Freedom and/or limitations
Freedom definition: 'the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint.'
Limitation definition: 'a limiting condition; restrictive weakness; lack of capacity; inability or handicap.'
fast shutter speed: Philippe Halsman
Philippe Halsman was an American Photographer, born to a Jewish family in 1906 in what is now called Latvia. When hiking in Austria aged 22, he was accused of his father's murder (his father had fallen down a cliff and been robbed) due to anti-Semitism and spent two years in prison. When he was released he moved to France and began contributing to magazines like Vogue and very soon gained a reputation for being the greatest portrait photographer in France. After moving to America his work was used by the cosmetics firm Elizabeth Arden and Life magazine. In 1941 he met the surrealist Salvador Dali and proceeded to collaborate with him. Together they created the work titled Dali Atomicus which features three flying cats, a bucket of thrown water and Dali in mid-air. The piece explores the idea of suspension. In 1947 Halsman took his most famous image, a photograph of a mournful Albert Einstein. The picture was used as an American postage stamp and on the cover of Life magazine in 1999 for the person of the century.
In 1951 Halsman was commissioned to take pictures of comedians of the time. He would ask every person he photographed to jump, as he believed that a person's jump expresses their true self.
'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.'
This then inspired him to take more jump photos, this time of celebrities, namely the Ford family, Marilyn Monroe and Richard Nixon.
'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.'
This then inspired him to take more jump photos, this time of celebrities, namely the Ford family, Marilyn Monroe and Richard Nixon.
my response
I turned my camera to shutter speed priority and I photographed my friends jumping. The first two images are captured outside. However, I decided to use the studio instead as the backgrounds were distracting and took the focus away from the nature of the jump. The studio was set up with a white backdrop and two soft studio lights; as a result of using the studio the emphasis was on the jump and not the person's surroundings.
Robert longo
Longo was born in 1953 and grew up on Long Island, New York. He received a grant to study Restoration and Art History in Florence. While in Europe he created a 'Grand Tour' of major museums. He then realised that he wanted to make art not restore it, so enrolled at the State University College in Buffalo where he worked with the experimental film makers Paul Sharits and Hollis Frampton. They introduced Longo to structural film making and Sergei Eisenstein's films. In 1977 he moved to New York and over the next decade became known as the leading protagonist in the 'Pictures Generation' who worked across drawing, photography, painting, sculpture, performance and film to make 'provocative critiques of the anaesthetising and seductive effects of capitalism, mediatized wars, and the cult of history in the US'.
These pictures are from Longo's Men in the Cities series which shows smartly dressed business people in a contortion movement as if they had been shot down. They are captured in a distressing moment induced by their daily grind. Despite the movement the pictures are sharp and show no sign of blur.
my response
I kept my camera on shutter speed priority and set the iso higher for a faster shutter speed to capture movement without blurring.
Slow shutter speed: Francesca Woodman
In most of Woodman's work she was the model, however her photographs are not typical self-portraits. By using her own image she explored the representation of gender and the relation of the body to its environment. After Woodman committed suicide at the age of 22 some critics considered her images in light of her mental health, and reached the conclusion that she felt trapped and wanted to escape.
exhibition visit 1: andreas gursky at the hayward gallery
Gursky's photography is driven by his interest in 'the way the world is constituted'. As well as his images being depictions of places and situations they are also reflections on the nature of image taking and the limits of human perceptions. Many of his pictures are taken from a high vantage point and are often of very detailed scenes with great picture quality, this is how he is able to create the huge prints for which he is known.
gallery visit 2- another kind of life: photography on the margins
'Another kind of life' is a curatorship of 20 photographers from all over the world who follow and live the lives of people in disenfranchised communities on the fringes of societies. As a result they can get closer to their subjects and photograph from within eliminating an outsider third-party photographer.
Each photographer had a designated room where their work was displayed in the way which best suited the work.
Each photographer had a designated room where their work was displayed in the way which best suited the work.
DISENFRANISED COMMUNITIES- ALEC SOTH
These pictures are from Alec Soth's 'broken manual' series where he looks at the places in which people have escaped civilisation. Soth read the manifestos of these recluses and photographed monks, survivalists, hermits and runaways. Soth went one step further and created his own manual called How to Disappear in Amerika (2009) which then evolved into the book Broken Manual. Soth travelled to the Appalachian wilderness in the East of the US, an area which spans 13 states and has been plagued with poverty for many years. Soth portrays the people he meets in their most natural state with some standing in the nude, one with their eyes closed and others surrounded by the environment that they choose to live in.
