothing else around it but negative space. In most of the images there is negative space. For example, in the image of the clock the posters on the wall create shapes. This is only not seen in the image of the black board in which it fills the whole image. Colour is normally very bold and apparent in these images and there is almost always a certain colour which stands out. An example of this is the white of the clock or pinks on the washing line.
Analysis of individual images:
This image comes from Fraser's project "The Valleys" and for me stands out in this set of images as it is completely different and more abstract than any other image in this series. Looking at this image I was thinking about all the elements that make a image special, colour, light, framing, space, composition and focus. These were all of the things I was analysing when looking at Hunters image. However, in Frasers picture he uses different elements to create a different effect. Fraser uses artificial light to create an allusion effect of different tones of blue. You can tell the light is artificial as there is a bright spot of white on the right hand side of the picture. The variety of blues create a cold and isolated feeling as to me the black strip of colour in the middle feel like it is taking you down a path of depression. Fraser uses space very well in this photo and the objects are symmetrical to each other creating a sense of planning. There is also a lot of negative space in picture that create a variety of shapes and fill the image. The framing in the image is slightly off centre yet symmetrical which makes the image different. Its imperfect yet very intriguing due to being different. The image has been composed very well to get symmetrical patterns on each side of the image and this suggests that the image is set up. For me the focus of the image is on the middle of the image where all the bright shades are as this is where the most contrast of colour goes it. This therefore, draws your eyes to this place in the image and makes your eyes focus here.
This is an image from Frasers series "Lost for Words" and has many key components that make it a captivating image. The focus of this image is on the nest with the blue ball in it. The branches are defined and bright which shows it is the main focus of the photograph. Some other places, like the top right, of the photograph have more shade on it suggesting it is less significant. Light is an important aspect of this photo as it makes the nest stand out. The light is clearly artificial and probably comes from the flash of a camera. You can tell this as the light is harsh and strong which creates defined shadows and also the light is stronger on the left side than the right. The image is a little over exposed which creates a flat and unconventional look however, this seems to be intentional as it is one of the reasons the image is so intriguing. Over exposure makes the colours also look a bit dimmer but certain colours still compliment each other. For instance, even though the blue of the egg and the green of the wall wouldn't go together on the colour wheel they really compliment each other and help each other to stand out. Also the colour of the nest and colour of the bottom of the photo frame are complimentary as they are similar colours which make the picture more eye capturing. Line also plays a key aspect in this photograph and is also one of the reasons why the image looks flat. There are many defined landscape lines that go across the image for example, the line from the photo frame, edge of wall and branch at the bottom of the nest which all travel in the same direction. There are also many defined lines and shapes within the nest which are visually strong due to the flash of the camera. There are not only shape within the nest but in the negative space too. There are triangles forming where the twigs come off of the nest at the bottom and sides. There is also a defined rectangle on the green of the wall behind the nest and also on the photo frame. These all make the photograph more visually enthralling. The composition of this photo seems very set up as the nest is placed right in the middle which causes your eyes to look straight at it due to the rule of thirds. The background is very plain but this helps to bring out the colour of the blue ball and make it the key subject of the image. Although it looks like Fraser has just come across this object it also looks like he has planned the colours and where/how he wants everything to be set up.
Images inspired by Fraser:
Whilst taking images I had many things in mind that I had learnt for Fraser for instance, to not disturb or move anything I was going to take a picture of. This is because then things are seen as they are naturally left by humans. Fraser also thinks a lot about the framing of his images before he takes them and I have also tried to be careful with the way I take my images. Reasons why I believe my images are quite similar to Frasers is because a lot of them are photographs of spontaneous situations, most of which you would see in everyday life but others created by the human hand due to leaving an object somewhere. For example, most of the objects I took photographs of were common objects and this links to Frasers photography as all of his images are quite banal. However, this does not mean the images were boring as the way the light hits them or the framing of the images made some of my images quite fascinating. In most of my images I also attempted to use flash to try and create a flat look on some of my image however, this was not always successful as sometimes my images came out really bright. Whilst there are a few similarities there are also many differences such as, in a few of my images there isn't really a specific subject I am focusing on and there are many things going on in the photograph. This is apparent in the photos that mainly contain a lot of greenery and do not have a specific subject matter. These are not very similar to Frasers as he always takes images of objects that catch his eye and so are normally quite specific where as, some of my photographs are just photographs I thought would look pretty and so do not link to Frasers work.
How Fraser has influenced me:
Fraser has taught me it is not always good to take photographs of everything as being patient and waiting for the right moment to come about can provide an even better opportunity for a good photograph. However, whilst saying this Fraser has also suggested to me that anything of any size could be a good opportunity for photography it just needs to be placed at the right angle of have the right amount of light on it to capture your eye and make the subject look significant.
How Fraser has influenced me:
Fraser has taught me it is not always good to take photographs of everything as being patient and waiting for the right moment to come about can provide an even better opportunity for a good photograph. However, whilst saying this Fraser has also suggested to me that anything of any size could be a good opportunity for photography it just needs to be placed at the right angle of have the right amount of light on it to capture your eye and make the subject look significant.
Meeting Peter Fraser:
Fraser started his presentation by showing us the film "Powers of ten"; he did this as he believed this film had one of the biggest influences on his work. This therefore, made him talk about his time in school and telling us how he had always wanted to be a photographer but that was not always the career path he followed because of the influence of his mother and teachers. Fraser started a civil engineering course in which he dropped out after 3 months and so went to work with a family friend up in Swansea in which he did steel work. Fraser stated he would take photography every sunday as he walked up and down a railway line. However, Fraser stated that his photography was not serious and he was always think about what he should photograph not just letting things catch his eye and then taking them. Fraser then spent 4 years in Manchester at college and after this moved to Holland with his first wife. This is where Fraser first started to produce frequent photography as he was able to travel up and down the country just washing dishes (whilst still studying art). Whilst in Holland Fraser bought a house and built a darkroom in it but this is where he realised he was definitely a colour photographer and didn't want to "see the world in black and white". It wasn't until Fraser moved back to Manchester when he started producing serious photography. Fraser was working on 5 by 4 film which he believed made his photographs intense however, this changed when a new camera came out as it gave Fraser a new way of thinking. This camera made it easier from Fraser to move freely about whilst still producing good quality prints. At this point Fraser also came across the work of William Eggleston which really influenced his way of taking photographs. Fraser then talked specifically about some of his projects.
The Valley's Project:
Fraser was invited to Welsh Valleys to take photographs that portray the Valleys. In this project Fraser took a variety of picture of different objects and subjects that didn't really link together but had some connection to him as this is where he had been a lot of his life due to growing up in Wales. In the series, Fraser decided that colour was something he really enjoyed using and realised that he could only every be a colour photographer.
Everyday icons:
This series was a joint series with Eggleston and Fraser said the focus of it was to see what was possible to say through photography. Fraser suggested that colour again was a big part of this series and every picture was taken in the moment to try and express that same message he felt when seeing the objects in real life through the picture. Fraser believed we can all have a transcendence feeling anywhere and this is due to the energy from our unconscious' coming out. This is therefore, when Fraser feels it is right to take images and how most of these images occurred.
Ice and Water:
Fraser spent 2 months on this project in a different country and decided that his subject would be the space around things not a certain subject itself. At first Fraser stated that he struggled with this project as "you cannot just take pictures of nothing" but then he had a spark and realised how he should be taking his images. A lot of the images in this series have parts of which were out of focus and this could be due the fact he was experimenting with a new camera or because he wanted to emphasise the negative space but making it professionally wrong. As photographs are usually meant to be in focus and have a clear subject where as Fraser's were out of focus and did not have a clear subject.
Deep Blue:
Deep blue was inspired by the industrial revolution and the idea that machines are going to take over which causes many sociological consequences. Fraser took images around scientific sights to portray how machines are advancing and getting more and more intelligent which interested him. He used colour a lot in his images and flash to make some of the images flat which makes the materials stand out.
Materials:
Materials was inspired by deep blue as Fraser had to wear protective clothing in scientific areas to stop certain particles getting into his body/bloodstream. This lead him to think about different materials and how there is a demographic relationship between all materials due to the meaning people gave them. Fraser therefore, took photographs of dirt along side other materials and realised they made one series which was really intriguing as it shows no matter how small you can make all particles significant. Fraser shot these images on a 4.5 by 6 film camera with a macro lens and ring flash. This therefore made all materials look as significant as the others and portrayed the message he wanted to portray.
Nazraeli:
This series is about the way the surface of the earth is changing and how the human hand changes the shape of objects and nature. Fraser therefore, wanted to take images the surface of things. This lead to him taking close ups and pictures of spontaneous creations that people would make. For instance, the photograph of the polystyrene cup with tooth pics sticking out of it. This is a perfect example of how someone can change something so basic and make it into a form of art.
Lost for words:
Lost for words was Frasers first digital series and so he saw his pictures in a completely different light. This is because he suggested that the colour in digital was so much richer than what you could produce on film. Fraser was invited back to Wales again and so he took 6-7 different trips there in which he stayed a week at a time. This is where he began to feel the spirt of the Welsh people (his people) and due to his past experience in Wales he wanted to portray the difference between the homes of the rich and poor houses. This led to him taking many photographs in homes which could link to everyone as they were mainly relatable items which vary between rich and poor households.
Questions we asked Fraser:
Why don't you portray people in your photography? "I do, just through meanings and materials. There are a lot of people who take portraits of people but this doesn't mean it portrays them"
What role does colour play in your photography? "A big one. It is deeply part of my practices but as you can see it is very hard to explain. I learnt I couldn't be a black and white photographer when I built the darkroom. I think it is just because I couldn't see the world in black and white"
What is your view on modern technology such as instagram? "I am a regular poster and believe technology is very important as it shows a difference in intentionality between colour prints and photographs on a phone/ media."
What is your style? " Its hard to explain, I guess its the reality of what we find around us everyday"
Since modern editing skills have come out has your practice changed? " It doesn't change things radically. I've always wanted to be as honest and truthful to the real scene as possible. Although I have learnt to use photoshop and it took me years to use it efficiently. I think photoshop sometimes helps to be more truthful to the scence"
What aspects of Egglestons work influenced you and what did you learn from working with him? Egglestons work is incredible as it portrays a psychological landscape that I did not believe could be shown through photography. I don't think I learnt anything about photography from Eggleston but I realised from him that I could spend my whole life dedicated to photography"
The Valley's Project:
Fraser was invited to Welsh Valleys to take photographs that portray the Valleys. In this project Fraser took a variety of picture of different objects and subjects that didn't really link together but had some connection to him as this is where he had been a lot of his life due to growing up in Wales. In the series, Fraser decided that colour was something he really enjoyed using and realised that he could only every be a colour photographer.
