Named after the Japanese word for “blur” or “haze”, bokeh is an optical phenomenon that stamps the character of the lens on each photo in the way that bright out-of-focus elements are rendered. When out of focus, bright pinpoints become attractive, ghostly circles of light. Or at least they are circles with the right lens.Out-of-focus elements can be just as important to finishing the composition and can dramatically change the viewer’s perception of the piece. The key to using bokeh in a shot is to use a wide aperture on a close focused subject so that elements in front and behind the point of focus blur readily. If the lens has curved aperture blades, these will be reflected in the shape of the bokeh.
By tradition, bokeh hunters prize these circular shapes more. But straight aperture blades can create different shapes, such as hexagons if the lens has six blades and is used at a larger f-stop, such as f/8. These can be just as effective creatively. A more obvious way in which lens construction has influenced photographic trends comes with the zoom lens. The zoom-burst effect provides a way to guide the eye to the centre of the shot by turning the surrounding field into a blur of movement. The effect is easy to create although mastery takes a little longer.
The key is to focus on the centre of the image and during the shot quickly turn the zoom ring. It helps to have the camera on a tripod as this will minimise shake during the relatively long exposures needed to give you enough time to turn the zoom ring. Similar to creative use of bokeh, zoom bursts often work best with bright, colourful elements in the out-of-focus area. Although it needs a steady hand to pull off well, you can bring swirls into zoom-burst shots by holding the zoom ring and turning the camera instead. Here are some examples:
To ensure a clear image in the centre, photographers often combine the zoom burst with flash, using slow sync flash to fire extra light at the beginning or end of the exposure to freeze the subject. This can work extremely well in night-time city shots when you have streetlights to help emphasise the zoom effect. At the other end of the scale, zooming can be used to create extreme focus effects, particularly for macro shots. Even at high f-stops, it is difficult to capture a depth of field of more than a few centimetres of in close-up images. Here I wanted to explore a few ways in which I could experiment with the way I could take future shoots and so found walking around town at night was one of the best ways to do so. These were my outcomes:
Once I’d experimented a little with the technique I decided to have a go at photographing the lights in tunnels and on car as they seemed to produce the best outcomes regarding variety of composition and brightness. When taking the images I really enjoyed taking into consideration a new style of composition not previously used where block lights could be overlapped or on their own. Here are three of my favourite outcomes from the experimental shoot:
What I liked about this image was the use of the mainly blue lighting fading out as it progressed through the photo. For me this effect created a great sense of aestheticism as it highlighted the dirt of the window it was taken from, this for me added extra texture to the image whilst also making use of the negative space so that it would not be predominantly black and leave the product as a bit of an eye sore. The shades of blue present within I found to cast an ambient light throughout, with the primary light source becoming the main focal point for viewers due to the sequence of other lights deriving from it.
Here I particularly liked the variety of different colours present which make use of the black backdrop which separates each light so that they become a sort of structured shape. Looking at the blues, whites and greys they all compliment each other so that they do not become overpowering, with the occasional different colour such as red or orange breaking up the pattern and adding more depth to the overall outcome. For me the blackness of the top right corner brings together the whole image due to how it adds a space and stops the continuous lights from overpowering the entire piece.
Finally what drew me to this image was the appearance of murky greens, reds and yellows which add a sense of eeriness to the photograph. These darker colours are complimented by the surrounding black which envelops each light merging them into the next whilst the sequence snakes off image. I particularly found the implementation of the reds and oranges to be of great effect due to how the prevent the mainly greens and yellows from taking over and making the image overall quite dull.
Overall for me this experimentation was useful as it broadened my stance regarding photography and the styles and techniques that could be used to take new and original perspectives of my surrounding environment. For a future reference I could combine certain bokeh images together to form a more abstract result combining patterns from both so that they merge and create something almost alien like.
For my fifth photoshoot I planned to visit and explore a natural area photographing both plants and flowers and well as water and it’s surroundings. I wanted to focus on drawing inspiration from different artists and photographers I’ve explored, i.e. Wassily Kandinsky’s theories on colour and shape, Rinko Kawauchi’s photography who I explored at the start of the project and my concept of connection between nature and spirituality together as I come towards the end of my project.
I narrowed down my shoot’s image to ones I thought could be considered as final outcomes for this shoot and displayed them in two separate sections as I think they have different qualities to them. The first half I think focus ore on nature, plants and botany emphasising the light and the ranging of warm and cool tones in the landscape. The second half looks at water in more depth and aspects within it i.e koi fish and plants on top and near water.
I chose these two images as some of the final outcomes for this shoot as I like the close up, macro angle they both have. I also like the different textures in both the images that contrast from one another. I chose the plant in the first image to photograph as I like the warm red tones, which links to my focus on warm and cool colours in my project. I also like how the leaves come towards the lens because of the angle they taken at, going out of focus the closer they get, which I think this makes the image seem more personal and spiritual. The way the light shines is emphasised on some of the leaves, and around the outside of the frame is effective. The colours in this image range from green/yellow in the centre of the plant to different tones of red, which i think further emphasises the spirituality of this image as the centre is light.
The second image I took with a close up angle as I was interested in emphasising the intricate pattern made by the individual parts of the plant. I chose to crop the original image so the pattern filled up most of the frame and to create a even closer perspective. I also think that this plant represents something that is ephemeral which links to my previous work in this project exploring Rinko Kawauchi who enjoys beauty, joy, and the ephemeral existence of the lives in nature. I also think that this image goes well paired with the first image as I think the colours complement each other, the white in this image linking to the parts of the first image where the light is emphasised.
I like the first image of this pair through the intricate patterns and also because of its conceptual meaning. To me, this image represents connections of nature, through the many different lines and branches reaching to fill the entire frame. I also think it reflects some of the ideologies of Wassily Kandinsky through the curved lines going in different directions, reflecting his theories on geometric shapes about how shapes have different energies. In this image the main aspect is the larger trunk and branches coming off the tree, but i also like how them smaller branches have grown off the side and are growing downwards. This is then all complemented by the brown and yellow tones of the image that make the overall appearance ore soft and mystical.
I then contrasted the first image by placing it next the image of bright green leaves and plants. I chose to take this image, filling up the entire frame with the green pattern, as I like how only the cool colour is shown, which I can then contrast this to other warm colour images. It contrasts particularly to the first image of this pair as the leaves in the tree have a more yellow/ green tones, which links to the bright green of the smaller plants in the second image. One difference between the images are that the first is more of a landscape image, whereas the second is a more macro angle which creates a variation of angles.
