FREEDOM AND/OR LIMITATIONS
'FREEDOM IS THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE.' - ARCHIBALD MACLEISH
This idea was originally expressed in a political context but also sums up many of the fundamental ideas that have inspired artists.
The advancement of technology and availability of new materials have always artists and designers freedom to explore new ideas and push materials to new limits.
True originality is hard won. The photographer Richard Avedon wrote:
'Start with a style and you are in chains - start with and idea and you are free.'
This idea was originally expressed in a political context but also sums up many of the fundamental ideas that have inspired artists.
The advancement of technology and availability of new materials have always artists and designers freedom to explore new ideas and push materials to new limits.
True originality is hard won. The photographer Richard Avedon wrote:
'Start with a style and you are in chains - start with and idea and you are free.'
INITIAL RESEARCH
Create a Pinterest account and a new board for the exam theme.
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/alannahhlouise/freedom-and-limitations/
PRACTICAL TASK: FRAMING
Use the limits of frames in the environment and the edge of your viewfinder to crop your observations.
For this task I took to central London, exploring the streets to find natural and man-made frames. This included shop windows, doorways, telephone boxes and building work structures. Whilst carrying out this task I tried to keep in mind the composition; what was being framed (e.g. a person, object etc.) and what was framing it which would help give the image meaning or purpose, or simply provoke an emotion to the viewer. I used a fast shutter speed so that I could capture things quickly, as I came across them, as pictures I took of people around me often came out blurry capturing their movement whereas I wanted a freeze frame of the person instead. I also adjusted the f/stop and ISO as necessary whilst the natural lighting adjusted throughout the day. I kept my camera settings on 'daylight' throughout the shoot.
DEVELOPMENT: FRAMING
As an extension to the previous task of 'framing' I used different sized papers and cut-out squares essentially creating a 'frame'. I took these papers outside and used them as a physical guide to frame things that I found of interest. Taking the title of task literally, this helped frame specific objects, people and situations by removing them from their wider context enhancing their appearance/purpose.
Most of these pictures had my hand in the frame or the paper was held at an angle. I took those photos to photoshop where I used the 'warp' tool by selecting 'all' and 'transform>warp'. I was then able to select each angle of the photo that was out of place and adjust it to how I wanted it. I also used the 'hue/saturation' layer to enhance the colours in the images and change the colour of the paper so I had more variety in my images. |
RESEARCH TASK: EXHIBITION VISIT
Visit an exhibition that genuinely interests you. Do not be overly concerned about linking it to the exam theme - we can make a connection later.
Use the usual analysis framework and also consider how the exhibition has been curated.
Use the usual analysis framework and also consider how the exhibition has been curated.
For this research task I attended a gallery showcasing 'Elliott Erwitt's' photos at 'Beetles + Huxley' on Swallow Street, W1. It's title 'Elliott Erwitt: Double Platinum' refers to its dual purpose of exhibiting his platinum prints and his photos of Marilyn Monroe in the late 1920s. The gallery was set up to coincide with his winning of the Outstanding Contribution to Photography award by the World Photography Organisation.
Elliott Erwitt:
Erwitt was a Parisian photographer born to Russian parents. He began photographing before he was drafted into the US army in 1950. He became known through his 'photo-essays' of his life in the barracks until he joined Magnum and began to travel the world. During this time he photographed famous faces and places as well as creating quirky pictures of dogs.
Elliott Erwitt:
Erwitt was a Parisian photographer born to Russian parents. He began photographing before he was drafted into the US army in 1950. He became known through his 'photo-essays' of his life in the barracks until he joined Magnum and began to travel the world. During this time he photographed famous faces and places as well as creating quirky pictures of dogs.
GALLERY VISIT: THE BARBICAN - ANOTHER KIND OF LIFE
This exhibition titled 'Another Kind of Life: Photography on the Margins' touches themes of countercultures, subcultures, and minorities of all kinds and features the work of 20 international photographers from the 1950s to the present day. It follows individuals in their communities and explores their lives on the 'fringes of society' offering an insight that is more diverse and complex to our views of the world.
Each photographer had their own room and the freedom to display their work how they saw fit their work best. Photographers such as Jim Goldberg took advantage of this opportunity by using different mediums to show his work. He had multiple images along the walls of the room as well as a stand with a book, a hanging denim jacket that is seen in a photo nearby and and a TV with headphones to listen from.
