Tag Archives: Alfred Stieglitz

Independent, Task

REPETITION, PATTERN, RHYTHM REFLECTION AND SYMMETRY

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Alfred Stieglitz

“Equivalent” – Alfred Stieglitz (1923)

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 Image
Edited using black and white filter and curve adjustments
Original Image
Edited using black and white filter and levels adjustments
Original Image
Edited 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 Image
Edited using curves and level adjustments
Original Image
Edited using saturation, exposure and curves adjustments
Original Image
Edited 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.

Independent, Task

Repetition, Pattern, Rhythm Reflection and Symmetry – Patterns In The Sky

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Moodboard

Alfred Stieglitz – Equivalents

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.

Independent, Reading, Task

REPETITION, PATTERN, RHYTHM REFLECTION AND SYMMETRY -Alfred Stieglitz – patterns in the sky

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Mood Board and Introduction

For this project I explored Alfred Stieglitz’s work on patterns in the sky.

Patterns in the sky Mood Board

Mind-map of ideas

Alfred Stieglitz

Alfred was an American Photographer born in 1864. He was an integral part in an acceptance of photography as an art form. He created a portfolio of pieces which focused on the pattern of things. His favorite way to capture this was by looking up and shooting patterns in the sky.

His images possessed flat, faded, contrast with bright, harsh highlights. They are also populated with pattern with little negative space.

In this image Alfred captures an astral, melancholic but also euphoric, free emotion with this image. It seems as if an artist has painted on these clouds. The flat contrast and sandpaper clouds give this image a faded, rough texture.

He has used natural light streaming in from the corners of the image to give it an astral glow. He has still managed to, even though there seems to be harsh daylight, combat this by slightly under exposing the image by deepening the blacks of the sky by using the cameras film. he has used a small aperture to gain detail in the distant cloud formations and give the image depth. Alfred might have used a slightly longer exposure to drag the clouds across the composition. He has also used a higher ISO to add a fine grain to the image.

The image also contains a pattern of the repeating clouds sweeping upwards. There is also a significant depth in tone created by the blackened sky contrasting with the white clouds. The image is also populated with little negative space.

Photo Shoot Action Plan

Who: There will be no subject in this project.

What: Cloud patterns.

Where: I will be shooting near my house and close to the coast as there tends to be more interesting cloud formations there.

When: On an overcast day

How: DSLR 50mm – 80mm lens with small aperture capability, lense hood to prevent glare and a ND filter to grab blacker skies. Walk down to coast and around my neighborhood looking up and following cloud patterns

Why: To experiment and learn more about photographing pattern.

Contact Sheets

Final Compositions

My above compositions portray the experimentation of pattern. They use deep tonal range with deep depth of field. My compositions featured similar elements to Alfreds work.

  • My image
  • Alfred’s image

Both pieces include soft sweeping pattern work. They both use de saturated deep black negative spaces with the cotton clouds contrasting in the foreground. They both Make use of natural lighting adding accents to the patterns from a certain direction. They both use a small aperture to gain detail and depth in the clouds. They both consider a longer exposure time to drag the clouds out more. Both images hold a gloomy astral emotion. Finally, one difference is Alfred uses a flat contrast and my image contains a deeper contrast.