Identity refers to the sense of who humans are as individuals and as members of social groups. It also refers to the sense of how others may perceive and label themselves. Femininity is a set of attributes, behaviours and roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity can be understood as socially constructed and there is also evidence that behaviours considered feminine are influenced by cultural factors. Masculinity is a concept that encompasses a range of behaviours, traits, roles and cultural meanings traditionally associated with being male. The term has evolved significantly over time from societal expectations, cultural narratives and individual identities. Identity can be shaped by the interplay between place and upbringing, influencing factors such as gender, culture, society, geography and politics. Gender identity can be shaped by societal norms while cultural identity often stems from geographical origins which may be disrupted by migration or displacement. Social identity emerges through community belonging but can be complicated by stereotypes or prejudices. A lack or loss of identity may result from alienation, creating disconnection from one‘s roots. Ultimately, identity is fluid, evolving through the dynamic interaction of personal experiences and external influences.

Claude Cahun

Claude Cahun was a French writer, photographer, surrealist and performance artist who was born of the name Lucy Renee Mathilde Schwob. Cahun employed a subversive avant-garde art practice as a form of resistance to the Nazis while also exploring the combined issues of gender, sexuality and power. She created antinationalist leaflets that mocked Nazi ideology and distributed them throughout Jersey, leaving them in strategic places. To present her views further, she created a series of photographs and photo montages that challenged traditional ideas of gender, sexuality and identity. In her self portraits she dresses as a man, a woman and a genderless figure; blurring the boundaries between gender and challenging the viewer’s assumptions about identity. Cahun’s connection to Jersey stemmed from many childhood holidays where she stayed on the island.

Visual

This photograph is of Claude Cahun herself. She is posed sat down with her legs crossed to one side while staring directly at the camera. She is wearing a short skirt with leggings underneath that have hearts drawn on them. Her long sleeved top also has writing on it saying ‘I AM TRAINING DONT KISS ME’ with two black dots either side. She has bold and stylistic makeup on her face with her hair slicked into a split style. She is also holding dumbbells with the words ‘TOTOR’ and ‘POPOL’ on them.

Technical

I believe that this photograph uses artificial lighting in order to darken the background and make the subject stand out. The background is in soft focus as the photo seems to be taken with a wide aperture. The photo has been taken at eye level in order to connect the subject and the viewer. Taken at a three quarter body shot, the costuming of the model is able to be seen which is important to convey Cahun’s artist goal.

Contextual

In the 1920’s, women were expected to take more compliant roles; prioritising raising children and providing emotional support for their husbands. However, later on, these demands became less and less compatible with women as they began learning to value their individuality above the needs of others.

Conceptual

Cahun used her work to showcase gender neutrality and to often undermine the traditional concepts of static gender roles. I believe the message on her top presents this idea by implying that she prioritises independence and education over taking a passive role. The use of the two dumbbells could symbolise her multiple and split personalities as she takes on alter egos within her art. The dumbbells are also in juxtaposition with the femininity presented as contrasts seem to be a common theme in her work.

Photoshoot Mind Map and Mood Board

Inge Morath and Saul Steinberg

Inge Morath, who lived during 1923 to 2002, was a well known Austrian photographer who worked with many top celebrities. She collaborated with artist Saul Steinberg to create a collection of photographs they called ‘The Mask Series’. Between 1959 and 1962, Steinberg produced paper masks with an array of social species which were made famous through the photographs taken by Morath of Steinberg and his friends wearing the masks in various settings. He began with the making of masks based on the human face but this idea developed and eventually turned to the masks of other personas. The idea of disguise and masquerade is central to Steinberg’s art. He believed that in the world, everyone wears a mask, whether real or metaphorical and that people invent personas through facial expression and makeup with these facades becoming who they are. The pair produced hundreds of these photographs from glamorous to eerie and disconnected. Steinberg was always regarded to be a true artistic man who was always crossing the boundaries of art by exploring new abstract and uncharted visual territory.

