This gallery is composed of three different subjects: the firt one is an original photo the seconde one it's the REPETITION, PATTERN, RHYTHM REFLECTION AND SYMMETRY task and the third one is the BLACK LIGHT task. I named this Gallery because they are all pictures I took from Paris.
Strange teenager
Photos selected
Gallery
This two photos are from the looking and seeing task. I got inspired by Ralph Eugene Meatyard and Saul Leiter’s images.What I like about this two images is that it’s my own style and it looks a bit a fashion photographie. It gets closer to what I would like to be later. I also like rthat it is blurry I think it creates a fun effect.
The world upside down
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Gallery
This gallery is from my REPETITION, PATTERN, RHYTHM REFLECTION AND SYMMETRY task . I was inspired by Ernst Haas who took some pictures of the reflection of the water .I tooked two pictures 2 years ago on my holidays in Greece I liked because it was like if the world was upside down. The one on the middle was favourite picture on my task I loved the detail of the tree reflected on the water.
Nick Albertson was born on 1983 in Boston. Nick Albertson works as a photographer he also do videos and sculptural forms . He uses objects, such as paper clips, paper cups and rubber bands of their intended functionality , He creates repetition. Most of Nick’s work investigates accumulations of material .
Ernst Haas
Ernst Haas was an Austrian-American photojournalist and color photographer. Haas was a prolific photographer, much of his photography involved creating very simple but stunningly photographs, beautiful light, sumptuous colour and intense feeling. Haas’s simple photos of lines on the street and reflections.
Photo plan
Who – The subject of my shoot is based on what can we see so this involved the obejct or person I decide to put in my image .
What – I’m gonna focus on the reflection of the water like the work of Ernst Haas. I what to create like a mirror on the floor I want the reflection to be abble to see the details
Where – I taking my photos on all the spaces I can see water on the floor and where I can see interesting elements like trees or buildings or persons. I will try to create differents perspectives and angles.
When – At this point what I’m really looking for are the elements in my pictures so the time don’t really matter
Why – I want to recreate two images I did on my Holidays in Greece, they remind at the images of Ernst Haas.
My pictures
My favourites pictures
I really like those images because I think we can really see effect I wastrying to create the only I have to do now is to change the lights becasue I don’t really like it.
I believe these images work well as a set due to the use of the monochromatic filter that gives the set a sense of uniformity when visualized together. All these images focus on the abstraction of nature through texture, shape and echo. Because of the reoccurring theme of nature, this also means the photos work well. They also have a similar dark, dull tone which adds to the sense of unity of the photographs.
I’m going to display my photography through a set of 3 images, a triptych, I want to make sure all of my photos have something in come- I have picked nature. I made sure my images don’t clash with each other and that they’re not random.
Finalising them on photoshop-
On Photoshop I turned all my 3 photos black and white and adjusted the contrast and exposure slightly to make the photos darker than they were originally. I did this to make the texture more visible
WHY- I decided to chose these photographs because they all fit into the same theme that I wanted to do- which was nature. I decided to turn them black and white to show the tones and contrast more as there’s a variety of different ones.
Presenting it on an empty gallery through using Photoshop-
After taking hundreds of abstract photographs this half term, I will be selecting and finalising what I believe are my most successful images.
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Above is my first grouped selection. The reason I grouped them together is that they are all have an ‘industrial’ sense to them.
Image 1 was part of my ‘REPETITION, PATTERN, RHYTHM REFLECTION AND SYMMETRY‘ project. This image specifically was a response to Ernst Haas who’s famous work is based on reflections on water with a high shutter speed (which is what I did for Image 1), and images taken with a low shutter speed, creating motion blur. This leads to Image 3- which was also a response to Ernst’s work. This was a low shutter speed image above the tunnel which created a long red line from the car the drove below me; this image took me a while to get right and I loved the outcome .
Image 2, being part of the same project, was a response to a different artist- Luigi Ghirri. Ghirri’s colour scheme is a lot more gentle (which is why this image is a little different to the other 2) however it fits in with the theme. I like this image because of its defined edges and delicate shadows.
