Ernst Haas (1921 – 1986) was an Austrian – American photographer who is widely considered to be a pioneering figure in the art of colour photography. His images have been featured in publications such as Life magazine and Vogue. In addition, his photographs were the subject of the first single – artist colour exhibition of colour photography at New York’s Modern Museum of Modern Art in 1962.
Photographs Captured by Ernst Haas
Luigi Ghirri (1943 – 1992) was an Italian photographer who gained a reputation as a pioneer and master of contemporary photography, with its particular reference to its relationship between fiction and reality. Ghirri’s work quickly attracted international attention. In 1975 Time-Life included him in its list of the “Discoveries” of its annual Photography Year publication, and he showed at the Photography as Art, Art as Photography exhibition in Kassel.
Photographs Captured by Luigi Ghirri
Aaron Siskind (1903 – 1991) was an American photographer whose work focuses on the minor details of its subject/s and presents them as a flat surface to create a new, independent image. Siskind used things from the real world in his photographs: close-up details of painted walls and graffiti, asphalt pavement, rocks, lava flows, ancient statues and the Arch of Constantine in Rome.
Photographs Captured by Aaron Siskind
MOOD-BOARD
MIND MAP
MY RESPONSE
In this photo shoot I was inspired by the works of Aaron Siskind and Saul Leiter, who captured images of the condensation on windows and close up shots of different textures and surfaces. I attempted to use a range of angles throughout my photographs in order to make them more interesting for the viewer to look at. My process was to photograph anything colourful that caught my eye, which led to some unusual subjects such as plastic bags and paper towels. I also took inspiration from The Boyle Family, whose images are a bird’s eye view of various surfaces, mainly roads and pavement corners. I used mainly natural lighting in this photo shoot in order to keep the photographs as realistic as possible. I liked that in some of my images the light would reflect off of the subject, such as my photographs out of a car window, however in those images the lighting was artificial as it came from the headlights of other cars, creating a glare effect. As one of the main themes for this photo shoot was colour, I aimed to incorporated it as much as I could into my photographs. I did this by placing certain colours next to each other, making sure that they complimented one another. To help me see which colours went best together, I used a colour wheel. I also aimed to show different shapes and lines by including objects with harsh, straight lines (books) and organic, curvy lines (ribbon). Additionally, I experimented with different patterns, as seen in the photographs of the yellow coat, where I pulled back the hood to show the stripes on the inside. For the composition of my photographs I tried to use a varying range of layouts and arrangements, such as the subject being in the middle of the image, at the top or bottom, or at either side. I also explored different distances of the camera from the subject, such as far away and up close.
The aspect of “Surface and Colour” involves the changing of ISO settings on a camera in order to alter the saturation of the photograph, or exaggerate the contrasting surfaces of the photograph.
Eileen Quinlan
“Sophia” – Eileen Quinlan (2012)
Eileen Quinlan was born in 1972 in Boston, Massachusetts. Quinlan is a self-described still-life photographer who is often regarded as one of many artists who revisits late modernism. Eileen Quinlan received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1996 from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, when she attended Tufts University in Boston. She then achieved her Master of Fine Arts in 2005, from Colombia University. Before developing her distinctive style, Quinlan explored elements of both landscape and portrait photography, until she got into the photographic style she uses now. In the early days of her career, she began experimenting with the use of smoke in her abstract photos, this then paved the way for her signature style now.
Analysis of Eileen Quinlan’s work:
“Red Edges” – Eileen Quinlan (2007)
Light- I think artificial lighting has been used in this image in order to achieve the strong, contrasting shades. The darkest areas of the image are in towards the bottom left and top right of the image, the lightest parts of the softer shades of pink surrounding the dark areas.
Line- There is a pattern of straight lines in the image, they cross over each other in diagonal directions. The lines separate the different shades in the image.
Repetition- There is a repetition of straight lines in the image to give the image a geometrical composition. There is also a repetition of colour in the photograph, as the colour of pink is repeated but contrasted with the use of different shades.
Shape- The artificial set up of the image creates geometrical shapes in the photo. There is an echo of straight-edged triangular shapes in the image.
