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Developing, Evaluating, Experimenting, Final Outcomes, Planning, Recording, Research, Uncategorized

Abstract Pattern Shoot #1

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For this shoot I wanted to explore the use of natural forms in abstract and unusual ways using a monochrome filter to do so. Here I would walk around on specific area photographing the subjects in a highly contrasted light, which once edited would differ visually to what I originally saw. The photographer who I wanted to use as a reference of photography for this was Aaron Siskind, someone who specialised in abstract photography within streets as a means of creating a political view. What I especially looked at in his works were how he used only monochrome filter to create this images, choosing to take an angle upon the object that completely warps it compared to its original state. Here are some examples of his works:

From here I wanted to go on to produce a mind-map, by doing this it would allow me to focus on the things I intend to photograph when on the shoot, preventing me from capturing subjects that would have no relation to what I was doing at all. Not only would this make me more efficient, but also make the results of my shoot overall more effective. Here are some of my ideas for the future shoot:

Once I had finished with my ideas I decided it was time to move onto the shoot itself. For the shoot I would be exploring the North of the Island as I found that was the area of Jersey that had the highest ratio of agriculture and natural landscapes. Using the mind-map as my reference I decided footpaths would be my main go to. Here are the results of the shoot:

Once I had finished the shoot I then decided to whittle all the images down to a selection of only ten. By doing this not only would it make it easier for me to decide on an image that best reflects the overall idea of the shoot, but also the one that both technically and visually is best. Here are my choices for the ten best images:

After I had selected the ten images I found most effective I then decided to once again whittle the selection down to now only fives images. In doing this it would allow me to analyse each image in more depth than the rest, looking at why the image was chosen, the technical aspects of it and its overall relation to the entire topic, whilst making it easier to pick the final image. Here are my choices:

I selected this image because I loved the contrast between the wall and the surrounding ivy which grows upon it. For me by photographing a slither or concrete contrasted by the ivy it produces an abstract effect where two different environments merge into one, warping the images as you make your way to the centre of it. Composition wise I found the use of the darker ivy as a border to be effective as it slowly joins with the lighter shades of the brick, making use of any negative space which could have been there whilst producing an aesthetically pleasing result. I found that the use of a higher contrast was particularly effective here as it really highlights the hidden feature within the moss and bricks, creating more depth whilst also stopping parts of the piece from becoming too eye-sore for viewers.

For this image the reason I chose it was because of the great use of a depth of field. By only focusing on one part of the mesh wire I found that it produced an abstract effect that messes with the mind regarding where the focus come into play. The detail of the actual focused wire that separates itself from the rest of the image for me creates a huge aesthetic feel, as the fluid transition from focus to out of focus really compliments each other, especially through the use of shades such as greys and blacks. Regarding the composition I really like how it is not centred in the middle, but rather the top left, this really gives a sense of depth within the piece as the background becomes blurred and the then is up to the viewer to interpret what could be surrounding the fence.

What I loved about this image was how the varying shades of the horse create an aesthetic abstract effect where each shades merges into the next. I largely chose this image because of how the composition portrays the side of the horse, with the whites coming down from the left and the rest of the piece being surrounded by black hairs which provide the photography with a natural border. What sold the image for me was how the use of a high contrast really brings out the definition within the side of the horse and the form of the body, this in a way isolate the actual horse from its side as it takes the viewer a few moments to actually figure out what the image is of, with only hints giving it away.

For this image I was drawn towards once again the depth of field within the landscape. By focusing on only one layer of the bushes it creates a feel or vastness within the photo as it highlights the sharpened ends of the branches whilst softening the rest of the area. This contrast for me really brings a sense of aestheticism over the whole image, as by using only a monochrome filter it leaves the image devoid of any distractions to rather allow us to look at the formation of the natural subjects within. The composition of the focused areas is also a major reason why I selected it, this is because of how there is a larger area of focused bush on the left which grows smaller as you progress, stopping the blurred backdrop from becoming more overpowering than it actually is.