My Inspired Photoshoot

Before I started on taking my photographs, I created three differently shaped and designed masks out of paper. Replicating Saul Steinberg’s work, I focused on building multiple personas and characters within the masks through use of expression. I selected three of my friends, as Steinberg does, to wear the masks in order to further resonate this project to myself. I directed them to pose in various positions and stances, some being naturalistic with others more stylistic, and focused on how their body language worked in sync with each other and their masks. I decided to take these photographs in my living room due to Inge Morath’s photos usually taking place in a similar setting. The use of the intimate background makes this photography concept feel more genuine while also creating a contrast between the mundane environment and the abstract masks. I let my friends wear casual clothing and any accessories that they liked in order to allow them to add their own flare and individuality to the shoot and their character; this is something seen in Morath’s photos also. From observation, I followed similar technical aspects which I found in ‘The Mask Series’. I took my photos with a relatively small aperture in order to have the background in a soft focus but not on the same plane as the models in attempt to not take away too much from the focal point. I also used an ISO setting which had high sensitivity to add slight visual noise and grain to my photographs. Due to using natural lighting in order to achieve my artistic goal, the lighting was unpredictable and I had a lack of control over it. In result of this, the white balance within the photos on my contact sheet is different throughout with some pictures being warmer toned and others being colder toned. Although this would be an issue for me if my goal was to create a typology with the raw photos, I planned to fix this in my edits anyway when making my pictures black and white and more similar to my reference so this was not something that affected the project and was worth it in order for me to achieve the overall aesthetic I wanted.

Best Images with Edits

Studio Photos

Inspired by Giacomo Favilla’s work where animal origami paper masks are displayed over the faces of the photograph’s sitter, I took similar photos in the studio with my models sat a stool against a black background. Following my idea of disguise and masks from my previous work, I created origami pieces of two opposing animals; a dog and a cat. I wanted to add in another layer of juxtaposition through this concept with this ‘black cat’ and ‘golden retriever’ trope. I portrayed this further by having the model which I planned to have as the cat wearing dark toned clothing and sitting in a more typically feminine way. On the other hand, the model for the dog is more slouched while wearing lighter clothes. The ‘cat’ vs ‘dog’ binary opposition also ties in nicely with the ideas and stereotypes surrounding femininity and masculinity. I took two collections of photos, ones of the models and ones of the paper, and in photoshop layered them over one another to be able to achieve a precise and carefully arranged composition. When taking my photographs, I had central lighting from a ring light in order to have control on what I wanted seen in the photograph allowing for a contrast of black in the background to create artificial and staged looking photographs. The final photos build a sense of eeriness due to the unnormal subject matter and how in your face this is. The sitter is in the dead centre of the picture as they are facing directly forward however you can not see their face and eyes; which are normally telling of identity and emotion however they are missing within these images. This helps to create a feeling of unease and disorientation, highlighting the point of loss of identity; replaced with inanimate masks attempting to portray other life forms. As Favilla does, I edited the pictures into black and white to further develop the point of being stripped of personality while also bringing attention to the photo’s formal elements. These photos overall present the idea of grasping for identity after being unsure of your own, followed by pretending to be a one dimensional person allowing society to sift them into binaries and ideologies.

Final Concept

Combining various aspects from all my earlier work, I worked with a sculptural paper mask which I placed over my friends head and photographed her in various places and positions. I decided to work with this mask in particular to portray multiple ideas of identity and concealment which somebody may take in life. I chose to give the mask this somewhat double meaning to symbolise how identity is not just black and white with one meaning or answer either. I wanted viewers to be able to interpret it in their own way, possibly even resonating it back to their own lives. The mask can be seen as a manifestation of a too complex mind to where someone is so confused on there own identity and has too many views that it becomes a burden and spirals out of control into this crazy and intricate wiring of one’s brain. The mask can also be viewed as a masquerade and cover to hide from the fact that someone has no idea who they are. It plays as a cover to distract from the plain and unknown truth of a person deep down.

Favourite Raw Pictures

For this photograph, I wanted to capture a naturalistic shot while also experimenting with levels. I positioned the model sat on top of a brick wall against dull open background in order to represent the mundaneness of life which can appear in most everyone’s day to day. Her body language is causal as she tilts her head slightly towards the floor, showing how the mood in this composition is low but relaxed.

