above I have collected a range of his collections work. “It all started with a scissor collection. Shooting them individually didn’t capture the magic” -Jim Golden.
TECHNICAL: This photo was taken using controlled studio lights, these would have been fluorescent or led lights to give a bright and perfect block colour to the background of the images. There are no shadows in this image which tells us a soft box was used to defuse the light. A flash could have also been used to make sure there was and equal distribution of light and no shadows. For this reason the photo looks very clean and professional, all the items in the image took as they would in real life. A wide angle lens could have been used to get all of the items in the frame however from the photo of his set up there is a very tall tri-pod which would have been used with a standard lens. A high f-stop would have been used so that all of the objects spread across the image could all be in focus. The objects in the image would have been stationary meaning even if it shutter speed was slower to make the photo brighter they would still turn out sharp because the camera was on a tri-pod. The image is very clean and sharp meaning a low iso was used, this was possible because of the strong lighting in the studio.
CONTEXT: As well as taking promotional images for companies Jim Golden also takes pictures of people’s personal collections of items. these photos have a lot more personal value and can give us an in site to their owners life. This specific image looks like an advert or sponsored image due to the branding incorporated into it, however it has the same style as his other photos with a more personal touch. In the picture we can see different pieces of stylised cycling equipment, they all have a specific colour scheme because of the leather pieces.
VISUAL: The block background colour of this image is important to help the bicycle parts stand out, any colour could have been chosen but this blue helps the orange tones in the leather to pop. orange and blue are opposite colour on the colour wheel which means they compliment each other helping to bring the photo together. By using a limited range of colours Jim Golden’s photos look very minimal despite them having so many elements and focus points. The objects in the fame have been placed in a very organised rectangle shape, each item has been placed so that there is not large bits of empty space between them. The bike has been placed in the centre of the arrangement, which helps to create some symmetry in the image.
This is am image of how the photo above was taken, Golden has been known to start from scratch if the shot isn’t lining up. All his photos are taken in studios with bright perfectly controlled lighting to display the subject in a minimal and clean way.statement form Jim Golden about his relics of technology photo series.
Jim Golden photographer specialises in still life and photography of products, this is because of his experience in the advertising world after working as a retoucher for years. He was originally from New York but moved to Portland when he made the move to shooting. He received a BFA in photo degree and a minor in design but taught himself hoe to light from the ground by looking at the work of his favourite photographers. He focuses of capturing the true essence of a subject rather than impose a false sense of beauty on it. I am interested in his moving images which bring his usual clean still life photos to life in a simple sequence of shots put together to show motion: https://jimgoldenstudio.com/Portfolio/Moving-Images/thumbs
I like his photos of collections, where he recorded things that other people have hang onto and collect. This links to my theme of secrets codes and conventions because it helps to tell the secrets and storeys of the owner of the items, a persons possessions can tell us a lot about them and their life. it also links back to my first artist reference Ishiuchi Miyako. His series called ‘relics of technology’ also relates to my project because it links to the historic documentary style of Ishiuchi Miyako. instead of focusing on individual items in natural positions he creates more clinical and organised images.
Concept: I am going to take photos inspiration from the style of photos taken by Ishiuchi Miyako of Frida’s possessions. Instead I am going to photograph my grans purse collection, I think this will give the same effect as they are old and have a sense of mystery and secrecy around them. i think the idea that these relics are not rare and in a way a forgotten treasure now will help to tie this photoshoot to the title of secrets codes and conventions.
Location: I will take photos In front of a white infinity screen which I will make by draping a sheet over the sofa to make a curve and give the photos a clean and professional look, it will also help the beauty of the individual items to stand out and look the same style asIshiuchi Miyako’s work.
Lighting: I will use natural lighting which will come in through a south facing skylight, this means the room will be very bright but not in direct sunlight.
Camera settings: I will use the manual setting on my camera so i can change the exposure and shutter speed depending on the lighting and the item i am photographing.
Props: I will need a plain white background and possibly a tri-pod to create a studio style setup. I will also need to gather the coin purses I will be taking pictures of for this shoot.
