ANNABEL BRYANT C A N D I DAT E N U M B E R : 7 247
PERSONAL INVESTIGATION PART 2
THESE ARE SOME OF MY IDEAS FOR FINAL PIECES THAT I COULD MAKE. I LIKE THE IDEA OF GEOMETRICAL SHAPES AND LANDSCAPE/NATURE IMAGES AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO INCLUDE IN MY WORK. I ALSO ENJOYED DOING THE IDRIS KHAN PHOTOSHOOT AND DAVID COPITHORNE PHOTOSHOOT AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE. FOR MOST OF THESE IDEAS, I WOULD LIKE TO PRODUCE A PHYSICAL PIECE PRESENTED ON FORM BOARD. I WANT TO USE SHAPES TO CREATE BOARDERS FOR MY PHOTOS, WHICH I WILL THEN ADD THINGS TO, SUCH AS EMBOSSING AND RAISING DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE IMAGE. THIS GIVES THE IMAGE MORE DEPTH AND CREATES SOMETHING MORE INTERESTING TO LOOK AT.
THIS EDIT COMBINES CMYK LAYERING AND GEOMETRIC PHOTOGRAPHY. I HAVE ALSO USED MIRRORING TO ACHIEVE THIS EFFECT OF MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN THE IMAGE, AS WELL AS GLITCH PHOTOGRAPHY. I THINK THAT GLITCH PHOTOGRAPHY WORKS WELL WITH MIRRORING AS THEY BOTH MAKE THE IMAGE UNIQUE AND TRANSFORM IT COMPLETELY. BOTH OF THESE EFFECTS MAKE THE IMAGE MORE APPEALING AND ENJOYABLE TO LOOK AT. I LIKE THE USE OF COLOUR WITHIN THIS EDIT, I THINK THAT IT MAKES IT EYE-CATCHING. HOWEVER IN MY FINAL PIECE I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON GEOMETRIC SHAPES AND LANDSCAPES AS I THINK THEY WORK WELL TOGETHER. I ALSO WANT TO INCORPORATE IDRIS KHAN’S WORK INTO MINE, AS WELL AS DAVID COPITHORNE.
MAQUETTE 1
THIS IS ONE OF MY DESIGNS FOR THE OUTCOME. I CREATED A DESIGN ON PHOTOSHOP WHICH INCLUDED DIFFERENT GEOMETRICAL SHAPES ON AN IMAGE. I THEN DECIDED TO RAISE EACH OF THE SHAPES BY USING FOAM BOARD, WHICH MEANT THAT THE PIECE HAD MULTIPLE LAYERS. I LIKED THE IDEA OF LEVELS OF THE PHOTO, AS THIS MADE THE PIECE MORE INTERESTING. I THEN DECIDED TO DO THIS TO ALL OF THE ASPECTS.
MAQUETTE 2
THIS IS ANOTHER OF MY DESIGNS FOR MY OUTCOME. FOR THIS DESIGN, I FOCUSED ON TRIANGLE SHAPE DESIGNS AND COLOURED SHAPES. I OVERLAYED THE SHAPES OVER THE MAIN PHOTO, WHICH OBSECURED MOST OF THE IMAGE. I ALSO THOUGHT THAT RAISING THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS WOULD ADD TO THE TEXTURE OF THE PIECE. THIS MEANT THAT THE OTHER DESIGNS LOOKED BETTER TOGETHER, AS THEY WERE ALSO RAISED.
THESE ARE MY DIGITAL EDITS THAT I HAVE CREATED USING GLITCH WEBSITES AND PHOTOS H O P. I D E C I D E D T O U S E T H E S E D I G I T A L E D I T ING TECHNIQUES TO FURTHER THE DEVELOPMENT OF MY IMAGES AS I LIKED THE PHYSICAL ELEMENTS, HOWEVER I FELT THAT DIGITAL DISTORTION WOULD ADD TO THE EFFECT I WANTED TO CREATE AND HEIGHTEN TO INTEREST OF THE PHOTOS. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH HOW THESE PHOTOS TURNED OUT AS I THINK THAT THEY DISPLAY THE THEME OF CONCEAL AND REVEAL VERY WELL AS THE MODEL IS CONCEALED AND REVEALED THROUGHOUT THE SERIES OF IMAGES.
