Final shoot plan + images

Assignment 5, Notes, Reflection on assignments, Thoughts & Ideas

Summary:

In this post I

– Discussed my shoot plan, the research and practitioners I have decided to gather inspiration from

– How I intend to shoot my images and the concept behind the project as a whole

– Mentioned the lighting settings I was going to use for the photoshoot and why

– Before inserting a contact sheet of the images I ended up with, along with a brief list of annotations for the images not making the final cut

– Chose my final images, presented them as individual shots, as well as a group in typology form

– With analysis for each photograph without explaining my intentions for the images

– Reflected on the shoot as a whole, exploring my intentions for the final set in further detail to explain what went right or wrong.

Shoot plan

Reflecting on the minimalist work of Ziqian Liu and past instant photography research, I chose to create a project surrounding body image via the lens of an Instax camera.

Liu’s work is so intimate and soft visually that ‘we as the audience begin to appreciate and connect with the limbs or skin’ (Powell, 2021). Body image and accepting the skin that we are in is not as simple as just loving yourself or applying self-care to your daily routine as a fix-all. The body is complex, full of intricate organs, veins and skin cells that make us what we are. Much like the camera and its lens, the light used to fill the camera once the shutter opens is complicated and detailed, so to label it ‘simple’ would be a lie.

I intend to capture close-ups of the human body, the skin and specific features to show the imperfections, the journey it has been on and how difficult it can be to document that within a set of images. Unlike Liu, I will not be using flowers or such delicate props to compliment the subjects I am taking images of; instead, I will use a bed and sheets to reference the intimacy and privacy she explores within her work.

As explored in my test shoot, the Instax Mini 8’s light settings will be set to Hi-Key as it is the ‘brightest of all lighting choices, resulting in a lighter and softer image’ (Adorama, 2021). A brighter light setting will allow me to shoot on any given day, no matter what the weather is like outside. Shooting without knowing what the composition looks like will be a challenge, which I wanted to do for this assignment to push the boundaries of ‘simple’.

After I have gathered a collection of final images, I will use my SONY A57 to convert them into a set of digital images to mix my media, combining the limited reality of instant cameras and the flexibility of digital photography.

‘Contact sheet’

This is not my typical contact sheet as the images were physical, meaning I could not import them into Adobe bridge and annotate them as I usually would. Instead, I placed all the prints I took on a white card and took a digital picture using my Sony A57 to show all of the results from my shoot before labelling them using photoshop.

Contact sheet annotations

(See Fig. 1) for reference.

Images 1 and 2 are too tightly cropped, blurred and not what I was expecting, therefore, they will not feature in my final selection.

Image 6 is ok, but the positioning of the arm is slightly odd and was not what I intended to shoot. There is also a tiny interference at the bottom of the frame.

Image 8 is not cropped in the way I wanted, as the crop top is in the frame. It is not awful, but I would rather it was not there.

Images 11 and 12 are ok, but the black leggings in image 12 were not intentional and are distracting. I like image 11 but prefer image 10 in terms of tone much more.

Image 16 did not turn out as expected as I did not want the eye to be within the frame.

Final selection

Fig. 2. *Photography is simple 1* (2021)

Analysis

Photography is simple 1 (see Fig. 2) is minimalist in terms of tones and colour, the pop of green brings nature into the composition without controlling the emotion of the image or distracting from the main subject. The hair spread across the sheets underneath provides shape and texture to the shot as the curls twist in multiple directions away from the persons face. Are they turning their head away mid-shot, are they posed? We are unaware of any emotion shown outside the frame as the face is not visible, taking that element of context away from the audience. The focal blur adds privacy to the photograph, making it soft and less detailed than it may look if taken with a digital camera. The shot was lit by the cameras inbuilt flash brightening the skin and keeping the contrast reasonably balanced preventing any harsh highlights or shadows. Contextually were unaware of the exact location due to the framing of the shot, are there two people in the frame or just one? Removing the vital elements that could provide more knowledge for the audience makes the photograph more interesting and secretive.

Photography is simple 2 (see Fig. 3) is slightly more muted than the previous shot, as shadows have diffused the intensity of colour, lowering the exposure. The body part within the photograph framed by the material used to cover the subject emphasises the curved form and the intriguing gap in the middle of the composition. Are two people back to back? Is this a leg or an arm? Cropping the subject pushes the brain to explore the piece in further detail to figure out what is going on. The image is much softer in terms of contrast, as the lighting is not as bright and has not reflected the whiter elements in the shot. Conceptually this image explores the desire to cover ourselves up and hide away from the eyes of others rather than embrace what we have.

Photography is simple 3 (see Fig. 4) is brighter and slightly overexposed due to the flash reflecting off the skin closest to the lens. The arm cutting through the middle of the frame provides a leading line for the viewer, starting from the bright flash at the bottom towards the evenly lit and relaxed hand in the top third of the image. A monochrome colour palette of white and green brings a fresh and innocent feel to the composition. The angle of the arm adds depth as if the hand is reaching into the leaves below. Placing the subject in the centre of the frame, in full view rather than shooting it up close, juxtaposes the previous images as there is slightly more context as to what the photo is. This image feels delicate and indicative of someone reaching out towards someone or something.

Photography is simple 4 -6 (see Fig. 5-7) are cooler in temperature and more monochrome in terms of colour, with a simple colour palette of black and white. The subjects are well focussed and provide slightly more context to the viewer than the previous three images. They explore the textures within the skin, the soft elements, wrinkled areas and natural rolls of the body. Shadows and highlights are balanced, accentuating the body shape and enhancing the fragility of the skin through diffused light casts. It looks as if the images were shot in a dark room or on an overcast day due to the blue-ish grey tones surrounding the subject, however, the viewer cannot be sure without further information. These images feel the most personal and real as they explore the natural parts of the human body, the parts that we can feel ashamed of and learn to resent.

At first glance, Photography is simple 7 (see Fig. 8) looks like a failed underexposed image, however, once you take a closer look you can see the whites of an eye and the reflection of the light bouncing off of the cheekbone. The shadows are dark and contrasted causing the highlights to be more diffused and subtle to the eye, making the subject in the frame softer and hidden. Negative space surrounding the eye draws the viewer to look closer at the small area of light provided to them and explore what is going on. Context is removed completely for this shot as we are unaware of the location, who this person is and whether the shot was intentional. Instead of the eye being covered it is the only thing shown and is the opposite of privacy, perhaps implying the idea of feeling exposed and seen by others?

Photography is simple 8-9 (see Fig. 9-10) have heavy contrasted shadows with small yet strong sources of light to create a focal point for the images. The light casting on the hand in 8 frames the mouth within the shot, drawing attention to the shiny texture on the lip. Contextually the viewer is unaware of why the hand is there, whether it is the model’s hand or someone else’s, however, the close cropping and framing isolates this facial feature and highlights the delicate nature of the skin. There is little colour within these images besides the red of the lips, as a result, this makes the photographs feel mysterious and eerie compared to the brightly lit, freshly coloured shots. Out of focus shots add intimacy and prevent the eyes from understanding what is happening at first glance, pushing the audience to get up close and personal to appreciate the subject. Are these images hinting towards the way we see ourselves, the way we or others speak about us, or perhaps what we hear in the media about what is considered beautiful or not? Maybe they are reflecting the way we only show the parts of ourselves that we want others to see.

Photography is as simple as the human body (see Fig. 11) shows the range of images documented throughout the entire project. It portrays how diverse photography is, from the lighting used, to the framing, subjects chosen and colours featured throughout, that can shape an image as a whole. People may view photography as being ‘simple’ especially as we can take a decent image without much thought with our smartphones, however, composition, concepts, shapes, shadows and textures are just a slither of what makes photography complex and an adventure.

As the assignment requires 10 images, rather than presenting a strong set of nine final images as a typology, this shot finalises the set by capturing a single image that documents an entire collection in one. The writing on the picture combines digital photography and drawing to tell the story of these images as a whole. Applying a ‘smoke’ overlay over the top of the image to include post-production and photo manipulation, represents the evolution of photographic development. It also removes the element of simplicity that was a clear display of images. It can be so easy to edit digital work compared to the more traditional film photography that can take hours or days. Some images are better left untouched to allow us to enjoy what is.

Reflection

This shoot was more successful than I thought it would be. The privilege of seeing the images we are taking before we press the shutter button as well as being able to reshoot and delete any images that did not work makes you thankful for the evolution of photography and the cameras we have today.

Shooting these photographs knowing that I had a limited amount of film and the ability to see what the final result may look like once it developed, making this both exciting and challenging at the same time. As discussed in my initial thoughts for this assignment, I wanted to use ‘trickier techniques to oppose the word simple’ (Powell, 2021), so using an Instax Mini 8 camera allowed me to achieve this.

