Born in 1903 in St Louis, Missouri, Walker “dabbled with painting as a child, collected picture postcards, and made snapshots of his family and friends with a small Kodak camera. He continued to take photography as a hobby when his family moved to Chicago, and subsequently Ohio. After a year at “Williams College, he quit school and moved to New York City, finding work in bookstores and at the New York Public Library, where he could freely indulge his passion”. Between 1943 and 1965, “he worked as a staff photographer for Time and Fortune”. Soon after retiring from professional photography in 1965, he taught graphic arts at Yale. “Walker Evans’s photographs were as prototypes both for the American documentary movement of the 1930s and for street photographers of the 1940s and 50s”.

In the “Beauties of the common tool” Walker Evans works with a contrast of silver hard materials describing it in his accompanying text as “Among low-priced, factory-produced goods, none is so appealing to the senses as the ordinary hand tool. Hence, a hardware store is a kind of offbeat museum show for the man who responds to good, clear ‘undesigned’ forms”. The “images of a reamer, an awl, a bill hook, an auger, various pliers, and a couple of variations on a T-square and some wrenches.” are photographed showing the simplicity of dusky and darkened tools when photographed alone.

I like how the photographs are presented and how the idea of Formalism comes across because both aspects of “form and style” play throughout the photograph such as the texture on the rocks contrasting to the shadow and dark features exposed to the lens behind the object. The “visual aspects” of Darren’s images are the different shaped creases and crevasses on the rocks.

This image is my best image because the tilted angle of the violin along with the placement of the objects makes the image very pleasing to look at and the angle and shape of the violin complements the other objects by making them become more visible so they are not washed out by the violin.

This is another strong image as the colour contrast between the snow globe and the violin makes both objects stand out as the colours compliment each other making the violin look darker and a stronger colour of brown and the snow globe a brighter white.

I colour-coded, rated and flagged my first photoshoot down to my best and worst images. Then I edited my favourites to make the details in them more emphasized.

I increased the exposure on this image to make the main focal points brighter and catch the viewers eye. I used the flashlight to create a cool toned image and then enhanced it when editing to make it a cooler temperature. I highlighted certain areas to make them stand out more.

I changed the angle in this image to create a birds eye view. I touched up any imperfections that I could find and changed the temperature again to create a cooler toned image. I highlighted certain objects to make them attract the eye more.

• Aperture = f/11
• Shutter speed = 1/125 sec
• ISO = 100
• Focal length = 53 mm

In this image, I used some of my own jewellery that I wear everyday. I increased the temperature of the image to make it warmer because I felt that it would complement the gold more and make it brighter. I highlighted the parts that reflected the light to enhance them more.

• Aperture = f/5.6
• Shutter speed = 1/40 sec
• ISO = 400
• Focal length = 29mm

In today’s lesson we were experimenting with a Virtual Camera and adjusting the Shutter speed, ISO and Aperture to see how the photos would look.

In the photo above I used a lower shutter speed to clearly see the propellers on the plane and experimented with the exposure and depth of field, so the aeroplane is in focus.

In the photo above I used a higher shutter speed which makes the blades on the propeller look blurry and adjusted the exposure to make the light in the photo look better.

In the photo above I was experimenting with lowering the Aperture which makes only the aeroplane be in focus.

In the photo above I significantly increased the ISO and increased the shutter speed to help expose the photo. The result made the photo look a bit grainy.

Adding different filters to your photos can make a big difference as it can add contrast and different textures. There are effects that you can control like the sharpness of the photo and the texture. If you make the texture strong then you will get a photo that looks like it has a gradient effect or if you put it quite low then you can make your photo look like a painting.

photoshoots

during my photoshoot I went down to the studio and placed a few items down, I then proceeded to move them around to see what items fitted best. I believe that the lighting on the items do change a lot, for example when adding a warm colours to the photo it can show a precious moment, almost as if it was a memory however when using quite a bright and bold light that can make the photo look a lot more colder and more modern as more technology and lighting was involved.