The hermits and survivalists in Soth's work break through the limitations imposed on people by society about how to live their lives. He studies the small number of people who have the closest thing to true freedom in their reality.
The hermits and survivalists in Soth's work break through the limitations imposed on people by society about how to live their lives. He studies the small number of people who have the closest thing to true freedom in their reality.
COUNTER CULTURES- Pieter Hugo
These images are from Hugo's The Hyena & Other Men shoot in Nigeria.
In the background of each picture are dusty, desolate, urban environments which make the pictures even more threatening. When I was looking at these pictures it made me feel how utterly different and disconnected mine and the subjects lives must be.
The exhibition is an eye-opening exploration into the lives of the groups and communities at the fringes of societies all around the world.
walk around the barbican centre
The Barbican Centre was opened in 1982 and is the largest venue for performing arts of its kind in Europe. It is a classic example of Brutalist Architecture, an architectural movement which flourished from the 1950s to the mid 1970s. The name Brutalist is derived from the French words meaning raw concrete Beton Brut, which is often the main building component in Brutalist buildings. The style came from the Modernist Architecture movement of the early 20th century.
final images
intervention project
The intentions of this task is to create artwork that:
-Questions and challenges generally accepted behaviour
-leaves a physical mark on the environment
-Uses spaces that are open to the public.
This links to freedom as it is art which anyone could partake in or recreate as, the concept is exclusive but available to all.
-Questions and challenges generally accepted behaviour
-leaves a physical mark on the environment
-Uses spaces that are open to the public.
This links to freedom as it is art which anyone could partake in or recreate as, the concept is exclusive but available to all.
erwin wurmErwin Wurm is a conceptual artist from Austria who challenges traditional understanding of paintings, sculptures and performance art. 'I am interested in the everyday life. All the materials that surrounded me could be useful, as well as the objects/topics involved in contemporary society. My work speaks about the whole entity of a human being: the physical, the spiritual, the psychological and the political.'
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richard longLong was born in Bristol in 1945. He is a sculptor and one of the best known English land artists. He has been nominated for the Turner Prize four times and won it in 1989. Several of his works are created around land based natural sculpture, as well as walks that he has made.
This piece of work is called 'A line made by walking'; it shows a distinct depression in the turf of a field in Wiltshire which Long created by walking up and down the transect repeatedly.
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Both of these artists seem to do three main things:
-Challenge generally accepted behaviour
-make an impression on their environment
-uses public land as a performance space.
I will use this list as a criteria for my work focusing in on unconventional behaviour in a public environment.
-Challenge generally accepted behaviour
-make an impression on their environment
-uses public land as a performance space.
I will use this list as a criteria for my work focusing in on unconventional behaviour in a public environment.
my response
edited pictures
WWW
I managed to capture this picture mid-cartwheel just as the subject's hands were leaving the floor. The contortionist movement of his body makes for an interesting picture, and the slightly creepy background with the broken fence in the woods adds an abnormal and possibly dangerous element to the photo.
EBI
If I had taken the picture a few milliseconds later both of his hands might have left the ground, hence showing the contortion more effectively.
I managed to capture this picture mid-cartwheel just as the subject's hands were leaving the floor. The contortionist movement of his body makes for an interesting picture, and the slightly creepy background with the broken fence in the woods adds an abnormal and possibly dangerous element to the photo.
EBI
If I had taken the picture a few milliseconds later both of his hands might have left the ground, hence showing the contortion more effectively.
WWW
In this picture the subject is seen to be mimicking the flying gull in the background like a young child might. The action of adults playing is rarely seen as most lose some of their creativity and spontaneity and start to conform with the social norms of the society that they live in.
EBI
The houses in the background give a very dull backdrop so I would try to frame the picture differently by taking it at a different angle. Another possibility would be to edit out the houses and use the clone tool to extend the colour of the sky to where they used to be.
In this picture the subject is seen to be mimicking the flying gull in the background like a young child might. The action of adults playing is rarely seen as most lose some of their creativity and spontaneity and start to conform with the social norms of the society that they live in.