The bridge between the background and the model is something I established in this picture as the subject is in the foreground of where flowers are being sold while she is grasping a bunch herself. By delicately holding the flowers and seeming to look down at them a longing way behind the mask, I wanted to capture a moment of acceptance with loss of identity as the shapes and patterns within these flowers mirror the mask and therefore allow for a moment of peace for the character as she comes face to face with something representative of herself.

In this image I decided to emphasis the idea of disconnection from one’s environment which can relate to a battle with identity. I directed the model to stand central against the woodland environment while purposely not interacting or making contact with anything there. This symbolises the potential loneliness that can come with a lack of identity or too much complexity, highlighting how society can discard those who do not align with their ideologies as they fade into the background being lost in the crowd. Also, I chose to take this photograph on a path to add interesting lines and further formal elements while leading the eye to the subject.

A point I wanted to make is the idea of how people may be struggling with their life and identities but continue with their days and pretend like it is not there. This ties into the idea of performance with the abstract mask being an outward representation of the act someone can be putting on to seem different to their truth and reality. I showed this by staging my model doing something considered to be an ‘everyday task’, shopping, while I took a photo of this activity; ignoring the blatantly obvious strange mask as if it is not there.

I experimented with some action shots with the subject in motion as I took the photographs. I went for a simple concept of walking, but with the mask on, which I managed to capture a frame of by using a high shutter speed. Because the photo is zoomed in but with the model’s whole body in frame, this photo feels quite confrontational as the subject walks straight at the camera and therefore towards the viewer.

With the bananas being so vibrant in the photo, attention is taken away from the model. I wanted this composition to show that distraction and facade can pull away from one’s identity as it can be used as a ploy to avert people from knowing the truth and what can be at the core of somebody’s personality; highlighting the fact that no amount of makeup and acting can conceal or hide what is kept or lacked deep within a person.

I decided to focus on a theme on nostalgia for this photograph, emphasised by the subject standing emotionless over a game of hopscotch; a popular childhood game. I wanted to create the idea of longing for the past however feeling unable to connect with it now; perhaps feeling reminiscing of a type where one feels they had more personality and freedom. The model takes a passive role instead of participating in the game as I positioned them more to the right side of the frame; utilising the rule of thirds to communicate my idea.

Wanting some pictures just focused on the character and mask, I had the sitter centre in the photo facing directly forward. The background is aesthetic pleasing enough to not take away from the subject. The picture is relaxed shown through the use of natural lighting and the casual posture of the model. This allows viewers to observe the character and photograph for what it is in a raw and genuine perspective.

Final Pictures and Photoshop Manipulation

In photoshop, I duplicated the layer of my photograph and made the bottom layer filtered in a black and white effect. On the second layer, I heightened the vibrancy and saturation very subtly in order to extenuate the already colourful backgrounds. With a small brush, I carefully erased the character from the top layer which allowed for her monochrome version underneath to be revealed; creating a huge contrast between the subject and her environment. By visually showing the separation of the two, the various ideas of disconnection from identity and background which I had communicated in the images is further reinforced through technical aspects. This represents different struggles with life and identity that people may be facing from various places and paths of life, highlighting purposeful or forced detachment from one’s self in order to remain present and understood by others; hiding in their own thoughts and head to repressing the truth.

Identity Compositions

Multi Exposure

Double or multiple exposures in photography are an illusion created by layering images over the top of each other. This can be achieved by creating layers and then using opacity control. Artists use these techniques to explore surrealist ideas and evoke dream-like imagery or composition that explores the idea of time.

My picture

While researching Idris Khan, I was inspired by his approach to multi exposure that focuses on architecture. In his work, he layers differently positioned photographs of a building over each other in an editing software while altering their opacity so all layers are visible. After this is complete, he makes his photographs black and white with a high contrast to highlight his artistic goal of the passage of time. Due to my artistic goal being similar, I decided to create my composition based off his process and stylistic results. I visited a church during a well lit afternoon and took many photographs of the building and the environment around it; moving around and across the church for each shot. With my collection of images coming out with different angles and framing, they could easily be placed over each other in ways that would allow for each layer to be visible. After importing them all into photoshop, I took some time to toggle the opacity of each individual image until I ended up with a result that I found to be effective and that looked similar to Khan’s work. For my final edits, I made the finished composition black and white while slightly toggling the contrast. Something I noticed in my final photograph was the tone being built on the lower half of the picture. This was due to the shared and similar visuals at the bottom of my collection of photos, which were layered over each other and therefore building darkness. This is actually seen to be the case with Khan’s photographs too, which is useful in order to make my own composition look like something from his work.

