The works of both Walker Evans and Darren Harvey-Regan are both important pieces of art in the field of Still Life, and both artists bring interesting qualities to still life that were not done before. However, both photographers use similar techniques in their work.

As you can see, both of these photos feature similar qualities. Both photos are in black and white, which adds a quality of stillness to the photos. Both feature a flat white background that isolates the subjects in both photos. Also, in both of these photos a triangle is featured. Geometric shapes like triangles and squares are something that is commonly found in both Darren Harvey-Regan’s and Walker Evans’s work.

To delve further into my study, I have aligned these 3 photos from Darren Harvey-Regan to analyse what is common in each of these photos. Immediately what strikes the viewer is the use of the geometric shapes carved out of the rocks that align with the edges of the box. This adds a very unique aspect to the photos and makes them very visually appealing. As well as this, the shapes create a very large contrast between the rocky surfaces and the sharp edges of the shapes. Also, the objects in the photos seem to have been carefully balanced. A good example of this is the photo in the middle, which looks like something that you would find in nature, maybe on a beach as a broken away piece of cliff. The sharp surface on the object also works perfectly with the edge on the box below it, which emphasises how each of these photos have to be to perfectly aligned so that the shapes align with the edges on the box. Overall, Darren Harvey-Regan utilises this idea very well throughout his still life photography.

These are 3 still life photos from Walker Evans. Each depict a tool, an adjustable wrench on the top, a kind of double sided blade in the middle and some sort of warped blade knife at the bottom. Clearly, Walker Evans likes to use tools as the subjects in his still life photography, and he utilises them in very interesting ways. Firstly, all of the tools are elevated from the background, hung from a string. This is an interesting idea because it detaches the object from the background. This allows Walker Evans to use aperture to blur the background and completely separate the subject from it. Secondly, all of the tools are metallic, which provides an interesting texture to each of the photos that is different in each. The wrench seems quite solid, thick and put together. The double sided blade looks quite messy and thin, and the knife on the bottom appears quite shiny and sharp. With the addition of the objects being elevated, this allows Walker Evans to use lighting in different ways to make the objects appear in different textures. It also helps that there is no shadow created from the object.

Putting all of the images that I have analysed together demonstrates that both photographers give unique ideas, perspectives and inspirations to Still Life and overall they both provide perfect examples of Still Life photography that outline exactly what a Still Life image is, a still object with little to no context, just something that looks visually appealing.

Formalism is the visual aspects of a photo, that considers everything, such as light, designs, textures, and the general composition of the photo. A formalist photo will usually be more about the content rather than the context. They usually include still objects, arranged in either a chaotic or simple pattern, and utilise the shadows that the objects cast. This can be done in black and white, as when the colour is removed from the photo, the objects appear more still.

This is a photo by Alexander Rodchenko, an early 1900s photographer from Russia. The photo, which is in black and white, depicts a stack of mechanical objects. This gives the photo a very rigid, still feel, because the objects are metal and have a hard and solid texture. Also, the teeth on the gears form a pattern of lines that is visually appealing, and is the highlight of the shot. The use of lighting to cast deep shadows and to create contrast between the grooves also emphasises the pattern and adds a unique and mesmerising quality to the photo. Also, because of the height of the objects and the downwards angle that the camera is facing, it is easy for the viewers eyes to get lost in the pattern. This is a common trait that appears in other formalist photos too.

This is a photo of the Shuckov Radio Tower, also in Russia. Immediately what strikes the viewer is the pattern that the tower forms. This is also very easy to get lost in and is quite mesmerising too. The photo is also in black and white, which may not have been a choice considering when this photo was taken, but still the lack of colours makes the photo easier to look at and makes it easier to focus on the subject of the photo. The use of the shadows that follow the perimeter of the shot also make it feel like the photo has been taken from a void, a place covered in darkness.

This is another photo from Alexander Rodchenko. It depicts the intricate pattern of lines that appears on a building somewhere in Russia. Once again, this pattern is visually appealing. The picture also feels big, because the building stretches out of frame. However, in this photo, a lamp post is depicted as the subject of the photo. The lamp post juts out in the photo because it is dissimilar to the main line pattern that appears on the building. This brings an interesting quality to the photo, and could be linked to ‘wabi-sabi’, finding beauty in imperfection.

Overview

There are many similar features that are utilised in the photos shown here. All feature a complex, easy to look at, mesmerising pattern that takes up the majority of the shot. All are taken in black and white and even though it is not by choice, it makes the photos feel empty and still, devoid of emotion. There is more focus on what the content of the photo is and how it looks, rather than the context of the photo, where it was taken, what emotions the viewer feels. Each photo gives a high level of stillness, there is no movement. Nothing really is out of place, even when there is an object that doesn’t fit the criteria of the pattern around it. In general, formalism is the expression of still, a moment in time, not the time before or after, but in the moment.