Finally I selected this image because I loved how the overlapping twigs presented themselves as a sort of abstract mess, with there being no actual order to how or where they are coming from. I also really liked how the shadows between the twigs were really contrasted opposed to the lighter shades of the wood which consisted mostly of lighter areas. This was complimented through once again a use of depth of field which blurs some of the layers of twigs out, by doing this for me I found it to be more effective due to how its stopped any eye-sore from occurring for the viewers, prevented us from not being sure where to draw our eyes to.

Once I had analysed and selected the five images I thought were most effective regarding their technical, visual and relevance to the overall topic I then proceeded to chose my best photo:

FINAL IMAGE:

The reason I chose this as my final image was because of the composition, contrast and definition that was present inside this photo. What drew this to me the most was how the piece was perfectly focused with some use of depth of field, whilst using a variety of different shades present on the horses side to create an abstract effect that mimics the natural environment around it. In relation to the entire topic of variation and similarity I found that this image reflected well the differing aspects regarding the textures and patterns which can be found within the different landscapes of Jersey, where the North could consist of more natural ones like this, whereas the South could maybe be more concrete and urban. As well as this the image for me presents me with a new perspective regarding how textures and patterns can also be found in living things found in these particular landscapes rather than just the way you personally view the landscape as well.

Developing, Experimenting, Final Outcomes, Recording

My typology gif

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What is a GIF?

 

To make this gif, I took a series of images of different shoes as this was an object that are similar. I made sure that each shoe was the left shoe so that they were consistent. I took my images from a face on perspective to create the same type of image. My images I took are below:

To make my gif, I first of all went to file, scripts, and selected load files into stack as shown in the image below.

Next, I went to window, and chose timeline, where this made my image appear on a timeline at the bottom of my photoshop screen.

Then, chose the menu button at the top right hand corner of the timeline bar, and create new layers for each frame and then clicked the same menu button again and selected make frames for layers.

Finally, I chose each frame for each image to be 0.2 seconds (this meant there would be a 0.2 second pause in between showing the next image. I also chose to put my gif as forever, where this would play as a loop.

To export this image, I went to files, export, save for web (legacy).

My final gif

 

Planning, Recording

SPECIFICATION: VARIATION / SIMILARITY IN NATURE

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My main focus of this project will be based around the natural world and the variations and similarities within the landscapes and places around me. I will be looking at weather types and patterns, i.e. sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy, and also zooming in close on the environment and looking at the wide variety of leafs, trees, insects and other products of nature. Alongside looking at how diverse and varying the natural world can be, I will also explore how all kinds of nature can be linked back together through the idea of sublime beauty, fragility, and untouched by man. The aim of my investigation will be to highlight the beauty and delicacy of nature and how heterogeneous and interesting it can be. I will be photographing in places I pass through frequently, so I can create a link to my daily life and surroundings. I will also explore parts of the nature-rich island of Jersey that I never usually go to e.g. the coastline to enable that I get a variety of photographs and subject topics. I will experiment arranging my photos of a similar nature in a grid format, like Bernd and Hilla Becher to demonstrate knowledge of typologies.

Developing, Planning, Recording, Research

Planning Future Shoots

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Before commencing with my shoot I thought it would be appropriate to come up with ideas regarding what I would want to base my shoot around. I had previously looked at the works of Aaron Siskind and his use of portraying the surrounding area in abstract ways, defined by patterns and textures which present deteriorating areas in a new aesthetic light. Using him as my major inspiration for the shoot I decided to focus on a slightly built up area which would be surrounded by different landscapes and environments. To do this I would have to look at a map and decide upon areas that I thought I could use this style of photography to properly reflect my opinion and viewpoint regarding how that area portrayed. Here are a few locations that I could possibly explore on the shoot below:

The areas I chose I found to have the biggest variety of aspects within the landscape, consisting of urban and natural viewpoints which would allow me to explore opposing opinions in abstract ways which could be linked into each other. I tried to include areas within Jersey that were next to the sea, this was because I wanted to explore the use of reflects to create abstract patterns of different materials in the water such as the bricks on a pier. To do this I’m going to plan out a few ideas which I would be able to photograph regarding the topic of the variation of textures and surfaces, which once done can be used to link in with each other providing me results that would not seemed rushed but instead compliment each other and can be presented as a set. Here is a mood board of some of the textures and surfaces I wish to capture on the shoot:

