As you can see I then chose to show 2 different styles in my Presentation of 6 images. Three Documentation images and then 3 Commercial Images. You can see that I have highlighted the names of the artists I chose to look at in more depth. I then researched each artist and chose 1 image from each as my favourite. I considered each image in depth especially when it came to composition. Here is my research:
Iain Crawford, Untitled Image from series ‘Kinetic Beauty’
Crawford has been commissioned to make images for many different brands using his distinctive style. He says that he likes to create meaning out of the chaos using the shapes caused between his model and the medium he’s decided to work with. Sometimes its powder and sometimes it paint but either way its colorful and unique. In this image it has a cloud of colorful dust hitting the models face however instead of being an aggressive image it has been captured in a way that still makes it a gentle and delicate to look at. I think this is because it is literally a moment frozen in time. My eye follows the line of colorful dust as it floats towards the models face. Her reaction is mostly hidden however I feel from what we can see that she still has calmness about her. The lighting again is used very directionally coming in the same line as the powder. This creates a lot of contrast between light and dark tones that make the image seem bolder and more dramatic. What also works well is having the dark background with the model being well lit in the foreground. It is a mid shot focusing on the models head and shoulders which gives you enough detail to see her reaction and interact with her however it is framed well so that there is not too much space around making it empty. It uses the rule of thirds well by having the main focus of the model being in one third whilst the powder feels the rest of the space. It is however a commercial image so it does lack meaning to some extent however I think the concept of it being frozen in time is the main basis for this image. It has taken a chaotic situation and frozen it in time to create something beautiful.
Bill Wadman, Motion 3 from series ‘Dancers in Motion’
Wadman has worked on many different projects including this long exposure series however it is this Dancers in motion series which has been most featured in photography magazines and articles and it is this series which is my personal favorite. In this image your firstly get drawn in to the red of the clothing which you see in multiple locations. You eye almost follows the smooth lines back and forth chasing the ghostly figure around the image. I love how this is a complete dance sequence shown in one photo therefore playing with the concept of time. Instead of freezing time it elongates it. He uses the dark background to make the light colours in the foreground contrast however some parts of the figure are so faint they do almost blur in to the darkness. This is what makes it appear even more ghostly. Lighting plays an important part in the making of this image because the slightest change in lighting can crucially affect a long exposure. I like how a warmer light has been used so that the ghostly figure is less intimidating and cold and instead is gentler with golden tones. A long shot is used to create this image so that you can fully see the whole of the dancers movements. I also like the framing because the black circle around the edges is again what helps put your focus on the dancer. I think the photographer has created this piece to express movement and to play with the aspect of time. I think it is intended to make the audience feel a respect for time and also a respect for the art of dance.
Alberto Seveso, Cinderella Past Midnight from the ‘Cinderella series’
Seveso is a working practitioner who has worked for major brands such as ‘Sony Music’ and ‘Photoshop’. He combines his graphic and photography skills to make these interesting combined images that rely not only on the original photography but also on the skillful editing in postproduction. This image I have chosen to look at is from one his latest series that have been used as part of the advertising campaign for the new Cinderella film. In this image you have Cinderella based in the center of the frame then your eye wonders towards the edges where you see her disappearing into these colorful smoke like patterns. It uses the golden section because you follow the pattern around and then into her body and then finally into her face which is the main interactional point where she displays her emotions. Her emotions seem rather hidden however she is almost looking over her shoulder in doubt. This image is meant to be an illustration of Cinderella transforming back to her usual self after midnight. I think this is why she is looking over her shoulder because time is chasing her. This image is colourful and bright which is what makes it seems even more magical. It again isn’t a realistic photo and instead uses abstract elements to tell a story. I think there is obviously a younger audience for this image as it is intended for advertising Cinderella. I think it is meant to show the magic but also the sadness of the story.
