Both these artist capture photograph’s with a dull/ mysterious meaning behind it. Both artist’s paid careful attention to choice of objects , composition, lighting and exposer. The photographs of Walker Evans told the story of American working-class life with an exacting frankness that was truly revolutionary for its time. He took many photographs of his selected objects and he approached them from different angles or using different cameras. Evan captured the image in the moment, rather than in the darkroom after the fact. Walker Evans was a famous renowned American photographer who was known for his black and white images showing the impact of the Great Depression. However, Darren Harvey is a more modern artist, interested in the concept that photographs do not exist just to show things, but are physical things that become objects themselves. He used a load of different tools and the montaged tools become both beautiful and bizarre objects, in which a ratchet wrench is combined with a pair of pliers.

They both took photos with great meanings , looking carefully at the light and the structure of their objects and the way they structed their photos. They both work in the same area and both have earnt many awards for what they do.

I tried to impersonate theses artists images with my own work and here they are;

I used a different Varity of colours and tools to try make my photos vibrant. I was careful with how I placed the backgrounds and how I angled the tools. There are different tones to these photographs’.

In conclusion

I think that this photo shoot went well with all the colour and different styles of backgrounds, however I think I could’ve made the photos more clear and lit up the room more or even in light room. Although I do like the lay out and how you can move all the colours and pictures around.

Formalism in photography emphasizes elements such as line, colour, shape, texture, and other aspects rather than the subject matter.

The seven basic elements to photographic art and formalism are:

Line – A geometric element that is made up of a moving point which extends along the path of the point.

Lines can be curved, straight or a combination of the two. Lines can be vertical or horizontal or somewhere in between. They can also be solid, dashed, interrupted, implied or psychological.

Shape – The visible characteristics which makeup a particular spatial form.

Shapes are two-dimensional and can be measured by height and width. Shapes can be the outline of an either familiar or an unfamiliar object.

Form – The shape and structure of something as distinguished from its material.

Form can be geometric (regular) and organic. Form is three-dimensional and has an overall height, width and depth.

Texture – The visual or tactile surface characteristics and how something appears and looks.

Texture is able to be smooth or rough, but there are other commonly used descriptions also used such as; soft, slimy, wet, hard, shiny, bumpy, etc. These are often presented in two dimensions, like in photographs.

Colour – A phenomenon of light or a visual perception which allows us to view the appearance of objects and light sources and be able to differentiate otherwise identical objects.

The three properties of colour are hue (description of a colour, e.g. blue, red, etc.), value (brightness or darkness) and saturation (intensity/purity of a colour). Light itself has no perceived colour.

Size – The relative extent of something, the overall dimensions or magnitude of it.

In a photograph, size is relative and can be an illusion. When an unfamiliar object is in the scene, it could be difficult to get an understanding of its size, however, familiar objects in the scene help us determine the scale shown in the photograph.

Depth – The direct linear measurement from front to back.

Most images have a foreground, middle ground, and background. Even a casual photo has a sense of depth due to visual cues. A stronger sense of depth in an image is when the delineation between those “grounds” is stronger.

Definition: The Design, Composition and Lighting are dominant over Subject Matter. The photographer becomes a visual designer whenever a frame is captured.

The main components of formalism are:

symmetry when two halves of an image hold the same weight and give a perfect balance between two sides of your photograph.

Photoshoot – Contact sheets

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Edits

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Final Images

Here are most of the photos I took over 2 different photoshoots. I used multiple different camera setups, some with a top down view using multiple lighting set ups, others using an infinity curve with soft box lighting and some with the camera placed straight on with a powerful flashlight to capture striking shadows (requires a high shutter speeds to keep exposure levels at a normal amount). I took a few photos with a single subject with no background noise to make the subject more important, other photos have multiple images to create a chaotic and unorganised look, as if it wasn’t placed there on purpose.

