Task 1 - Research and Exploration
Proposal
The visual contributions for my Final Major Project is that I'm going to conceive is portraiture photography combined with double exposure, I have chosen to produce this idea because I would like to clarify the delusion of mental health and how it effects someone physically and emotionally; the concept of this is to be able to represent a vast amount of un-noticed mental illnesses which prevent people from being set free from their own thought process.
When creating my studio photographs I’ll be developing them further by using different angles/lenses this would show a variety of meanings behind the photographic images however I will also include different positions of the model to emphasise a variety of emotions which I am trying to captivate through my work - different angles would signify the context immensely and categoeries the
I’ve concluded that I would want scenic photographs being portrayed behind the model emphasising the concept of the imagery, I believe that landscape photographs being positioned behind the model will emphasise the meaning of them having freedom and being able to express who they really are without being judged.
The art and design project produced will be one that will leave the viewer with an understanding of the visual concept they are trying to understand. To view one image has a simple narrative to view two images in one changes the narrative to one in which the viewer may relate to from their own experiences.
Experimentation: - example of my double exposure.
I've used internet images to produce the initial idea - I thought I would experiment with the process before continuing with it on my own work and have discovered I love the effect that the image portrays and will definitely be using it within my FMP - they symbolise a more visually grasping effect considering the illusion of the mountain/trees covering the facial features which expresses a variety of connotations i.e silence or hiding behind a mask.
The reason why i've chosen to use double exposure combined within portraiture photography is because I believe it expresses so many emotions and can be interpreted in different ways, it's able to show a variety of divergent perceptions on people's lives and that's why i'd love to be able to dive deeper into this aspect of double exposure because it's a process which I don't see that often and thought it would be a perfect opportunity to be able to congregate a set of three photographs showing this type of imagery.
I also believe that photographs should show emotion wether that it conveys or evokes it, emotion is able to get the audience more intensely engaged especially if they have a strong connection to what the photograph is trying to portray and thats what i'm aiming to achieve throughout my work.
The way I'm going to display my work is by producing three photographs using the same technical process however instead of them all being the same photographic size I would create one larger centre piece with two smaller individuals to be placed either side, I feel this would give my display more depth and creativity rather than having 3 photographs the same size placed next to each other, I would also have the portrays of my models facing inwards towards the centre portray as that one will be facing towards the audience, this would give a eye-catching appearance towards my work and make the centre piece stand out tremendously.
Artist Research - Double Exposure
Luke Gram
Luke uses double exposure throughout his photography (he combines landscape imagery with silhouettes),
Luke is a Canadian photographer, he believes that emotion is key to all that is beautiful in this world and he shows this incredibly through his photography.
Luke has travelled around 17 different countries and that is a evident fact as he has photographed each beautiful country along his travels, he transforms incredible photographic pieces and makes them even more exceptional by combing them with double exposure, the main reason why he started taking photographs was to show the beautiful places he has visited and the wonderful people he has met along the way - he used it to keep the memories because he doesn't want to forget all the fantastic adventures he has had.
His double exposure photography explores so many different aspects, bringing portraiture and wildlife into one, his work is inspiring and incredibly unique, Luke is an inspiration to what I want to show within my work, he has all the characteristics of "freedom" flowing throughout his portraiture/double exposure photography and thats what I want to be able to achieve within my work and have the similar expectations as what his work is able to portray.
Luke Grams Work
Andreas Lie
http://www.andreaslie.com/About
Andrea is also a fantastic double exposure artists and has the fortunate opportunity to use his beautiful scenarios surrounding him to be able to express and create unique and engaging photographs, he has found an international audience with his work called "Norwegian Woods" he merges portraits of animals with landscapes.
By using this simple idea and providing unique and expressional photographic pieces he has become a recognisable artist, Andreas photographs reflect a deep appreciations for nature and the wildlife that inhabits the wilderness near his home which he is incredibly serendipitous to be surrounded by, he has maximum opportunity to take advantage of his majestic mountains and wild spaces which he has surrounded him self with, leaving nothing but inspiration for his work which he produces.