There were a few images that I did not intend to take or did not expect them to turn out the way they did, but ended up being my favourite shots. Photography is simple 7 (see Fig. 8) was one of these images, as I expected the eye to be brightly lit and the flash to bounce off of my skin, however, it did the complete opposite and captured a ‘peeping’ eye. Some may consider that image to be bad and unusable, but bearing in mind I wanted to explore minimalism, intimacy and how we view the human body, it felt like the perfect intentional shot to represent this idea. Photography is simple 2 (see Fig. 3) is another image I did not intend on capturing in the way I did. The sheets framed my body in such a way that it looked as if someone was led next to me despite the fact no one was. As someone who has struggled with body image, sharing the ‘exposed’ parts of myself is a terrifying concept. Capturing an image that could potentially reflect the ability to share yourself with others, was incredibly powerful to me as a photographer viewing my images from a cold point of view.

I feel as if I have managed to successfully show how accepting our bodies and documenting them with limited resources is not as simple as we may think it is. Nothing is simple.

References:

Adorama. (2021) How to Use the Fujifilm Instax 8 [online] Available at: https://www.adorama.com/alc/how-to-use-the-fujifilm-instax-8-everything-you-need-to-know/ [Accessed 21 June 2021].

Powell, L. (2021) RESEARCH FOR ‘PHOTOGRAPHY IS SIMPLE’ + MINDMAP [online] Available at: https://laurenpowelloca.photo.blog/2021/06/14/research-for-photography-is-simple-mindmap/ [Accessed on 21 June 2021].

Powell, L. (2021) INITIAL THOUGHTS ON ‘PHOTOGRAPHY IS SIMPLE’ [online] Available at: https://laurenpowelloca.photo.blog/2021/06/14/initial-thoughts-on-photography-is-simple/ [Accessed on 21 June].

List of images:

Figure. 1. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 2. Powell, L. (2021) Photography is simple 1 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 3. Powell, L. (2021) Photography is simple 2 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 4. Powell, L. (2021) Photography is simple 3 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 5. Powell, L. (2021) Photography is simple 4 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 6. Powell, L. (2021) Photography is simple 5 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 7. Powell, L. (2021) Photography is simple 6 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 8. Powell, L. (2021) Photography is simple 7 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 9. Powell, L. (2021) Photography is simple 8 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 10. Powell, L. (2021) Photography is simple 9 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 11. Powell, L. (2021) Photography is as simple as the human body [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Test shots with the Instax Mini 8

Assignment 5, Notes, Thoughts & Ideas

Summary:

In this post I

– Specified my plan for this test shoot
– Included an image of all of the test shots
– Before analysing each one briefly to discuss what went right and wrong if anything
– Wrote a short reflection on the shoot as a whole and how I will move forward

To figure out whether my Instax Mini 8 camera was going to be suitable enough for this assignment, a few test shots had to be taken to experiment with the different settings available.

5 sheets of film were left in the pack so featured below are the images achieved with such a limited amount of film.

The furthest image to the left (see Fig.1.) was taken with the suggested lighting mode on the Instax Mini 8 camera. As I was indoors away from direct sunlight during the late afternoon, the night/indoor meter lit up to make sure the exposure was suitable for this location. In terms of camera distance to the subject, was roughly 30cm if not less to prevent the picture from being out of focus once developed. To centralise the subject, it is suggested that you tilt the camera slightly to the right as the viewfinder shows a slightly different version of what will be shot and printed. As we can see, the image is slightly too dark and out of focus by a short margin.

For the second image, I referred to an article by Adorama that provided settings from brightest to darkest along with apertures for each one. The Hi-Key setting is the brightest of all lighting choices, resulting in a lighter and softer image (Adorama, 2021). I changed the camera settings to Hi-Key and repeated that same process as before, but changed the subject matter. The image was brighter, evenly balanced tonally and more in focus than the first shot.

The middle shot was a failed attempt as it was heavily underexposed. Using the cloudy setting indoors is not a wise move.

The shot second from the right was once again taken using the Hi-Key light setting but instead of using the camera as it was, I decided to add the close-up lens filter to see if it made a significant difference to the framing. The crop was very slight and pulled the subject closer to the lens, but only by a small distance. Lighting wise, the composition was even throughout and well lit minus a slight vignette around the edges. I wouldn’t say the lens filter made enough of a difference to use it for this project, however, it was worth testing.

I removed my ability to see the subject in the last image, by taking a picture in ‘selfie’ style. This is a challenging way to take an image at the best of times if you don’t have a clear view of the camera screen, but it’s even worse when you can’t see what the camera is picking up at all. As shown above, the framing is off and slightly out of focus. While the photograph isn’t awful, my original plan was to take a picture of my shoulder rather than an ear and part of a neck!

Reflection

The best course of action for taking images indoors would be to use the Hi-key light setting during the early morning or afternoon. Keeping the lens as intended prevents any further vignetting, as it doesn’t affect the ‘zoom’ much at all. Being able to see what the viewfinder can see is more ideal in terms of achieving a well-framed image, however, an out of focus centre image adds a bit of character and secrecy to the shot.

References

Adorama. (2021) How to Use the Fujifilm Instax 8 [online] Available at: https://www.adorama.com/alc/how-to-use-the-fujifilm-instax-8-everything-you-need-to-know/ [Accessed 14 June 2021].

List of images

Figure. 1. Powell, L. (2021) Test shots [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Exercise 5.3 – Looking at photography

Notes, Online Research, Part 5, Practitioner Research, Reflection on coursework, Thoughts & Ideas

Summary:

In this post I
– Included the exercise brief to re-visit Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photograph Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare (1982)
– Before inserting the image and explaining the point within the image I felt was the most signification and why.
– Referenced one of my own images to give context to the use of a focal point and the rule of thirds.
– Included a short reflection on the importance of understanding the pivotal points within a piece of art.

Brief:

‘If photography is an event then looking at photography should also be an event.
Look again at Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photograph Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare in Part Three.
(If you can get to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London you can see an original print
on permanent display in the Photography Gallery.) Is there a single element in the image
that you could say is the pivotal ‘point’ to which the eye returns again and again? What
information does this ‘point’ contain? Remember that a point is not a shape. It may be a
place, or even a ‘discontinuity’ – a gap. The most important thing though is not to try to
guess the ‘right answer’ but to make a creative response, to articulate your ‘personal voice’.

Include a short response to Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare in your learning log. You can be as
imaginative as you like. In order to contextualise your discussion, you might want to include
one or two of your own shots, and you may wish to refer to Rinko Kawauchi’s photograph
mentioned above or the Theatres series by Hiroshi Sugimoto discussed in Part Three. Write
about 300 words.‘ (Bloomfield, 2018).

Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare re-visit:

Fig. 1. *Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare* (1982)

Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare is extraordinary as Cartier-Bresson shot it through a small gap in the wall, unaware of the activity going on behind it. The pivotal point for this shot is the movement. Despite the composition being full of details, textures and shapes becoming a playground for the viewer to explore, the eyes are always drawn back to the blur within the shot. It stands out from the rest, a frozen backdrop in black and white while the mysterious shape to the right flies through the frame.

You are made aware of the direction of movement and the travel speed without being there in the moment. It’s an image that tells its own story, a moment of urgency on a wet day as they jumped over or through the puddles below. You want to know where they are going, why they are running and if something exciting or disastrous happened outside the frame.

The tonal balance within this picture is mixed, with the majority of them being light greys and white. Meanwhile, the silhouette and items nearby are heavily contrasted, making it difficult to ignore.

There is life within the frame, a definitive moment that took place and was unique in photographic execution. Not many images can document a piece of history intriguing enough for the audience to stay and observe it for a length of time over and over. While there may not be a clear leading line, there is an obvious focal point pushing the eyes to look and appreciate it whether they want to or not. It’s so powerful.

An example of drawing the eyes towards a particular point without a leading line features in one of my product images (see Fig. 1) through the use of the rule of thirds.

Reflection

Re-visiting an image can help you appreciate the piece of work, especially if you have more knowledge to hand. Understanding what ‘makes’ an image and shapes it, encouraging the viewer to look deeper and sit with the art for longer solidifies the importance of composition, balance and intent.

References:

Bloomfield, R., 2018. Photography 1: Expressing your Vision. 4th ed. [pdf] Barnsley: OCA, p. 109. Available at: https://www.oca-student.com/course/photography-1-expressing-your-vision [Accessed 13 June 2021].

List of images:

Figure. 1. Cartier-Bresson, H. (1932) Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare [image] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behind_the_Gare_Saint-Lazare#/media/File:Henri_Cartier-Bresson_-_Behind_the_Gare_Saint-Lazare,_1932.jpg [Accessed 13 June 2021].