Everyday icons:
This series was a joint series with Eggleston and Fraser said the focus of it was to see what was possible to say through photography. Fraser suggested that colour again was a big part of this series and every picture was taken in the moment to try and express that same message he felt when seeing the objects in real life through the picture. Fraser believed we can all have a transcendence feeling anywhere and this is due to the energy from our unconscious' coming out. This is therefore, when Fraser feels it is right to take images and how most of these images occurred.
Ice and Water:
Fraser spent 2 months on this project in a different country and decided that his subject would be the space around things not a certain subject itself. At first Fraser stated that he struggled with this project as "you cannot just take pictures of nothing" but then he had a spark and realised how he should be taking his images. A lot of the images in this series have parts of which were out of focus and this could be due the fact he was experimenting with a new camera or because he wanted to emphasise the negative space but making it professionally wrong. As photographs are usually meant to be in focus and have a clear subject where as Fraser's were out of focus and did not have a clear subject.
Deep Blue:
Deep blue was inspired by the industrial revolution and the idea that machines are going to take over which causes many sociological consequences. Fraser took images around scientific sights to portray how machines are advancing and getting more and more intelligent which interested him. He used colour a lot in his images and flash to make some of the images flat which makes the materials stand out.
Materials:
Materials was inspired by deep blue as Fraser had to wear protective clothing in scientific areas to stop certain particles getting into his body/bloodstream. This lead him to think about different materials and how there is a demographic relationship between all materials due to the meaning people gave them. Fraser therefore, took photographs of dirt along side other materials and realised they made one series which was really intriguing as it shows no matter how small you can make all particles significant. Fraser shot these images on a 4.5 by 6 film camera with a macro lens and ring flash. This therefore made all materials look as significant as the others and portrayed the message he wanted to portray.
Nazraeli:
This series is about the way the surface of the earth is changing and how the human hand changes the shape of objects and nature. Fraser therefore, wanted to take images the surface of things. This lead to him taking close ups and pictures of spontaneous creations that people would make. For instance, the photograph of the polystyrene cup with tooth pics sticking out of it. This is a perfect example of how someone can change something so basic and make it into a form of art.
Lost for words:
Lost for words was Frasers first digital series and so he saw his pictures in a completely different light. This is because he suggested that the colour in digital was so much richer than what you could produce on film. Fraser was invited back to Wales again and so he took 6-7 different trips there in which he stayed a week at a time. This is where he began to feel the spirt of the Welsh people (his people) and due to his past experience in Wales he wanted to portray the difference between the homes of the rich and poor houses. This led to him taking many photographs in homes which could link to everyone as they were mainly relatable items which vary between rich and poor households.
Questions we asked Fraser:
Why don't you portray people in your photography? "I do, just through meanings and materials. There are a lot of people who take portraits of people but this doesn't mean it portrays them"
What role does colour play in your photography? "A big one. It is deeply part of my practices but as you can see it is very hard to explain. I learnt I couldn't be a black and white photographer when I built the darkroom. I think it is just because I couldn't see the world in black and white"
What is your view on modern technology such as instagram? "I am a regular poster and believe technology is very important as it shows a difference in intentionality between colour prints and photographs on a phone/ media."
What is your style? " Its hard to explain, I guess its the reality of what we find around us everyday"
Since modern editing skills have come out has your practice changed? " It doesn't change things radically. I've always wanted to be as honest and truthful to the real scene as possible. Although I have learnt to use photoshop and it took me years to use it efficiently. I think photoshop sometimes helps to be more truthful to the scence"
What aspects of Egglestons work influenced you and what did you learn from working with him? Egglestons work is incredible as it portrays a psychological landscape that I did not believe could be shown through photography. I don't think I learnt anything about photography from Eggleston but I realised from him that I could spend my whole life dedicated to photography"
Camera Lucida
First time I read through "Camera Lucida" I struggled to understand what point the author had been trying to put across and this was because of the style of his writing. After many times reading through and highlighting the parts I though were most helpful in understanding the text I finally started to come to grips with what the intention of the article was about. This is when I was able to answer questions based on the article and understand the text fully.
What causes the author's "amazement" when looking at a portrait of Napoleon's brother? The artist was amazed by this portrait as he was staring at the eyes which saw Napoleon.
What is the first thing the author discovers about photography that makes it seem special? The author believes that photography is special because the image within the photography has and will only every occur once. The moment you have captured will never happen again and so each photograph is special.
What does the author notice about the special relationship in photography of the signifier (the photographic image) and the referent (subject of the photograph)? The author notices that the photograph and subject are always together and you cannot have one without the other. This therefore, leads to him stating that you cannot separate them the photograph is the image.
Why does he find other writing about photography frustrating? The author suggests that other writers focus on technical things to do with the photograph such as, line or lighting. They do not focus on the subject and this frustrates him as it's the subject that evokes emotion and gives meaning to a photograph. He believes he does not share the same interests as other writers and so this is also why he gets annoyed by their analysis of images.
What feelings does the author have about being photographed? The author feels uncomfortable about being in the hands of other photographers as he feels they will not capture him the way he actually is.
Why does he consider photography to be so closely associated with the idea of death? The author considers photography to be closely associated with death as when people take photographs of him they are taking a piece of him away and just making him a small spectrum like death. He believes because he is neither a subject or object and somewhere in between this is quite ghostly and so relates to death.
In what sense is a camera "a clock for seeing"? The author believes the camera is a clock for seeing as it presents a certain moment of time. The picture captures a certain moment and this is almost like stopping the clock in a certain moment so you can view it forever.
What do you understand by the term "studium" and "punctum"? A studium is all the external forces which draw you to taking an image; is an attraction to something. On the other hand, a punctum is a prick of excitement. It is having the feeling of needing to take a picture. When you almost feel breath taken by a situation and know it will create a perfect image, this is a punctum.
What kind of pleasure does the writer get from what he calls the "studium" of certain photographs? He gets the pleasure of being able to understand what the photographers intentions are; can receive this pleasure just through looking at a photo.
What does he say is the difference between photography and writing? A photograph has a fixed meaning and cannot be changed where as, text can be changed completely by a single word. A photograph portrays one single subject that is a specific choice of the photographer however, in a text although authors could base an article around one subject area they can sway from this subject and talk about other matters for example, something that may effect their choice of subject. A photograph speaks for itself but text has to be explained.
What kind of photograph of his dead mother does the writer search for? The author searches for photographs of his mother that are old and that he perceives as from history. He chooses these as he does not know what his mother looked like back before he was born. This then gives him a chance to see how his mother used to be for example, the clothes she used to wear and objects that surrounded her. The photos also gave him a chance to see how other people would portary his mother.
How are the terms "studium" and "punctum" relevant to the Winter Garden Photograph? Studium is relevant as you can clearly pick up the photographers intentions of the picture and why he might of wanted to take it. However, I do not believe punctum is relevant to the photograph as it is a set up picture and therefore is not an image that causes a prick of excitement but rather tells a story of a day.
Why do you think the writer chooses not to reproduce this image in the book? He didn't reproduce the image into the book as it does not have a punctum and so people are not extremely attracted or overwhelmed by it. The image is also just an image not a just image that produces justice and accuracy.
What have you found helpful/useful/interesting in Barthes' writing about photography? I have found different opinions on why photography is special and how the subject and photograph is related. Also I have learnt what a studium and punctum is and why they are important within photography.
What causes the author's "amazement" when looking at a portrait of Napoleon's brother? The artist was amazed by this portrait as he was staring at the eyes which saw Napoleon.
What is the first thing the author discovers about photography that makes it seem special? The author believes that photography is special because the image within the photography has and will only every occur once. The moment you have captured will never happen again and so each photograph is special.
What does the author notice about the special relationship in photography of the signifier (the photographic image) and the referent (subject of the photograph)? The author notices that the photograph and subject are always together and you cannot have one without the other. This therefore, leads to him stating that you cannot separate them the photograph is the image.
Why does he find other writing about photography frustrating? The author suggests that other writers focus on technical things to do with the photograph such as, line or lighting. They do not focus on the subject and this frustrates him as it's the subject that evokes emotion and gives meaning to a photograph. He believes he does not share the same interests as other writers and so this is also why he gets annoyed by their analysis of images.
What feelings does the author have about being photographed? The author feels uncomfortable about being in the hands of other photographers as he feels they will not capture him the way he actually is.
Why does he consider photography to be so closely associated with the idea of death? The author considers photography to be closely associated with death as when people take photographs of him they are taking a piece of him away and just making him a small spectrum like death. He believes because he is neither a subject or object and somewhere in between this is quite ghostly and so relates to death.
In what sense is a camera "a clock for seeing"? The author believes the camera is a clock for seeing as it presents a certain moment of time. The picture captures a certain moment and this is almost like stopping the clock in a certain moment so you can view it forever.
What do you understand by the term "studium" and "punctum"? A studium is all the external forces which draw you to taking an image; is an attraction to something. On the other hand, a punctum is a prick of excitement. It is having the feeling of needing to take a picture. When you almost feel breath taken by a situation and know it will create a perfect image, this is a punctum.
What kind of pleasure does the writer get from what he calls the "studium" of certain photographs? He gets the pleasure of being able to understand what the photographers intentions are; can receive this pleasure just through looking at a photo.
What does he say is the difference between photography and writing? A photograph has a fixed meaning and cannot be changed where as, text can be changed completely by a single word. A photograph portrays one single subject that is a specific choice of the photographer however, in a text although authors could base an article around one subject area they can sway from this subject and talk about other matters for example, something that may effect their choice of subject. A photograph speaks for itself but text has to be explained.
What kind of photograph of his dead mother does the writer search for? The author searches for photographs of his mother that are old and that he perceives as from history. He chooses these as he does not know what his mother looked like back before he was born. This then gives him a chance to see how his mother used to be for example, the clothes she used to wear and objects that surrounded her. The photos also gave him a chance to see how other people would portary his mother.
