Over the course of studying Photography A-Level, we have completed a number of projects and looked at a variety of artists. Some artist we’ve studied are Ansel Adams, Justine Kurland, Clare Rae and Hilla and Bernd Becher. Studying these variety of different artist’s allowed me to grow a deeper understanding of the camera and my preferred style of photography.
During the course of my A-Level study of photography I also learnt how to use various design software’s such as Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, InDesign, Premier Pro and briefly Audio Audition, when creating our film.
In my own personal study I will be focused on interpreting the work of the Becher’s; Typologies. In which they took photographs of industrial buildings and displaying them in a grid format.
REFLECTING ON PAST WORK:
Justine Kurland: Girl Pictures
MOODBOARD:
MY IMAGES:
REFLECTION:
‘Girl Pictures’ by Kurland was a project I really enjoyed. It allowed me to experiment with portraiture photography, while also taking pictures with my girl friends showing ‘girlhood’ in the teenage years. This project seemed to be easier as we are in our teenage years, which allowed me to photograph among my peers. Taking very stereotypical ‘feminine’ images allowed me to take images in different locations which let me explore photography inside and outside.
2. LIGHTING TECHNIQUES
MY IMAGES:
REFLECTION:
Taking picture in the studio allowed me to understand the camera settings better. Here we explored double exposure and different lighting techniques. This unit allowed me to understand how to use the studio and professional lighting stands and overall how to use the camera and studio safely. I really enjoyed taking pictures using the coloured gels as I think they enhanced the visual of the image, but using different colours it allowed me to change the mood of the image entirely. By doing this project I grew a deeper understanding how one setting of a camera or your location could change the entire picture.
This was my least favourite project. Creating a film is a lot harder then it seems and it took a lot of team effort and co-operation. I did not like this project as there were so many other aspects you had to think about; photography, video and audio. I was not experienced in managing sounds or sound effects and found it hard to create a good sequenced that flowed. However this project improved my time management skills and co-ordination and allowed me to learn software’s such as Audition and Premier Pro.
For my Statement of intent about nostalgia I am going to explore my childhood and what it was like growing up with a twin.
This is important to me as we grew up together and are never apart, Whenever I think back to my childhood she is the first thing that comes into my mind and all the different memories and experiences that we have been through together.
I wish to develop this project by taking sets of images of the contrast between our childhood toys and how in our household there was always two of everything. I also want to try and capture our relationship/friendship and how it has grown over the years. I would also like to capture how when growing up we where treated as individuals by family but yet treated like the same individual by people who are not so close with us.
I am thinking about presenting my project in a photobook as I feel that it would be the best way to display my work in a professional manner and links to my project as we have multiple photobooks of us growing up together. I would like to include a variety of different photography styles into my photobooks such as a mixture of Portraits, Landscapes, and Still-life as I feel that only one style could not capture my full intent for this project.
I intend to begin my study within the next month while taking images in various different locations such as the beach and our house. I would also like to take a set of images of objects in the studio as I feel that that type of lighting would be the best to isolate them and help outline them.
Moodboard
I struggled to find images online that would relate to what I am trying to capture with my project
My interpretation of the theme ‘NOSTALGIA’ is heavily based on childhood and memories of growing up. So for my personal study I’m going to explore childhood in comparison to life now as teenagers. To present this I’m going to collect baby/childhood photos and take my own images of my friends now as teenagers, in contrast. I am going to look at the artist Justine Kurland, especially her book ‘GIRL PICTURES’ and follow a similar style to that and also research Jim Goldberg with his book ‘RAISED BY WOLVES’ that looks at teen lifestyle from a more urban and grungy perspective. I have decided to look at this topic in particular as I find it interesting to see how much people have changed and look at what we do differently then vs now. I am planning to present my project in the form of a photobook as turning the pages could be a metaphor for time passing and it enables a wider selection of images. I will be shooting these images in a mixture of documentary style of photography as it is representative of reality and is the same style as most childhood photos, staged documentary as this is what Justine Kurland did and some portraiture. This will involve me bringing my camera around with me when me and my friends go out and capture moments that represent who we are now and what we, as teenagers, do aswell as staging and planning/setting up some shoots.
Focus and Depth of Field: The focus is used to direct and prioritise elements in a shot and therefore prioritise certain information. For example, it will determine who the audience should look at (even if we are not listening to them). It may switch our focus (known technically as a pull focus / rack focus / follow focus) between one element and another. Remember that the elements may not be people, but could be objects, spaces, shapes or colours, which may represent an idea, theme, belief etc.