Dirk Bakker is a Dutch photographer based in Amsterdam, a city that he has lived in for over 30 years. He is one of the most popular users on the photo-sharing app Instagram.Dirk’s originally profession was graphic design and he worked in different companies and freelanced for over 20 years. He would mostly work on companies’ brochures, posters, branding, etc
Dirk has always had an interest in photography. As a hobby, Dirk enjoyed taking photos with his SLR camera. It was not until Instagram that his passion turned into a career. He has always been inspired by the lines, shapes, and patterns that architecture creates, and tries to capture the uniqueness in every picture he creates.
Image Analysis
This photo has been illuminated through the use of natural daylight. The bright blue of the sky creates a colour contrast between the building which has orange undertones to it. A deep depth of field has seen to be used as the whole of the image is in focus, a slightly fast shutter speed has been used.
Learning Objective: To develop a deeper understanding of the way in which the context in which a photograph is created and seen effects its meaning.
Photographs are not fixed in meaning; context is everything.
Simply put, meaning is derived from context, whilst context is the information that surrounds something. We form our understanding of a photograph not just from what is in it, but what we know about it.
contextnoun
1. the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood.
2. the parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning.
meaningnoun
1. what is meant by a word, text, concept, or action
The contexts within which we encounter an image also offer areas for exploration. These might include:
A photograph’s physical proximity to another and how this influences our perception of it e.g. side by side in a book, on a gallery wall etc.
Whether we see the ‘original’ work as the artist/photographer intended – framed on a wall, in a specific location, via print, on screen, via digital projector etc.
The information that surrounds, precedes, accompanies or follows the encounter. A simple (but highly influential) example here is if the photograph has a title or caption. But other diverse influences might seep in – the surrounding noise; your emotional state; recent reading; what you had for lunch?
Whatever your intentions for your own photographs, context doesn’t necessarily stop an image from having alternative meanings. Connections are free to be made and conclusions drawn regardless, and the deeper your awareness of various contexts – be it colour relationships, genres, the illusions of surface, photographic typologies, whatever – the more possibilities can emerge. Not everyone sees and interprets meanings in the same way.
The photograph, above, is one of the most disturbing, iconic images to emerge during the Vietnam War and receive global press coverage. It quickly became a symbol of the war’s brutality. Long after he had pressed the shutter Eddie Adams lived with a sense of blood on his hands – but not that of the victim, but rather the gunman himself. Adams felt he ‘killed’ the gunman by creating an image in which he was forever cast as a villain. The man being shot (Nguyen Van Lem) was the captain of a Vietcong “revenge squad” responsible for executing dozens of unarmed civilians that day. The gunman, General Nguyen Ngoc Loan was, within the context of war – and (rightly or wrongly) The Geneva Convention – a man at work. There were no winners here.
Discuss in pairs…
“There are no meaningful images”
Do you agree with Joachim Schmid? Justify your response.
Suggested Activity (extension)
You may want to produce a photograph that has a significant gap between what is seen within the frame (the subject matter) and the context that lies beyond it (the explanation that reveals its true value).
Consider how interpretations of the image might be altered by providing further context such as: a title, a quote or song lyric, a short story, a formal explanation, revealing that it is part of a set or sequence.
When presenting my final images once printed I decided to experiment with a variety of different ways in which I could do so. To do this I would use Photoshop to manipulate my images and develop them into the style of presentation I wanted before the actual thing, however when doing this I would need to come up with a mood board first to see if I could develop any ideas.
After looking over these ideas, I decided on presenting all of my shoots in selections of three, each three images would be presented in descending size order on a black or white foam board. The biggest image would be the picture I thought was the most successful from that specific shoot, with the other two being close runners-up. If done on black card I would include a white border to add emphasis and bring out the piece to make it more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. To do this I would need to firstly use Photoshop to gather frames and edit them into this order, whilst imposing my pictures into each one. These are the outcomes:This is a diagram of the general layout of how I wish to stack the white and black card on top of each other to create a white border around the image as seen below, I am also going to experiment with a variety of different coloured backgrounds to see which presentation I liked overall:In the end I settled on using a white backdrop because I think it contrasted best with my mainly dark images, allow them to be more the center of focus. When stitching the images to the frames I found that keeping the images in descending order with the worst image as the smallest was the most effective method to use, this enabled the main focus point to be the best image and the worst the least. For the biggest image I will print that in A3 size, with the other two in A4 and A5, these sizes are the best for me to frame them in the desired style.
