a form of photography where it involves a person engaging with the camera whilst they are in an everyday surrounding, a place they are connected to.
The image produced tells a strong story about the subjects life, for example their occupation, heritage, home country, social class, etc. It acts as a form of ‘photo essay’ as the comfort of their natural area adds more context to the individuals image and what kind of life they lead. One of the main attributions of environmental portraiture is the expressions and poses that are captured which adds drama to the image, making it more captivating. This can reveal/conceal an individuals personality and the position they are at in an image can tell us about their traits and their attitude towards life.
The history of Environmental Portraiture:
Environmental portraiture originated in the 20th century, from the revolutionary Arnold Newman. During an era of traditional portrait photography, Newman pushed the boundaries of the regular and stepped outside of the box. In a time where social classes were extremely cared for, Newman aspired to photograph people of all occupations and social class. He stated that “it is what they are, not who they are, that fascinates me”.
One of Newman’s most famous photographs pictures a Russian composer sitting at a grand piano by the name of Igor Stravinsky. In this portrait, the object of the subjects profession nearly fills the image entirely, while Stravinsky himself takes a seat in the corner, pushed aside by it.
With the almost exhausted look on the subjects face, this makes the image more enticing. We can interpret that this is a reflection of the tiring job the subject has and the contrast of this job back then and now. Also, this can appear to the viewer that the piano is taking up almost the entire image centre stage as its such a huge feature in the subjects life and shows the high level of passion he has for this career, making it more enhanced and a higher level of importance.
I rated, flagged and colour-coded each image in my photoshoot as it would give me a better perspective on which ones were the best and which were worse. It also let me see how much detail was in each image compared to the similar ones.
I flagged these images as red because a lot of them had an exposure that was too high/too low and didn’t give a lot of focus onto the actual object. However, in some of the images, they were blurred and lacked the detail that I wanted to resemble from Walker Evans’ work.
Then I edited my favourite images in Lightroom:
In my first image, I really liked the way the scissors reflected the light off of the metal. This gave it highlights to stand out more and catch attention. This also meant that the detail in the scissors was more visible. I increased the temperature to give the photograph more life, to then also increase the vibrancy and saturation.
In this image, I increased the sharpness slightly so that the chips and marks in the tool were more visible. Then, I made it warmer and used the adjustment brush to make the highlights pop. I really like how this made the image come to life more. I think this worked well because the parts of the tool which have been used are able to tell a story, just like Walker Evans did.
Finally, in this last image I used the auto button as a quick fix. This brightened the image as it slightly raised the exposure which meant that the details on the tool could be seen more. Then, I warmed up the image again to give the same effect that Walker Evans intended.
In these three images, I angled the lighting to be right above the tool and took a birds eye image. I think that this worked extremely well because it gives a glowing effect around the object which draws to the viewers eye more. I also thinks it draws the details out more where you can see how the tool has been used over a long period of time. I feel that the images look best with a warmer tone rather than a cooler, as it makes the image resemble Walker Evans more. Alongside that, I also feel that it makes the image look brighter and stand out more, otherwise it may blend in as it is just a single object.
In this photo I have used the adjustment brush to emphasize the highlights on the tool. Then, I increased the temperature as Walker Evans has a slightly warmer tone to his images which I wanted to recreate. I feel that the way I have angled this tool makes the image more interesting as it includes formalism elements – line. I photographed it in a different way to the three images above so that this would be more visible as I feel that it makes the viewers eyes look around more and follow the curved lines.
In this image, all I needed to do was enhance the lighting so it was more warm toned and lighter. This made the details and old markings more visible, showing its age. I liked the way this object has curved lines alongside straight because it makes the image more dynamic and allows me to include formalism elements- line. I think that this angle of lighting worked well because it captured the depth of the marks too alongside any dust or debris.
Show examples of still life painting and photography
Include specific artist references and choose one image for analysis using matrix
Provide a chronological timeline of still life photography
Then Answer
What is Vanitas?
What is Memento Mori?
What kind of metaphors and symbols are used in still life and why
What is still life?
Still life is a genre of photography that focuses on capturing a group of inanimate objects. These objects can be natural or man-made. They are photographed or painted. Edouard Manet once called still life “the touchstone of painting.”