One aspect of the shoot I wanted to explore is the formation of rocks, due to Jersey being an island it is completely surrounded by rocky beaches that consist of various types of rock. By using a monochrome filter I wish to highlight the detail and aestheticism of the structures, using a higher contrast to portray the light and dark more drastically than usual, exaggerating the features as a result. To accompany this I could take pictures of the reflect given off by the sea during a sunny or overcast day, this would provide me with a variety of different shades and results which could determine the mood of the entire image. By reflecting objects like walls on the sea it could further enhance the abstraction by including two different environments into one image, man-made and the natural landscape.

Another idea within the shoot could be the use of materials found in that area to display textures and a variety of surfaces. This would consist of surfaces such as walls and wood, I chose these because of the huge variation in shape and form that they come in making each surface unique to that specific area. What I also wanted to pick up from these surface textures was the use of symmetrical aestheticism which would present the viewer with the idea of something with intelligence designing the shape of form of the photographed subject.

For my last idea I found that focusing on everyday objects found in the area explored would be a great topic to pursue. This is because the objects found in the area can often be linked to the people living there, with ropes lying around maybe reflecting a beach side village or cigarettes and rubbish present inside town. This idea for me links best to the works of Aaron Siskind as he moved from portraiture to abstract due to finding that the objects found often best portrayed the people living there in a unique and unusual light, giving more meaning to the image as it then becomes down to the audiences interpretation instead.

Analysis, Contextual Studies, Evaluating, Planning, Recording, Research

Fine Art Reference

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Before going ahead with a shoot and artist reference I decided that I would explore a fine artist that I could link into my future work. I would be looking at their composition and portrayal of certain everyday objects, whilst also looking at how their portray their vision of the landscape in new and creative ways. One particular artist that I found to be inspiring was the fine artist Jason De Graaf, someone who focused on reflections and objects that reflected as a means of enhancing the colour and vibrancy of the subject photographed. For me this was a unique way of seeing the subject photographed as he sets about using natural reflections such as splashes and sunlight to add contrast to otherwise boring everyday items such as fruit. Some examples of his work can be seen below:

I really liked his use of tinfoil to create abstract landscapes in a sort of surreal and conceptual way with no actual editing done. For me this gave rise to the idea of used a kaleidoscope when photographing my intended areas, further abstracting the subjects from their natural environment and instead producing it to the viewers as something up to interpretation regarding what it could be. When thinking about the use of textures and patterns and creating surreal landscapes with it I stumbled across the photographer Seydou Keita, a photographer who captured African culture through the subjects clothes and patterns present in their everyday lives.

Seydou Keita was a self-taught photographer who in 1948 opened a studio in portraiture gaining a reputation for his skill throughout West Africa. Most of his photos and style are influenced by a great sense of aesthetics, dressing man young men European style clothing with customers bringing in items of clothing they wanted to be photographed in. Keita provided his own clothing and accessories such as watches, pens, radios, scooters, etc. which he often left inside his studio. Originally it was mainly women who came with their traditional robes that covered their legs and throats, only later shifting towards wearing Western outfits in the late 60s. Once again some examples of his work can be seen below:

For future shoots I may consider taking objects out of my home into the natural landscape I have chosen and portray it in an abstract way which reflects a part of me rather than just the landscape itself. An alternative method which I could use would be to photograph the landscape on a more personal level, getting closer the to the subjects and capturing them in a more abstract way through up-close photography and their isolation from their surrounding environment. Some examples of this could consist of fences, horses, gardens and trees, all of these subjects play a part for something in society, whether it be work or just for relaxation, and so by portraying them in an unusual way which captures them in a light not previous used would as a result give viewers a new perspective. One of the image I found to be particularly effective for me is a piece by Seydou Kaita called Untitled [Seated Woman with Chevron Print Dress]:

Visual:

Visually the piece uses traditional African textiles and dresses as the main method of presenting aestheticism towards the viewer. What Keita does here is use two contrasting textiles which class in pattern not colour, as a result of this the opposing texture defines the women opposed to her blending into the backdrop. By leaving a section of the floor in it increases the effectiveness of the textures due to how it stops the entire image from becoming too eye-sore whilst also adding contrast between the predominantly white textiles, once again helping to define the figure of the women from the backdrop. Composition wise the women is centered in the middle of the photo, by doing this for me it immediately draws my eye to the subject as the contrasting clothing she’s wearing draws your eyes to the face in particular which is presented as a breaking point between subject and texture.