contact sheet
THIS IS MY IDEA FOR MY FINAL PIECE DISPLAY. I HAVE DECIDED TO GO FOR A SIMPLE COLOUR SCHEME USING BLUES AND PINKS, AS THIS WAS A FEATURE OF A LOT OF MY WORK. I THINK THAT THE USE OF A MIXTURE OF MY PHOTOGRAPHS AND OBJECTS SUCH AS, OLD POST CARDS AND PIECES OF SHEET MUSIC, GIVE THE PIECE MORE INTEREST. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH HOW THIS DESIGN HAS TURNED OUT, I ALSO THINK THAT THE PIECE FITS WELL WITH THE THEME OF CONCEAL AND REVEAL, AS THE ITEMS AND THE PHOTOS REVEAL BEAUTY IN SOMETHING THAT SEEMS ORDINARY.
Annabel Bryant How do photographers portray the beauty in everyday? In this personal study I will be investigating the ways in which photographers can capture beautiful moments in everyday life. I am interested to find out if this is something that cannot be defined or engineered, something which certain photographers have or don’t have. Or can any photographer apply certain strategies or formula to find and record these often personal, elegant and charming snap shots of the world around them? I was initially inspired by researching photographers such as Stephen Shore and William Eggleston for my personal investigation, being fascinated by the way in which they captured every day environments in such a beautiful manner. I have chosen to analyse a range of photographs primarily from American photographers or photographers that have captured American life.
The image above has been photographed by American photographer Joel Sternfeld. This image is part of the ‘American Prospects’ collection of photographs and was taken in early 1980’s. The photo focuses on a man positioned central in the image sitting upon a car in a relaxed manner. The man is looking towards the camera and makes a bored or unimpressed facial expression, conveying a casual atmosphere, almost looking reluctant to be photographed. His body language also reinforces this as he sits slumped with his legs splayed apart. The male looks like he is a teenager and almost looks awkward, the viewpoint extenuating the length of his limbs. The man is sitting on the bonnet of a vintage green car which has a dented wing which add more to the narrative of the photograph. We could consider this may have been his first car, maybe passed on by a family member or friend, the car has clean horizontal lines that are broken up by a dent on the front wing. The shade of green is very similar to the grass and
Annabel Bryant scenery in the background of the image, so we can infer that colour is a main theme in this photo. The image is likely to be spontaneous, however it is posed and deliberate but looks unplanned. The photograph is presented in a long shot as it shows the male model in full length, however we can only see the front of the car, suggesting that there is more to the scene than we are shown. The photograph is taken from head height, looking straight on and directly at the male. The man is also framed by the use of colour and the car’s positioning, which again eludes the central focus to the male model. There is depth created by the diagonal line of the pavement leading to what looks like a suburban housing estate. The lighting of the image is quite subtle and natural as the photograph is taken outside. In the top thirds of the image we can also see that the sky is cloudy and overcast, yet the sun is shining through as the image is bright and therefore shadows have been created due to it. The photograph will have been shot on film, unedited as the colours and tone of the image look natural and every day. Sternfeld captures this photo in an appealing and relaxed manner to convey the beauty of an ordinary setting. There is used of horizontal and diagonal lines, which highlights how a basic image can have depth and a personal mood within it, yet from first glance, seem average or even uninspiring. The last element that is striking is the varied use of green hues that seem to cover the whole photograph, this brings a uniformity to the image, it almost seems like the image has been tinted with green tones.
Stephen Shore has used similar aesthetic elements in this photograph from his ‘American Surfaces’ series of photographs. The photograph is taken of a woman from behind who is half standing in a swimming pool. The woman is the central focus of the image as she is positioned
Annabel Bryant in the middle and framed by the other features of the photo. In the background of the photo we can see some sun loungers which are deserted implying the woman maybe alone. In the foreground we can see the railing of steps going into the pool in which we can assume the woman has just walked from due to her positioning facing away from them. There is a glare from the railing also as the sun is shining onto them. The photo was taken from above the woman, looking slightly down, this is partly because she is in the water and so is lower than ground level. This angle gives us an overview of the setting and surroundings of the woman. It also makes the woman appear vulnerable and powerless. The person viewing the image is positioned to feel superior as they are from a higher viewpoint. We can infer from the image that the female may not be a model but rather a person unaware of the photo being taken, as Stephen Shore’s other work has followed this theme. The mood of the image is serene and tranquil as the water is calm and so would suggest that the woman has only just entered it. We can assume that there is no one else in the water with her as the pool’s surface is still, however, we cannot be sure as the image does not show the whole swimming pool. The photo seems to be minimally edited as the colours are natural. Stephen Shore captures the beauty in the everyday life by photographing natural settings. This series of images creates a calm atmosphere as the images consist of minimal elements. However, the photo can give a sense of melancholy as the woman appears by herself with no one else in the image, but this is not as likely due to the atmosphere that has been created from the lighting and colours. There are clear similarities between Shore’s photograph and Sterfield’s, both use colour strongly as a theme, Shore’s image is cool-toned due to the blue of the pool and the swimming costume of the woman. Then there is the use of diagonal line and a singular person in the photograph. Shore has introduced another aesthetic element that enhances the visual qualities of the photograph namely pattern and texture. By taking the photograph when the sun was shining, as the lighting was is bright the water has created a shimmering pattern due to the light shining off it. I feel Shore has done this to portray a peaceful and relaxing environment, the water looks inviting and this could counter balance the melancholy feeling of loneliness with more positive emotions.
Annabel Bryant The third photographer that I will be looking at is William Eggleston, an American photographer that focuses on the regular life in the U.S. His work involves an array of colours and tones which is something that he is known for. This photograph is part of the ‘Buildings’ collection of photos and was taken in the 1970’s. I have chosen this photograph as there are comparisons with this image and the two previous ones I have analysed. Colour and tone, the use of line and again the single person. In the image we see a street scene featuring part of two buildings with cars parked along the road and a man walking along. The photo is taken from eye line, looking directly at the buildings, to give a more natural feel to the image. The p is taken outdoors in an urban environment which we can see from the cars in the foreground. This means that the photo has natural lighting used, to create the everyday look that Eggleston is known to work with. The main colours within the photo are yellow, orange and red, from the buildings and cars. The buildings in the main section of the photo divide the image almost in half as it was taken to show part of two shops. This then splits focus into two areas. On the left hand side, a McDonald’s restaurant is shown within the famous “M” logo in yellow. It contrasts against the red background that it has been placed on, therefore making it stand out more. In the foreground is an old fashioned car in a burgundy red colour parked in front of McDonald’s. This also juxtaposes with the yellow lettering on the sign and so, makes the image more interesting. This particular image also uses lines to divide sections of the image up. For example, the detail on the car is in horizontal lines, in contrast with the vertical lines on the front of the building. This gives depth to the image as it involves patterns and textures. On the right hand side of the image, is another shop painted in a bold yellow/orange colour which stands out significantly against the rest of the photo. Another smaller focus within the image is the man walking in front of the shop wearing a bright blue t-shirt. Although he is small in comparison to the other features of the photo, he brings another focal point to the picture. Eggleston’s work is captured at the perfect moment to create such bold photographs. His use of warm colours, tone and pattern throughout his work alludes to a sense of happiness, as in this case, the colour yellow symbolises happiness and joyfulness. We can consider that his intentions for this were to show that everyday settings can be beautiful and happy, despite the simplicity on the location.
Annabel Bryant Eggleston has used pattern as a theme be compared to Shore’s. The texture is not singular but a combination of geometrical textures that combine to create a different rhythm and feeling.
