This images was taken by Mrs Dorothy E A Evans in an attempt to capture a beautiful, sunny day. It is a view of Queen’s Valley before flooding to make a reservoir there are trees in the middle distance and fern in the foreground. Evidently, the field is flooded but there are some parts that remain such as the trees and a few plants / fern.
I decided to make my image black and white to add to the theme of Juxtaposition; light vs darkness, past vs present and ancient vs modern.
There is evidence of leading lines in the photograph as the audience will look at the fields and trees and follow the lines to find the horizon. Also, the image is rich in colour which just adds to the idea that the artists wanted to resemble Queen’s valley beauty and majesty.
The lighting appears to be natural as it was a photo taken outside in nature. There are bright colours and harsh dark tones by the trees adding to the theme of juxtaposition and considering that eventually that exact field was flooded to be turned into a reservoir, the dark tones could suggest a “dark” will happen in that place in the future but will not ruin the valley’s natural beauty. In comparison to my photograph revealing the same place taken in 2021, we can see the use of the dark tones to display what was explained above.
In my opinion, this juxtaposition is successful as it powerfully shows the difference between an old image of Queen’s valley and my own image of that same place showing the difference and how places have changed through time.
Contact sheets
Editing
I have edited this juxtapositions in the following manner:
I have imported both images into Photoshop, then aligned the photo taken by Dorothy to the centre of mine and created a white border around it to act as a frame. I have also blurred the white border several times so that it looks like it is within the image. I did the same with Dorothy’s image so that it looks of a higher quality as it was a bit pixelated.
Candid portraiture is a fun, anonymous topic as it gets the photographer to shoot various shots without the model being aware that they have been photographed. This may have ethical issues like consent but this issue can be overcome by asking the models if it’s alright to take a photograph. This may cause photographer bias as subjects may start acting out of their normal behaviour.
On the other hand, taking photographs without the subjects awareness can be called secret photography which is one of the main themes of candid photography.
Others may argue that “a great candid portrait is often made with the subject aware they’re being photographed.”
In conclusion, candid photography appears to be a type of art that allows the photographer to capture real-time events and turn that photograph into a sort of memory because in the due course the artist will look back and remember where and when that shot was taken, and for the subjects, if they ever get to see the photograph, it will open an unaware memory of what they were doing, with who and help them look back and reflect in life.
The fact candid photography might open up a memory that the subject might not even realise they had is very ironic since the theme around candid portraiture centres around the idea that people aren’t aware that they are being photographed.
Richard Billingham
Richard Billingham is an English photographer, film maker and art teacher born on the 25th September 1970 (50).
According to The Guardian, “The photographer made his name with a series showing his dysfunctional parents, Ray and Liz, in their squalid Black Country flat. Now he’s turned their story into an award-winning film.” This clearly shows that his worked has centered mostly on his family, but he’s also focused on other aspects of photography like landscapes and candid. For example:
Series: Ray’s A Laugh (1996)
This image is part of his project where he turns something that has affected him into art and gets noticed for it. This project, Ray’s A Laugh (1996) documents his life with an alcoholic father, Ray, and overweight, tattooed, Liz who’s his mum.
He won the 1997 Citibank non-public Bank Photography Prize presently known as the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize and was shortlisted for the 2001 Turner Prize. His work is control inside the perpetual assortments of Allen Tate, the Victoria and Albert gallery, and Government Art Collection in London.
Noticeably, we can see that Richard was a very famous photographer from the 20th century.
Image analysis
Substance:
This image was taken while Billingham was still working on his Ray’s A Laugh during the 1996.
Obviously it was taken to document his life and environment around his parents . Knowing this, some appreciators may argue that this project may bring comfort to some people who identify with this project.
Composition:
This image’s focal point appears to be the parents / models. This could indicate that the author wants the audience to focus their attention to the parents before anything else.
The rule of thirds has been powerfully use to arrange the models to the center and the props like masks to the left hand side of the image. It may be argued the Golden Rule was also used seeing as the audience focus their attention firstly on the subjects then the props around them.
