Establishing Shot:

This form of documentary photography requires two or more subjects within the frame. The photograph almost acts like a tableaux as the photographer positions the subjects in order to convey a story and narrative, making this the main element to an established shot. In addition, the story can be presented through the background or the subject (is there an interaction or connection with the subjects in order to convey meaning). This technique is also used within film making, as directors, to establish angles and settings which would work for the scene.

Mood Board Showcasing Photography in the style of ‘Establishing Shots’

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Sian Davey:

One photographer which I personally enjoy the work of Sian Davey who followed her teenage daughter round capturing her life on camera. The form of naturalistic images found within the ‘Matha’ series clearly conveys the narrative of Martha’s life, social interaction and her growing up and experiencing the world.

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Above is one of my personal favourite photographs from the series. Visually, the photograph is almost chaotic in the sense of a lot of things happening within the frame making it interesting for viewers to look at. The main focal point is the three girls located within the centre of the frame, with the background having other girls and forrest type environment. The photograph captures the girls almost rebelling, and doing things they should not be doing, like drinking and smoking, due to the age of Davey’s daughter only being 16. These are shown through the objects in the frame which help to tell the key narrative within the photograph. The key formal elements within this photograph is colour, space and texture, which is shown through the different elements within the composition as well as the positioning of the girls. The positing of the subjects is naturalistic, creating a sense of realism within this form of documentary photography. In a sense the photograph seems to be using the rule thirds, which allows the naturalistic feel to run through and allows viewers to perceive the photograph more naturally. The photograph is captured at a straight on angle with the orientation of the photograph being landscape.

Conceptually, the narrative told within the photograph is the teenage girl rebelling due to the restrictions she has in her life. In a recent interview with Davey said “providing me with access to her social situations—in a sense, access to her social world at an age where parents are typically explicitly kept at bay.” Contextually, the Davey wanted to explore social norms which was influenced by her interest in her main subjects, her two daughters.

Technically, the photograph uses quite simplistic settings in order to maintain a naturalistic feeling towards the overall image, and photographic series. The lighting is natural, produced by natural sunlight due to the outdoors environment in which the photograph was captured in. This lighting has a sense of warmth which is emphasised through the light beaming through the trees and the correct outdoors white balance being utilised. This also works along the low ISO which is shown as no noise being presented through the frame of the photograph. In addition, the shutter speed has been put on a quick shutter speed due to no intended blur, and the aperture has been slightly raised as a slightly narrow depth of field is being presented, as the background is slightly blurred.

Detail Shot:

This form of macro photography, looks at capturing a portrait to convey new conceptual meaning. The imagery produced has close connotations with identity and informs us about the subject being captured within the shot. Normally, the main formal elements produced within this style of photography are: texture, shape and space, which all work together to create a powerful set of imagery.

Mood Board Inspiring my Detailed Shot:

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Martin Parr:

Martin Parr is a British photographer, who capture photographs in the style of documentary photography. His photograph looks at capturing an anthropological way of looking at modern life, with major focus looking at the still existing class system within the UK. Within his time as a photographer, he has published over 40 phonebooks and his work has put into 80 exhibitions world wide, showcasing his success. I will be analysing the work which was displayed in a exhibition name Souvenir in 2013. The images are apart of the ‘Real Food’ photographic book too, which contained images similar to the one below.

The above photograph is my favourite from the Real Food photographic book as it clearly showcases the techniques of a detail shot. Visually, we are presented with a photograph of a child holding a sugar doughnut which has been bitten into. The composition of the frame is full, however not busy, due to the photograph being considered as a macro style image, which creates a sense of containment and enclosure drawing us into the photograph. The main focal point is the doughnut, which is suggested through the central positing of the food in the frame and the narrow depth of field being used. This illuminates our understanding that the foreground is the hands and doughnuts and the background is the coat. The frame of the photograph tells us a lot about whats going on, the small hands, belonging to a small child wearing a vibrant coloured coat, which grip onto the doughnut, informs us that this child could be on holiday and enjoying himself. The photograph presents the formal elements of colour and texture, which helps to emphases the point just stated. The colours seem to be warm suggesting happiness, creating and overall pleasant mood to the imagery.

Conceptually, Parr wanted to capture an anthropological way of looking at modern life, which is clearly being showcased within the macro photograph. Contextually, Parr still noticed that the UK still presents a subtle class decided within modern society, which can be seen emphasised within his work. The colour of the coat seem to represent the same as a place like Butlins, holiday location in the UK, these places where considered cheap and accessible for those in the lower and middle class, which represent his negative viewpoint towards the class system.

To technically analyse this piece, Parr has kept his camera setting simple allowing the detailed shot to be successful and impactful on viewers. The lighting used half natural, through daylight, and half artificial, as it seems that he has used his flash allowing the foreground to be illuminated, with the background having shadows. This creates a warm atmosphere this was achieved through the correct white balance being used, which works in co with the low ISO being used due to the low intended noise. The shutter speed seems to be quick due to there being no intended blur. As mentioned before there is a small narrow depth of field being used to allow the doughnut and hands to be the centre of focus, allowing the conceptual and contextual elements to be illuminated.