Thomas Barbèy grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, across the street from the “Caran D’ache” factory, the largest manufacturer of art supplies. He started drawing seriously at the age of 13, using black and gouaches for color. His influences were Philippe Druillet, Roger Dean and H.R. Giger. After living in Geneva for 17 years and designing posters for musical bands, he decided to move to Italy, where he lived in Milan for 15 years making a living as a successful recording artist, lyricist and fashion photographer.
He has combined several images taken over a period of twenty years to create surreal situations with the help of the enlarger in a dark room. His work has a specific style and is very characteristic. He only works with Black and White, including Sepia toning at times.
Some images are composed of negatives that are separated by a decade in the actual time that he has taken them and only come to life when they found their perfect match. It’s the combination of two or more negatives that give birth to a completely unusual vision, but most of all, the title he gives the final image is the glue and the substance of the piece. I believe that the negative situations, years spread apart, help to establish the fast paced world which us humans are destroying yet not noticing this destruction.
Analysis Of Thomas Barbey’s Photo
This photo gives the viewer a sense of annoyance as this photo resembles the destruction which is occurring in the world. The composition of this photo is good because it meets the rule of thirds as the main subject is positioned in the middle third with the walls on either side of it. There is also a great use of depth of field allowing the audience to engage with the whole image and get taken on the journey down the road with everything in focus. This makes the image a more interesting and ‘real’ because in real life we see everything focused whether its close or far away. There is a great use of context that lies within this image as it is a clear reference to how our man made structures and busy lives are destroying our world, just the this bridge that appears to have destroyed what looks like someones house and intruded on their personal lives.
What I intend to do
My intentions are to capture the fast developing world and give a sense of this fantasy world that we all imagine compared to the impacts that the earth has taken as a result of this. Also i will explore how media portrays the world to be amazing for example Instagram famous people edit the world to look fantasized and better than it actually is, compared to the reality of the world which people don’t usually see or how possibly where the world is amazing people miss the opportunities to embrace it due to the advanced technology taking over our lives. This will have contextual links with today’s society in the way that Donald Trump believes the world is not being destroyed and is not suffering environmental impacts from humans development however it most definitely and clearly is, which is what I will demonstrate through my work. I will clearly use photo manipulation to emphasis these impacts that humans are having on earth.
Further inspiration for surrealism with Environmental Issues included
Draxler has such a strong presence through his powerful imagery and attitude of mystery. He charges his work through poignant cuts,scratches ,rips and abstract brush marks. His work typically remains within black and white pallet in order to hold the bold composition of the piece itself.I chose his work as there is such a strong abstract presence as he address his own individuality to enhance an image altogether.when talking about his inspiration he is seen saying:”There is something about defacing an image that is not mine that I dig, much like graffiti I suppose. Image denial, rebellion, a subtle violence or aggression is inherent in that process,Transforming an image from something I may not really care for into something that speaks for me is gratifying, like creation through destruction. Mine now.”
His visual influence is so abstract and even he himself has said it is his own self exploration as how he can make an image his own,In Morden societies culture everything around us is influenced by something else. Fashion and his natural environment is additionally a factor seen effecting his work.He portrays his emotion weather that being a bad or good day into his work to symbolise a numb or positive feeling.He sees himself and his work as one big a ‘human canvas’
I was inspired by his work as he influences peoples appearances and beauty through his own concentrations of his emotions at the time and how this behavior effects the image and itself overall effect.He not only uses collage and editing within Photoshop but also adds substances such as fire and a life effect captured on an image itself. he has such a strong concentration of the subject and only being surrounded by a white background.This image also connects to alternative aspects of itself,using smoke from the eyes and fire from the mouth to symbolize the artists feeling of anger and self isolation. additionally the tones are so exposed with the contrast of white and black throughout with only a glimpse of color.There is an absence of self being and identity within this photo as he has no eyes and mouth so every freedom and sense of self expression and feeling is removed,this is a metaphor for again how we have to behave within a conditioned environment of society and a code of how we have to behave and the conventions of how our voice and personality can be removed by the voices of others.