His exceptional photographs consist of a single animal and fills the image with their natural habitats with contain of forests scenes, mountains, water and other scenic photographs and blends them seamlessly with the texture of the animals fur or feathers creating phenomenal pieces of photographic art.
The way Andrea portrays his work using animals as his main subject matter really shows an act of freedom especially with having the animals own environment within them, it intrigues the audience and makes them more engaged towards how congested we are as a human race and taking over their beautiful home, his photographs show the characteristics of the animals only wanting a place of freedom.
Andrea Lies Work
Brandon Kidwell
Brandon has always been intrigued by the concept of double exposure photography, he believes that they add an "extra layer of storytelling to an image" - while using double exposures within his photography he realised how executing an idea is incredibly tricky and double exposure "is an art in itself."
Brandon began using double exposures on his iPhone which gave him the ability to take separate images from different periods of time, locations and places and store them for later when he found the right compatibility to layer the photographs with.
During his journey of double exposure photography he found out that light was everything within this genre of photography, even though he knows that lighting is key for all types of photography but more so with double exposure because the camera underexposes each image so they will naturally turn out darker than they appear within your view finder.
While he was using his Fuji X100s for 6 weeks he realised that it had the capability of double exposure settings within his camera, he really enjoys the creative process however when noticing that his camera emulates that of a film camera i.e where you take one exposure directly on top of the other simultaneously - this does adds a layer of complexity and forces creativity however he believes this makes you lose the ability of being able to have the freedom of choosing the images you want to layer from a previous photo shoot.
Brandon Kidwell's Work
Andrea, Luke and Brandon kidwell have similarities between their work which they have produced, they all show the desire of freedom being portrayed through their work even if they are displayed with different aspects i.e animals and humans, I want to give the same characteristics of how all three of these artists have presented their work and portray them in the same manner, I would also like to have the same aesthetic features as their work portrays.
Double Exposure combined with portraiture photography is able to show more meaning behind a photographic piece rather than a simplistic portray on its own and I believe that this would be a fantastic idea for my FMP, I would be able to express the feeling of freedom within my photographs as if they are trying to escape and make the audience feel engaged and have relatatable elements within the photographic piece and have an eye-catching layout.
Artist Impact
Each artist contributes to my decision in major aspects because they all show different connotations within their work, the way you can express different emotional issues through this artistic photography is phenomenal, it emphasises the context within general mental health, it brings the un-noticed into a much deeper realisation and makes the subject more apparent and understandable.
Lukes work was the first inspiration for my project - his work has the same aspiration as I wish to conceive through my work, the photographs represent a much deeper matter - he stimulates a range of emotions within his photographs and I want to be able to achieve the same context, the reason why I choose to use Luke Grams within my photographer research because he produces such mesmerising work and I want to aim towards his standard, his visual representation of his work accumulates a vast amount of expression throughout the photographs.
Andreas work is a whole different concept, his photographs conceive of animals which changes the outlook and the contextual meaning behind the photographs, he delivers a much more theoretical meaning, expressing the fact behind world domination and how animals just want their own freedom as well and not feel trapped within the human population as the world becomes overly populated, leaving little space for such magnificent creatures - the way his work intertwines with what I want to have portrayed is the matter of freedom, he clearly demonstrates this within his work and I'd like that to have the same emotional meaning behind my photographs.
Brandons work also uses the human structure which indicates a more relatable artist to aspire from especially with what I want to produce, his work instigates a variety of contextual concepts because of the different aspects of double exposure he has used - each photograph that he has produced manifests interchangeable connotations - the perspectives that I see within his portraits definitely equate to the same or even similar attributes to what I want my photographic piece to accomplish.
Even though these artists initial effect wasn't to show the impact of mental health it is however what I accumulate from all three photographic artistis, the pieces of work vary dependent on a personal preference and can be perceived in a million different ways by a million different people and the way that perception can be manipulated just by a single image.