Here are 5 unique images that where taken in different ways, using different angles, lighting and object setups. Keeping with the theme of nostalgia, I used objects that are from the past like the old violin, flower holder, books, old packaging, tower of pisa, ext. These objects all have a nostalgic effect on me due to there old, worn appearance. I kept the subjects in the centre of the frame to make them more important. For the camera settings, I used manual focus and exposure, so I can adjust the image to how I like it.

Editing and best images

For this Image I only really changed the colour grading to be more yellow for the shadows and added a vignette, I also slightly increased the contrast. Old camera photos where often very yellow because Photo paper and chemicals deteriorate over time and change their properties. The strong shadows makes it seem like it was taken in a dark room (it was). The violin is almost fully in frame, in the centre of the frame, making it the main subject and the most important one.

For this one I used the same camera setup and editing settings, but just adjusted the placement of objects. A flash light was used for these images (requires a fast shutter and small aperture) to increase the contrast.

For this one I did a similar thing to the one above (increasing the yellow in the shadows) and bumped the exposure up (+30). I also added some grain in adobe light room too replicate pictures taken a while ago with worse camera quality.

I used a top down camera setup and placed the pencils to point at the chapter, leading the eyes to the text. I edited it similarly again, but with a more dramatic vignette. Continuous lighting with 3 different angles to reduce the shadow intensity. There is a slight over exposure so to combat that I reduced the exposure and contrast In editing.

Here I added the B/W editing pre-set to these to images and bumped up the exposure for more dramatic lighting. For the top image, I changed the camera settings to have a low f-stop (aperture) So the hammer will be out of focus. This gives for a more dramatic image, as it appears less flat. I tried to make the bottom image almost have a comedic effect as the box is like a mouth eating a violin 💀.

What is formalism?​

Formalism is said to be “the design, composition and Lighting are dominant over Subject Matter. The photographer becomes a visual designer whenever a frame is captured”.

There are said to be 7 basic elements in photography which are:

Walker Evans

‘Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long.’ -Walker Evan

Evans was an American photographer, capturing everyday, working class citizens.

Evan’s had many unique approach that were benefitted from his slight frame, allowing him to take many photos unnoticed, perfectly capturing things and people completely unaware. He was also a close friend of Ernest Hemingway who also ended up shaping much of Evan’s early style. He was one of the first to use portable cameras which got increasingly more modern with faster shutter speeds only further benefitting his style of quick snaps, expertly timed and framed. He actually began his career wanting to be a writer, which the literacy style stuck with him though all of his work as in himself he could not fully identify with the poor, rural farmers he portrayed in his work, so he often used literature to help understand and present his work.

Tin Building, Moundville, Alabama, Walker Evans, 1936.

Beauty of Common Tools – Walker Evans

Darren Harvey Regan

Beauty of the common tools – Darren Harvey Regan

Darren Harvey Regan is a photographer who was also a mixed media artist combing sculpture and photography. He wants to break the constraints of photography hence the mixed media. Many of his images are comedic and his aim is to get people to study the subjects of the photos. He is often linked to the style of formalism as his work is heavily focused around: lines, shape, colour and texture. The style he uses forces people to study each part of the image and look for meaning and reasoning behind the photo.

Darren Harvey-Regan – The Erratics

Analysing Regan’s style

Regan’s work tends to be black and white, with a wide grey scale. He heavily focuses on lines and textures in his work, for example the image above has a chalk on a stand adding further lines and direction to the photo. It also has a triangular shape carved out of it, which has a very different texture to compared the rest of the chalk as it appears smooth like the surrounding area where as the rest of the chalk looks very rustic with organic textures. The lighting is soft but well lit with sharp edges when the lighting changes in the image appearing very satisfying to the viewer.

Comparing Regan and Evans Work

Regan’s photo is o the left and Evan’s photo is on the right. There are obvious similarities between the two images, with them both being clack and white although this is reflective of the period of time Evan’s took his photos. There are other similarities like the subjects both being a tool and that it is on a plain white background. I believe the background is to get people to stop over looking an everyday tool and appreciate how interesting it is with the lines and patterns. There are differences like Evan’s photo has the tool on an angle like it had just been thrown on the floor, where as Regan’s photo appears well thought out and structured. There is the other big difference between the two images is that Regan’s photo has been edited as it is actually two tools merged together that you wouldn’t notice unless you actually looked at the photo due to the grey scale and similar shapes of the tools. While they are technically both photos, are Evan’s photo as Regan used Evan’s photos to make new collages and new experiments.