I like these two images displayed together as they are images of the same plants (lily pads) in the same area of water, but because of the surrounding nature, that isn’t shown in the images, the colours displayed in the reflections are completely different. In the first image, was taken next to the image was a Malus floribunda a common name Japanese flowering crabapple, which is why the reflection on the water is different tones of pink. I think that it reflects concept of abstract art more, through the distracted lines in the water and different sections of bright colours from pink,white and brown. What makes this image more interesting is the lily pads on top of the water the break up the patterns created by the ripples in the water, but are still a light colour, so complement the other tones in the landscape.
The second image is a more close up angle I took with a long lens to focus on the shapes of the lily pads and plants, rather than the water. I edited this image to emphasise the blue/green tones which I think is effective and contrasts to the other image well and emphasises the cool colour, rather than the warm ones that were more present before editing. I like the different colour lily pads, that are circular shapes, reflecting Kandinsky’s theories of geometrical shapes having energy, which contrasts the the curved line shape of the branch to the right. This together makes an interesting composition of different natural patterns and geometrical shapes.
I chose the first image to display as an outcome for this shoot as I like how the bright yellow colour, contrasts with the green behind. This is the first image in this shoot that noticeable contains both warm and cool colours, but because there are yellow undertones the grass behind the plants in the foreground, the colours go together well. I also like in this image how some parts of the plants in the foreground are in focus, but the further away from the camera, the more out of focus the landscape gets. This allows for the main focus of the image to be the plant, but the colour in the background to still be noticeable.
The second image of this pair reminds me of the work by Susan degrees, even though she used light sensitive paper to create her images of plant and water, I think that the shadows of the surrounding plants as a reflection creates a similar effect. The image was taken next to Malus floribunda tree which is why the pink petals are floating on the water. I think this contrasts well to the black reflection on the water and the reflection of the sky which has a pink tone because I edited it to have a warmer appearance. Another reason this image reminds me of Susan Derges work is through the defined shapes of the plants which are reflected on the water. This is similar to Derges as she includes the intricate shapes of the plants and flowers she prints in water on light sensitive paper.
Examples of Susan Derges Work
This section of the photoshoot i focused on water aspects of the landscape and what is found in and around the water. I think this is interesting as a different style of image was produced in the second half of this shoot, even though they are from the same area. I displayed below the images I thought were the most effective.
These two images are some of my favourite from this shoot, I displayed them together as I liked how the calmness of the first image contrasts with the the detailed patterns in the second. The first image is of a koi fish which I saw in a pond and decided to photograph this as I knew that symbolises many different things, and has a long history in Chinese and Japanese culture. . Koi Fish meaning in Japan is good fortune or luck they also are associated with perseverance in adversity and strength of purpose. I like the composition of this image is as it’s vey simplisticand only shows two aspects of nature. I think that the lily pad next the fish makes the image and composition more interesting, the full circular shape reflecting some of Kandinsky’s theories of geometrical shapes and circles. The gold/orange colour of the fish is effective and complements the colour of the lily pads they are both warm colours. The black appearance of the water further emphasises the warm colours and also the calm and peaceful atmosphere as there are no waves in thewater distracting from the plant and fish. There are several species of Koi, each with their own defining colors and markings. Accordingly, each type has its own spiritual overtones and meanings. A black fish, called Kumonryu, is named after the Japanese dragon of transformation and is said to signify upcoming life changes. The gold fish, Yamabuki, fittingly symbolises gold, wealth, and good fortune.
I like the second image as its of water, like the first image, but is completely different as I took it near a small water fall which is how the the bubbles were formed. I think it links well to the first image as the same dark tones of the water are also between the patterns in the water and have light areas that are emphasises by the darker parts. One difference is that in the second image I edited it to further emphasise the cool blue tones that could contrast to warm ones. I think that edited this image emphasising the cool colours was more effective than if i edited it to emphasise warm colours as water naturally has a cool tone. I also like how the shape of the bubbles are emphasised moresby the light reflecting off the curved edges, making the shape more noticeable. This is another reason I think these two images go well together as they both contain circular shapes, linking to Kandinsky’s theories on geometric shapes and circles.
I chose to take different angles of koi fish with different surrounding reflections on the water to see if a plain black background or a more detailed background was more effective. In the first of these three images I photographed the ripples created by the fish coming closer to the surface of the water which creates a more distorted appearance. This image shows more movement than the other image and more reflections of the water through the ripples, ranging from white, grey and black. This makes a more interesting pattern through the ranging colours and the shape that the fishes body is in. The second image is similar to the first image of a koi fish in this shoot as it had has a simplistic plain black background as well adding to the calm and tranquil appearance. The difference between the two is that the second image displays two fish swimming together creating a interesting shape of them overlapping. The ripples and the slight reflection in the top left corner of the image create more texture and pattern. In the third image I included flowers from the Malus floribunda tree in the right side of the image. I kept this part out of focus and kept the main focus on the fish, which I think creates an interesting composition. Out of the three images, the most is going on in this image, as well as the flowers, the reflections of the surrounding trees are shown on the water which shows another side of nature. I think that the brown and white colours of this are effective as the white continues over the fishes body and makes the pattern and scales distorted. I displayed these three images together as I thought it was interesting how photographs of the same subject can have completely different appearances.
Evaluation
I think this photoshoot was successful in capturing nature, taking inspiration from different artists and photographers I have explored in my project and combining some of their concepts. For example, many of the images in this shoot took inspiration fro Kandinsky’s theories on geometric shapes i.e circles and his thought on warm and cool colours having energies. Other images took inspiration from Susan Derges, where the shadows of the plants on water, reflect the appearance of lots on light sensitive paper. Some images took inspiration from Rinko Kawauchi who explores ephemeral existence in some of her images. I also tried to emphasise the spiritual quality of the nature which i think i did effectively through the colours I’ve emphasised and the intricate details i’ve focused on.
Experimentation
I then decided to experiment by editing these images different warm and cool colours to see which would create the best aesthetic. I think the black and white is effective in emphasising the range dark to light tones of grey in this image, and also highlights the brightness of the lily pads on top of the water. However, for this project I think that because I’ve focused on the different colour that bring people different emotions, that by displaying this image in black and white wouldn’t link as well to the concepts behind my project and to my other image. That is why i decided to also edit this photo different colours that are different from the original pink tones. When comparing these edits I still think that it’s better with the warm tones emphasised rather than changing them to cool colours because I think that what makes this photo interesting is the natural pink tones from the tree in the reflection. By changing the colour of this you cannot notice the natural effect of the tree in reflection.