inspiration for shoot;
For my shoot inspired by his work I will be mostly concentrated on varying angles and lighting of a person and then the main aspect of the image will be the secondary development of how to emotionally enhance the image itself. This could be through editing the image,using collage,using a fire substance or a material to form texture,or possibly using Photoshop to create an unrealistic altered effect to the image itself.I want all my work to have a strong aspect of originality and also unique editing circumstances and compositions to make a detailed analysis of the piece itself and more of the meaning behind what the image symbolizes. I will experiment with the ideas developed above but then also the way in which this changes how that persons beauty conventions have been altered and how the new image mimics a feeling or tone or presence to the piece as a whole.
For this shoot I will be looking at the idea of recently abandoned areas where evidence of humans are most evident. I intend to go to abandoned areas to capture the aftermath and the lighting created by untouched places. This hopefully would allow me to capture deterioration of the building which would emphasize aspects associated to the topic. Composition wise I would like to especially focus on the food and drink present within the rows of seats around me as this it what I want to be the main point of the shoot. Inspired by Roman Robroek, an urban photographer who specializes in recent abandonment of buildings, and the presence of humans and memories left behind, I intend to take ideas from him to put into my own workings.
Here are some examples of his work:After researching some of his pictures I wanted to make a mind-map consisting of various ideas I had for the shoot, such as lighting, angles and objects. This would make the shoot more efficient as I would know what to do when there and not waste time trying to figure something out. These are some of my ideas:
After finishing my mind-map on ideas that I could use to compose images when taking them I decided it was time to move onto the actual shoot itself. When doing the shoot I would take into account these ideas and use them as inspiration for the results wanted, whilst stopping me wasting anytime trying to think of ways to take each picture. Here are my results:
After completing this I decided to whittle down the shoot to a top ten images from the shoot. By doing this it would make it easier to figure out which is the best picture from the entire shoot, and why I chose that image. These were my top ten pictures:
Once I had selected the top ten images of the shoot, I decided to narrow them down again to only five. By doing this it would allow me to analyze each image and what I liked about them individually, whilst making it all the easier to find the best photo of the shoot. Here are the images I have chosen to analyze:
I chose this image as one of my top five because of the clear contrast between the darkness of the curtains and the light present through the window. Due to this lighting on the curtain it creates a feeling of neglect and emptiness from how the curtain seems almost forgotten, this also contributes to the aestheticism of the picture as the dark and the light half balance each other stopping it being too overpowering. This relates to the topic of conventions from how the curtain has obviously been left for a while and is now forgotten and unused, this is also evident through the dusty window opposite which looks neglected. One of the reasons I chose this image as one of my finals was because of the silhouette creates from the outline of the flower, this instantly become the focal point of the entire image from how it is the most heavily contrasted object against the light. I found that the yellow lighting from the window matched my theme in shoots where abandoned areas are illuminated by eerie lights, casting an uncomfortable feel to them. The picture was taken at a low exposure to emphasise certain features like the flower and floor boards, this really help to home in on the details like dirt and other features found in places like this. What I liked about this image was the symmetry of the overall piece. This was down to how the green walls contrasted the ripping and tearing of the paint, and alongside with the window casting a bright light in the middle really emphasized this. I found that the clarity in the image really defined the detail of the ripped paint, along with a relatively low exposure really balanced the photo as not to be too overpowered by the window. I used this image as it really related to the idea of conventions and the hidden story of what happened in the room, due to it not being common to see this in homes. The reason I chose this as one of my top fives was because it is a typical scene associated with abandoned areas, rubbish on the floor, dirty walls, and a generally creepy light cast onto the objects highlighting this sense of rejection. The contrast in the image creates a great focus point within the center of the piece from how it makes a dark border, boxing what I intend for the viewer to mainly look at in the middle. The cracks and overall dark tones of the picture really emphasize a lack of human activity, as can be seen through dark shadows cast on nearly everything. This relates to conventions from how the bathroom is not being used for its original design and rather has been left to rot.What I loved about this image was overall the clarity, this really defined the individual pattern of the curtain, removing your attention from the rest of the picture which is surrounded by darkness. This contrast created by the black border on either side really shrouds the image in mystery from how it makes you wonder where it was taken, what the room is used for etc. The slight highlights of red and orange either side of the light source adds more depth to the picture as it removes certain aspects of the overall really dull colour scheme.