Space- The photograph has a wide depth of field in the photo as all parts of the image are in focus. However the image is rather flat so it is difficult to compare the depth of the background and foreground.
Texture- There is a range of textures to the photo, as different shades of pink has a smooth texture, especially the lighter shades. On the other hand, the folds in the darker shades give off a rougher texture.
Value/Tone- There is a range of tones in the image that vary from light to dark in this photograph. The constant use of pink changes tone in multiple areas of the image to create a juxtaposition of colour.
Colour- The tone of colour in the image is very vibrant, especially in the darker shades of pink, which is combined with lighter shades of pink in a geometrical pattern. There is also a section of blue in the image to contrast the shades of pink altogether.
Composition- The artificial composition of the image provides geometrical shapes, especially triangles. There is no rule of thirds used in the image and there is also no focal point, in my opinion.
My response to Eileen Quinlan’s work:
Photoshoot plan-
Eileen Quinlan inspired photoshoot-
Photoshop Development:
Original ImageEdited using Photoshop
To edit my photos, I used the colour mixer and photo filter to add a pink hue to image, to make it more similar to the work of Eileen Quinlan.
I used paper to recreate Quinlan’s work, by layering, ripping and cutting the paper to form geometrical shapes in the style of Eileen Quinlan’s style.
Ernst Haas
“Twin Towers Reflection, New York City, New York” – Ernst Haas (1975)
Ernst Haas, an Australian-American born in 1921, was both a photojournalist and colour photographer. Haas was an early innovator for colour photographer, who’s images were featured in magazines such as “Life” and “Vogue”. Haas’ work was also featured in the fist single-artist exhibition of colour photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1971, he published his photography book, “The Creation”, which was one of the most successful photography books and sold 350,000 copies.
Analysis of Ernst Haas’ work:
“Oil Spill, NYC” – Ernst Haas (1952)
Light- The lighting used in this image is seemingly natural, and appears to be taken in daylight on a rainy day. The light catches the colours swirling in a circular formation on the wet road, and also casts a brooding shadow next to the oil spill.
Line- There is little example of patterns of lines in this image, however the oil spill provides an echo of circular lines that almost hypnotise the viewer.
Repetition- There is of circles that create a tunnel-like affect from the oil puddled on the road. The circles echo in a mesmerising formation.
Shape- The geometric shape formed in this image os the repetition of multi-coloured circles forming due to the oil on the road. The shape of the circle is organic and not artificially set up by the photographer.
Space- There is a wide depth of field to the image as the whole photograph is in focus. The negative space around the focal point draws the viewers eyes to the oil spill, rather than the area around it. The reflective water on the ground gives the image a shiny appearance.
Texture- There is a range of textures in the image, as the water on the ground gives off a shiny, smooth texture, however the bumpy surface of the tarmac makes the texture more rough.
Value/Tone- There is a varied tone to the photograph, as the ground around the oil is dull and dark, however the splash of oil adds a contrasting pop of colour to the image. The colours of the oil spill are vibrant and give off a tie-dye look. The darkest area of the image is the shadow formed next to the oil.
Colour- The majority of colour featured in the image is in the oil spill. The colours tunnel into a spiral affect and reflect vibrant patterns of circles. These colours are juxtaposed against the gloomy, dark ground.
Composition- The organic composition features a geometric, circular pattern in the top right third of the image, this is used as the focal point to the viewer as it is the signifying contrast in the photograph.
My response to Ernst Haas’ work:
Photoshoot plan-
Ernst Haas inspired photoshoot-
The photos highlighted in red are my least successful images because they are either too over-exposed or too under-exposed. This is because the change in ISO and white balanced has decreased/increased the amount of light entering the lens, this makes the images too dark or too light.
The images highlighted in green are my most successful images because they relate to Ernst Haas’ work the best. I tried to capture the change in texture with the raindrops falling onto different surfaces. I also wanted to recreate Haas’ work with the reflections in puddles also.
Photoshop Development:
Original Image
Edited using cropping, black and white filter and curve adjustments.