EBI
The houses in the background give a very dull backdrop so I would try to frame the picture differently by taking it at a different angle. Another possibility would be to edit out the houses and use the clone tool to extend the colour of the sky to where they used to be.
WWW
To edit this picture and the ones above I changed the colour balance and gave the picture a slightly purple tint which accentuates the colours of the trees in the background. This creates a more powerful contrast and makes the image stand out more.
EBI
Despite using colour balance the picture isn't vibrant and looks quite bland. A reason for this is that the pictures were taken late in the day where the natural light is a lot more grey, especially in winter. Next time I would wake up early and make use of good natural light.
To edit this picture and the ones above I changed the colour balance and gave the picture a slightly purple tint which accentuates the colours of the trees in the background. This creates a more powerful contrast and makes the image stand out more.
EBI
Despite using colour balance the picture isn't vibrant and looks quite bland. A reason for this is that the pictures were taken late in the day where the natural light is a lot more grey, especially in winter. Next time I would wake up early and make use of good natural light.
Breaking the structure
This is where we take the criteria of what a good photograph is: in focus, strong composition, right exposure and turn it on its head to challenge what makes a good image.
Expectation 1: focus
ralph eugene meatyard
Meatyard was an American photographer born in Normal, Illinois. He made his living as an optician and bought his first camera upon the birth of his first child. He worked mainly with a Rolleiflex medium format camera and attended numerous summer workshops run by Henry Holmes Smith at Indiana University.
Meatyard worked in productive stints; he would often leave film undeveloped for long periods of time and then work quickly in his makeshift dark room. His work is said to be heavily influenced by the Jazz music of the time.
Meatyard worked in productive stints; he would often leave film undeveloped for long periods of time and then work quickly in his makeshift dark room. His work is said to be heavily influenced by the Jazz music of the time.
Meatyard experimented with exposure, depth of field, motion blur and other photographic abstraction. By reducing the depth of field he is able to create a more abstract composition, this creates an intriguing mood and an atmosphere that makes something as simple as a twig interesting.
WWW
The tangled mess of twigs resemble barbed wire which makes the picture look unusually cynical and dark. This is exaggerated by the use of black and white and changing the brightness and contrast.
EBI
Because the twigs are right in front of the wall there is no depth to the picture so I can't experiment with depth of field.
The tangled mess of twigs resemble barbed wire which makes the picture look unusually cynical and dark. This is exaggerated by the use of black and white and changing the brightness and contrast.
EBI
Because the twigs are right in front of the wall there is no depth to the picture so I can't experiment with depth of field.
EBI
This picture is blurry and the twigs are against a wall so there is no depth of field. Next time I will make sure that the images are in focus and that there is a background so I can look at depth of field by changing the aperture.
This picture is blurry and the twigs are against a wall so there is no depth of field. Next time I will make sure that the images are in focus and that there is a background so I can look at depth of field by changing the aperture.
second response
Next time I would increase the contrast on the images as all the tones in the pictures look too similar.
expectation 2: composition
Uta Barth in her series 'Grounds' looks at small unframed images which don't seem to be of anything in particular. She captures the corner or the top of windows or other such objects making the image seem like a mistake or poorly framed.
In my work I will try and capture a glimpse of something in the edge of the frame and brutally crop out the rest of that object.
final images
expectation 3: exposure
I will experiment with what happens to an image when it is over- and underexposed using iso. I set my camera to manual mode with shutter speed and aperture at 1/60 and f8. I chose two compositions to photograph, one inside in low light and one outside in daylight. I took the same composition for all the images but changed the iso each time starting at 100 and going to 1600. These are my results.
Inside Low Light
Outside Daylight
post-production
Almost anything can be changed, created or deleted in post-production for example brightness and contrast, cropping and cloning. This is where photography can be pushed to its absolute limits.
Keld Helmer-Peterson
Keld Helmer-Peterson was a Danish photographer who was born and grew up in Copenhagen. In 1940 he subscribed to the US Camera annual and during this time became familiar with German inter-war photography. Helmer-Peterson's interests included contemporary art and architecture and he was inspired by the Bauhaus movement and Albert Renger-Patzsch. In 1948 he published a book, 122 Farvefotografier/122 Colour Photographs, which is now considered to be a pioneering work in the area of colour photography. His book secured him a grant to study at the Institute of Design in Chicago where he both taught and studied under Harry Callahan, an American photographer. This was when he started to experiment with the contrast of black and white which was influenced by constructionist artists and their interest in machinery, industry and architectural constructions.