The subjects appear to be Liz and Ray themselves. The artist has purposely used them for Ray’s A Laugh project since it is about them.
The artist has used dark colours to compose this image. For example, he has used the green wall in this image which is a sign for life, greed and jealousy. The wall is obviously behind Liz which could indicate that she gets jealous of Ray or suspects he could be cheating on her with other women.
Mise En Scène:
Liz is holding bread sticks on her right hand and a plate with an egg with her other hand. This may show to the reader how fragile and emotional Liz (Richard’s mum) can get at times. The fact she’s holding food in her hand enforces the idea that she’s overweight as Richard stated in The Guardian.
Ray on the other hand has a red face strengthening the idea of an alcoholic father. Ray is sitting on a dark, brown sofa signifying his dark past and his unwillingness to do anything as Ray has his hands towards the food Liz seems to have made for him.
There are also mini masks across the green wall signifying the various facades Liz and Richard may use for the public.
There’s a plant in the background growing from a mistreated environment suggesting that Richard blossomed in an environment like this; giving hope for the audience.
Techniques and editing:
It appears that a fast shutter speed of 100/120 was used as details are fixed and sharp in detail.
The depth of field for this picture has all the earmarks of being very huge as a large portion of the picture is fixed. This was utilized to catch as much of the setting as could be expected while holding a fresh detail to the picture. This being said, we can also guess that a tripod was used to keep the camera used.
The shot appears to be in digital format as it’s a recent photograph. Also there are no debris which could suggest that it’s not a Lomography.
Atmosphere:
This image makes me feel somewhat calm and relaxed as it’s a semi-familiar environment; it gives me nostalgia to my grandparents and great-nan’s houses as they looked similar to this. The use of models and props also influence this effect.
Lighting:
The light in this shot appears to be coming from the back to the front successfully illuminating the subjects and props.
It appears a flash may have been used as there are bits of reflection around the image.
There are bright and dark tones throughout this photograph, specifically Liz’s dress suggesting that she could be going through a hard time in her life.
Response:
For this project I will attempt to create a sense of nostalgia to the viewer and create something the viewer may relate to.
Since the theme is candid I will have to plan out how to take secretive photographs without the participants being aware of it.
Richard attempted to story-tell a bit about his life through this photograph so I will see how I can achieve a similar outcome.
In my opinion, the photograph is very interesting due to its naturalistic, candid approach leaving the audience wondering what is happening and why was this image taken in the first place.
Planning
Location: Seeing as this a candid project I will shoot in various location such as home, work place (school) and public. I will do this to get a wide variety of images showing different types of people.
Content: I will capture images of my subjects in their natural environment capturing whatever it is they will be doing in real time, making sure they have no time to change their behaviour as this
Lighting:
I will be mostly using ambient lighting in order to make my photos as natural as possible.
My photos may include natural lighting since some of my photographs will be taken outside. Some may have artificial light due to them being taken inside.
Camera / settings:
I will be using 2 different cameras for this project:
Polaroid Camera
This increase creativity for this project and to have a physical image to keep as a memory.
So that the camera automatically adjusts the ISO, aperture and shutter speed.
DSLR
This camera is best to get much better quality shots.
It’s also less costly compared to the polaroid camera as I won’t have to buy any film.
The settings will be shutter speed at 120/150 in order to capture subjects in case they move and allow enough light to get in to the sensor.
Contact sheets
Outcome 1
These series of images were intentionally grainy to relate to film photography and the context Ralph was in; film was mainly used.
This image contain an individual with a mask on (due to Covid-19 pandemic). It is in black and white to relate to the 70s and also it makes it easier to edit. Also, due to my experimentation with ISO most images contain grain hence the inspiration to give a Lomography feeling.
The man is at the centre of the image therefore making him the focal point of this image. The individual appears to be looking to the side as if he’s thinking or looking for the next shop to go to as he’s holding a plastic bag suggesting the idea he went shopping.