Photo Montage

Photo montage work includes various types of image editing in which multiple photographs are cut up and combined to form one new image. This can involve cutting up printed images or working to manipulate photographs in photoshop. A montage is an assembly of images that relate to each other in some way to create a single work or part of a work of art.

My Picture

Using one of my discarded photos from my butterfly lighting photoshoot, I used photoshop to manipulate the face in my photograph. I was inspired by Kensuoke Koike to focus on this idea due to its simple but effective visuals. Koike works with close up photographs of faces where he selects various shapes from the image and moves or turns them across the picture. This creates the idea of disorientation and corruption in self image. Due to Koike’s motif of circles and geometric shapes within his work, I decided that on my close up photograph I would create a spiral in the middle of her face. With Koike previously creating similar works, I selected circles in the centre of the frame with them getting smaller and smaller as they reach the middle. With each shape I selected, I spun them all slightly clockwise; turning them gradually more and more as the circles get closer to the centre of the image. Finally, I edited my picture into greyscale while also sharping the shadows of the whole image in order to bring attention to the formal elements of my composition. The majority of Koike’s work also share this similar colour palette so I thought this would be another way to make a successful replica of one of his pieces.

Juxtaposition

Juxtaposition in photography is placing two images together to show contrast or similarities. It is a powerful technique that can be utilized to create visually compelling images. By purposefully placing contrasting elements within a frame, photographers can engage viewers with thought provoking compositions. These elements can vary from colours, textures, shapes, concepts and emotions.

My Picture

A photographer who peaked my interest in juxtaposition photography is Andrea Chapman. Chapman, my personal favourite photographer, is a sensitive artist who is drawn to fragile things as well as the relationship between humans and nature. This connection of nature and the human body and life is something I am interested in and keen to involve within my own work. Diptych’s, which are commonly used in Chapman’s work, are photography pieces made up of two panels that are intended to be displayed side by side. This technique is something I have used in my work due to its obvious links to juxtaposition. In Chapman’s work, I have noticed that she tends to pair together images where the tones are similar, the framing is similar and the composition of objects are similar. While I specifically chose to follow her idea thread of hands comparing to plants, these are all aspects I considered in my final picture. For my composition, I took two different photographs. I photographed my friends hand splayed out in an expressive pose against a black background. After this, I found a plant that I believed to have a similar structure of my first picture. I angled it in the same way as hand picture with the stalk going out the frame, mirroring the arms, and then took the picture on a black background as well. After I aligned the pictures next to each other with the white border, I worked on the pictures individually with some tonal adjustments. I made various saturation and colour tweaks to the photographs in order to further establish the connection between the two images with rules that Chapman follows.

Studio Lighting

Studio lighting setups give photographers the flexibility to create different looks and lighting effects in their photos. These setups have a big impact on the style and mood of images allowing the desired effects to be created. Ambient or general lighting is a necessary part of any good lighting plan because it provides an overall glow to a room, creating enough light for to move around comfortably and safely. Accent lighting creates a focal point, building upon the ambient lighting of a room by adding dimension while it can be used to draw attention to a feature. Task lighting can be provided by a variety of different sources allowing the lighting to be adjusted for a work space or chosen area. A fill light may be used to reduce the contrast of a scene and record the same amount of detail typically seen by eye.

Studio Photos

With my example photos of attempting to achieve two photography techniques, I photographed my subjects against a black background to make the outcomes more dynamic with the shadows from the artificial lighting creating visual effects on their faces as they appear to be sinking into the background void. For the Rembrandt lighting, I moved the light bank around horizontally until I was able to see a triangle of light appear on the cheek of the model. Following a similar method for my chiaroscuro photos, I directed the subject to turn her head to one side slightly to further emphasise the split lighting with one side in heavy shadow with the other in light. I photographed the subjects at a medium close up distance from the shoulders up to highlight the effects of the lighting against them.

