Week 10 - Time and the Image

So I decided to use digital to shoot my final image, as time was constricted with having a film project running also, I would of preferred film as I haven't had as much practice using this format.

I wanted to convey movement in the image and a sense of speed, so a long exposure was necessary I went out to shoot some cyclists against the bright lights of the city, whilst out I saw a few classic motorbikes I thought this was much more interesting than a regular old bicycle.

I like the the colour range in this image, I would of preferred a slightly more dynamic angle, the composition could of been worked more. I particularly like the subject as he is almost a silhouetted with little hints of metallic.

 I lightly Edited this image increasing the contrast and adjusting the curves slightly.

Week 10 - Time and the Image - Research

In this brief we were asked to produce a A3 print of either an analogue or a digital process that conveys time within an image. Within this we have a choice of technically showing the process of time or conceptually. We Also have to explore narrative either a non linear narrative or linear narrative.

In this post I have decided to show some of my research to concluded how I reached my final idea for this brief, firstly I look at Hiroshi Sugimoto is considered the master of showing time within an image he series entitled 'Theatres' involved photographing old American movie palaces and drive-ins with a folding 4x5 camera and tripod, opening his camera shutter and exposing the film for the duration of the entire feature-length movie. In the image below he has managed to capture a very active air space along with the white out screen of the long expoure of the movie screen.

 Another Photographer famed for this use of long exposures is Alexey Titarenko he paints a bitter picture of  Russia, where people live in a world of unrealized hopes and where time seems to have stopped.

Week 9 - Narrative

In our lecture this morning we watched a Clip from Donny Darko, this exercise was to help us gain understanding of Narrative. We watched a directors cut and were asked to take notes on it and try and dissect it to try and understand what the directors intentions were on telling this story.

 After watching the clip I made some notes, I noticed that the sequence was running backwards and the grid over the screen seemed to imply time travel, I also noted that a lot of the shot's would work well as still images

These scenes stood out especially for me, as the whole sequence had hardly any dialogue, so rested on the strength of actors and the music which was more than enough to carry it off.

Week 7/8 - Image Process

In this unit we were asked to choose a image from a photographer that interests us, we were given a Image template and a rough guide as to what should be included in the information section of the template.

I choose an image form Gregory Crewdon's 'Twilight' series, his work has always been a great mystery to me so I thought this would be a great time to find out what processes he goes through to achieve such magnificent results.

                      Hanging The Image Processes Exhibition

Week 6 - London Trip

The London trip was great we got to see some amazing portraits at the National Portrait Gallery, including the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize 2012. My favourite image would have to be one to come fourth by Alma Haser. Entitled 'The Ventriloquist' the composition is very beautifully put together and I think that and the mood of the images draws me to it.

 Also showing at the gallery was the Marilyn Monroe: A British Love Affair. This included Photographs and magazine covers from 1947 to 1962 celebrating the transformation of the world’s most popular pin-up to acclaimed actress.Some of the pieces within the gallery were very rare and were a pleasure to view.

We also made a visit to PhotoAutomat an art installation in Hoxton, it's a old photobooth that uses black and white processing chemicals, it's was only £3.00 per go and the results were wonderful.

Week 5 - Photoshop Montage

In this project we were to photograph our personal effects in the studio, since I missed this lesson I was asked to use a flatbed scanner. After mixed results I decided to use more digital images that represent me rather than things I own. The things I care about and things that represent who I am can't really be put in a flat bed scanner.

I used a photograph of my 70's A1 Canon analogue camera, a scanned copy of Vice 'The Syria Issue', a scanned copy of a photobooth image of my boyfriend and I, a screenshot from the movie V for Vendetta and a image from google images of an America Unnamed drone firing a missile.

I experimented a lot with different Layer Styles and and did a lot of blending between layers. I also played around with selective tools.

Week 3 - Pinhole Research

                 What is a Pinhole Camera?

A pinhole camera is a simple camera without a lens and a single small aperture, effectively a light proof box with a small hole in one side, light from the scene passes through the single point and projects an inverted image on the opposite side of the box.

                   6  Month Pinhole Camera Tutorial


                               

 Above is instructions from Justin himself on how to make a 6 month long pinhole camera, our class has been very lucky to have Justin teaching us the art of pinhole as he is an expert in these matters and makes all sorts of weird and wonderful experiments with his pinholes, below we see a 110 film shot start from his mouth!

Week 2 - Pinhole Photography (Cream Cracker Pinhole Camera)

This is another lesson I was unfortunate to miss, due to being enrolled on Fashion with Photography at the time. Although I missed this lesson in particular I did mange to make it to the next session where Justin Quinnell was teaching us the fundamentals of  Pinhole Photography, this time using a Cream cracker as the hole.

                                                                     (Cream Cracker Pinhole camera results)

To make a cream cracker pinhole, you will need a cereal box, photographic paper, gaffer tape, flash guns and of course a cream cracker!

Once assembled we headed to the darkroom to take advantage of the darkness for this particular shot, we held the camera in front of a student's face and asked two other students to hold a flash gun each at the side of the students face, after a count of three we exposed the image for a second or two. We when back out into the light, removed the photographic paper. We could see the negative image and with our mobile phone cameras we captured the negative with a negative filter, the results was amazing!

                                  (This this the negative of the image above that we photographed and inverted using our mobile phones)

Week 2 - Deadpan Photography

Charlotte Cotton's book "The photograph as Contemporary Art"  helped me understand the meaning of 'deadpan photography' She describes "the deadpan aesthetic" as "a cool, detached and keenly sharp type of photography, what can be seen in a glance,  is the seeming emotional detachment and command on the part of the photographer"

Photographers like Rineke Dijkstra's use deadpan in portraiture her subjects are usually posed with them conveying little emotion and the photographer works documenting reality rather than manipulating the subject, lighting or background.

The deadpan aesthetic is not limited to portraits however, Photographers like Andreas Gursky, whom Cotton identifies as the "figurehead of contemporary deadpan photography. Gursky makes wall size photos of interiors, landscapes and cityscapes.

Two of the most influential photographers in deadpan photography were a couple by the name of Bernd and Hilla Becher they helped shape deadpan photography into what it is today.

Week 1 - Wet Collodion process

Unfortunately I was not on this course when the Wet Collodion workshops took place, I was enrolled on to another course at the time. I am very interested in the process so I did my own research on it, although not having the specialist equipment available to carry out any practical work on this unit, I have included a brief history of Wet Collodion Process and some photographs I found whilst researching this practice.

The Process was invented by Frederick Scott Archer and introduced in the 1850's and by the end of the decade it had almost entirely replaced the Daguerreotype invented by Louis Daguerre, mostly due to the speed which Wet Plate could be exposed, seconds rather than minutes.

Wet plate is still used to this day with Photographers like Sally Mann choosing to use this format regularly.


                                          Sally Mann (Self Portraits 2006)