How are the terms "studium" and "punctum" relevant to the Winter Garden Photograph? Studium is relevant as you can clearly pick up the photographers intentions of the picture and why he might of wanted to take it. However, I do not believe punctum is relevant to the photograph as it is a set up picture and therefore is not an image that causes a prick of excitement but rather tells a story of a day.
Why do you think the writer chooses not to reproduce this image in the book? He didn't reproduce the image into the book as it does not have a punctum and so people are not extremely attracted or overwhelmed by it. The image is also just an image not a just image that produces justice and accuracy.
What have you found helpful/useful/interesting in Barthes' writing about photography? I have found different opinions on why photography is special and how the subject and photograph is related. Also I have learnt what a studium and punctum is and why they are important within photography.
My summer trips
Saatchi gallery:
My trip to the Saatchi
I decided I would go to the Saatchi gallery to have a look at the different types of Art. When I got there I realised that the theme of the Art there was self and there were many different ways of expressing self through Art. This is when I realised I wanted to try and focus my photography on people as you can express them in many different ways through photography. You can create a portrait of someone by taking a picture of the environment they live in as this shows there character. You can also take portraits of people through the man made objects they build and I learnt this from Peter Fraser as he said that all if his images represent people yet there are no people in his images. Portraits do not have to be a dead on picture of someones face and this intrigues me as I can portray a personality in many different ways. This then also means that I can incorporate travel within my photography as I can express different people from different cultures.
My favourite room in the Saatchi was the selfie room as it showed how the same concept and idea can be altered by many people to make each photo unique and interesting. For example, I photographed a picture of the man with cellotape rapped around his face as this is the selfie concept just with a twist to the subject to make it more amusing.
In the Saatchi there were also many interactive activities that I really enjoyed as when each different person interacted with it they did a different movement or different pose. This showed me that every person has different perceptions and ways of carrying out certain tasks which means they interpret things a lot differently. This also made me want to take photographs of people as you can show each persons individuality through not only pictures of them but also their environment.
I decided I would go to the Saatchi gallery to have a look at the different types of Art. When I got there I realised that the theme of the Art there was self and there were many different ways of expressing self through Art. This is when I realised I wanted to try and focus my photography on people as you can express them in many different ways through photography. You can create a portrait of someone by taking a picture of the environment they live in as this shows there character. You can also take portraits of people through the man made objects they build and I learnt this from Peter Fraser as he said that all if his images represent people yet there are no people in his images. Portraits do not have to be a dead on picture of someones face and this intrigues me as I can portray a personality in many different ways. This then also means that I can incorporate travel within my photography as I can express different people from different cultures.
My favourite room in the Saatchi was the selfie room as it showed how the same concept and idea can be altered by many people to make each photo unique and interesting. For example, I photographed a picture of the man with cellotape rapped around his face as this is the selfie concept just with a twist to the subject to make it more amusing.
In the Saatchi there were also many interactive activities that I really enjoyed as when each different person interacted with it they did a different movement or different pose. This showed me that every person has different perceptions and ways of carrying out certain tasks which means they interpret things a lot differently. This also made me want to take photographs of people as you can show each persons individuality through not only pictures of them but also their environment.
The photographers gallery:
The next gallery I visited was the photographers gallery and I believe that along the journey I took many interesting pictures of people and I did this subconsciously. I also had many pictures containing colour which I thought looked really intriguing and could portray a certain type of personality. The photographer that was on show in the gallery was Gregory Crewdson and I really enjoyed his photographs as I believe they took a weird twist on portraiture.
Cathedral of pines exhibition:
The reason I am very drawn to Crewdson's images is because he has many of the types of photography I am interested in all within one picture. He uses natural environments such as by the river or man made environments which then contain a twist of often nude people. These people then convey a story and this is all the aspects of photography that I'd like to convey through my work. Crewdson's photography is very surreal and so creates tension and drama when you look at the images. The images create this feeing as the people in the images often look depressed or don't have much of an expression at all and this makes people wonder what has happened to them to make them they way they are and also what is their next move.
In Crewdson's images, there is a sort of spiritual presence in most of the images due to the way the lighting is, the rooms seem quite empty and isolated yet this creates an eerie feel of a presence we cannot see. There is also tension created due to the fact none of Crewdson's actors look at the camera at all; this creates a disconnection from the people in the image even though they are very exposed due to being nude. It is known that Crewdson likes to use cinematic production to create certain effects on his photography and he used the same techniques in this series. However, in this series Crewdson used a lot more natural light than he normally would use as he decided to take these images near on in the forest meaning there would be a lot of light already available. The natural light as well as artificial light helped to created the almost misty look to the picture which creates the spiritual feel. Crewdson's images are well composed as he spends time before drawing out the objects he wants in the images and where he wants his actors to stand. This makes for a good dramatic image as the environment he creates is specifically set up to create an uncanny feeling. In these images there is a lot of negative space and this creates an even bigger feeling of isolation. This is created because the actors are normally staring into the empty space which to me suggests they are depressed or upset about how their life is going as they have nothing to do or no one to talk to because they are so disconnected from the world. The colours are often quite dull and so drags the life out of the pictures meaning that the images feel really still and lifeless even though, there is often a human in each image.
Crewdson has influenced me to try and take pictures of people but put my own twist on the images to try and convey a particular feeling. This also suggests to me that there are endless ways to portray people through photography and I wish to try some of the out.
In Crewdson's images, there is a sort of spiritual presence in most of the images due to the way the lighting is, the rooms seem quite empty and isolated yet this creates an eerie feel of a presence we cannot see. There is also tension created due to the fact none of Crewdson's actors look at the camera at all; this creates a disconnection from the people in the image even though they are very exposed due to being nude. It is known that Crewdson likes to use cinematic production to create certain effects on his photography and he used the same techniques in this series. However, in this series Crewdson used a lot more natural light than he normally would use as he decided to take these images near on in the forest meaning there would be a lot of light already available. The natural light as well as artificial light helped to created the almost misty look to the picture which creates the spiritual feel. Crewdson's images are well composed as he spends time before drawing out the objects he wants in the images and where he wants his actors to stand. This makes for a good dramatic image as the environment he creates is specifically set up to create an uncanny feeling. In these images there is a lot of negative space and this creates an even bigger feeling of isolation. This is created because the actors are normally staring into the empty space which to me suggests they are depressed or upset about how their life is going as they have nothing to do or no one to talk to because they are so disconnected from the world. The colours are often quite dull and so drags the life out of the pictures meaning that the images feel really still and lifeless even though, there is often a human in each image.
Crewdson has influenced me to try and take pictures of people but put my own twist on the images to try and convey a particular feeling. This also suggests to me that there are endless ways to portray people through photography and I wish to try some of the out.
This particular image caught my attention because of the composition and space of it. The way Crewdson has set up this image evokes a lot of emotion from the viewer as the people feel so disconnected and alone yet they are right next to each other. Crewdson is very skilled at being able to create a certain emotion from the viewer and I think this is one of the best images in the series for doing it.
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Light: Crewdson is known for his use of cinematic production but he also uses a lot of natural light here which is dispersing in from the window. The use of both lights create a almost mist in the air which gives an edgy feel to the photograph and this makes the viewer question what is going on in the picture and what has happened earlier on to create this scene. For me the lighting from the window is highlighting the women sitting on the sofa as her skin is quite bright from this. However, whilst it highlights the women it does not do this to show she is happy but it is as if the light is the only bright thing in her life.
Line: As I look at this picture I am not drawn to the lines in it and do not believe it plays as an important role in the photograph as some of the other visual elements. There are lines from the sofa, table legs and doors all going vertical with the way of the women. This could show her separation from the man laying down as he is the only thing in the picture that appears to be laying vertically. This could represent the fact that although so close through the nudity of them both they are still so very different and do not go together that well.
Space: The space in the room feels very empty even though there are objects and people in the photograph. The fact that there are no lights on or appliances make the space feel so lifeless and vacant. There is quite a bit of negative space in this photograph which helps to add to the idea of isolation an loneliness. The space is used very well to put across a particular feeling and I really enjoy how Crewdson has done this.
Colour: The colours in this image are very dull and this helps to further extend the feeling of isolation and eeriness. The only life full colour you can see is the green from the trees outside of the window and this makes the room seem even more lifeless. This is because everything in the room is very plain.
Composition: The composition of this image is very well thought out to create a speration from the actor and the viewer. The actors are so exposed due to their nudity yet they are very disconnected due to having no contact with the camera at all. I also believe Crewdson placed all of the objects around the room away from each other to put across the idea of isolation and that everything in this image is disconnected and shouldn't be together. Crewdson used composition very well to put across a message and to also create a story behind the image. From the way the actors are placed the viewer is forced to ask questions such as, what happen here and what happened after this photograph was taken.
Line: As I look at this picture I am not drawn to the lines in it and do not believe it plays as an important role in the photograph as some of the other visual elements. There are lines from the sofa, table legs and doors all going vertical with the way of the women. This could show her separation from the man laying down as he is the only thing in the picture that appears to be laying vertically. This could represent the fact that although so close through the nudity of them both they are still so very different and do not go together that well.
Space: The space in the room feels very empty even though there are objects and people in the photograph. The fact that there are no lights on or appliances make the space feel so lifeless and vacant. There is quite a bit of negative space in this photograph which helps to add to the idea of isolation an loneliness. The space is used very well to put across a particular feeling and I really enjoy how Crewdson has done this.
Colour: The colours in this image are very dull and this helps to further extend the feeling of isolation and eeriness. The only life full colour you can see is the green from the trees outside of the window and this makes the room seem even more lifeless. This is because everything in the room is very plain.
Composition: The composition of this image is very well thought out to create a speration from the actor and the viewer. The actors are so exposed due to their nudity yet they are very disconnected due to having no contact with the camera at all. I also believe Crewdson placed all of the objects around the room away from each other to put across the idea of isolation and that everything in this image is disconnected and shouldn't be together. Crewdson used composition very well to put across a message and to also create a story behind the image. From the way the actors are placed the viewer is forced to ask questions such as, what happen here and what happened after this photograph was taken.