What is still life?

Still life is a genre of art that depicts inanimate objects in a still frame. This usually comes with deeper context or meaning behind the objects that have been placed there. For example, skulls are used to symbolise death, exotic foods like fruit are used to demonstrate wealth, and books are used for knowledge.

Still Life started in the 16^th century, with Dutch painters like Pieter Aertsen, who pictured objects like expensive cheese, exotic fruit and various luxury items. This was done to show off the wealth of the painter and of his country.

Still Life Timeline

16th century painting by Pieter Aertsen from the Netherlands

17th century painting by Willem Kalf from the Netherlands

18th century painting by Anne Vallayer-Coster from France

19th century painting by Vincent Van Gogh from the Netherlands

20th century painting by Salvadore Dali from Spain

Still life photographers

The photos in this post all come from a 21st century photographer who is called Paulette Tavormina. She is a modern American artist that mainly focuses on replicating the essence of Still Life images. She uses similar techniques to the originators of the genre, in this photo using meats, bronze pots and other items that were considered “luxury” for the time. This also links to colonialism at the time as well, as exotic items usually came from far away countries that were colonised by countries like the Netherlands, France or England. Also in this photo, there is a sense of emptiness. There is no background. This is an example of Vanitas, the essence of emptiness. She uses this frequently in her Still Life photos.

The objects depicted in still life photos are used either to depict metaphors or because they visually have a nice shape and reflect well with light. For example, the apples and cherries in the photo above have a nice reflection that compliment their round shape and smooth texture.

This is another example of Still Life, from a Dutch painter named Willem Kalf. In the photo, there are gold items, exotic fruits and various other items that could be seen as wealth, such as the rug that sits scrunched up and almost neglected underneath all of the items. This could be to show that the owner of these items, either the painter or a wealthy person of the time, has enough money to neglect these luxurious objects.

Still Life metaphors:

Skulls/bones – used to depict death, the marching of time. This is usually made with the use of memento mori, the reminder of death

Flowers – romantic values, beauty

Food – fruits are used to depict wealth, meat is used to depict strength or integrity

Books – used to depict knowledge and high intelligence

Valuables – items like golden necklaces or rings, any item that looks expensive, is used to demonstrate power and wealth

This is the Canon camera simulator. It is a useful tool to teach photographers what the different features on a camera do and how they affect the image.

To get a good image, the exposure meter must be on or close to 0 so that the image is not too dark or too bright. Every setting that you change (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) will raise or lower the exposure meter

Here is an example of an overexposed photo. The photo in this case is overexposed because the aperture is too big at 2.8. If I change the aperture to 11, the photo will be balanced and the exposure meter will be at 0

Now, with the aperture at 11, the objects in the photo are lit well and are a lot more visible than they were previously. When you change the aperture, you change the amount of light that the lens lets in. If the aperture is too big there will be too much light let into the camera and the photo will be overexposed

Also, aperture controls the depth of field of the photo and how blurry the rest of the photo is compared to the part that is focused. As you can see, the aperture in this photo has been put to the largest value, which means that the photo has a shallow depth of field. If it was the inverse, everything in the photo would be in focus.

The shutter on a camera is basically like a curtain that opens and closes to let a certain amount of light in. The number represented on the simulator is 1/1000 sec, which means that the shutter opens for 1/1000 of a second. If this number was larger, such as if it was at 1/60 sec, too much light would be let in and the photo will be too bright. If the inverse happens then the photo will be too dark. Aperture and shutter both work together to mediate the amount of light let into the camera.

The ISO is the control for the sensitivity of the sensor. Changing the sensitivity of the sensor changes how bright or dark the photo is. A low ISO means a low sensitivity and a darker photo, so to compensate the shutter and aperture are made bigger. A high ISO means a high sensitivity, but with a high ISO, the photo will come out grainy.

Here you can see that the photo is very grainy and the photo just doesn’t come out well. A high ISO is useful for dark pictures where the sensor sensitivity needs to be higher. As you can see, because the ISO is high, the shutter speed has been made smaller to compensate.

Overall, the Canon Camera Simulator is a very useful tool to help photographers understand how the modern camera works and what features like the aperture, shutter and ISO change how the image comes out.

Writing light

1826

1838

Robert Cornelius

1861

Style or category of art

An image that shows inanimate objects from the natural or man-made world

To affirm photography as an art form

Capture images that truthfully portray people, places and events

The amount of light that reaches your camera’s sensor

Aperture, shutter speed, iso

Shutter

How much of your image is in focus

Lens aperture, distance from camera to subject, and lens focal length

The arrangement of visual elements within the frame

Aesthetic qualities refer to the way and artwork looks and feels

To provide historical, cultural and theoretical understanding of images

4.7 billion

The Queen (Elizabeth II)