Paper
Although this is a singular image rather than a group, its one of the most interesting abstract images I have taken. Unintentionally, in this photograph, I captured a face like shape (eye and nose). However that is not the only reason- I also like the pitch background and high contrast shadows and highlights. I also like the centre composition.
I created a gallery each for my images to see them from a different perspective. I really like the way my paper image looks on its own with a contrasting wall behind it- it really stands out to me.
For my finalised images I got inspiration off Alfred Stieglitz in taking pictures of clouds for my image selection in my images being abstract pieces. I chose to get inspiration of Alfred Stieglitz for my final abstract pieces because when I looked at his pictures they caught my attention due to his pictures of clouds looking very abstract in the way the clouds are come across in the pictures for example, some of his pieces don’t even look like clouds although they are due to the contrast of black and white which manipulates the picture into not looking like clouds also, the patterns and repetition of the clouds look very odd making them interesting to look at as you can almost use your imagination in making the picture come across as something else and not clouds.
As you can see from this image of Alfred Stieglitz you can use your imagination to manipulate the picture to come across as something else, with this specific image I think of the clouds looking like fluff that comes out of a puffer jacket or a pillow purely using my imagination on what I think the cloud appears to be.
Finalised Pieces
These are my finalised pieces that I have chosen because I thought they looked best in comparison to my other abstract pictures.
The process I went through in making the first one in black and white on the left was by editing the picture by going onto the levels in order to change where the shadows should have been darker in order for the contrast between the black and white to bounce of each other and then I changed the image to being black and white. Moreover, I would say this picture is the closest to Alfred Stieglitz purely because the picture is in black and white with the shadows are heightened just like his pictures.
As for the picture on the far right, the process of editing that I went through in order to get the image to what it looks like was that I went onto the hue and saturation and changed the picture in having the colours of the picture being a bright blue. Also, I cropped out the image, so it was just the clouds in the picture however, this makes it very abstract as the image doesn’t appear to be a cloud and the bright colours in the picture eliminates the natural lighting or natural shadows meaning it would be difficult at first knowing what the picture is.
Finally, the picture in the middle was made through the editing stage of getting the picture on the left on top of the picture on the right merging it into one. Once that was complete, I went onto the black and white image that I put on top of the blue one and I put the opacity down which enables you to see the bottom layer of the image. After that, I changed the colour of the image in order to make the clouds be highlighted in red to make both images contrast from the colours of red and blue.
Overall the middle picture is my favourite out of the three because of the way it doesn’t look anything like a cloud but maybe a weather report. Moreover, I feel like I have taken Alfred Stieglitz’s style of photography and evolve it in the way that it’s not in black and white which goes to show we are photographers in different time periods and this makes my photograph probably catch the eye of a younger person due to how bright the colours are in the image which makes it stand out from the rest.
Alfred Stieglitz, born in 1864, was an American photographer and art promoter who’s carer spanned across 50 years. Although Stieglitz didn’t study photography at collage, his became very successful in the photography world. He was known for the New York art galleries that he ran in the early 20th century, and regularly wrote for The American Amateur Photographer magazine. He won awards for his photographs at exhibitions, including the joint exhibition of the Boston Camera Club, Photographic Society of Philadelphia and the Society of Amateur Photographers of New York.
Analysis of Alfred Stieglitz’s work
“Songs of the Sky” – Alfred Stieglitz (1924)
The natural lighting of the image allows the natural repetition of the clouds to be highlighted in its most natural form. The brightest areas are the pure, white clouds that separate the darkness of the sky. It is difficult to tell if the light source of the image is the sun or the moon, as the photograph lacks colour, however as the clouds are visibly bright, I believe the photo was taken in daylight.
The clouds act as leading lines in the photograph, as they direct the viewers eyes from the bottom third, to the top third of the image. The organic lines are thick and random, which gives the image an unorganised appearance.