Portugal
Whilst in Portugal I set out a goal to take many photos of people and people within a scene/ space. I managed to take quite a lot of pictures of people but whilst this was my goal I sometimes felt like there was something missing within my pictures. I realised that the photographs I liked were images that had pictures of people in them but there was still a strong background. I really like using space and location with people in my photographs to take photographs that are basically an abstract and obscure portrait. Whilst taking these pictures I realised I really do enjoy taking pictures of locations; some of these pictures were very nice photographs however, there was always a little part of me that has been drawn more to the frames that contain people.
Amsterdam
Whilst in Amsterdam I found a re-occurring theme of me taking pictures of location and yet again I was drawn to the images that contained people within them. However, I did get a bit carried away by the beautiful scenery and whilst this produced good quality photos it is not the photography I believe I take best. I believe my abstract twist on portraiture is the route I would like to go down and I would like to explore how people effect location and space a lot more.
Images I have selected from my summer photographs:
Whilst looking through my pictures I decided to refine the pictures and pick the ones which I think would fit the theme and my style of photography I am using in my personal investigation the best. All the images I have selected all have space, location and people involved within the photographs and I would like to explore this more through my work. The reason why I really enjoy the photos I have selected is there is more to the photographs than just a picture. There is always something more to the picture and questions that can be asked but never fully answered. Another reason I believe these photographs were successful is because there is always slight disconnection from the people in the pictures as the portraits are never front on.
Experimenting with sequences:
Layered on top of each other was a table of photographs that didn't necessarily have any link to each other. We were instructed to pick between 5-10 photographs each and then lay them on a table where our partners photographs would also be. When picking my photograph I didn't really have a theme in mind but just images that caught my eye and intrigued me. However, when laying my images on the table I realised I had chosen images that had strong lines and shapes in them. After laying all of our images out we then had to selected 5 out of the rough 20 to put into a sequence. For me and my partner this proved difficult as our images were quite different. Her images were mainly close ups and focused on one specific object but my selected images were more focused on a area which contains strong shapes and lines. Finally we managed to create a sequence that linked mainly through the way all the images filled the photographs and they all contained strong lines. After we had finished creating our own sequence then we went around to the other groups and listened to what images they had chosen, why they had chosen it and why they had placed the sequence the way they did. In the end, we then had to place all our images in one long sequence while keeping our sequence and to do this we had to communicate as we needed to decide what way the sequence would look the best. I am very happy as to how the long sequence went as all the images linked very well and complimented each other. Once the sequence was complete we then took close ups of the 5 diptychs we thought looked the best. Once again, my diptychs appear to all be linked through line and shape and so have suggested to me that these two aspects will play a huge role in my personal investigation.
What I have learnt through this activity is to be more open minded about the photography I take because although it may not catch my eye taking photographs in a different style may increase the quality of my photography. Also it has shown me that working with other people on projects can help progress your photography as they make you think differently and move out of your comfort zone which can then create better photography work. This has encouraged me to seek others opinions on the photography so that I can use their constructive criticism to take better photographs. The last thing I have been able to take away from this experiment is the idea that taking a photograph is the first step in photography. What I mean by this is photographs do not have any meaning until you give it to them. If you leave the photograph on your camera it does not have much relevance yet if you put it in a sequence it then had a meaning as it is part of something. You can then change the meaning of the photograph by changing the part of the sequence it is in or the place you put the photograph.
What I have learnt through this activity is to be more open minded about the photography I take because although it may not catch my eye taking photographs in a different style may increase the quality of my photography. Also it has shown me that working with other people on projects can help progress your photography as they make you think differently and move out of your comfort zone which can then create better photography work. This has encouraged me to seek others opinions on the photography so that I can use their constructive criticism to take better photographs. The last thing I have been able to take away from this experiment is the idea that taking a photograph is the first step in photography. What I mean by this is photographs do not have any meaning until you give it to them. If you leave the photograph on your camera it does not have much relevance yet if you put it in a sequence it then had a meaning as it is part of something. You can then change the meaning of the photograph by changing the part of the sequence it is in or the place you put the photograph.
Artist relating to me:
Hannah Starkey:
The reason why Starkey's images caught my attention was her immaculate use of space. Starkey uses space very well to create all different types of effects. One effect is that the mind of the viewer is always going to be intrigued to look at what the subject of the picture appears to be looking at; this therefore creates a story behind the photograph that can have many different endings. One feeling I also seem to get from Starkey's images is a sense of isolation as the people in the photographs always feel very disconnected from the audience. This to me is one of the reasons I love Starkey's photography as then I question why the subject is in this mood and what puts them in that mood. These are only questions I can guess and therefore make my own perceptions on. Another factor that draws me to Starkey's images is a use of strong lines and shapes. Within her photography she almost seems to always have a frame within a frame and for me this highlights the idea that the smaller things in life make up the bigger picture.
Shape: Within this photograph there are many squares and rectangles created that fill the space very well but also create an effect of isolation as everything is separated from one and other making nothing feel whole. The shapes are all repetitive and simple just like the women routine who works inside the shop.
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This is one of my favourite images of Starkey's as it has so many visual elements that draw me towards it.
Light: The lighting of this image may be considered abnormal or "wrong" because it does not highlight the women what appears to be the subject of this image. However, to me it highlights the women in a different form. it suggests to me that there is something wrong with her as although she is outside she is still trying to cover up and hide through being in the darkness. Line: There are many strong vertical and horizontal lines in this picture and most of them to the left of the women are creating their own frames. However, the vertical lines go with the way the women is standing and suggest to be she is trying to be normal and fit in. The strong lines at the top of the photograph do not fit in and this reminds me of how the women doesn't fit in to the world around her. They are different and shouldn't be there yet they are. |
Space: For me space is a very key aspect in Starkey's images and here she uses space very well to create a sense of isolation and loneliness. Whilst the women stands outside, what appears to be, a shop which probably contains many people she seems so distant from the world around her. To me the space is intoxicating just like the cigaret the women smokes. The space makes her feel so small and irrelevant to the world going on around her and the lighting appears to make it seem like she feels like this too.
Colour: The colours are quite dull and boring and similar except through in the top left where a strip of yellow is seen to be accidentally photographed. However, I believe this is no accident and Starkey is sending a message to her audience of although life may seem dull and boring there is always something just around the corner that can brighten up/ change your life. The rest of the picture all creates a rather dimming atmosphere as it makes the picture feel very still and lifeless.
Colour: The colours are quite dull and boring and similar except through in the top left where a strip of yellow is seen to be accidentally photographed. However, I believe this is no accident and Starkey is sending a message to her audience of although life may seem dull and boring there is always something just around the corner that can brighten up/ change your life. The rest of the picture all creates a rather dimming atmosphere as it makes the picture feel very still and lifeless.
Stephen Shore:
Shores images not only have great spatial awareness but the colours in his images are also very similar to the images I appear to take. Whilst not all of his images contain people in them I am still really drawn to them due to the space he uses and the shapes, line and colour he purposely captures within this space. Shores images are very compositional pleasing and it is clear that he has thought about how he wants the pictures to look before he takes them; some of his images even look like they have been set up.
This is one of my favourite images from Shore as I believe it is very pleasing to the eye.
Light: This light is very spread out as it is an image that is taken in the day time. There is no clear shadows and so not a big contrast in lighting and the lighting doesn't really highlight anything. However, the lighting does compliment the colours and make the landscape seem cleaner and a pleasant environment to be in. Line: There are many strong lines within this picture and that is one of the reason I believe this is one of my favourite Shore photographs. The lines on the floor look like they represent an area you are not meant to be in and this highlights the guy sitting on the floor. The pole in the middle of the picture is what your eyes are originally drawn to because it looks like it splits the picture in half; it kinda does split the picture into the two roads. At the end of the pole is a man who appears to be the subject of this picture and he is laying a different way to the one way sign which makes it look like he is breaking the rules. Line plays an important role in this picture as there are many strong lines in all different places. |
Shape: There are many shapes created by the strong lines in these images and these can be seen on the floor where the man sits or even in the sky where the electrical lines are connected. There are many shapes and I believe this is what makes the picture feel so full yet there isn't necessarily that much in the photograph. The street signs and objects attached to the poles and buildings also create different shapes which create something else to look.
Space: The space of this image is clearly thought about and filled very well. He has captured the guy and most important features in the middle of the photograph and left everything else such as the urban landscape to fill up the background rather than just zooming in on the guy. The picture has a lot of depth as it contains a very wide range and shows the whole street. Whilst there is a lot of lines this creates a lot of negative space on the floor and on the right side of the picture it appears a lot less busy than the left side of the picture.
Colour: All of the colour in the pictures compliment each other. An example of this is the road is the same colour as the building and so go together well. The main subject of this image, the man, also matches the colours in the picture. His jeans are the same blue as the sky and his t-shirt matches the white strips on the road. Even his jacket match the objects that are infront of the building and the cars coming down the street. This makes it seem like the man belongs in that spot as he matches the background very well.
Space: The space of this image is clearly thought about and filled very well. He has captured the guy and most important features in the middle of the photograph and left everything else such as the urban landscape to fill up the background rather than just zooming in on the guy. The picture has a lot of depth as it contains a very wide range and shows the whole street. Whilst there is a lot of lines this creates a lot of negative space on the floor and on the right side of the picture it appears a lot less busy than the left side of the picture.
Colour: All of the colour in the pictures compliment each other. An example of this is the road is the same colour as the building and so go together well. The main subject of this image, the man, also matches the colours in the picture. His jeans are the same blue as the sky and his t-shirt matches the white strips on the road. Even his jacket match the objects that are infront of the building and the cars coming down the street. This makes it seem like the man belongs in that spot as he matches the background very well.
Compare and contrast:
Although these pictures do not contain people in is uncanny how similar some of the pictures I take are to Shore. For me this just further emphasises of the fact that I need to be focusing my images on space as I can fill the space so there isn't much negative space or have an image that is very zoomed out and captures many things yet the image is still very intriguing.