Figure. 2. Powell, L. (2021) Sloth [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Exercise 5.2 Homage – Research point

Notes, Online Research, Part 5, Practitioner Research, Reflection on coursework

Summary:

In this post I;

– Included the research point brief and my response to it by referencing the text throughout.

– Inserted the exercise brief for ‘Homage’.

– Wrote a short paragraph about Carol Sharp and how she connects with her subjects while photographing

– Before comparing one of her images with my own as a homage

– Alongside a brief analysis of my response and the context

– Inserted a couple of extra images to show how I paid homage to Sharp’s work

– Included a past image from my archive, with a short analysis of the message and context behind it

– Before reflecting on what this exercise taught me

Research

‘For a short introduction to how context operates in relation to photographs, read Terry Barrett’s essay ‘Photographs and Context’: terrybarrettosu.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/B_PhotAndCont_97.pdf [accessed 25/01/18]. Barrett suggests that we interpret pictures according to three different types of information: information in the picture, information surrounding the picture and information about the way the picture was made. He calls these the internal context, the external context and the original context‘ (Bloomfield, 2018).

Images can be incredibly flexible in terms of context, based on the environment, the subjects within the frame, the colours or lack thereof. However, the context of a photograph can alter depending on whom it reaches. For example, in Terry Barrett’s Photographs and Contexts (Barrett, 1985) a photograph of a pair sat outside a bar taken by Robert Doisneau was given different contexts; to Gisele Freund’s knowledge, up to five times by various magazines, brochures and galleries. A few examples of this consist of accusations of sex work, alcohol abuse and seduction (Barrett, 1985).

The initial context behind Doisneau’s shot was simply a moment of charm as he enjoyed cafe’s and seeing the couple together was enjoyable.

‘Texts that surround the photograph eliminate any residual ambiguity’ (Barrett, 1985). If we were to put a picture of a beef burger on the front of a vegan magazine, it would probably cause some shock before going on to talk about the environmental effects and immoral behaviour of the industry, however, on the front of a restaurant menu, people would be enticed and seduced by how good it looked.

Images are used for other things, different to their initial intent. Pictures of lungs on a cigarette packet are used to encourage smokers to stop smoking before too much damage occurs but are initially used for scientific and medical research.

The placement of an image is another factor to consider for context. The display of a picture of people in poverty may glorify the situation for the benefit of art and a famous gallery rather than portraying the horrific effect on lives in a place you would expect to see such circumstances.

No matter where you are in the world or what language you speak, photography can be a source of communication for some people (Sander, 1978 referenced in Barrett, 1985:114), whether an artist is documenting their mental state or an audience expressing feeling by sending a photographic meme. Despite the global interaction with these photographs, they may not provide the same message to one person in the way it did to another. Context is still subjective depending on the viewer.

Internal context includes the image, title, date and maker. External context would be the presentational environment, so where it’s displayed. The original context is the ‘causal environment’, in other terms, the physical and psychological elements available to the photographer at the time of capture (Barrett, 1985).

To understand the context as an audience, we need to look deeper and consider everything, including what the photographer may have been doing or thinking at the time. These things combined will help us appreciate the make-up of the image a lot more.

Brief:

‘Select an image by any photographer of your choice and take a photograph in response to it. You can respond in any way you like to the whole image or to just a part of it, but you must make explicit in your notes what it is that you’re responding to. Is it a stylistic device such as John Davies’ high viewpoint, or Chris Steele Perkins’ juxtapositions? Is it an idea, such as the decisive moment? Is it an approach, such as intention – creating a fully authored image rather than discovering the world through the viewfinder? Add the original photograph together with your response to your learning log. Which of the three types of information discussed by Barrett provides the context in this case? Take your time over writing your response because you’ll submit the relevant part of your learning log as part of Assignment Five.‘ (Bloomfield, 2018).

Carol Sharp

“Carol Sharp is an award winning photographer and fine artist, renowned for her lyrical composition, attention to detail and her delicate touch with light.” (Carol Sharp, n.d.)

Sharp is UK based photographer who has over 20+ years of professional photographic experience, has featured in Chelsea Flower Show posters in the past. Her exploration of the world and its plants is a way to encourage society to reconnect with nature and empathise with it.

“I use different types of perception to not only see their form, but to understand the meaning of the form and to reveal its ‘gesture’. which means having a communion with my subjects and a desire to feel their very life force.” (Sharp, n.d.). Unlike the majority who may pass by a flower or tree without much notice, Sharp truly connects with her subjects to understand them and appreciate them. I think this shines through in her work as the framing is cropped and intimate as shallow depth of field emphasises the soft petals and delicacy of the foliage and flowers in the composition. Vibrant colours bring life to the images, subtly getting the viewer to realise that this life source is living, thriving and a powerful part of our world. Flowers, trees, moss and other forms of plants keep this world functioning, helping us live and grow. It’s important to be grateful for what is around us, something Sharp does very well.

Due to how Sharp talks about her work and the passion for her subjects, I would say that the original context is the most prominent context type in these images. Bearing in mind the importance to the maker, it heavily influences how the viewer sees the subject, making it feel more personal and ripe with life. The images are not just another simple set of shots of a bunch of flora and fauna as time and energy have been taken by the creator to capture the beauty.

The selection of images I paid homage to for this exercise came from the Plant Portraits (n.d.) album.

My SONY A57 camera was on manual mode, the aperture was at F/1.8, the shutter speed was 1/250 and ISO was set to 100. The shooting process was simple as I took a walk around my garden during dusk, capturing a few of the flowers available to me. The response to this exercise was to keeping original context at the forefront of my mind by analysing the subjects and connecting with them before pressing the shutter. A creamy shallow depth of field and cropped framing were two of the most important visual and technical elements to include during this shoot.

Homage 3 (see Fig. 2) referenced the feature of a poppy seed head in Sharp’s image (see Fig. 1.) by capturing the metal sculpture in my garden, a permanent piece of art, unlike an actual poppy. Using an aperture of F/1.8 enabled me to get the creamy bokeh effect that flows throughout Sharp’s work so beautifully; focal points draw the eyes of the audience to the subject, all of its details, the textures and colours. Cropping the frame brings the object closer to the camera lens, allowing the viewer to observe it more intimately and connect with what is going on within the composition. Contextually, this metal poppy head was a gift to my dad from my mum for his birthday, so holds a deeper meaning for me, much like Sharp attaches to her subjects to appreciate it more. The colours within Plant portraits are vibrant, warm and full of life, while tones within my homage are earthy, so despite it being artificial, the subtle connection to nature and its rich soil is a clever addition to my piece. From a conceptual point of view, the relationship between the two shots juxtaposes despite a few similarities. Sharp embraces the life and death of plants, reconnecting to their importance for our survival as living beings. On the other hand, I have captured a replica of a pollinating plant that will never pollinate, an unintentional parody of how humans keep making things that do not benefit the world environmentally.

Original context brings more personality to photographs as you understand why it was taken, how it made the creator feel, what was going on at the time and the image that was achieved as a result. It pushes the audience to explore it to understand it as a whole composition rather than a simple picture. The work I shot may be unoriginal visually, but the extra level of information lifts it and makes it a rich piece of art.

The internal and external context is just as important but feels less characteristic for some artworks in my opinion as it allows the viewer to come up with their own story as to what the photograph contains and what it may be portraying. Some photographs need that extra bit of information to steer the observer in the right direction.

Here are a few other images I took for this exercise:

Homage example from past archive:

Fig. 5. *Draw this in your style* (2019)

While this isn’t a homage inspired by a photographer, it was an image I created as a tribute to the Draw this in your style (2019) drawing by Ellie Goldwine on Instagram. My response to this piece was approached with intent, having complete control over the props used, outfits and makeup worn, as well as the background, pose and editing. It became a reversed image of the original piece (see Fig. 5), the dress chosen for my composition (see Fig. 6) was the opposite colour creating a juxtaposition between the two. Rather than red roses, light pink roses were used and the circular framing around the drawing in my piece represented the full moon. Everything about the photograph I created was intentional, as the brief was to create something in your style from the reference given.

The context for this piece was internal, as it was inspired by the Draw in your style title and image. Without this information, I may not have been encouraged to replicate it at all.

Reflection

This research point and exercise helped me understand the importance of context, the different types and how the portrayal of images original intent can be influenced. An images original message can be changed through the way it is displayed, the environment in which it’s found, the title and other such information. The original context is a type that features heavily in my work when given the chance, as personality and background mean a lot to me when it comes to creating a piece of work.