Technical:

When looking at the photograph you can see how the image was taken mid-movement, this is because of how the top right of the textile backdrop is motion blurred, this adds a sense of depth within the piece as it defines the women more due to her being photographed more crisply. An average exposure and shutter speed seems to have been used due to shades all being relatively normal without exaggeration, whilst the blurred areas provide me with evidence that the shutter speed is normal and has been unedited or untouched. The piece seems to use natural lighting as the light appears from all sides of the subject, not emphasizing or reducing the effect of the shadows, meaning that the image must have been taken outside of his studio.

Conceptual:

In the twentieth century, photography became a medium of expression that African artists began to draw upon to reflect on the world around them. One of the exceptional talents to emerge in this area has been the Malian photographer Seydou Keita (ca. 1921–2001), whose work has been admired on an international scale. Keita’s oeuvre consists of portraits that chronicle Malian life during the mid-twentieth century. His portraits are renowned for not only their masterful formal composition, but also their ability to capture the nuances of this important transitional period in Malian history. 

This portrait of an unidentified woman displays the signature pictorial style that made Keita the premier Malian photographer of his generation. Employing different backdrops and successfully combining pattern on pattern, the woman’s skirt is dynamically juxtaposed with the regularity of the floral motif on the backdrop behind her. Keita positioned the woman so the arrow design of her dress directs the viewer to her bodice, where light vertical elements of her blouse lead toward her smiling, confident face. The overall pattern on the backdrop holds the viewer’s attention while it gently repeats itself and simultaneously guides our eyes back down to her skirt.

Contextual Studies, Developing, Experimenting, Planning, Recording, Research

Variation And Similarity – Exploring Ideas

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Before commencing with various shoots and photographic inspirations I decided that I would be suitable to research various ideas that I could use as my theme for the topics of variation and similarity. Here I will be exploring five different stances I can taken regarding the given subject, and how I could go about taking images of the intended areas and their uses, these are my choices:

Empty Spaces/Full Spaces: 

Here I could photograph empty/full car parks, using the lighting present there to create aesthetic and contrasted results. This can be done to more effect in enclosed parking areas such as the ones present in town, where a more cramped and urban feel is created. I could also make use of the empty car parks at night in the open, using the odd lamppost’s lighting as a means of casting an eerie feeling upon the surrounding area. A photographer who I could explore this with is Denis Felix, someone who explore the abandoned landscapes of areas in homes and buildings. Also done by photographer Johnny Joo, he capture the areas of society that have moved on, leaving natural to reclaim the land previously used. I could use monochrome photography for this as it could allow for a more unnatural feel to come across when viewing the photos.

Textures/Patterns:

For this idea I could explore the variation of patterns and textures within a variety of different objects present in different landscapes. By presenting everything as more abstract and aesthetic it could not just visually please the viewer but also provide an insight into the hidden world that can be portrayed by these surfaces, where you perspective can be warped depending on how you see the object. Photographers that I could use for this idea are Paul Sanders, someone who looks at the structure of objects and photographs them in an aesthetic and original way, and Edward Weston, a photographer who uses macro photography to capture textures and patterns of architectural and natural subjects, in both the environmental and man-made world.

Animals: 

Regarding the idea of animals I thought the variation of species would be a great topic due to Jersey having one of the worlds most famous endangered species zoos in the world, Durrell. By photographing a large variety of different species side by side it would provide a huge insight into how evolution has occurred and the different features and characteristics of each one. Some photographers that I could study for inspiration for this idea are the photographers Martin Bailey and Tim Flach. What I liked was their style of separating the subject from the backdrop using Photoshop or a black cover which really brings out the aspects of the animal they intend to capture.