The thick lines of clouds create a pattern of repetition within the image. The scattered lines form an upwards direction for the viewer, it creates almost an echo effect as the lines begin to fade as the ascend.
Although the structure of the image is very organic and natural, there is a sense of geometric lines within the clouds, as the repeated lines are not completely curved.
There is a wide depth of field in the photograph, this suggests a smaller aperture has been used to take this photo, and because of the image having under-exposed lighting. A higher ISO may have been used for this photograph to achieve the pure whiteness of the clouds, and a fast shutter speed may have been used so the movement of the clouds is not captured.
The photograph displays a softer texture because of the clouds. The delicate curves in the clouds lack sharpness, which provides the softer aesthetic.
There is a wide range of tones between light and dark in this photograph even though the image is monochromatic. The varying shades of black, white and grey allow the extreme contrast of light and dark to be highlighted in the photo.
The lack of colour in the image provides a more vintage aesthetic, and further accentuates the juxtaposition between light and dark. This is also provided with the extensive range of tones between black and white.
The composition of the photograph is organic and disorderly, as the clouds provide their own, upwards path. There is no distinct shapes formed in this image, which makes it difficult to understand the composition. However the clouds coincidentally form line shapes which are messy, rather than purely straight.
My response to Alfred Stieglitz’s work
Photoshoot plan:
Alfred Stieglitz inspired photoshoot
The images in green, in my opinion, are the most successful for this photoshoot as they project the contrast of light and dark in the sky as Stieglitz did in his work. They also capture the patterns of the clouds and the warming colours of the sunset.
The photographs in red are the least successful from this photoshoot as they are either under-exposed, or they don’t capture the patterns of clouds as seen in the work of Alfred Stieglitz.
Photoshop developments
Original ImageEdited using black and white filter and curve adjustmentsOriginal ImageEdited using black and white filter and levels adjustmentsOriginal ImageEdited using black and white filter and curves adjustments
I believe my photographs share similarities with those of Alfred Stieglitz, as they capture the natural pattern of the clouds, as well as their bold tones. I used the black and white filter in the style of Steiglitz’s work, and then used curve and level adjustments in order to achieve the significant contrast between light and dark.
Jaromir Funke
“Composition” – Jaromir Funke (1927)
Jaromir Funke, born in 1896 in the Czech Republic, was a leading figure in Czech photography throughout the 1920’s-1930’s. He was recognised for his work that focused on the use of light and shadows. He often used glass and mirrors to create patters and echoes in his unique photographs. During his career, Funke published editorials and critiques about photography. He became a freelance photographer in 1922 and two years later he, along with two other photographers, created the Czech Photographic Society. Jaromir Funke headed the photography department at the School of Arts and Crafts in Bratislava between 1931-1935, he then taught at the School of Graphic arts in Prague until 1944. Funke later became an editor of the journal “Photographic Horizons” for several years. He published a number of works including “Od fotogrameuk emoci” which is understood to be his manifesto.
Analysis of Jaromir Funke’s work
(Untitled) From the series “Abstract Photo” – Jaromir Funke (1927-1929)
The artificial lighting allows for the contrast between light and dark within the shadows and highlights. The lightest areas include the top corner of the paper and the light surrounding the shadows behind the paper. The lighting is rather harsh, as bold shadows are formed in juxtaposition to the illuminated shadows.
The lines in the image are straight and geometrical. The distinct edges of the paper cast organised and clear shapes into the background, these lines cross over each other and merge into one another.
It could be said that a repetition of line is used in this photograph, as there is a multitude of straight lines and shapes. However, these lines are not organised into a distinctive pattern. The shadows formed by the lighting could be seen as a form of echo in the photograph.
The shapes formed in the foreground image are geometrical, they form echos in the form of shadows onto the background of the photograph. The square-shaped mirrors form merged shapes in the background.
There is little sense of depth of field in the photograph as the whole image is rather grainy and slightly out of focus. However there is no difference in depth between the foreground and background, therefore the photograph has a wide depth of field. The image seems under-exposed, this suggests that a smaller aperture has been used.