I also experimented with cropping when editing these images to see if a closer angle would make a better composition. In the image of the koi fish, I think that by cropping the image to one section is not as effective as the real composition as it takes away from the simplistic appearance with the negative space surrounding the fish and the lilypad. With the second image of the close up angle of the plant, I found that I liked when I zoomed in one section the image and think that the closer angle focuses on aspects like patten and light even more than the original.
Alexander Mourant was born in Jersey, Channel Islands in 1994. Having studied at Bryanston School he progressed to BA (Hons) Photography at Falmouth University, graduating in July 2017. Alexander has exhibited a variety of work, most notably with CCA Galleries, Mall Galleries and in a duo show with Andy Hughes RCA held at the Royal Geographical Society in London, May – June 2017. His practice revolves around the continuous nature of experience, largely in a response to his time spent in Africa and Japan.
“The world is blue at its edges and its depths.” – Rebecca Solnit
Aomori, 2017
In Aomori, Alexander Mourant consistently uses the colour blue, inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s words in The Blue of Distance. For Solnit, the blue world embodies distances we can never quite arrive in. The colour blue — formed through fluctuating atmospheric conditions — creates for her, and many others, a great immaterial and metaphorical plane.
In Japan, where the series was captured, followers of Shinto – an ancient and sacred religion – place a strong belief in Kami. Kami are essentially spirits. Through diligently conducted religious and spiritual ceremonies, present day Japan connects through the Kami to their ancient past. The Japanese believe that Kami pervade every aspect of life. They live in the fabric of reality; rocks, trees, plants, waterfalls, even mountains contain Kami. Kodama are the spirits found in the forest, living in certain species of trees. They are the very being of the forest. Upon researching this extensive spiritual belief, Mourant realised that Japan had strong metaphysical potential and was an ideal site for his work.
The colour in his images comes from sourced blue glass from a church window, which was then cut to size to fit the filter holder of his camera. Mourant’s aim was to introduce this colour into the process, by exposing film directly to the blue world. With this, the photographs are given a body, a soul almost, in which we could experience from the image itself, bringing Solnit’s blue of distance near, into the world of the forest; they are by process, forever blue.
Aurelian, 2016 – 2017
Alexander’s family has lived and farmed in Jersey for generations, so a relationship to landscape, space and experience is embedded in his psychology. This rural upbringing influenced his photographic sensibility.
‘Aurelian’ explores the interior space of British butterfly houses. These artificial environments are used throughout the work to probe the nature of experience, as an envisioned idea where time is not absolute, but continuously contained and all encompassing. By employing cultural objects and contemporary abstraction, the work holds a dynamic tension — questioning one’s spatial sense — stimulated through colour, form and materiality. In hindsight, Aurelian was a body of work necessary to incubate further creative ideas and, most importantly, it triggered a deeper understanding of the intricacies of photography.
The work draws from a variety of personal sources, but most importantly, Alexander’s four month sojourn through the heart of Africa.
Image Analysis
Waterfall I, 2017
Alexander captures the movement of a waterfall through a slow shutter speed, the softness of the water metaphorically represents the spiritual history of Japan. Before travelling to Japan, he conducted digital tests with the blue glass in order to find the ideal exposure time. However, it didn’t tell of how the process would translate to film.
Mourant acknowledged that shooting with the blue glass is almost like shooting in black and white, where he required bright natural sunlight in order to still capture the details of the trees and rocky face. The image is composed to look up at the waterfall, indicating the importance of this spiritual relationship that Japan has with nature. Alexander leaves negative space at the top of the image, where the forest joins with the heavens.
“the spiritual history of the process seeps through into the image, to a time when the land was a place of worship”.
The immensity found in the colour blue, encourages a deeper reflection on the past, present and future. In the same way, the presence of the forest and the density of its nature arrests the relentless progression of time, where the canopy of the trees shelter those below from gently falling light.
Artistically, Alexander’s influence is varied, but his process finds its roots in the 1960s land art movement being that he is interested in the material and psychological effects of organics, climate and geography. A key idea that resonates in both Aomori and Aurelian is “The Art of Pilgrimage” as described by writer Michael Kimmelman. To visit is to invest months of planning, submit applications and await approval, followed by long car journeys into the remote desert or jungle. This idea of a pilgrimage to a site becomes very relevant as each project attempts to depict a place between imagination and reality with metaphor.
In this shoot I have displayed images where I have tried to focus on close up aspects on the environment that may not be as noticeable, especially on bold colours that stand out from the background of the image, drawn from abstract concepts. I also focused on lines and patterns made from branches. I think that this second photoshoot at Queens valley was successful in me discovering the full concept of my project concerning the relationship between nature and humans.
This is one of my favourite images from this shoot. I especially like how the whole image is filled with patterns and texture. I tried to focus on light and the soft colours, so zoomed in on the reflection of the trees on the water and had the leaves close up to the camera so they are blurred, creating a relationship between the camera and nature. I think that this draws on the concept I want to explore of the relationship and connection between humans and nature. By taking the photo within the plants and trees it creates the illusion of being completely surrounded by natural world as the entire frame is filled with natural objects. By focusing on aspects of light on the water reflection, and even in the close up leaves in the left corner, I think this image really draws from ideologies of spirituality and nature being connected in many ways. This is a concept I want to explore and research more in my project to get a better understanding of how nature and humans are connected in ways that many people may not know.
I also like the composition of this image and how the branch in the right corner is out of focus, but creates a break in the image and adds another aspect to look at. I think what makes this image stand out to me is the contrast of the bright white reflection from the sun on the water thats contrasted with the natural green and brown tones surrounded it and reading interesting patterns. I also like how the leaves from the plants that are surrounding the camera are only shown in the reflection of the water.
I also tried to focus on bold colours that were different from the surrounding landscape, which I think these two image above do well. The first image is of a reflection of a person walking along the path in a reflection. I chose this as an image to display as I don’t think its easy to tell that the red reflection is a person. I also liked how the red colour was completely different to the surrounding greens and browns, reflecting ideologies of abstract. I also think that the branches in front of the camera that are out of focus create another aspect to the image that makes it more interesting, and creates a similar effect to the first image in my shoot, where the camera is immersed in the nature, creating the the appearance of being surrounded by the natural world. I also think this reflects the theme of humans and nature being connected, as in this image an reflection of a person is shown on the reflection on something natural, connecting the two together.
In the second image I liked the bright orange colour and the shape of the leaf contrasting against the white and brown background. What makes this image more interesting is that patterns created from the sky in the reflection water, the white colour contrasting to the patterns of orange and brown in the image. I like the composition of the leaf in the foreground and the blurred background that is divided into sections of darker and lighter. One aspect I don’t like about the composition is how the second of the orange leaves is half way out of the frame, which doesn’t create a as aesthetically pleasing image to me. Although this composition may be interesting to use in my final images as I normally take images symmetrically or which fit in the frame aesthetically, this image contrasting from what I usually do. I think that the orange colour in this image really emphasises the spirituality of nature and plants, as it stands out from the less bright background of brown, focusing on a smaller aspect of nature and it’s ethereal beauty.