For my Formalism work I wanted to interpret what I saw in Walker Evan’s work where he used tools and almost ‘handy’ objects. I took a variety of photos and moved them to light-room to edit them slightly, just to change how the lighting effected the photo in certain ones.

Here are some examples :

before :

after editing :

before :

after editing :

before :

after editing :

I edited the last two slightly differently adding more saturation to make the photos bright and more contrasting, while on the other one, I lowered the saturation to almost make the photos look more gloomy and dark.

For this photo, the original photo was slightly unclear so while I was editing, I increased the exposure and clarity on the photo to make it more clear while also adding highlights and shadows to give the photo more dimension making the photo looking almost more ‘clean’ and clear.

This photo was very dark before editing so I wanted to add better lighting that wasn’t produced in the studio. I also increased the saturation on the picture to give more clarity and to make the background colour ( purple ) more intense.

The use of brightening the photo was to make it more appealing to the viewer and more aesthetically pleasing as well. As you can see the shadows in the corner of the photo show depth and still give the kind of ominous feeling to the photo which I want to include in the photos I take as my own personal touch to them.

Overall :

overall, with help from teachers, I managed to improve the way I edited. At the beginning, I wanted to intentionally make the photos darker and less contrasting but towards the end I manged to keep the almost shadowy darkness but still adding highlights and keeping the picture bright and clear.

Still life is a painting or drawing of an arrangement of objects, typically including fruit, flowers and objects contrasting with these in texture, such as bowls and glassware.

Still life photography is a form of professional photography that depicts inanimate objects or subject matters. Still life is a unique genre of photography. One thing that makes it so special is that often the subjects aren’t very interesting. The effect of this can make the photograph slightly a mystery and can tell its own story, sort of like a book as you imagine the way you want too.

Still life photography is important for several reasons. It can capture beautiful images that can be enjoyed for years to come. It can serve as a way to document and preserve history. Still life photography can be used to create art and has been a popular art subject for centuries.

Abraham van Beveren (Dutch, The Hague 1620/21–1690 Overschie) This photo presents the themes of wealth and high class which is shown through the lobster and the metal work reflecting on the lush fruit. This photograph can tell us many things but a main theme is wealth especially around the timing it was published.

Cookmaid with Still Life of Vegetables and Fruit c.1620-5 Sir Nathaniel Bacon 1585-1627

Sir Nathaniel Bacon did not paint professionally, although he was a skilled amateur artist. Very few works attributed to him survive, so the appearance of this work on the art market presented the Collection with a rare opportunity for acquisition. Furthermore, the subject matter, a cookmaid surrounded with lavish produce, more usually associated with Dutch and Flemish art, is highly unusual in England for the period and associated only with Bacon. Every item depicted is known to have been growing in England: Bacon himself grew melons on his Suffolk estate.

Fruits can symbolize prosperity, wealth, abundance, pleasure, fertility, and the fleeting nature of life, depending on the composition, colour, and presentation of the fruit. Although  fresh fruit, represents fertility, vitality, youth, and abundance. When the fruit is in a state of decay, however, it characterises the inevitable and undeniable mortality of our presence in the world.

As we are on the topic of symbolic meanings and metaphors. There are Vanitas

Pieter Claesz, Still Life with a Skull and a Writing Quill, 1628

A vanitas is a symbolic work of art showing the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death, often contrasting symbols of wealth and symbols of ephemerality and death. Vanitas remind the viewer of the shortness, fragility and uncertainty of death, which often include symbols such as skulls and extinguished candles. 

However, they can also include other symbols such as musical instruments, wine and books to remind us explicitly of the vanity (in the sense of worthlessness) of worldly pleasures and goods.

Although there are also light Vanitas which bring a more positive mood and outlook. Which although they are very different, they are actually similar within symbols and metaphors.