Each photographer had their own room and the freedom to display their work how they saw fit their work best. Photographers such as Jim Goldberg took advantage of this opportunity by using different mediums to show his work. He had multiple images along the walls of the room as well as a stand with a book, a hanging denim jacket that is seen in a photo nearby and and a TV with headphones to listen from.
TIME SPENT
Mary Ellen Mark:
Mark's work shows how she spent time with an individual, in her case, Tiny, a friend whom she met in the parking lot of a downtown club called the Monastery in Seattle, Washington. Their friendship lasted more than three decades. Her images are often up close and personal suggesting she knows her subject well that is further portrayed in an image of Tiny crying, showing that she feels comfortable around Mark, the photographer.
Mark's work shows how she spent time with an individual, in her case, Tiny, a friend whom she met in the parking lot of a downtown club called the Monastery in Seattle, Washington. Their friendship lasted more than three decades. Her images are often up close and personal suggesting she knows her subject well that is further portrayed in an image of Tiny crying, showing that she feels comfortable around Mark, the photographer.
DISENFRANCHISED COMMUNITIES
Paz Errazuriz:
Errazuriz photographs Pilar and Evelyn, two brothers and their mother, Mercedes in 1983 in Santiago, Chile. He photographs them preparing for a night's work or finding refuge is domestic spaces. He often captures them staring directly into the camera representing a collaborative and defiant act of political resistance. These manipulate the viewers response by making them feel part of the photo and the movement.
Errazuriz photographs Pilar and Evelyn, two brothers and their mother, Mercedes in 1983 in Santiago, Chile. He photographs them preparing for a night's work or finding refuge is domestic spaces. He often captures them staring directly into the camera representing a collaborative and defiant act of political resistance. These manipulate the viewers response by making them feel part of the photo and the movement.
COUNTER CULTURES
Pieter Hugo:
In his series 'The Hyena and Other Men' Hugo focuses on the portraiture genre forcing an engagement on the level of the individual, an approach that skirts both sentimentality and the journalistic impulse to explain. His series took place in Nigeria from 2005-7 and the group photographed are perceived as a motley crew of drug dealers and thieves who use their animals as assistants to their crimes. Encounters with others provokes a mixture of fear, awe, repulsion and curiosity.
In his series 'The Hyena and Other Men' Hugo focuses on the portraiture genre forcing an engagement on the level of the individual, an approach that skirts both sentimentality and the journalistic impulse to explain. His series took place in Nigeria from 2005-7 and the group photographed are perceived as a motley crew of drug dealers and thieves who use their animals as assistants to their crimes. Encounters with others provokes a mixture of fear, awe, repulsion and curiosity.
YOUTH CULTURE
Bruce Davidson:
Davidson immersed himself in youth culture following a group of stylish outsiders whose unusual behaviour had sparked uproar in the mainstream media. He spent months hanging out with the 'Brooklyn Gang' in the local candy store, roaming the streets and travelling to take his photos. He captured small moments such as 'Bengie in front of friend Petey's' and bigger moments such as 'Lefty showing his tattoo'. Gaining access to the inner secrets of groups like these through photographs gives the viewer a thrill as if they there in the moment with them.
Davidson immersed himself in youth culture following a group of stylish outsiders whose unusual behaviour had sparked uproar in the mainstream media. He spent months hanging out with the 'Brooklyn Gang' in the local candy store, roaming the streets and travelling to take his photos. He captured small moments such as 'Bengie in front of friend Petey's' and bigger moments such as 'Lefty showing his tattoo'. Gaining access to the inner secrets of groups like these through photographs gives the viewer a thrill as if they there in the moment with them.
The exhibition links to the exam theme as it presents the freedom of speech and the freedom to be an individual in a society that tries to limit your creativity and self-expression.
'Another Kind Of Life' is a unique experience that takes you into the daring lives of those on the fringes of society.
'Another Kind Of Life' is a unique experience that takes you into the daring lives of those on the fringes of society.
CLASS TASK 1: MOVEMENT:
The shutter and aperture controls of a camera limit the exposure time and the outcome of a photographic image. These controls can capture movement in different ways. How you capture movement can give the impression of freedom or freeze a moment, trapping the figure in a still that appears to imprison them.
FAST SHUTTER SPEED
With your camera on shutter speed priority, and using a fast shutter speed, photograph people jumping.