Some of my photos:

If I were to recreate this I would have liked to take pictures of some of the tapes individually as sometimes putting too many items can complicate the the photo and the idea of still life. I like to keep my photos quite simple and not too abstract, What I really like about my photo’s is that you can see the reflection of the object, this means that the line of reflection is the perpendicular bisector between the preimage and the image.

The reason I chose to take pictures of tape is because they are really basic and simple, they don’t necessarily hold meaning but they are easy to work with. I managed to get tape in different sizes and colours which make the photo look minimalist.

Photo Analysis

I have chosen to colour code my photos into my favourites and my least favourites. This is to easily access my favourite image whilst editing them. I can also then easily discard of my least favourite images

To take these photos my camera settings were:

• Shutter speed- 1/125 sec
• ISO-100
• Aperture- f/16

Here is my favourite and best photo unedited:

I like this this photo because it focuses on every object being visible and acknowledged. I also like the angle and the pearls draped over the objects. This creates a good dimension and the objects look well balanced out.

Here is my worst photo unedited:

I don’t like this photo because I think the main focal point is covered. This makes the photo look muddled up and untidy. I think that the necklace wrapped around the object makes the image look messy and unappealing to the eye. I also do not like the angle that it is taken at and to improve this I would like to take it at a better angle to make the photograph look more professional.

I edited this photo first by focusing on detail and texture by increasing the contrast, texture and clarity. This however makes the image look colder and darker, this was my first time editing an image so experimenting with the different editing tools helped to expand my knowledge.

I then decided whilst editing this photo that I wanted to also focus on a more colourful eye-catching approach. This differs from my other edits of this photo by introducing a more colourful and lively impression. This really transformed the image from very white and plain to a more edited look. For this I focused more on colour, vibrancy and detail.

I edited this as my second favourite photo as it has 4 objects instead of 3. This image could be improved by possibly being taken from another angle and I could attempt to remove any imperfections off the larger object to make the photograph look tidier and cleaner. The reason it is not my favourite is because the larger object is not balanced with a similarly tall object so the photo looks slightly unbalanced. This could be prevented by having the smaller objects elevated on a white block to match the colour scheme, but also to heighten the objects to make the difference in sizes less obvious and make the objects look like more of a collective.

These are my main photos I took using these objects.

I then added a different object with a more eye catching object to see if It could improve my image.

able to capture the photo in a clearer way. Increasing the shutter speed the lens is open for a shorter length of time, so less light enters the lens. This would help me to take the photo better.

Still Life Transition into Formalism

I then took some images to help transition from still life to formalism. These images are still linked to still life as there are multiple objects, however, they link to formalism as they are shown in their critical positions and that my most important aspects of work are in their true form.

I really like the edited version of this photo better as it shows so much more depth and interest into the image instead of just a whiter, plainer photo which makes my picture look more dull. I edited this by mainly focussing on the shadows and

UNEDITED VERSION ^^^^^^^^^

EDITED VERSION^^^^^^^^^^^^

I really like this photo because I think the paint on the cutlery, which I previously disliked, really compliments the dull colours and brings out a vibrant edge to the photo. I think that the focal point of the image is the red paint on the spoon as the red immediately catches the human eye.

I also took these photos however, whilst taking them I was unsuccessful with gaining a clear, controlled image and they came out very blurry. Next time, I should increase the shutter speed so that I am able to capture the moving image more quickly. I think these photos have potential to look very interesting and look good, but I would have to work very carefully with my camera settings and test my skills.

I also edited this photo to give it a higher quality and make the background a bit darker so that the details of the objects and light from below stands out more. I think that this makes my image stand out more and become more focused. I however think that this image could’ve been improved by being taken at multiple angles. I also think that the smaller objects could’ve been arranged in a more tidier ideal way so that the image looks more carefully thought about and constructed.

In response to the Walker Evans and Darren Harvey-Regan research, I have taken a range of different photos of objects and narrowed them down to my best seven images that I have edited and developed in lightroom.

Below are examples of Walker Evans’ work, I have used them to get an idea and compare my work with his to try and make mine match the style of his.

Annotations

I have edited my final images by using a black and white pre-set filter and then adjusting the strength of the shadows and highlights, textures and exposure.