This image stood out to me when selecting my final images for this shoot as I think that has a simplistic and calm appearance that not many of images had. I think this is because in this image the lines/ripples in the water are repetitive and consistent, whereas in most of the other images, I photographed things in the landscape which were more unusual meaning that the patterns and lines were not consistent and more disorderly. I this image the ripples start light towards the foreground of the image and gradually become darker towards the background, creating a more aesthetically pleasing range of colours and composition. What makes this image interesting is the duck which is placed in a unusual place in the frame. Instead of photographing the duck towards the centre of the image, i decided to place it at the top left corner so both the ripples in the water and the duck are seen. I think that this image also reflects ideologies of spirituality and nature through the ripples made by the duck in the water and the undisturbed, tranquil appearance which further emphasises the peaceful nature.
I think this is an interesting image that builds from some f the images I took in my first photo shoot of the same type of water plant in a different area. In my first image i only focused on the plant, with the surrounding water being flat, whereas in this image the plant is surrounded by leaves and sticks fallen from the surrounding nature. This creates an interesting pattern that contrasts from the vertical green lines of the plant coming out of the water. I focused on only photographing one of these plants as i wanted it to seem out of place within the background of the image which is what I think I achieved. In comparison to the background the green tones of the plant are bright an is similar the second photo in this shoot, focusing on a smaller aspect of nature and it’s ethereal beauty. I also like how this plant is growing out of the water as I think it reflects concepts of new life and nature having a spirit.
I also decided to take a photo in the same place as my second photoshoot of the reflection of the same plant, as I was interested in how an image of the same natural object can look so different at diffrent time of the day and with different weather. On my second photoshoot the weather was slightly cloudy and overcast, whereas for this shoot the sky sky was blue, which is why the reflection on the water creates a different appearance for the image. I tried to photograph this emphasising the light and the reflection of the blurred white cloud against the water as I think this creates an image that is more spiritual and focuses on the beauty of nature.
Abstract Reflections
In this shoot I also focused on shapes in the landscape that had sections of bold colours, as I wanted to explore ideas of abstract more and thought that by photographing reflections in water creates a distorted appearance of bright colours. The weather on this shoot was good as the bright blue sky contrasts against the clouds in the sky, which I could then juxtapose to the colours in the landscape.
For this image I used a slight longer exposure than the rest of the images when photographing abstract shapes. I think this was effective as it captured the slight movement of the water which made the clouds look less like a reflection and more like part of the water which I think adds to the spiritual quality of it. I like the composition of how mage is framed by the surrounding plats, especially on the left side where the branches from the trees goes close to the water. I also like how the bottom section shows a different type of plants that is more green and is apart of the plants on the ground. I think that this contrast between the green of the leaves and the bright blue and, that is the sky reflected on the water, is effective. It creates sections within the image of different colours with different patterns that I think reflect abstract art and photography.
Andrew S. Gray
I think this shoot also reflects the work Andrew S. Gray similar to my previous shoot, as in some of his landscape images he captures bright solid sections in his blurred photos. In this shoot where I looked at abstract shapes I think that the solid colour sections reflects Grays work. When editing these images I could alter the hues in the natural aspects to be more brightly coloured and abstract. One difference between both out images is that in some he doesn’t pick up the details of the landscape (like the image on the left whereas in my images I still includes the patterns, shapes of leaves and light reflection on water as I thought that these elements were necessary. I didn’t try to blur the images in these shoot, like my previous shoot, as I wanted to try interpreting his work in a different way.
Experimentation: Warm vs Cool
When editing these images in light room and photoshop I tried to emphasise the warm tones and cool tones by creating different variations of the same image, looking at orange, red and blue tones. I think for this image, emphasising the warm tones orange and red was more effective as I feel it further emphasises the spiritual quality that the image has. The colours yellow, orange and red remind me of positive emotions rather than negative. For example, the colour yellow. Nearly all cultures tie this colour to a sense of warmth, both physical and emotional. In Japan it represents bravery. Many religious groups, particularly those from Ancient Egypt and in Hindu tradition align the colour yellow with the Divine. Consider that the halos of the angels typically appear in a yellow or gold colour. Spiritually speaking it represents the element of fire, our sense of vision, energy, harmony and personal identity. Orange is sacred in Hinduism. It is in the Fifth Ray of 7 that classifies humans mystically. In general symbolism, orange brings happiness and health into our lives. In the Tarot it symbolises the intellect and spirituality. Cool colours i.e. blue is often connected with spiritual studies, meditation, and Magical practitioners use blue or purple to represent the Water element. To me the colours orange and red make the image have a warmth and spiritual quality that couldn’t be achieved with cool colours. I also like how this image the close up leaves that are are out of focus from being close the camera are still noticeable and are emphasised with the colour yellow. Because you can see through these sections, it makes the leaves look transparent and emphasises the range tones in the image. The cool editing has a different appearance and an atmosphere thats calming and tranquil, creating a more peaceful image.
Wassily Kandinsky Work
My image above reminds me of this artwork by Wassily Kandinsky through many different aspects. One way is through the colours used, ranging from blue, to orange to red, similar to me editing where I emphasised the cool and warm colours. I also think it links to this piece through the shapes and lines. In my image the reflection of the leaves on the water show the light shine through the leaves, creating circular and interesting shapes, which I think are shown in Kandinsky’s painting where he emphasises circular shapes and rounded lines. The rounded shapes in my image are the small branches that are shown to be above the water, contrasting against the pattern of the leaves the water. One difference between mine and Kandinsky’s painting is that he uses abstract shapes with geometrical patterns, my image does not contain these as they are not shapes that are created in nature and represent Kandinsky’s theories in his book ‘Concerning the Spiritual in Art’ where “This essential connection between color and form brings us to the question of the influences of form on color. Form alone, even though totally abstract and geometrical, has a power of inner suggestion. A triangle (without the accessory consideration of its being acute — or obtuse — angled or equilateral) has a spiritual value of its own.The case is similar with a circle, a square, or any conceivable geometrical figure” I think I could further emphasise these theories in my future work. For example I could like at different shapes as Kandinsky believed that “The mutual influence of form and color now becomes clear. A yellow triangle, a blue circle, a green square, or a green triangle, a yellow circle, a blue square—all these are different and have different spiritual values.”
