who is MICAH DANGES and what do they do?

MICAH DANGES, born in 1979, pushes their photographs to the limit. DANGES uses optical distortions to create abstact pieces. They also print on unusual textures, including silk and cotton.

favourite pieces of MICAH DANGES

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analysis of MICAH DANGES piece

The lighting of the photograph is flat, meaning there is no contrast or definition of the background. DANGES may have digitally lowered the contrast, to create this flat light image. The photograph is perfectly exposed, and is not overexposed in any areas.

MICAH DANGES works with black and white images, to allow the colour blocks to really stand out and be a focus for the viewer. The colour block mainly covers the whole of the photograph, this is interesting for the viewer, as they will not know why it has been covered. The shape allows the viewer to think and pick out what they want the photograph to be.

my experiments inspired by MICAH DANGES

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I think some of these experiments have turned out very well (ones annotated ‘successful’). This is because they look similar to MICAH DANGES pieces and interest me too. They also have a completely different meaning and intention to the original did.

All Images that were Edited

For all my images I followed the same process by using these tools on Photoshop ^^^^

I found that the combination between these editing tools allowed me to reference my chosen photographer and also make my images look more professional.

E.g. I just changed the amount “Vibrance” for each picture depending on what looked best.

Last Image

For the last image I followed the exact same process; however, at the start I used the “Spot Healing Brush tool” to get rid of a person that was in the middle of the road.

Above is the original image with the man standing in the middle of the road, here I found that he was distracting and took the focus away from the buildings and the cars.

This is the image after editing out the person, here the eye is lead to the end of the road without being distracted by the person which is what I wanted to achieve.

Finished Images

I really like this image as it really shows the power of urban landscapes whilst still showing its unconventional beauty. I quite enjoy the sunlight shining on the windows of the building on the right. This photo was quite hard to capture due to the ongoing traffic; however it made any photo that I made unique and interesting. I tried to still incorporate abit of nature into the image through the use of texture in the clouds, as this made the photo look like a stormy day which further brings the attention onto the contrasts in the buildings. I also quite liked the symmetry between the image due to the buildings as it shows the similarity between the buildings however the differences are still strongly present.

I quite like this this image due to the tonal range used which helps to contrast the buildings and the cars. I used natural lighting due to the fact that this image was taken outside and in daylight. Here due to the editing process, the eye has been correctly lead to the end of the road which allows the audience to look at all of the different buildings on the way.

Although this image doesn’t follow Thomas Struths conventional approach to his photographs, I thought this was a good image to include due to the aspect of mystery. Similar to Struths work, the eye is lead to the end of a road allowing their to be a certain element of mystery due to audience is then left to question what lies beyond that image; here as the eye is lead by the road markings it is also cut off by the wall. This however; is intentional, parallel to Struths work the audience is left with question as to what lies behind the wall. This also allows the audience to focus on the man-altered landscape which is what Thomas Struth tried to portray in his photographs.

This image was taken near a parking lot, my main aim was to try and add beauty into this image as this wasn’t an amazing location. I think that I have added tension through the shadows in which I have manipulated. I tried to focus on the contrasting colours however I think I have made the image too dark in that process. Personally, I think this image refers too much to an alley way, therefore not showing the beauty in the buildings shown.

I think that this image refers to Thomas Struths work well due to the almost identical symmetry in the buildings. Due to the fact that I took this image at the high street all the buildings are slightly different giving detail to the image. I think this image I took away too much of the highlights as overall the is well edited however the highlight in the front white building on the left doesn’t look well balanced compared to the other white buildings.

Here I think that the detailing in the clouds compared to the detailing in the buildings contrast, showing that nature and man altered landscapes can co-exist together. I also like the difference in the positioning of the cars as they are at different points in the image allowing the photo to show depth.

I really like think image due to comprehensive detail of all the bricks, especially the contrast between the lightness of the bricks on the floor compared to the bricks on the actual buildings. I tried to take this image in the middle of the road to create the same lines that Thomas Struth uses in his works, in that due to the lines that are heading towards the centre of the background.

This image shows the wideness of the road showing its ability to be multi-functional, which is similar to Struths image of “West Broadway”. Here the focus is again on the different detailing on the buildings and cars which is why I tried to contrast the colour of the buildings so that they would stand out and look different. I quite like the tonal range that I was able to use as it again allows the detailing to be shown and well represented.

