The conversation
Paul M Smith
Paul M Smith explored the conventions of a group photo, a group photo includes a group of people in a photo conveying the codes of behaviour at that point in time. He changed the convention by using one person to make up the group photo. This makes the photo less spontaneous as it is the same person posing for pre-decided behaviours. He focused on a lads night out and a team photo in the early 1990s, as shown below.
Our task was to use photoshop to create the same effect Paul M Smith does with his team and night out photos. With the aim to illustrate the codes and conventions of our school life that are shown on a regular basis, and challenge them. To get to grips with the photoshop skill, we first had the task of creating the image with 'the conversation' images given to us. My outcome is shown below.
The people are well placed in the photo and the outlines of their shapes can hardly be seen, making it seem as they have not been placed into the photo and were already in the frame when taken. However the use of photoshop is evident in some places, such as on the left hand figure, areas of his outline were unable to be rubbed out. Similarly the legs under the table in the back figure are just a bit off from where they should be resting on the stall.
Our task continued in us using our own pictures to create the group photo, I needed to take a picture of the blank background and then four with the same person in different positions. I tired to take photos portraying a classic school conversation after the weekend. Friends telling each other about their weekend adventures. I used a tripod in the same position to take each photo, so that when I layered them the background would be in the same place each time.
In order to create the effect, I first had to use the background layer as the base of the photo. I then placed one of the images with the people in, i went from the furthest person from the camera to the one closest, this was to avoid any overlapping of people behind being in front. I put the photo of the person in the back on top of the background, making sure they were in line with one another. Then i outlined the figure with the lasso tool and then inverted the selection. Once inverted i refined the edges with the feather to make the edges softer. Next i used the backspace button on the keyboard to delete the background, after i altered the exposure levels so the edges would blend in with the background. I then repeated this with all the figures. Lastly i mask layered the photos so that i could rub out the edges that did not fit in with the background.
Due to me photographing into light the photo detail and colour was lost a bit. In addition around some of the figures the mask layering was not completely done, as in the figure in the front kneeling down her outline is still quite clear, and in other cases the mask layering was done too much, as in figure standing on the left her foot has been rubbed outa bit too much. These make the photo look less realistic. I tried to convey a weekend storytelling, through the group conversation. It highlights the different responses different people may have, however these could have been more exaggerated. Never the less the photo works well in portraying the codes of behaviour and conventions that may be seen in a classic school conversation.
For homework our task was to portray the conventions and codes of behaviour at home. I used my aunt to illustrate a night in after a long day at work. I used a tripod to steady my camera so that the pictures backgrounds would all be in the same position. I took the photos using a high aperture to get the detail of the background and used flash, this was so that light could get through the lens to take the photo with the high aperture as it was night time when taking these photos so not much light was in the frame originally. I took a photo of the background and then one with her in four different positions.
The conveys a typical night in compared to Paul M Smith, who portrays a typical night out, reading a magazine, having a beer, lighting candles and just relaxing. The flash worked well in highlighting the shadows of the figures, making them more 3D than looking like they had just been cut out and pasted into the photo. Making it seem more realistic. The areas around the figures blend with the background in nearly all areas again adding to its realism, however in the right hand figure sitting down, around the cup there is a small altercation. Moreover, the back figure is slightly blurred around the head area, as she was wobbling when the photo was taken.
Andreas Gursky exhibition, Retrospective
Andreas Gursky is a German photographer who is interested in the 80's documentary style photography and how the world is put together. His photos are often taken from high vantage points and are highly detailed, allowing us to see what our perception is limited to. His photos are said to be about global capitalism and are meant to be metaphors for cultural attitudes at the time. Gursky focuses on the documentation, sharpness, lines and perception in his photos, these themes are clearly shown in his photos below. He does not want to portray reality but show us what is behind it, leaving his photos up to our own interpretations, not wanting to give away its mystery.
He first started taking pictures using a film camera and then moved to taking them digitally and editing them by photoshop, to create situations and landscapes that don't actually exist in real life. Sometimes this was done by patching photos together and other times by photoshop. For example in the first photo it is created by many different photos brought together, he wanted everything to be in focus so all the detail could be seen, and so he patched the photos together to create the one above. Allowing us to see everything in focus when looking at the situation, which our perception would not allow. In the second photo he has create a landscape that doesn't actually exist, it looks more like an abstract painting than a photo. As he has photoshopped the people out and create these layers of green and metallic silver. Turning a simple green space into a mysterious environment which could be marvelled at for hours. In the last photo he moved away from home (pervious), to japan to photograph neutrons and subatomic particles. Making something so industrial, seem so vast, peaceful and pretty.
Photos around London
After our visit to Andreas Gursky's exhibition we walked back to waterloo station and took photos along our way. While taking photos we were to keep in mind the theme of secrets, codes and conventions.
I took photos that I thought conveyed some type of secret, code or convention. For example I took photos of signs and maps for which conveyed codes of rules and socially accepted codes we follow everyday. For conventions it took photos of lights, as a convention in photograph is to have the light behind the camera not in front. Moreover for secrets I looked for hidden things and ones that looked out of place, for example the hidden messages in the street art.
The first two photos are linked to the theme of conventions in photography, the first challenges the conventions of the beauty of photography by photographing a subject that usually has negative connotations and not seen as something worth photographing. However the arrangement of the cigarette ends around the dark stones creates a visually interesting photo. The second photo questions the conventions of photo taking, as it was taken with flash and a low ISO, this was to get the colour of the lights to be prominent and contrast with the black background the low ISO created. However the focus on the lights are too softly focused and so the detail is not strong as it could be. The third photo is linked to the theme of codes, I thought it linked due to the orange X. The photos detail is very clear, making the viewer look at every detail as if for them to try and spot the hidden codes. The last three link the theme of secrets, the first of a locked padlock indicating mysteries hidden within, the second is of a hidden pigeon watching over, lastly the third is of a spay painted over box as if to hid it so it blends in to the background.