“Like symphonies, Kandinsky’s great abstract paintings speak directly to our senses and feelings. Their constellations of mysterious marks are like waves of sound that trigger emotions.” For him, the world they pointed towards was a spiritual realm, a hidden truth. I think that some of the images in this shoot, especially the ones where I focused on abstract landscapes, reflect some of Kandinsky’s earlier work where he focused more on landscape. For example in Kandinsky’s painting above, he used tones of the same colour in different sections of the painting, which I think is reflected some of my images, especially when I edited them to have different hues. The difference between these images are that Kandinsky focused on landscapes whereas I looked at reflections on water because I thought that the distorted image of the aspects in the landscape would be effective.
On this photoshoot I narrowed down the 400 images I took to 68 so I could look through them am pick which ones I like the most and the ones I want to be my final outcomes. On this shoot I focused on abstract shapes in some of the images and also took inspiration from the photographer Andrew S. Grey where he moves his camera when taking the images, to create a blurred effect which he takes inspiration from early english landscape painters. I think that some of the image I took whilst moving the camera were effective, but a lot of them weren’t as it was only the second time I have experimented with this technique. I chose the ones I thought were most effective and displayed them below. I also displayed the images where i focused on abstract shapes in a separate blog post that have bold solid colours. I separated this into two photoshoots so i could display my experimentation and edits with them and also because I thought that the images I took were completely different styles with different techniques.
Andrew S. Gray Interpretations
When taking these photos I found it hard to create goos compositions of the landscape as I couldn’t see exactly what the final image what turn out like until i had taken the image. This want had had to many different variations of images of the same angle to find a good composition. I also found it hard to fins the right shutter speed to use when photographing so experimented with a variety to find one to make the image blurry, but not so much that you can’t see the outlines of the shapes e.g plants and tress in the image.
I think that this image is a good example of this, as you can still see the outline of the tree on the right see of the image, the bright water, and the trees along the horizon. I also think that the colours in this image complement each other well with the bright pale blue on the water, with the variation of green tones from darker to lighter. I think that this is one of the better compositions i took in this shoot as it’s divided into section, all contrasting one another from the colours. I think that this represents the work of the photographer Andrew S. Gray well as I think resembles the work of early english landscape painters, where the blurred lines look like brush strokes of a paintbrush.
I think the this style of photograph greatly contrasts from the other photos i have taken in this project and portrays nature from a different perspective. Instead of the detailed, sharp, in focus photos i have previously taken where I focus on the outline and patterns, these images are blurred and in the moment shots. I think this gives them an effect like I have taken the photo as I’ve quickly passed the scene. I think that this linked to the photographer Rinko Kawauchi who i have previously looked at as she believes the fleeting nature of these dualities is what ultimately determines our fragile existence. I like how she photographs things that are ‘ephemeral’, that won’t last for long. I think this concept is represented in this style of work through the blurriness, creating movement and represents the ‘fleeting nature’.
I particularly like this image as I like how the lines from moving the camera are even more noticeable than in the other images. I think that this effect takes the bright and darks parts of the image more noticeable as they’re separated from the rest of the image. As the tree was in the foreground when the image was taken with a moving camera this part is more i focus than the background go the image where the trees are completely blurred. I like the colours that are i this image, as they range from brown to green to bright green which all complement each other and emphasise the effect of the natural landscape. I also like this composition the most out of all the images I took with this technique as it was hard to see where the different aspects of the image were placed in the frame. I like how the sections are created by the edge of the reservoir with the two trees in the foreground.
Work by AndrewS. Gray
I think i have successfully taken images taking inspiration from Andrew S. Gray where he creates camera in motion images. A technique called intentional camera movement mixed with various editing processes create his abstract landscapes. Some are recognisable vistas, whereas some form from feeling and emotion as if from a paint brush. I eel i interpreted his work well,even though i haven’t experimented with this technique a lot. This might explain why in some of his image there s more focus in some areas thelawdscape than other, through practising this technique Andrew S. Gray has developed his own style. In my images there are less areas in the landscape that are i focus. Also in Gray’s he emphasises light and reflections, and warm colours, especially in the image above. In my images I tried to emphasises the earth tones like green and brown as I thought the contrast between the sky and the green was effective.
I think that this photoshoot was good in developing the style of images I want to take in my project and allowed my to experiment with different camera techniques.
Experimentation
I wanted to try and experiment with different hues in the images to create more abstract appearance with bright bald colours. I edited the same image and created different variations with warming colour colours. This edit makes the image less identifiable as a natural landscape, making it more abstract as it hard to tell what it’s taken of. Some of the patterns and textures are still shown in he image, but the image looks unnatural through the bright colours that wouldn’t necessarily found in a natural landscape. I like these edits of this image, but think that my project will be most effective you can see more of the natural aspects the abstract landscape.
I also experimented by slightly adjusting the tones and colours in the image to more natural colours, so that the landscape is still recognisable. I think that these images are more effective for my project and touch on concept of spirituality through the blurred light lines on the landscape to me looks other-worldly, especially with the warm colours emphasised. I also think that these edits interpret the work of Andrew S. Gray more effectively sin many of his images he uses editing to emphasises the natural colours and brighter abstract colours to make the landscape stand out more. I found that liked to emphasise warm colours within his work which is what I tried to do in these experimentations. I also think that these works represent the of the early English painters more as the lines created by the movement of the camera is further emphasised by the shadows and highlights I emphasised.
Evaluation
I think that this shoot was successful in interpreting the work of Andrew S. Gray and in experiment with different camera techniques that I haven’t tried before. These photos are completely different from the detailed and focused images I normally take which is why I enjoyed this shoot as it allowed me to experiment with a different style of image. I also think allowed me in a different light, emphasising the ideas that things are ephemeral’, that won’t last for long emphasising the fragile existence of nature. I think these images link to this idea of fragile existence’ as the blurred effect makes the plants and natural objects seem momentary and delicate, which is an effect that wouldn’t be achieved through in focus images. In future shoots I want to link in humans to this existence and how they are connected.
I think that some of the final images from this shoot could be used within the final photobook and final images of this project as although they are different from my other images, they could create a different aspect to my work that makes my final project images more interesting.
The below edits are the results of my shoot in which I photographed steel as a surface in order to capture its texture. I have layered the building face photographs from previous shoots over the steel photographs as a hint at how buildings such as office blocks are now being developed. In the top three edits I have made the composition by removing the natural frames from the photograph to reveal the scratchy steel texture in the background – I have done this previously to show granite and find that doing this with granite in the background looks much more effective due to the unpredictable shapes and colours within the rock whereas the steel is slightly boring and predictable. In the later edits I focused on creating them through using double exposure methods on photoshop – I edited the blending options to blend the two photographs together resulting in the building structures being clearly shown with the texture of the steel being shown at the same time to allow consistent contrast.