I love this image as it reminds me of a car advert, the contrasting colours make the image look professional and well polished. I like the light shining on the windows of the building as it allows the intricacy of the buildings to show and contrast. I also really like the texture and irregular shapes of the clouds. Although I think that this is an overall successful image, I don’t think it represents Struths work as well as I would like, as the idea of symmetry is lost due to the “missing” buildings on the left side.

My Favourite Image

I think that this image works well due to the symmetry of the buildings, as although they are all slightly different, you can almost draw a line on the top of the buildings showing their balanced layout. This image is slightly unfocused; however, I think that this adds to the image as it makes the photo look more old fashioned. Similar to Struths work, due to the stationary cars I think that this image represents the still life similar to Struths “West Broadway” as all the traveling cars are placed in the background were they no longer seem to be traveling. In my editing made my images black and white parallel to Struths work. I think that as I decided to take this image in the middle of the road, this allowed their to be depth in my image making it look 3D. This allows the eye to successfully lead to the centre background of the image which is comparable to Struths work.

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who is KELD HELMER-PETERSEN and what do they do?

KELD HELMER-PETERSEN is a Danish modern photographer, who captured city scapes, industrial buildings, and nature. They tended to photograph patterns and structures. HELMER-PETERSEN published books that held their creations, that were mostly abstract, which lack context.

my experiments

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my favourite outcomes

I picked these 4 as my favourite outcomes, because they are simple and easy to view. I like how minimalistic they are and outlines of really detailed photographs. I would definitely use this method in the future, as it is very easy to do and the outcomes are effective and impressive.

what are altered landscapes?

Altered landscapes are photographs of landscapes that are digitally or physically altered to create an entirely different photograph, that has a new intention and way of being interpreted. These photographs may end up becoming more abstract and modern looking, than the traditional landscape photography.

examples of altered landscapes

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I have decided to look closer at the photographer, MICAH DANGES, as I like how they remove a part of the photograph, and replace it with a colour. I think it looks very effective and allows the viewer to use their imagination, as to what was in the area previously.

examples of MICAH DANGES work

my experiments, using MICAH DANGES techniques

With this experiment, I used the magnetic lasso tool, which meant I could cut out an exact portion of my photograph, and fill it with a colour of choice. However I didn’t think this looked similar to what DANGES did, so I decided to try something different on the next experiment.

With this experiment, I just used the standard lasso tool, to remove a section of my photograph, and replace it with a colour, and similarly with my other experiment, I didn’t feel it was directly inspired by DANGES, as the coloured part didn’t relate to the photograph.

With this experiment, I decided to remove and replace a portion of the rock face, which I think worked particularly well, as the viewer has to work out and interpret what I have removed. I also think the colour that I have used complements the photograph too, and juxtaposes with the rough sea.

In this experiment, I used the lasso tool again, as I liked the freedom it gave me to remove a certain part of the photograph. I removed this area, because the viewer could interpret it any way, as anything could be behind the green area, which makes it quite interesting.

For this experiment, I tried out removing more than one area, however I don’t really like the outcome, as I think it looks more abstract with only one area removed. Because of this I decided to retry this experiment again.

For this experiment, I removed the area where the man and the dog were, and I like how it has turned out. This is because it could be interpreted that there is a figure in the foreground, or other objects, which would lead the viewer imagining what the object is, and why it has been covered. This is my favourite experiment outcome, because it is exactly what I imagined my outcomes to look like.

In this experiment I removed the letters with lasso tool, but I didn’t really like how it turned out. I also don’t think I would use urban landscape photographs in this experiment, as it doesn’t really fit what I am trying to achieve.

For this experiment, I tried to remove two parts of the photograph. I think it turned out better than my other outcome, where I removed multiple sections. This is because these parts look as if they are covering people or objects, which don’t want to be in the photograph, however the viewer could interpret in any way they could.

In this experiment, I decided to remove the shed, as I thought it would be interesting to cover the focus of the photograph, to allow the viewer to use their imagination and decide what the focus was themselves, whether it be a house, a car or a person.

Overall, I am impressed with my outcomes as they bring a totally different intention to all my photographs and allow them to be viewed in a different way, than they were previously.