Philippe Halsmann believed that people expressed their true selves when they jumped:
"Starting in the early 1950s I asked every famous or important person I photographed to jump for me. I was motivated by a genuine curiosity. After all, life has taught us to control and disguise our facial expressions, but it has not taught us to control our jumps. I wanted to see famous people reveal in a jump their ambition or their lack of it, their self-importance or their insecurity, and many other traits."
"Starting in the early 1950s I asked every famous or important person I photographed to jump for me. I was motivated by a genuine curiosity. After all, life has taught us to control and disguise our facial expressions, but it has not taught us to control our jumps. I wanted to see famous people reveal in a jump their ambition or their lack of it, their self-importance or their insecurity, and many other traits."
Robert Longo:
Longo came to fame after the creation of his 'The Men in the Cities' series made in the 1980s. These were larger-than-life drawings from photographs of sharply dressed business people writhing in contortion, a sort of death dance of the modern man. The series was created between 1977 and 1983 and the figures appeared trapped in a tortuous moment, limited by their daily grind. The lack of background exemplifies this idea and despite the dynamic movements the figures are sharp with no sign of movement or blur.
Longo came to fame after the creation of his 'The Men in the Cities' series made in the 1980s. These were larger-than-life drawings from photographs of sharply dressed business people writhing in contortion, a sort of death dance of the modern man. The series was created between 1977 and 1983 and the figures appeared trapped in a tortuous moment, limited by their daily grind. The lack of background exemplifies this idea and despite the dynamic movements the figures are sharp with no sign of movement or blur.
SLOW SHUTTER SPEED
With your camera on shutter speed priority, using a slow shutter speed and a tripod, photograph the other members of the group moving.
Laurence Demaison:
Demaison's work mainly consisted of self-portraits that most people see as very dark and twisted. Despite your conclusions of the images being a result of post production she utilised light, shutter speed and the dark-room to create her incredible images. Her photographs seem to bend light and time and distort the appearance of her own human body, holding secret coded messages in their multiple reflections and gestures that become smears of light in darkness.
Francesca Woodman:
Woodman often modelled in her own work however her photographs do not function as typical self-portraits. She used her own image to explore the representation of gender and the relation of the body to its environment. With the knowledge that Woodman committed suicide at 22 we can add greater meaning to her images. Some critics have considered the images in the context of her mental health at the time and reached conclusions that she felt trapped and was looking for a way to escape.
Demaison's work mainly consisted of self-portraits that most people see as very dark and twisted. Despite your conclusions of the images being a result of post production she utilised light, shutter speed and the dark-room to create her incredible images. Her photographs seem to bend light and time and distort the appearance of her own human body, holding secret coded messages in their multiple reflections and gestures that become smears of light in darkness.
Francesca Woodman:
Woodman often modelled in her own work however her photographs do not function as typical self-portraits. She used her own image to explore the representation of gender and the relation of the body to its environment. With the knowledge that Woodman committed suicide at 22 we can add greater meaning to her images. Some critics have considered the images in the context of her mental health at the time and reached conclusions that she felt trapped and was looking for a way to escape.
CLASS TASK 2: PUSHING THE LIMITS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
What do we expect from a photograph? Focus, strong composition, good exposure? Do we value an image less if it lacks any of these elements? Create images that challenge these preconceptions.
Challenge each of the following expectations.
Challenge each of the following expectations.
FOCUS
Look at the photographers below and use the focus on your camera and your understanding of depth of field to push your images to the limit. Can an image become too blurred? Photograph both natural and man made structures. When do they become unrecognisable?
Ralph Eugene Meatyard:
Meatyard, an optician, experimented with multiple exposures, depth of field and motion blur to abstract his photographs. His two series 'No Focus' and 'Twigs' focus on depth of field and stretch the expressive potential of photography. His reduction of depth of field created a more abstract composition and enhanced the mood and atmosphere even though the main subject is so simple.
Meatyard, an optician, experimented with multiple exposures, depth of field and motion blur to abstract his photographs. His two series 'No Focus' and 'Twigs' focus on depth of field and stretch the expressive potential of photography. His reduction of depth of field created a more abstract composition and enhanced the mood and atmosphere even though the main subject is so simple.
Hiroshi Sugimoto:
Sugimoto photographs architecture to be views of an 'utter blur'. He called it 'erosion-testing' in which he blurred the photographs as a test of their durability and vivid structures, 'melting away many of the buildings in the process.'