Whitechapel art gallery
I visited the Whitechapel art gallery to view its exhibitions, there were about three different ones on, but the one that interested me the most was of Mark Dion, (Some parts are shown below). His exhibition was on the Theatre of the Natural World, it was presented in a very scientific, documentary way like would be expected in museums. Mark Dion is an American artist as well as an explorer, collector and activist. He travelled through rainforests and rubbish dumps in order to find evidence for his exhibition of life on earth, his evidence being manmade and natural to portray the whole environment.
These were the three main parts of Dion's exhibition all in separate galleries. The first links us to living things, the second to the ghosts of animals and instruments and the third to manmade artifacts lost long ago. The first is a large bird cage which visitors were able to enter, it contained 22 small birds, a central apple tree (referencing the tree of life), and over 600 books along with some paintings and other items. All which were linked to the study of birds, the environment, literature and the natural sciences. The second photo is of the next gallery, it was to do with the study for surrealism and its legacy. Its main attraction was a large cabinet in which u could open and look what was inside. It consisted of items that had been dig up from the Thames, many different things were displayed from human teeth to tape recorders. Dion set it up in the same way the British museum does with its artifacts in these large cabinets, in the hope to document life so far. The last display was found in the last gallery, it displayed many extinct animals which glow in the dark (this light green colour), similar to how ancient artifacts would look and be displayed.
Hidden from normal view
Giles Coulon
Giles Coulon created the project 'White Night' over a period of four years. He photographed various light bulbs in different places around the world. His photos invite the viewer to imagine the atmosphere around the spot lit areas he captures. The simple focus on the light bulbs gives the viewer something familiar to connect with, while he transports them into mysterious, hidden and unfamiliar atmospheres. Whether the photo is in a familiar setting of a car park, or in a remote area down a hidden alley, the focus of the light bulb sheds a whole new light on something familiar.
Our task was to take photos of places hidden from normal view like alleyways, garages, carparks and the back of shops. The aim of the photos we took were to give the viewer an insight into an unseen world, through the light, colour, texture etc. To create a certain atmosphere in the photos. I went to brink lane as it has lots of back alleyways and photographed what I found hidden away. The photos mainly focus on detailed hidden artwork. I focused on this as finding these pretty pieces of art hidden away, some even next to rubbish piles, highlights the idea of an unseen forgotten world, hidden in the most unexpected places.
All the photos were taken with a high aperture at an attempt to try and capture the detail in the photos. In the first and second I was trying to focus on the atmosphere the colours created. They both created a colourful world the first more gentle than the second which is richer due to the golden colours. Both transporting the viewer to bright and lively worlds. The first ones colours complement each other and the second works well in filling the frame however could have been a bit brighter, the high aperture meant less light was coming in. The third portrays a dirtier more closed off atmosphere, due to the rubbish and bars. However due to the angle this time we are not in the world but observing from the outside, through the bars. The next is a bit too noisy however works in showing the different hidden things you can find down alleys. The last two photos show a more hidden festival atmosphere, due to the subtle detail. The bottom of a lamppost painted and at the top attached a festival light. Both demonstrate well the small hidden details that make alter the atmosphere of the area and entertain out imaginations.
Colour fields
Grant Simon Rogers
Grant Simon Rogers did a series of photos called trees in which he broke the convention of using direct flash at night, and focuses on the foreground of the image. In doing this he creates an effect that can not exist naturally, as there is not naturally lighting that could create these effects. His intention is to bring forward the colour and texture in highlighting small aspects of the landscape, while leaving the background in mysterious darkness. Grant Simon Rogers is also know for challenging himself make a photo only using the camera and little post processing on the computer. He focuses very much on the photographer making the photo and the camera only capturing it.
Our task was to use a low ISO and the flash setting on our cameras at night to try and create a similar effect that Grant Simon Rogers does in his photos. When photographing my subjects I looked for flowers which would capture the colour and texture of them. Instead of Rogers I focused on isolated flowers instead of fields of them, so that the darkness of the background would really contrast with the lit up foreground which portrayed the colour and texture of the flowers.
Like Rogers I used minimal post processing on my images, all I used was levels and sharpening in photoshop in order to enhance the colour and texture of the flowers. In the first photo the golden colour of the plant contrasts nicely with the complete darkness in the background, drawing focus to the detail of the plant. However it seems to be a bit out of focus. The second photo works well in isolating the subject and highlighting the colour of the red and green leaves. Although the photo is too empty and could have been better if it zoomed in closer on the red and green colour. The third highlights the texture of the branches and proximity of them, creates these layers of the plant, due to the colour of the red being in in the back it turned the bright red into a more serious deep red which adds to the mystery behind the foreground. The flash in the forth photo beautifully brings out both the texture and colour of the flower which feels like its coming out of the image i.e gives it a 3D effect. Which contrasts nicely to the simple brown stick fading into the back. The next photo looks asif its hovering adding to the mystery however the plant is not highlighted enough. The last photo works well in both colour and texture, the white contrasts nicely with the darkness and negative space drawing all attention onto the flower.
Glitch
Mathieu St-Pierre
Mathieu St-Pierre is a Canadian experimental visual artist who is most famously known for his glitch art, some examples are shown below. He was inspired by a lifelong passion of cinema, he refined his passion to focus on the creative medium of digital glitches and generative art. He mainly glitched pictures of peoples portraits, the idea was to use digital techniques in a way which would question the forms and traditions of how it is usually used. He done it through data corruption to create pixelations, interruptions and glitches that would make the outcome better than the original. In order to show that beauty can be shown in things we usually would discard as being a mistake.
Our task was to alter our portraits we had taken through different data corruptions to create photos like Mathieu St-Pierre, which would question the forms and traditions of how digital techniques are normally used to edit photos. Eg. in Photoshop. We were to present the original photo next to the edited photo, to compare the difference in them and how the edit changes the conventions of the original photo and atmosphere of it.
Using Audacity
The first way we used digital techniques to alter the photo was by using the programme Audacity.
First we had to import the photo as raw data and it appeared as a track as shown in the slide above. In order to glitch the image you must select part of the track and apply an effect onto it. I did this with multiple areas of the track and applied different effects. I only used effects from the first section of the list, some that I used were Wahwah, Phaser, Invert, Reverse and echo. The effects could only been seen on the image once it was exported. I tried it twice on two different photos using different effects on various areas of the track. The outcomes are shown below next to the original photos.
Audacity worked well in presenting the glitch in multiple ways, making the outcome unexpected one offs each time. The first one works well in sectioning off the different effects, how the face is green but the background red and bottom grey. The sectioning off of the image draws the viewer in on all the different details, it also creates an effect for the image that wouldn't of been possible to portray in the original image. The second glitch created lovely patterns and colours, however may have been better on the top half of the image, covering the eyes instead of mouth to add to the mystery of the image. The last glitch worked well in being unique to any of the others, in the sense that the actual image below was shifted. This effects adds so much more detail to the original simple portrait. The thin separated lines work well in not covering up too much of the detail, allowing the viewer to still be able to unpick the detail within.
Using Textedit
The next way we used digital techniques to alter the photo was by using the programme textedit.
Textedit opened the photo as a coded script unlike audacity, which opened it as a track. Again the end product was not visible until the photo had been exported. Deleting parts of the script and adding in different texts glitched the finally outcome of the image, as shown in the slides chucks of text could be deleted and/or added in to change the coding of the photo. The outcomes of doing this are shown below.
I used textedit in the same way both times, but due to selecting different parts and deleting, replacing or adding, two very different effects were produced. The first photo creates a more emotional and serious feel due to the blue tint and specific blocked sections. Whereas the second gives off a more mellow and confused feeling due to the yellow tint and many sections. Both work well in using the glitch effect to portray something different to the original. However it may have been interesting to see what the image would look like with the tops if the image glitched too.
Using dark room
The last way in which we glitched the portraits were in the dark room. The portray was inverted and printed out on acetate paper, as shown in the first photo below. We first did a test trip to test what the best exposure time would be, I chose mine to be around 3 seconds so that the contrast and detail in the image could be shown. The first print was done normally but the edges of the paper were outside the frame of the light that was exposing the paper. This created a black border around the image as shown in the second photo below. In the third photo shown below it was exposed normally, however instead of putting it straight into the developer, I drizzled it onto the paper waited a few seconds and then put it into the developer and proceed the process as normal. Drizzling the developer on gave it this rubbed out effect.
The exposure length on both photo worked well in highlighting he detail and contour in the image. The first outcome worked well in pin pointing the focus of the image onto the subject in the middle of the page. The border created by the light further pinpoints the focus. This outcome could have been better if the border also worked on the bottom strip of the image, not just the sides and top. The next outcome worked well in creating a one off effect, like what Mathieu St-Pierre was interested in doing. The rubbed out effect made by the developer being drizzled on. creates a hidden beauty in the image and adds a mysterious element to it.
Hidden beauty, perfection in the imperfect
Irving Penn
Penn evolved his approach to still life over decades starting from the 1930's. He photographed everyday objects in studio conditions in order to give them a contextual purpose in art. In his series Cigarettes, he found these everyday discarded items on the street floors and challenged the conventions of art by photographing them in studio conditions, and making them a symbol of the contemporary culture. He made something so widely consumed and discarded have artist value and beauty.
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Sam Mendes
Mendes is an English director stage and film director, in his film American Beauty, there is a scene (as shown above) which similar to Penn 's art gives everyday discarded objects beauty. He gives a simply plastic bag such life, context and purpose in the world, emphasising its beauty, innocence and purity. Here he is highlighting the idea that there is beauty everywhere not just in the things that are conventional found to be beautiful, but everywhere, we just need to look deeper.
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Our task was to take a series of images of everyday objects in studio conditions, to look deeper and beyond the imperfections so that the beauty could be seen. While doing so we were to think about the lighting colour of background and to shot in black and white and colour. So in taking my photos I used a white background as it worked well in documenting them and shot some in black and white and some in colour. However I preferred the colour. I photographer everyday discarded objects in my house.
I used flash and a high aperture to really try and capture the detail and beauty in the objects. The first works well in documenting the beauty as burnt out old cigarette ends, as the white background contrasts with the square black box. The pile of cigarette ends in all different directions creates a deeper atmosphere to the objects that would not be seen just by looking at the ashtray everyday in a room. The second arrangement of bottle lids, colour and closeness in the image work well in making the viewer focus on the purpose of the image. Lastly the third image links more to Mendes than Penn, as it focuses on an abstract beauty in one of the most discarded objects. The crunched up shape, water droplets and aesthetic of bright blue and white really create an atmosphere for the bottles and image. That would not have been possible without the studio condition.