The term “still life” is derived from the Dutch word stilleven, which became prominent during the 16th century. During this time, still life became recognized as a genre.
Each object symbolizes something, whether that is wealth, poverty, love, etc..
Still life originally began with Netherlandish painting of the 16th and 17th centuries and then developed into a genre of photography.
Examples of still life paintings:
Examples of still life photography:
These images are from photographers:
Paulette Tavormina
Laura Letinsky
Pieter Claesz
Mat Collishaw
Mat Collishaw:
Mat Collishaws work may appear to be strange, but the real meaning makes the images even more daunting.
Each piece is inspired from prisoners last meals on death row. This makes an eerie atmosphere, not only because of the negative space created by the dark background. There is low light on the images, so it creates dark shadows around the food so you can just about see it with details on the main areas. Even the colour of the food which would normally be vibrant has become dull and appears to look older than it is, reflecting the meaning behind the images. The bag has been torn open to which may reflect the violence behind this prisoners act.
A timeline of still life photography:
What is Vanitas?
the Latin for vanity, in the sense of emptiness or a worthless action.
Vanitas are a form of still life artwork which includes at least 3 symbolic objects. They are designed to remind the viewer of their mortality, death and how worthless of worldly goods are compared to living a moral life. They caution the viewer to be careful about placing too much importance in the pleasures of this life with objects of wealth as they could become an obstacle on the path to salvation and happiness.
Vanitas generally feature:
Skulls,
Books,
Playing cards,
Maps,
Wilting flowers,
Goblets of wine,
Jewellery,
Hourglasses,
Recently extinguished candles.
What is Memento Mori?
a Latin phrase meaning “remember you must die.”
Memento Mori is an artwork formed to remind the viewer of their mortality and of the shortness and fragility of human life. This ties in with Vanitas as they both want the viewer to be aware that expensive objects that show wealth, status and power are worthless and unnecessary in life and shouldn’t be concentrated on in the so little time we have.
This reminder is motivating the viewer to use their limited time wisely.
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.
Aperture = f/11
Shutter speed = 1/125 sec
ISO = 100
Focal length = 53 mm
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.
Walker Evans influenced Darren Harvey-Regan heavily, and both artists paid careful attention to choice of objects, composition, lighting and exposure values.
Their choice of objects were ‘beauties of the common tool’, meaning objects such a wrenches, hammers and other similar things.
WHO IS WALKER EVANS?
“Among low-priced, factory-produced goos, 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.”
Walker Evans was an American photographer and photojournalist. He began to photograph in the late 1920s, making snapshots during a European trip. He is very well known for his work for the FSA, documenting the effects of the Great Depression.
His portfolio ‘Beauties of the Common Tool’ was published originally in 1955.
Although the objects alone would seem to be lifeless and plain, Evans played with the angles of the lighting and exposure ton give a different perspective on each tool. He played with the positioning of shadow too, making the images more interesting.
Each tool tells a story about life during the Great Depression and how they played important roles for people struggling to make a livelihood.
WHO IS DARREN HARVEY-REGAN?
“It’s a means of transposing material into other material, adding new meaning or thoughts in the process. I think photographing materials is a way to consider the means of creating meaning, and it’s a tactile process with which I feel involved. Touching and moving and making are my engagement with the world and my art”.
Darren Harvey-Regan was a photographer interested in the idea that photographs do not exist just to show things, but are physical things that become objects themselves.
He was heavily inspired by Walker Evans. When Evans portfolio was published by Fortune magazine in 1955, Harvey-Regan constructed a montage of Walker Evans’ portfolio to create new forms.
He then sourced matching tools, cut them in half and re-joined several halves together, with the resulting physical objects being photographed to create his work.
The montaged tools became both beautiful and bizarre objects, in which a ratchet wrench is combined with a pair of pliers and a Mason’s trowel joined with a pair of scissors. This made it stand out from the rest as the strangeness made it more eye-catching.
He named his work ‘Beauties of the Common Tool, Rephrased II, 2013’.
He took the story that Walker Evans represented and rearranged it, modernising it.