Sugimoto photographs architecture to be views of an 'utter blur'. He called it 'erosion-testing' in which he blurred the photographs as a test of their durability and vivid structures, 'melting away many of the buildings in the process.'
COMPOSITION
Compose images that allude to a subject i.e. we might just catch a glimpse of something on the edge of a frame. Alternatively, brutally crop the subject out of the shot.
Ute Barth:
Barth’s colour photographs from the series “Grounds” in 2003 provide numerous examples of her soft focus approach. These images are often blurred but clear enough to reveal the shapes and forms as identifiable. The neutral colour tones reinforce the sense of calm in the image by their understated presence.
Barth’s colour photographs from the series “Grounds” in 2003 provide numerous examples of her soft focus approach. These images are often blurred but clear enough to reveal the shapes and forms as identifiable. The neutral colour tones reinforce the sense of calm in the image by their understated presence.
EXPOSURE
We are taught to pay attention to the light meter and adjust our exposure accordingly. What happens if we manipulate the exposure to over and under expose our photographs? Recap how to manipulate the ISO in Manual mode and alter exposure using the Aperture/Exposure Compensation Button.
POST-PRODUCTION
All of the expectations can be challenged in post production- contrast, brightness, cropping etc.
Look at the work below and alter your images so that the contrast is pushed to an extreme and much of the information is lost.
The photographers below manipulate exposure in film and digital photography to alter the atmosphere and mood of the images. Sometimes the lack of contrast flattens the image and makes it difficult to 'read'.
Look at the work below and alter your images so that the contrast is pushed to an extreme and much of the information is lost.
The photographers below manipulate exposure in film and digital photography to alter the atmosphere and mood of the images. Sometimes the lack of contrast flattens the image and makes it difficult to 'read'.
Keld Helmer-Peterson:
Helmer-Peterson was a Danish photographer who achieved fame for his colour photographs but he also published several books of black and white images that explore dramatic contrasts of tone. Some images are only presented in black and white and all the mid-tones have been removed. He created the images using both cameras and flat bed scanners to achieve the effects he sought after. The books encourage us to consider the space surrounding the image and the accompanying text as integral to the meaning of the work.
Helmer-Peterson was a Danish photographer who achieved fame for his colour photographs but he also published several books of black and white images that explore dramatic contrasts of tone. Some images are only presented in black and white and all the mid-tones have been removed. He created the images using both cameras and flat bed scanners to achieve the effects he sought after. The books encourage us to consider the space surrounding the image and the accompanying text as integral to the meaning of the work.
EXPECTATION 4: DAMAGE
We are taught to handle negatives and photographs with care.
CHEMICAL
Seung-Hwang Oh:
“Impermanence” is a series of portraits by Korean photographer and microbiologist Seung-Hwan Oh. He drowns his films in a mixture of fungus mushrooms. The bacteria breaks down the film for an abstract and destroyed finish. This is an abstract way to alter a film and to rebel against perfect and idealised images.
“Impermanence” is a series of portraits by Korean photographer and microbiologist Seung-Hwan Oh. He drowns his films in a mixture of fungus mushrooms. The bacteria breaks down the film for an abstract and destroyed finish. This is an abstract way to alter a film and to rebel against perfect and idealised images.
BURNING
Lucas Simoes:
Simoes burns his portraits in his series 'Nostalgia Adios' removing parts of the photo mainly to do with the face. By doing so he physically erases the memories attached to them, causing those memories to disappear. The title suggests that his images are supposed to cause a feeling of nostalgia but by manipulating these images with sepia tints and orange to brown burns this feeling is taken away.
Simoes burns his portraits in his series 'Nostalgia Adios' removing parts of the photo mainly to do with the face. By doing so he physically erases the memories attached to them, causing those memories to disappear. The title suggests that his images are supposed to cause a feeling of nostalgia but by manipulating these images with sepia tints and orange to brown burns this feeling is taken away.
PAINTING
Gerhard Ritcher:
Since the mid 1980s Ritcher has created 'overpainted' photographs in which he uses paint to disguise and conceal the majority of the photos. The photos he uses include landscapes, self-portraits, his family, interiors and photos of museums he has visited. He has over 2,000 photos in this series and it illustrates his range of creative freedom.
Since the mid 1980s Ritcher has created 'overpainted' photographs in which he uses paint to disguise and conceal the majority of the photos. The photos he uses include landscapes, self-portraits, his family, interiors and photos of museums he has visited. He has over 2,000 photos in this series and it illustrates his range of creative freedom.