Martin Parr, Untitled Image from his series ‘Last Resort’ 1986
Martin Parr is a freelance photographer who works in a documentation style not only through photography but also in film. He shows the world through his unique perspective and almost reflects back to the world how they are seen. He makes lots of photo books of his different work series and the one thing they all share in common is his personality as you can see how he has such an interest in each and every subject he encounters. The photo above is from a series based around the idea of the British resort. It shows people at Brighton beach having what might be referred to as a typical British summer. To me it was documenting at the time how there was a decline in popularity to go to these British resorts. It also shows how the lower classes were still determined to have a holiday come rain or shine. In the image I firstly am drawn to the subjects in the foreground and then my eye slowly wonders along the line of faces studying there expressions. I really like the way he has composed it to have the line of the step positioned in the lower third of the image with all the models just above it. I like with images like this how the colours are kept very vivid almost like a disposable camera. I think this may have been a deliberate decision on his part because he is mimicking a British summer and disposable cameras were a big part of this being used by many to capture their summer memories. He has taken this in the daylight however I feel like he made some of the colours even brighter by using a flash as well. This is what adds a lot of highlights and brightness to the image. I feel like we have a larger group in this image so he has used a long shot to capture everyone in this however it means we aren’t interacting with the subject but are instead observing them. I think this is made clearer but the lacks of interaction with the camera too as only one of the subjects is making eye contact and even then it’s minimal. I think he wants people to look upon these images and observe them as he is trying to be informative studying different classes and different social circumstances.
Richard Billingham, Untitled images from series ‘Rays a Laugh’
Billingham is a documentation photographer who used the circumstances around him as subjects for his work. His first photobook that was published was the series ‘Rays a Laugh’ which is the same series as the photo above. The series is based on his mother and his father Ray. It is an insight into the gritty reality and poverty which Billingham grew up in. His father was an alcoholic and his mother was an obese chain-smoker. However I feel like once you study the series as a whole you actually start to not only see the noticeable defects in his family but also the loving human nature of them. The series builds up such strong personalities and is very real. The realness is added to by the fact that it was all shot with very basic disposable cameras onto film. This means there are also defects with in the images themselves like the fact that they are slightly out of focus however this adds to the realistic charm of the set. In this particular image above you are firstly drawn straight to his face in the center of the frame looking at his vacant expression. Then your eye follows his body down and then you begin to study the background and his surroundings. You can’t help but study him as well because the photo is taken so that the walls, the floor and the ceiling are creating a box enclosing him in so that your eye can’t escape. I think this image does make you sympathies with the subject because it is angled so that we are looking down on him slightly. This makes him appear smaller and therefore more vulnerable. I think this was intended as Billingham was taken the image from the perspective that he saw it so in a way we are meant to feel the same way Billingham felt looking at him. It is a full body shot so that we aren’t interacting or studying a particular part of him but instead we are observing him from afar. However it has been taken close enough to the subject so that you almost feel a bit trapped within the space too. I think this images needs to be seen with in its series to be able to have proper context and meaning.
Nan Goldin, Misty and Jimmy Paulette in a Taxi, NYC, 1991from the ‘Drag Queen’ series
Goldin is a realistic photographer who works in a documentation style however she does get her subjects to pose and interact with the camera. One of the earliest series of photos she put together was based on drag queens. The image I have chosen to look at is one of her earlier images focusing on this. What I find interesting about the series was how she approached it. She didn’t want to just analyze them and document them but instead she was trying to glorify them. She says that she was trying to create a third gender just for them because she admired who they were as people and how brave they were. The first thing I am drawn to in this image above is theirs eyes because they are both making really strong eye contact. I think this shows a bond and interaction between the photographer and the subject. It also makes the viewing experience for an audience more intense because you are actually interacting with them too. Rule of thirds has been used slightly to help with the composition as their eyes are in the top third of the picture. Other than that I feel like it is a pretty basic composition. This doesn’t mean it is bad though because I think the basic composition gives us more time as an audience to look at the models and observe them and this was Nan’s intention. Again I like the natural use of colours but I feel like because it’s been shot on film it makes the colour a bit more vivid which gives us this timeless authentic feel. Again the head and shoulder shot used puts the models into perspective with us which makes it’s hard to avoid eye contact with them. I think it is crucial that this eye contact must be made because this shows bravery and at the end of the day that was what Goldin wanted to portray about them.
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