Similarities:
- We both have frames within a frame -Both have a stand out colour that catches your attention - Slight reflection in the windows - Lighting is very suttle - Very focused on one thing/shop - shapes are very similar (rectangles, squares, etc) - Similar amounts of negative space -Lines are quite strong -Composition is centralised -Colours in images are cold |
Differences:
- My image is more zoomed - My colours are a bit more bold and shore's are more suttle - My shop windows are more busy |
Jeff Wall:
One reason I enjoy Wall's photography is because all the actors in his photographs seem very disconnected and like they have something else going on. This causes many feelings such as eeriness or suspicion which makes me want to know more about the photos. I also like how different Wall's backgrounds are and the background that are very busy help to create a further sense of isolation as there is so much going on yet the person is alone. However, sometimes I feel the pictures are too busy and made up and that ruins the photograph. I feel this because the picture gives me a fake feel as if everything has been set up and there is no real emotion within the photograph. The colours within these images are quite dull and do not really link to the kind of photography I want to take and have been taking. I prefer bright, street colours which look fresh where as, these colours look washed out.
For some reason I am very drawn to this image of Wall's. To me it has deeper meaning than just a guy sitting in a house of many things. To me this image sends a message of isolation as although he is surrounded by many things he is alone. Holding on to all of his things because he has nothing else. I really enjoy the idea of using images to evoke emotions and would like to use this myself to try use space and people to evoke emotion. The room is also innovative as I have never seen anything like it.
Light: As we can see the light is artificial light which is provide by the many light bulbs on the celling. Although this is the case some areas of the room are lighter than others. The corner where the man sits is bright although most of the room appears dim. This creates an eerie feeling in the room. |
Line: For me it is hard to spot many strong lines within this photograph as the room is very cluttered and so certain objects do not really stand out to me. This suggests that everything in the room is of the same significance and due to the way it has been presented this significance is not a very big one.
Shape: There are many shapes in this room due to the amount of clutter there is. For example, the roundness of the light bulbs on the celling and plates on the sink. However, there are a lot of clothes scattered around in this image and so hide quite a few objects making it hard to fully see the room.
Space: There is not much negative space in the room due to the business of the photograph and this causes the viewers eyes to look everywhere in the photo. The lack of space makes the room feel claustrophobic as there is barley any space to move let alone live. This makes me question the rest of the rooms in this house and how the guy is living. If he is a hoarder or hiding inside because he has to. The amount of stuff makes me question what this man is doing.
Colour: The colour in this room vary quite a bit from greens to whites and browns. This to me does not fit together and goes with the messiness of the room. It does not look like someone has carefully picked the furniture, it just looks like they have taken whatever they could get; this creates contrast. However, whilst these colours are all so different they compliment each other due to how dull they are; this creates a feeling of boredom. This is because the room does not seem exciting through the uninteresting choice of colour.
Shape: There are many shapes in this room due to the amount of clutter there is. For example, the roundness of the light bulbs on the celling and plates on the sink. However, there are a lot of clothes scattered around in this image and so hide quite a few objects making it hard to fully see the room.
Space: There is not much negative space in the room due to the business of the photograph and this causes the viewers eyes to look everywhere in the photo. The lack of space makes the room feel claustrophobic as there is barley any space to move let alone live. This makes me question the rest of the rooms in this house and how the guy is living. If he is a hoarder or hiding inside because he has to. The amount of stuff makes me question what this man is doing.
Colour: The colour in this room vary quite a bit from greens to whites and browns. This to me does not fit together and goes with the messiness of the room. It does not look like someone has carefully picked the furniture, it just looks like they have taken whatever they could get; this creates contrast. However, whilst these colours are all so different they compliment each other due to how dull they are; this creates a feeling of boredom. This is because the room does not seem exciting through the uninteresting choice of colour.
Experiments with space:
I set out to take a set of photographs where I could explore the notion of space. I wanted to experiment with capturing the visual element through my photographs. This is something which the photographers I have chosen have done well. I visited a local Pie and Mash shop because I like the interior and it is often quiet during the day so, I thought that it would be perfect to 'explore' space. I felt a little bit anxious about taking photographs of people so close and so have now realised I need to develop my confidence by taking more photographs. Once I have got more confidence I would like to go back to the shop and take more photographs that look more in-depth at space and composition. I would also like the explore with a film camera as this will make me look more deeply at the composition and spacing of the photographs. It will make me do this as I have to be more selective with the images I take due to only having a limited amount of film; I will also have to spend more time considering and setting up the shot as I will not be able to see it after which means everything will have to be perfect before hand. Whilst the trip was not as successful as I would have liked I believe I did get some good pictures that can link to what I am trying to do with my photography.
These photographs are a good representation of the type of photographs I would like to be taking for my personal investigation. They are a variation of people in different spaces and they provide a good range of depth of field. I really enjoy the composition of these images as they capture a strong background while representing a person. The person is not necessarily looking at the camera and this is what makes the portraits different to a normal portrait. I like experimenting with the depth of field as it creates a blurred effect on some of the objects which I believe can sometimes make the images more interesting.
In lesson, we were given a photograph and asked to write a description about the photograph but to only use photographic language and not make presumptions about what we believe could be going on in the image. This meant that we had to use technical terms to describe the image and therefore, encouraging us to do this when evaluating any image. After we had finished our own description we had a look at a model paragraph and compared our own writing to it. This helped me as it made me realise that I had missed some aspects of evaluation. The parts I missed were mainly due to not being able to research the photograph and so I could not link it to other artist. I also failed to talk about the size or scale of the photograph. This will encourage me when evaluating images to try create links between artists and my own experiences.
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Whilst I believe that some of my most effective photography is the obscure portraiture I take, I feel sometimes that the pictures are too repetitive and similar. This led me to the decision that I should try to experiment with some sort of a sequence. As I have experimented with diptychs in the past I decided I wanted to try something new and so started to place 3 images next to each other creating triptychs.
Triptychs I created:
Triptychs I created:
To created these triptychs I scanned through my photographs from my holiday and decided to pick out a few images that caught my eye. After I had around 30 images I decided that I would start putting them into groups of 3 and make little sequences I believed worked well together. I really enjoyed doing this as I could connect 3 totally unrelated images and give them meaning just through placing them next to each other. This also really interests me as I can use different types of photographs to make one interesting sequence instead of just having repetitive photographs. I can also use some of my favourite images with people but linked with other objects making them completely different from my other photographs.
My favourite triptychs:
My favourite triptychs:
The reason why I believe this triptych is successful is because of the different point of view in each picture. The picture of the man is very zoomed out and there are many aspects of the photograph in which you can make multiple perceptions on. You can also question many things in this picture for example, where he is or where he is going. The second image then has a more zoomed in focus and so is more subjective. Although, you can still see quite far out past the shape. However, the last picture for me is very objective and framed so not much else but the bike can be seen; this means only one main interpretation of the photograph can be made. This for me makes the triptych interesting as you go from a very subjective image to a objective one and this draws the viewers eyes in a little more everytime. I also believe that the presence of the colour blue helps to connect these images very well as it creates a flow from image to image.
The reason why I believe this triptych is a very interesting triptych is because I do not believe the sequence would work if the images were positioned in any other way. This is because I do not think you look at this sequence from left to right but from the middle and out to each side. I believe that the middle image connects the other images together. The reason for this is because the hole in the wall represents the women on the bench. It does this because the women creates a break in repetition of the slabs on the park bench, the slabs on the truck and the trees along with the vertical poles; this happens exactly the same with the wall. The wall creates a break in repetition of the bricks. The reason why the photograph on the bench links to the hanging cloth is because of the repetition in both images. There are many vertical and horizontal lines in the photograph of the women. For example, the trees you can see appear to be standing all in a straight line. This links to the cloth as it is dangling from a thread repetitively. I also believe that the colours are quite quite similar with white being a common theme. All of the images to me also feel quite soft due to the colours which creates a connection between the images however, the last image also contains bold colours.
For me this triptych works well because of the tone and shapes in all of the images. The rounded shape that appear in all of the images connect them as it is something that catches your eye due to it being repetitive. The roundness on the tree trunk links to the roundness of the mans hat and the round horse plates. The tone in these images are also very similar as they are bright and all the lighting is natural. This means you can see shadows which creates a contrast between the lightest and darkest part of the pictures; this is occurrent in all of the pictures.
I really enjoyed the idea of making triptychs as they can combine so many aspects of photography. Putting photographs in a sequence also gives the photograph a different meaning than when they were on their own. I started to think about the sequences I had made with the 30 photographs I initially selected out of my holiday photos and wanted to know if people would put the photographs into the same or similar sequences to what I did. I enjoy the idea of creating an interactive exhibition of my work and so have decided for one of my final outcomes I want to print photographs out and place them in a pile for people to then select whatever photographs they want and place them wherever they like within the panels.
Experiments for first outcome:
For my first experiment I decided to to print out the 33 photographs most of which I used for my triptychs. I then gave my pile of photographs to a few people and asked them to make 2 or 3 triptychs out of them. I then asked them to place them however they wanted on the table and photographed their final outcome.
Experiments for first outcome:
For my first experiment I decided to to print out the 33 photographs most of which I used for my triptychs. I then gave my pile of photographs to a few people and asked them to make 2 or 3 triptychs out of them. I then asked them to place them however they wanted on the table and photographed their final outcome.
For me this mini experiment was vey interesting as nobody put their images in the exact same sequence. However, I did find that there was a similar reoccurrence between which photographs have been picked. One of the things I found very interesting is that two of the people out of the four created a triptych using the same photographs but in a different sequence. I therefore, thought it would be interesting to find out why people choose the photographs they do. This experiment has encouraged me to continue with interactive tasks as I believe it makes people connect with your images more due to them having to look harder and give meaning to the images they put together.
Inspiration for my first final outcome:
Inspiration for my first final outcome:
I then started looking around for ways in which I could display my photographs and came across this video of Daido Moriyama which really interested me and his photobook work at the Tate was really similar to what I wanted to do. Moriyama has inspired me to try and recreate his idea for my final outcome. I want to take loads of images in black and white or using the provoke app and then display them on a wall for people to select and eventually turn into zines.
Trip to the Tate
I decided I was going to go to the Tate to participate in the zine making workshop that they had on. I wanted to do this as zines are what I want to do for my final outcome. Whilst there although not photography based the workshop encouraged me to go on another photoshoot before selecting my final images that will go in the zines. Whilst at the Tate I also got the chance to go and see Daido Moriyamas artist room. These photographs inspired me to try and use the provoke app again and also to try and create some explicit photographs. From seeing Daido's exhibition I decided I wanted to allow people to pick there own images and then these all the zines that are made will be individual and I can ask people why they selected the images they did.