I have used a low sensitivity in my images so that they ended up looking sharp and not grainy. I’ve used a range of tone and texture in my images to try and capture the style of Walker Evans.

I experimented with the layout of my objects with the aim of trying to make them look 3D by placing an object on top of the other as well as positioning them in different ways. I had kept a white background to try and contrast with the darker objects to try and make them stand out more.

I have cropped the images so that the objects stayed in the middle of the image and are the main focus point. I have also left some shadow in the background to try and keep depth in the images too.

Best Image

I have chosen this as my best image because it looks the most appealing and accurate to Walker Evans’ style.

I have kept the layout simple like Evans’ own images and adjusted the tone to make it darker and tried to keep the highlights bright but still a bit muted.

I experimented with the contrast of the background and the tool itself to try making the object stand out more. I’ve also confined the background to keep the attention on the object.

I’ve also kept the shadows in the background to try and mimic the old or worn affect that Evans’ has in his own images, I’ve also done this to try and keep texture in the background.

Lightroom Classic Experimentation :

annotation :

For the experimentation in this image I have changed some of the setting on the image such as the enhancement, the highlights, shadows and contrast to create a deeper, darker effect. For the next edit I am going to turn the image into a more ominous feeling to replicate walker Evans.

for this edit I have taken inspiration from Walker Evans by changing the photograph into black and white to represent his work. I also played around with the contrast and brightness of the image changing the blacks, whites and shadows within the image.

for this third edit again its not completely how I would have hoped it to turn out as you can see there is a grainy kind of background feel to it which makes the image not as clear and crisp as I would’ve hoped it to have turned out.

Here are my images, the ones selected in green are the images I feel have the best composition and ultimately just stand out better then the rest of the images.

image analysis.

This image is taken from a head on plane, facing the objects directly.

​The lighting is ambient and is coming from the left., this creates a moody feel to the image.

The artist uses a skull to symbolise death.

The artist uses rule of thirds to draw attention to the bubble in the top right.

this image represents the exploration and growing prosperity of the European continent in the golden age of discovery.

the artist uses a wide depth of field, this makes sure all elements of the photo are in focus.

The stone counter top has a rough texture.

still life artist: Paulette Tavormina.

Paulette Tavormina was born in 1949 in Rockville Centre. inspired by the 17th century still life movement, she uses photography to reconstruct and replicate the popular artist movement.

The now New York photographer was inspired by the Dutch masters who really created still life as a movement. She enjoys the transformation still life has had, saying it started simple with items like bread and milk but over time formed to be a big display of prosperity and abundance using food to show off their trade.

She believes the way she photographs gives the mundane objects importance that they would not hold in everyday life. She utilizes moody lighting perfectly, almost achieving the effect that her sill life is glowing from within.

Her artwork captures the most thoughtfully curated arrangements of flowers and luxury foods in an attempt to capture the fleeting perishables often valued in the 17th century and today.

my photoshoot.

I used a continuous light throughout the photoshoot.

I also utilized a wide depth of field to keep everything in focus.

I like the texture created by the sheet placed under the items.

some of my photos were out of focus when I was reviewing my shoot so i will need to check my depth of field when I’m taking photos.

Lines :

the images I have taken of the book shows the lines as each page is a new line, I set the camera up to an angle to really capture the full extent of how many lines were lying within my images.

Depth :

for the depth of these images i played around with it by taking some images closer up which also brought out more detail within the images however i also took some images further away to capture more of the surrounding area as well as the objects.

Color :

for the images to do with color I decided to use some colored sheets to create a layout and take photos of them with the images in that set arrangement to show the variation of color which I had chosen to use.

Form :

to represent form i used a block which had holes in it to not only create the feel of texture which links to the texture section of my blog post about formalism but also as the holes created a new dimension in the image as the block was creating lots of different shadows and figures within the images as it was 3D.

texture :

to link to the formal images both these images link together as they both show form and texture with the holes creating shadows and texture within the images.

size :

for size i decided to not only do some close up images but also some further away to create and have a different range of images rather then just one set of images.

shape :

for shape i used a few different objects and moved them around creating different shapes in the images and layouts which created different types of layers and dimensions.