SEWING
Diane Meyer:
This series entitled 'Time Spent That Might Otherwise Be Forgotten' consists of embroidered photos that preserve experience and personal history. Meyer describes her work as to "deteriorate[s] the original photograph and form[s] a pixelated version of the underlying image." She says that her use of cross-stitching heightens the "conceptual meaning of the objects" as to push "the distorted image and its history towards the viewer."
This series entitled 'Time Spent That Might Otherwise Be Forgotten' consists of embroidered photos that preserve experience and personal history. Meyer describes her work as to "deteriorate[s] the original photograph and form[s] a pixelated version of the underlying image." She says that her use of cross-stitching heightens the "conceptual meaning of the objects" as to push "the distorted image and its history towards the viewer."
CLASS TASK 3: LIMITING SPACE
Restrict your viewer using rolls of paper and exhibition boards.
Irving Penn:
In 1948 Penn began creating unusual portraits of multiple writers, artists, musicians, politicians, dancers and other celebrities. He asked each celebrity to position themselves a corner smaller than 90°. The photographic studio became an active agent in the creation of the series rather than a neutral backdrop. Penn allowed the studio to have a presence in his images. The studio became an architectural limiter of the subjects movements and resulted in a feeling of claustrophobia within the environment isolating the subjects personalities in an abstract artificial corner of the world.
"The walls were a surface to lean on or push against. For me the picture possibilities were interesting; limiting the subjects movements seemed to relieve me of part of the problem of holding onto them."
In 1948 Penn began creating unusual portraits of multiple writers, artists, musicians, politicians, dancers and other celebrities. He asked each celebrity to position themselves a corner smaller than 90°. The photographic studio became an active agent in the creation of the series rather than a neutral backdrop. Penn allowed the studio to have a presence in his images. The studio became an architectural limiter of the subjects movements and resulted in a feeling of claustrophobia within the environment isolating the subjects personalities in an abstract artificial corner of the world.
"The walls were a surface to lean on or push against. For me the picture possibilities were interesting; limiting the subjects movements seemed to relieve me of part of the problem of holding onto them."
IN THE STUDIO
DEVELOPMENT - PAPER
AROUND THE SCHOOL SITE
Fit yourself into confined spaces around the school site.
Willi Dorner:
Dorner is an Austrian artist who squeezes human bodies into nooks and crannies around London for his 'Urban Spaces' project. A group of dancers, climbers and performers wore brightly coloured clothes and ran through the streets of London cramming themselves into doorways, alcoves and any other gap they could find in public spaces.
Dorner is an Austrian artist who squeezes human bodies into nooks and crannies around London for his 'Urban Spaces' project. A group of dancers, climbers and performers wore brightly coloured clothes and ran through the streets of London cramming themselves into doorways, alcoves and any other gap they could find in public spaces.
THREE STRANDS
STRAND ONE: SCANOGRAPHY
Frances Berry:
Frances Berry is a Memphis, Tennessee citizen and both a painter and photographer with a particular skill for collages. In Berry's 'LINES WE LIVE BY' series she transforms old black and white photos into colour. She incorporates blur in an image to suggest freedom or appear to confine the subject depending on how it is used. These horizontal lines draw the spectator towards the subject as Berry traps the women in their assumed roles. Berry describes her work as an alternative to "the traditional snapshot that reinforce rather destroy our internal visualisation of time so that one may revisit a moment in a more authentic and meaningful way."
Frances Berry is a Memphis, Tennessee citizen and both a painter and photographer with a particular skill for collages. In Berry's 'LINES WE LIVE BY' series she transforms old black and white photos into colour. She incorporates blur in an image to suggest freedom or appear to confine the subject depending on how it is used. These horizontal lines draw the spectator towards the subject as Berry traps the women in their assumed roles. Berry describes her work as an alternative to "the traditional snapshot that reinforce rather destroy our internal visualisation of time so that one may revisit a moment in a more authentic and meaningful way."
To create my scanned images and distort the subject I took portraits in front of colourful walls. I thought this would be a good backdrop for this task so that when they get distorted the colours merge/spread. This worked successfully as shown in my images below. I printed off my favourite images to A5 and, using an A4 scanner, dragged the image across the bed as it scanned. I alternated my techniques starting off by simply dragging the image across the bed as the scanner scanned. I waited a short time at the beginning and the end achieving the result in the first image.
