“Photographs confuse as much as fascinate, conceal as much as reveal, distract as much as compel. They are unpredictable communicators.”

– David Campany in ‘On Photographs’

Photography is the art and application of capturing light to create images, often known as “writing or drawing with light”, often using a digital sensor or film. The word “photography” was originated from the Greek words φωτός (phōtós) and γραφή (graphé) “representation by means of lines” or “drawing”. The first photograph was taken in 1826 by French scientist Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, and it was titled View from the Window at Le Gras.

Photography is a diverse way of communicating without using words, that is what makes photography a universal language; anyone can interpret it in anyway. You don’t need to speak the same language to understand or relate to what the photographer intended. This means that people from all ends of the world could share a feeling and experience. However, what shapes the viewers response to photography includes experiences, culture, beliefs, and opinions. For example, if an apple is used in the picture, many would link that to fruit, nature, and good health whereas others may perceive that as a sin (Adam and Eve) or a teacher pet, etc. the possibilities are endless.

Photography is also a way of capturing moments in time, sealing them forever and allowing memories to never fade. It freezes a point in time perfectly in this fast paced world. When you record a memory, you are not only capturing a scene but also feelings and emotions that could have a deep connection with many people. They show off every blemish or mistake along with every triumph or enhancement, making them perfect just the way they are. Furthermore, “confuse as much as fascinate” explains how we might never know the full intent or story behind the image. A picture may tell a tale of 1000 words without saying anything, but what part of the story is missed out? What was happening behind it? Or to the left? Or the right? What was happening on the other side of the camera? Why was that the section that the photographer wanted us to see?

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An example would be both of these images above. There are endless possibilities and ideas behind each and it is left up to the viewer to put together their own story for them. This is what makes all photographs similar despite their differences; they all hold countless theories in just one moment of time. Therefore, ‘What is Photography?’ is an question that holds far too many answers to narrow down to just one.

This topic has allowed me to trial different camera techniques to produce images like the ones shown above. From the start of the topic, I knew very little but can now easily say that understand the basics of photographing and editing still life and single object images. In future however, I would prefer to test more abstract ideas when taking photographs, to create a more artistic sense of individuality rather than simply saying that no one else took a photo of this as no two images are completely the same.

The images below show my final prints mounted into triptychs and single window mounts. Each of these presented a different challenge when creating them. For the pieces mounted onto foamboard, I struggled to ensure the straight lines and borders of the images, but then finding different ways to present each of the different triptychs as clear and individual presentations. The most difficult aspect of making the window mounts, was making sure the measurements were as accurate as possible and ensuring the lines were perfect when cutting. Neither were complete perfection, but I can proudly say that with practice, future window mounts will be easily created.

My still life photomontages were based off these images (shown below)…

and combining them both digitally and by hand to create:

Mary Ellen Bartley is a photographer that was held at home and away from her photography studio over the period of lockdown due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the UK. However she did not let this stop her. Each day for a month, she took random every day household objects and photographed them in natural light in different ways each day. The items included a book, sponge, mug, milk bottle, a glass cube and a small dish. From here she created these images showing how even the little things we see everyday can be manipulated to produce amazing images and artwork.

Walker Evans began his photographic career in the late 1920s, taking shots on his trip through Europe. Upon his return to the USA he published his first images in 1930 and went on to document workers and architecture in the Southeastern states. His portfolio, “Beauties of the Common Tool”, was published in 1955 by Fortune Magazine. This work showed the “offbeat museum show for the man who responds to good, clear ‘undesigned’ forms” that are the basic work tools including scissors, pliers, and trowels.

Darren Harvey-Regan believed that photographs do not exist just to show things, but are physical things that become objects themselves. He began 58 years after the publishing of Walker Evan’s portfolio shown above and used his images to create new and more abstract creations. He pulled Evans’ photos apart and cross matched them with each other to create unusual and interesting images.

His further works include “The Halt”, a photographed axe held to the wall by a real axe to create the illusion that it becomes part of the image; and “The Erratics”, a series of images that show differently shaped pieces of chalk with both organic and geometric lines and shapes carved within them or to match their surroundings.