Analysis
When capturing this photograph I used the natural day light to capture the natural elements of the building face. Using natural daylight on the steel rod used for the background allowed for the reflections to be seen in the rod to add further contrast and tones within the photograph. The photograph is slightly overexposed but when layered over the darker steel it creates a composition that is abstract in which the overexposed building face does not look out of place. I used a deep depth of field when capturing the photographs used in this composition to ensure that all of the photograph was sharp and in focus. A shutter speed of 1/60 was used as well because the steel and building face were both still objects which didn’t require very fast shutter speeds – when this is paired with the low ISO of 200 used it allows for the best quality composition possible with the correct amount of light entering the lens from the surrounding area. The rust and reflection in the steel rod creates a slightly warm colour cast and creates on old-fashioned eroded feeling in the composition.
The black and white building face contrasts with the warm rust on the steel in a very complementary way as it creates a damaged dynamic to the photograph and really brings the texture of the steel to the forefront to create an interesting composition. There is a wide tonal range in the composition because of the reflections and scratches in the steel. The building face captured is a very flat one and so the photograph is very flat and two-dimensional – it almost looks like a screenprint. The photograph fits in with the rule of thirds as the building face merges into the steel rod on the top third of the photograph to create an aesthetically pleasing photograph along with the man-made shapes such as the windows.
This photograph is the result of an edit from a shoot focusing on the texture and properties of steel. The composition was made by blending together the face of a building and a close-up photograph of a steel rod. I have looked at contrasting man-made building faces with natural granite rock faces in my previous shoots. This has led to me thinking, as I was focusing on the material of granite, it may be interesting to contrast man-made structures with eachother by focusing on how the materials used to make houses have changed overtime. Traditionally granite has been used in Jersey but as office blocks, such as the international finance centre, have been developed there has been an increase in more ‘modern’ looking materials, such as steel. Therefore I have captured close-up photographs of steel objects to capture its texture, which by itself makes for quite a boring photograph, but I will experiment with layering the building faces over the steel. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon and because of its high tensile strength and low cost, it is a major component used in buildings, infrastructure, tools, ships, cars and other items. Since it is used so much in the world around us, as granite is, I believe that it is important for me to include the exploration of this material in my project. I plan on presenting these photographs in a typology grid or possibly as GIF’s in the future as well as creating more edits in a similar style.
For this shoot I wanted to create a response to the works of Fontana as I really liked the simplicity created through his highly saturated images. What drew me to his imagery was his use of using the textures and patterns found in nature and man-made objects to create impressions of the landscape around him in a way which would not have usually been percieved. From this shoot I would aim to achieve a new style of photography which I could then go onto incorporate into possible future works especially the aspects of colours, something I don’t normally consider when doing shoots. To create the desired effect I would probably have to manually increase the contrast and saturation within my settings of the camera in order to produce the outcome for the photos I would like. Using Fontana as my main source of inspiration I decided to have a look at some of his works which I found to be of particular interest:
Once I had gone over a few of Fontana’s imagery I decided it was nearly time to go ahead with the shoot itself. However before doing so I wanted to create a mind-map for the goals when taking photographs, by doing so for me it would reduce wasted time as it would allow me to quickly identify what I wanted to capture in order to achieve the results needed. Not only would this stop wasted time but allow me longer to focus on the things that I may not have realised if doing the shoot there and then. Here are some of my ideas:
Once I had completed my mind-map I decided it was time to actually go ahead with the shoot. To do this I wanted to explore the area North of Jersey as this area had the highest number of agriculture out of Jersey as it would provide me with the subjects needed to achieve the aims of the shoot. Using my mind-map as my primary source of inspiration and ideas I explored the footpaths which surrounded the North coast looking at how the blue sky could contrast the hills. Here are the results of my shoot:
Once I had completed the shoot I then wanted to go onto select out ten images that I thought were most effective and related most to not only the topic title of textures and patterns but also saturation. By doing this it would allow me to reflect on each image and make in easier to choose out a selection of five from that so that I could later on pick one overall image that I thought best reflected my intentions for the shoot. Here is my selection for the ten images I thought were best suited to the topic of saturation regarding textures and patterns:
After I had selected the ten images that I thought worked best regarding the topic title I decided to then whittle them back down to five images, by doing this it would allow me to analyse each image in more depth looking at things such as the visual and technical aspect of the pieces that I thought made them work well and link back towards the title of saturation and make my overall choice of best image easier. Here is my selection of the five best images from my shoot:
I selected this image because I loved how the orange contrasted the blue sky with the tree breaking up the dominant two colours. What I liked about this was how the two main colours compliment each other, however to stop both colours from becoming to eye-sore to the viewer the use of a lighter shaded tree and its shadow provide us with an implicit focus to what we almost instantly draw our eyes to. I also really liked the symmetry present within the photo as the skyline and pathway with the tree line up against each other as it presented the viewers with an overall sense of aestheticism. When looking over the image I found that it related well in response to saturation evident through the orange grass and the overly blue sky, this sense of other-worldly colour for me gives the viewer the impression of an over exaggerated landscape which has certainly been edited.
What I really loved about this image was the over use of blue to create the impression of an artificial sky, complimented by the patterns created from the tree branches I found that this worked well due to the overcast impression it paints on the photograph. For me I found that the use of the negative space taken up by the blue really brought the image together due to how it prevents the pattern of branches from completely covering the entire composition. The image itself relates well to saturation from how the use of an overly blue sky creates the impression of something to perfect to be true, with the photograph linking to texture and pattern through the branches which grow in random directions that produce a hige sense of aestheticism against the blue sky.
I chose this image because of how I loved the golden colours of the grass contrasted to the rippling water. For me this image represented two over exaggerated aspects of nature, especially as an island where we are surrounded by water presenting both the land and sea side by side in a sort of aesthetic and beautiful state creates the transition between the two as a natural mirror. I found that the gold presenting throughout the image as the main reason for choosing the photo due to it adding character to the water, reflecting the overlapping pattern of the grass as it grows. As a result of this I found that the two contrasting textures present in this image, being the rippling water and the overlapping grass as complimenting each other as one provides a more abstract representation for the other. The saturated golds in the piece also link it to the title through the coloured reflection that would not usually been seen by the everyday eye.