References:

Barrett, T., 1985. Photographs and Contexts. [pdf] pp. 110-116. Available at: http://terrybarrettosu.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/B_PhotAndCont_97.pdf [Accessed 13 June 2021].

Bloomfield, R., 2018. Photography 1: Expressing your Vision. 4th ed. [pdf] Barnsley: OCA, p. 106. Available at: https://www.oca-student.com/course/photography-1-expressing-your-vision [Accessed 13 June 2021].

Elliegoldwine. (2019) Draw this in your own style [online] Available at: https://www.instagram.com/elliegoldwine/ [Accessed 13 June 2021).

Sanders, A. (1978) ‘Photography as a Universal Language’ In: Photographs and Contexts. [pdf] p. 114. Available at: http://terrybarrettosu.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/B_PhotAndCont_97.pdf [Accessed 13 June 2021].

Sharp, C. (n.d.). Biography – Carol Sharp [online] Available at: https://www.carolsharp.co.uk/biography [Accessed 13 June 2021].

Sharp, C. (n.d.). Plant portraits – Carol Sharp [image] Available at: https://www.carolsharp.co.uk/biography [Accessed 13 June 2021].

List of images:

Figure. 1. Sharp, C. (n.d.) Plant portraits [Carol Sharp, screenshot] Available at: https://www.carolsharp.co.uk/plant-portraits [Accessed 13 June 2021).

Figure. 2. Powell, L. (2021) Homage 3 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 3. Powell, L. (2021) Homage 1 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 4. Powell, L. (2021) Homage 5 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 5. Elliegoldwine. (2019) Draw this in your own style [Instagram, screenshot] Available at: https://www.instagram.com/elliegoldwine/ [Accessed 13 June 2021].

Figure. 6. Powell, L. (2019) Rose [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Contact sheets for photoshoot and edited images

Assignment 4, Notes, Reflection on assignments

Summary

In this post I

– Described my shoot setup, the camera settings I used and any issues faced.

– Provided annotated contact sheets for the images taken for this photoshoot

– Before briefly explaining the annotations and why I chose those images to edit

– Included the contact sheets for the images I selected to convert into black and white

– As well as screenshots to show how it was done, referring back to my previous research

– Finishing the post off with a brief reflection on the images I shot and what I intend to do going forward

Shoot setup

For this shoot I initially intended to set my camera up on a tripod to keep the camera steady as the macro lens is quite heavy, however, this meant that the camera wasn’t as close to the cross-sections as I wanted them to be. As a result, I boosted the ISO to 1600 to allow for a faster shutter speed and a brighter exposure level. The weight of the lens made the process slightly more challenging as I had to manual focus too, but it was thankfully successful. To make the focal points more prominent when photographing any details the aperture was F/2.8 to allow for a shallow depth of field if taken at an angle to blur any background features. Overexposing the images slightly enhanced the brightness of the white background, like Doug McKinlay, suggested in his lightbox tutorial Light Box Art: Stay Focused (2017), preventing the image from looking dull and textured from the paper underneath.

Rather than using a large lightbox, I purchased an A4 light pad which is much smaller and thinner, but bright enough to do the job. A variety of fruits and vegetables were bought in advance and sliced to provide me with a range of colours, shapes, textures to play around with when composing the image.

Contact sheets for photoshoot

The first set of contact sheets are for the shoot itself, including brief annotations to explain what I like about each particular shot, why I have crossed a majority out and what may become of them in post-production. After annotating and selecting my favourites from the entire photoshoot, I then took these images into photoshop and edited them to see what they would look like in black and white.

The images are as follows:

Contact sheet for edits

To get the results shown in my contact sheets, I lightly corrected some of the shadows and highlights in the images that needed retouching before converting them to black and white. To change the colour is used the B&W tool and selected ‘blue filter’ (See Fig. 1) to enhance the contrast. To mimic an inverted image and MRI, I then used the gradient tool in reversed black and white (See Fig. 2).

I wanted to choose a range of images to use in my final image edits, so I made sure to select shots that were heavily black in some areas and bright white in others, highly detailed or minimally textured for the remaining few. This gave me a wide selection to experiment with and create strong symmetrical compositions from. Showing variety was important to me for this photoshoot, appreciating multiple fruits and vegetable structures and juxtaposing between the imagery and reference the different kinds of scans as discussed in my previous research, ‘some scans may vary and present the denser areas in black or grey…’ (Powell, 2021).

Reflection

This photoshoot helped me appreciate the structures of the food we grow and eat, the minuscule details within them and how beautiful they are. I was able to be flexible with my plans for this shoot, not letting the weight of my camera ruin the imagery and changing the settings to work with what I had. Reviewing the images shown on my contact sheets allowed me to reduce the number of photographs needed in the initial post-production process and once again after they’d been edited to black and white.

Understanding the process in detail before doing the shoot, rather than briefly researching a concept and making things up as I go, helped this project to flow a lot smoother and resulted in some powerful images.

The final images will be in a separate post from this one, but I am thrilled with the selection chosen.

References

McKinlay, D (2017). (2017) Light Box Art: Stay Focused with Doug McKinlay [YouTube, screenshot] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWiL5N-b4YM (Accessed 28 May 2021).

Powell, L (2021). Further research and shoot plan [online] At: https://laurenpowelloca.photo.blog/2021/06/07/further-research-and-shoot-plan/ (Accessed 28 May 2021).

List of images

Figure. 1. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet 1 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 2. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet 2 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 3. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet 3 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 4. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet 4 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 5. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet 5 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 6. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet 6 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 7. Powell, L. (2021) Black and White [Photoshop, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh

Figure. 8. Powell, L. (2021) Gradient Map [Photoshop, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh

Exercise 4.3 – Ex Nihilo

Notes, Part 4, Reflection on coursework

In this post I;

– Provided short descriptions for Quality, Contrast, Colour and Direction.

– Described my shoot set up, with camera details,

– And provided the contact sheets for this exercise.

– Chose six final images to analyse briefly,

– Before reflecting on this exercise, what it taught me and what I could’ve explored more.

‘Use a combination of quality, contrast, direction and colour to light an object in order to reveal its form. For this exercise, we recommend that you choose a natural or organic object such as an egg or stone rather than a man-made object. Man-made or cultural artefacts can be fascinating to light but they’re already authored to some degree, which requires interpretation by the photographer; this exercise is just about controlling the light to reveal form. Add the sequence to your learning log. Draw a simple lighting diagram for each of your shots showing the position of the camera, the subject and the direction of the key light and fill. Don’t labour the diagrams; quick sketches with notes will be just as useful as perfect graphics‘ (Bloomfield, 2018:91).

Unlike the previous exercises where the light was found, observed and uncontrollable, this exercise explores studio lighting and the photographer’s ability to control the lighting that falls on the subject in the frame.

There is a brief description in the coursebook explaining what quality, contrast, direction and colour is, along with the possible effects on the image and subjects themselves.

The quality of light is determined by how it looks when it falls, for example, soft shadows are caused by a diffused light, whereas harsher, more defined shadows are due to hard light like direct sunlight at midday.

Contrast is controllable by a fill light, which can either be another light source or a reflector of some kind like a whiteboard. The ratio between highlights and shadows is measured to determine the contrast ‘if you measure the shadows at f5.6 and the highlights at f8 you have a ratio of 1:2, which means that the fill light is half the intensity of the main light’ (Bloomfield, 2018).

The direction of light can alter an image dependent on the distance and the angle. If the light is placed directly in front, the subject will be significantly flatter than being lit from below or the side. As a result, harsher shadows enhancing the shapes and textures within the frame would occur.

Colour can be significant within photography to give context to the composition or encourage a specific mood and emotion to come through. Lighting filters can cover the lights to colour the background, or ‘by light bounced from a coloured reflector’ (Bloomfield, 2018).

Shoot set up:

My Sony A57 was on manual mode, with an aperture of f/1.8 and an ISO of 200. The only changes made were the shutter speed and focal length where necessary. The subject sat in the corner of a bedroom to compensate for how small my LED light is, ultimately a wise choice as the shadows became very soft when pulled away from the corner. A sheet of A4 paper was on a small cardboard box to act as a curved background for the shell to sit and reflect the light. I used a small LED lightbox on a tripod as a stabiliser when stood up and a handle when lifting the light from the floor. During the second part of the shoot, I used the light from my iPhone 6 to see the effects a tiny, duller light would have on the shell.

Contact Sheets:

Images for analysis:

1- The LED box placed close to the side of the shell resulted in a softer diffused shadow, which follows the curve of the paper. Due to the intensity of the light, there are bright highlighted patches by the point of the shell, enhancing the shiny reflecting surface while the shadows fill in the grooves and curves. A very subtle yellow colour can be seen underneath the shadow, a reflection of the light entering and bouncing off of the inside of the shell, providing a bit of warmth to the aqua greens.