Natural Formation Of Objects:

Here I wanted to explore how the formation of natural objects found in our everyday environment. By using macro photography it could highlight the hidden patterns in things that we view all the time, by photographing a variety of different plants etc like a topography it would give symmetry and aestheticism to the viewer who could see each image in a larger picture when compared to the other images taken the same way. The photographer Karl Blosfeldt I felt was a particular inspiration for me as he used topographics to capture the tips of plants using macro photography, which he would then display side by side so that they increased the overall interpretation of how the style of photography is viewed.

Abstract Landscapes:

Finally for this topic I wanted to look at how the various landscapes in Jersey could be viewed using abstract and unique perspectives regarding the formation of the area. Here I would have to look at the vivid colours and contrast them against more stark and ugly aspects of the area like concrete and walls, using telephone boxes, lines and brightly painted areas to do so. Some photographers that I would like to study for this are Sigfried Hansen and Ricardo Cases, who both use vivid colours to portray the landscape in a vibrant and interesting way that draws the viewer in through aestheticism and symmetry.

Overall when looking over the chosen ideas I found that the abstract stance of separating the subject from its environment really appealed to me the most as it presented me with alternative methods of showing my work, leaving the viewer to purely focus on that one subject. These are most evident in the topics of animals, natural formations and texture/pattern, giving me the opportunity to explore this style the most.

Analysis, Developing, Experimenting, Planning, Recording

My Response to Lewis Bush/Michael WOLF

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This shoot draws inspiration from Lewis Bush’s ‘Metropole’ as well as Michael Wolf’s ‘Architecture of Density’ and aims to show some of the repetition and symmetry in blocks of flats and offices whilst at the same time showing the difference in designs between buildings.  Going into this shoot I had the vision of photoshopping the photographs that result to create compositions that are full of patterns and are illusion-like.  Lewis Bush’s ‘Metropole’ came to me as an inspiration because it explores the fact that there are an increasing amount of large buildings for offices or flats taking away from green land and so the landscape in which we live is turning into a repetitive view of similar flats and offices leaving citizens with a feeling of monotony as everything is being redeveloped to serve the same purpose.  Bush’s work on ‘Metropole’ shows a lot of emphasis on the repetition between buildings and I have tried to replicate this in this shoot. Wolf’s work has inspired me as he essentially does what I am attempting to do in this shoot but on a much larger scale by photographing the density of high-riser apartments in Hong Kong.

One way in which I could develop on this shoot in the future is by looking at typology, which would involve me researching Bernd and Hilla Bechers, of high rise buildings in Jersey.  I could approach this by finding the 14 high rise apartment blocks in Jersey and photographing these in a similar style to this shoot and then creating a typology page of these different buildings.

Contact Sheet

Edited Photographs

After going through all of the photographs that I produced on this shoot I selected some of the best that I could edit.  I edited these photographs by putting a black and white filter on in order to allow the viewer to focus on the shapes within the photographs rather than the colour.  I then used a perspective crop on the majority of the photographs in order to make the photograph completely straight on in order to further emphasise the symmetry and patterns within the photographs.  As well as the black and white filter I increased the contrast, used high highlights and whites, used low shadows and blacks and adjusted the exposure accordingly to create a composition that is mostly over exposed but the features such as the windows are emphasised to help the shapes within the buildings to come forward.

Edits

After editing the individual photographs I brought the photographs into a blank photoshop document and duplicated it.  After the duplication I then messed around with the layout of the multiple photographs to create illusions that show lots of repetition and some symmetry.  The result is montages that emphasise in blocky shapes and use a black and white filter to bring contrast into the photographs.

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Analysis

I captured this photograph in a natural lighting in order to bring out the natural shadows and shapes within the building that I was photographing.  There is a wide tonal range due to both the nature of the building and my editing to the photograph.  The bright whiteness in the walls of the photograph contrasts greatly with the dark black shadows on the balconies.  I took this photograph on a bright day where there was plenty of sunlight so only needed to use a low ISO of 100 along with a shutter speed of 1/60 to capture this photograph.  The low ISO paired with the quick shutter speed allowed for the photograph to be as high in quality as possible as well as not being overexposed (even though I edited the photograph to increase the exposure.  I edited this photograph by using a black and white filter to bring out the shapes in the windows as well as the shadows and then I increased the contrast, highlights and whites whilst reducing blacks and shadows to create a composition that had high contrast between the black and whites.  A depth of field of f/16 was used to capture the photograph which can be seen as the whole of the photograph is in focus.  The photograph has a slightly cold colour cast to it due the bright whiteness throughout it.