Tracking / Panning / Craning / Tilting / Hand held / Steadicam
Establishing Shot / Long Shot / Medium Shot / Close-up / Big Close-Up / Extreme Close Up (students often struggle with the first and the last again issues with SCALE, SIZE & SPACE, so practice is really important)
Insert Shot
Editing
Editing is the process of manipulating separate images into a continuous piece of moving image which develops characters, themes, spaces and ideas through a series of events, interactions and occurrences. As such, it is (usually) LINEAR and SEQUENTIAL, although, it must be remembered that moving image products often parachute the audience into a particular moment and usually leave them at an equally unresolved moment. As such BACK STORY, FORESHADOWING, REPETITION, ELLIPSIS, DEVELOPMENT, ENIGMA, DRAMATIC IRONY and other concepts are really important to always bear in mind. Again NARRATIVE THEORY is really important to an understanding of moving image products.
Moving from Camera to Edit, would be to look at the way camera can frame and position characters and thereby the audience by creating ‘subjectivity‘ and empathy in the way they are constructed. This can be used to deliberately ‘stitch‘ the audience into the text in a deliberate and particular way.
Shot Sequencing
Shot / Reverse Shot
The Shot / Reverse Shot a really good starting point for students to both think about and produce moving image products. The basic sequence runs from a wide angle master shot that is at a 90′ angle to (usually) two characters. This sets up the visual space and allows the film-maker to to then shoot separate close-ups, that if connected through an eye-line match are able to give the impression that they are opposite each other talking. The shots are usually over the shoulder. Firstly, they include both characters – which are called EXTERNAL REVERSES. As the drama increases, the framing of each shot then excludes the back of the head of the other character and moves in to a much closer over the shoulder shot – which are called INTERNAL REVERSES. Remember that these shots are not creating a direct look to camera. To look directly at the camera creates a very different relationship between the characters and the audience and is a technique that is only used for specific techniques / genres / film-makers.
Shot progression
Shot progression usually involves the following shots (although not always in the same order). The use of these shots allow the audience to understand SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS between locations, people, movements etc. The length of shot will determine the drama, empathy, theme etc. The choice of how to sequence each shot will determine the AESTHETIC QUALITY of the product. The next sequence will then follow a similar pattern, which again allows the audience to understand concepts such as SPACE, TIME, DISTANCE, MOVEMENT, MOTIVATION, PLOT, THEME etc.
Shaun Kardinal was born in Suburban California in 1982 but moved to Seattle after high school. He began running an art gallery a few years later non-profitable, and as he was a graphics designer and web developer it meant that he had worked with a range of artists, organisations and galleries. From this it inspired him to do some himself. Shaun’s embroidery passion began in 2009 when a friend sent him a postcard that they had stitched into, so he also did it on a postcard and set it back. Kardinal loved the way it looked and ever since he has been stitching into postcards. When he stitches into them he tried to use either colours that contrast or colours that are in the picture slightly to tie them in. When it comes to the design of the stitching Kardinal often just does what ever he feels will look good or link in to the image in some way.
I have chosen to study Kardinal as I would like to try and incorporate his stitching design into some pieces of my work. As some of my images may be quite simple so that the viewer can focus on the building in question, I think that adding some stitching into the image could make my images more engaging and could give the viewer some more detail about the building or a reason as to why I have chosen to photograph that particular one. Whilst Kardinal does whatever design he thinks, I am going to focus on making the design link to my image and provide the viewer with context. Overall I think that this could develop my image further and make them more intriguing, drawing the viewer in, and also giving them some sort or back story.
I am going to look at a number of artists to inspire my work for this project, because my images will follow a number of styles and disciplines. The first two artists are my inspiration for taking the ‘Environmental’ style portraits of my dad. I then looked at a more general artist for the more candid images I might take, before focusing on some landscape/abstract artists for the more sea-based imagery.
Arnold Newman
– my work is an expression of myself. It reflects me, my fascination with people, the physical world around us, and the exciting medium in which I work.
Arnold Newman, A Life in Photography
Arnold Newman is a prestigious American photographer who was born on the 3rd of March 1918 and died on the 6th June 2006 in Manhattan, New York. His most notable work is made up of many celebrated personalities including Marilyn Monroe, Pablo Picasso, Audrey Hepburn and Ronald Reagan, to name a few.
He was coined as the ‘Father of Environmental Portraiture’, due to his carving out of a niche in images of popular figures in their working/living environments. This work was certainly the root of Newman’s bountiful success in his medium and the inherent professionalism and vision in his images mean he is still widely regarded as one of the grand masters of 20th and 21st century modern art. His portrait of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky from 1946 (pictured below) was arguably the one that really kickstarted his career in high prestige portrait photography.