The rule of thirds and centered composition have been used in this image to powerfully place the model to help make them the main focal point.
In relation to Richard, I took the inspiration of his birth year (1970) and made my photograph black and white as coloured film was expensive to produce. It is also a photograph taken without the model knowing making it candid.
Outcome 2
In this outcome, an adult lady is talking to what appears her friend. The lighting for this image is natural as it was taken outside with a harsh use of ISO.
The image is in black and white to relate to Richard and some of his black and white work.
I have used photoshop to reduce the colour noise and grain from this image but it has decreased the quality of the image along with it. However, the grain kind of works well with the idea of lomography.
There is a constant use of the rule of thirds in this photograph as the face of the model is centered close to the middle making her the main focus of the image and having the background behind her.
This photo and candid photography just come to show how un-attentive we humans can be not noticing someone is taking a photo of us.
Outcome 3
In this outcome the lighting is natural and quite dim due to the wheather (cloudy) and the low ISO used to try and freeze individuals in a way on a frame without them noticing and/or have the image with blurry movement.
The rule of space has been used to compose this image showing that the model has enough space to move to but is more entrigued by his phone.
This image can show how content we are with simple, minimalistic entertainment than what’s actually around us. For example, behind the man there is a show sale happening with a sign saying “20% off” but the model is too busy on his phone to appreciate the environment around him.
Outcome 4
In this outcome we can clearly see another example of an individual talking to their friend.
I have purposely used the centered composition to compose this image as the man is clearly centered.
It’s in black and white to relate to the other black and white images with naturalistic edited lighting.
In my opinion I have successfully achieved the purpose of this project which was to take portraits of people anywhere without their realisation so that we can capture their naturalistic form without photographer bias intervening.
This is powerfully shown by my 4 final outcomes where I have captured models talking to their friends, busy on their phones and not acknowledging a sale on a shop and much more. This energetically demonstrates and is an example of candid / covert photography.
I love how the images turned out as it gives this vintage look which was very common in 1970s (Richard’s birth year). On the other hand however, the photographs had noise grain and colour which was due to the low ISO being used along with a fast shutter speed. It may be argued that it adds to the vintage theme but with the amount of editing used to restore the images, the shots lost their sparkle by a lot.
Therefore, I will learn to use ISO and Shutter speed on manual mode in an efficient and clear way in order for the photographs to be as high quality as possible.
Identity is the essence that defines an individual. It can be qualities such as beliefs, personality, looks, gender, sexuality, job role, etc. It can be defined by the way you express and feel about yourself.
Other people may also have a different view on your identity than you which can be positive or destructive. It is scary to think that every person sees you in different ways, see other aspects of your personality and behaviour that you may not even have noticed; have different memories and viewpoints about you.
Identity affects people in various ways, but some aspects of your identity may be due to nurture and cultural upbringing as Tabula Rasa states that one is born as a blank canvas and the way you think, and behaviours are shaped by the people around you who you have grown and looked up to.
Others may argue that identity can be due to nature. For example, you are born with a specific set of genes that are more likely to influence your behaviour and identity and how other people may see you.
In my opinion, I agree to a certain extent that identity is down to nurture. But I think the way you see yourself is the most important base of your identity as you’re the only one that knows yourself the best and not other people. However, other opinions of you may affect the way you think and feel about yourself.
For this project I will attempt to portray the way that others opinions and behaviours towards me has affected me, the way I saw and see myself then and now, and how destructive others opinions may have in your life. As Billie Eilish states in her son ‘Everything I wanted’, “…if they knew what they said would go straight to my head, what would they say instead?”
Claud Cahun
Claude Cahun (25 October 1894 – 8 December 1954) was originally named Lucy Renee Mathilde Schwob. She was a French lesbian photographer who enjoyed sculpting and writing.
Shwod adopted the name Claude Cahun in 1917 and since then has been exploring self portraits were, they explore themes such as sexual and gender identity in their work. However, their work was mostly frown upon due to homosexuality being seen as shameful and disgraceful in the 20th century and beyond, but their portraits were very strong with some people adoring their work and others hating on it. The view on homosexuality was so frightful people would usually be beaten up, stoned, tormented and their family would neglect them and have so association with them.