I opted for a black and white filter over a colour photograph as it helped to bring out the details within the buildings, especially the contrasts as well as a wide tonal range to create a more dramatic composition.  Due to the deep shadows and edges within the photograph as well as the editing of the photograph the composition has a 3D effect as it appears to have different layers which bring the photograph to life.  There is also a lot of patterns and repetition within the photograph, which I aimed to create when setting out on this shoot.  I have placed the balconies on the two horizontal lines of the rule of thirds as I feel that they are the most interesting parts of the photograph so placing them along these lines creates a more interesting composition as well as helping with symmetry.

The aim of this shoot was to create a set of photographs that showed the repetition of shapes within blocks of flats and offices and how this repetition can be aesthetically pleasing.  The overall results shows how even though there is a lot of repetition within individual buildings, each building has its own unique characteristics and shapes and therefore have variance.  The inspiration for this shoot came from photographs of tall tower blocks in cities such as Hong Kong where each floor and flat are almost identical, which is perfectly demonstrated in Michael Wolf’s work as well as inspiration from Lewis Bush’s ‘Metropole’ in which he looks at the development of buildings through a double exposure technique to create a similar outcome to what I have done.

The concept behind this is that there are an increasing amount of these large and repetitive buildings that make way for office buildings or flats due to the ever rising population and urban migration.  The photographs resulting from my shoot show just how repetitive these buildings that are taking space from nature really are and reflect the idea that some residents may believe that the landscape of cities including Jersey is becoming repetitive and monotonous as lots of land is being taken to serve the same purpose of housing or offices.

Recording, Research

Everyday – Research / Experimentation

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  • Record an activity or routine that you do/ repeat on a daily basis, e.g. brushing teeth, putting on clothes, applying make-up, comb your hair, eating, feeding your dog, walk to school/work, sleeping, screen time on social media, talking, selfies etc.
My video

I recorded a video of me cycling as I usually cycle after school.

Video art is an art form which relies on using video technology as a visual and audio medium. Video art emerged during the late 1960s as new consumer video technology such as video tape recorders became available outside corporate broadcasting. Video art can take many forms: recordings that are broadcast; installations viewed in galleries or museums; works streamed online, distributed as video tapes, or DVDs; and performances which may incorporate one or more television sets, video monitors, and projections, displaying live or recorded images and sounds.


John Baldessari – I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art Video


John Baldessari – I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art Print

The print is based on an installation created at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, but not by John Baldessari’s hand. “As there wasn’t enough money for me to travel to Nova Scotia, I proposed that the students voluntarily write ‘I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art’ on the walls of the gallery, like punishment. To my surprise they covered the walls.” Those same students made this print, but Baldessari wasn’t at the workshop when the print was made. In both cases, Baldessari gave scant instructions to the students from thousands of miles away, and he was not present to supervise, raising questions of authorship and the role of the artist.


Yoko Ono – Cut Piece

The artist sat alone on a stage, dressed in her best suit, with a pair of scissors in front of her. The audience had been instructed that they could take turns approaching her and use the scissors to cut off a small piece of her clothing, which was theirs to keep. Some people approached hesitantly, cutting a small square of fabric from her sleeve or the hem of her skirt. Others came boldly, snipping away the front of her blouse or the straps of her bra. Ono remained motionless and expressionless throughout, until, at her discretion, the performance ended. In reflecting upon the experience recently, the artist said: “When I do the Cut Piece, I get into a trance, and so I don’t feel too frightened.…We usually give something with a purpose…but I wanted to see what they would take….There was a long silence between one person coming up and the next person coming up. And I said it’s fantastic, beautiful music, you know? Ba-ba-ba-ba, cut! Ba-ba-ba-ba, cut! Beautiful poetry, actually.