Original Image
Edited using black and white filter and levels adjustments
Original ImageEdited using cropping, black and white filter, and curves adjustments
I believe I have recreated Ernst Haas’ work well with the use of capturing reflections and contrasting textures. I adjusted curve levels in these images to intensify the contrast between light and dark. I cropped the images in order to create a focal point for the viewer. I feel like my first edited image is my most successful because it uses Haas’ method of reflection to create a mirror-like affect.
Minimalism as a combination of these two subjects, and is often used together in most photos.
The surface is important because, it is what creates the shadows and and highlights. It also makes it more unique as it can be dull or shiny, maybe even reflections.
The colour aspect is more about the tonal wheel, as the shadows make a light colour appear darker. This can be used to make a layered like image was depth of field is used effectively.
Julian Schulze
Julian Schulze was born in Hannover and is a Berlin based photographer. He is mainly focused on abstract and surreal genre of photography. He loves bold colours as well as colour combinations and compositions.
Julian Schulze is a master of minimalist photography, as he creates eye-catching and impressive minimalist compositions where each shot is composed using light, shadow, and colour to create a 2D or 3D scene.
Schulze describes himself as “focused on geometric abstraction and minimalistic work”
Kevin Saint Grey
Kevin Saint Grey’s techniques are normally symmetry and long-exposure, and he manages to get amazing, creative photographs, by using camera movements while exploring unique angles while shooting architecture.
Kevin Saint Grey is a primarily black and white LA based photographer with a minimalist approach to his subjects which creates a drastic contrast.
He shoots mostly landscape and architecture, and his work distinguishes itself for the serendipity of black and white, “humanness” and silent images.
My Colour Photos
I like how they are vibrant as they make the image pop. I have used lots of repetition in my images, as I took them at the market in town. The images have a good amount of depth and definition. The light is artificial and coming from above, which is why the apples have a shine on them, and also because they were polished. This makes the subject more appealing.
My Minimalistic Photos
The first two minimalist photos both use the rule of thirds. The image on the left is only focusing on one subject, which is the sign on the pole, the wall behind is very dull, which is why it is classed as minimalist. The photo on the right is of the pattern on the floor in a car park. It uses vibe rent colours the clash together making it more visually pleasing.
The rest of the photos are taken of objects, although not the full object is in the frame as it creates a minimalistic effect. I only focused in on the small simple details.
My Surface Photos
To capture the surface on these objects I used macro lens so I could zoom in closed to get very detail. All the images show repetition of patterns I found most of these patterns on natural objects like feathers and leaves, although I did take a photo of a matchbox to get the image with lots of dots. Then focused on a reflection strip in a cars headlights to get some crosshatched detail.
These resources are designed to encourage you to explore your use of the camera and it’s functions. The more you experiment and discover, the more control you will have and this will lead to more creative outcomes…
CAMERA CRAFT – exploring exposure settings
ISO – experiment with different ISO values to enhance your exposures…be wary of “noise” in your images with high ISO
White balance (WB) is the process of removing unrealistic color casts, so that objects which appear white in person are rendered white in your photo. Proper camera white balance has to take into account the “color temperature” of a light source, which refers to the relative warmth or coolness of white light.
Choose from a range of camera skills that you have learned in Week 3 and 4 and 5 to complete a new photo-shoot…
We want to see that you can explore and extend your handling of
colour (try limiting your palette of colours to : primary colours, colour harmonies, contrasting or complimentary colours if possible)
texture and surface quality (aim for contrasts : rough v smooth etc)
Show that you can adapt and control both ISO and White Balance (WB)…and even use it creatively too
exposure control
Red box shows exposure meter – the centre indicates a balanced exposure
Follow the highlighted sections of The 10 Step Process and create a blog post that clearly articulates your process and tackles these Assessment Objectives thoroughly :
Mood-board, definition and introduction (AO1)
Mind-map of ideas (AO1)
Artist References / Case Studies (must include image analysis) (AO1)
Photo-shoot Action Plan (AO3)
Multiple Photoshoots + contact sheets (AO3)
Image Selection, sub selection, review and refine ideas (AO2)