My fourth image is from French contemporary photographer Franck Bohbot. He is based in New York but travels the country taking inspiring and captivating photographs of the world around him. This photo is part of Bohbot’s ‘Looking for Atlantic City’ series of photographs and was taken in 2014. The image is taken from eye level and looks straight onto the subject of the photograph. This image works with the rule of thirds as the top third of the image is black, while the rest of the image features colour. This photograph was taken at night as the sky is black, this is also confirmed as the image is lit up by the neon signs across the photo that advertise food. The signs are bold and stand out against the dark background, making them the focus of the photo. The use of colour within this photo makes it bold and intriguing to view. Judging from the title of the series of photos and what the image shows, this was taken along a pier or at an amusement park. At the bottom of the image there are silhouettes of people buying from the stand, this highlights the spontaneous atmosphere of the photo, as the people are not posed. Much like the last image, by Eggleston, Bohbot has focused on lines and patterns within the photo, as the picture is split into sections from the positioning that it was taken from, but also due to the striped pattern on the top of the stand. Again the colours in the photograph are extremely important to its success, another similarity to Sternfield’s, Shore’s and Eggleston’s work. The Italian flag colours are obvious but the use of a film camera’s creating grain because of the limited light at night and made the colours desaturated, reducing the contrast which is helped by the orange glow from the neon signs.
Annabel Bryant
Another photographer who captures minimal settings is Corina Gamma, a photographer currently living and teaching in Los Angeles, however, born in Switzerland. Her work surrounds urban environments and highlights the simplicity of them. In this particular photo, she captures birds flying onto and around over head power cables. The image is taken from a low angle looking up, making the person viewing the image feel vulnerable. It is clear that the photo was taken outside as the sky is shown, as well as birds flying, therefore the photo used natural lighting. However, we can suggest that the photo was captured on a cloudy day as the sky is white and so dimly lights the photo. Gamma uses minimal editing to produce her work. She looks at the angle and cropping of the photos which is what makes them unique. The image does not have one focal point, as the birds are scattered across the whole photograph. Unlike the work by Shore and Sternfeld, Gamma’s work does not feature any people, she uses landscapes and scenery instead to create captivating photos. Her style of photography is simple and uses a limited colour palette. In this image she uses monochrome colours of black, white and gray, as the birds are not brightly colour and therefore do not stand out from the rest of the image. However, this photo has a strong rhythm and pattern throughout, with the use of diagonal lines from the power cables and the scattering of the birds across the image. In the bottom third of the photo, we can see the wooden pole that is used to hold up the power cables which can be argued, is a focal point of the image, as there is a stronger gathering of birds around that area. I believe that this image captures the beauty in everyday landscapes as Gamma has created an image which presents mystery, by her use of patterns within the photo. The colour scheme of the photo also reinforces this view as the dark colours give an eerie atmosphere to the image. Gamma’s work contrasts with Eggleston’s as her image as it is taken
Annabel Bryant in black and white, unlike Eggleston’s which use bright, strong colours. However, it can be argued that both images are bold, and striking, Eggleston’s through the use colour and Gamma’s through the use of monochrome and silhouettes and therefore they are alike.
A photographer that has a similar asethetic to Gamma is Lark Foord, a self-taught photographer based in California. His work consists of unusual urban envionments and objects that seem ordinary, at first glance. A general theme of his work are lines and patterns within the images. In this particular photo we see some concreate steps. The photograph has been taken outside, this is shown from the surroundings to the steps and due to the shadows cast on them, showing bright sunlight. We can infer that the setting is an urban environment, perhaps a skateboarding park, since the background shows what appears to be a ramp. The colour scheme of the image is fairly minimal, presenting light and dark gray colours. The photograph is taken facing straight on to the steps, and is taken from head height, which presents it as centural within the photo. The photo is minimal and lacks the presence of people, which could be seen as interesting, as in this environment you would expect to see people around. The main focal point of the image is the pattern which has been created from the shadow on the steps. The sun is positioned directly parallel with the angle of the steps and therefore, shines through the gaps in the rail and onto the ground constructing this zig zag pattern. The pattern juxtaposes with the rail itself as it is straight and the pattern is creates is not. Foord’s work is similar to the
Annabel Bryant previous photograph as it shows how minimal, urban settings can create striking, bold images. Foord’s work is similar to Gamma’s in the sense that both images present strong visual images of pattern and formation. The bold diagonal lines appear in both photos and create a focal point on the image, along side the pattern - of birds in Gamma’s image and shadows in Foord’s image.