Butterfly Lighting Photos

I took these photographs on a white background with a bright light positioned high above the subject to bring attention to her face and the shadows forming on it, especially focusing on shadows under the nose. I took a variety of differently framed photos with the model in multiple positions to show my understanding of the technique while bringing diversity to the collection of pictures.

Edited Photographs

I decided to edit my photos in black and white while also noticeably heightening the contrast of the whole picture. I did this in order to highlight the shadows in the original photographs by making them more defined and dark. This makes the photos generally more effective as it brings attention to tone and composition.

Colour Gel Experiments

Anna Atkins

Anna Atkins was an English botanist and photographer. She is often considered to be the first person to publish a book illustrated with photographic images. Some sources say that she was the first woman to create a photograph through the use of cyanotype. She popularised this method through her creation of photographs with algae.

My Cyanotype

Arnold Newman

Arnold Newman was an American photographer noted for his environmental portraits of artists and politicians. He was also known for his carefully composed still life images.

Emotional Response

This photography immediately creates a villainous and threatening atmosphere while also creating an uncomfortable sense of confrontation.

Technical

The lighting of the photo seems to be bright in the background and dark in the front while the aperture is set to have everything mostly in focus. The shutter speed is highly exposed on the lights and trains while the ISO also has a high sensitivity. The white balance reveals warm and cold tones; it is especially warm on the subjects face while he is also covered in shadows to build contrast.

Visual

The photo is shown with dark and dull colours, especially greens and brown, while the dark tones are contrasted with light throughout the top middle. The shape is symmetrical with leading lines to emphasise this. A sense of depth is created with the background in relatively deep focus. Krupp is central with pillars either side of him while he is in the foreground staring down the barrel of the lens. The repetition of the lights lead the eye to the cluttered background.

Contextual

In history, this photo was taken after the events of second world war and Jewish concentration camps. Newman was a Jewish photographer while Krupp, the subject, was a German Nazi war criminal. Highlighted by the industrial background, the photograph serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed during World War II.

Conceptual

The idea that Krupp is a sinister and cruel man is shown with him appearing as superior in the light. His own poetic justice is shown by making him seem as evil as possible. Making Krupp lean forward to create this, shadows are cast on his face as he appears directly menacing to viewers.

Environmental Photography

An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment such as in their home or workplace. They typically illuminate the subject’s life and surroundings. Environmental portrait photography is the art of taking pictures that can be used to tell a person‘s story by its connection to a certain place. This connection often reflects the message that the environmental portrait photographer wants the viewer to receive.

August Sander

August Sander was a German portrait and documentary photographer who is best known for his environmental portraits. The subjects in his photos would always be surrounded by the environmental that they work in so their occupation was clear to viewers. Sander’s goal was to consciously define people within a particular field of time with his attempt to honestly tell the truth about age and people. Typologies, which Sander uses in his work, are collections of work that visually explore a theme or subject to draw out similarities and differences for examination.

Photoshoot Plan

Contact Sheet

Final Pictures with Subtle Edits

This picture is taken of my Dad where he is in his bedroom after work, the place he usually unwinds after a long day. I wanted to take this picture due to the genuine connection he has with the setting and where my Dad is the most natural and free. Due to the intimate background, this picture feels very invasive as if we have caught the subject at a time and place he does not want to be disturbed. This is enhanced by the subjects stare into the lens.

This photo is of my Mum as he is in our family Garden. I chose to photograph her here as the garden is a place which she puts a lot of effort and time into; creating an area she can be proud of. I decided to have the subject crouched and looking at the ground for this specific image to give the impression she is a more inferior character. Due to the garden acting as a trophy of my Mum’s work, she does not address the camera as she seems more aside as if she is letting the environment have a bigger focus.

I photographed my friend in the school canteen due to us and our other close friends spending the majority of our days and time in here while in similar positions captured in the photo. Using the rule of thirds to highlight this, I have captured the sitter in a position where she appears to be in her own thoughts. Despite this, her eyes and face are still visible to the camera so we can get a sense of what is happening in her mind.

To contrast my other photographs, I wanted to capture a dramatic and stylistic shot of one of my subjects to present in juxtaposition with my other typologies. By photographing my friend backwards and fallen on the stairs, I was able to capture Sophia’s inner opinions of this setting by presenting them on the outside. The subject is making direct eye contact with the camera creating a sense of confrontation as if the viewer is the reason she is in the state she is in. This picture feels almost creepy as the subjects facial emotions do not correspond to the dramatic position that is clearly evident.

