Tomorrow I am planning to take photographs in a local pet department near where I live - it sounds not very impressive but they have lots of animals/reptiles/fish/insects that I want to take close up images of and take constructed photographs of as independant organisms.
I want to collect images of other organisms - separate from my previous natural photography - to show the different aspects of other creatures. I shall use these images to portray the themes in my project - looking at the life cycles and features of the natural world.
I have loads of ideas for my new photographs:
- I want to combine these new images with the photographs I already have to show a mixture of contrast and similarity between natural elements and organism (and their life processes). I shall use different techniques to merge the images together, e.g photoshopping the images together, constructing collages and printing images on top of each other and onto different materials etc.
- I want to add other mediums to the photographs to enhance the features, portray organic elements and combine aspects of different images; adding different kinds of paint onto the images, adding wire/thread to the photographs and adding different materials to the images etc.
OVERALL > My main focus of this new photography series is to collect images of other organisms to combine with my previous images of natural elements - therefore creating a sense of contrast but also a similarity between life cycles.
Thursday, 4 April 2013
Exploring collage further
After working on collage on a small scale and in the developmental stage, I am now more interested in creating larger collages using my photographs.
I have done some smaller experimentation on different materials where I have printed out my photographs onto different textured sheets or onto materials with different transparencies, e.g. printing onto tracing paper, acetate etc. By printing on larger scale I can enhance the features in my prints and work more with merging together images. I have already experimented with overlays using photoshop but I want to work on layering images manually such as cutting up images and creating compositions.
I am interested in creating different organic qualities with my photographs by just using the textures and appearences of the materials that I am printing onto. This also brings me forward to looking at additional features, such as adding textures like sugar to paint or adding thread to my pieces to highlight and enhance my pieces further to express the natural element themes.
I have done some smaller experimentation on different materials where I have printed out my photographs onto different textured sheets or onto materials with different transparencies, e.g. printing onto tracing paper, acetate etc. By printing on larger scale I can enhance the features in my prints and work more with merging together images. I have already experimented with overlays using photoshop but I want to work on layering images manually such as cutting up images and creating compositions.
I am interested in creating different organic qualities with my photographs by just using the textures and appearences of the materials that I am printing onto. This also brings me forward to looking at additional features, such as adding textures like sugar to paint or adding thread to my pieces to highlight and enhance my pieces further to express the natural element themes.
Collage
At the beginning of my project I was interested in using collage to help me further my ideas, to help me develop compositions and merge together images. But as I have explored the different techniques and aesthetics of collage I am beginning to think that it can be used to produce both interesting and relevant pieces for my project.
My first interest in collage was producing pieces that are formed from torn/fragmented piece of images - I began with images from nature magazines e.g. plants, fungi, fruit, vegetables and even insects. I wanted to show a sense of transition through life cycles of both flora and insect life - to show links between growth and decay, reproduction and decline etc.
I began working further with my own imagery - the photographs I took depicting organic elements. I wanted to create a sense of the natural world but also the changes that it goes through throughout it's life span. I was not entirely sure what methods to use so I continued with the tearing-and-pasting techniques which formed an organic composition in an unusual shape. I really like the strange shape that was formed with the fragments of images - it seems more organic and more naturally formed which is how I like to create my work. I feel if I created more pieces in a similar way - in a series - then it would seem like a transition, exemplify the natural life processes, through the stages. I feel that I find it easier, and it comes more natural to me, to create spontaneous collages; ones that are not restricted to a retangular sheet of paper. With the sheet collages there is the temptation and pressure to fill the page which prevents the collage from coming together more naturally - I plan to experiment with more tear-and-paste collages and form them onto different types of paper or even over the top of other images (most likely photographs of simple landscapes).
My first interest in collage was producing pieces that are formed from torn/fragmented piece of images - I began with images from nature magazines e.g. plants, fungi, fruit, vegetables and even insects. I wanted to show a sense of transition through life cycles of both flora and insect life - to show links between growth and decay, reproduction and decline etc.
I began working further with my own imagery - the photographs I took depicting organic elements. I wanted to create a sense of the natural world but also the changes that it goes through throughout it's life span. I was not entirely sure what methods to use so I continued with the tearing-and-pasting techniques which formed an organic composition in an unusual shape. I really like the strange shape that was formed with the fragments of images - it seems more organic and more naturally formed which is how I like to create my work. I feel if I created more pieces in a similar way - in a series - then it would seem like a transition, exemplify the natural life processes, through the stages. I feel that I find it easier, and it comes more natural to me, to create spontaneous collages; ones that are not restricted to a retangular sheet of paper. With the sheet collages there is the temptation and pressure to fill the page which prevents the collage from coming together more naturally - I plan to experiment with more tear-and-paste collages and form them onto different types of paper or even over the top of other images (most likely photographs of simple landscapes).