To achieve the effect above I shook the image slightly at the beginning and the end, solely keeping the paper still as the subject was scanned.
For the image below I dragged the image across the scanner, portrait, and moved the paper two or three times over the scanner so that the subjects face would be repeated, at the same time make sure you slowly move the image towards the opposite end of the scanner to create a longer picture.
For the image below I dragged the image across the scanner, portrait, and moved the paper two or three times over the scanner so that the subjects face would be repeated, at the same time make sure you slowly move the image towards the opposite end of the scanner to create a longer picture.
STRAND TWO: LEFT BEHIND
Jessica Backhaus:
In Backhaus' series 'WHAT STILL REMAINS' she photographs objects such as belongings and food that people have left behind on trains, on the street or even in their home. Her series has a strong theme of colour with cool pink, purple and blue tones that have a strong contrast against the grey of their wider context. The subject/s of each image portrays a memory that was left behind and "allude to other things that have been lost along the way."
In Backhaus' series 'WHAT STILL REMAINS' she photographs objects such as belongings and food that people have left behind on trains, on the street or even in their home. Her series has a strong theme of colour with cool pink, purple and blue tones that have a strong contrast against the grey of their wider context. The subject/s of each image portrays a memory that was left behind and "allude to other things that have been lost along the way."
For this strand I mainly took photos as I carried out my day-to-day life and came across things that were 'left behind'. This was a successful task as I found loads of rubbish, empty food and drink packaging and objects that may have been lost. I tried to keep in mind the bright colours from Backhaus' images that proved difficult as most things I found were quite neutral. I enhanced the colours of my images in photoshop using the 'brightness/contrast' layer -upping the contrast- and the 'hue/saturation' layer -increasing the saturation of specific colours i.e. blues.
STRAND THREE: COMPOSITION
Ute Barth:
Similar to Barth’s colour photographs from the series “Grounds” in 2003 where she provides numerous examples of her soft focus approach is her "Sundial" series in 2007 where she uses the sun's natural reflections onto surfaces as well as considering the composition of the photograph and what you as the photographer allow the viewer to see and what you take away from the context.
Similar to Barth’s colour photographs from the series “Grounds” in 2003 where she provides numerous examples of her soft focus approach is her "Sundial" series in 2007 where she uses the sun's natural reflections onto surfaces as well as considering the composition of the photograph and what you as the photographer allow the viewer to see and what you take away from the context.
For this series I took images of buildings and nature focusing on cropping and composition. I took photos of the corners of things paying close attention to their aesthetic concern. Post production consisted of increasing the saturation, lowering the contrast and adding a 'sepia' photo filter to soften the image and give them a cohesive and warm colour palette.
DEVELOPMENT ONE: FRANCES BERRY - BUILDINGS
Frances Berry:
Berry's works have a common theme of manipulation achieved through post production. She says "the idea of repetition, graphic lines, symmetry and colour give the whole iconography a distinctly modern vibe." She likes to be called 'picture maker' rather than 'photographer' because the title photographer can seem quite limiting to her and she doesn't solely rely on the camera as a means of production. She feels 'picture maker' depicts what she does more truly as she uses the distortion of vintage pictures to recreate new memories. In her series 'TIMOLOGIES' she distorts and extends black and white images of buildings. Each building comes in a set 4 images, each with a different technique of distortion.
Berry's works have a common theme of manipulation achieved through post production. She says "the idea of repetition, graphic lines, symmetry and colour give the whole iconography a distinctly modern vibe." She likes to be called 'picture maker' rather than 'photographer' because the title photographer can seem quite limiting to her and she doesn't solely rely on the camera as a means of production. She feels 'picture maker' depicts what she does more truly as she uses the distortion of vintage pictures to recreate new memories. In her series 'TIMOLOGIES' she distorts and extends black and white images of buildings. Each building comes in a set 4 images, each with a different technique of distortion.
For this task, I went to King's Cross and took photographs of my favourite buildings - I took photos of the buildings that I thought were either aesthetically pleasing or similar to those in Frances Berry's images. Below are some of my edited images that I made black and white. I also adjusted the contrast, brightness and exposure in some of the images as few were overexposed.
To distort these images I didn't approach the task with a particular technique. I randomly moved the images up and down the scanner. Keeping the image straight was the only thing I kept the same. I moved the image at different times allowing the scanner to scan some parts of the image twice or some parts for longer creating the images below. I kept doing this until I had multiple variations of distortions and at least two that I was happy with.