FINAL IMAGE:
The reason I chose this image as the final piece was due to the depth of field and composition of it overall. I found that the depth of field allowed for the silhouette of the actual flower to pop out more due to any sharp details being removed as a distraction, it also created more emphasis on the dirt in the doorway and how it looks neglected with background graffiti backing this. The dark border that envelops the piece in my opinion ties the image together from how it draws specific attention once again to the flower, doorway and backdrop, and allows a smooth transition for the light to emerge from. It relation to the topic of secrets, codes and conventions I found that the flower adds mystery the image, creating thoughts of why is it there etc. This it also helped through the dirty walls illuminated by the windows creating an unnaturally quiet feeling as a room is not conventionally seen in this state and so removes all elements of comfort that usually would be present at home.
For my inspiration oft his sea and cave shoots I decide I would go to portlet as this is where many rocky surfaces are present,I wanted to focus on the form and structure to the pieces and additionally the water and strength and action water can produce.I wanted to capture both the water aspect and then the more rural textured surfaces of the rocks and coves within the sea bed wall. Once again I chose Tony hertz due to the way in which he demonstrates emotion and beauty through the action of nature and does this in order to have a creatively different outcome symbolising a different tone to the image itself. I additionally wanted to focus on his themes so using textures and tonal features and changing the editing and also the camera settings to create different overall feelings to each location within the beach itself.
Contact sheet:
Edits:
This is my favourite image,I like how there are many different textures exposed through the rock formation and how tonally from the centre the piece it gets lighter. Additionally the angle I have taken means that you see the rounded continuing wall throughout the left side of the image.Additionally this focuses on the conventions of beauty and the beauty nature holds and how it can be seen as more than just a powerful source over humans. conceptually this image symbolises a convention for feeling abandoned and a lack of life, this is an expression of human behaviour seen through the natural development of nature.
Here I wanted to capture an angle to present how large the wall is and again a romanticism and power to the image that nature holds, it presents the massive presence that nature holds over humans and also the unpredictability of behaviour seen through the masked tonal range. The pushed back tones additional symbolises a lack of safety and a possible code of unpredictability that the nature is about to change and a fear as a reaction to the scenarios isolated feel.
Here I wanted to capture the way in which the water has movement and power and again how the low angle enables the shoot curve and illusion of a continuing shore line.This image was taken in quick shutter speed to capture the life and movement of the water much like the artists himself .
overall analysis:
Overall I do not think I will continue to concentrate on the behaviour and power nature has over people and will revert back to human behaviours, attitudes and traits.Although like my first water shoot I could combine water and nature once again.The more rural images without water were more effective as they presented more interesting textures and showed more force and size to the image as the water was not presenting an aggressive behaviour.
Dirk’s originally profession was graphic design and he worked in different companies and freelanced for over 20 years. He would mostly work on companies’ brochures, posters, branding, etc
After looking over these ideas, I decided on presenting all of my shoots in selections of three, each three images would be presented in descending size order on a black or white foam board. The biggest image would be the picture I thought was the most successful from that specific shoot, with the other two being close runners-up. If done on black card I would include a white border to add emphasis and bring out the piece to make it more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. To do this I would need to firstly use Photoshop to gather frames and edit them into this order, whilst imposing my pictures into each one. These are the outcomes:
This is a diagram of the general layout of how I wish to stack the white and black card on top of each other to create a white border around the image as seen below, I am also going to experiment with a variety of different coloured backgrounds to see which presentation I liked overall:
In the end I settled on using a white backdrop because I think it contrasted best with my mainly dark images, allow them to be more the center of focus. When stitching the images to the frames I found that keeping the images in descending order with the worst image as the smallest was the most effective method to use, this enabled the main focus point to be the best image and the worst the least. For the biggest image I will print that in A3 size, with the other two in A4 and A5, these sizes are the best for me to frame them in the desired style.