PLAN- 

Locations: building sites, back streets, look for debris on floor and litter, puddles/reflective surfaces

Lighting: either dark and moody, or at sunset so the light is saturated. Maybe at night? Streetlamps? 

Techniques: play w/ depth of field and focus, exposure for dramatic lighting changes, high/low saturation of colour 

Concept: show dereliction/abandonment of industrial zones, how people interact w/ them (or don’t), some images of St Helier from above to show a bird’s eye perspective and how little meaning it all has.

VISUAL: The colours within the images that Helmer creates are not diverse but in fact literally just black and white which creates a somewhat intriguing image since the objects in the photographs appear as silhouettes; making them hard to identify. There are also dramatic differences in tone as mentioned before, between the black and white which makes it strikingly aesthetic. The texture within these images are very flat and not grainy at all, which almost makes the photograph look animated and completely edited; not as if it had come from real life. The image is also not 3 dimensional but 2 dimensional since this image was created using a flatbed scanner. There seem to be patterns within Helmer’s work. There is always a certain type of aesthetic that Helmer goes for which is basically patterns of sometimes indistinguishable lines. There is no specific layout for his images, and I feel this is done purposefully in order to create a mysterious photo.

My Own Black Light Images:

To create these images I took some urban landscape images that I thought would look aesthetically pleasing in the style of black light and also images that I thought matched Helmer-Peterson’s aesthetic. To edit these images, I went to photoshop, opened my image. Then, I went to image > adjustments > threshold. The threshold ‘meter’ then popped up onto the screen and then I moved it to where I found suitable. This was a fairly easy yet effective process.

YOUR FINAL BLOG POST(s) SHOULD CLEARLY SHOW 3-5 POSSIBLE FINAL OUTCOMES, INCLUDING YOUR PRESENTATION METHOD AND AN EVALUATION

We will demonstrate how to measure, cut and combine window mounts, but you should explore other possibilities too…

Contemporary approaches to presentation :

Research and explore alternative approaches to presenting your final images. This should be an integral part of your concept…not a gimmick…ultimately, the quality of your photography will be the primary focus and your mark will reflect this…

Print Deadline : Friday 25th October

Find the folder : M:\Departments\Photography\Students\Image Transfer\PRINTING

Essentials

• Remember to label each JPEG  in the print folder with your name
• Ensure that your final images are a direct response to your chosen photographer (s) and show a clear visual link

Marking Criteria

The four assessment objectives clearly outline expectations, so you must provide high quality evidence for each AO…

AO1 : Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations, informed by contextual sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding

AO2 : Explore and select appropriate resources, media, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops

AO3 : Recording ideas (taking photos) that are relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work as it progresses

AO4 : Present a personal and meaningful response(s) that realises intentions, and makes connections with other artists

Ensure your process looks like this…

1. Mood-board, definition and introduction (AO1)
2. Mind-map of ideas (AO1)
3. Artist References / Case Studies (must include image analysis) (AO1)
4. Photo-shoot Action Plan (AO3)
5. Multiple Photoshoots + contact sheets (AO3)
6. Image Selection, sub selection (AO2)
7. Image Editing/ manipulation / experimentation (AO2)
8. Presentation of final outcomes (AO4)
9. Compare and contrast your work to your artist reference(AO1)
10. Evaluation and Critique (AO1+AO4)

Helmer-Petersen was a Danish photographer who achieved widespread recognition in the 1940s and 1950s for his abstract colour photographs. However he also experimented with black and white photography, creating striking images. Some of them were extremely abstract, having been produced by removing the middle tones, leaving only the shape of what was photographed.

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He released a series of books throughout the years including these black and white, dramatically toned images including (in order):

• Black Noise, London: Rocket Gallery, 2010.
• Back to Black, London: Rocket Gallery, 2011.
• Black Light, London: Rocket Gallery, 2014.

Experimenting in photoshop:

Using the threshold tool in Photoshop allowed me to create an contrasted image similar to that of Helmer-Peterson’s.

I experimented with other images, however the density of each image affected the threshold tool significantly, making the image much more abstract and difficult to comprehend, (as seen below):

Natural aspects, such as dense trees and leaves also made the process difficult, hence why natural landscapes didn’t create the right result I was looking for during the experimentation process.

Final image chosen: