Photographic abstraction is when an object is portrayed in an unusual or different way to how you would expect, thereby distorting reality. With the photographs displayed above, I have attempted to follow an abstract approach by photographing situations in a way I feel is unusual or at odds with common perceptions. I have used different colour filters and lenses, especially the macro lens to create a circular frame. I experimented with shadows, using different objects, lighting and situations to develop my theme. For example, I experimented with a chain to create a distinctive shadow on the backdrop of a plain white brick wall. I also trialled using the human form at the top of a hill to present a silhouette which worked really well the fog wrapping around it. I felt that my my most successful image was the "raining light" picture, created by sprinkling sawdust under a desk light to create the impression of rain.
Paper Folding Experiments
Photo Abstraction Experiments
I developed the image onto photographic paper using my acid print and then let it dry. Inspired by an artist called Archie Marshall, I then painted onto the image to create a 90's VHS look with the slightly pixelated look. The painted effect brings an eery feel with the swirly patterns contrasting to the brutalist harsh shapes of the Barbican complex.
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Here, I developed the same image with different methods. Using double exposure I have presented the image as being the same on both sides, creating a visual effect of the two skaters looking at each other within a jumbled backdrop. I feel the resulting image really conveys a raining, dreary London, emphasised by the exposed concrete.
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Finally, in this image I have used the layering tool in Photoshop as well as lowering the contrast to create a fading, staggered effect. This introduced the impression of the skater moving within the still. If I was going to improve this picture, I would try to only layer the skater, emphasising the impression that he was in motion whilst the buildings remained still as a brutal background. However, the motion on the buildings on the image along with the skater does lead to an interesting and more abstract image. A further improvement would have been to continue the layering until the the skater reached the edge of the curb.
Bill Jacobson
Bill Jacobson is an American photographer who sets out to present the human face in all manners of distorted expressions. I particularly admire the blurred, black and white effect he employs. I believe he captures the unknown amount of pain we as humans put ourselves under and endure.
Response
This image is directly inspired by Bill Jacobson and his use of manual focus to make the human face look distorted. I used a white background and manual focus to make the image appear blurry. In order to improve the image I plan to experiment with different faces and expressions. I really enjoyed looking at Jacobson's work because I feel the minimalist colours and massively distorted faces showing different expressions really emphasises the pain people can endure.
Erwin Blumenfeld
When reviewing Blumenfeld's work I discovered a lot of photos of the human face and form taken through a staggered glass lens. I found the disjointed images of face and body fascinating and a genuinely challenging and abstract presentation of possibly the most familiar image to us all.
Response
In a restaurant I found a piece of glass which really reminded me of the work of Blumenfeld and I therefore used it to try and replicate some of his work. Firstly, I captured a family eating lunch and deep in conversation, The glass gave a distorted look to their faces as if they were being pulled apart.
The interesting thing about these photographs is that I have used a horizontal as opposed to Blumenfeld's vertical glass to try and create a different effect. Here, I asked the subject to open her mouth as if to express an emotion. I think this really works with the orientation of the glass. In this photo I adjusted the layers in the image by making the image darker giving it a much deeper colour.
Finally, here I used a different subject and expression to try and present the human face in a different shape to the one everyone knows and is comfortable with. My intention was to try and portray that the familiar human image can be so easily altered.
Development
blank turning face
With these images I set out to combine the work of Bill Jacobson and Erwin Blumenfeld. I decided to use a mask in order to echo Jacobson's work, expressing a range of different and clouded emotions. Via the use of colour and moving motions I also sought to mirror Blumenfeld's colourful distorted images. In order to improve this approach I would plan to use a more patterned glass in order to generate an even more distorted image in homage to Blumenfeld.
Saul Leiter
By looking closely at Leiter's work I observed that he set out to present people in their day to day life but with an alternative perspective. He especially liked taking pictures through different membranes, for example, he took a lot of photos through rain splattered glass. Also, by shooting in film I felt he created a vintage look enhancing the colours and overall composition.
Response
This Contact sheet was taken in Highgate village. I set out to capture the different things people do on a Sunday. I really enjoyed taking photos of people and their emotions based upon their surroundings. For example, inside a pub I took photos of people on their own who were either very lonely or simply enjoyed drinking on their own. The background in the pub of dark wood and dark rooms with minimal light created a gloomy yet comfortable environment and I think people mirrored these feelings.
These images were inspired by Adam Krawesky but also reference Leiter's work. For example, the image shot through a gridded glass of a man seriously struggling with his emotion, head in hands. To develop the influence of Saul Leiter's work I added a film grain effect onto the image using photo shop. The hands over his face combined with the plain pastel coloured clothing invokes feelings of pity and sorrow towards a stranger. On one hand the image of the man sitting in the pub conveys loneliness and also comfort. He is depicted alone, reading the paper with one empty pint as well as a full pint, representing his reliance on the pub and how comfortable he feels there.