Throughout Helmer-Peterson's career he was extremely experimental and worked right at the boundaries of what is considered photography. He would often use photograms instead of cameras to create his images.
Throughout Helmer-Peterson's career he was extremely experimental and worked right at the boundaries of what is considered photography. He would often use photograms instead of cameras to create his images.
my response
For the following images I used the threshold tool on Photoshop to create these extremely contrasted black and white images.
This is the Olympiastadion in Berlin which was commissioned by Adolf Hitler for the 1936 summer Olympics, built from 1934 to 1936. It was built because Hitler and the Nazi party saw the Olympics as a huge opportunity for propaganda purposes. Through the Olympics they were able to promote the government and the Nazi ideals of racial supremacy and anti-Semitism. German Jewish athletes were barred from competing and Jewish athletes from other nations, such as the USA, were also sidelined so as to not offend the hosts.
limiting space- in the studio
irving penn
Penn started out making unusual portraits of writers, artists, musicians, politicians, dancers and other celebrities where they would sit or stand in a corner sharper than 90 degrees which was created by two studio boards pushed together. As a result the studio becomes and 'architectural limiter' of the subjects movements which results in a claustrophobic environment. This lack of space isolates the subjects personalities in an abstract artificial world.
Limiting space- outside the studio
This task is supposed to question how the environment makes the subject feel and the subjects body positions posture and gait will reflect this.
willi dorner
The Austrian artist Willi Dorner squeezes people into small spaces and gaps in the urban environment. The performers, who are often dancers and climbers, wear brightly coloured tracksuits and run around busy shopping centres and high streets finding spaces which they can fit their body into.
The two fans are positioned so that someone can just about sit in between them. The tight fit and the fact that the person's head is buried down in his jacket imply that he feels trapped and constricted. I turned down the vibrance on Photoshop to create a blander colour scheme with less bright colour to reflect the mood of the picture.
In this picture the subject is doing a handstand against a pipe on a wall. To disorientate the viewer I turned the picture round by 180 degrees. The fact that the subject's face can't be seen disconnects the viewer from the subject and forces them to focus solely on the body position and its relationship to its surroundings.
WWW
I decreased the vibrance of this picture on Photoshop to match the subject's facial expression to manufacture a depressing and lifeless atmosphere. The subject's posture and the position of his body make him look uncomfortable and trapped by his surroundings. The window frame limits his freedom of movement.
I decreased the vibrance of this picture on Photoshop to match the subject's facial expression to manufacture a depressing and lifeless atmosphere. The subject's posture and the position of his body make him look uncomfortable and trapped by his surroundings. The window frame limits his freedom of movement.
expectation 4- damage
Photographs and negatives demand to be handled with care however doing the opposite of this can have significant effects. The response changes when negatives are destroyed or damaged and the image has a new meaning.
Chemical- seung-hwan oh
Seung-Hwan Oh is a Korean photographer and microbiologist who uses cultivations of fungi and bacteria to abstract and destroy his film. This process achieves an abstract result and beautifully rebels against perfection and idealised images.
my response
I used bleach to abstract these prints which are works from Gallery visit two, Photography on the Margins.
I painted on bleach from a diluted solution using a brush, however it wasn't strong enough so apart from some discolouring the image is relatively unaffected.
For this picture I submerged the image in the diluted bleach solution and rubbed the paint brush vigorously on the print. As a result I managed to create the white spot where the picture has rubbed off.
For this image I used bleach straight from the bottle and poured it on. When I was happy with the result I put it in a tray of water to clean off the bleach.
painting- gerhard richter
Richter's overpainted photographs collection consists of over 2000 works. He started creating these photographs in the mid 1980s and is still making them today.
MY IMAGES
I used several different colours of paint and mixed them on the photograph, but not so much that the original colours can't be seen.
burning- lucas simoes
MY IMAGE
3 strands
first strand- limitations in SOCIETIES norms
erwin wurm
Wurm is an Austrian born contemporary artist who works across media with a critical approach to visualising reality (see bio above).