In the image at the top, we can see Claude’s transition from a stereotypical girl to a boy with short hair. Due to the reflection of Claude in the mirror we can clearly see that they saw themselves as a boy/lesbian and looks into the camera in a sort of prideful but seductive way suggesting that they know who they are. To strengthen this point, we can see they are wearing typical male clothes. Also, the reflection may show that they were living a double life, one that they were born in some way and the other they identify as something else.
Photo analysis:
Substance:
Due to the time the photographer existed; we can assume that this image was originally in a film format due to digital cameras only being invented in 1975.
The image was taken inside of their or someone’s apartment to what seems in the living room.
It was taken for personal work on self identity and gender, and it could be argued it was a sort of silent protest towards society at the time as images like this were mostly negatively viewed.
Composition:
The main focal point of this image is obviously Claude and their reflection in the mirror.
Author has powerfully used the rule of thirds to compose this image as the model and reflection are positioned in the center.
The main colours of this image are black and white tones. He purposely used the black and white technique to create this image to create a sense of light vs dark and may also have used it to show how there is beauty during times of tribulation and times of joy.
Lighting:
The light in this black and white image seems to be coming from the front as there are shadows behind their head which could suggest that the light is indeed coming from the front. Evidently, the light seems to be quite natural as there is little evidence that could suggest the artist used a flash or artificial lighting as there isn’t evidence of a flash reflection
There are soft shadows and dark tones throughout the image. For example, the bottom of the picture is darker than the top. The image is natural, but the camera seems to have focused on the bright sides first as the image seems to be a bit naturally underexposed as there are soft lights and soft shadows throughout the image.
The artist may have taken this image during light or evening hours as the light suggests that it was taken in a dim environment or sunny but rather more a cloudy environment as all the details is quite perfectly shown.
Techniques and editing: (evidently black and white filter or camera were used)
A fast shutter speed was powerfully used to produce this image as the subject (Claude) has been shot to a razor-sharp focus.
The depth of field for this image appears to be quite large as most of the image is fixed. This was used to capture as most of the setting as possible while keeping a crisp detail to the image.
The artist may have purposely naturally underexposed the image to keep it in focus and so it isn’t too bright or too dark just natural.
The camera is still as this is a self portrait and all the details are in focus suggesting that the camera was stationary; a tripod was likely used.
Atmosphere:
The photograph makes me feel amazed at how confident and courageous the artist was to portray and express their sexual identity in a patriarchal society.
The photograph seems to be communicating a message of freedom of speech and expression as the artists explored with self identity portraits in a society that shames homosexuality for decades.
My response to this image is just how inspirational this artist was to my project in to exploring identity.
Response:
I will attempt to use the same black and white techniques to capture my shots to make it alike the original artist.
In order to incorporate elements into my own work I will need to make sure most or some of my subjects are in portrait
Similarly, Cahun has influenced my shots by following his key theme which is the theme of gender and sexual identity, the alignment of subjects and personal nature in their work have also influenced the way I set up my portrait images and identity photographs.
I love their work as it is very personal project for the photographer; the artist is basically telling their story even though there is danger that they could be imprisoned for being lesbian.
Lara Gilks
Lara Gilks is a photographer that comes from Wellington, New Zealand. She came to photography around 2009 when she received her first camera. According to sources (laragilks.com/about), she utilises “elements of nature, water, light, beauty” that are often mixed with aspects that are ambiguous, weird, scary and disturbing. She apparently works “at the precipice between perfection and imperfection, human and inhuman, and dream and reality”.
In an interview for PhotoForum, August 2019, she states that she puts “incongruous elements into beautiful landscapes” in order to create a sense of tension and playfulness as she also mentions her choice of models; children “with masks and other props”. She also mentions something interesting which is that “people will experience the images in their own way influenced by their own stories”. When she mentioned the need of tension in her images, she mentions that she wants “the sense of being out of place and absurd yet somehow normal.”