Action Plan:

As an action plan I will now produce a set of images to respond to the ideology of establishing shot and detail shot, using inspiration from the work of Parr and Davey. I will look at using their methodology when capturing my family, and try and apply their conceptual reasoning into my work, adjusting it in order to fit within my family.

Laura Letinsky is a Canadian photographer, who graduated from Yale School of Art in 1991. At present she is teaching her expertise and the Visual Art University in Chicago. Her initial interest was in portrait photography, but soon moved to still life where she focuses on capturing food, and the symbolism for the food. It is said that she uses photography to convey our understanding of relationships and love. Her investigation of still life is in associations with femininity, the minor arts, and its imbrication within the home as the space of intimacy.

“Still lifes provides her with the potential to explore the false dichotomy between the personal and the political.”

The Quote above is suggesting that this style of photography is allowing Letinsky to explore the contrast of people and political viewpoints through objects, in this case leftover food and crockery. Letinsky’s carefully crafted scenes often focus on the remnants of a meal or party, as she plays with ideas about perception and the transformative qualities of a photograph. Her close photographs on this subject enables us to understand the beauty of the objects that we take for granted.

Mood Board Showcasing Imagery From ‘Hardly More Than Ever Series

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The photograph above is my favourite photograph from her ‘Hardly More Than Ever’ photographic series. The work showcases the transformation of still life painting from the 16th century into the 21st, with the main difference being the photograph being presented in colour and is a high resolution photograph. The photograph is taken as a landscape with the main focus point being in the centre of the frame, the half eaten melon. The colours are very dull and monotone, whites blacks and greys, which is similar to the classical outlook on still life imagery. This contrast the yellow/orange/green melon located in the centre reinforcing this as the main focal point. In addition, the background is kept simplistic, in order for attention to remain on the symbolic representation of the fruit. In Letinsky’s work the left over food is symbolic for inner beauty. Contextually, melons where considered a way of expressing a males fantasies of the female figure, having this melon broken showcases feminism in the present and the ideology that woman are not objects. The table cloth is creased, which creates a sense of mess and uncleanliness which adds to the overall tone and mood of the Letinsky’s work. The main formal elements which are being presented within the composition is shape, texture and space through the artificial positing of the food.

Conceptually, Letinsky wanted to capture the inner beauty of woman, through breaking the historical stereotypes and objectifying of woman through the half eaten melons and the uncleanliness of the table. This also helps to showcase the contextual transformation that still life imagery has undergone in today’s society, with new meanings and symbolism being presented through the objects.

Technically, the photograph uses simplistic camera settings, allowing the symbolism and the conceptual factors to be the importance of the photograph. The shutter speed used to capture the photograph is quick due to there being no intended blur within the frame. The ISO is low due to soft artificial lighting, created through studio lights which have a cold tone, due to there being no noise or texture through the light source. The white balance shows colour accuracy of the environment to which the photograph is set in, and allows the monotone colour scheme to really be emphasised. The aperture used to capture this still life image seems to be low due to the large depth of field it has, although the background begins to slightly to blur showing that there a small use of this technique within the work.

Action Plan:

After reviewing a contextual and contemporary version of still life I have been able to develop and understanding of the importance of this type of imagery. I have learnt that the positing of items is important as it allows the clarity of the symbolic representations to be clearly shown, thus making it something I need to consider when I capture my still life imagery. Photographic wise I have learnt that I should implement simple camera settings such as quick shutter speed, low ISO and some what low aperture, with soft cold artificial lighting to be used. when I capture my still life I will be copying the stylistic features of Letinsky, however showing experimentation through depth of field and positing of the items within the table. I intended to produce a strong set of still life photograph which showcase a symbolic representation of the Occupation through the technique and outlook stated above.

Autochromes is a material which was once used for colour photography, consisting of a photographic emulsion applied over a multicolored screen of minute starch grains dyed red, green, and blue-violet. This effect was achieved by getting a glass plate and coating it with a latex-based varnish and covered with a thin, regular layer of grains of potato starch dyed green, blue, and red-orange. In order to achieve the negative element of this type of photograph, one side of the glass would be covered with a thin layer of collodion (a flammable syrup) containing ammonium or potassium halides (iodide or iodide and bromide). The collodion is richer than the other substances which creates the negative, producing the whitish image. allowing it show up better against the dark background used when viewing the final outcome.

 Emile F. Guiton:

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The founder of the Societe Jersiaise Photographic Archive had a passion for capturing colour photographs, during the begining of colour photography in the early 20th century. Emile captured two categories when using the autochrome technique: still life, fruit and flowers showcasing symbolism and domestic photographs, taking a more portraiture approach. He used still life photography in order for him to develop his skills, when using the chemicals to create the autochrome effect. In addition, the subject was still allowing for a controlled environment making the colour experimentation to be clearer. Emile would sell the autochromes in packs of four, which showed his experimentation with the chemicals. It is said that he created his work to capture the heritage of the island.

One of Emile’s most famous photographs was Valley de Vaux, which showcased two of Jersey’s landscapes in colour. One was a country environment and one was showcasing the urban life of Jersey, creating a clear juxtaposition. This photograph I could not find online, but from the description read on https://hautlieucreative.co.uk/photo20al/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/09/The-Autochromes-of-Emile-Guiton.pdf it is clear that the work is trying to showcase the cultural change during this time period.