Erwin Wurm challenges traditional understanding of paintings, sculptures and performance art. For this series he uses volunteers to enact short performances where their bodies are engaged with objects and their environment.
my response
WWW
The juxtaposition between the person in colour and her surroundings is effective as it makes her seem more alive and the background seem very mundane.
EBI
Next time I would find an area where more people can be seen in the shot, to provide a better juxtaposition between the person doing the headstand and the rest of the population getting on with life as normal.
I would also frame the picture differently with my friend doing the headstand more in the background than the foreground so the focus is on people's reactions not on the person doing the headstand. The background of the picture is not in focus so I would change the aperture and make it smaller so ensure the whole picture is in focus.
The juxtaposition between the person in colour and her surroundings is effective as it makes her seem more alive and the background seem very mundane.
EBI
Next time I would find an area where more people can be seen in the shot, to provide a better juxtaposition between the person doing the headstand and the rest of the population getting on with life as normal.
I would also frame the picture differently with my friend doing the headstand more in the background than the foreground so the focus is on people's reactions not on the person doing the headstand. The background of the picture is not in focus so I would change the aperture and make it smaller so ensure the whole picture is in focus.
WWW
The strong contrast in this picture makes the people in colour really stand out and makes the subject and focus of the picture clear.
EBI
If I had held off taking the picture for a couple of seconds the man and the woman walking would have come into the foreground and their reactions and facial expressions would have been clearer.
The strong contrast in this picture makes the people in colour really stand out and makes the subject and focus of the picture clear.
EBI
If I had held off taking the picture for a couple of seconds the man and the woman walking would have come into the foreground and their reactions and facial expressions would have been clearer.
WWW
This shot catches the pigeons mid-flight with their wings fully extended as if time were frozen. The different shapes of the birds make for an interesting effect.
EBI
The shot would have looked more interesting if it had caught the person still in the air, this would be effective as the
This shot catches the pigeons mid-flight with their wings fully extended as if time were frozen. The different shapes of the birds make for an interesting effect.
EBI
The shot would have looked more interesting if it had caught the person still in the air, this would be effective as the
In this picture the two subjects are using the pressure of their bodies pushing either side to suspend themselves in a doorway. I then turned the image round by 90 degrees clockwise which makes the image's nature seem unclear as it is hard to tell immediately which way is up and which way is down.
second strand- freedom of space
Lissy elle
Elle grew up in a small town in Canada surrounded by corn fields and forests. At the age of 12 she began to fear that she would one day forget her life if she did not document it, this was where her interest in photography came from. In her teenage years she became much more interested in escaping life rather than documenting it and began to create surreal landscapes and build blanket forts. She moved to New York at the age of 18 to become a professional photographer.
Her work is now focused on documentary and surrealism, creating imagery centred around everyday life. Her inspirations include the 'vivid colours of early childhood' and recurring dreams amongst others.
Her work is now focused on documentary and surrealism, creating imagery centred around everyday life. Her inspirations include the 'vivid colours of early childhood' and recurring dreams amongst others.
my response
third strand- never-ending landscapes
AARON FARLEY
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ANDREAS GURSKY
Gursky is a German photographer famous for his large-format architectural photography and his colour landscapes, although before 1990 he never digitally manipulated his images. His work is taken from a high vantage point which allows the viewer to see a perspective which is usually beyond reach.
This picture, Rhein ii, is of the River Rhein in Germany. In the original picture there is a power station over the river which has been cropped out in post-production.
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WWW
The different images match up well. I purposely lined up the bank of the pond on the left with the one on the right.
EBI
Next time I would use glue or tape to stick the images so it is less clear where different images begin and end. The shots that I take next time will be of similar vegetation to better blend the two shots together. I will also edit those images in post-production to make the colour balance and contrast similar so the images can blend more successfully.
The different images match up well. I purposely lined up the bank of the pond on the left with the one on the right.
EBI
Next time I would use glue or tape to stick the images so it is less clear where different images begin and end. The shots that I take next time will be of similar vegetation to better blend the two shots together. I will also edit those images in post-production to make the colour balance and contrast similar so the images can blend more successfully.
SECOND RESPONSE- LIMITED NATURAL LANDSCAPES
To keep each picture the same size I highlighted the shape and dragged it across into the other tabs on Photoshop.
The original picture is in a portrait orientation; this is why this particular image is thinner and taller than the subsequent ones. After this picture all images are the same size.