Objectivity in Photography

Objectivity in photography is a genre that features more of the reality of life and focuses on objects without a sense of expression or emotion. These images tend to show different plants and objects and even as they are found and un-manipulated.

Some people think that this genre of photography is a bland and uncreative art form; however, some believe it to be highly interesting by exploring the idea that even the simplest of images can fascinate the human mind.

Karl Blossfeldt

Blossfeldt was a German photographer famed for his monochrome images of dried plants. These sound and look boring but at the same time fitting into the idea of objectivity by simultaneously sparking a curiosity and interest within his audience.

Albert Renger-Patzsch

Renger-Patzsch was also a German photographer but well associated with the idea of New Objectivity; a concept that adds to the drabness of the original idea but monochrome images of more than just plants and small inanimate objects. His images consist of landscapes and buildings but among them some plants and small objects, reverting back to the original idea.

Formalism describes how the visual elements of a piece of art work is the most important aspect of that work, not the narrative content or relationship to the visual world.

The Formal Elements

The formal elements are the different aspects that are involved in a photographic image. These include:

• LIGHT – Which areas of the photograph are brightest? Are there any shadows? Does the photograph allow you to guess the time of day? Is the light natural or artificial? Harsh or soft? Reflected or direct? How does light fall across the objects in the photograph?
• LINE – Are there objects in the photograph that act as lines? Are they straight, curvy, thin, thick? Do the lines create direction in the photograph? Do they outline? Do the lines show movement or energy?
• REPETITION – Are there any objects, shapes or lines which repeat and create a rhythm or pattern? Do you see echoes or reflections within the image?
• SHAPE – Do you see geometric (straight edged) or organic (curvy) shapes? Which are they and how do they relate to each other?
• SPACE – Is there depth to the photograph or does it seem shallow? What creates this appearance? What is placed in the foreground, middle ground and background? Are there important negative (empty) spaces in addition to positive (solid) spaces? 
• TEXTURE – If you could touch the surface of the photograph how would it feel? How do the objects in the picture look like they would feel?
• TONE – Is there a range of tones from dark to light? Where is the darkest part of the image? Where is the lightest? Are the tones in the photograph balanced or does the image tend towards darkness or lightness overall. How does this affect the mood or atmosphere?
• COLOUR – What kind of colours can you see e.g. saturated, muted, complementary, primary? Is there a dominant colour? How would this image be different if it was in black and white? Does the use of colour help us understand the subject or does it work independently?
• COMPOSITION – How have the various elements in the picture been arranged? Does the image seem balanced or unbalanced? Is it possible to superimpose geometrical shapes on the image to better understand the composition? Has the photographer used the Rule of Thirds?

This monochrome image taken by Shomei Tomatsu in 1964 shows three people playing cards, hence its title “The Card Game”. You can see what seems to be natural light from the sun coming in from the left side of the image and by the brightness of the monochrome imaging I can infer that the photo was taken on a sunny day. “The Card Game” shows the organic shapes of the human body coupled with the straight geometric edges of the cards. Because of these organic shapes there isn’t really any repetition as the composition of the image seems to be very natural showing how each person is different. The image is quite shallow in the regards that all we can really see is one person’s face and the cards being dealt. The framing of the image also adds to this effect as the audience can only see the bottom half of the two subjects in the top of the photograph, outlining the cards as seeming to be the main focal point of this photographic image.

The objects that I decided to photograph each have a personal connection to my way of life. My primary interest and the career I want to pursue is in stage performance and tap is my favourite style of dance. These charleston style tap shoes also show my admiration of the past both recent and distant. The powder horn that in image 1 coincides with my passion for history and professional reenactments within the Georgian era. Finally the photo album maintains my connection with my grandfather and his time in the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

These are the best images from my most recent photoshoots experimenting with aperture, depth of field, different lighting techniques and gels.

These images that I have taken of still life show the theme of nature due to their naturalistic shapes that are formed by the sea in its rough and calm states and how nothing is exactly the same.