I used photoshop to edit my pictures into a template I made using Frances Berry's images. I used the polygonal lasso tool to select the outer frame of one her series of images and added a 'clear' background so that I could paste my photo behind the template. I edited two different scans of each image using the 'brightness/contrast' and 'vibrance' adjustments to enhance the black and white tones in the image as the scanner made the image appear very faint.
DEVELOPMENT TWO: FRANCES BERRY - NATURE
For my second development I am moving onto and exploring the idea of distorting nature. I want to explore the different types of subjects my warped images can have and decide which is my favourite for further developing. Amongst the nature I think I should focus on the small details and colours that you can find as this will give me more to work with when distorting the images in the scanner.
I took photos at two locations - Downhills Park and Hampstead Heath - at each location I took photos of water, twigs/branches and flowers. I tried to take photos of the nature that had the most detail and water in particular as I thought that the ripples in the water would look interesting when distorted in the scanner. I tried to pay close attention to the different natural colours in nature as this would create unique effects when distorting the images in the scanner however this was not too successful as there were very limited colours on the paths I took and I only found a small walkway with one patch of multicoloured flowers in Downhills Park.
DEVELOPMENT THREE: FRANCES BERRY - CROWDS
Frances Berry:
In her series 'MEMORY EXTENDED' Berry uses vintage photos and scans them in a way that the subject/s of the image are left untouched and the rest of the image is "extended" above or beside them. Her photos in particular have a small section that is 'distorted' by the scanner and her technique often creates a palette of colours produced after scanning that she chooses to leave in adding a contrast of colour to the desaturated images.This series captures and preserves the moment but subsequently warps that moment that took place holding it in the mind over time. Existing photos are often left and forgotten about so Berry brings them back to life by taking them and repurposing them.
In her series 'MEMORY EXTENDED' Berry uses vintage photos and scans them in a way that the subject/s of the image are left untouched and the rest of the image is "extended" above or beside them. Her photos in particular have a small section that is 'distorted' by the scanner and her technique often creates a palette of colours produced after scanning that she chooses to leave in adding a contrast of colour to the desaturated images.This series captures and preserves the moment but subsequently warps that moment that took place holding it in the mind over time. Existing photos are often left and forgotten about so Berry brings them back to life by taking them and repurposing them.
For this task I went to Notting Hill and made my way down Portobello Road photographing crowds of people exploring the independent stores and stalls. I paid particular attention to their surroundings such as the buildings, colour and objects like road signs and lamp posts. Before printing my images to scan I used photoshop to edit them slightly adjusting the brightness/contrast and hue/saturation as necessary as seen below.
For this particular development I decided to refine my scanning technique and use the same one for each image. I allowed the scanner to scan the photo as normal for about 2 seconds and then dragged the image down the scanner at the same point in the photo until it reached the bottom of the scanner/meets the subject where I let it continue to scan the photo normally so the subject was kept visible and untouched. This distortion of the subjects surroundings allows them to be "trapped" in the photo/this memory like in Berry's series.
After scanning each photo I had to bring them back onto photoshop where I edited their brightness/contrast, hue/saturation and vibrance. I particularly focused on editing the saturation adjusted it according to the colours in each image.
DEVELOPMENT FOUR - DIGITAL LIFE
Frances Berry:
This is Berry's series called 'YESTERDAY RUINS TODAY' that consists of vintage photos that are somewhat kaleidoscopic, edited by copying and pasting certain parts of the image over and over again. At first glance the images just look busy but at closer inspection you can see certain parts of the image more than once which tells you that they have been edited. The partial and faded body parts give the viewer an odd sense of surrealism as well as the photos being highly saturated and portraying different holiday type locations and events that you can't help but want to visit. She seeks “create alternatives to the traditional snapshot that reinforce rather than destroy our internal visualisation of time so that one may revisit a moment in a more authentic and meaningful way”. Berry's combination of digital manipulation and photography makes a powerful duo.
This is Berry's series called 'YESTERDAY RUINS TODAY' that consists of vintage photos that are somewhat kaleidoscopic, edited by copying and pasting certain parts of the image over and over again. At first glance the images just look busy but at closer inspection you can see certain parts of the image more than once which tells you that they have been edited. The partial and faded body parts give the viewer an odd sense of surrealism as well as the photos being highly saturated and portraying different holiday type locations and events that you can't help but want to visit. She seeks “create alternatives to the traditional snapshot that reinforce rather than destroy our internal visualisation of time so that one may revisit a moment in a more authentic and meaningful way”. Berry's combination of digital manipulation and photography makes a powerful duo.
