For my first photo-shoot, I have decided to focus on taking inspiration from the photographer Chris Porsz , and have decided to recreate archival photographs from the past (using the same now grown subjects) in order to portray the journey of the subjects through their life, and to show the changes they have undergone in the time between the 2 images being taken. The comparisons will be easier to make due to the fact that the subjects will be recreating the same poses in the same environments, thus showing a reflection between the 2 time periods, and showing the differences and similarities between the subject then, and now.
The below images are the archival images that I may be recreating using the same subjects:
The following images are contact sheets showing my decision making process for the images that I will carry through to the editing process:
Key: Red S.P = subject posted incorrectly – Red cross = rejected image – Red C.A = camera angle is incorrect – Green tick = possible final image
I also edited the original, archival images in order to make them seem more 2D and flat, rather than lying on the original background that i took the images on. The contact sheet for the archival images is below:
On top of the above contact sheet, I have also made use of Photoshop in order to edit some of the images rather than taking multiple photographs of subjects, I have used a single image that is more recent (e.g a school photo) and have edited it to match the original so that the 2 can be compared. Below is an example of an image I will be editing to match the original:
For my second photoshoot in response to The New Topographics, I decided to take pictures in the old town of Mojacar. This location has a maze of narrow streets, white houses and trailing bougainvillaea. The old town clings to a rocky hillside. This was another great location to take pictures because it is an unusual urban development built by the Moors. The viewer can clearly see how man has altered this land through the architecture upon the landscape.
After the photoshoot, I put all the images onto a contact sheet to make a selection of the best images in response to The New Topographics. The selected images have then been edited on VSCO so I could make the images appear like film by adding filters and grain. Most of the final outcomes have remained in colour while one image has been turned black and white.
Contact Sheet
Final Outcomes
Evaluation
This photoshoot was successful as I managed to capture 50 images of urban development whilst I was in the old town of Mojacar. This meant that I had several photos to select from. I captured various pictures of different architecture to show the control and power human beings have over nature. I think my pictures reflect the style of the photographers involved in The New Topographic since my final outcomes have a banal aesthetic of the urban landscape.
Set 1 is focusing on the idea of being ‘frozen in time’, freezing a living thing in time so we can observe its current state for longer.
Set 2
Set 2 focuses on again preserving something so that it can last longer and be admired for longer.
Set 3
Set 3 focuses on the innocent deaths of rodents who can’t be preserved due to nature being its process at the moment of death, Hence why i wanted to capture them in their frozen moments so that the documentation of the death can be observed.
Set 4
Set 4 shows how both ideas are linked, and both reflect different stages of the life cycle.
Set 5
Set 5 reflects the disturbance of man and nature and how natures life cycle has been broken by man due to fly-tipping and miss-disposed rubbish.
Set 6
Set 6 again shows how humans have disrupted and abandoned a once cared for environment and left it to rot.
For all of these images, I took the same approach when it came to the editing. I increase the brightness and contrast in each of them, to lighten them up but also give them depth and shadows, and then changed the curves and exposure. I then went onto the vibrance, hues, saturation and colour balance and changed them all in the same way, increasing the vibrance significantly, the saturation only a little bit to add bit of a more intensity to the colour, brought the hues into the negative part of -15, and changed the colour balance to the number squence of 10, -5, -10, which in the end resulted out with the images i’ve come out with now.
A4:
To edit this image, I went to increase the colour dramatically. I added an extra layer and used the paint tool with the soft edged brush to add a little bit of orange in the middle of the image, which you can barely pick up when you look at it, but still makes a difference compared to the original image. I then increased the brightness, vibrance and contrast in the image, and played around with the colour balance, hues and saturation to get to outcome I have now.
A3:
After cropping them to my desired length, cutting out anything unnecessary, I went to edit them in the style of Paul Reiffer. To do this, I added extra layers on top of the original image and used the paint tool with a soft edge brush to add colours such as blue, purple, pink, orange and yellow. I then reduced the opacity low enough until I got my desired effect, and then merged all the layers down so it made one layer in total. I did this to add more vibrant colours to the images and make them stand out in a way which Reiffer’s work does. After this, I played around with the brightness, contrast, and vibrance, increasing them all and making the colours stand out more. I then changed the hues and colour balance, having the images have more of a blue, purple and yellow tint to it.
To respond to The New Topographics, I went along Mojacar Playa a tourist resort located on the coast. I took several pictures of man altered landscapes so when I uploaded them onto the contact sheet I could select the best images to edit on VSCO. I wanted to show how the natural landscape was being eroded by urban development through my images.
Mojacar, in the province of Algeria is officially a desert region and is certainly an arid part of Spain. Mojacar was the perfect location to take pictures responding to The New Topographics since it has lots of white washed houses that have been constructed over the years. Lots of these houses have been constructed on or near natural features such as the beach and the mountains behind Mojacar town.