By photographing Rodrigo in this field, it acts as an homage to where we usually spend time. This area has a significance to him which is why I wanted to shoot these photos with him here. With the foggy background contrasting the vibrant grass, I thought this made an effective composition with the subject central and taking up an appropriate amount of room within the photo. The photo is very naturalistic and candid as the subject appears to be caught of guard.

Final Composition

For my final display, I lined my best photographs up in a grid; arranging them in order of the colour wheel based on the predominate colours seen within each individual photos. This was to show intention and the different typologies I created. Contrasting the bold use of colour, I settled for a gray background. I presented these five images specifically to highlight variety within the photographs, mirroring the variety and difference within all five of the models lives.

Formal Elements

A visual element is any characteristic that can been seen in a photograph. This can include, line, shape, space, repetition, texture, colour and tone.

Jaroslav Rossler

My paper experiments

Jaroslav Rossler is a photographer who works with paper to create interesting formal elements in his work. This is achieved by the folding and cutting of paper to create shapes. His work includes a lot of tone which I tried to build in my own paper images by photographing my designs on white and black backgrounds. I also created the visual noise seen in Rossler’s photos by turning up my cameras ISO when shooting my photographs. This helped to create grain and texture within my pictures. I believe that my photos taken on the black background were more effective due to the stronger creation of space within the photos. The negative space may have also been enhanced by a more harsh and artificial light as opposed to the natural light I used in my shoot.

Gradient Overlay Experimentation

Final Edits and Presentation

For my final composition, I worked with my photos on the black background due to them being more successful. This worked well as it allowed me to create a triptych display. I altered my pictures to have the sepia effect which is seen in Rossler’s work. I also adjusted the green colour balance of my images to make them more accurate to his work’s colour palette. To display my photographs, I arranged them in a purple grid as this is a harmonious colour to the sepia tone and therefore does the images more justice. This also helps to add my own flare in comparison to my very Rossler based work. As well as colour edits, I worked on creating more dramatic value by upping the contrast and exposure of the photos in photoshop. The use of leading lines also helps to highlight the dark and light tones.

Guy Bourdin

Guy Bourdin was a French artist and fashion photographer known for his highly stylised and provocative images. His work focusing on unique and detailed texture is interesting due to the visual noise and desaturated effects it presents.

My Texture Photoshoot

Best and Edited Photos

For my photographs, I tried to include some aspects of Bourdin’s composition including zooming into interesting textures to where an object becomes unrecognisable. With a few of my images, I focused on creating the broken effects that are shown in his work as I believe this visual is effective. I mostly focused on photographing natural forms and street found objects in order to show a variety of colour in my contact sheet. I also cropped my images into squares to really bring attention to the formal elements within my photographs. These elements were also highlighted in my edits of my best photos. This was mainly due to the contrast and clarity adjustments that helped to show shape within the photographs.

Photo Manipulation

In this phase of experimentation, I used the polygonal lasso tool on photoshop to manipulate my images into various triangular shapes where I then contrasted them against a dark background to show negative space. Furthermore, I stuck with a specific and light toned colour palette to make the image fragments harmonious with each other. The repetition of shape compliments the three photos I have worked with and further emphasises the formal elements of the composition. The sharp lines also help to create a contrasting abstract visual to the original subjects.

Final Presentation

I decided to display 6 photographs together in a grid as I discovered that these few worked nicely together as a collection. While editing the pictures individually, I chose to edit them in a black and white filter which I pulled from the desaturated effects of Bourdin’s work. I focused on creating harsh shadows and definition in my photos in order to make the contrast and texture of the images really dramatic. For the display, I stuck with the monotone visuals and went for a plain black background. This allows for a simple and non-distractive presentation where the photos can be focused on and attention is not drawn away from them. I chose to display pictures that created a sense of decay and wreckage due to the visual elements that are shown; this is also in reference to Bourdin.