These artists relate and had a major impact on what I wanted to produce, this is because they all show the varied aspects of how life can entrap you within itself whether thats due to someone else or yourself.
These photographs are my Final Major Project images, they are just the beginning i.e the base of my project - I believe these photographs work great for what I'm trying to express, the silhouettes that will be produced once I edit them further and create the desired look will look perfect for what I want to portray.
These photographs were all taken within a studio using a white background - I've chosen a white background to emphasis my models appearance and made her more visible for when I layer a photograph within her silhouette has a double exposure, I had two lights facing the background to brighten behind my model so she becomes more outlined and bold however there is glimpses of grey shadow, this is due to the lighting being underexposed however I like this effect it has around my model because it produces a "halo" like effect around her.
The camera which I had used for my portraiture photography was a Nikon with a macro lens even though these lenses are typically used for close-ups and magnify's the smallest of objects it was perfect for what I wanted to show, it was able to show a clear and smooth photograph.
The reason why I have chosen to have 1 main photograph centred in the middle and two side panels is so I can justify the centre photograph and to clarify the meaning behind the images, I want to be able to express freedom and having the ability to show that people feel isolated within themselves and want to be able to break free from their "mind cage" which encloses them on a day to day basis - the two photographs at the side of my main piece will also show "barricades" of someones mind thats stopping them from being able to escape.
This is a prototype of what I would essentially want my photographs to be displayed like within the exhibition, I believe the way they will be placed will emphasis my photographic pieces and really bring out the meaning of freedom throughout my photographs.
I would also like my photographs to be two different sizes I.e the centre photograph will be A1 whereas the two side photographs will be A2 - this is shown within the demonstration which I've made - the reason behind me having two different sizes is because I want the middle image to be the main structure of my piece that shows all the emotions/thoughts on what im trying to express wheres as the other smaller photographs are contributing to the feeling of isolation and being trapped.
Contact Sheet
Contact Sheet
Re-Evaluation of display for work
After producing my photographic work and placing them side by side digitally I've decided I would want all three photographs the same size because then they will show more of a barricade on the sides and emphasise the concept, I believe this will show a better representation and makes the photographs more enticing and intriguing than if the images were smaller each side, it will also look odd in my opinion because if they are bigger it will look as if they are telling her to be quiet and if they would be small it wouldnt give the same effect.
In conclusion I believe that the photographic images will look more full-filling and superb with them all the same size and give a better outlook on the whole piece.
This is the studio layout which I used to photograph my model, I had two lights illuminating the white background with two lights on the front facing my models figure - the reason why I've chosen to use four lights is because I want the background to be portrayed as completely white, emphasising my models figure as well as her features so when I combine her within multiple photographs (double exposure) her features will still be prominent.
I used two soft boxes on the background so it gave the white a subtle colour rather than an over-exaggerate bright white that glares too much and makes the model fade into the background - I also used two soft boxes for front so it would soften my models features while also emphasising them, making her skin perfect for what I want her to be portrayed as within my photographic work.
The camera I used was a Nikon D90 with a macro lens sigma 50 mm, even though macros are essentially used for close up work like insects it still produced detailed and clear photographs of my model - I had correctly exposed my lights to 5.6 aperture and with the shutter speed of 125 using a light meter to work out the correct information to put into the camera so I was able to get a correctly focused and clear image.
Trials for centre piece
These two photographs are trials for what I was originally going to go with however the first photograph that is coloured seemed blurry and doesn't have the same effect as if it was in colour, you also can't recognise her face because of the white/blue sky thats shining through the sky, the second black and white image seemed too dark and due to this the white shines through even darker creating her face to look distort and doesn't blend significantly.
Trials for side piece
Even though the model in this photograph isn't the same model as
my final major project piece, I thought I would experiment with
the same process and I really love the outcome of this piece, it
shows the entrapment of your mind and it would of been a perfect
photograph to use for my final piece however I decided to go
with the other side pieces because they represent more emotion
i.e keeping yourself from escaping your own mind games, I
believe they portray more self-doubt rather than what this photograph
symbolises - they both have different narratives and concepts.
