This is an exercise with a creative process. The subject edits a printed picture of their face, which is then rephotographed with them holding the edited print in front of their face. I experimented with two different images. One in colour and one converted to black and white.
Set 1
The original
The rephotographed altered image
Taken one stage further
The challenge in rephotographing was to get everything to line up. In addition the colours on my home printer do not match the actual colours.
In making a copy there will be some degradation of the image, but I found this an interesting part of the process and make me think of Andrew Conroy’s (2019) talk at the OCA study day. He showed us some images where he had printed them and then scanned them, producing a different look to the image. There is a post in my learning log about the day.
Set 2
The original
The rephotographed altered image
The rephotographed altered image
The rephotographed altered image
Myself and the subject both enjoyed the creativity in the exercise. I took an initial set of images before reviewing and reshooting. As mentioned above, I learned to more aware of what did and did not line up in composing the shot. The reviewing process is something that I am now incorporating in my work, taking test shots and evaluating what does and doesn’t work before reshooting for a second or third time.
I like the drama of the first set. The second set appeals with its limited but contrasting strong colours and use of lines and curves.
I can see this is a technique that could have many applications, for example with still life, and it is something I am looking forward to experimenting further with.
While I enjoy being able to work at my own pace, which is a strength of of the Foundations in Photography course, learning online does at times feel like an isolated experience with no one to bounce ideas off and there are few structured e-tivities to encourage participants to contribute and collaborate. With this in mind I was delighted to discover there was an OCA North Study Event in Halifax.
The guest speaker was Andrew Conroy, photography and OCA tutor who presented his resent work and talked about collaboration. His recent work can be viewed online at https://www.andrewconroy.info/work
He talked about his interest in a sense of space and the connections and disconnections between space, place, identity and capital. Psychogeography was discussed. This was a term I have never heard of so did some reading online afterwards. Tate (2019) describes this as the effect of a geographical location on the emotions and behaviour of individuals.
One of the works discussed was 1984, A set of twelve images of a community that appears to have a mining connection. These images show the town of Waverley. An area that has be regenerated with green spaces, country park, and is advertised as the new heart of Yorkshire. However, Waverley is a new name for Orgreave, and 1984 refers to what has become known as ‘the Battle of Orgreave’. Despite the change of name to the majority of people the place will always be known as Orgreave. The series of images are available online and also as a printed book, several copies of which have been left in the area.
Another project looks at 9 former collieries. This images highlight how development is concealing history as pits are converted in parks. Working class histories are excluded and references are depoliticised.
Different approaches to collaboration were discussed. For example one type of collaboration could be taking something that is already competed as a starting point. I like the use of the term exchange as a way of looking at collaboration as this is two way process. Andrew talked about his different ways of working. The Drive developed unexpectedly with the author of the poem sending a recording of him reading the text, changing his original plans, and leading to the addition of a musical drone underneath the poem whilst the images are displayed. The collaboration with artist Chris Graham, uses back and white photocopies of images that the artist can add his design to.
Through listening to Andrew talk I came away with a much deeper understanding of his work. He likes his work to be ambiguous and said that you don’t have to tell people what it is all about. I do like being able to see a piece of work and finding my own interpretation, however I do find it interested to also have to option to find out more in depth information.
After Andrew’s talk there was a chance for students to display and discuss their own work. I found this interesting, though mainly examples of photography there were also paintings – an art form I’ve never had to publicly discuss and I found it fascinating that the photographers all wanted to change the order of the photos (something we do all the time when considering how to present our work). It was useful to talk to people on the degree course who are further along in their OCA journey.
Following the talk and discussions afterward I came away with new ideas, areas to research and an action point to take some of own work next time.
Ambiguity can be good. Let photos speak for themself without being over reliant on descriptive titles or accompanying text. If there is a context to be shared, this can be done in a way after it has been viewed
Experiment with different formats. Photocopying a print and then rescanning it creates interesting effects.
Gain inspiration from graduation exhibitions at local art colleges/universities.
Research ways I can collaborate creatively with practitioners in other art forms.
The set of three images above represent connections with my husband, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. The rings are shot in pairs as they symbolise a partnership, and include engagement, wedding rings, and an eternity ring. This is a very personal series of images as the rings give me a tangible link with the past.
This was a fascinating area to research, with many creative ways of taking photographs of wedding rings with techniques that could be applied to other subjects for still life photography. With the aim of completing Part three this year though, these will have to wait for another time. Searching online, articles by @SLRLOUNGE (2017), and Kay (2019), inspired me to use the idea of using reflections by using a mirror. These articles and other online sources all recommend the use of a macro lens, which at this moment in time I do not own. A compromise was to use my iPhone camera, which although limiting in terms of depth of field, shutter speed, and ISO, did all0w me to get a closer shot of the rings. The images above were shot with the rings places on a mirror, with the silver and black background created from a dress reflected onto the mirror. I experimented with difference backgrounds before using the dress. Music stand clip on LED lights were used to give more control over the lighting.
Overall I am pleased with the result, though I would have liked to have more sparkle in the diamonds on the rings. The research in advance worked well and opened up many new ideas for me to try in future. I would have liked to be able to do this exercise with a macro lens and get a greater level of detail in the images. Given more time, I would have liked to explore different settings for the rings e.g. a flower in the background or bokeh created by fairy lights.
As I work through the course I am becoming more aware of the vital importance of light in photography. Something I will continue to research as I work through this course. My particular development points are as follows
Experiment with other backgrounds and settings. This can be applied to other still life photography, not just the rings.
Continue to research the work of other photographers and artists relating to the project I am working on
Set up practice shots at try out ideas as part of the planning stage.
The image above was inspired by my love of travelling by bike and the joy of exploring new places on two wheels. If the bikes don’t go on holiday with us we will usual hire them. The view from a bike is very different from travelling by car, giving you a different perspective on the area, whilst allow you to travel faster than walking.
The image blends landscape (pictures of places, in this case the back of my house), with still life (the bike/cycling gear/suitcase), and I printed photographs to represent a narrative of some of the places where we have cycled. The influence of Duane Michaels (Oxford School of Photography, 2011) can be seen in the use of my hand written text on the border of the image, in this instance strengthening the personal connection with the subject.
This was a challenging exercise to find three genres that had a connection. Though I can see the appeal of this if the subjects work together. One recent photo taken in the Lake District, where a dog was in the corner of a landscape photo, transformed it into a comical and more powerful image.
In creating this image the printed photos could have been larger. Viewed from further away the image was confusing and too busy. The closer images were more successful, but lost the wider view of the back of the house. Converting the image to black and white also removed distractions from strong contrasting colours, particularly the red brick work. I do like the space at the right hand side of the house with the sense of a new journey starting. The bikes also mirror the position of the bikes on the beach in the only photo displayed in full.
Though this exercise could have been completed using Photoshop (I have viewed several other posts that have done this very successfully for this exercise), I wanted to plan and mix the genres with just one shot.
The challenges in this exercise, and in particular the problems faced have made me more aware of the different genres in photography and gave me a new insight into planning and composing an image.
The above image, was inspired by a poem about autumn by Katharine Towers (b.1961) from her collection, Remedies (2016). Reflecting the cyclical nature of life, the image was creating using Intentional Camera Movement (ICM), with the effect drawing the eye down a circular tunnel of blurred beach leaves and trees, creating an entrance into a ‘coppery hall’. An orange filter was added in Photoshop to enhance the copper colours in the image. To further emphasise the ephemeral nature of the seasons, a soft font reminiscent of chalk was used for the text. The camera settings are as follows.
Camera mode: manual
Shutter speed: 1/15
Aperture: f/5.0
Focal length: 28mm
ISO: 200
The first step in producing an image with text was research, including looking at the work of Barbara Kruger (b.1945), Gillian Wearing (b.1963), and Polly Apfelbaum (b.1955). Kruger was influential in her choice of appropriate font and use of text colour supporting the message (Artnet, 2019). In the work of Apfelbaum I found the strong use of colour in response to the title of the work though proving. I also looked at additional images that caught my eye from a google search and created a Pinterest board for Photography and Text (Gourlay, 2019), which also contains many images from Kruger and Wearing.
For the text, initially I looked at lyrics and before returning to poetry (something I often use to generate ideas for composing music). Through searching for poems relating to autumn, I discovered Whim Wood, by Katherine Towers (2016), which was appropriate for the time of year. Her use of expressive use of language appealed to me. From all of the artists studied, the use of text incorporated into the image strengthened the connection between image and words. A technique, which I used in the image above.
As a starting point, the theme of autumn and woods is suggested by the poem. However, there can be a deeper meaning viewing Autumn as part of a circular cycle of life and death. This is emphasised by the comma at the end of the penultimate line, before the final words, ‘and we die for the winter’. Initial ideas were standard shots of copper beech trees and oaks, this developed into looking for circular patterns and lines that would suggest a journey. This in turn which led to the idea of experimenting with ICM. The technique requires a lot of experimenting, but I am pleased with the abstract final image, which supports a metaphorical interpretation of the text.
Development points
This is the last exercise in Project 1 Series and sequence, which has been the most eye opening and enjoyable part of the course so far. I am aware that my approach to photography is changing with planning in advance, more experimentation with composition and techniques, and influences from other art forms affecting my work. My skills with Photoshop are developing, though it is important to me that the original shot is a strong image. My development points from this exercise relate to my changing approach
Build in time for research and planning
Experiment with different approaches and techniques
Roman Signer is a Swedish artist for whom photography and video are used as a record of his performance art.
On a first glance before reading anything about the artist, the sequence of images were humorous and visually reminiscent of the surrealist comedy 0f Monty Python’s Flying Circus How Not to be Seen, Series 2, episode 11, first shown in 1970 (2017). John Cleese delivers a public service broadcast on the importance of not being seen and the explosive consequences of getting it wrong.
Returning to Signer’s work, one of the reasons the series of images works is because it is shot from the same viewpoint. The man running away from the exploding tent towards the camera shows the scale of the explosion more effectively than if the focal length of the lens was changed or the camera moved. Keeping the same viewpoint is another technique that Signer has used to create a unified approach. Other aspects that support this are the grid layout, the portrait layout, and the sequence showing a change over a period of time.
Viewed individually, the interpretation of the images changes noticeably from the first image of a tent, to the second where a man is running to the third where the man is running away from the tent that has exploded. the final three images only make sense in context of the sequence.
The work is thought provoking in many ways. It could be interpreted at face value of a man running away from a tent that is going to explode, but it also documents a transformation, and the images record a creative act that is only recorded in the memory of the people present. I find it humorous, a feature that that other commentators such as Cashdan (2010) and Meyer (2018) have identified in Signer’s work.
The work raises questions about the role of photography in capturing performance pieces, which provides a record of the event. Robert Enoch (2018) draws parallels to the work of artists working with land art such as Andy Goldsworthy (b.1956) who use photography to capture their work, which by its very nature is transient. This raises the question, are photographers who plan and stage scenes or series any different from performance artists such as Signer or earth artists such as Goldsworthy. Is the work of art the photograph or the subject being captured. Is the photograph merely a mechanical representation of what is captured on the screen?
Bibliography
CASHDAN, M. 2019. Roman Signer Swiss Institute Contemporary Art, New York, USA [Online]. Frieze. Available: https://frieze.com/article/roman-signer [Accessed 22 Oct 2019].
ENOCH, R. 2018. Foundations in Photography, Barnsley, Open College of the Arts.
How Not To Be Seen Monty Python’s Flying Circus. 2017. YouTube video added by #500000 Show [Online]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-M2hs3sXGo [Accessed 21 Oct 2019].
For the work on exercise 3.3 Sequence, I wanted to create a composite of the images of two BMX riders. two BMX riders from Mobile Bike Events (2017) performing in the Fun Zone at the recent UCI Road World Championships held in Harrogate. The sequence shows one rider jumping over a second stationary rider. The image was produced after trying out a number of methods. The technique still needs practice and the notes below are for my own benefit.
The Jump
Photoshop offers different ways of achieving the same results and creating an action series sequence in Photoshop is no exception. What all the methods have in common is the use of masks. The following steps are taken from reading and watching range of online sources, which varied in quality. The sources I found useful are listed at the bibliography for this post.
Import and Align the images
Select the sequence of images in Lightroom,
Right click and select ‘Edit in’ and ‘Open As Layers’ in Photoshop
Select all the layers, then select Edit/Auto-Align Layers
Crop the layers if required
These steps could also be done by selecting File/Scripts/Load Layers into Stack and tick Attempt to Auto Align Source Images
Layer Masks method 1 (Quick and Easy for straightforward images) (Nichols, 2017)
Add a layer mask on the first image
Use black as the foreground colour
Set brush hardness to 50%
Select Layer/merge down
repeat the process for each layer
Layer Masks method 2 (for more complex images)(@adorama, 2013)
Draw around the moving object using the lasso tool
Add layer mask, The object will be selected with the background removed.
Fine tune the mask using the brush to paint in or out as required
These four images of Blencathra were taken on the same day. the Lake District is know for its changeable weather and this day was no exception. The camera was set up on tripod in the comfort of a warm room and a series of images taken throughout the day showing how the mountain gradually disappears from view as the weather changes.
The first set of images for a sequence depicts movement over a period of time, using sequence in a similar way to Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904) in his work studying humans and animals in motion (Animals in Motion). My research for this exercise is included in my learning log post Research Point – Sequence. I used a sequence of images of two BMX riders from Mobile Bike Events (2017) performing in the Fun Zone at the recent UCI Road World Championships held in Harrogate. The sequence shows one rider jumping over a second stationary rider.
The Jump
One alternative presentation suggestion was to display these as a slide show, however, I have chosen to create a composite action sequence in Photoshop (To be the subject of another learning log post) as this shows the the sequence of the two riders more clearly.
The Jump
When researching this exercise, I found the work and processes used by John Hilliard (b.1945) thought provoking. In particular exercises such as such as Photographing Out (1971) (Hilliard) , where the subject reduces in size. I used this technique when making creating an in camera multiple exposure changing the focal length of the lens. The subject is an installation by Aether and Hemera called Voyage featuring lit paper origami boats.
Voyage A floating origami paper boat installation by Aether & Hemera
A sequence of images is one that shows images that are linked in time or concept. My research started with looking at the work of Eadweard Muybridge, Dueane Michals, Keith Arnatt Self Burial (1969), John Hilliard, and Ed Ruscha’s Every Building on Sunset Strip (1966). Each of these artists uses sequence differently. As most of these images are copyright I have referenced the sources and provided a link in the text.
Eedweard Muybridge (1830-1904), is well known to horse lovers as the man who first showed the moment of suspension when a horse is cantering and all four legs are off the ground. He is famous for his work studying human and animal motion. Using a series of cameras and triggers (the shutter was triggered by a thread as the horse went past) he took images of a horse, and other animals in motion An online resource created by Kingston University and Kingston Museum (Animals in Motion) provides a resource of his work and collections for researchers. Muybridge uses the images to show the sequence of the movement over a period of time
Duane Michals (b.1932) uses sequences to create a narrative, often with an unexpected twist. There is a playful and unexpected element to his work, which makes the viewer look twice. Images are often described with hand written text on the border of the print, sometimes just to indicate a number or a more descriptive paragraph. This is an inventive and thought provoking use of sequences (Oxford School of Photography, 2011)
O Hagan (2015) describes Keith Arnett (1930-2008) as a mischievous artist. His work Self Burialwas created in 1969, uses sequence to highlight the disappearance of the artist or artwork in the natural world. In this work he is seen over a sequence of 9 photos gradually sinking in to the ground until nothing is left. The work was originally shown on German television with one photo shown each day for approximately 2 seconds. There was no explanation. This is a good example of conceptual art where the idea behind the image is more important than the final image. The following two photographers’ work could also be described as conceptual art.
John Hilliard (b.1945) has an approach to photography that has been described as rigorous and systematic (Saltoun, 2019). This can be seen clearly in series such as Photographing Out (1971) (Hilliard) , where the subject reduces in size, and Camera Recording its own Condition (7 Apertures, 10 Speeds, 2 Mirrors)(1971) (Hilliard) where the same subject is shown at different exposures. In the latter image, Hilliard uses light and shade organising the images diagonally creating a more interesting result than a standard horizontal sequence of lines.
Ed Ruscha’s, Every Building on the Sunset Strip (1966) used sequence as a type of visual record of a journey with images stitched together of the Sunset Boulvard. It could be thought of as creating a visual map. Opposite sides of the street are shown at the top and bottom of each page with the white space in between creating a road like space.
Karen Gourlay: Foundations in Photography 