WWW
On the day I took this it was raining heavily so the camera was able to pick up the water droplets in the air. This gives the picture an interesting grain and texture and puts the viewer in the immediate moment. The evening sun also reflects off the water droplets and makes them glisten.
EBI
I only managed to take about five pictures on that day as I didn't want my camera to get wet.
On the day I took this it was raining heavily so the camera was able to pick up the water droplets in the air. This gives the picture an interesting grain and texture and puts the viewer in the immediate moment. The evening sun also reflects off the water droplets and makes them glisten.
EBI
I only managed to take about five pictures on that day as I didn't want my camera to get wet.
third response SYMMETRICAL landscapes
EBI
The pictures would look better if they were not cropped into these strips as they are much too tall. On both pictures the horizon isn't exactly horizontal which makes the picture look rough and unfinished. Next time I wouldn't crop the picture and I would use pictures with a completely horizontal axis, or I would straighten the axis on Photoshop. Both pictures seem uninteresting and dull due to the poor quality of lighting available on the day that the pictures were taken. I increased the contrast to make the picture stand out more, however it hasn't been very successful. Next time I would go on a sunny day early in the morning to take advantage of the better lighting. If this does not work I would also change the colour balance of the picture to make it less bland.
The pictures would look better if they were not cropped into these strips as they are much too tall. On both pictures the horizon isn't exactly horizontal which makes the picture look rough and unfinished. Next time I wouldn't crop the picture and I would use pictures with a completely horizontal axis, or I would straighten the axis on Photoshop. Both pictures seem uninteresting and dull due to the poor quality of lighting available on the day that the pictures were taken. I increased the contrast to make the picture stand out more, however it hasn't been very successful. Next time I would go on a sunny day early in the morning to take advantage of the better lighting. If this does not work I would also change the colour balance of the picture to make it less bland.
development 1: limitations in cropping images
This development explores the limitations that a photographer faces when composing his/her ideal shot. One of these limitations is cropping as it lessens the quality of the image if done to the extreme.
This image was massively cropped which made it look extremely pixelated but by sharpening the image it makes it look more like a painting than a photograph. There is a strong contrast as the shadow on the water is extremely dark. The picture is very abstract as it is almost impossible to tell what it actually is.
Development 2: urban intrusion in natural spaces
The Tottenham Marshes were originally a flood plain of the river Lea but between 1860 and 1930 a range of activities like tennis courts and swimming facilities were installed. After WW2, between 1946 and 1960, the area was used for gravel extraction and landfill.
WWW
The picture portrays the contrast between nature in the foreground, in the form of plants, shrubs and weeds, and in the background man-made structures such as electricity pylons and a huge warehouse.
The picture portrays the contrast between nature in the foreground, in the form of plants, shrubs and weeds, and in the background man-made structures such as electricity pylons and a huge warehouse.
To edit all of the pictures above I did the following on Photoshop:
-Auto Colour
-Auto Contrast
-Changed the colour balance
-Changed the vibrance.
However the settings that I changed for colour balance and vibrance were different for each picture. As a result the pictures don't match well as a series as some have more vibrance than others and some have different colour settings. For the next development I will record what settings I use and then repeat for the other pictures.
-Auto Colour
-Auto Contrast
-Changed the colour balance
-Changed the vibrance.
However the settings that I changed for colour balance and vibrance were different for each picture. As a result the pictures don't match well as a series as some have more vibrance than others and some have different colour settings. For the next development I will record what settings I use and then repeat for the other pictures.
development 3: Cropping limitations
To focus in on something to create a picture one would ideally zoom in. However most lense's zoom capabilities are small and limited. Another way to get the desired picture is to crop out the unwanted parts of the picture. However, this means that the image you get is of poor quality. This development will explore where the limits of cropping lie.
To create this image I zoomed in as much as possible to find a section where the tree and the electricity pylon were close together to try and make them seem as if they were connected. By cropping the image it is hard to distinguish what is in the foreground and what is in the background which makes the tree and the pylon seem more connected. Cropping also makes the image more abstract as it is harder to tell what the picture is of and if it is of the same thing.
Since the picture has been extensively zoomed in the quality is poor and the image is blurry.