2- I lifted the LED light above and behind the shell to see what results I would get if it were down-lit, rather than the typical front or side position. The contrast between the highlights and shadows are much more even than the previous shot, without being flat. Lighting the shell from behind defined the textures and shapes within without being too bright or too dark. The image isn’t a flat silhouette due to the height of the light, forming a slightly stronger shadow that provides depth from the front of the shell, indicating the direction of light.

3- A bolder approach was used for this picture by lighting the shell entirely from behind. I covered the LED light with the white sheet of paper and shot the image directly from the front to capture a silhouette of the shell. The shell is not a full silhouette because we can see the grooves and textures of the surface; due to the light falling on top and through the thin walls of its body. The highlights and shadows are still heavily contrasted as the whites are extremely bright, while the blacks are dark, capturing a harsher outline of the subject.

4- The light source for the following images is from an iPhone 6, which is less intense and much smaller than the LED box. Compared to image 1, this light is a lot duller, while the shadows are harsher due to the size and proximity to the subject. The swirls within the shell are heavily defined in this shot due to the darker nature of these images.

5- Lighting from a front angle has allowed the highlights to reflect off its shiny surface and show off the pearlescent colours of the body. Meanwhile, the shadows are enhancing the natural swirls within the point of the shell and defining the sharpness of the point via a hard shadow to the left of the paper. Despite the light being slightly further away from the shell, the tones and overall balance of the image if fairly similar to the 4th image.

6- For the final image, I lit the image from the front but shot from an angle above the shell, capturing the shadow that fell behind it. The front of the shell is evenly lit, reflecting off of the body as the light hits it, while the back half of the shell is dark and less defined due to the lack of light. Despite the white sheet of paper, the light wasn’t strong enough to act as a fill light. Shooting from above allows us to see the intense, dark and extended shadow, rather than a tiny shadow at the bottom if we were to place the camera directly in front of the shell.

Reflection:

Studio lighting can dramatically change the result of composition. Having complete control over the distance of the light to the subject, the angle, the temperature or the colour of the light can decide how contrasted or defined the image is. Lighting a person or object from the front and having the camera at the same position would result in a flatter image with few shadows to help with definition. Lighting from the side or at an angle and shooting from the front allows for more textural details to be shown and brings more depth to the shot. Backlighting on a small scale was quite challenging as the light didn’t fill the paper, but I could’ve taken more time to frame the image a little closer in.

I didn’t explore contrast and metering much in this exercise, however, it’s helped me understand how balancing highlights and shadows, or doing the complete opposite by pushing one or the other to the extreme can help change the mood or finish of the piece.

References:

Bloomfield, R., 2018. Photography 1: Expressing your Vision. 4th ed. [pdf] Barnsley: OCA, pp. 90, 91. Available at: https://www.oca-student.com/course/photography-1-expressing-your-vision [Accessed 7 May 2021].

List of images:

Figure. 1. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet 1 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 2. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet 2 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 3. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet 3 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 4. Powell, L. (2021) 1 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 5. Powell, L. (2021) Diagram 1 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 6. Powell, L. (2021) 2 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 7. Powell, L. (2021) Diagram 2 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 8. Powell, L. (2021) 3 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 9. Powell, L. (2021) Diagram 3 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 10. Powell, L. (2021) 4 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 11. Powell, L. (2021) Diagram 4 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 12. Powell, L. (2021) 5 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 13. Powell, L. (2021) Diagram 5 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 14. Powell, L. (2021) 6 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 15. Powell, L. (2021) Diagram 6 [scanned document] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Exercise 4.2 – Artificial Light

Notes, Online Research, Part 4, Reflection on coursework

Summary

In this post I;

– Included the brief for this exercise.

– Researched Sato Shintaro and Rut Blees Luxemberg’s work before analysing one image of theirs very briefly.

– Provided a small description about my camera and shoot preparation

– Before including the contact sheets for this particular exercise.

– I then chose 5 images from the shoot and analyses each one in terms of technique and the quality of light within them

– And finished the post with a short reflection of the exercise as a whole.

‘Capture ‘the beauty of artificial light’ in a short sequence of shots (‘beauty’ is, of course, a subjective term). The correct white balance setting will be important; this can get tricky but interesting – if there are mixed light sources of different colour temperatures in the same shot. You can shoot indoors or outside and the light can be ambient or handheld flash‘ (Bloomfield, 2018).

Sato Shintaro – (1969- )

Sato Shintaro is a Japanese freelance photographer who graduated from Tokyo College of Photography (1992) and Waseda University, School of Letters, Arts and Sciences (1995). Shintaro is well known for his brightly lit Tokyo cityscapes, Night Lights (1997-9), one of many photo series (Shintaro, 2020).

Shooting during dusk allows any surroundings lit by artificial light to stand out in ways daylight cannot. The tones are much crisper, while shadows are significantly darker and highlights are glaring. While this is possible with direct sunlight, the colours are usually more washed out and have a greater risk of overexposure, causing the images to blow out. The main difference between day and night photography is that daytime images are usually warmer in temperature and contrast.

Shintaro’s work is well balanced so that the viewer has much to look at in detail. Light bounces off all of the subjects around without becoming a black block due to underexposure. The colours are vibrant, busy and fill the frame, which encapsulates the hustle and bustle of city life without including people in the shots. Asian culture is beautiful and striking; seeing such elements and the traditional decorations throughout these images is delightful.

Fig. 1. Nakano, Tokyo (Shintaro, 1997-9)

Nakano (1997-9) is possibly one of my favourite images from Shintaro, as the composition is warm and cosy as the bright yellows and reds help the white lights be less harsh on the eyes. The alleyway feels close, compact and welcoming, much like the restaurant on the left. The photograph is balanced, full of geometry from the rectangular signs and buildings, a mixture of vibrant colours and cool nighttime tones on the pavement below. Some of the bulbs higher up have created lens flares but emit softer rays than crisp glaring ones. In my opinion, this shot represents the many Asian people who welcome others into their culture and communities through their friendly, enthusiastic personalities and traditions.

Rut Blees Luxemberg (1967 – )

Rut Blees Luxemberg is a German-born photographer based in the UK, well known for her urban photography work (Artimage, 2017). Much like Shintaro, Blees Luxemberg shoots at night when capturing urban landscapes as, ‘The night is a space of freedom, where certain demands of the day are temporarily suspended’ (Blees Luxemberg, 2018).

The reduction of movement captures different energies in comparison to busy high streets or buildings lit by daylight. Instead, evidence of life features throughout illuminated buildings, lit streets and items/natural elements left behind ‘But photographs are not just a record of a moment passed, they can also be an imagination or visual premonition of possible futures’ (Blees Luxemberg, 2018).

Her aesthetic is consistent throughout the images, ranging from greens to greys to cool hues, warm yellows and oranges. The combination of colours emits an eerie and grungy mood through her works which seems quite fitting for the series titled Liebeslied, My Suicides.

Fig. 2. Nach Innen / In Deeper (Blees Luxemberg, 1999)

In Deeper (1999) was shot from what looks like multiple sets of stairs but could also be a few small steps towards a small platform. We are unaware of the location due to the lack of context within the black shadows of this photograph. Reflections in the frame imply that it has rained or flooded due to the water in the background. The texture is prominent throughout this work, from the stone steps, ageing walls or brickwork from the building on the left, the water and ripples we can see in the yellow light shining in from the right of the frame. Leading lines, a slightly shallow depth of field in the foreground, draw the eyes downstairs towards the lights and water in the background. ‘In Deeper‘ may suggest that this is a picture of a river, sea or flood, purely because of how deep the water looks and how far the reflection of light continues.

Compared to Shintaro, Blees Luxemberg’s work is much warmer in white balance than the white bulbs and LED’s featured in Shintaro’s Night Lights (1997-9). The photographs featured in My Suicides (1997-2000) are much darker and higher in contrast. With these different aesthetics in mind, this helped make my shoot for this exercise even more exciting, as I was able to explore a range of photographic techniques in one swoop.

Camera preparation

As it is now springtime, I had to wait until around half past eight at night to head out and take photographs for this particular exercise. My Sony A57 was already preset to manual mode, but I had to reset the white balance to auto to prevent any unwanted colour casts in the images taken during blue hour. An ISO of 200 enhanced the brightness without causing too much grain in the darkest areas. A large aperture of F1.8, allows for more light to enter the camera, ideal for night photography as it reduces the need for too slow a shutter speed if the camera isn’t on a tripod.

The shoot plan was simple as I took a short walk around my local area, observed the light from artificial light sources and how it shone on its surroundings and effects had on any subjects in the frame.