Photoshoot 1:
Photoshoot 1:
For this photoshoot I decided I was going to experiment with the provoke app that is available on iPhones and similar to the photographs that Daido shot. I wanted to get some images of architecture along with some images that appeared to be explicit. I believe this photoshoot went quite well as I really enjoy the contrast between the black and whites and believe the mid-tones make the images have a really nice tone to them. I believe these images will be really intriguing to have on the opposite side to photographs that appear to be more happy and conventional.
Photoshoot 2:
Photoshoot 2:
For this photoshoot I wanted to keep experimenting with the idea of explicit photographs however, I wanted to use the DSLR for this because it captures the features of the person more and allows the lighting to set a mood for the photographs. I really enjoyed doing this photoshoot as I believe the images came out very well. I believe that the fact that the models are nude give you a connection to them because they are exposing themselves however, in most of the photographs the models are not looking at the camera and this gives a disconnection from the audience. I believe this is a really good affect of the photographs. Within this photoshoot I believe it is easy to connect with the images of the girls and prefer the photographs taken with them compared to the boys. I think I prefer these images as the lighting with the girls create more shadows and I think the darker less orange light looks better in the images and gives the images a better tone.
My first final outcome:
My first final outcome:
For my first finale outcome I decided to present my images on the wall in a grid and then have all the photocopied version of the images on the table below my exhibition. These images on the table were double sided and so I asked the people who viewed my exhibition to select 4 or 5 pages and place them in a order they were happy with. Once this was done the zines were created and they were individual to each person because they would of selected the images they were most connected to. Each zine had around 20 images and I liked it like this as then the book did not feel too thick or too thin. I then asked people why they selected the images they did and this created a connection between me and the viewer as I could then understand what aspect of my photographs they were drawn too.
The created Zines:
The created Zines:
The first zine was a zine I made and it was to give an example to the audience of what the finished zine will look like and to give them a feel for how some of the photographs may look next to each other. For my scene I wanted it to be based around the idea of complimentary photographs and also photographs that you would not necessarily put together. For me the photographs that are placed within white borders are my favourite pages as the high contrast make the images stand out. When this is placed next to an image that fills the page it gives the viewer a really good look at all the mid-tones.
This zine was the first Zine to be created by someone viewing and picking their own images. They sequenced the book themselves and then afterwards I asked why they picked the certain pictures they did. For this person they said they wanted to pick all the double spread image and place them within the zine. This ended up creating a lot of buzy pages that most of the time worked well and complimented each other. However, for me my favourite pages in the zine are the ones in which images are next to blank pages. This is because then it makes the detail in the picture next to it stand out due to the high contrast to the blacks and greys in the images.
For this zine the same process was undergone. The reason for the sequences of this was to try and place darker images next to light images in order to create high contrast. For me not all of the pages worked very well next to each other as they were too busy and it made the pages feel very similar. Also I do not believe there was enough of a contrast between some images to put them next to each other as it makes them look very similar. However, I do believe that some of the pages look really good next to each other as they compliment each other very well. For example, picture 9 (the building and boy in the bath) is my favourite page out of all the books. This is because I believe the different tones of the images compliment each other very well despite being very different images. I also believe the contrast of black and white help the images to stand out as one is very light at the top and the other at the bottom. This helps the viewer to focus on the middle of the page and makes the images stand out.
For this zine the person making it said they wanted to have the lay up of pages as different as possible and so selected a few images that filled the page and some that had white background. They also selected images in which the images with borders were placed in different places on the page. This led to an interesting outcome as all the pages were set up to have different placements from the one in-front of it. This meant that when you turned the page the layout would always be different from the pervious one. This for me was a good idea as then the viewer would have to think harder to work out why the photographer wanted the pages like this.
Through looking at Daido Moriyama I decided to research other Japanese photographers and come across Shinro Ohtake. Ohtake has some really interesting work and has given me an idea of what I want to do for my next final piece.
Ohtake had made a series of different books that represented different places for example, one of his books represented London. Ohtake had gone around collecting different items from every place and he made many collage's that got turned into scrapbooks. I really enjoyed the feelings you get from the books as I believe they are representation of a specific place. As Ohtake came to London from Japan he wasn't used to the different culture and how the way we packet things or the way we used transport was very different to what he was used to. He therefore decided he wanted to convey a feel of the place to people that had not only been to London but also those who had not necessarily been there before.
This has given me the idea to do something similar but use many photographs instead of different items I could find around. I also want to experiment with different size prints of these collaged photographs instead of having books as then I could have the print that is very busy next to and open landscape. These two images would then evoke many different emotions. This links to space as it would show how people effect the emotions felt in different spaces. For example, in a really busy shopping centre people may feel anxious or squashed but in an open field they feel free. This would also effect the photography as peoples posture, expressions and actions would be different in each situation.
This has given me the idea to do something similar but use many photographs instead of different items I could find around. I also want to experiment with different size prints of these collaged photographs instead of having books as then I could have the print that is very busy next to and open landscape. These two images would then evoke many different emotions. This links to space as it would show how people effect the emotions felt in different spaces. For example, in a really busy shopping centre people may feel anxious or squashed but in an open field they feel free. This would also effect the photography as peoples posture, expressions and actions would be different in each situation.
For this photoshoot I decided to have two different themes in order to create a contrasting feel for one of my final piece. I decided that one of the shoots would be busy and have images that are very full and this would be in contrast to images that were out in the open and were quite empty/full of nature. With these different images I could then experiment with how space effect people and photography. I could then experiment with different ways of making one of the photographs really busy compared to ways of making one of the photographs very simple and empty. In a way it will be minimalistic photography vs maximalistic photography.
At first I decided that I would try to make a collage's out of photographs and overlay different parts of my photographs on top of a portrait. I did this because I wanted to create a claustrophobic effect. However, when looking at the collage I created, no matter how many layers I added I didn't get this feel. I also wasn't too happy with the final outcome and so decided I would try something else in photoshop instead. I decided that I would use overlay full photographs across each other and just change the effects/ lighting used in each picture.
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In photoshop I started playing around by layering images on top of each other as well as playing with the different layers and lighting I was using within each each image. This created a really busy image that to me felt claustrophobic and overwhelming. I enjoyed using the different types of layers as this created many different colours and made it hard to fully understand what is going on in the images. This to me gave the impression of how it would feel to have a panic attack and be in a really tight space with no escape. For me I really enjoy these images as they are very abstract and I can make specific object stand out. My favourite images are the two at the bottom as I believe the layer of a tree trunk with leaves at the bottom gave the images a rough texture to it. I also enjoy how you can see parts of all the layers yet they fit really well together to make each other stand out.
I decided I wanted to create some images that had a portrait as a base image as I wanted to try to portray how people effect space as well as how they feel in the spaces. This for me is one of my is a very interesting idea that I want to explore as it seems like the person is trapped under a large object and is stuck there. I then decided that I wanted to keep adding layers to this image to see how busy I could make it while still keeping the person vividly in sight.
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I started to edit the portrait in photoshop using a variety of different lights, number of layers and saturations. This for me was a very interesting project as the different amount of layers resulted in a different feeling due to how clustered the picture was and therefore how much you could actually see and recognise in the image. The two favourite image that I created were the first and last images. I really enjoy the first edit because you can only see the person vividly and this creates an supernatural feel to the image. I also believe the big object that is obstructing most of the view helps people to look more carefully at the image as they want to see what is underneath the object but for this they need to look really closely. The last image is also one of my favourite edits because of how many layers there are and how busy the image is. I think this is interesting because despite how chaotic the image is you can still see specific objects from each layer and this would make people question what the image is about. These two images for me are the best representation of someone feel trap and confined in a small space.
Final piece experiments:
Experiments with different sized images:
Experiments with different sized images:
I decided to experiment with printing my images on different sized paper to see what I preferred and if it affected the quality in anyway. I started printing on A4 but decided that I didn't think this was big enough for the piece I wanted to produce as on the smaller paper it was harder to see the different layers of the images. I then decided to print on A3 however, still believed this was too smaller as I wanted it to be easier for people to see the detail within each image. After this I thought I would print really big and so create a A1 image.
I believe the A1 print was the best size for my images as then it allows the detail of each layer to slightly be seen. The way I created my A1 images was by dividing my images into quarters in photoshop and then printing each quarter separately. This allowed me to keep the quality in my images whilst displaying it a large format. Whilst I really enjoy the business of the images as it represents how someone might feel in an overwhelming I felt like it was so busy people might have a hard time looking at it for two long. I therefore wanted to create a break in the images and so I decided I would experiment with different layers and negative space in order to give the image a breaks between all the business and chaos.
Experimenting with layers:
Experimenting with layers:
I created another A1 image on mount board and this time decided I would cut out different shapes and patterns that the image had so that there was negative space within the image. I Also could then use these shapes to place on the image below in the gaps or to place on top to draw attention to them. At first I experimented with just laying one image on top of the other but I did not like this outcome as I believed it made the image look too cluttered and did not create a break between images. I then experimented with leaving a gap between the images and really enjoyed the look of this. I believe it looked really interesting as you could see through the first image at a variety of different angles and so wherever you stood and looked at the images you had a different perception of what you saw. The gap between the images also allowed me to lay shapes onto the images at different heights and so this created multiple layers between the two images. This for me created multiple layers of chaos which were all overwhelming and represented the idea of being stuck in a panic or somewhere you really didn't want to be. Whilst adding more layers made the images very busy and claustrophobic the shapes and negative space gave the viewer a place to look. For me this was like having room to breathe when you feel trapped. The gaps within the images helped to draw the persons eyes to something and so the image does not feel so busy that they want to look. The other layers also draw peoples eye to the individual places and therefore their eyes will travel from one gap or layer to the other causing them to cover and engage with the whole image.
I think my final outcome has been influenced greatly by Shinro Ohtake as it has inspired me to manipulate my images in many ways. For example, tried to create a collage of images and ended up overlaying images in photoshop which created the first piece of information for my final outcome. I then thought I had finished my final piece with the final edit from photoshop but I decided that my image was too busy and needed something else to be complete. I then looked back at Ohtake's work and saw his multiple layers and so decided that I would try something with layers within my images. This then brought me to my final piece in which I had multiple layers that created a better final outcome as it caused viewers to engage with my image more due to the pieces of negative space.
