Photographer Research - Laura Williams

Laura Williams 

Once I decided I wanted to shoot photographs of distorted reflections and distortion as a whole, I realised that I didn't have a photographer which related to that topic. Therefore, I did some more research and added Laura Williams to my Research Log. Laura Williams is a student studying Graphic Design, but is an aspiring Graphic Designer/Photography. After finding, and exploring her website I was really inspired by her work and enjoyed the complexity of her images. Williams has done a lot of work for clients, such as families, and has also done an entire self-portrait shoot. Most of her work is unique and abnormal, for instance: she has created an image of herself sitting on the ceiling. Her editing techniques are extremely complex, which is what makes her photography so interesting.

This is from one of her Client shoots, which was a family photoshoot. I chose to feature this image because it relates to my topic of 'distortion' as the models, chairs and table are all floating in the air. I also like that Williams mostly shoots in Location, outside in the woods, as it gives her photos an interesting but simple background to work against. I like that the real photo Williams' shot must have been so ordinary, yet with her editing skills she has been able to make the image extraordinary and different. 

This image is one of the many that influenced my own shoot of distortion and my exam topic. I like the concept of the image. Here, Williams asked the model to hold up a mirror, and then she has edited out the reflection, and replaced it with the background so that it looks as though half the model's body is missing. I really enjoy this image.

Again, this photo shows off Williams' impressive editing skills. This image relates to distortion because Williams has made herself so small, in order to fit herself into he glass jar with the tiny tree. I like this a lot because not everything in the image is noticeable, until you look the second and third time. I also like that the image is so simple yet complex and interesting. 

This is one of my favourite images from Williams' work because for one, i like the idea of making herself as big as a camera. Also, i like that she has produced the image in black and white, as it creates a different, mysterious atmosphere and makes this image unique to her other photos in colour. This photograph has influenced my work as i would like to shoot 'optical illusion' images. 

Laura Williams has really inspired my distortion photography as her work is so interesting and exciting. I also like that some of her images such as the missing reflection in the mirror photo, has influenced my own ideas for my work. In her other work, Laura uses masks and other objects to make her photographs more interesting and enable them to tell a story, and these images have influenced me to use different objects and props for my shoots, in order to create different 'stories' with them. 

This is one of my shots from my second exam shoot, which was inspired by Laura Williams work. In this photo, I have positioned my model and a wine bottle far apart, so it looks as though the wine bottle is bigger. This is an optical illusion, and Laura Williams' photo of herself reading next to a tree in a jar. I like this photo a lot because the main focus is the wine bottle, but after a while you notice the model in the background. 

This is another exam piece which was influenced by Williams' missing reflection photographs. In this photo, i have used a model and asked her to hold a mirror in front of her. I then edited the image so that the reflection in the mirror was gone, and replaced it with the background - which is grass. I like this image a lot because it looks as though we are looking straight through her body, just as Williams' has done with her shots.

In summary, I really enjoy Laura Williams' work and I am glad that I did some further research into distortion photographers. Her work is extremely complex and interesting, particularly her editing skills and it has influenced my own work to use objects and different editing techniques. 

Photographer Research - Bobby Neel Adams

Bobby Neel Adams

I chose to study Bobby Neel Adams in more depth because i like the concept of his work, particularly his project of 'Ageing' whereby he shoots portraits of people, and then uses their baby/childhood photographs to compare their appearances from young to old. He does this by reacting the baby/childhood photograph, by making the model wear similar clothes, and pull the same expression, and then he rips the portraits in half, and puts one half from each photo together, to make a whole face. This is a great way to show ageing and growing up, particularly when looking at the difference in their facial features.

This is one of Adams' photographs from his Age-map series. I like this photo because both sides fit together so the entire face looks symmetrical. I also like that you can clearly tell that the photos are of the same person, because their facial features and smile are the same. I think it's clever that Adams makes the model look like he's wearing the same outfit in both photographs. 

This is a smilier image as the one above, but of a woman. I like this photo because we can see the clear split between both the photos, but can still tell that it is the same person. These photos show the evidence of time passing, ageing and growing up. I also like that this image is in colour as we can see that the model's outfit on both occasions is the same colour, and the colour of her hair hasn't changed either. 

Even though i like the photos above which are in colour, i also like these images because they are black and white. This makes the childhood photograph look much older. Although the photos are meant to look similar and fit together, and so the new portrait is black and white as well, i think the evidence of 'time-passing' would be much more explicit if the new image was in colour - to show the difference in the advancement of technology over time.

Again, this is another photo which is in black and white, and this makes the childhood photograph look much older. I like this image because it is more close-up than the others that i have included, and so we can see the similarities of the model's facial features much clearer. I also like that we can see the differentiation between the model as a young child, and as an adult. For instance, we can see that her face is longer, her eyes are higher up and her hair is longer. 

Bobby Neel Adams' work has influenced my work as i would like to explore the topic of ageing, and i think the concept of these photographs is interesting and clever. His work has also inspired me to look at other ways in which i can incorporate childhood images with recent photographs, for instance i could use certain parts of their childhood photographs to replace parts of a recent portrait (such as their eyes, mouth, nose etc.) 