Images for analysis

1 – Despite taking the image during the blue hour, the period after sunset or just before sunrise, there is very minimal light to illuminate the buildings in the foreground. Secluded areas struggle to be lit during the evening regardless of artificial light due to the obstacles blocking most light sources. If I were to take the image during the day with a more powerful light level, we would see the buildings in their entirety. The sky brings a burst of colour to the composition, emphasising the shape of the buildings in the alleyway. Houses have helped frame the image nicely and document the lack of space that is in the shot. Focal pointwise, the bright white bulb from the streetlamp and the top of the tree leaves towards the background stand out before the eyes are drawn towards the soft spotlight below, lighting the pathway. The mood is mysterious and allows the brain to wonder was is around the corner or where this is.

2 – This building is in an open space, so the remaining light just after sunset was able to light the brickwork of the flats in the frame, as well as the fencing surrounding it. Added details such as these provide a context of location, type of building, how long it’s been there for; e.g. a partly broken fence implies it’s been up for a long time and endured some wear and tear. Reflections add both texture and depth to the composition, rather than it being a flat 2D image. A warm light source from the window just below the mid-frame brings a sense of home to the photograph and welcomes the viewer into a comforting space. The camera’s position compared to the fence and light source caused a lens flare to occur. As a result, it looks as if there were a torch pointing directly towards us. The tonal range is cold and suits the crisp spring evening while documenting blue hour well.

3 – With the blue hour long gone, the warmer streetlights can fully light the main road for the cars and pedestrians walking past, as seen in the far background. The white balance was changed to daylight for these shots to enhance the temperature of the bulbs and reflect Blees Luxemberg’s yellow/orange hues. Streetlights may be higher from the ground than most light sources, but they’re powerful enough to light the paths below like daylight would, just a lot softer in appearance. Headlights from cars are blinding for a good reason. Not only do they assist drivers to see where they’re going and if there are any obstacles ahead, but for the safety of other drivers so they’re aware of cars surrounding them. The contrast between the white light patch midframe and the yellow light brings balance to the frame, preventing it from looking like a sepia image, which I dislike as a photographic technique. The images leading lines draw the viewers eyes from the softly lit tree on the left, up and around the curves of the road swallowed by the black night sky.

4 – For image number 4 the light source comes from the cooker hood that is purposely brighter where the oven hobs are but much softer to the sides. Reflections from the kettle and oven top provide texture and context to the materials and shape of these objects. For example, the curves of the tiles reflect in the round kettle body. A small patch of the wooden worktop has warmed the frame up and made it feel more homely like a cottage kitchen would. Light coming from the left has created a soft shadow on the right-hand side of the frame, gently illuminating the utensils on the wall, making the kettle the main focus of the composition.

5 – This area has been fully lit by the light from the ceiling, allowing us to see the worktops, cupboards, windows and other items on the side. The door has light shining through, so we can see the cold metal handle and carved details in the window frames, which is a subtle detail to see. More context allows the viewer to understand a bit more about the subjects, where it is and the lifestyle of the people living there, much like Sato Shintaro’s works. Due to the light source coming from the right and straight out the door, means that the walls to the left are just out of range, full of shadows, bringing depth to the image. The composition is full of shapes, geometric or otherwise, as well as being warm and welcoming.

Reflection

Artificial and natural light can range from intense to soft depending on the light source, its position and the location, however, the majority of the images taken during this exercise have been dimly lit, creating softer and mysterious compositions compared to a brightly lit photograph taken in daylight where we have further context. No source of light is more superior to the other, as each is important. Without artificial light, we wouldn’t have the privilege of travelling at night or navigate around our homes in the dark. I prefer to work with natural light as I enjoy the softly lit compositions rather than harsh highlights and shadows from studio lights. This exercise, however, has made me appreciate artificial light much more and the kinds of images you can capture. Sato Shintaro’s work is a prime example of breathtakingly beautiful night photographs, full of life and detail.

References:

Blees Luxemberg, R. (2018) London: A visual love song [online] Available at: https://www.1854.photography/2018/02/rut-blees-luxemburg-modern-project-liebeslied/ (Accessed 26 April 2021).

Bloomfield, R., 2018. Photography 1: Expressing your Vision. 4th ed. [pdf] Barnsley: OCA, p. 87. Available at: https://www.oca-student.com/course/photography-1-expressing-your-vision [Accessed 27 April 2021].

Shintaro, Sato. (2020) Profile [online] Available at: https://sato-shintaro.com/profile/ (Accessed 26 April 2021).

List of images:

Figure. 1. Shintaro, S. (1997-9) Nakano, Tokyo [image] Available at: https://sato-shintaro.com/work/night-lights/ (Accessed 26 April, 2021).

Figure. 2. Blees Luxemberg, R. (1999) Nach Innen / In Deeper [image] Available at: https://rutbleesluxemburg.com/liebeslied-2 (Accessed 26 April 2021).

Figure. 3. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet 1 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 4. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet 2 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 5. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet 3 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 6. Powell, L. (2021) Contact sheet 4 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 7. Powell, L. (2021) 1 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 8. Powell, L. (2021) 2 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 9. Powell, L. (2021) 3 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 10. Powell, L. (2021) 4 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 11. Powell, L. (2021) 5 [pdf, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Part 4 – The languages of light

Notes

Summary:

In this post I have

– Explained the short exercise and how to set up the camera.
– Described my camera and subject set up.
– Included images and histograms from auto-mode with a brief conclusion about what I found.
– Before repeating the exercise again with manual mode, inserting the images and histograms to explain the differences between auto and manual.
– Briefly concluded this exercise, what I discovered and how it’s helped me learn.

‘If you’re not completely sure how your light meter works, try this exercise. Set your camera to
any of the auto or semi-auto modes. Photograph a dark tone (such as a black jacket), a mid-tone
(the inside of a cereal packet traditionally makes a useful grey card) and a light tone (such as a
sheet of white paper), making sure that the tone fills the viewfinder frame (you don’t have to
focus)‘ (Bloomfield 2018).

Albeit a short exercise, this one was an interesting one to do as I’ve never thought about the light meter within a digital camera as it’s less prominent than the one in a film camera which lets you know whether your settings are optimal or not. With digital cameras you have a screen informing you of the result you will achieve, in turn, it’s easier to forget about the light meter.

After exploring my Sony A57 settings a little further to figure out which monitoring mode my camera was set on (spot mode), I grabbed a black coat, the inside of a cereal bar box and a white sheet of paper. They were all placed in direct sunlight to make sure each setup was the same, but despite knowing from the exercise write up that ‘In auto and semi-auto modes the light meter is calibrated to the mid-tone’ (Bloomfield, 2018) I was still surprised to see that each image was dull and grey.

Even though each image looks the same aesthetically, as shown in the histogram, there are still some differences that can be seen in the grey card and black coat histograms (see Fig. 5., and Fig. 6) which I assume represents higher exposure levels to get the darker subject to a mid-tone.

I then set my camera back to manual mode to see the difference in both the images taken and the light meter. The light meter was changing as the lens was pointing particular colours in the room, something that couldn’t be seen in auto mode and something I’ve never noticed before being made aware of it via this exercise.

The histograms for these pictures show clear differences just like each image in this set, showing the extreme whites, extreme blacks and of course the middle point with the grey card. In auto mode, we have less control over the camera settings as it makes the decisions for us based on the shooting circumstances, this can sometimes mean less dynamic images due to this inability to control aperture and shutter speed. With manual mode, we can control all aspects of the image, from the depth of field, to the exposure of the image and whether we want a dark, shadow filled image or a light, highlighted image.

This has been such an exciting exercise to explore and has helped me understand my camera much more than before. Light is so important within photography, as it can be the difference between a good and a great image.

References:

Bloomfield, R., 2018. Photography 1: Expressing your Vision. 4th ed. [pdf] Barnsley: OCA, p. 80. Available at: https://www.oca-student.com/course/photography-1-expressing-your-vision [Accessed 19 April 2021].

List of images:

Figure. 1. Powell, L. (2021) White sheet [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 2. Powell, L. (2021) Grey card [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 3. Powell, L. (2021) Black coat [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 4. Powell, L. (2021) Histogram 1 [Photoshop, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 5. Powell, L. (2021) Histogram 2 [Photoshop, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 6. Powell, L. (2021) Histogram 3 [Photoshop, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 7. Powell, L. (2021) White sheet 2 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 8. Powell, L. (2021) Grey card 2 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 9. Powell, L. (2021) Black coat 2 [image] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 10. Powell, L. (2021) Histogram 4 [Photoshop, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 11. Powell, L. (2021) Histogram 5 [Photoshop, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Figure. 12. Powell, L. (2021) Histogram 6 [Photoshop, screenshot] In possession of: Lauren Powell: Eastleigh.