Compromises - Mariah Robertson
Most photographers will discard any photos that come out with dust marks, light leaks and scratches, as they are traditionally seen as disrupting the reality in their images. However some take advantage of these unexpected blemishes to create something different and unique. Mariah Robertson, in her work of 11 certainly takes advantage of this. She uses the photographic paper in the dark room to create her unique prints. She does this by places objects directly onto the paper and exposing them, dripping or painting chemicals onto the paper, and exposing it to coloured gels and other lights. She even presents her prints in a unique way, on one long role of paper which might double on top of itself or hang from the ceilings. What she liked about this process was the uncertainty of what the end product would look like.
Our task was to use the photos form the hidden beauty section and create prints in the dark room similar to Mariah Robertson. We were to do this by using different techniques in developing, exposing and colours on old photographic paper. This would lead to an unexpected outcome.
I choose my cigarette image from above to use on acetate in the darkroom (acetate in first image above). On the first attempt I exposed and developed as normal, but stuck tape around the image to create a rough boarder for the image. After developing I dried the image and the applied bleach onto the tape, this gave it the purple colour which worked well is showing the boarder. I also put blue yellow and green paint onto the image. The second was exposed as normal and had tape places in the purple lines shown due to the bleach. However in developing I drizzled on the developer and then placed the image into it. This one had no colour added, only bleach, as shown on tape and the white patch is where the beach got rid of the detail. The last image was exposed normally the had developer drizzled and then exposed again creating this contrast of dark drizzled on developer and light brown developer. After put into the developer again, once process done I applied bleach on the tape and the different coloured paints, but they did not show up, this was fine because the image already has nice pastel colours in it. The one that best portrays the image is the first and the most experimental and uncertain was the last.
Three strand development
For my three strands I decided to explore different subjects that might link to the theme secrets, codes and conventions. So I decided my three strands would be of architecture, objects and nature.
First strand: Conventions in architecture (Rome - London)
This links to the theme of conventions as in this strand I am going to explore the different ways in which ancient Roman and modern English architecture are built, this strand is a comparison strand which documents how the conventions and codes in architecture have changed and developed over the many years. Its also interesting to see that Rome still has all its ruins (made of stone) and London has practically none, and is mainly made out of glass.
Bernd and Hilla Becher
Bernd and Hilla Becher were a married couple who did there work together. They photographed disappearing industrial architecture in various countries. They were fascinated in the similar shapes certain buildings were designed in, they wanted the focus of the photo to be purely on the structure of the buildings and so they excluded any details that may distract the viewers focus. Their photos were usually presented in a grid with similar buildings so that they could be compared in structure, function or age. They were documentary photographers who wanted to portray the world in a contextual way.
Bernd and Hilla Becher's work was done over many years in order to portray the differences in buildings and the deconstruction of them. I wasn't able to capture the deconstruction of any buildings and so I focused on comparing similar shaped and structured buildings. A set from Rome (as there buildings are older and build more out of stone) and a set from London (built generally out of glass). This would contrast the material of the architecture and so there age but draw comparisons between there form and structure. Highlighting that although the conventions in materials we use has changed, the conventions and codes of architecture may have not.
I choose to present all the Rome pictures on the left and all the London ones on the right in the order I thought nest compared similar structures of building from both places. Done in a grid way similar to the Becher's. I decided to keep the colour of the images and not put in black and white as they do, so that the stone and glass could be compared. In general the Roman buildings have a grander structure than the London ones, as seen in photos two, three and four. The Coliseum in the second photo seems so much more spacious compared to the second London where all the buildings are squashed together. Similarly the third Rome has a greater presents than the Gherkin, however this may be due to the angle and negative space. The last two photos work best In comparing the structure of the buildings. The first of the last two both have a grad building behind a tall piece of architecture. This shows the convention and codes of architecture have not differed so much over the years or world. This is also true for the last photo, focus of the similar structure of the hole letting the light through is focused on in comparing the photos. Here the viewer can also focus on the age of the buildings as the Rome has clearly lost parts of its original structure, further emphasising just how little has change in the hundred of years.
Strand 2: Rust
In this second strand I wanted to look at the secrets decaying objects hold, in particular the secrets in rust and its hidden beauty, this also questions the conventions of beauty in society. Rust is usually seen as when an object is at the end of its life and old, but I wanted to portray the beauty and secrets the rust itself adds to the object, hidden under its different layers, colours and how uniqueness.
Mark Dion
One of Mark Dion's projects was a Thames dig in which he collected items from the Thames and documented them in a large old fashioned cabinet. He was focusing on the natural and historical content of the items, when categorises them in the cabinet he did not do it by anything to do with their history i.e their age, but only by what they were eg all the bones together. He was careful in doing this as he wanted people to create their own stories for the items, and uncover their mystery and secret alone. Giving us an open ended and poetic way to interpretation, questioning the code of historical and scientific classification.
I took photos of objects that had been rust or have natural decay on them this was in order to portray the secrets they hold, I did close up photos so that the focus is on the object and detail of the decay not the environment it was found in, also so that like Dion I gave no historical background of the items and so the viewers imagination is left to wonder why such items were left for so long. I photographed bigger items that Dion and so it was harder to take them out of the outdoors and into a studio condition to document them.
The first photo works well in showing how the weather and nature have stained and corroded the paintwork. The colours complement each other as they are all dull. The second photo again shows the different effects of weathering on the paint and materials, the different sections are clearly shown due to the variations in colour. However the image is a bit too bright and so it lacks a sort of seriousness to it. The contrast of the white paint and brown rust in the third photo suggest a struggle for life in the object as it gets taken over by the rust. The nature in the background adds to this tension between the nature taking over manmade objects left behind, like the items fallen to the bottom of the Thames. Despite the effect it adds the photo is quite blurry and pixelated. The next image highlights this tension of the manmade and nature as it looks as if the leaf itself is rusting, although again the picture isn't the best quality. The next portrays secrets trapped under the cobwebs and dust, the aperture helped to focus on the detail od the web but blur out the rest, however thus would be better over a bigger object. The last object best displays the rust burying the secrets of the item and its original identify. The colour of the rust is vibrant and has lovely texture, but this may have been better photographed on a white background to highlight it further.
Strand 3: Flowers at night
Grant Simon Rogers
Above in the set task about colour fields I talked about Rogers work. I wanted to use him as an influence to one of my strands as I like the beauty his photos conveyed, particularly the texture and colour contrasting onto the dark secretive background. Below are examples of his work different from the ones I previously used.
When taking my photos I kept in mine what I wanted them to look like. I simply wanted like Rogers the foreground to be lit up with colour and texture by the direct flash and the background to be fading out/ blurry or in complete darkness, to create a contrast and focus on the detail of the flowers.
The first and second photos work well in highlighting the colour and texture of the plants, particularly their leaves. However the first one is not in complete darkness like the second, not creating the same focused and sharp structure the second photo has. Nevertheless the background is still blurred so not all the focus is taken away, it just would have been better if it wasn't so noisy in the back. The third photo is different to the rest as the background has a metal fence creating this grid structure. The rusted wires blend into the photo as they are the same colour as the brown leaves, the photo is still pleasing however may not fit in with the rest as it has a manmade fence in. The last three are all similar in their look, they all have a clear focus on the foreground colour and texture but then fade into a darker, secretive, hidden background.
Developments
In my developments I am going to carry on with the third stand, flowers at night. I decided to carry on this stand as I was interested in how the lighting (using flash) questioned the conventions of photography, also how the background can add so much to the atmosphere of the image. For example the darkness creating a dark, secret effect. I am going to focus on the conventions of how lighting can be used and further explore the many secrets the flowers can portray through different types of post processing. The focus remained on flowers as they work well as subjects that add different colour and texture to each image. My first developments will be on natural post processing and the rest on computer post processing, in order to explore the various conventions.
Natural post processing
Klaus Pichler
In Klaus Pichler project one third, he placed food in containers in his apartment and left them there to rot over a period of 9 months. His work was called one third as in a food waste survey in 2011 it was found one third of food made for consumption is wasted, while over 9 million starve. So he wanted to visually express the survey through pictures like the ones below. He photographed them with a black background as he wanted them to look like adverting photography. This was in order to portray the deceptive beauty of the images and rotten food. This questioned the conventions in beauty.
I wanted to portray the beauty in the rotten food on my photos but not as the subject, as the natural finish to my photos. I used the six flowers in the dark photos from above third strand. I had this idea of natural post processing as Rogers likes to use minimal computer editing on his photo and so I thought of how I could natural apply an effect onto my image that wasn't done with chemicals or the computer, Pichler inspired me to use the beauty in rotting food as the final effect on my photos. As seen below the first photo has strawberry yoghurt, the second raspberries and blackberries, then egg, humus, the one with the fence above was buried in soil and dug out at the end of the week. The last photo below was trying to create a rust effect using bleach, vinegar, salt and steel wool. (This one did use a chemical, bleach).
I left them outside covered by a plastic for a week and photographed them throughout, as shown below.
I left them outside covered by a plastic for a week and photographed them throughout, as shown below.
Saturday
Monday
Wednesday
Saturday
The first photos are when I first put the foods onto the images, I tired to choose foods that would rot quickly but also complement the images, for example the pink yoghurt with the pink flowers. The substances were all placed in the black areas apart from the barriers which I used to outline the structure of the foreground plant. On Monday the substances had dried out, the rust hadn't really changed and neither had the berries, and the yoghurt had been soaked up too much. However the egg and humus worked well in showing the difference in the decaying food, creating a thinner layer on top of the photo so the black background could still be seen. The orange crackled layers reminded me of rust which I liked. On Wednesday the rain had settled on top of the plastic covering the photos and dampened the substances, making them vibrant and lively again. The berries again did not change and the rust had now started to form. In the last set of photos the rain dampened them however the yoghurt came through to create a dull almost see through pink layer which complemented the colour of the image, it also gave the leaves that had yoghurt on it a blue tint. The berries didn't change much as I think they needed drier conditions and longer to rot, but the blueberries did blend in with the dark background. The humus and egg lost the orange and created a light cream colour which worked with their images, I also liked how it was separated out in little clumps. The rust created an orange layers however did need longer to rust over more visibly, but the steel wool blended with the image nicely as the stands of it are similar to the branches. The last photo is of the one that was buried outside, the rain made it rip when I was digging it up and the soil had little effect on the image, it may have also needed more time.
Image transfer
JR and Jose Parla
JR and Jose Parla did a project together called Wrinkles of the city, in which they photographed random elderly people and transferred their images onto old city walls of buildings. The idea was to tell the stories of these places eg. Cuba through their elderly people as these places did not have much advertisement up. Wrinkles is a metaphor they used for the urban texture and history of the city and people in it. These images were to make people think of the secret's and stories held. The walls were just as damaged and old as the people transferred onto them, depicting the people as part of the city and that they always will be.
I came across JR and Jose Parla works when I was looking for different ways of post processing. I particular liked their image transfers as they put beautifully detailed images onto old decaying buildings. This made me want to try it with my night plant images. The idea was to put something beautiful and natural back onto naturally decaying things eg. rusting objects or ones covered in overgrown plants.