Overall, the image tends towards darkness, which gives the image a gloomy aesthetic. There is minuscule range of tone between light and dark within photograph, there is no pure black and white in the image as the photograph has a slightly yellow hue to it, therefore the lightest tone is more of a cream colour rather than white.
There is no colour to this image. This allows the simplicity of light and shadows to be highlighted as well as the aspect of shape. However the artificial lighting provides a yellow-toned hue for the image, which gives the photograph a vintage appearance.
The mirrors in the photograph are organised so that their shadows blend into one another, creating a merged shape of the two. I would say the image is unbalanced as the mirrors are held at an angle, rather than straight on. The composition of the mirrors almost forms a pyramid shape as the mirrors lean against each other. There is no rule of thirds used in this image as the focal point of the mirrors is not central.
My response to Jaromir Funke’s work
Photoshoot plan:
Jaromir Funke inspired photoshoot
The images highlighted in green, in my opinion, are my most successful photographs because the mirrors/glass project contrasting, geometrical shadows onto the surface behind. They also capture the slightly discoloured hue of the lighting, which is seen in the work by Jaromir Funke.
The photographs highlighted in red are not as successful for multiple reasons. Some don’t capture the bold shadows that I wanted to achieve in my images and some are slightly out if focus, so the quality of the image isn’t as sharp as it should be.
Photoshop development
Original ImageEdited using curves and level adjustmentsOriginal ImageEdited using saturation, exposure and curves adjustmentsOriginal ImageEdited using brightness, contrast and curves adjustments(Previous image) Edited using black and white filter and colour hue adjustments
I believe I have recreated Jaromir Funke’s work successfully whilst adding my own style to the images. My images share similarities with those of Funke, for example the simplicity of the objects chosen in order to create geometric echoes and shadows. However my images have an almost yellow hue to them, because of the artificial lighting used. I tried to remove this by making the image monochrome, which is why I believe my last edit is my most successful recreation.
In 1924 he co founded the Czech Photographic Society with Josef Sudek and Adolf Schneeberger. Two years later he produced a series of Surrealist images of store windows (Glass and Reflection) based on the photographs of Eugène Atget. Funke served for several years as editor of the journal Fotograficky obzor.
His interest in modernist ideas led him to make studies of simple objects. As the decade progressed, he turned to the production of arranged still life emphasizing abstract form and the play of light and shadow. During this time he also produced several important series of photographs, including two inspired by the images of Eugène Atget: Reflexy (Reflections, 1929) and as trvá (Time Persists, 1930-34).
The series of photographs that inspired me is the Absrakni Kompozice (Abstract Composition) photos. In these images he focuses on shape, light and shadow. He uses a different objects to get a range of unique, interesting and abstract shapes. In the background of the the images he uses the material of paper to get structure in the background with the creases and edges of the paper. This also helps to have a solid white background.
Images from Abstraktní kompozice that inspired me:
Image Analysis
Jaromir Funke: Abstract Photo, 1928–29
In Abstraktní kompozice Funke focuses on the use of light in his photos creating light and darkshapes.
In this image in particular the lighting used seems to be natural and is positioned behind the camera facing forwards making anything in front cast a shadow. There is a large range of tones due to the contrast between the light and dark areas in the image which help make the shadows from the objects sharp and visual. The aperture and shutter speed in this image creates a crisp photo in the sense that the abstract shapes are clear and sharp but the image overall is under exposed which makes it seem blurry and more warm toned. There is various lines from the objects. The shadows created are very geometric and layer on top of each other creating a composition with the more organic curvy shapes. Overall it is quite warm toned as it is not a normal black and white photograph it is more of a black and off white colour due to the white balance.The middle of the photo is framed by the dark shadows around the light, creating a vignette.
Photo shoot 1
Photo shoot Plan:
Who
Jaromir Funke takes photos of objects and light so I will not need anyone else in the photo however I will need someone to hold the objects.