Lara has explored with identity in different ways, so much so that she has a blog post called, “identity and disclosure”. In here she explains the lack of identity due to social media. We know this because she states, “The brink of a digital identity crisis – where the digital era tests the limits of identity – what is safe to disclose and what must be concealed. There are questions of trust and vulnerability – the stakes are high.
Photo analysis:
Substance:
This image was clearly taken with a DSLR in 2018 as it is in a digital format.
This photograph was taken outside by a lake. We can also assume it was taken in the evening due to the brightness of the clouds, but this could have been manipulated using software like Lightroom.
This was clearly taken for personal work as it was part of Lara’s series “white lies”. Her description for this project was a simple quote from Alan Moore, “You wear a mask for so long, you begin to forget who you were beneath it.”
Composition:
The focus for this image is the “Horse Bride” which delivers a sense of strangeness and wonder at the experience of marriage.
Author has powerfully used the rule of thirds to compose this image as the model and background have been purposely adjusted so that the model at the center along with the background.
The main colours of this image are black and white tones. She purposely used the black and white techniques to add to the theme of tension, ambiguity, strangeness, incongruous.
Considering the description for white lies, the audience may also assume that many people marry a fake spouse; people who have been wearing a mask for so long. In addition, the fact that the image is in black and white may also reveal that marriage is not always dreamy and colourful; it can be dark and obscure. We can assume this is the case as Lara has said before that her photographs are open for interpretation.
Lighting:
The light in this black and white image seems to be coming from the natural environment as shoot was done outside. The light however seems to be coming from the front as it is lighting the Horse Bride and background quite well.
Soft shadows and dark tones are present in the shot. The bottom of the image is darker than the top, for instance. The picture is natural, but first the camera seems to have concentrated on the bright sides as the image seems to be a little naturally underexposed as the image is full of subtle lights and soft shadows.
The artist may have taken this illustration during the day, during light or evening hours.
Techniques and editing: (evidently black and white filter or camera were used)
Evidently, a fast shutter speed was used due to the waves being fixed to a focused position.
As most of the image is set, the depth of field for this image seems to be very high. This was used to catch as much of the environment as possible while retaining a crisp picture detail.
The artist may have naturally underexposed the picture purposefully to keep it in view, because it’s not too light or just normal and not too dim.
As this is a portrait, the camera is still, in focus and all the specifics show that the camera was stationary; a tripod was presumably used.
Atmosphere:
The photograph makes me feel quite interested and confused as I have never seen a Horse Bride before, especially standing by a lake. This is evident that Lara has achieved her aim of strangeness through this image.
This image, clearly is open for interpretation and considering that inside the wedding dress is Lara’s son this may suggest that there is a prince trapped in the body of a mare getting ready for marriage but decided to take a moment by the lake to think of things.
Successfully, this image has achieved what it was created for which is to make the audience question what is going on. I know this because Lara states that Horse Bride is intended to challenge and provoke such ideas.
Response:
To keep it the same as the original artist, I would strive to use the same black and white methods to take my shots.
I would need to ensure that most of any of my subjects are distorted and have their faces hidden in order to integrate concepts into my own work.
Lara has influenced my work on identity by giving me the idea of making the audience question what is happening in the photograph.
This is one of my favourite pieces of photography as I find it very creative due to the nature and contents of the image. It’s an image open to interpretation and communicates a series of different messages. It’s also very strange which just adds to creativity.
Similarities
• Both artists have used a series of black and white images to communicate a similar message: that there may be light in the darkness, there is 2 sides to every story and not everything is a perfect, colourful world.
• Both artists clearly play with the theme of identity with Claud exploring gender identity and Lara hiding the model’s face / identity.
• Both have composed their images in a similar way. For example, both have placed their models in the centre or close to the centre.
• Lara attempts to create tension through her images. For example, the Horse Bride image encapsulates all my feelings of strangeness and wonder at the experience of marriage. In a similar way, Claud creates tension in society with her images as homosexuality in a patriarchal society was unacceptable.
