Initial thoughts for this assignment were positive as I was ‘Excited to be challenged by creating a collection of images that are consistent in terms of concept but unique in appearance’ (Powell, 2020) and being able to list many ideas from significantly broad subjects. That, in turn, helped me decide the subject that was most appealing, leading me to focus on ‘Things’ as there were more areas available to fall back on if my initial plan didn’t work. However, despite the ability to explore various topics, there was a possibility to go off-piste and forget about the criteria; therefore, I made sure to refer to the brief regularly.

Reflecting on my initial plan for ‘Things’, I can see what ideas stayed the same or evolved throughout the test shoots and final shoot. For example, using a tripod to keep the framing consistent, experimenting with focal length and ‘Explore what makes me uncomfortable, e.g. different camera settings … lighting’ (Powell, 2020). In addition to this, however, I tested the impact of Black and White photography, the choice of objects and tones achieved by alternating the colours, lighting temperatures and textures used. Following my research, I chose to explore the traditions my selected artists used instead of the concepts portrayed, as the viewers wouldn’t have prior knowledge of this.

Sam Oster used ‘medium format black and white film’ (The Loop, 2019) that defines and enhances the minute details and robust form of the irons in Apparatus Electralia Planus with the contrasting shadows and highlights. Oster’s work, inspired by Becher’s typologies presents a grid of square cabinets, consequently splitting the composition into sections, without having to take multiple shots. Her typology influenced my decision to choose nine images to form a grid, as well as centralising the subjects to keep consistency throughout the series as recommended in the criteria ‘… a collection should reflect a single coherent idea, but you’ll also need technical rigour to match the photographs to each other ‘in the smallest details’ (Bloomfield, 2018:51).

Barry Rosenthal ‘uses monochrome backgrounds and uses the collection to add colour and depth’ (Powell, 2020) as well as organising the collected items into various groups before shooting, such as the colour blue in Blue Ocean. This approach inspired me to be selective when choosing my items and consider their groupings while keeping the conceptual link of ‘necessity’ in mind. Plain backgrounds allow the viewer to focus on the subject rather than what it’s placed on while enhancing the shadows cast by backlighting, allowing me to avoid flattening the composition.

Creating an online survey and gathering anonymous responses about ‘What everyday items
do you consider are a necessity? (Something you need) ‘(Powell, 2020), enabled me to be inspired by outside opinions rather than solely relying on my thoughts. These answers meant that I was able to collect a variety of items to experiment with and form groups from when formulating my final set.

Trialling a selection of camera settings with my SONY A57 in a test shoot solidified the direction I wanted to go in for my final shoot by analysing the strengths and weaknesses in each shot. Using colour didn’t enhance the details within the subjects, as much as using the high contrast B&W camera setting that had more of an impact when it came to the depth and texture of the composition.

A focal length of 35mm was the most suitable to allow for a reasonable amount of negative space to frame the plates and be balanced enough, so the subjects weren’t too small or too suffocated in the shot. Cool artificial lighting intensified the highlights and shadows, more so than neutral or warm light hence my decision to backlight using a cooler temperature to enhance the 3D forms. Tonal variation prevented the items from being swallowed by blocks of dark or light, therefore influenced to choose a light and mid-ranged blue plate to avoid this and select which tone was better for each item and their details. A combination of a narrow aperture of F14 and a tripod made sure that the image was sharp, preventing the viewer from being distracted by selective focus or motion blur, as well as keeping the framing and angles consistent.

After analysing the final selection, I can see that the set it is visually strong due to the intense highlights and shadows, as well as the various textures which provide the image surface with a soft, hard or rough feel. A balanced composition created by the consistent framing, choice of background and the arrangement of subjects pull the typology together as a whole, as they all bleed into one another. Deciding to use cool artificial lighting evenly lit the frame and created definition in the shot, that I found did not work as successfully with natural or warmer lighting due to the inconsistency and softness.

I am pleased with the contextual and conceptual elements hinted at in my photographs as I have stated the ‘things’ are ‘necessary items in … daily life’ (Powell, 2020), however, everyone’s view on what is necessary is different, as a result may tease out the idea of privilege, luxury, political opinions or no message at all. The concept is broad enough to direct the viewer in entirely different paths without being influenced by too much context that could affect how an image is perceived.

Pushing myself out of my comfort zone, taking more inspiration from artist research and experimenting with various techniques allowed me to complete this assignment successfully.

If I were to improve this assignment in the future, I would try to gather more responses to see how many unique items could be listed and be more thorough with my arrangement to avoid post-production to get rid of preventable marks. Typologies are new to me; therefore, it would be an intriguing area to explore in further detail.

References:

Bloomfield, R., 2018. Photography 1: Expressing your Vision. 4th ed. [pdf] Barnsley: OCA, p. 51. Available at: https://www.oca-student.com/course/photography-1-expressing-your-vision [Accessed 28 February 2020].

Powell, L. (2020) ‘Initial thoughts about ‘Collection’ + mind-map’. [online] Available at: https://laurenpowelloca.photo.blog/2020/02/11/initial-thoughts-about-collection-mind-map/ (Accessed 28 February 2020).

Powell, L. (2020) ‘Collections in photography – Artist research + test shoot plan’. [online] Available at: https://laurenpowelloca.photo.blog/2020/02/17/collections-in-photography-artist-research-test-shoot-plan/ (Accessed 28 February 2020).

Powell, L. (2020) ‘Community Survey + Personal Research Results for ‘Things’. [online] Available at: https://laurenpowelloca.photo.blog/2020/02/13/community-survey-personal-research-results-for-things/ (Accessed 28 February 2020).

Oster, S. (2009) Apparatus Electralia Planus [image] Available at: https://www.theloop.com.au/project/silvertrace/portfolio/short-circuit/17421 (Accessed 28 February 2020).

Powell, L. (2020) ‘Necessary Everyday Items’. [online] Available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KWWFQGM (Accessed 28 February 2020).

Rosenthal, B. (2013) Blue Ocean [image] Available at: http://barryrosenthal.com/found-in-nature/single-gallery/16729872 (Accessed 28 February 2020).

The Loop. (2019) ‘Short Circuit – Sam Oster Portfolio – The Loop’. [image] Available at: https://www.theloop.com.au/project/silvertrace/portfolio/short-circuit/17421 (Accessed 13 February 2020).