Since the picture has been extensively zoomed in the quality is poor and the image is blurry.
development 4:
This development showcases images with a specific colour balance which gives the image a distinctive purple tint which exaggerates the colour of the swamp mud and darker coloured leaves. This image has added noise at around 11% and the saturation has been decreased. This gives the image a distinctive look which resembles some film photography.
development 5: freedom to live how one chooses
Many people have the desire to escape the 'daily grind' and live life more on their terms. This development documents some of the people who have done just that.
Alec soth's broken manual series
The series looks at hermits, recluses and people who have rejected society and conventional living and have chosen to live in wilder places in Appalachia instead of cities.
My response
Houseboat living is an increasingly popular trend in London with a 57% increase in the number of boats since 2012. It is hardly surprising due to lack of affordable housing available in London and the recent inflation and cuts. Like the men photographed in Soth's 'Broken Manual' series these people have rejected some of the western ideals like acquiring more things and getting a mortgage and have instead opted for a less extravagant life closer to nature, as many people are starting to realise that things don't make them happy. Boats have no central heating so rely on wood stoves, gas heating or petrol/diesel generators to keep them warm in winter time. And electricity comes from generators, solar or wind power. The pictures below are taken on the River Lee Navigation canal.
Living on a houseboat is a very individualist way of living as not only do you have to rely on yourself to provide things like power, heating and water but all houseboats are different and unique in their own way.
development 6
Walthamstow Marsh is a Site of Special Scientific Interest just south of Tottenham Hale Marshes. The 37.5 hectares area has been mostly untouched by development and gravel extraction, apart from two railway lines, and serves as an important refuge for wildlife.
There are lots of train tracks and electricity pylons in the Walthamstow Marshes as well as the Tottenham Hale Marshes. The labyrinth of wires and metal frames provide a really interesting stimulus for the eyes. I want to look at the limits of labyrinths in the natural world, for example rivers and trees, and those man-made ones, like pylons and electricity wires, and explore how they interact with each other. In most cases people will say pylons are ugly. However there is an aesthetic beauty in the interaction between a pylon and its very natural surroundings. It symbolises man's need to put their mark on nature and to try and control it, not to just let it be. This picture has not been edited as I realised it didn't need to be altered.
development 7
jane and louise wilson
Jane and Louise Wilson are two British artists who are twin sisters. In their series titled Sealander they revisited locations associated with recent European history, specifically bunkers commissioned my Adolf Hitler during WW2 along the European Atlantic coast. The title Sealander is said to refer to the transitional space between sea and land.
my response
I researched pill boxes and bunkers used in WW2 in the UK on the internet and found out that there was a high concentration of pill boxes in Kent, Sussex and in the Thames estuary.
This is a map from Henry Wills book titled Pillboxes, however not all pill boxes are recorded on this map.
Warden point battery
Warden Point Battery is a pillbox on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent. Due to coastal erosion it has fallen into the sea and parts of the original structure have been destroyed. Pillboxes are concrete dug-in guard posts usually equipped with loopholes from which guns and other small weapons can be fired. They are designed to protect against small firearms and grenades.
The two images above are the same picture but edited differently in Photoshop, I edited it twice as I wasn't happy with the first version however I am still not satisfied with the second. If I use this picture for the final piece I will not edit the image at all as the unedited version is the best. The first two times I increased brightness and increased the contrast, I also change the colour balance giving the first one a purple coloured tint and the second has a neon blue tint. However both images seem slightly forced and unreal compared to the original which is why I would chose the latter.
development 8
Centre Bastion Battery
Centre Bastion Battery is located on the North west part of Sheppey and lies next to Sheerness docklands. The site had been used to house guns since the 17th centurary but in 1919 it was decided that quick firing guns were to be installed. The buildings were disarmed for WW2 and used by the Navy instead as observation posts, and number 2 tower was used as a minefield control tower.
There are also images of a crane used to carry shipping containers in the Sheerness docks.
For this picture I changed the colour balance which gave it a yellow tint which enhances the near perfect lighting which I had on the day the picture was taken.
Due to the nature of the location of the buildings being inaccessible it is not possible to get a shot of the structures without it being covered up by a tree or a fence. In between the walk way and the structures is a big moat, as a result you have to zoom in unless you want that in the shot.
development 9
In this development I plan to experiment with having a deep depth of field to capture large expansive natural landscapes with evidence of man-made structures within them.
cliffe fort
Cliffe Fort in Kent was an artillery fort built in 1860 to guard the entrance of the Thames from a possible seaborne attack. It's disarmament was in 1927 but the fort was re-purposed because of WW2 as an anti-aircraft battery. After the war it was sold to the nearby aggregate company and since then it has been left derelict and flooded and is considered an 'at risk' heritage asset.