For me I selected this image because of its use of neutral space to create a more abstract impression of the landscape and whats in it. For me the tree against the blue sky was what brought the image together due to how it broke up the otherwise dull composition of the photo, what I found was how the messy texture of the grass completely contrasted the smooth matte texture of the sky which sorts of juxtaposes it. I liked how the composition that took into consideration the angle of the hill made use of the sky and contrasting orange grass surrounding it so that it would not become too overpowering. Overall I find this image did reference well regarding the topic of saturation, however looking at texture and pattern it did not serve a great load towards possible patterns except through grass.
Finally I selected this image because of the natural gradient created by the sun, sky and grass to produce this sort of golden natural film over the waters surface. For me this piece worked well because of how no real use of saturation editing was used due to how vibrant the surface of the water was on that sunny day with only a bit of cropping being needed. I really liked how the composition of the piece was based around a fifty fifty colour wise, with the golds taking the top and the blues the bottom, because of this for me the piece was well balanced with no aspect overpowering the other and creating an aesthetic product. However when looking over the image I did not find it had a great deal to do with saturation due to there being no actual reflection of a saturated landscape.
After looking over the visual, technical and conceptual aspects of the five selected images I was happy enough to come to a conclusion regarding which image would be best to reflect my intentions around saturated photography whilst also looking at the title textures and patterns. Here is my final decision towards the topic of saturation:
Final Image:
I chose this image as my final photograph to sum up my chosen topic because of the contrasting sides to the landscape it presents using highly saturated colours. For me the dominant use of yellows and golds in the photo bring about great aestheticism whilst highlighting how areas of our environment provide us with varying textures and pattern (such as ripples in the water and the overlapping of grass), something that the everyday eye would not take in unless looked upon carefully. Symmetry played a part in this decision due to how it presented the image as visually pleasing, stopping both the water and land from becoming too overpowering.
Russian-born artist, one of the first creators of pure abstraction in modern painting. After successful avant-garde exhibitions, he founded the influential Munich group Der Blaue Reiter (“The Blue Rider”; 1911–14) and began completely abstract painting. His forms evolved from fluid and organic to geometric and, finally, to pictographic. A sensitive and reflective child, Kandinsky was fascinated by the fanfare of sensory experience that childhood affords, through colour and sound and music
An event that effected his abrupt change of career in 1896: seeing an exhibition of French Impressionists in Moscow the previous year, especially Claude Monet’s Haystacks at Giverny, which was his first experience of nonrepresentational art. The impressionists used values of color and light to show their subjects rather than painting in fine detail. and then hearing Wagner’s Lohengrin at the Bolshoi Theatre. Kandinsky chose to abandon his law career and move to Munich to devote himself full-time to the study of art.
He began with conventional themes and art forms, but all the while he was forming theories derived from devoted spiritual study and informed by an intense relationship between music and color. These theories coalesced through the first decade of the 20th century, leading him toward his ultimate status as the pioneer of abstract art. Color became more an expression of emotion rather than a faithful description of nature or subject matter.
Concerning the Spiritual in Art Book
Kandinsky’s book ‘Concerning the spiritual in art’ explains Kandinsky’s own theory of painting and crystallizes the ideas that were influencing many other modern artists of the period. Along with his own groundbreaking paintings, this book had a tremendous impact on the development of modern art. Kandinsky’s ideas are presented in two parts. The first part, called “About General Aesthetic,” issues a call for a spiritual revolution in painting that will let artists express their own inner lives in abstract, non-material terms. Just as musicians do not depend upon the material world for their music, so artists should not have to depend upon the material world for their art. In the second part, “About Painting,” Kandinsky discusses the psychology of colors, the language of form and color, and the responsibilities of the artist.
“The spiritual life, to which art belongs and of which she is one of the mightiest elements, is a complicated but definite and easily definable movement forwards and upwards. This movement is the movement of experience. It may take different forms, but it holds at bottom to the same inner thought and purpose.”
He goes on to offer a visual metaphor for our spiritual experience and how it relates to the notion of genius:
The life of the spirit may be fairly represented in diagram as a large acute-angled triangle divided horizontally into unequal parts with the narrowest segment uppermost. The lower the segment the greater it is in breadth, depth, and area.
“When religion, science and morality are shaken … and when the outer supports threaten to fall, man turns his gaze from externals in on to himself. Literature, music and art are the first and most sensitive spheres in which this spiritual revolution makes itself felt. They reflect the dark picture of the present time and show the importance of what at first was only a little point of light noticed by few and for the great majority non-existent. “
Wassily Kandinsky, ‘Several Circles’ (1926)
“This essential connection between color and form brings us to the question of the influences of form on color. Form alone, even though totally abstract and geometrical, has a power of inner suggestion. A triangle (without the accessory consideration of its being acute — or obtuse — angled or equilateral) has a spiritual value of its own. In connection with other forms, this value may be somewhat modified, but remains in quality the same.
I chose Wassily Kandinsky as a main artist to take inspiration from in my project, especially his theories on spirituality and art, as I think it links to my previous work and is a concept i can build on in my future photo shoots and will develop my work conceptually and contextually. “This essential connection between color and form brings us to the question of the influences of form on color. Form alone, even though totally abstract and geometrical, has a power of inner suggestion.” He states that shapes have spiritual value which is something I want to draw on in my images.
Shape and Colour Theories
Like symphonies, Kandinsky’s great abstract paintings speak directly to our senses and feelings. Their constellations of mysterious marks are like waves of sound that trigger emotions. For him, the world they pointed towards was a spiritual realm, a hidden truth.
‘For Kandinsky, art was a spiritual and emotional experience. He wanted his paintings to transcend recognized forms and express feelings through colors and shapes. Kandinsky argued that artistic experiences were all about feeling, and different colors affected mood. Colour had the ability to put viewers in touch with their spiritual selves. For Kandinsky, yellow could disturb, while blue might make people feel good. Kandinsky’s thoughts on color were similar to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s belief that different colors can convey certain emotions. The warm colors – red, yellow, and orange – are usually considered lively colors that can sometimes be harsh. The cool colors – green, blue, and purple – are considered more peaceful and subdued. Kandinsky was especially fond of blue. He also discussed the neutrals, black, gray, and white. White is silence and quiet, and black is completely devoid of possibility. Gray can go either way.’
He formulates two core sensory distinctions between yellow and blue in terms of movement:
Yellow moves towards the viewer, outward from the picture plane. Blue recedes, that is, moves away from the viewer.
Yellow moves out of itself, that is, a yellow colour area seems to expand. The blue moves within itself, concentrically.
Kandinsky links yellow with human energy:
“The first movement of yellow, that of approach to the spectator (which can be increased by an intensification of the yellow), and also the second movement, that of over-spreading the boundaries, have a material parallel in the human energy which assails every obstacle blindly, and bursts forth aimlessly in every direction.”
