In preparation for the Portrait brief we were set the task to photograph portraits of strangers. Approaching strangers and asking if you can take a photograph of them is not as easy as it seems, but I think that once you break the barrier it becomes much easier. Here are a few photos that I took today. You will notice that they are all male – I think that this is because they are easier to approach for this kind of task.
Final Idea
This triptych resembles still life because of the objects within the images. However, the careful arrangement of the objects can be open to interpretation; I believe that the shapes and sizes of the stones represent a head and a body and the flower as a face; the darker stone as a hat along with the smaller stones on top. This contrasts with the initial idea of “still life” because the objects appear visually as life-like figures (particularly in the last image).
The original image is the one on left (above) and the top image (below), I chose to use the same images throughout because I wanted to show the image from a different perspective. Through the use of mirror imagery, the central image creates life, it visually implies that the “objects” are leaning in towards each other. The image on the far right also portrays repetition, I think that the alignment of the objects influence the life-like features that the objects portray.
Victoria Ivanova
Victoria Ivanova’s interest in giving a static object a character is where my interpretations came from. I came across one of her photographs containing a pear which looked like it had emotions. I found this extremely clever and also quite funny. As I looked into her work further, I noticed that she had put together a series of pear photographs.
In order to improve my idea, I could have added in other still life objects to make the photograph come to life and tell a story, similar to what Ivanova does. I also think that I could have expanded on my idea by changing the background and the lighting, this would have potentially given the object(s) more character and meaning.
The first image was initially captured to correspond with the ‘Found Object’ brief. However, I decided to develop this image through the use of appropriation. I felt that by experimenting with the background of the image, a completely different meaning is portrayed overall. Additionally, I felt that the use of black and white appears very effective because it creates a mood within the picture, it also allows two images which wouldn’t ordinarily be associated with each other, to develop a connection – which in my opinion, allows the two images “fit” together. The contrast between black and white and colour is also significant because it highlights the importance of the coloured object, giving it more purpose and definition.
Mari Mahr
My attempt at appropriation is very similar to the work of Mari Mahr in the sense that the style of the image, the arrangement and selection of the background and the placement of the subject in the foreground are all relatable. I feel that Mahr’s work has further meaning to it as it is a selection of images which make up the title ‘Dreamer’s Birthday’.
Please also see the Gallery page for additional photographs that I have taken.
References
Hume, H. D. (2010). The art teacher’s book of lists, grades K-12. United States: John Wiley & Sons.
http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Elliott-Erwitt.html
http://marimahr.com
http://markpower.co.uk
https://500px.com/photo/91481013/-by-brian-ingram?ctx_page=1&from=user&user_id=101527
These are photos that were taken from the streets of Lincoln. These images were inspired by everyday signals, such as road signs, traffic lights and directions. In some of these photos, I tried to experiment with the depth of the field by concentrating on focusing the lens; as you can see, the images in the foreground are in better focus than those in the background – I think this is effective because it can emphasise the importance of the highlighted image.