There are seven basic elements to photographic art known as:
Line
Shape
Form
Texture
Colour
Size
Depth
LINE:
Definition: A straight or curved geometric element that is generated by a moving point and that has extension only along the path of the point
Lines can be straight, curved or a combination of both. They can go in any direction such as vertical or horizontal and can become solid, dashed or implied.
Vertical or horizontal lines can convey/suggest a sense of stability or a static feel in a photograph.
Horizontal lines can indicate distance (e.g. a horizon line) whilst vertical lines can indicate height, balance or strength.
Diagonal lines create a more dynamic and dramatic image.
My image^
SHAPE:
Definitions:
1. the visible makeup characteristic of a particular item or kind of item
2. spatial form or contour
3. a standard or universally recognized spatial form
Sometimes a familiar shape can transform into an unfamiliar or unrecognizable shape based on the viewpoint of the photographer. For example, a lightbulb can have an image taken of it from the top, and appear to be a circle.
The two main types of shapes in an image are:
Geometric: simple and can be labelled (for example, circles squares or triangles)
My image^
Organic: shapes that can’t be permanently defined. these can be created by fluids for example. This makes the image more complex.
FORM:
Definition: the shape and structure of something as distinguished from its material
Form is three-dimensional. Form has overall height, width, and depth.
Form can be geometric or organic, just like shape.
Form createspositive and negative space. Positive is the space that is occupied by forms, but negative space is the empty part that remains.
It capturestonality changes and cast shadows of an object, the direction and intensity of the light relative to that object can change how we perceive the depth of the object in a photograph.
My image^
TEXTURE:
Definition: the visual or tactile surface characteristics and appearance of something
Texture in an image is shown through tone variations. this shows us whether the object would feel smooth, rough, bumpy, shiny, slimy, etc.
Smooth objects might have reflections or specular highlights.
Rough objects might have aggressive areas of light and shadow without reflections.
Patterns also indicate texture, and we imply the texture and associate it with the familiar. Depending on the angle of the lighting, the appearance of texture can change.
My image^
COLOUR:
Definitions:
a phenomenon of light (such as red, brown, pink, or gray) or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects
the aspect of the appearance of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation for objects and hue, brightness, and saturation for light.
a specific combination of hue, saturation, and lightness or brightness
a color other than and as contrasted with black, white, or gray
Colour has three properties: hue, value, and saturation.
Hue is simply the description of the color (e.g., blue, red, yellow, etc.).
Value is the relative brightness or darkness of a color.
Saturation is the intensity or purity of a color. The purest color is a hue with no white, black, or gray added to it.
Colours in an image can be bold and bright which are eye-catching and stand out more.
However, muted colours that are dulled down can also make a powerful image because it makes the image seem more sentimental.
Harmonic colours (colours which complement each other) can create distinct feelings that the photographer wants to express.
We live in a world of colour. The light from the sun, and from artificial sources, is absorbed and reflected by different objects, and it is this reflected light that we see as colour.
My image^
SIZE:
Definition: physical magnitude, extent, or bulk : relative or proportionate dimensions
Size in a photograph is relative and can be an illusion.
When a familiar object appears in the frame of a photograph (car, basketball, streetlamp, etc.) we immediately get a feel for the scope of the entire scene. Without a familiar object in the image, we struggle to determine the scale shown in the photograph.
The camera, lens, and print can render large objects small, or small objects large. Even objects familiar to our eyes that are usually small can be rendered in a photograph to become huge and show more detail that we don’t usually see, while things we know to be enormous are rendered small.
With a casual snapshot, size might not be something one even considers in the composition. Paying attention to size can create unique images.
This emphasizesthe object in the image.
My image^
DEPTH:
Definition: the direct linear measurement from front to back
Depth is one of the most compelling elements in a photograph.
Unless you are photographing perpendicular to a blank and smooth wall, your image will have depth. Depth is provided by our visual cues.
Leading lines create alinear perspective. this means when lines lead away from the camera, they converge at the end to create depth. An example of this is taking an image of train tracks.
Texture gradient shows depth. For example, if you took an image of a brick road. The closer the bricks are, the more details they will have whereas the ones with less details will give us the sense that they are further away.
Also size diminution. This means the smaller an object is in a photograph, the more distant it appears, assuming the viewer is familiar with the size of the object in question.
