This photoshoot was inspired by Walker Evans and Darren Harvey Regan. We were experimenting with singular tools at first like Evans did, as he successfully portrays the significance of them through capturing one tool at a time. This is effective as it signals to the viewer the importance of the tool, and overall how useful they are in everyday life. In order to make these photos look productive, I ensured I had perfected the lighting set up and background, by going to the studio and capturing my photos from a birds eye view. Then I used my own imagination with no inspiration and took photos of multiple tools together which allows the viewers focal point to flow through each object in the image. I ensured to keep my background plain and neutral so the importance of the tools are still prominent.

Walker Evans – Beauty of the Common Tool – 1955.

Walker Evans was an American photographer and photojournalist best known for his work documenting The Great Depression. He was born on November 3rd, 1905, and passed away April 10th, 1975. His most characteristic images show American still life through outdoor advertising, the beginning of its automobile culture and domestic interiors.

Evans captured simple and flat, man-made objects with little shadowing to show the significance of the objects and valuing them. This adds a dark, old and almost scary feel to his images. Additionally, he doesn’t use much colour in his work, it is mainly based on shadows which helps create the common dull theme. He captures photos with a narrow depth of field to keep the viewers eye focused on the tools in his images, which prevents distraction.

My interpretation of Formalism:

Darren Harvey Regan –

Darren Harvey Regan is a photographer born in 1974, in Exeter. He was interested in the idea that photographs do not just exist to show things, but are physical things that become objects themselves. Regan was heavily inspired by Walker Evans after his portfolio “Beauty of the Common Tool” was released in 1955. Regan took inspiration from this, and began capturing valuable, man-made tools to signify the importance of them in day-to-day life. I believe Regan’s work is unique to other photographers, as he merged 2 tools together for creativity. He merged a wrench with a pair of pliers, and a Mason’s trowel with a pair of scissors. This was effective for the viewer because it is more intriguing than one tool in an image. It also makes us question what the relation is between the two tools and why the artist captured them together.

With this specific image, Regan successfully shows the value of the tool in his image by using a white background with no shadow. This also contrasts to Evan’s work as he often corporates shadows to show the depth of the tools. This could represent the fact he has modernised his photos.