This is an image that i created from my ageing shoot. After researching Bobby Neel Adams, i was influenced immediately to mimic his work, and so i shot portraits of my models, with in mind that they had to look similar to their baby photos. I then used photoshop to merge the two photos together to make one full face and this is the result. 

This is a similar image of the one above, but it is a self portrait. I also like that this photo is in colour, so you can see the difference between the old photo from the new. This photo clearly portrays it's concept and i like that the faces from the two photos perfectly fit together and match well.

After looking at these two images (above) i realised that the line between the two images was too jagged and harsh for the picture and the idea of it. After this realization, i decided to re-edit the images for that reason, but also because Bobby Neel Adams' images show a softer line between the two different aged photos, so that it actually just looks like one photo. Therefore, this is the result after re-editing the photos to make them look better and make the line softer, which i am pleased with: 

In summary, i like the concept of these images and enjoy looking at the differences in facial features, expressions and clothing. I also like both coloured images as well as black and white images. These photos have given me a lot of ideas for my next shoot of the evidence ageing. 

Photographer Research - Joe Melchione

Joe Melchione

I decided to study Joe Melchione's work in more detail because his work is a lot different to other photographers that I have already researched such as Orozco and Letinsky. I also like that Melchione's website organises his photographs by subject such as 'Urban Environment' and 'Street Photography', these are the two folders that i looked at the most because i identified evidence of weathering, graffiti, ageing, light etc. I enjoy looking at Melchione's work as his work is so different and complex, where as Letinsky's work for example, is more simplistic. I think Melchione's work is excellent influence for my own photography, as I want to look at the evidence of ageing, but i would like to look at ageing within people, as well as streets and objetcs, Melchione has shot photos of weathering of boats and streets, which links to this topic and allowed me to look at 'ageing' from a different perspective. 

This is a photograph from Melchione's project of 'Street Photography'. I like this photo because the painting of the woman on the wall is detailed, and because the image is black and white, it makes it look as though she has a shadow. I also like that her eyes are looking directly into the camera lens. This is evidence of 'graffiti' and 'art', and i like the concept of shooting art, through art, paintings through photographs. 

This is one of the images that has allowed me to look at 'ageing' at a different perspective. In this photo, we can see a pier, and the side of a boat which has decayed, weathered and moss has grown upon it. I like the concept of looking at ageing of humans, as well as ageing of objects. I also like that we can see the pier in the background, because the photo then has depth and although we can't see much, we can still see a little of what is in the background. 

This is another photo which I picked out because of the same concept of ageing as the one above. I like this image because it is in black and white, which outlines the dark patches and lines of decay, mould and weathering - which links to evidence of time passing and ageing. Also, i like that the background of the image is completely white, so that our attention is solely focused on the building. 

This photo caught my eye because I liked that Melchione left it in colour/edited it to 'Sepia', this adds emphasise on the sunlight and the colour of the sun. The shadows from the trees make the photo much more interesting and intensifies the concept of the sunlight. I like this image a lot and would like to take photos of 'evidence' of the different types of weather - and shadows as well. 

Joe Melchione has influenced my project because i like his style and the complexity of his images. Although i enjoy simple and ordinary photographs, Melchione's work has shown me other ways to photograph objects and scenes. I have already planned to shoot the evidence of ageing of people, but some of Melchione's photographs has inspired me to look at ageing from another angle, of objects and places.

This is a photo from my 'ageing'/decaying/rusting shoot. Melchione's work influenced me to look at other concepts of ageing, and this is the result. Some of Melchione's work presents old buildings, boats etc which i have attempted to mimic within this shoot, as well as of other objects as well.

Again, this is from the same shoot, whereby i went to Leigh on Sea to take photos of ageing. I like this photo in particular because the colours of the boats are still quite vibrant, yet everything else is not, as it is old and rusted. This was influenced by Melchione as he is the reason for the shoot in the first place, but it also relates to some of his work from his 'Urban Environment' topic. 

In summary, I enjoy looking at Melchione's work because it's so interesting and artistic, and his ideas are so simple, but his style of photography captures them extremely well. Melchione's work has influenced my next few shoots as he has given me more ideas to explore in the topic of Evidence. 

Photographer Research - Gabriel Orozco

Gabriel Orozco

I chose to research into Gabriel Orozco's work more because I think it is great influence for my topic, and in most of his images, i can identify evidence. Initially, I chose to research Orozco in further detail because I like the simplicity of his images. His photos show everyday objects, experiences and life which is why they are so so ordinary. However, Orozco's style makes his photos look extraordinary by using an extreme close-up angle, or displaying bright colours within the image. I like the style of Orozco's style and work, particularly the photos he has taken in the street, such as his motor scooter and reflection images. Orozco is a mexican artist and explored different mediums such as painting, drawing, photography, sculpture etc. 