Contact Sheet
Final Outcomes
Evaluation
Overall I think my photoshoot for my first response to The New Topographics was successful since I managed to capture several images where nature and man made constructions are present in the same place. The pictures I have captured have a similar banal aesthetic to the photographers who were part of The New Topographics such as Robert Adams and Lewis Baltz. When editing the images on VSCO, I altered the saturation, exposure and contrast. I also added filters and increased the grain to make my images appear like film. Most of the photographs labeled “The New Topographics” were in black and white, so I decided to add b&w filters to a few of my final outcomes.
Devlin perfected the art of photographing fish in their aquatic environment. Mastering the dynamic of how light travels through water was only the first of many steps in the frozen flower process. That intense sense of spontaneity Devlin captures is the result of a very deliberate process. These images are not simply stumbled upon, but meticulously created.
Freezing his “models” is the most important part of the process. When tap water is frozen the impurities show themselves as clouded white ice. Devlin experiments and continues to perfect his ability to control the outcome of how the ice forms and captures the subject. Sometimes the bloom itself can be the source of impurity. Any substance, natural or added to the plant, may cause large areas of clouded ice. Blooms with high sap or sugar content or flowers purchased that have been given a preservative, pose the biggest challenge.
One thing that occurs and is cultivated through his photos is the appearance of “ice trailers.” These are simply bubbles that have been squeezed out of the organic material then stretched as the freezing process continued. The science behind their formation is amazing.
Flowers add to any room a feeling of beauty and grace. They are delicate beings, alive with sensuality. Mo Devlin’s Frozen Flowers capture all that and more. The ice adds a “look again” dimension to this gorgeous photography that draws us in and fires our imagination.
“Marko Köppe, collage artist from the north of Germany, loves art, the classic art, like Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, Hieronymus Bosch, the modern classics, like Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and also modern art like das Bauhaus and all its influence: Kurt Schwitters, Mark Rothko, Giorgio Morandi, Olafur Eliasson, Banksy, and so many more.
Nature, music, and especially life are important influences of inspiration, and together with the famous German proverb: Everything develops in the eyes of the viewer!, he starts to play around with the style, aesthetics, and contrast between pictures—tries to create something different, something new, that hits the eyes and through them the brain, the imagination, fantasy, the viewers’ internal feelings, wishes, and thoughts.” https://flexiblepersona.com/marko/
Examples of his work:
Crazy Women – Lisa Lara Bella (Marko Köppe)
Marko Köppe
Marko Köppe
My Plan:
For this project, I will be using photos from previous photo shoots and putting images of buildings from my New York trip in June 2018 on their faces. I will also taking some images from Google Images like butterfly wings, birds, leaves and other things from nature and also putting those on the photo. The concept of these photo is that I am taking things that I saw on my journey through New York and things you would see if you went on a walk through Jersey. I also wanted to show the contrast of New York and Jersey, as one is very modern and industrial whereas the other is more natural and neutral.
Photos I Will be Using:
Final Images (Process of Editing):
First I got my original image
Then I got my photo of New York buildings and used the lasso tool to cut around the models face
Then I got a photo of moths wings from Google Images
I took all the images from above, turned them into black and white, adjusted contrast and then placed them in different spots
I then added noise
I am really pleased with how this photo turned out. I really like how the moth wings look like ears, and I like the contrast of the black and white images and the coloured images.
I really like the way I put the washing line on the hand. I think this photo is edited really well and I am happy with the outcome.
As previously researched Knez wanted to showcase the historical factors by using old vintage photographs of landmarks and holding the vintage image up to the landmark, in the exact same location but many years down the line, which presents the journey of the landmark. To implement this into my work I decided to use my successful images and showcase how the subject has changed overtime, showcasing the Journey of Jersey after the war and how these places have developed. I started off by making exact replications of Knez’s work. To do so I opened up the image I wanted to use twice, on one of the page I converted the image black and white (ctrl + u). I then placed the black and white image on top of the colour version of the same image. Using the rectangular marquee tool I selected an area I wanted to be black and white and selected layer via cut. I then deleted the black and white layer leaving me with the square in black and white and the original coloured image. The first image is the most successful as you are able to see the difference in the two colours and presents the same conceptual factors of Knez.
Comparison:
My Photograph
Knez’s Photograph
To compare my work to Knez’s work there are many similarities, the main one being I used the same method and ideology, to create my outcome, as Knez. We both used black and white images in the same location/angle of the coloured image to showcase how the landmark has changed. Due to this we both have presented the formal elements of space, tone, texture through the technique use. One main difference is that I produced my image using photoshop, making it seem more artificial, where as Knez actually used an old photograph and took it to the location, which make a more realistic image showcasing his excellent photographic skills. We both have used natural lighting to capture our subjects, which is mainly because the subjects are located outdoors, which again makes the image more naturalistic. We both went around the idea using the same artistic aim, however I wanted to showcase Jersey Journey after the second world war and Knez showcased how landmarks in Paris has changed, which presents a slight difference. Another major difference is that the subject being captured is completely different, which is due to the different conceptual factors we wanted to showcase. Similarly, both images use good camera skills: We both used a wide depth of field, quick shutter speed, low ISO and normal aperture. Using similar camera settings has allowed my replication to be more successful and showcase my ability to clearly and accurately replicate work. To conclude, I believe my image is very much like the artists, but still has my own artistic style within it, which makes it successful and one of my favourite outcomes produced.