ISO Definition

ISO is the number that represents how sensitive your camera is to light. A lower ISO value means there is less sensitivity to light and more light needed when taking a photo. On the other hand, a higher ISO means there is more sensitivity and less light needed to take a photo.​ This can affect the visual noise of an image, meaning the graininess of a photograph. High ISO is often used in low light situations, especially when a fast shutter speed or a narrow lens aperture is essential to achieving a creative goal.

My ISO Experiments

The Meaning of Shutter Speed

In photography, shutter speed is the length of time that the film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light when taking a photograph. The amount of light that reaches the film or image sensor is equal to the exposure time. 1/500 of a second will let half as much light in as 1/250. In addition to its effect on exposure, the shutter speed changes the way movement appears in photographs. Very short shutter speeds can be used to freeze fast moving subjects while very long shutter speeds are used to intentionally blur a moving subject for effect.

Eadweard Muybridge – Fast Shutter Speeds

Muybridge was challenged to settle the old dispute about whether all four of a horse’s legs are off the ground at one time during a gallop. In 1872, he took a single image of a trotting horse with all hooves aloft. But his eventual solution was to capture moving objects with a camera capable of a shutter speed as brief as 1/1000 of a second.

Hiroshi Sugimoto – Slow Shutter Speeds

Sugimoto has spoken of his work as an expression of ‘Time Exposed’ which serves as a time capsule for a series of events in time. Sugimoto often uses large format cameras and long exposure times to capture light behaving in expected but controlled ways.

Harold Edgerton – Fast Shutter Speeds

In 1950, Edgerton worked with Herbert Grier and Kenneth Germeshausen to design a camera shutter device devoid of mechanical components. This allowed the exposure times for his photographs to be taken at four to ten millionths of a second.

Francesca Woodman – Slow Shutter Speeds

Woodman uses slow shutter speeds and double exposure when photographing so that she can actively feature in her own work. This also meant that she could capture different stages of movement in a way that could trace the pattern of time. As a result, her images are blurred which suggests motion and urgency.

My Shutter Speed Photographs

Camera Obscura

The camera obscura is a natural phenomenon where rays of light pass through a small hole and into a dark space, forming an image where they strike a surface. This results in an inverted and reversed projection of the view outside. Because this is an act of nature, it is hard to pinpoint its exact origins in photography.

Nicephore Niepce

Nicephore Niepce was the first person who utilised the camera obscura to make an image permanent. In 1826, he first managed to fix an image that was captured with a camera, but because at least eight hours of exposure was needed, his earliest results were very crude. 

Henry Fox Talbot

The process of a photogenic drawing, which Henry Fox Talbot discovered, uses a sheet of writing paper coated in salt and a solution of silver nitrate. He discovered that this paper would darken in the sun and wherever an object would block the light would remain white. In 1835, he then went on to create ‘Mouse Trap’ cameras where this light sensitive paper would be placed into the wooden box and left in front of the subject photographed for several hours to expose. The paper was later treated with chemicals to stabilise the image. 

Daguerreotype

Invented by Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre in 1839, a daguerreotype is a unique image on a silvered copper plate. They were very detailed but heavy and fragile. Unlike Talbot’s process, Daguerre’s images were one-offs and therefore could not produce multiple reproductions of the original image.

Richard Maddox

Richard Maddox invented lightweight gelatin negative plates for photography in 1871. The advantages of this process were that photographers could now use commercial dry plates off the shelf rather than having to prepare everything themselves. These photos also did not have to be developed immediately. 

George Eastman

In 1879, George Eastman obtained a patent on his plate-coating machine where he later sold manufactured dry plates to the public. He made sure his business had mass production at a low cost and would later have worldwide distribution. After eventually announcing the roll of film in 1883, he created the company ‘Kodak’. 

Kodak (Brownie)

The roll of film became the basis for the first Kodak camera, the ‘Brownie’, which was a basic box camera with a single lens. Users received the preloaded camera, took their photographs and then returned it to Kodak where they would develop the film, print the photos and reload the camera with new film before returning it to the customer. 

Digital photography

Russell Kirsch developed the first program computer where he managed to build a drum scanner that allowed him to make the first digital images. In 1969, Willard Boyle and George Smith developed a charge-coupled device and later discovered that if you pair this device with something photosensitive it can become a camera sensor. In 1972, the first digital colour photograph was published.