Further research on the Decisive Moment + practitioner research

Assignment 3, Notes, Online Research, Practitioner Research

Summary:

For this post I have;

– Researched the ‘Inspired’ moment, written by Olivier Duong, to further understand the Decisive Moment in a slightly simpler form.

– Written three detailed paragraphs about Henry Cartier-Bresson, Garry Winogrand, Bruce Davidson and KayLynn Deveney, exploring their career history, what they capture and why.

– As well as writing a short analysis for one or two images from each practitioner, stating what I enjoyed about their work and what I took from it.

– Before reflecting on the post as a whole.

The ‘Inspired’ Moment

The Decisive Moment for me is one of those topics that I believe is clear to understand at first until I find myself questioning it once more, therefore I have found a definition that strips the technique down to the bare basics.

Olivier Duong also struggled to piece together the elements that make up a Decisive Moment, so took it upon themselves to break it down into their own words, or as they call it ‘The Inspired Moment’ (Duong, 2013). A diagram of the Inspired Moment (see Fig. 1.) shows the alignment of the photographer’s eye, the photograph, the heart and the mind, a combination of compositions, emotions and thoughts that pull together to create that ‘perfect’ moment (Duong, 2013).

Duong continues to describe the Decisive moment in terms of time; Chronos and Kairos time. Chronos being ‘linear time’ and a much more definitive view on time, whereas Kairos is opportune and varies, as is the Decisive Moment. A Decisive Moment can happen at any time, hence you have to grab it when it arises or you will miss it, ‘you could not catch him by the hair because he is bald from the back’ (Duong, 2013). You must always be responsive and ready for any given moment, see it and shoot, have your camera settings ready to avoid missing the shot.

In summary, you must see the image in your mind’s eye, be ready both physically, mentally and technically and shoot before you miss.

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004)

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a photographer, painter, filmmaker and prisoner of war, well known for being a master of street photography and the Decisive Moment. Cartier-Bresson had a strong interest in surrealism, an art movement that inspired the direction of his photographic work. Peter Galassi explains in his book Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Early Work, that the surrealists ‘…approached the street: with a voracious appetite for the usual and unusual…’ (Galessi, 1987:33), meaning they saw more than an ordinary photograph and understood the deeper meanings and unplanned situations.

In 1952, upon his return to Europe after a three-year stream of travelling, Cartier-Bresson published Images à la Sauvette or as we know it, The Decisive Moment. This book provides the viewer with a collection of images that were taken in an instant, with intuition and ‘in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously’ (Cartier-Bresson, n.d.).

‘Cartier-Bresson did not “point and shoot” to achieve this effect. He often framed a picture in the viewfinder of his Leica, and then waited for the perfect event to occur, normally a person passing through the scene’ (Huxley Parlour, 2017).

Huxley Parlour provides a perfect example of this approach, shown in Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare (1932), a frozen yet slightly blurred silhouette of a figure leaping over what seems to be a rain-sodden ground, a result of ‘luck’ as Cartier-Bresson calls it in the documentary L’amour Tout Court. It was almost a matter of fate due to the fact he slotted his camera in between the planks, just barely managing to fit the lens through, meaning he could not see the composition (L’amour Tout Court, 2001). The image is beautifully balanced and perfectly timed, the feet of the person just inches from the ground before splashing into the water below. We know what is going to happen without the documentation of the result, this is achieved by intuition. Ripples surrounding what looks like a wooden ladder implies that it may have fallen or at least been disturbed recently. The dark pile of rubble next to the hoops on the floor, brings further texture to the image, contrasting the wet, shiny water. Cartier-Bresson placed a lot of emphasis on the ‘geometry’ of an image, an element that will enable the composition to be proportionate (L’amour Tout Court, 2001). Despite his lack of sight for this piece, the balance was still maintained as the silhouette is framed within the far right of the frame and as a result achieves the rule of thirds. A small figure in the background of the shot may pose a few questions for the viewer. Are they in front or behind the railings? Is that a police officer or a civilian looking at them? Or are they even looking? The motion blur implies a fast movement, however, we are unaware as to why they are leaping, or whether they are running from or to something. The tensions throughout this artwork create intrigue and have helped me understand the true power of a decisive moment, intuition and awareness.

Garry Winogrand (1928-1984)

Garry Winogrand was a New York based photographer who captured the hustle and bustle of busy streets, airports, people at rodeos and animals in the zoo (Fraenkel Gallery, 2012).

A number of his works have been exhibited in museums and galleries across the world, as well as being published to accompany the exhibitions. Winogrand’s work is considered highly influential in the street photography genre, having provided slices ‘… of 20th-century American culture, replete with all the nightlife, excitement, heartbreak, trauma, and banality…’ (artnet, 2011) that makes up the foundations of life.

Documenting monumental events that have taken place due to the social issues in the U.S., enabled Winogrand to excel and become one of very few artists that stand out in the world of street photography.

Winogrand worked as a freelance photojournalist, as well as exploring the world of advertising in the 50s and 60s, before teaching the subject in the ’70s. Following his death it was discovered that a huge majority of his older works had been left undeveloped, no proofed exposures or only got as far as being made into contact sheets (MoMA, 2009).

One image that stands out for me is New York, 1969, (see Fig. 2.) part of the Women are Beautiful series, a collection of images taken in various locations of women in their natural state, observing, partying or otherwise occupied in some way. In the foreground we are presented with a woman in her early 20’s perhaps, her thick hair is down, resting naturally against her shoulders, seemingly unaware of the photographer taking her picture just a distance away. The shot has been taken just before the pretzel in her hand reaches her mouth, freezing time and showing the process of a decisive moment, showing the neutral emotion of eating while on the move in a busy environment with no time to savour the event. In the background we see multiple darker figures of people passing by, the natural light not quite reaching them like the woman closest to the camera. They’re noticeable of course, adding movement and providing context for the location, as well as their acknowledgement of the camera, potentially questioning what is happening. That being said, they don’t stand out because they are not the subject in question, the woman in front is, she is the focal point of this composition. A variety of tones run through the photograph, adding depth to the shot, enhancing the brickwork in the architecture and the natural marking of the lighter buildings, dirtied by pollution, animals or other such elements. The horizontal and vertical structures, create leading lines for the viewer to explore the street behind the bustling pavements and roads, drawing the eyes further into the background towards the left before leading out of the image. Balance is maintained by the use of the rule of thirds, as the woman in question is placed perfectly within the lines of the left intersections of a camera grid, complimented by the shallow depth of field that further encourages the eyes to focus. As previously mentioned, the Women are Beautiful series documents women in various situations, dressed to the nines or in her casual wear. Conceptually this may be exploring the pressure that women have been put under for centuries. Using the decisive moment to photograph women without any makeup on, their hair flowing naturally, eating what may be considered ‘junk food’, showing the true nature of women in the comfort and without the mask of societal norms influencing the moment. A compelling statement and a chance to empower women, quirks and all.

Bruce Davidson (1933 – )

Bruce Davidson is an American photographer based in New York, a member and contributor to Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Magnum Photos. Davidson began taking photos from the age of 10, the catalyst for studying and furthering his knowledge on the subject at Rochester Institute of Technology and Yale University (Magnum Photos, 2008).

After returning from the army in 1957, Davidson began doing freelance work for LIFE magazine before creating a variety of influential works such as The Dwarf, Brooklyn Gang and Freedom Rides (Magnum Photos, 2008).

Davidson has exhibited in many museums and galleries over the years, one of them being the Museum of Modern Art, New York, where East 100th Street was displayed following its publication at Harvard University and St. Ann’s press in 1970. Most of the work produced by Davidson documents events or situations within society, capturing the different walks of life through the lens of a camera, much like his friend Henri Cartier-Bresson did years before him. Many pieces of work from the past 50 years have been published in monographs and reside in both public and private fine art collections worldwide (Magnum Photos, 2008).

“If I am looking for a story at all, it is in my relationship to the subject — the story that tells me, rather than that I tell” (Bruce Davidson, n.d.).