The last photographer that I have included is Jeff Brouws, a U.S photographer who captures the American life. Brouws work is much like the previous photographers I have looked at; however, he chooses to look at locations that don’t feature people in them, which I also witnessed in Gamma’s and Foord’s work. Much of his work is taken at night or at sunrise/sunset, which enables him to create stunning images through the use of neon signs and typography. This image is part of the series of photos ‘California’ and was taken in 1987. The photo was taken outside due to the natural lighting of the image. It features a sign to ‘Roy’s Motel and Cafe’ which is clearly seen as the main focus of the photo. The sign has been positioned so it is just off-centre and to the left, appearing at the intersections, where the lines would meet. The photograph was taken looking slightly upwards, making the sign appear to be larger than it actually is. The background and surroundings of the sign are minimal which also leads us to believe it is the focus of the photo. The red colour of the sign against the pale blue sky also reinforces this. We can infer that the image was taken either early in the morning or early evening due to the haziness of the sky and the lighting within the photo. Much like Foord’s work, this image presents a theme of lines and shapes, due to the horizon being a feature and the geometric pattern of the sign itself. Depth of field is also significant within this photograph as the sign is in the foreground and in the background you can see mountains along the
Annabel Bryant horizon, showing perspective. The colours of the photo are quite subtle and so don’t overpower the photo which contrasts to the work from William Eggleston but has similarities to Bohbot’s desaturated tones. However, the red on the sign stands out from the rest of the photo and stresses that it is the focal point of the image. Overall, I feel that this image portrays a calm, tranquil atmosphere, as a result of the subtle colour scheme and mood of the sky. A minimal arrangement is portrayed in this image, much like the work of Foord. The use of this creates a simplistic look and calm mood to each photo, along with the colour tones used throughout which are calming and subtle. The photographers that I have chosen are similar in subject matter and style, they tend to photograph natural/man made environments that seem to be spontaneous. They focus on landscapes, buildings and people’s lives. Many of the photographers are also American and therefore work with the landscape and culture of America. Furthermore, many of the series of photos are captured in the 90’s and so show the lifestyle of the era. In conclusion, after studying the photographers above I have witnessed a number of common elements/techniques used in these classic images. I feel that photographers can approach capturing beauty in the everyday by following a basic formula, set of guidelines or by training their eye to look for specific elements. There are trends and patterns within all of these photographer’s work, the key elements are,
The use of line, horizontal, vertical and diagonal Impact of pattern and texture Appreciation of colour, hue and saturation Angle and perspective defined by the photographer’s viewpoint Simple composition Understanding of the way light can affect mood
By applying these guidelines photographers can often photograph a range of scenes from the mundane and seemingly uninteresting to the exciting and unusual and create a visual aesthetic that the eye and brain see and understand as beautiful. This personal study has helped me to develop and refine my photographic eye further. My personal investigation has progressed towards taking photographs using a minimalist approach, I now consistently use the criteria discovered in this study to help capture everyday moments that have a coherent aesthetic and visual structure.
Annabel Bryant
Bibliography Brougher, K, Joel Sternfeld: American Prospects, Steidl, 2004 Retrospective, Huis Marseille [18th January 2017] https://www.huismarseille.nl/en/tentoonstelling/stephen-shore/ William Eggleston: The Democratic Forest, Port Magazine, Max Larkin, [4th February 2017] http://www.port-magazine.com/art-photography/william-eggleston-the-democratic-forest/ John Szarkowski: William Eggleston's Guide, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2002 Lo Presti's, Atlantic City, NJ, 2014, Franck Bohbot, [7th February 2017] http://www.franckbohbot.com/lookingforac#35 Berlin meets Los Angeles, Katya Tylevich, [12th February 2017] http://www.domusweb.it/en/art/2013/01/18/berlin-meets-los-angeles.html Finding the Enigmatic in the common place, Metal, Annachiara Biondi, [14th February 2017] http://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/interview/lark-foord-finding-the-enigmatic-in-thecommonplace-annachiara-biondi Lark Foord: Collection, [19th February 2017] http://www.booooooom.com/2015/01/23/photographer-lark-foord/ Roy’s Motel & Café, Amboy, California, 1987, Jeff Brouws, [15th February 2017] http://www.jeffbrouws.com/series/highway_F07.html