I think my final outcome has been influenced greatly by Shinro Ohtake as it has inspired me to manipulate my images in many ways. For example, tried to create a collage of images and ended up overlaying images in photoshop which created the first piece of information for my final outcome. I then thought I had finished my final piece with the final edit from photoshop but I decided that my image was too busy and needed something else to be complete. I then looked back at Ohtake's work and saw his multiple layers and so decided that I would try something with layers within my images. This then brought me to my final piece in which I had multiple layers that created a better final outcome as it caused viewers to engage with my image more due to the pieces of negative space.
I started to experiment with smaller versions of my idea but used different images to see what the different colours may look like underneath. I cut out specific shapes and then placed these shapes on top of or below the image on top. Once again the negative space created by the shapes gave the really busy image places specifically for people to look at. I think the first A4 piece I made was really successful as there was a brighter coloured image at the bottom and so it made the image underneath. One problem I found with the smaller images is it is very hard to create layers with them as it is very visible that you have something between the two images and this breaks the effect of having layers.
Personal investigation essay:
Space - “the dimensions of height, depth, and width within which all things exist and move”
Creating a photobook was the first step to me realising what photography I enjoy taking the most however, I did not fully realise this until after I had finished my book. For my photobook I looked at a range of books which include: Indecisive momento by Nick Waplington, Edges by Dolores Marat, Entratete by Rita Lino and Ravens by Masahisa Funkase. I looked at a variety to try and collect different pieces of inspiration and also to try and find which type of photograph I best enjoy within a photobook. I believe that out of all of these photographers Waplington had the biggest effect on me; this could of been due to the fact he visited our school and gave a speech in which he told us some very interesting things about how he takes photographs and why he takes photographs. Waplington inspired me to not only try and create something fun but also original. His use of bold colours and text really caught my attention in his book as it was something people didn’t often do. Waplington clearly had images that looked like they were mistakenly placed and this is what made his book so intriguing. It made me question why he had done this and so I wanted to look a little harder to try and created a link between the images. However, there wasn’t a link. The mistake was a statement of its own. The idea that photography can be taken and made out of unexpected situations and items. I tried to replicate the use of colour in my book however, for me I believe I did not make my book intriguing enough and it was too repetitive. Waplington also states he is different to other photographers as “I’m interested in everything and that manifests itself in what is a kind of very erratic way of working”. This suggests to me that Waplington comes up with his best photographs by experimenting with different types of photography and not just sticking to one topic. This encouraged me to be experimental and try out all aspects of photography which was both helpful and unhelpful in my photobook. This is because I then took some of my best images however, there was then too many themes in my book. Lino and Funkase gave me a similar inspiration to try and put a message across through my photobook. I think the problem that occured for me was I wasn’t clear which message it was that I was putting across and this lead to a photobook of multiple themes. Unlike Funkase who managed to portray the theme of loneliness through his photobook, my photobook had a mixed sense of emotions due to the different types of photography I was taking. Marat also gave me much inspiration as I really enjoyed the little passage of writing at the beginning that explain and connected everything. The book also is full of abstractions through the different amount of focus she used in her images and this inspired me to be experimental and look at the different angles photographs can be taken at. This was a continuing theme throughout the book and so I believe worked really well. This therefore, showed me my photography could be of anything I wanted as long as I could explain the connection.
Whilst all these books taught me something different I believe I should've tried to focus on one aspect of photography from the start as my final photobook had lots of different themes and so did not flow as much as I wanted it to. I believe this could of been down to trying to incorporate too many aspects of photography into one book. Whilst I was not happy with my final photobook I did really enjoy sequencing and learnt how to create interesting diptychs through my mistakes. For my photobook I based most of my diptychs around colour or shape however, I now realise there doesn’t have to be an apparent connection between the photographs in order for the photographs to compliment each other and make each other stand out. This therefore, meant that although my photobook was not what I expected it has still made me develop by making me realise how I could of improved it. The photobook project has also showed me what type of photographer I believe I am and helped me to understand what aspect of photography I should be focusing on.
Whilst progressing through my personal investigation I was drawn to photography thresholds number 8: "Photographs consist of formal and visual elements and have their own 'grammar'". This threshold inspired me to look between images I analysed to find a new understanding of the photograph. Instead of just seeing a picture I was looking at bold lines, placement, colour etc. This to me gave photographs another meaning. They were not just something someone accidently shot but something people thought about and created. I wanted to portray this through my photography and therefore my pictures would have multiple meanings. I then also came across Robert Frank who stated “The eye should learn to listen before it looks”. For me this was the perfect example of threshold concept number 8 as it is telling people to observe and try to figure out the true meaning of an image before judging it. This inspired me to try and look harder when taking images so that the viewer had to try and uncover the meaning of my image, it wasn't just there for them to spot and make interpretations on straight away. Looking harder also made my images of better quality as I did not want to take too many of the same thing but just get one perfect shot. I now believe that this is something a film camera could of helped me with as I would only have a selective amount of images and so would have to ensure that each one was perfect.
Starting my personal investigation help me to discern that my best photography is taken when focusing on space. This usually involved people or a journey and so I started to focus my investigation on how people affect space and also by using the visual elements to affect space too. Once I decided that I wanted to base my investigation around space I started looking for photographers that might related to me and the photographers I came across were: Hannah Starkey, Stephen Shore and Jeff Wall. Each of these photographers showed me different ways in which I could used space to create images that I was happy with. Hannah Starkey uses the placement of her subjects and the space around them to create a specific mood or atmosphere; this is usually disconnection or isolation. For me I love that Hannah Starkey uses space to create these feelings as then I believe it makes the viewer asked many questions about the photograph. This then almost feels like a story with multiple endings. Stephen Shore’s photography caught my eye as he didn’t only use people to effect space but visual elements too. His photography is very compositionally pleasing and it has taught me to be more patient with my photograph. I have realised that waiting and framing my images can really help me to capture the space in an interesting way. Stephen Shore also uses urban colours which are really appealing to me as they often relate and are very similar to the images I take. Jeff Wall’s photography, much like Hannah Starkey’s, evoke emotions by the placement of his actors and also the amount that is going on in the photograph. His photography also inspires me to look well before taking my photograph and not always try to catch a moment but to experiment with set up shoots. This therefore, means I am more aware of how people and object affect my photograph and what mood is given off from it.
From looking at all three of the photographers that linked to my theme I decided that I didn't want to just focus on how people effect space but a variety of different aspects of photography that may affect space. I started to look back through my photographs for pictures where I believe space had been affected by visual elements or people. Once I had selected around 30 images I placed them into different triptychs and this idea gave me inspiration for my first finale outcome. The triptychs I created where mainly from my holiday photographs and were shot on a Nikon D3300 whilst travelling. I then created a google document and place all the triptychs on there so that I could print out my photographs and see what I thought of them when in physical form. I really enjoyed the look of the triptychs and so decided I would do something to do with sequencing for my final outcome. For my first experiment I printed out around 30 photographs and asked people to make 3 sets of triptychs out of them. This was very interesting because then it created a connection between me and the viewer by giving me insight into what images people are most drawn to. As I believed the interaction task was an exciting way to display my photographs I decided to look at new ways of displaying and presenting my images. This led me to discover Daido Moriyama’s print show at the tate. Looking at Daido’s images; looking back on previous work we had done on him, I decided I wanted to go back and explore the explicit part of photography using the Provoke app available on Iphones. I asked people to be my models and experimented with the provoke app using different light level. These include: candle light, natural light and artificial light. I was very excited with the outcome of these images and so went on another shoot using the Provoke filter but this time outside. The print show inspired me to try and recreate a similar outcome for my final piece and so I created specific diptychs in photoshop and then printed all of my diptychs out. I had around 11 diptychs in which I then photocopied to make double sided so that I could turn them into zines. My original prints were displayed on a wall and then the double sided images were laid out on a table below for people to select and sequence themselves. These zines for me were the perfect final outcome as it was an interactionist task which showed me which images people liked best. It also contained a variety of images in which space was affected by a variety of aspects. This meant that the images people most connected could give me insight into what specific aspect of things that affect space I should be focusing on.
As space is the main theme of my investigation I wanted to created something intriguing using the contrasting features of a space. I came across the artist Shinro Ohtake who has created different books that link to the feeling he gets from a particular area. This gave me the idea of doing something similar but with only photographs. In photoshop I started playing around with collaging images however, the outcome was not very appealing and so I decided I would try something similar but use different collaging techniques. Instead of taking different pieces from each image and laying them on top of each other I would lay multiple images on top of one specific image. I would then just play around with the different lightings, saturations and sizes of each image to try and create a really busy space. This image was then meant to represent the feeling of being trapped in a small space and feeling claustrophobic. Once I was happy with my edited image I decided that I would print them out to see if editing would affect the quality of the picture. The images when printed out on different sizes didn’t lose any quality and so I decided that I wanted to turn my image into an A1 print. For this I had to split my images into quarters in photoshop and then print each individual quarter on A3 paper. I then stuck these on to mount board using spray mount. This size was my favourite size as you could see detail from most of the layers when printed this big however, you could not see all this detail in the smaller images. When looking at what I thought would be my final piece I was not too happy with the final outcome. This is because to me the image felt like it was too busy and that was because it was hard to look at and focus on what was going on in the image. I then decided to look back at Ohtake’s work for inspiration about what I could do next. From looking at his work I saw that he had multiple layers and so I decided I would try and create a similar effect using my photographs. I created another A1 image on mount board but I then cut out shapes from this image. I used this image and placed it on top of the original one. This negative space then created places for the viewer to look at instead of not being able to focus because of how busy it was. I created a frame between these two images and so could place the cut out shapes between the layers at different heights to create multiple layers; this then gave the viewer many places to look. The multiple layers for me created a even more claustrophobic feel however, gave the viewer spaces to look and so created a sort of breathing space. My final piece was a representation of how someone might feel when trapped in a small space. This is because the image is just so full you almost struggle to move around it. I wanted to explore how people might feel not just how they affect space and I think my final piece does this very well.