Task 3 - Final Piece and Written Statement
The pressure of being trapped within your own mind and the only ramification of escaping is within your imagination, dreaming of having the power to break the barricades from yourself but only the weakness seeps through the crevasse of your own self-doubt, keeping yourself enclosed and isolated from reality - a sense of claustrophobia pushes you to your limits. Obstruction...
Clarification of reality keeps you sane, the only conclusion is death or suffering. Decisions...
Task 4 - Evaluation
The outcome of my photographic piece is more substantial than I thought they would have turned out like, the quality of the photographs are more effective to what I aimed to achieve especially with how they create an atmosphere of feeling trapped and wanting freedom but there’s no way to escape - they do convey the contrast of wanting to be able to escape however not being able to because of your own mind – I believe my photographs really express this superbly and they show the concept of how someone can be so easily manipulated by their own thought process, my overall thoughts on my photographic piece is I’m satisfied with the finished outlook on them and how I’ve developed them over a period of time and experimented with different background photos to be able to get the right expression that fits with the purpose and I believe I’ve definitely achieved that.
My strengths of my Final Major Project are the double exposure aspects of my piece, I’m able to combine two photographs however distinctively make the outline of another object appear clearly through the layered photographs, emphasising the meaning behind the photographs – I believe I have really grasped the purpose of my images using this technical process and I am able to elaborate further into detail about why I have used this process and the concept behind using it – I initially used this idea of double exposure (lapping naturist photography combined with portraiture photography) to be able to show the connotations of how someone can feel so alone and so solitary and have this dream of being able to free and abscond from what’s keeping them so cooped up inside of their own mind set.
The areas of development for my Final Major Project is how I have portrayed my photographs, I’m proud of the concept of my photographs and how they have turned out however I could have used different model postures for my portraiture photography, and perhaps I had looked further into how I could expand my idea in much more depth i.e. instead of having my model in the middle facing forward without any expression, I could have had her hands on her head and screaming, showing more concept of how the demons in her head i.e. herself is taking control of her – this is also what I would do differently if I had the opportunity to do my project again, I would focus on how I would want my model to be placed and the variety of positions she could of produced to emphasise the meaning – I would have experimented with more positions and gone deeper into how the position of the model can conclude in more emotions and show better representations of the concept.
My experimentations for double exposure went exceptionally well in my opinion, I gathered images from the internet prior to producing my photographic images in the studio to see how I could produce layered photographs, I also wanted to see if double exposure would work with what I wanted my idea to be and I came to a conclusion that it would display exquisitely and definitely emphasise the emotions that I desired to be represented, seeming as though I’ve never dove into such a unique and creative form of double exposure in this way it became more fulling to know I could formulate such
eye-catching work that tells a more in depth story.
The assignment as a whole, I believe I have answered the brief accordingly, I’ve gone into detail about what my photographs will represent and why within my proposal, I also concluded into how I would want my photographs to be displayed and the reasoning behind the specific positions, I’ve experimented with the process and considered it to be idealistic to what I wanted to be presented, I’ve also researched into three different photographic artists who have dabbled tremendously within this art form, I think that I have worked through the brief carefully and I’ve checked each variations of it thoroughly and believe that I have accomplished a vigorous amount of work catered directly towards the brief.
In conclusion, my work overall in my opinion has been produced to a superb standard, I’m significantly proud of how I was able to achieve the double exposure – especially with out-lining my portraiture photography - I believe my work represents the meaning clearly and shows the narrative distinctively throughout all three photographs I also believe that my work has pushed forward the silence of how mental health can impact someone so much that even someone can be manipulated by themselves to a certain extent and stopping them from accomplishing in life and hiding from the world and I’m incredibly satisfied with my final outcome and how my photographs can show the desire of freedom.
Task 2 - Trials and Prototypes
Studio Layout/Equipment