One example that explores the above statement, is Woman on tube holding flowers, London, 1960 (Davidson, 1960) a photograph that seems to show no sense of the relationship between Davidson and the people on the train. Of course, the connection between the members of the public is unknown, however, the fact we know that the photographer is outside of the train, most likely positioned on the station’s platform while the woman looks onward down the cabin, implies that she is unaware anyone is watching her. The woman has a fairly neutral face however, a slight hint of anger or confusion shines through with her subtle furrowed brow and puckering of the lips. We are unaware of what this person is thinking, what is in front of her as the scene is tightly framed, creating a mystery for the viewer. Is she in deep thought? Has someone said something to make her angry? Is she even angry or is this how her expression naturally falls? Her posture seems relaxed, hands overlapping each other gently while holding the bunch of flowers, so perhaps she is just in deep thought. Who are the flowers for? Again we don’t know and have to piece our own story together with our imagination due to this lack of information. The cabin is brightly lit and contrasts with the dark body of the train creating balance in the composition, as well as drawing our attention to others on the tube. The man to the left is leaning forward with a confused or shocked face, as if he’s missed his stop, while the man to the right grabs his head in his hands, maybe from stress or despair? Meanwhile, the woman next to him seems blissfully unaware as to what is going on, as her head bows down over a book or a newspaper?

There are a lot of stories that can be told throughout this image, not necessarily accurate to the facts of what happened when this was shot, but a story none-the-less. All of the elements within this photograph, create intrigue, keep the viewer interested, forms tension and captures the natural state of people within seconds, a recipe for a successful decisive moment.

As Davidson stated in the quote above, he has let the story tell itself, rather than placing it into our hands.

KayLynn Deveney (1967- )

KayLynn Deveney, born in Albuquerque, New Mexico is a photographer and lecturer now based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Deveney studied and earned a bachelor’s degree for journalism while living in Albuquerque, before becoming a staff photographer for the Albuquerque Tribune for 9 years, covering a wide range of topics across that period (KayLynn Deveney Photography, 2015).

In 1999, Deveney and her boyfriend travelled to the UK where she furthered her education by going to graduate school and going on the earn a masters degree in documentary photography at the University of Wales, Newport in the early 2000s. In 2009, she completed her Ph. D. in Photography, exploring how ‘contemporary and historical photographic diaries and self-books address myths of domesticity’ (KayLynn Deveney Photography, 2015).

Since her many years of education, Deveney’s work has been exhibited across the world, as well as being held in permanent exhibitions at The Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, Illinois, Light Work in Syracuse, New York and the Portland Art Museum in Oregon (KayLynn Deveney Photography, 2015).

Deveney’s first photography book was released in 2007, capturing the life of an elderly man called Albert Hastings within his home and local area in Wales. Following their first meeting in 2001, she began to learn about Bert’s history, his memories of WWII and his many interests, albeit simple. This encouraged Deveney to document the mundane aspects of daily life, the familiar items or routines that make life what it is and what makes a home, a home.

When the images were presented to Bert, Deveney began to realise that they had differing opinions regarding their perspectives. Art is subjective after all. The captions that are written throughout the series, come from Bert Hastings himself, some of which match the photographer’s intentions for the image, while others contribute a more ‘critical second perspective’ (Deveney, 2015).

While this series is only a small window into someone’s life, it is still incredibly powerful. Documenting someone’s life, no matter how brief, provides a little bit of context as to how they live, how they act, how they respond to the banalest of things. It shows intimacy and peels back the privacy barrier we all have; whether it’s intentional or not, which allows us or at least try to understand the life of others.

One image that stood out for me was Far Sun, n.d. (see Fig. 3.) as it feels so out of place, humorous and not something you see every day, something I believe the concept of the decisive moment encourages. Regarding the balance of the composition, Bert’s body is positioned perfectly within the bottom left box and his head directly on the 1st vertical line of the grid. Not only does this draw the eyes to the left from the start, but it also follows Cartier-Bresson’s ‘rule’ of maintaining balance and being aware of the geometry within the frame. The first point of interest for myself is Bert; which makes complete sense as the series is about him, however, in comparison to the dark tarmac and brick wall in the background, he stands out like a sore thumb with a bright blue and pink towel to support him. You can’t miss him. Moving on to the second point of interest, the black car; that is positioned in between the middle right and bottom right of the grid, provides a little bit of context as to where this may be taking place. Is this in a car park? Why is he in a car park? Also, why is he sunbathing on the tarmac when it looks like it is about to rain? Juxtaposition; as previously mentioned in my post The Decisive and (In)decisive moment, 2020, is another strong element to consider when documenting decisive moments. It creates a conversation and a list of questions for the viewer, making them think about what is in front of them for a little bit longer. The moment seems so unique and whacky, that it feels staged, but I don’t think it was due to the fun personality that comes through in the candid shots of Albert. As an outsider looking in, with very little knowledge of this person, it feels like a very Bert thing to do, especially if he didn’t have a garden or local beach to visit.

The captions make the images a touch more personal, something I feel brings the collection together and may help the audience understand the photographs more, or at least learn about Bert’s thought process.

Reflection:

– The Decisive moment doesn’t necessarily mean dropping everything, to capture the perfect moment.

– As long as you are aware of your surroundings and what is happening around you, that is what matters.

– You can set up your camera to get the composition you want, to provide balance and understanding of what is in front of you, then wait for the moment to come to you at the right time.

– Be intuitive and be ready for the ‘perfect’ moment to come, before you miss it.

– The subject may be aware of your presence, but as long as you make them feel comfortable or blend into the background, you can document some incredibly candid and personal moments that may have otherwise been missed.

– Don’t just focus on one subject, be observant about EVERYTHING.

– Street photography allows for some very unique moments, however, they aren’t restricted to this form of photography or location type.

References:

Artnet. (2011) Garry Winogrand | artnet [online] Available at : http://www.artnet.com/artists/garry-winogrand/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Cartier-Bresson, H. (n.d) Henri Cartier-Bresson – Fondation [online] Available at : https://www.henricartierbresson.org/en/hcb/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Davidson, B. (n.d.) Bruce Davidson . Photographer Profile . Magnum Photos [online] Available at: https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/bruce-davidson/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Davidson, B. (1960) Woman on Tube Holding Flowers, London, England, 1960 [image] Available at: https://huxleyparlour.com/works/woman-on-tube-holding-flowers-london-england-1960/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Deveney, K. (2015) The Day to Day Life of Albert Hastings [online] Available at: https://kaylynndeveney.com/the-day-to-day-life-of-albert-hastings (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Duong, O. (2013) How to understand the Decisive Moment | INSPIRED EYE [online] Available at: https://www.theinspiredeye.net/street-photography-tips/decisive-moment/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Galassi, P. (1987) Henry Cartier-Bresson: The Early Work [pdf] (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

H. Cartier-Bresson: l’amour tout court (2001) Directed by O’Byrne, R. [online video] Available at: https://vimeo.com/106009378 |(Accessed 25 March 2020).

Huxley Parlour. (2017) Henry Cartier-Bresson [online] Available at: https://huxleyparlour.com/artists/henri-cartier-bresson/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Fraenkel Gallery. (2012) Garry Winogrand | Fraenkel Gallery [online] Available at: https://fraenkelgallery.com/artists/garry-winogrand (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

KayLynn Deveney Photography. (2015) Bio – KayLynn Deveney Photographer [online] Available at: https://kaylynndeveney.com/bio (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Magnum Photos. (2008) Bruce Davidson . Photographer Profile. Magnum Photos [online] Available at: https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/bruce-davidson/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

MoMA. (2009) Garry Winogrand | MoMA [online] Available at: https://www.moma.org/artists/6399 (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Cartier-Bresson, H. (2015) Henri Cartier-Bresson. Behind the Gare St. Lazare. 1932 [image] Available at: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/98333 (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Winogrand, G. (2013) Women are Beautiful | Fraenkel Gallery [image] Available at: https://fraenkelgallery.com/portfolios/women-are-beautiful (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

List of Images:

Figure 1. Duong. O. (2013) Decisive Moment [image] Available at: https://www.theinspiredeye.net/street-photography-tips/decisive-moment/ (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Figure 2. Winogrand, G. (1969) New York [image] Available at: https://fraenkelgallery.com/portfolios/women-are-beautiful (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Figure 3. Deveney, K. (n.d.) Far Sun [image] Available at: https://kaylynndeveney.com/bert-grid (Accessed 23rd November 2020).

Update on studying and covid-19.

Assignment 3, Notes

I think it’s safe to say that this year didn’t turn out the way many of us planned, following the very quick progression of Covid-19, lockdowns and such.

Due to this unexpected turn of events, not only has my studying been put on hold, but many things in my personal life have also been sidelined, to allow myself to work on a few things that this lock down has made me face. Thankfully I’ve been in contact with my mentor for uni, over the past couple of months, to bounce some ideas around for the (In)decisive moment assignment, as well as doing a few test shoots to figure out what I would like to do following the restrictions we have to comply by.

Hoping to get my studying up and running more consistently soon so that I can get my first course of university complete and bring something good to 2020.

Just thought I’d provide a quick update as to why my learning log has been very deserted.

Hope people are doing well given the circumstances. Stay safe.