Newman’s extensive experience has earned him award upon award from multiple photographic institutions including The Lucie Awards, The Royal Photographic Society Centenary Award and The International Center of Photography, and his work has been displayed globally in a range of exhibitions in highly regarded museums and galleries.
My in-depth analysis of one of his images, the famed portrait of Alfred Krupp, can be found on this post.
I will use Newman’s work to inspire my portraiture aspects of my personal study because I think that his techniques create strong and meaningful images.
Thomas Lodin
Based in Biarritz, France, and born in Nantes, France, Lodin is a surf photographer who, as well as focusing on the traditional aspects of the genre, also has a very distinctive style.
A lot of his images explore the culture and lifestyle that surrounds surfing. These are the pictures I hope to take inspiration from. He uses film for these images, and if I wish to replicate this look I may be able to buy a waterproof disposable camera, but if not, I can always edit to give the same effect (or, indeed, leave them as they are). This interview explores this sector of his work. I think it is important to note that he chooses only to shoot on film when shooting for fun; he thinks that digital images are more professional. I think that this is true to an extent, but there is certainly something to be said for the grainy nostalgia of a good film photograph. This therefore is why I may choose to actually shoot on film for these images.
My analysis of Far Enough From Home, Anthony Harouet – Thomas Lodin
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Hiroshi Sugimoto is a photographer and architect born in February 1948, in Tokyo. His earliest known photos were taken of movie footage of Audrey Hepburn as he watched it in a cinema. He studied Fine Art at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, before moving to New York, where he became a dealer of Japanese antiques.
I am particularly interested by Sugimoto’s Seascapesseries, taken from the 1980s to its publication as a photobook in 2015. His images are simplistic, minimalist, and contemplative. They draw on the coincidence of light, weather, calmness, and exposure to create a surprisingly dynamic yet consistent series. As an architect, it is only natural that Sugimoto should enjoy the culmination of line, shape, and form in his work, and this is demonstrated clearly in this project. Sugimoto travelled around the globe to capture the essence of each coastline through the lens of his old-fashioned large-format camera and varying lengths of exposure (up to three hours). The locations vary greatly; from Ireland to Italy, from Norway to Turkey.
Boden Sea Uttwil, 1993
All of the images are the same size and are split exactly in half by the horizon line. I enjoy Sugimoto’s images because I find beauty in their simplicity, and the use of a long exposure creates effects beyond the eye. The above image, Boden Sea, Uttwil, was selected by U2 as the cover for their album No Line on the Horizon. I will draw inspiration from this series for a few of my images in my personal study.
My analysis of one of Sugimoto’s Day Seascapes.
Fossils work almost the same way as photography… as a record of history. The accumulation of time and history becomes a negative of the image. And this negative comes off, and the fossil is the positive side. This is the same as the action of photography.
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Michael Marten
Born in London in 1947, Marten began taking photographs as a teenager. His first major project was Sea Change (2003-12). It has received numerous awards and been exhibited globally.
His images show the differences in landscape between high and low tides. I think these are interesting because they are demonstrative of all characteristics of a landscape between different weathers and times of day. I like these images and hope to use them as inspiration for the landscape component of my personal study.
Perranporth, Cornwall. 29 and 30 August 2007. Low water 12 noon, high water 8pm
Roni Horn
Born in New York in 1955, Roni Horn is a visual artist and writer whose work is critically acclaimed and exhibited widely throughout the western world.
Horn mainly draws inspiration from her frequent visits to Iceland. She is fascinated by the geography, geology, climate and culture of the country, and it is the subject of her ongoing series of books, To Place (1990-). I am particularly focused on her series Dictionary of Water (winter and spring of 1999) and Still Water (The River Thames, for Example) (1999) because they are concerned with the perceptive capture of water and its textures. As a writer, Horn presents her images alongside text and footnotes that explore the unspoken ‘language’ of water (which inspires the name of the former).
This video explores Horn’s relationship with and thoughts on water, and why she thinks it is such an interesting subject for her to photograph. I will take inspiration from her work and her philosophies on water for my personal study because I think this focus on details and the meanings behind them is precisely what I would like to convey for my project. The idea of water being so much more than just water is integral to my study, as I am aiming to entirely present it in this way.
My analysis of Roni Horn’s work.
‘Thinking about water is thinking about the future.’