Talmor Replication:
The image below is my attempt at creating Talmor’s work. I used three of my top bunker images to achieve this look. I printed all three in black and white on A4 paper. Once printed I then ripped them up and started randomly placing the sections in different locations on a piece of white A3 paper, ensuring they overlap. This simplistic craft idea distorts the viewers and makes them question what is being showcased. When they realise it is Jersey’s bunkers they then question why it is like the way it is, which allows the aim of Talmor to be presented, take away emotion, connection and connotations aways from building to make us think more subjectively about them. This allows us to understand that the bunkers had a massive impact in the journey of Jersey in the second world war, but showcases how we should remember what happened but not hold as much connection emphasising the Journey of Jersey. This powerful message is successfully conveyed in my work.
Images used
To replicate
Talmor’s work
Other Experimentations:
Comparison:
Talmor’s Work
My Work
The main similarity shared between both images is the technique used to create the photograph, we both tarred our images and randomly layered them on top of each other to create an overall abstract looking image. Another similarity, is that we both used the same artistic aim which was to detach viewers from any emotional/memories to the specific location. Contextually, we both have different contextual factors as to why we created them, Talmor’s was her own memories, where as mine is more general as it is the viewers memories of the war and the importance of Jersey’s bunkers during the second world war. Needless to say the subject in both images are different because of the different contextual factors. Another difference is that my image is in black and white where as Talmor’s is in colour, which makes my image have more tonal contrast making it more abstract and creates a more distorted look. My image is much more busier than Talmor’s as I have more tarred up bits and used three different images where as Talmor only used one image, which means the meaning of my image is more disguised and harder to work out. In addition, Talmor’s montage takes up the whole frame where as mine only takes up the centre, as it would have been too chaotic to take up the whole of the frame. Moreover, Talmor seems to have burnt the segments to distort and empty out connections , which showcases her emotion more within the image, where as I only tore my image into segments Similarly, both images have used similar camera settings such as natural lighting, quick shutter speed, low ISO and wide depth of field, making the actual segments very similar. Both images are successful in what they do, as you can see I understood the requirements to recreate Talmor’s work and implemented it into my response and still managed to add my own artistic style to it.
Craft Ideas:
After the high success of the image manipulation in the style of Knez and Talmor I decided to further explore there nature but in my own artistic style to showcase the Journey of Jersey through WW2
In this first Idea I printed out an image of a bunker, once in colour and once in black and white. I simply teared up the black and white image and carefully stuck it down to the coloured image to showcase the bunker’s journey after the second world war, which presents the ideology that nothing has changed as they have been left alone. I really like the way this edit has turned out as it showcases the same conceptual and contextual factors as the edit of the replication of Knez’s work, which outlines how this edit can be successful. It also clearly shows my ability to use other methods to manipulate my image and showcases further exploration into this project.
For my final edit I wanted to showcase how propaganda now a days means nothing and how we understand how it manipulated people back during the war, outlining the Journey of Jersey through/after the second world war. To achieve this I printed out the above, I then. cut out the head region in a square and screwed it up into a ball. I then unravelled the ball and took a picture of the creased paper. Then using photoshop I opened up the original image of the propaganda and the picture of the creased face. Using the quick selection tool I cut out the face and placed it onto the original image. Using ctrl + t, I adjusted it so it was the face was the right size and fit perfectly on my model. Finally I added a drop shadow to the creased face layer to make it stand out. I really like the way this edit has turned out as it changes the way we view the propaganda and allows us to realise how the poster has almost decayed as it’s lost meaning, as we begun to realise what propaganda was doing to us.
Evaluation:
To evaluate these edits I believe that I have produced some successful outcomes which showcases further exploration into the Journey of Jersey through the second world war. These edits begin to look at what Jersey is like after the war, presenting the Journey of Jersey after the war, but still have strong links to the original title of the project. I have been able to successfully replicate another artists work by using photoshop. I have also been able to showcase my ability to use hand crafts to manipulate my images, and shows my ability to use artists work to inspire mine. I have thoughtfully made decisions about how I will edit and manipulate my images to produce strong conceptual factor, which link to the contextual factors. Moreover, I was successfully able to replicate Talmor’s work and implement it into my theme, in order to showcase the ideology that people are trying to loose attachment from Jersey’s bunkers due to their role and impact during the Journey of Jersey through the second world war. It has allowed me to think differently about different ways of displaying images and has allowed my crafts skills to clearly be utilised and shown. The images produced are very successful and will be considered to be used as final images, in order to display my best work which showcases the Journey of Jersey through WW2.
My second photo shoot idea was to freeze and press flowers. This was to show how I froze these plants at a moment in time and for a short period of time and stop its life cycle. This would also represent how at any given moment in time, a moment can be make or break to a living organism.