Development - 1
In this contact sheet I went to a place called "Gods Own Junkyard", a gallery store of neon lights offering a great back drop and membrane to shoot through, observing people admiring and talking about the lights. All the bright colours created fantastic lighting conditions to capture the different emotions and expressions of the people in the images.
I love the blurred out effect on the left hand side of this image, which almost portrays this person heading to the unknown from the previously discovered and focused signs behind him.
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In this image I love how the woman's expression could be interpreted in many different ways. Potentially the love heart represents longing for a lover.
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Development - 2
Saul Leiter - Shoreditch
With this image I was trying to capture the beautiful setup of the shop and the obvious comfort of the owner enjoying her surroundings. The neon light and pink walls give a very consistent backdrop that I feel I will be able to work on in processing.
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In this composition I used the abandoned beer bottles on the side to frame and produce this image of a women caught in time. I think the hustle and bustle of the people behind her also adds to her paused moment.
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Three Strands
Strand 1 - Stranger trees
Hannah Guy
I feel Hannah Guy presented trees in a spooky yet fascinating way by layering the photos and lowering the contrast in the second layer, thereby creating a spooky effect of the trees fading out. The black and white filter also created a spooky feel as trees are normally depicted with vibrant colours, yet here the norm is taken away.
Concept -
With these images I explored woodland and the shapes and effects which can be created in the complicated intertwining of the forest. For this i went to Highgate Woods, an amazing thick woodland in the heart of London, offering a peace and quiet often thought only to be available in more remote locations. I believe that woodland has great potential to illustrate all different types of emotions and settings. With my photos I was trying to portray the images evoking both fear and comfort.
With these images I explored woodland and the shapes and effects which can be created in the complicated intertwining of the forest. For this i went to Highgate Woods, an amazing thick woodland in the heart of London, offering a peace and quiet often thought only to be available in more remote locations. I believe that woodland has great potential to illustrate all different types of emotions and settings. With my photos I was trying to portray the images evoking both fear and comfort.
In my contact sheet I presented all of my photos in black and white to get rid of any comfort and concealment and rotated them all upside down to create a dizzying feeling. It really fascinates me how trees can be so peaceful yet as soon as the light goes and the fog comes up, they become ominous shadows and figures of the night.
In these images I was trying to present trees and nature in a psychedelic, abnormal way evoking feelings of nature, fear, confusion and curiosity. I tried to create this by using different angles in the images. The picture looking down the length of the dead tree worked well with the black and white filter taking any remaining life out of the natural scene. With the image on the left I used photoshop to present a tree line outlined by a bright white x-ray tone offering contrast to the dark intertwined tree canopy.
Strand 2 - Empty
Concept: For this strand I will explore capturing empty places which the viewer would normally expect to be inhabited. These spaces include underground platforms, shops, stairwells, courtyards, phone boxes and building sites. All of the spaces are in and around East London. The idea is to capture places with sparse backgrounds and no visible human activity in order to create a different type of beauty in the images.
Lynne Cohen
This photographer captured different rooms which were unusually empty and plain with extremely basic backdrops of white walls and worn leather furniture. I especially like the photo of furniture on its own and therefore tried to replicate this in my own work. However, I found it hard to find a room I was happy with to capture the photo. Her work really inspired me and helped me find a base of my own to lift off from and explore a theme which I felt had so much to offer. I feel this photographer explored the idea that people were not present to create beauty and that their presence can sometimes distract the viewer form the image. If there is no one in the image you can picture yourself in the photo and therefore deepen your relationship with it.
Response
With this contact sheet I explored different parts of London's docklands to depict a run down industrial, yet historical area. There is an abandoned aura in the area which provided the backdrop for my strand of 'empty'. I also explored the run down streets around Soho which still echo the visual themes from previous eras. Finally, I photographed around my house, stripping it bare to create a basic backdrop which I felt was essential for exploring the concept fully and fully engaging the viewer without distractions such as colour. I will explore different areas and settings in more depth.
In these photos I used photoshop tools to enhance the pictures in the theme of my original visualisation. For the image on the left I took a photo through a shutter grill onto an empty rusting bench with a newspaper onto of it. I feel this presents an almost lonely setting of abandonment and lack of care which many people can relate to. The glass filter i added into the sections of the grill are there to bring focus onto the main object in the picture in a natural way by blurring out the rest of the image. I felt this was essential to bring a feeling of sorrow and distance. The second picture was taken around the docks, an area of previous industrialisation left now to age and erode, creating an aura of abandonment. The photo I took of the concrete benches against a backdrop of further concrete presents a very empty setting. I felt the original picture was too light and so made it darker on photoshop, sharpening the image and amplifying the emptiness. This was further emphasised by the angle of the shot pointing down onto the benches.