Creating a photobook was the first step to me realising what photography I enjoy taking the most however, I did not fully realise this until after I had finished my book. For my photobook I looked at a range of books which include: Indecisive momento by Nick Waplington, Edges by Dolores Marat, Entratete by Rita Lino and Ravens by Masahisa Funkase. I looked at a variety to try and collect different pieces of inspiration and also to try and find which type of photograph I best enjoy within a photobook. I believe that out of all of these photographers Waplington had the biggest effect on me; this could of been due to the fact he visited our school and gave a speech in which he told us some very interesting things about how he takes photographs and why he takes photographs. Waplington inspired me to not only try and create something fun but also original. His use of bold colours and text really caught my attention in his book as it was something people didn’t often do. Waplington clearly had images that looked like they were mistakenly placed and this is what made his book so intriguing. It made me question why he had done this and so I wanted to look a little harder to try and created a link between the images. However, there wasn’t a link. The mistake was a statement of its own. The idea that photography can be taken and made out of unexpected situations and items. I tried to replicate the use of colour in my book however, for me I believe I did not make my book intriguing enough and it was too repetitive. Waplington also states he is different to other photographers as “I’m interested in everything and that manifests itself in what is a kind of very erratic way of working”. This suggests to me that Waplington comes up with his best photographs by experimenting with different types of photography and not just sticking to one topic. This encouraged me to be experimental and try out all aspects of photography which was both helpful and unhelpful in my photobook. This is because I then took some of my best images however, there was then too many themes in my book. Lino and Funkase gave me a similar inspiration to try and put a message across through my photobook. I think the problem that occured for me was I wasn’t clear which message it was that I was putting across and this lead to a photobook of multiple themes. Unlike Funkase who managed to portray the theme of loneliness through his photobook, my photobook had a mixed sense of emotions due to the different types of photography I was taking. Marat also gave me much inspiration as I really enjoyed the little passage of writing at the beginning that explain and connected everything. The book also is full of abstractions through the different amount of focus she used in her images and this inspired me to be experimental and look at the different angles photographs can be taken at. This was a continuing theme throughout the book and so I believe worked really well. This therefore, showed me my photography could be of anything I wanted as long as I could explain the connection.
Whilst all these books taught me something different I believe I should've tried to focus on one aspect of photography from the start as my final photobook had lots of different themes and so did not flow as much as I wanted it to. I believe this could of been down to trying to incorporate too many aspects of photography into one book. Whilst I was not happy with my final photobook I did really enjoy sequencing and learnt how to create interesting diptychs through my mistakes. For my photobook I based most of my diptychs around colour or shape however, I now realise there doesn’t have to be an apparent connection between the photographs in order for the photographs to compliment each other and make each other stand out. This therefore, meant that although my photobook was not what I expected it has still made me develop by making me realise how I could of improved it. The photobook project has also showed me what type of photographer I believe I am and helped me to understand what aspect of photography I should be focusing on.
Whilst progressing through my personal investigation I was drawn to photography thresholds number 8: "Photographs consist of formal and visual elements and have their own 'grammar'". This threshold inspired me to look between images I analysed to find a new understanding of the photograph. Instead of just seeing a picture I was looking at bold lines, placement, colour etc. This to me gave photographs another meaning. They were not just something someone accidently shot but something people thought about and created. I wanted to portray this through my photography and therefore my pictures would have multiple meanings. I then also came across Robert Frank who stated “The eye should learn to listen before it looks”. For me this was the perfect example of threshold concept number 8 as it is telling people to observe and try to figure out the true meaning of an image before judging it. This inspired me to try and look harder when taking images so that the viewer had to try and uncover the meaning of my image, it wasn't just there for them to spot and make interpretations on straight away. Looking harder also made my images of better quality as I did not want to take too many of the same thing but just get one perfect shot. I now believe that this is something a film camera could of helped me with as I would only have a selective amount of images and so would have to ensure that each one was perfect.
Starting my personal investigation help me to discern that my best photography is taken when focusing on space. This usually involved people or a journey and so I started to focus my investigation on how people affect space and also by using the visual elements to affect space too. Once I decided that I wanted to base my investigation around space I started looking for photographers that might related to me and the photographers I came across were: Hannah Starkey, Stephen Shore and Jeff Wall. Each of these photographers showed me different ways in which I could used space to create images that I was happy with. Hannah Starkey uses the placement of her subjects and the space around them to create a specific mood or atmosphere; this is usually disconnection or isolation. For me I love that Hannah Starkey uses space to create these feelings as then I believe it makes the viewer asked many questions about the photograph. This then almost feels like a story with multiple endings. Stephen Shore’s photography caught my eye as he didn’t only use people to effect space but visual elements too. His photography is very compositionally pleasing and it has taught me to be more patient with my photograph. I have realised that waiting and framing my images can really help me to capture the space in an interesting way. Stephen Shore also uses urban colours which are really appealing to me as they often relate and are very similar to the images I take. Jeff Wall’s photography, much like Hannah Starkey’s, evoke emotions by the placement of his actors and also the amount that is going on in the photograph. His photography also inspires me to look well before taking my photograph and not always try to catch a moment but to experiment with set up shoots. This therefore, means I am more aware of how people and object affect my photograph and what mood is given off from it.
From looking at all three of the photographers that linked to my theme I decided that I didn't want to just focus on how people effect space but a variety of different aspects of photography that may affect space. I started to look back through my photographs for pictures where I believe space had been affected by visual elements or people. Once I had selected around 30 images I placed them into different triptychs and this idea gave me inspiration for my first finale outcome. The triptychs I created where mainly from my holiday photographs and were shot on a Nikon D3300 whilst travelling. I then created a google document and place all the triptychs on there so that I could print out my photographs and see what I thought of them when in physical form. I really enjoyed the look of the triptychs and so decided I would do something to do with sequencing for my final outcome. For my first experiment I printed out around 30 photographs and asked people to make 3 sets of triptychs out of them. This was very interesting because then it created a connection between me and the viewer by giving me insight into what images people are most drawn to. As I believed the interaction task was an exciting way to display my photographs I decided to look at new ways of displaying and presenting my images. This led me to discover Daido Moriyama’s print show at the tate. Looking at Daido’s images; looking back on previous work we had done on him, I decided I wanted to go back and explore the explicit part of photography using the Provoke app available on Iphones. I asked people to be my models and experimented with the provoke app using different light level. These include: candle light, natural light and artificial light. I was very excited with the outcome of these images and so went on another shoot using the Provoke filter but this time outside. The print show inspired me to try and recreate a similar outcome for my final piece and so I created specific diptychs in photoshop and then printed all of my diptychs out. I had around 11 diptychs in which I then photocopied to make double sided so that I could turn them into zines. My original prints were displayed on a wall and then the double sided images were laid out on a table below for people to select and sequence themselves. These zines for me were the perfect final outcome as it was an interactionist task which showed me which images people liked best. It also contained a variety of images in which space was affected by a variety of aspects. This meant that the images people most connected could give me insight into what specific aspect of things that affect space I should be focusing on.
As space is the main theme of my investigation I wanted to created something intriguing using the contrasting features of a space. I came across the artist Shinro Ohtake who has created different books that link to the feeling he gets from a particular area. This gave me the idea of doing something similar but with only photographs. In photoshop I started playing around with collaging images however, the outcome was not very appealing and so I decided I would try something similar but use different collaging techniques. Instead of taking different pieces from each image and laying them on top of each other I would lay multiple images on top of one specific image. I would then just play around with the different lightings, saturations and sizes of each image to try and create a really busy space. This image was then meant to represent the feeling of being trapped in a small space and feeling claustrophobic. Once I was happy with my edited image I decided that I would print them out to see if editing would affect the quality of the picture. The images when printed out on different sizes didn’t lose any quality and so I decided that I wanted to turn my image into an A1 print. For this I had to split my images into quarters in photoshop and then print each individual quarter on A3 paper. I then stuck these on to mount board using spray mount. This size was my favourite size as you could see detail from most of the layers when printed this big however, you could not see all this detail in the smaller images. When looking at what I thought would be my final piece I was not too happy with the final outcome. This is because to me the image felt like it was too busy and that was because it was hard to look at and focus on what was going on in the image. I then decided to look back at Ohtake’s work for inspiration about what I could do next. From looking at his work I saw that he had multiple layers and so I decided I would try and create a similar effect using my photographs. I created another A1 image on mount board but I then cut out shapes from this image. I used this image and placed it on top of the original one. This negative space then created places for the viewer to look at instead of not being able to focus because of how busy it was. I created a frame between these two images and so could place the cut out shapes between the layers at different heights to create multiple layers; this then gave the viewer many places to look. The multiple layers for me created a even more claustrophobic feel however, gave the viewer spaces to look and so created a sort of breathing space. My final piece was a representation of how someone might feel when trapped in a small space. This is because the image is just so full you almost struggle to move around it. I wanted to explore how people might feel not just how they affect space and I think my final piece does this very well.
Resources used:
Indecisive momento, Nick Waplington
Edges, Dolores Marat
Entratete, Rita Lino
Ravens, Masahisa Funkase
Nick Waplington/ Alexander McQueen: Working progress, http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/nick-waplington-alexander-mcqueen-working-process , 10 March - 17 May 2015
Thomas Tallis Threshold concepts, http://www.thomastallisschool.com/uploads/2/2/8/7/2287089/threshold_graphics_centre.pdf
The Americans, Robert Frank, 15 May 1958
Daido Moriyama: Printing show, http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/daido-moriyama-11595/daido-moriyama-printing-show , 12 October 2012
Shinro Ohtake, Scrapbooks, https://www.designboom.com/art/shinro-ohtake-found-object-scrapbooks-at-the-venice-biennale-2013/ , 1977- 2013
Indecisive momento, Nick Waplington
Edges, Dolores Marat
Entratete, Rita Lino
Ravens, Masahisa Funkase
Nick Waplington/ Alexander McQueen: Working progress, http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/nick-waplington-alexander-mcqueen-working-process , 10 March - 17 May 2015
Thomas Tallis Threshold concepts, http://www.thomastallisschool.com/uploads/2/2/8/7/2287089/threshold_graphics_centre.pdf
The Americans, Robert Frank, 15 May 1958
Daido Moriyama: Printing show, http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/daido-moriyama-11595/daido-moriyama-printing-show , 12 October 2012
Shinro Ohtake, Scrapbooks, https://www.designboom.com/art/shinro-ohtake-found-object-scrapbooks-at-the-venice-biennale-2013/ , 1977- 2013