I want to explore “girlhood” which is the period when a person is a girl, and not yet a woman, or the state of being a girl. In this I want to delve into what I consider the parts of growing up as a girl (both as child and a teenager), shared experiences, the coming of age memories/moments, friendships, and the societal ideas of femininity. This matters to me because I grew up in a house with 3 brothers so I only had my mother to identify with in my development. Despite my love for dolls and stereotypical ‘feminine’ toys growing up, I would instead find myself playing with cars and sports (stereotypically masculine) with my younger brothers as I spent a lot of my childhood looking after them while my parents worked. To express this project I have thought about many different ways of capturing it: still life close ups made in the studio of personal items or items I link femininity to (childhood teddys, personal cards/notes, beauty products, etc.), and portraits based around friendship (groups of girls hanging out together, helping each other etc) and femininity/growing up (close ups of facial features, hair, wrinkles, etc). These photos will be a mix of documentary and tableaux which I will put in a photobook. I want some images to be very simplistic and structured (close ups), and some to be chaotic and busy (portraits), this is because I want to display the messy way that we grow up (and signifying the ups and down in life). Additionally, I want to try and keep my images faceless (apart from the close ups of faces) so that its not too personal that any girl can identify/relate with the photos.
For my personal study, I want to explore nostalgia and girlhood, focusing on mine and my sisters childhood memories and the bond we have.
This idea is significant to me because there is a real sense of nostalgia when looking back on the past. The majority of my childhood was spent outside, spending time at the sandunes, woods, St. Ounes beach. and football pitches. We both used to surf together and paly football so, I will plan to take photos surrounding these topics.
To start off my project, I will look back at old images from my childhood, which will help me in the process of taking my new images. This also links to the theme of nostalgia as I will be looking back on and reliving my childhood memories. Once I have looked back at the archived images, I plan to go back to all the places that have a significant meaning to my childhood such as various beaches, the woods, football pitches and the sand dunes. I will carry out a photoshoot at each location which, I will use to document my childhood and the theme of sisterhood.
I want to present my present my project as a photobook as my project is more on the documentary side of photography. By presenting my work as a photobook, it will enable me to tell a story as I will be able to experiment with the layout and put the images in a specific order, creating juxtapositions.
I am going to aim of my project to include a range abstract, landscape and portrait images. Most of my images will be taken outside at various different locations as it is where me and my sister made most of our childhood memories. When carrying out my photoshoots I will consider the composition, framing and lighting to create a strong set of images.
I an going to interpret the theme of nostalgia by looking back on my childhood. I may also explore the idea of breaking down the stereotypical activities girls and boys do when they’re young, looking at the work of Barbra Kruger who edits images displaying short impactful sentences over images. As I start to take my images, I will start to develop on my idea. I have looked at artists such as Justine Kurland, Julia Margaret Cameron, Van Has De Meer and Barbara Kruger for inspiration. I will shoot my sister in each of the significant locations and may take some landscape images and images of the objects in the places I visit. Most of my images will be staged as well as taking some candid images.
To edit my images, I will be using Lightroom Classic as well as experimenting with photoshop if I need to further enhance my images.
As well as nostalgia, I also want my project to link back to the theme of femininity and girlhood. I will be using Justine Kurland’s project ‘girl picture’ as inspiration for my project as well as Julia Margret Cameron. These two artists had a strong influence on the art of photography, exploring the theme of girlhood throughout their work.
For my personal study, I would like to explore the theme of nostalgia in relation to my father and his connection to the ocean. Having grown up an avid swimmer, competing for England’s youth team and working full time as a beach lifeguard on the southeast coast. My father moved to jersey in 1996 taking up surfing and further developing his love for the ocean. This subject is important to me as it takes up a large part of my childhood incorporating a sense of nostalgia through the connection me and my father developed through surfing. I am planning to source images from a series of old photobooks produced throughout my fathers lifetime along with newer images that I will produce with the aid of JEP photographer Dave Ferguson. The archive images will act as a base on which I can expand and compare to present day images presenting his past and current connection to the ocean. I wish to present my study in the form of a photobook as I believe it is a more clean and professional approach, as well as offering a tangible experience for viewers. I intend to begin my study documenting the past life of my father through archival images. I wish to photograph my father in a series of locations that hold significance for our family and reminisce my childhood. My father is going to be the focal point of the majority of my photographs along with the incorporation of objects that symbolize my father’s relationship with the sea, such as his surfboard, wetsuit, or any personal items that hold sentimental value and tell his story. The majority of my images will be conducted in an external environment. Allowing me to take advantage of natural lighting conditions to enhance the mood and atmosphere of my photographs, as well as experimenting with different framing techniques, natural elements like rocks, waves, or foliage can be used to frame my father within the composition, creating a sense of depth and context. I have chosen to take both a documentary and tableaux approach with my images, archive images will be included as a documentary style approach and the majority of newer images produced will be staged. Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom will be used to enhance my images along with InDesign to develop the layout of my images, I am going to take a minimalistic approach with my layout, as I believe it creates a crisp and clean look.