Stand 2 - development
Lewis Baltz
Baltz was an American photographer who moved to, and then died in France. He used empty spaces, capturing them at different angles in black and white conveying a minimalist style. I was heavily inspired by his work and tried to replicate similar settings in different areas around London. I tried to adapt his style by lowering the contrast and brightness on photoshop and varying the setting and contrast.
Empty development Lewis Baltz response
I took this photo in Crouch End library. I felt that the angled roof and light fixtures flush to the ceiling created a strong context for a plain backdrop.
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This image was captured on Waterloo Bridge when it was closed to all cars, however the people on the side prevented the photo from being completely empty.
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This photo was taken in in Camden tube station in a pedestrian tunnel. I believe the bend in the tunnel evokes an air of mystery especially as the tunnel is completely empty.
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When I was going up the escalator I sat down on the step and took the image from that view. The image creates the effect of the viewer looking down the lines of the image, like it is a tunnel.
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Council Estate
I went to a council estate in Pimlico to take some photos after a downpour which created a cold empty atmosphere around an already cold building. An additional benefit was that the rain meant that the place was empty. The first photo I took was at the bottom floor of a flat with some empty chairs outside, a scene which reminded me of Lynne Cohen's work. I took the photo at an angle in order to present the uniformity of the building at each level. I experimented with the image and lowered the contrast and brightness on each image on photoshop so they were not too dark. The second image was taken on the third floor looking down the external corridor. This visual presented the emptiness of the flat block with the abandoned workman belt and wet puddles on the grey concrete floor summing up the image of abandonment and emptiness.
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Early Morning
I went to central London at 5am on a sunday to find various locations when they were empty of all people. I went to spots like Leake Street tunnel, South Bank skatepark, Embankment bridge and Greenwich foot tunnel. With these images I tried to take the photo at an angle looking down the path of the tunnel. I also made sure my photos had a light following the path of the tunnel to draw the eye down into the image and the unknown. With the image of the skate park I tried to present previous human presence by capturing the wet wheel marks on the floor around the ledge.
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On all of these photos I was trying to angle the camera differently down the tunnel shape in order to create an air of mystery and uncertainty of what is going to be through the darkness. I put grayscale on the images using photoshop and lowered the contrast and brightness to increase the sense of mystery.
Strand 2 - development 2
Gilles Coloun
Gilles Coloun's images inspired me to develop my work by putting colour and lowering the contrast as a development on my black and white photos. I feel this worked most effectively with well lit photos for example this gas station in the middle of nowhere.
Response
This contact sheet shows images resulting from visits to places covered in graffiti and with a lot of light and exposed material. For example, Leaks Street Tunnel which, at 5 am, was completely empty providing full visibility of the graffiti on the walls and flashing lights on the side. The South Bank skatepark worked really well because of the structure under the bridge with varied shapes and graffiti. Also Waterloo Station was a very large structure with a lot of bright colours and exposed material such as steel structure and tracks.
I captured this image by angling the camera down the line of the ledge, drawing the eye down and making the ledge the main focus of the image. The composition of of the image is defined by the wheel marks on the floor, a reminder of the human presence now conspicuous by its absence.
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With this image taken at Leakes Tunnel, I tried to use the lighting on the side to focus the eye down the path of the tunnel. This highlights the emptiness all the way through until the vanishing point. In addition, the colours on the wall portray colourful tones and the gleaming nature of the wall.
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Strand 3 - Depression Through the Blur
William Betts
This artist first started to experiment with CAM paintings which where very much consistent with the landscape paintings he had previously worked on. However, they where created using a CAM machine dotting paint onto a canvas using coodinates in a very precise, machine orientated way. Betts then developed on this theme by using everyday CCTV footage to create an image which he would then convert into a computer aided system where the finishing touches would be added. I tried to develop this approach using a series of my own photos tracing the journey of an extremely isolated and depressed person. The images display him going on a journey and capture him at different angles and environments appearing isolated and alone. By adding grain to the images and converting them to black and white I sought to infer that no one is ever alone and they are always being watched. Even when you want to be left alone, there are cameras capturing your movements.
Response
Strand 3 - development
Depression At Night
Using Photoshop I placed a 'grey scale filter' on all of these photos which eliminated colour and outlined the body of the subject, increasing the impression of loneliness. To amplify this, I lowered the brightness of the images.
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This is a series of photos I took at night to try and reduce the amount of light and therefore emphasise the sense of isolation. In addition, the subject wore a long black coat to create a depressing visual. In all of these images I made sure the face of the subject was hidden by a combination of hair and camera angle. With the environments I chose places which had an 'urban' look illustrated by brick walls, tunnels and fences. With these images the enclosed walls, spiked fence and tunnel gave an air that the subject was trapped.
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This tunnel had regular light fixtures, however some where not working, thus increasing the run down look consistent with the facial expressions of the subject and mood of the series.
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With these final two images I was trying to bring brightness into the composition with light from the door and the street light. This increased the focus onto the subject with the rest of the image becoming increasingly dark and empty.
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