After researching some of his pictures I wanted to make a mind-map consisting of various ideas I had for the shoot, such as lighting, angles and objects. This would make the shoot more efficient as I would know what to do when there and not waste time trying to figure something out. These are some of my ideas:
After finishing my mind-map on ideas that I could use to compose images when taking them I decided it was time to move onto the actual shoot itself. When doing the shoot I would take into account these ideas and use them as inspiration for the results wanted, whilst stopping me wasting anytime trying to think of ways to take each picture. Here are my results:
After completing this I decided to whittle down the shoot to a top ten images from the shoot. By doing this it would make it easier to figure out which is the best picture from the entire shoot, and why I chose that image. These were my top ten pictures:
I chose this image as one of my top five because of the clear contrast between the darkness of the curtains and the light present through the window. Due to this lighting on the curtain it creates a feeling of neglect and emptiness from how the curtain seems almost forgotten, this also contributes to the aestheticism of the picture as the dark and the light half balance each other stopping it being too overpowering. This relates to the topic of conventions from how the curtain has obviously been left for a while and is now forgotten and unused, this is also evident through the dusty window opposite which looks neglected. 
One of the reasons I chose this image as one of my finals was because of the silhouette creates from the outline of the flower, this instantly become the focal point of the entire image from how it is the most heavily contrasted object against the light. I found that the yellow lighting from the window matched my theme in shoots where abandoned areas are illuminated by eerie lights, casting an uncomfortable feel to them. The picture was taken at a low exposure to emphasise certain features like the flower and floor boards, this really help to home in on the details like dirt and other features found in places like this. 
What I liked about this image was the symmetry of the overall piece. This was down to how the green walls contrasted the ripping and tearing of the paint, and alongside with the window casting a bright light in the middle really emphasized this. I found that the clarity in the image really defined the detail of the ripped paint, along with a relatively low exposure really balanced the photo as not to be too overpowered by the window. I used this image as it really related to the idea of conventions and the hidden story of what happened in the room, due to it not being common to see this in homes. 
The reason I chose this as one of my top fives was because it is a typical scene associated with abandoned areas, rubbish on the floor, dirty walls, and a generally creepy light cast onto the objects highlighting this sense of rejection. The contrast in the image creates a great focus point within the center of the piece from how it makes a dark border, boxing what I intend for the viewer to mainly look at in the middle. The cracks and overall dark tones of the picture really emphasize a lack of human activity, as can be seen through dark shadows cast on nearly everything. This relates to conventions from how the bathroom is not being used for its original design and rather has been left to rot.
What I loved about this image was overall the clarity, this really defined the individual pattern of the curtain, removing your attention from the rest of the picture which is surrounded by darkness. This contrast created by the black border on either side really shrouds the image in mystery from how it makes you wonder where it was taken, what the room is used for etc. The slight highlights of red and orange either side of the light source adds more depth to the picture as it removes certain aspects of the overall really dull colour scheme.
The reason I chose this image as the final piece was due to the depth of field and composition of it overall. I found that the depth of field allowed for the silhouette of the actual flower to pop out more due to any sharp details being removed as a distraction, it also created more emphasis on the dirt in the doorway and how it looks neglected with background graffiti backing this. The dark border that envelops the piece in my opinion ties the image together from how it draws specific attention once again to the flower, doorway and backdrop, and allows a smooth transition for the light to emerge from. It relation to the topic of secrets, codes and conventions I found that the flower adds mystery the image, creating thoughts of why is it there etc. This it also helped through the dirty walls illuminated by the windows creating an unnaturally quiet feeling as a room is not conventionally seen in this state and so removes all elements of comfort that usually would be present at home.
This is my favourite image,I like how there are many different textures exposed through the rock formation and how tonally from the centre the piece it gets lighter. Additionally the angle I have taken means that you see the rounded continuing wall throughout the left side of the image.Additionally this focuses on the conventions of beauty and the beauty nature holds and how it can be seen as more than just a powerful source over humans. conceptually this image symbolises a convention for feeling abandoned and a lack of life, this is an expression of human behaviour seen through the natural development of nature. 