Differences
• Claud focuses on gender identity and explores with my gender roles such as weightlifter in a photograph of hers. However, Lara focuses more on trying to make the audience question the nature and meaning of her images.
• Most of Claud’s images are taken in indoor places whereas Lara’s images are taken in a naturalistic environment.
• Lara uses elements of obscurity, strangeness, unique and quite dark. This can be shown through her image of the Horse Bride. Claud Cahun however attempts to use self portrait and self identity methods to create an image that demonstrates who they are as a person and sometimes compare it to society and how society has this “ideal” way that people should behave.
Manipulation – “Manipulation was an artform in which you failed. Better luck next time.”
This is my #1 outcome.
My main purpose for this project was to “to capture various portraits and to try and convey a message/story to the audience. I will be touching sensitive topics in my life such as; bullying, insecurities, gender, sexuality, and more.” Therefore, I believe I have achieved this through this artwork called, “Manipulation”.
This is one of my most personal photographs ever made to this day as it explains a bit about my life. For example, this photograph is a clear representation of what I have been going through for quite some time as I was recently in a situation where someone did whatever they could to control and manipulate me. This can be clearly shown using models creating a sense of puppetry / puppet show and the fact that you cannot see the male model’s face shows that not many people knew who the manipulator was.
However, there are some broken strings which to me represent a few of those manipulative methods being broken and on the process of setting me free to be my own person and have my own identity. In addition, the use of double exposure on the “puppets” represent madness because you tend to lose your mind in such situations.
In comparison to my key artists, Claud Cahun and Lara Gilks, this image is very open for interpretation. This is because one of my aims for this project was to create something like Gilk’s Horse Bride and have the audience interpret the image according to their own experience and link the audience to the photographer due to relation to the viewer, ultimately creating a bond between the artists and the viewer; sort of telling them that they’re not alone. As well, the use of a female model as the puppet may convey domestic abuse that a lot of female face.
Also, the shot is in black and white clearly showing similarity to Claud Cahun as their images are all in black and white. Both Claud Cahun and I have used harsh shadows and tones to show how difficult it can be to be our own person and have our own identity in a judgemental society; sometimes we are so pressured to act and look a certain way by society which makes us feel entangled in these strings and imprisoned at times.
Cut you off
Faceless
Stalker much
These are a trinity of images which try to show how other opinions have shaped and reconstructed my identity.
As you can see, the text in my images is a series of anonymous messages I received from people that know me, but I still do not know who sent most of these messages.
In “Cut you off”, there’s a message saying, “It’s funny cuz you acc think we like you but we’re j pretending… go AWAY.” This message came from someone that I know that clearly doesn’t like me. I did everything in my power to at least be civil with them, this was until I figured the friend group was talking about me behind my backs and so I cut them off. Hence the name, “Cut you off“.
In addition, “Stalker much” the messages that are going through my models clearly show how much these messages have got to me. Also, the female model looks like they are sort of guarding or looking over the male model. I did this in purpose in order to try and create a sense of the psychic staring effect; when you have that sense of being watched to which the messages suggest that people paid close attention to me and even saw who was texting me. The colourful double exposure, alike “Manipulation” was done to show madness and or how multiple people seem to be watching over me.
Similarly, “Faceless” is a photograph where the identity of my model is hidden, blurred out and shaken while they’re holding a message that reads, “Your 1000% gay, stop being in denial.”. This message was one of many that made me question who I was, what my sexuality was and made me question everything about myself and it got to a point where I genuinely hated everything about myself because no matter what I did, that was the ONLY slur that people tell me, it even got to a point where my old tutor had to ask my friends if I was gay because of the way I dress. That shattered me and confused me so, enjoy the series of images that attempt to show how I have felt during these times.