Before printing the images out to use I wanted to enhance their quality. I did this in photoshop by using levels to brighten and correct the contrast and colour of the image and then I used the smart sharpen tool to enhance the texture of the images. I did this because I wanted the beauty of the image to still be seen once the image has been damaged a bit by the transferring.
The first three photo work very well in portraying the texture of the plants and isolating them to be the main focus of the image. The texture in the second image is well sharpen the plant looks almost frosted over, the three seem 3D and have a powerful atmosphere to them. The first one has a defined structure and is highly detailed. The last could be in more focus. The next three work well in using flash to highlight the foreground and making the photo fade into darkness. They are all in good quality allowing all the texture of each part of the image to be seen, the first and last image are highlighted by the flash giving them a bright illuminated colour/effect which nicely contrasts with the black background. The second photo works well to highlight the pink colours of the flower and fade into the background, the foreground is in high definition and the back blurred out this creates levels in the image, however the background is quite full and so may take away some of the focus.
I first did a practice with one of my images from a previous task (the colour of the flower was changed due to old ink in the printer, however it works with the old decay effect). I found a green decayed piece of fabric and a blue disk, the disk was stuck to the fabric with PVA and then the image transfer was done with PVA, covered the image in PVA and then placed the glued side face down on the disk and fabric, and left overnight, then the top layer was rubbed off with water to create the look shown above.
I liked the layers that the disk created and how when rubbing out the paper was ripped and created these small holes, this adds to the decay effect as even the image is decaying, this is what I wanted. It may have been better if all the white from the paper was rubbed off and not seen.
I liked the layers that the disk created and how when rubbing out the paper was ripped and created these small holes, this adds to the decay effect as even the image is decaying, this is what I wanted. It may have been better if all the white from the paper was rubbed off and not seen.
I used image transfer on my photos to apply them to the surfaces I chose, then I left them overnight to dry. Once dried I use water and a sponge to rub off the top layer of the paper so the image would be visible. I wanted to use surfaces that has detail of decay and wear, the idea was that their features would show up on top of the images. However the black background and thickness of the paper did not allow this to happen, it may have worked better if the paper was thinner, I applied more image transfer, used PVA or changed the black background to a lighter colour.
I photographed the images drying in three stages, as shown below for each background I transferred on:
I photographed the images drying in three stages, as shown below for each background I transferred on:
In the first stage of the drying the original image lost its colour and gave it a more softer tone. As it began to dry small white parts started to become visible and as it further dried the white parts of the paper layer on top that had not been fully rubbed off became more visible and added more texture to the image. But not much changed from when the photo was still wet and when it was dry. The bumpy texture of the background was shown through the white parts.
The plant on the image faded too much and would have been a better outcome if the photos colour and texture had remained. Although this one had the worst preservation of the image, it worked the best in the rust coming through. As well the white parts take away the detail even more of what was left of the image.
Here the actually plant in the image stayed the best in its colour and texture. Also in the final drying stage the white bits are around the plant and not that much on top of it, making the plant still visible to see. However the background did not add any texture to the images like the other backgrounds did.
In this one like the second the detail of the plant faded, however it faded to a colour that complemented the background it was on. Unfortunately when it was drying the plant was covered over too much and made the image look too full and noisy. The background added some depth to the image as the creases in the wood made the photo sink into them, also it sectioned off parts of the image.
Here the image looks best in its second stage of drying, this is because the way it has dried has created a pattern and looks like it is intentionally done this way. It looks almost like steamed over and clouds floating, as well the texture and colour of the image remained the best out of all of them. However in its final stage of drying there was too many white bits and the image was covered over too much, distracting the viewer from the focus of the image.
The background was brought forward and so the bumps on the ground added texture to the negative space in the photo. The way it dried, like steamed over and you can see the water evaporating as in the photo above, is nicely done and adds a natural finish effect to the image. In the last photo the plant is covered over too much by the white detail and so it draws the focus away from the plant.
The final images may have been better preserved if vanish was used to gloss them over and enhance the colour and texture of the images.
The final images may have been better preserved if vanish was used to gloss them over and enhance the colour and texture of the images.
Shadows
Ansel Adams
Here I went on to looking at other ways of light was used to add to the photo, in doing so I came across Ansel Adams precise landscape photography. He was one of the founders of group F/64, which was a group of photographers who focused on pure and straight photograph. This allowed the photo to be in high precision and sharp focus, I liked this idea as it meant that little post processing would need to be done, (which is what the focus is here). The photos below all had shadows in which linked to secrecy.
Looking at Ansel Adams photos i found some had a recurring item in them, shadows. I particular liked how the shadow contrasted the light with the dark and further highlighted different parts of the item, creating a pure and real effect. Therefore I continued to photograph photos at night with artificial light on, using a flash in order to capture there shadows. The shadows added a hidden secret behind the flowers that would not be present without the direct flash.
The first image worked the best in highlighting the shadow in the background however the focus was not as sharp as it could have been. The second photo had a shaper focus as the outline of the flower is more defined, the whiter background in the second and third photo also look nicer than the first as it makes it look purer. Although the shadow in the second is lost behind the detail of the flower. The colour is pretty in the last photo however again the focus could have been sharper and the shadow more prominent. Nevertheless the shadow still adds a mysterious atmosphere to the plant as it is half hidden.
Shadows - Darkroom
Ansel Adams used the darkroom to create the prints of his photos, and so I decided to also use the dark room as the post processing method. Aswell the darkroom drains the photo of its colour, taking away any distractions caused by the colour from the pure detail of the images.