Still Life inspired – My photo

In this photo I used random objects and created an arrangement of the objects to create a meaning. The typical thing about still life is that the objects aren’t very exciting which makes it interesting. However my objects aren’t the typically used objects and don’t have a symbolic meaning. I also used an orangey-warm tone which created a significant and eye-catching shadow to make the photograph more interesting. The objects put together don’t explain the story behind them which is the beauty of still life, as it can be personal to you or how you imagine it to be. However, because I did not use dark lighting in the studio it contrasts and is different to the typical still life photographs, which is in my opinion less effective. Overall, it is still a still life photo but I would like to change some qualities to make it more like the professionals such as add symbolic objects and use natural or darker artificial lighting in the studio.

In this picture I rated, coloured and flagged my photos so that I could have an idea of what photos I liked most and so that I could edit the pictures that I liked without editing the unnecessary pictures.

In some pictures I used the copy-stand and in other i used an infinity screen.

For this photo I chose objects that I picked from the studio that portrayed a mysterious atmosphere. I wanted to give the photo more life so I added some techniques to the photo to reach its minimum peak. I kept the tint, temperature, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, blacks, texture, dehaze and saturation untouched because I felt like the photo didn’t need them. I increased exposure to expose more the light in the photo, clarity to show more of the details in the photo, and finally increased the vibrancy to give the photo more colour. This picture was taken in an infinity screen with continuous light from the left and from a small light on the bottom of the infinity screen.

For this photo I wanted to create a warm and cosy tone to it. when I took this picture I looked at it and I really liked how it looked in general. I strongly believed that it showed the cosy feel to it yet it also was warm which, so I decided not to touch it and leave the picture just as it is . This picture was taken from an infinity screen with continuous light from the left and a small light on the bottom of the infinity screen.

Again for this photo I kept it untouched because I liked how it looked by itself. I wanted to have a photo that showed a slight off white look to it and was cool. I think that the photo naturally is cold and bleak so there was no need to edit it. This photo was taken in an infinity screen without the bottom light which gave it a cooler tone.

For this picture I wanted to play around with the white balance on the camera. I didn’t want the photo to have different lighting. I decreased the white balance to give the photo a more cool tone to it and finally to edit it, I increased the exposure the to make it lighter and cooler. This photo was taken from an infinity screen with a continuous light on the left.

For this photo I wanted to enhance the gold colour off the lipstick and also increase the white in the photo. I kept the temperature, tint, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, blacks, texture, dehaze and saturation untouched because it did no good to the photo and didn’t help my aim with the photo. I increased the exposure to expose the brighter parts of the photo, clarity to show more off the texture in the photo and show the gold that the the original photo wasn’t showing and finally I increased the saturation to increase the saturation of the gold on the lipstick. This photo was taken from a copy-stand with continuous light coming from the sides.

For this photo, I wanted a homely and summery feel to it. When I took this photo I felt like I had already achieved what I wanted, without editing I think that it already had a homey feel to it so I left it unedited. This photo was taken from an infinity screen with a continuous light coming from the left

For this photo, I wanted to produce a clean and posh tone to the photo because I felt like the objects had that posh tone. When I took this photo I liked how it was very bright and illuminated the colours of the objects. I zoomed in the photo to show more of the details of the objects. Because I was happy with the photo unedited, I left the photo as it is and didn’t edit any of it. This photo was taken free hand with a black background and a white ‘floor’. The camera had a Flash setting so every time I took a photo, the light on the left flashed.

Again, For this photo I wanted to produce a clean and posh tone to the photo because I felt like the objects had that posh tone. When I took this photo I liked how it was very bright and illuminated the colours of the objects. I didn’t zoom in the camera lens, I kept my distance from the objects but made sure you couldn’t see the outside from the set up. Because I was happy with the photo unedited, I left the photo as it is and didn’t edit any of it. This photo was taken free hand with a black background and a white ‘floor’. The camera had a Flash setting so every time I took a photo, the light on the left flashed.

This is the set up I used to take the last two photos.