What
I am going to take photos of shadows from interesting objects with different silhouettes and shapes.
Why
I am going to take these photos as it will closely interpret Funkes images with abstract forms and light and shadow.
When
I will take these photos late afternoon so the sun is starting to set and it will be shining where I need it. Also the shadows will be strong as the sun should be quite bright at this time. The weather also is important as I will need it to be sunny.
Where
I will be using a plain white canvas for the background so it gives a solid colour for the background and I can move it to where the sun is shining for the best shadows.
How
I will place the canvas in front of the sunlight and get someone to hold the objects where I need them to be as I will be taking the photos and will not be able to hold the objects whilst photographing.
My response 1:
I chose to do this idea for my first photo shoot inspired by Jaromir Funke as I wanted to try and get the shapes he has used. In particular one of the objects I used was a whisk because in one of his photos he uses a couple of whisks to create multiple shadows and photographs the object in front of the camera. For these particular photos I set the shutter speed lower so the camera would capture the movement of the whisk and would give it a blurry affect. I used the natural light from the sun coming through the window to create a soft, yellow shadow. If I were to do this photo shoot again I would perhaps use artificial lighting so that the shadows would be harsher like Funke’s images. I used a canvas for the background of the image as it was plain but also gave the image a slight yellow cast with the light settings on the camera.
Photo shoot 2
I chose to do a second photoshoot following Jaromir Funkes’ images closer so that I could get the same abstract effect as him. For this photoshoot I used plain white paper to set the background of the photo and as an area to cast the shadows onto. I also incorporated a black curtain into the background so that I could create a vignette effect, having the black background around the sides of the photo framing the centre which is brighter. The lighting used was artificial lighting coming from a projector, I used this to have a more yellow light rather than white lighting and so that the shadows would be harsher. Additionally it was easy to control where the light and the shadows were in the images because I was able to place the objects in various places on the projector glass and it would reflect with the shadows of the objects. The lighting used also created soft and harsh shadows making shadow shapes contrast.
Final outcomes
When editing my images I wanted to make them busier and edit the shadows so that they were harsher and bolder. To make the images busier I combined them together layering 2-4 images over each other altering the opacity of each photo so certain photos were more visible then others. I also cropped and adjusted the positioning/rotation of the photos either choosing certain parts of photos to layer or crop the final outcome. When editing the lighting and colour of the images, I used adjustments on photoshop and altered the exposure, contrast, levels, vibrance, saturation and more.
Ray Metzker quietly made extraordinary and influential photographs over the course of a five decade career. Today, he is recognized as one of the great masters of American photography.
September 10, 1931-October 9, 2014
Image Analysis
Ray Metzker (title unknown)
Metzker used the car window as a mirror in this image; that could have confused the viewer because they may initially see the image that is reflected on the car window, but not necessarily the car itself.
Plan
Shoot one
For the first shoot I was inspired by the image below. Instead of focusing on the reflection, I tried to focus on the flowers themselves so I just put them in the water and left them to float and I just took the pictures as they bobbed around.
For a couple of the images, i had my hand underneath them. I did this because in many of Metzker’s images, there are a lot of people and/or shadows of people which some could interpret that there’s no part of this world that hasn’t been disturbed or effected by the human race.
Contact sheets
Favourite Images
Edits
Although Metzker’s work is mainly in black and white, I wanted to show the difference by making one of the images have the blue hue rather than fully black and white and one with all colour.
Favourite Image
This is my favourite image because it’s blurred, however the viewer can still tell what the image is. In the image, the flowers have darker details which are bolder and more apparent in the centre of the hand, this is because this is what my camera focused on while I took it.
Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) was an American photographer who in the summer of 1922 began photographing abstract formations of clouds in the sky. Stieglitz called these images ‘Equivalents’ and argued that visual art could evoke the same emotions and have equally as much power as music. Music was clearly an inspiration. Instead of describing the visible surfaces of things, Stieglitz wanted his work to express pure emotion, representing the artist’s own inner state. What I really enjoy about his work is his use of muted grey and white tones, I believe they create an atmospheric and dramatic image. Additionally, I want to reflect the depth of Stieglitz’s work as he captures the clouds in repetitive patterns which stretch over the foreground and background of his images. This creates a deep depth of field as it alludes to the idea that more clouds continue behind the ones captured in the images.
Photo shoot Plan
Who – My plan is not to capture any people as the subjects of these images as they are based on Alfred Stieglitz’s ‘Equivalents’ work. The only person involved in the shoot will be myself taking the photographs.
What – My focus in this photo shoot will be capturing the abstract patterns made by clouds in the sky, I will attempt to photograph the light and shadow created by the clouds, similar to Stieglitz.
Where – I plan on taking these photos in my garden as it gets a lot of sunlight in the evenings so I will be able to experiment with the placement of the sun. I also plan on capturing some images of the sky in St Helier as there is lots of room to move around in order to photograph from different angles and perspectives.
When – On Wednesday 14th October I am planning on doing this photo shoot as the weather is meant to be sunny with clouds in the sky. I also want to take these images late afternoon as the sun will be lower in the sky which will create a more dramatic contrast between the shadows behind the clouds and the clouds themselves.
Why – I want to reflect Alfred Stieglitz’s work ‘Equivalents’ by photographing the obscure shapes made by clouds, I also want to mirror Stieglitz’s intentions on his images evoking emotion and representing visual art as more than just a nice thing to look at.
Contact Sheets
Edited Images
I edited these selected images on Photoshop in order to reflect Stieglitz’s work. First, I adjusted the images to black and white as many of Stieglitz’s photos were taken in the 1920’s, hence the unsaturated filter. Secondly, I used the ‘brightness/contrast’ tool to increase the contrast of my photographs and decrease the brightness, I did this to enhance the highlights of my images by darkening the shadows surrounding the clouds, similar to Stieglitz. Lastly, I experimented with the ‘levels’ tool to move and stretch the brightness levels of my photos, this allowed me to mirror Stieglitz’s dull and heavily shadowed work.
Final Images
I have selected these two photos as my final images because I believe they reflect Stieglitz’s ‘Equivalents’ series whilst also incorporating my style of photography. One thing I really like about my first image is how I have captured the repetition of horizontal lines created by the clouds. I believe this forms a large depth of field which gives the impression of a never-ending blanket of clouds which stretches far beyond what’s seen in frame. Furthermore, my first image holds a fluffy texture due to the soft natural lighting that falls behind the clouds. This delicate texture reflects Stieglitz’s work as he captured photographs which contained muted tones, creating a smooth effect for the observer. Additionally, the repeated organic shapes of the clouds in this image create a sense of movement and rhythm, as if the blanket of clouds is travelling across the frame. Lastly, in this first image, I enjoy how I have photographed a highly shadowed image similar to Stieglitz. The thin bursts of highlights between the gloomy clouds draw the observers attention as they contrast greatly with the surrounding darkness.
In addition, I really like how in my second final image I have captured a dramatic contrast between light and shade. The harsh black and white tones of this photograph juxtapose each other very effectively. I believe the bright white light draws focus to the centre of the image as it is engulfed in dark shadows which allows the highlights to stand out more. This alludes to the idea of heaven and hell, as the pure white light is shining above a dull blackened sky, connoting the idea of goodness coming from within. Moreover, when capturing this image I increased the shutter speed to under expose my photo. I believe this has contributed to the dim tones which mirror Stieglitz’s series of images. Additionally, the texture of this image is quite soft due to the curved natural shapes of the clouds repeated throughout the photograph. In the top right of this image there are a lot of grey tones outlined by white highlights, this furthers the soft texture and creates a cotton-wool-like effect. Lastly, this image holds a large depth of field as the central point where the light is shining through alludes to the idea of more brightness hiding behind the dark clouds, out of the observer’s view.