In order to use them in the darkroom I turned them into black and white and inverted them in photoshop, then printed them onto acetate paper. I used acetate paper instead of normal plain paper, so that the light could shine through the paper easily and be exposed in a sharper focus. The acetate paper is show in the first layer above.
In the second layer are the prints developed. The acetate paper created these fine lines shown best in the first photo which created an old worn out effect, making it look more natural and like shadows than if it was a pure white. In the first photo the contrast of light and dark are presented best however it is hard to see which part of the plant is shadow and which is the actual plant, aswell the detail has been lost on the plant making it look like all shadows. In the second photo the detail of the plant is shown the best out of all, however the shadow is hard to identify. The detail links most to Adams photos. In the last photo the shadow can be seen clearly on the dark grey background and the detail can be seen also, however not in clear focus. But this was due to the original not in clear focus, nothing to do with the darkroom development.
In the second layer are the prints developed. The acetate paper created these fine lines shown best in the first photo which created an old worn out effect, making it look more natural and like shadows than if it was a pure white. In the first photo the contrast of light and dark are presented best however it is hard to see which part of the plant is shadow and which is the actual plant, aswell the detail has been lost on the plant making it look like all shadows. In the second photo the detail of the plant is shown the best out of all, however the shadow is hard to identify. The detail links most to Adams photos. In the last photo the shadow can be seen clearly on the dark grey background and the detail can be seen also, however not in clear focus. But this was due to the original not in clear focus, nothing to do with the darkroom development.
Computer editing
Jana Scott
Jana Scott created rust images as she was interested in the fading and hidden beauty found in something so common. Usually beauty is seen is rare and amazing things, not something so common and dirty as rust. But she had a desire to find beauty in the most unlikeliest of places, her desire links to the secret beauty hidden in plain sight that needs a deeper perception and understanding of the concept of beauty to see.
I took photos of nature at night which portrayed a classic simplistic beauty in order to contrast it with the more complex beauty of rust. My idea was to use Jana Scott's rust photos onto of my nature ones, mainly on the petals and leaves where it would be most visible. This is why I tried to only photograph white plants, as the white would work as a canvas for the rust.
I used photoshop in order to get the rust onto the leaves, this is how I done it. I first adjusted the levels of the photo in order to brighten them up and define them more by correcting their input levels. Next I pasted the Jana Scott image I wanted to use on top of my image and made it a layer underneath my photo. (I used the same rust photo for all the images so that they could be presented as a set). Lastly I used the rubber tool to rub out the top layer of my photo so that the rust would show in place of the white petals. I used a small rubber so that it would be done precisely and around 70% capacity of the rubber so that the shape of the petal would still be there and some detail on the petals, but also so that the colours would come through enough.
The first and last edits worked better than the middle one, this is due to the petals being bigger and so it is more clear what the effect is than just some colours lightly put on top of the middle small petals. The rust looks more like glitched work than rust however the effect still highlights the fading beauty and the secrets it is concealing. I like the two dimensional effect the flash, black background and rust gave the images. It makes them look more abstract and gives them a deeper meaning, much how Scott saw the rust to have.
Exposed
I carried on to look at the effects that could be added to the photos using photoshop techniques. As my focus in these developments is on the conventions of light and post processing, I decided to see how overexposing the flowers would look. The idea was to alter the colour and texture of them in some way, colour and texture particularly because of Grant Simon Rogers focusing on this element.
Therefore I carried on to take the photos at night, this time looking for plants with detail, colour and texture. I went to two local squares and photographed various plants and trees in the area.
In photoshop I used the exposure tool to alter the colours and texture of the images, brightening the light colours and darkening the darker ones. changing the exposure gave the images a brighter and more painting/cartoon effect than the normal close ups. The exposure made the photos too bright and so I adjusted it by the hue/saturation tool. This wasin order to make the colours less bold but still highlighting them and the texture. Editing them made them look more like flowers at night seen through a night vision camera. Creating effects that could not been seen normally.
I chose these six photos as I found they had the most interesting shapes, detail and colours. The different layers and levels of the plants added to their overall texture as a photo. I placed them here instead of above the slideshow so that they could be compared to their edits below. So that the viewer could consider if the overexposed edits which would usually be seen as too much, are better than the originals.
In the first photo the negative space works nicely to isolate the flower, it makes it look like it is floating, this edit worked well in having a cartoon effect and highlighting the details and colours of the different shades of green I especially like how the editing has given the plant this glossed over effect. The second photo worked well in highlighting the colour of the plant, the red and yellow complement each other against the black background. The third worked best in enhancing the texture of the plant, changing its original white specs on the leaves to a black, which matched the background, making the plant in some places fade into the darkness. The fourth photo has a unique shape and an elegant atmosphere to it, I believe this is due to the white and pink contrasting on the blacken background. The white portrays a sense of innocence and beauty, which is not highlighted enough in the original photo. The fifth photo does not show much difference in itself compared to the original, however it has a light and dreamy feel much like the fourth. The last photo works well in enhancing the texture of the leaves and small balls and sharpening the photo, but the balls may have been better id they kept their pink tone.
Final piece
For my final piece I looked over all my developments and decided to finalise the image transfer section. I am going to use rusted backgrounds to transfer my images on as this was the background that best came through and gave detail to the image. Giving the image a rusted effect. The rusted backgrounds I will use to transfer them onto are circular paint lids (of various sizes). I will use the images that portray the most texture and colour.