Friday, 22 March 2013
Tutorial reflection
After a brief discussion with my tutor about my work I then had another tutorial with my second tutor - I took some very negatives things from the response at first. My second tutor (Janet) outlined some areas which I needed to improve - one point being that I had not researched enough around the subject of photography and the different techniques used and artists' work. Basically she said that the photographic pieces I had done were very simple to do and did not require much consideration - this was not entirely true as I had to plan out a lot of pieces:
- Working with altering colours/tones
- Changing the sizes
- Reducing the noise/brightness/contrast/sharpness (which was difficult)
- Deciding what layering effect to work with
- Deciding on the different material to print onto and experiment with
I was a little crushed but I had to admit that she was partially right - in the sense that I had not looked in depth at photography artists and theire techniques/exhibitions/inspirations etc. Although I do have some information on photography pieces by artists that influenced my choices in my photography editing, also pieces that inspired me and captured aspects of organic materials and nostalgic atmospheres.
She also spoke about how I had lost myself in the subject matter - I am a nature person so I believe I got a little distracted by the facts/literal sense of nature rather than focusing on the art. However, as an artist I like to have a broad spectrum of a subjectm - it helps me focus on specific aspects further down the line. I wanted to delve into nature to see which areas I wanted to portray.
Anyway, I have decided to take her advice and research more - I am in the library looking at photography books that touch on organic subjects yet I am also looking at photography in general. The techniques and effects; the visual aspects of some of the pieces are very interesting and give me ideas for my practice. Trying to get excited about an artist's work - so far it is exhilerating to just flick through massive books full of photography and reading about the artists' work.
I have also decided to look more at the method of collage - using layering still but also working manually with different mediums on top of my photographic images. I want to explore materials a lot of more and what effects I can portray - hence the discoveries in the library. Janet suggested that I try not get too hung up on the subject of my project (life cycles, transitions, natural elements) and see that my work in itself is exemplifying transition - a change from one thing to another.
- Working with altering colours/tones
- Changing the sizes
- Reducing the noise/brightness/contrast/sharpness (which was difficult)
- Deciding what layering effect to work with
- Deciding on the different material to print onto and experiment with
I was a little crushed but I had to admit that she was partially right - in the sense that I had not looked in depth at photography artists and theire techniques/exhibitions/inspirations etc. Although I do have some information on photography pieces by artists that influenced my choices in my photography editing, also pieces that inspired me and captured aspects of organic materials and nostalgic atmospheres.
She also spoke about how I had lost myself in the subject matter - I am a nature person so I believe I got a little distracted by the facts/literal sense of nature rather than focusing on the art. However, as an artist I like to have a broad spectrum of a subjectm - it helps me focus on specific aspects further down the line. I wanted to delve into nature to see which areas I wanted to portray.
Anyway, I have decided to take her advice and research more - I am in the library looking at photography books that touch on organic subjects yet I am also looking at photography in general. The techniques and effects; the visual aspects of some of the pieces are very interesting and give me ideas for my practice. Trying to get excited about an artist's work - so far it is exhilerating to just flick through massive books full of photography and reading about the artists' work.
I have also decided to look more at the method of collage - using layering still but also working manually with different mediums on top of my photographic images. I want to explore materials a lot of more and what effects I can portray - hence the discoveries in the library. Janet suggested that I try not get too hung up on the subject of my project (life cycles, transitions, natural elements) and see that my work in itself is exemplifying transition - a change from one thing to another.
Monday, 18 March 2013
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Work in progress (3)
These are my most current pieces (a selection of them). I am working on several things:
- Adding textures to my pieces
- Representing specific stages of life cycles
- Linking human life stages in with the natural cycles
- Creating a sense of surrealism combined with organic elements
- Developing my photographs on different materials
- Representing atmospheric features with my portrayal of particular organisms
- Expanding my knowledge on mediums to use and editing processes
Here are just some examples of the work I have recently done (a lot more of my work is in my sketchbook and annotated):
- Adding textures to my pieces
- Representing specific stages of life cycles
- Linking human life stages in with the natural cycles
- Creating a sense of surrealism combined with organic elements
- Developing my photographs on different materials
- Representing atmospheric features with my portrayal of particular organisms
- Expanding my knowledge on mediums to use and editing processes
Here are just some examples of the work I have recently done (a lot more of my work is in my sketchbook and annotated):
Work in progress (2)
I began looking at textures/ up-close imagery and the surfaces of different natural elements, e.g. tree bark, fungi, plants/petals etc. I wanted to capture features of different life process, looking at growth, decay, destruction and reproduction. Of course I could only begin simply - until I visit botanical gardens and wildlife reserves - but I could easily find examples of all stages of the natural life cycles all around me. It is not so hard to find them if you look closely.
Then I began looking more at the natural world around - looking for signs that I felt reflected natural elements such as water and growth. I wanted to explore the elements and represent aspects of them so I began working with my new fish-eye lens to express the idea of captured elements sealed within a frame (the lens warps the edges of the image slightly so they appear to be within a sphere - contained).
Then I began looking more at the natural world around - looking for signs that I felt reflected natural elements such as water and growth. I wanted to explore the elements and represent aspects of them so I began working with my new fish-eye lens to express the idea of captured elements sealed within a frame (the lens warps the edges of the image slightly so they appear to be within a sphere - contained).
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