In relation to my key artists, most of my images are in black and white which relates to Claud’s images, the composition of these images remains quite close to both Lara and Cahun as my models are near the centre, my images also have a go at talking about identity / lack of identity which relates to Cahun. Also, it may be argued these images could be interpreted differently according to the viewers own experience which successfully links to Lara’s ideas. However, the use of messages in these images may reduce this effect as not every viewer has probably received similar messages.
Ghostin
This is my final outcome, it contains a series of messages that read, “gross”, “gay”, “there is no way you’re straight” and “he’s definitely a bottom.” These are just messages that people have said to me.
This relates to Lara Gilk’s approach to identity as I have incorporated elements of ambiguity, strangeness and obscurity. This was done through the ghost effect where the model appears to have multiple faded exposures of themselves.
In comparison to Claud, there isn’t much correlation except the fact that we both have attempted to talk about identity and what it means for us.
These messages are mostly blurred and over-layered one another which has a go at showing 2 different perspectives, one being that overtime these messages don’t hurt you anymore and two, over time the messages get deeper and harder to see on the surface but they’re still there. Obviously, the perception may change due to the viewers own experience. Like my favourite show, 12 Monkeys, states, “There are many endings and the right one? The right one is the one you choose.” Therefore, this image was created to purposely let the viewer pick the ending for this project on identity, let it be happy or sad. After all, the author is still deciding on what ending to this story to choose from.
How I edited these images:
For this project on identity I have used Photoshop to adjust the black and white filters for most of my images, I have also used it to create and bend the strings in “Manipulation” to make it more realistic and add to movement as there is little evidence that the model is moving so I tried to bend these strings to add to this effect. I have also used the “blur more” tool to blur the strings and ellipses around the fingers so that it looks like it was part of the original image, and in “Stalker much” I used these methods to blur the text to achieve the same outcome.
In addition, I have used photoshop to add the text to my images, change the opacity and adjust it to “Darken” so that it removes the background and displays just the text. Also, setting it to darken means that when it comes into contact with a darker background, it fades away. This and the eraser tool helped create the effect in “Stalker much” and make it seem like the text is actually in the background.
For the other images, I have used the “Glitch Lab” app on my phone to:
add the glitch effects around “Faceless”.
remove the faces in “stalker much” and “Faceless”. There was also a filter called “stripe shift” which helped cut off the face in “Cut you off.”
For “Ghostin” I used the pre-set “Troubled waves” to create the blue/green filter so it looks quite old and gives a cemetery, cold feeling enhancing the name “Ghostin”.
Snapseed was also used to sharpen the text in “Ghostin” so it’s clearer and more readable.
Step 4: Create your own location or choose a template.
Step 5: Upload your images, put them in your exhibition, name it and give it a description. For mine, I justified my photographs.
Step 6: Present / view your Exhibition.
Why I decided to do a Virtual Gallery:
I decided to do a Virtual Reality Gallery again because I feel it links very well with the theme of Identity. This is because the viewer is placed in a corner of a room and has to find the 5 outcomes that are in that VR building. This relates to identity as it puts the viewer in a way, in the artist’s/my shoes in the search to find my identity.
I am very happy with the final images of this project on the theme of identity. I love how I have successfully talked about past experiences in my life and managed to turn it into art. This project has really helped me turn my pain into a series of beautiful and artistic images.
The planning went really well and I said everything I needed to say through these images. But, next time i’ll make sure to think about props and how to use them successfully as you can see in my contact sheets some comments didn’t stick quite well. Also, the background for “Manipulation” could have been done faster if we thought about the colour of the props and background which is always important to think about.
I have clearly related my images to the key artists and have shown a great understanding of photo analysis, use of lighting and have shown great expertise with photo manipulation.
I strongly believe I have achieved the main purpose for this project which was to mix identity and portraiture. I have powerfully touched on areas like identity, sexual identity, how others opinions may change how you see yourself and I admire the way that I left the audience on a cliff hanger; having them decide what the final image “Ghostin” could mean to the whole project. For example, as explained above it could mean that the artists has moved past these hurts and the criticism they have had in the past is becoming nothing but a memory, or, the criticism is taking over the artist slowly becoming one. This could mean that the audience chooses the identity of the artist; are they someone strong, who’s moved past the experiences or is their identity confused?