I decided to use these six images as they had colours that I thought would show up on the lids due to their colours, structure and texture. The first two photos highlight the colours of the plants as they are of a vibrant pink and yellow, the first photo also depicts texture in the image as seen on the leaves in the left hand corner, but the second is less detailed and so lacks texture. The next three photos images also convey the colour but focus more on the defined structure of the plants, unfortunately some of the texture was lost due to a softer focus. In the last photo again the colour is portrayed but this image was mainly chosen to emphasis the texture of the plant, through all its defined small features and their details.
These are the six lids I am going to use to transfer the images above onto. The first three images are if the lids that has a orange tone to them, these highlight the rust effect the best and the white parts allow space for the images to be transferred onto and show up nicely, the white acts as a primer for the images to go onto. The texture of the rust is best show in these top three. The next three are rusted over but have other substances assed to them, for example the first two have soil and the last one the pink/purple paint from the can it was in. nevertheless their detail will still be shown with the images and have an interesting effect. The last two of both lines above have their rims broken this adds to their imperfect beauty of decay.
In order to transfer the images on to the lids I started by decided which part of the image I wanted to be shown on the lid, once decided I cut out the circular shapes with a Stanley knife. I made sure they were just smaller than the whole lid so that the rid of the rusted lid could be seen, almost like its photo frame. Next I used PVA on the side of the image and then stuck it face down onto the lid as shown in the second photo. I then left it for the weekend and then used water to scrub the top layer of paper off with a sponge, as shown in the third photo.
This was the outcome of the images once they had been rubbed off. Unlike the image transfer substance, the PVA was a weaker substance and so made holes in the paper, this can be seen in nearly all of them apart from the fifth. Nevertheless this added to the decaying effect of the product, as it looks as if the paper itself is decaying. Unfortunately the actually image in the first photo was lost completely which meant the colour and texture of the image was also lost. However the outline of the image remained and the rust came through in areas that made it look naturally there, and the image itself was originally white so it works to an extent, but overall was not the outcome aimed for. In the second and third images the transfer worked better than the first however the attention is drawn away from the plants. In the second image the bottom left hand corner is too messy and draws the attention away, but the yellow strip on the lid complements the yellow image. Likewise in the third photo too much of the image was lost and so was its texture, if the texture was not lost so much, the way the rust blends in (especially in the center of the flower) and the black texture would have made it one of the best.
The last three image transfers worked the best in depicting the colour and texture the best. The first in this row worked well enhancing the colour and it contrasting on the black background however the white on the black is too visible and so draws attention away from the detail. Although the texture faded i like how the colours blend into one another. The second in this row highlights the detail and texture of the image but is a bit soft in focus and the rust is not seen much, nevertheless the pink in the image blends nicely with the purple paint stained lid. Finally the last image works the best in portraying the texture, colour and rust. The image blends nicely onto the lid instead of looking stuck on top, the structure of the plant can still be seen and the rust shows just the right amount. However it could be better if no white was left on the image as there are bits still on.
The last three image transfers worked the best in depicting the colour and texture the best. The first in this row worked well enhancing the colour and it contrasting on the black background however the white on the black is too visible and so draws attention away from the detail. Although the texture faded i like how the colours blend into one another. The second in this row highlights the detail and texture of the image but is a bit soft in focus and the rust is not seen much, nevertheless the pink in the image blends nicely with the purple paint stained lid. Finally the last image works the best in portraying the texture, colour and rust. The image blends nicely onto the lid instead of looking stuck on top, the structure of the plant can still be seen and the rust shows just the right amount. However it could be better if no white was left on the image as there are bits still on.
Artist and me
This is the work of artists JR and Jose Parla which I used for my development of image transfer earlier above, this section is comparing his work with mine. The reason I used them for image transfer is because I liked how they put detailed images onto old decaying buildings, in order to show the connection between the old buildings and the old people in the places they went to. So I decided to put my night images, something natural, onto something naturally decaying to contrast their beauties. Much like how they used this form of art to portray the stories and secrets of the people and the city, I wanted to convey the secrets of the objects and how the rust hides them. Their art also changed the conventions of advertisement.
Their background conceals but also enhances the images texture, similarly my image is concealed and made part of its background (like theirs) while the colour and texture is also enhanced by the background as it creates a frame for the images. So both decaying background comes through but not too much, just the right amount working well to add to their secrets. They both look naturally like they are meant to be there and work well being placed back into natural settings.
Their background conceals but also enhances the images texture, similarly my image is concealed and made part of its background (like theirs) while the colour and texture is also enhanced by the background as it creates a frame for the images. So both decaying background comes through but not too much, just the right amount working well to add to their secrets. They both look naturally like they are meant to be there and work well being placed back into natural settings.
Thought process
Below is a diagram of my thought process starting from the three strands to how I got to my final piece. It states the third strand idea and then how I developed them into two sections and explored them, natural post processing and computer editing. Then how I used the idea of the rust from the Jana Scott section and the JR and Jose Parla image transferring together to create my final piece. Overall swaying more towards the natural post processing effect.
Strand three: Flowers at night
Final piece of image transfer combined with rust section.
Final edits
These are the final edits and ones I got printed in A3.
These were redone with image transfer, replacing the PVA because the image transfer brought put and maintained that colour and texture better than the PVA, also there were less distractions, like the holes the PVA created which drew the attention away from the detail. ( The PVA images were removed off the lids so the lids were bare again when the images were transferred on with the image transfer).
These were redone with image transfer, replacing the PVA because the image transfer brought put and maintained that colour and texture better than the PVA, also there were less distractions, like the holes the PVA created which drew the attention away from the detail. ( The PVA images were removed off the lids so the lids were bare again when the images were transferred on with the image transfer).
Well done. You annotation is thorough throughout and you include the contacts, screen grabs and photographer links!