The use of angular lines in this picture is really effective as there is the diagonal from the gravel conveyor belt in the foreground, the other diagonal of the fort's wall in the centre of the picture; and then the two shores, the diagonal one which is nearest and then the horizontal one which is further away.
These two images are much more effective than those of Development 8 as they show much more of the surrounding natural landscape. This shows how the fort ruin has been shaped by nature and whether it has integrated or hasn't integrated.
development 10
David Lynch
David Lynch is an American filmmaker, painter, musician and actor, and has been photographing since the late 1980s. He focused mainly on landscapes and portraiture in New England. However his life was changed for ever after spending a year living in Guatemala. This is where he began to document daily life looking at labourers and the largely intact indigenous society the country has. The deep and emotional connection Lynch had to Guatemala led him to a lifelong social documentary project in central America.
In 2014 Lynch published a book David Lynch: The Factory Photographs and had an exhibition at the Photographers' Gallery. His images are shot in various locations including Germany, Poland, New York, New Jersey and England. The images show decaying man-made structures.
In 2014 Lynch published a book David Lynch: The Factory Photographs and had an exhibition at the Photographers' Gallery. His images are shot in various locations including Germany, Poland, New York, New Jersey and England. The images show decaying man-made structures.
my response
The following images are from an assortment of sites from two locations on multiple trips. The first location is Tottenham Hale Marshes (middle picture) and the second is Walthamstow Marsh (right hand side picture). I wanted to portray man-made structures in a negative light rather than fitting in with nature harmoniously. I got inspiration from Lynch's almost post-apocalyptic prints of factories.
In these images I changed the mode to greyscale and then massively increased the contrast. The outcome is a series of black and white images with extreme contrast which make the places look extremely bleak and dangerous. Some of these images are from a low down point of view which instills a sense of looming danger.
However these images don't effectively tackle the concept of the limits between the natural world and the man made world as there is very little nature within the images. Next development will tackle this more effectively by showing more nature.
However these images don't effectively tackle the concept of the limits between the natural world and the man made world as there is very little nature within the images. Next development will tackle this more effectively by showing more nature.
final piece
The final piece will be split into three sections: Wood, Metal and Concrete. And explores limits between the natural and man-made world.
wood
Boats carry with them a huge sense of freedom as they will take you anywhere where there is water, within reason. The ability to sail away in any direction one desires is a feeling the vast majority of people never experience. However the elements take their toll on boats, especially ones made of vulnerable materials like wood.
Boats bring freedom as there is the possibility of movement, this links to Development 5 which looks at people who have chosen dynamic living over static. People who aren't limited by their foundations but can move when and wherever they want.
Boats bring freedom as there is the possibility of movement, this links to Development 5 which looks at people who have chosen dynamic living over static. People who aren't limited by their foundations but can move when and wherever they want.
These pictures and ship wrecks in general are eerie and have a sense of mystery about them. Questions like what did the boat look like before, and why is it a wreck now arise in one's mind.
metal
Metal explores the places outside and beyond the built-up areas in London. Richard Mabey describes it as a place where 'The trees can live next to the cranes' in his book entitled The Unofficial Countryside.
This piece explores how the inner city limits and natural places can interact harmoniously. For example trees and electricity pylons are different in many ways yet in some cases sit side by side each not offended by the other.
This image was taken in Tottenham Marshes next to the Electricity Transformer Station. This is a functional modern building which is unlikely to fit in with its natural surroundings. However the pylon and the three trees complement each other and blend in well with their landscape. The colour of the tree and the pylon are a very similar silvery grey.
concrete
Coasts are the natural limits of our countries' borders and on occasion need to be protected. Forts and sea defences like the ones below were the first line of defence in protecting the United Kingdoms citizens's and freedom. These bunkers are no longer needed and have fallen down a cliff and been eroded by the sea, and yet they still lie on look out as if nothing has changed. These bunkers played a part in arguably the most significant events of the 20th century.
Coasts are also the limits of spheres where land meets ocean.
Coasts are also the limits of spheres where land meets ocean.