This is one of my attempts at a response to Berry' series however I don't like how it turned out as I think that the images I used were not as saturated or busy as hers and so the technique didn't have the same affect. Berry's photos emphasise the holiday and summery fun in them through the manipulation whereas mine didn't have a strong theme or setting. If I had the chance to repeat this task I would photograph a scene or an event that had a specific purpose that could be further illustrated through editing as compared to bystanders on a street.
Below are the two images that I merged on photoshop by using the magic wand tool to select different subjects and background from each image and copying and pasting them onto different parts of the same image. I used free transform to edit the size of each new layer to make it look more natural and to scale in the scene. |
As I didn't like how my first attempt of this response turned out I decided to try again with a different approach. I decided to merge some of the previous three developments and images into one event/scene. I merged nature, people and buildings into one creating a busy and colourful scene that rejects the borders between them. Rather than simply multiplying the photos subjects I layered and lightened them as well to be seen in one image.
On photoshop I copied and pasted 3-4 different images onto one and either 'lightened' or 'darkened' them and adjusted their 'opacity' to whatever level I thought looked best and suited its partnering images. For one of the photos I had to adjust the the 'brightness/contrast' as it was quite over exposed. I cut certain parts of some images to make it look more messy and undone and not just three images layered over each other - replicating the style in Berry's series.
DEVELOPMENT FIVE - PORTRAITS
After completing my first four developments I have decided that my favourite subject is people and my favourite method is manually with the scanner. I came to this decision as I felt that the scanner distorted the photos more cleanly and created more interest as each photo comes out as an individual and cannot be replicated. For this next development I am going to take portraits of a
FINAL PIECE
Frances Berry:
In her series 'BECOMING' Berry distorts portraits creating landscape images that consist of the person shown across the whole image. Each image differs as each copy of the person is of a different size and shapes being stretched or cropped by the scanner. The movement of the photo in the scanner creates rings of colour at certain parts of the photo creating a 3D effect with brighter colours including orange, pink and blue. The faces are either stretched, squashed, cropped or mirrored creating multiple copies of the subject in the image - trapping them in in their own self/feelings at the moment the image was captured.
In her series 'BECOMING' Berry distorts portraits creating landscape images that consist of the person shown across the whole image. Each image differs as each copy of the person is of a different size and shapes being stretched or cropped by the scanner. The movement of the photo in the scanner creates rings of colour at certain parts of the photo creating a 3D effect with brighter colours including orange, pink and blue. The faces are either stretched, squashed, cropped or mirrored creating multiple copies of the subject in the image - trapping them in in their own self/feelings at the moment the image was captured.
For these images I walked around London looking for backgrounds with interesting colours and textures - I asked my model to pose in front of them as I took her portraits. I let her pose naturally - as she felt comfortable - allowing her to express whatever emotions. The model portrays a neutral emotion in the images - in different settings with different poses. Although she has some similar expressions in the photos they all turned out different portraying the different sides to her self/personality. The change of background also represents this showing that your surroundings affect your mood and your reactions.
I edited two images from each background, one portrait and one landscape, so that I had options to choose from when I began to distort them on the scanner.
The screenshot to the below shows my process for most of my images - each with varying settings. I upped the saturation for specific colours in each image, enhanced the contrast and lowered the brightness and exposures.
These are the original edits for each photo that I distorted that are just regular portraits of my model - transformed by the distortion created using the scanner portraying my model at each moment in time that the photo was captured.
After scanning my images I took them back to photoshop where I cropped and edited them. I had edited them before hand so I just need to adjust a few settings as the scanner had made colours fade and the images really soft - I enhanced the contrast and vibrance of most of the images.
The final photos, distorted by the scanner, have a cohesive and neutral/cool toned colour palette - each portrait with a different background. I used different techniques for each image moving the printed photo in the scanner in different ways each time. The photos 'trap' the models current expression/feelings in the photo and replicate this along the photo.
The final photos, distorted by the scanner, have a cohesive and neutral/cool toned colour palette - each portrait with a different background. I used different techniques for each image moving the printed photo in the scanner in different ways each time. The photos 'trap' the models current expression/feelings in the photo and replicate this along the photo.