The fact I am basically getting the audience to choose my identity adds irony as the project talked about rude and negative these comments could be to someone, talking about being driven into madness and having the constant fear that you’re being watched. This at last makes strain which identifies with how Lara needed her crowd to feel the feeling of being strange and crazy yet some way or another ordinary.
In conclusion, I am very excited to share this project with you, viewer. I hope you can relate or find comfort in my photographs.
These 4 images above have been chosen as my final outcomes. In my opinion they successfully show a vast understanding and application of Henry Mullin’s work as we both have used similar techniques, such as: we both have used the diamond shape, have captured our models in 4 different angles, have a similar, old style and our images are similar in colour too as we both have this brown, crème effect.
I have used the Sony Alpha 380 DSLR Camera with the portrait mode to emphasize subjects by blurring away background and reproduce soft skin tones, with a shutter speed of 1/30 and an ISO equal to 400. Additionally, I have used manual focus to successfully bring the subject into focus and blurring out the background. The camera was still during the shoot as I used a tripod
I have edited these images using photoshop to cut and create the diamond shapes on my images but have also used Snapseed to edit my images by adjusting the Retrolux and Grunge tools on the application. Have also used it to adjust the brightness of my images so they are the best they can be.
In comparison to Henry Mullin’s diamond cameo project, as mentioned above, “we both have used similar techniques, such as we both have used the diamond shape, have captured our models in 4 different angles, have a similar, old-style and our images are similar in colour too as we both have this brown, crème effect.” However, Henry Mullins portrays his images in a photograph book whereas mine is digital, his subjects are adults and mine is a young adult, he has a border around his work, and I do not, and finally, his shots kind of fade around the oval shape which in comparison to mine, the images are fixed and aren’t fading.
Why I chose to present my final outcomes in this way:
I felt really inspired to present my final ideas and outcomes from these projects in a form of Virtual Reality Exhibition due to the fact of COVID-19. I took inspiration from the fact that there are now being held art exhibitions, University inductions and much more through virtual reality programs. For example, the British Museum, London has undertaken Virtual tours during the quarantine.
Step 4: Create your own location or choose a template.
Step 5: Upload your images, put them in your exhibition, name it and give it a description. For mine, I justified my photographs.
Step 6: Present / view your Exhibition.
Evaluation
Planning: In my opinion I have given myself enough time to think about what images to use and why. I have also clearly thought and justified the reason behind my presentation.
I have clearly worked hard and considered the situation many of us are in like the Pandemic and took inspiration from Museums doing Virtual Tours during this dark time.
Image Collection: I was very satisfied with my work as I have powerfully managed to explore and present my ideas on abstract photography. I successfully picked the photographs that portrayed as much abstract and colour as possible.
This image was inspired by the following photograph:
This image is of an artists called Marco Andras who explored Kaleidoscope photography.
In my image I attempted to create a similar look and feel to Marco’s image. In similarity, both our pictures are taken outside, use natural day lighting, are in black and white, have harsh shadows and dark tones and is uses both vertical and horizontal edits to create a Kaleidoscope image.
This image was also inspired and selected by my project about Alber Renger Patzsch
Step 1: Open photoshop and select the image you want to use.
Step 2: Select > All, then CTRL + C
Step 3: Go to Image > Canvas size. A window like this one should pop up:
Then, multiply the width by 2 and input what you got in the width section. After that, anchor the image to whatever side you want it to go then press “Ok”. P.S. You can change the image location through the Move tool.
Step 4: CTRL + V then move the image to wherever suits best.
Step 5: Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal.
Step 6: Click on the main layer, left click and flatten the image.
Step 7: Select > All, CTRL + C Follow Step 3 but do it for the Height instead.
Step 8: Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical, then CTRL + V.
Step 9: repeat Step 4 then used the duplicate and fix tool to connect the images together to create a feeling that they both go into each other.
Step 10: Go to file > save as, and save your image.