Yellow is an “earthly colour”, which therefore can never have a profound spiritual meaning. This is the prerogative of blue: “The power of profound meaning is found in blue, and first in its physical movements (1) of retreat from the spectator, (2) of turning in upon its own centre. The inclination of blue to depth is so strong that its inner appeal is stronger when its shade is deeper. Blue is the typical heavenly colour.” In other words, his interpretation of this colour contrast is anchored to familiar fundamental dualities: “matter” against “spirit”, “earth” against “heaven”, “man” against “God”, etcetera (admittedly, he doesn’t actually use the word “God”).
The Spatial Effect of Colours and Shapes, author: Eugen Batz, 1929
The Color theory was published in 1911 and meant to explain the painter’s palette in two ways: the effect on the eye (person’s physical understanding of the color) and “inner resonance”, phycological effect, when it effects your spiritual experience. The theory describes not only the colors but the geometrical objects and it’s impression on the viewer:
“According to Kandinsky…, a dull shape like a circle deserves a dull color like blue. A shape with intermediate interest like a squaredeserves an intermediate color like red. A dynamic, interesting shape like a triangle deserves an enegetic, luminous, psychotic color like yellow.
Rinko Kawauchi Hon FRPS 川内 倫子 is a Japanese photographer. Her work is characterized by a serene, poetic style, depicting the ordinary moments in life. Kawauchi became interested in photography while studying graphic design and photography at Seian University of Art and Design where she graduated in 1993. She first worked in commercial photography and advertising for several years before embarking on a career as a fine art photographer. In 2001 three of her photo books were published: Hanako (a Japanese girl’s name), Utatane (“catnap”), and Hanabi (“fireworks”). In 2004 Kawauchi published Aila; in 2010, Murmuration, and in 2011 Illuminance. Her series Illuminance is inspired by the subtle aesthetic of wabi-sabi.
In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi (侘寂) is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete”. Characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, roughness, simplicity, economy, austerity, modesty, intimacy, and appreciation of the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes.
Kawauchi’s art is rooted in Shinto, the ethnic religion of the people of Japan. According to Shinto, all things on earth have a spirit, hence no subject is too small or mundane for Kawauchi’s work; she also photographs “small events glimpsed in passing,” conveying a sense of the ephemeral. Kawauchi sees her images as parts of series that allow the viewer to juxtapose images in the imagination, thereby making the photograph a work of art and allowing a whole to emerge at the end; she likes working in photo books because they allow the viewer to engage intimately with her images.
Analysis:
Kawauchi’s photographs give a sublime perspective of nature up close. She incorporates one of the most important photographic elements of light into her work and uses it in her favour to create the most striking images. She studies basic subjects that people see as boring or nothing special i.e. ants, water, flowers, leaves, and turns them into extraordinary focal points. Her photographs have an almost spiritual feel to them as they present nature in a majestic and serene way, differing from many other nature photographers who photograph in monochrome and capture the landscape as a whole rather than zooming in on the finer elements.
“PEOPLE OFTEN SAY THAT I HAVE A CHILD’S EYE. FOR EXAMPLE, I STARE AT ANTS GATHERING AROUND SUGAR, OR WHEN I SEEK SHELTER FROM THE RAIN, I GAZE UPON SNAILS. THESE ARE THINGS WHICH YOU OFTEN DO WHEN YOU ARE A CHILD AREN’T THEY? I HAVE A VERY SIMILAR SENSIBILITY TO THAT.”
“IT’S NOT ENOUGH THAT THE PHOTOGRAPH IS
BEAUTIFUL. IF IT DOESN’T MOVE MY HEART, IT WON’T MOVE ANYONE ELSE’S
HEART.”
In this post I am showing the outcomes of manipulating both my shoots of building faces and granite faces. Previously I have experimented with removing parts of the building face to reveal other buildings behind it in order to create contrast between the two and to show the similarities and differences between buildings. This experiment draws inspiration from that as I found that it can be quite effective when I remove the natural frames from the photographs to give an insight into the background photograph. I have used this approach when experimenting with integrating the building and granite photographs together – I photoshopped out all windows of the building face in the foreground to reveal the texture and natural colours of the granite in the background. I experimented with presenting the granite photographs in black and white but I found that the outcome was too boring, whereas when the granite photographs were in colour it would bring the photograph to life by contrasting with the high-contrast black and white building face, which would further bring out the colours of the rock. The idea behind these experiments comes from the fact that a lot of houses have granite lying under the decoration and so this represents peeling back the layers of plaster and paint to reveal the base structure.
Analysis
In this composition, natural day lighting was used. Due to the nature of the house face, the natural light only brought out so many shadows and shapes within it meaning that there is only a simple face to it, which contrasts to the rock face in the background which has all sorts of shapes, tones and shadows brought out from the natural lighting. I used a 300mm lens to capture the photograph of the rock to ensure that I could zoom in enough to create the abstract composition as I intended to. I used a deep depth of field as well in order to ensure that everything was sharp and in focus to ensure that the resulting photograph was as of high a quality as possible. I used an ISO of 800, an aperture of f/8.0 and a shutter speed of 1/500 when taking the rock photographs. The ISO of 800 is fairly high but ensures that the photograph is correctly exposed along with the quick shutter speed of 1/500 that allows the photograph to be sharp and focused when the camera is zoomed in to such an extent. The depth of field ensures that the photograph is fully in focus and is clear. For capturing the building face I only used a shutter speed of 1/100 and an ISO of 100. These camera settings have allowed me to create contrast between the two photographs incorporated into the composition.
The photograph of the house face has been kept in black and white whereas the rock photograph in the background has been kept in colour to create a contrast between the two photographs and to emphasise the natural colours and tones within the rock face. There is also a wide tonal range within the composition due to the editing to create high contrast and to bring out the shadows in both photographs. There is a strong sense of texture within the composition due to the sharp angles and shapes within the rock face, this adds to the aesthetic qualities of the composition. There is also a sense of 3D in the composition for the same reasons – the jagged rock face contrasts with the flat face of the house in the foreground. The unpredictable structure of the rock shapes also contrasts greatly with the house face structure which has been carefully designed and built to meet form and function requirements.
The idea behind these experiments comes from the fact that a lot of houses have granite lying under the decoration and so this represents peeling back the layers of plaster and paint to reveal the base structure. The house face was originally photographed as part of a shoot to show the variance and similarities between houses within a certain geographic area, but I have realised that I can achieve the aim of that shoot whilst being able to add another element of contrast through contrasting the man-made building structures with the natural granite structures.