This is one of my favourite photos of Gabriel Orozco's because I like how the background is quite bland and dull-coloured, but the motor scooters are bright yellow, which the background emphasises. I also like the contrast between the graffiti'd, torn, weathered wall against the brand new, shiny motor scooters. The motor scooters are placed in the centre of the image, so that they are the first thing that we see, and then we look at the background and area, where the motor scooters are parked. This is evidence of human presence and civilisation for many reasons, such as the fact that the motor scooters are actually there, as well as the graffiti on the wall.

This photo is displaying clear evidence of human life and presence. In this photo we can see a breath mark on a shiny piano, this indicates that somebody was sat at the piano at some point. I also like the angle of the image as it positions the mark in the centre of the image, so we focus on that to begin with. The shine of the piano is evident because of the reflection from the light. 

This photo signifies many examples of evidence. Firstly, we can see the reflection of trees and the sky in the puddles on the street, which are completely natural and ordinary. There are three different puddles which show different reflections of the trees and the sky. Another piece of evidence in this image is the tire tracks made from the water from the puddles, clearly somebody has ridden a scooter or a bike through each puddle in a cycle, several times which has made the tire tracks. I like the realism and simplicity of this image, as this is a natural and regular occurrence (the puddle and tire tracks). 

This is a photo of two hand prints. I like this image because the background is completely plain and white, which emphasises the black ink which printed the hands, as well as the marks, lines and wrinkles from the hands. I also like this image because Orozco has placed random, black dots around the hands which makes the photo slightly messy, but makes the viewer stare closer to the image. 

Gabriel Orozco's work has influenced my photography for this project as he has used several different examples of evidence within his work, both artificial and natural, such as puddles, handprints, weathering etc. I also like that he takes photos in realistic settings such as in the street and in a house. Orozco has used lots of different techniques and styles for his photography, as he is also an artist of many other mediums. This has given me inspiration to look for different scenarios and examples of evidence within this project, so i am not focusing on exactly the same thing in every photo. Orozco's work is realistic but simple, which i think is effective and would like to use it as influence for my own work. 

This is one of the photos that I have taken in one of my location shoots. This was influenced by Gabriel Orozco's photo of the motor scooters, as I have mimicked the natural and realistic positioning of the motor scooters, with this image of these bikes. Orozco's street photography also inspired me to take more photos within location, of anything which evidenced human civilisation and presence. 

Again, this photo was influenced by Gabriel Orozco's work in his street photography. This photo was taken of a street, with cars parked on either side of the road. This image mimics Orozco's style as he takes photos in their realistic and natural format - likewise with his images of puddles. 

In summary, I think the basis of Gabriel Orozco's work is perfect influence for this topic: Evidence, as he implicitly captures the evidence of everyday life, human presence and civilization. I also like the simplicity of his images. I have already taken photos which relate to Orozco's work, and were influenced by his work anyhow, but I would like to take more simple images in spite of his photography's influence. 

Photographer Research - Laura Letinsky

Laura Letinsky

I've chosen to research Laura Letinsky's photography because I like the simplicity of some of her work. Letinsky mostly uses white backgrounds with white tables or tables with a white sheet over them. This makes the objects laid out on the table stand out a lot more as their colours look much brighter. She also takes photos within a 'house' setting, for instance: in the kitchen. Some of Letinksy's work shows dirty plates, glasses, food, food thats been eaten etc. This makes the photos relatable because the photos are homely and within a setting which everyone can recognise. In some of Letinsky's photos, she only has one or two pieces of food or objects, so they look isolated. This makes them the focal point because everything else in the image is white. 

This is an image that i found of Letinsky's. Like i've said previously, she has used a white background and a table with a white sheet over it. This makes the colours of the balloons, drinks and food stand out. The simplicity of this image is what makes it so extraordinary and interesting to look at because the positioning and particular objects that are displayed begin the questioning of why she did this and why she chose those particular items. This relates to my work, because I plan to use the studio to shoot, with only white backgrounds. 

This is another piece from Letinsky's work, but this one has been taken in a kitchen. The angle of the image is positioned so that we cannot see the objects straight on, but from the side. This allows us to see the floor, drawers and tabletop. Letinsky has also arranged the objects so that they are in the furthest corner from the camera, this makes us look closer into the image, and for longer too. In this photo we can see regular objects that would be found in a kitchen, such as glasses, a tea fowl, food etc. 

I chose to feature this image in particular because unlike Letinksy's other photos, she hasn't arranged the objects precisely and aligned, instead she's either positioned them to look messy, or has taken them in their natural place. I like this image a lot because it's messy, and people can relate to it as it has been taken in a home setting. I also like that this photo isn't all white, as a wooden table has been used. This image displays evidence of human presence because it shows that people have used the glasses, napkins and have eaten the food. 

This image is quite similar because it shows dirty plates and dishes. However, Letinsky has taken this photo in low lighting, so the photo isn't as bright as her other images. We can still see the reflection of the sun shining through the windows and glasses. This photo looks slightly posed because the plates are on the edge of the table and the vase has been placed exactly in the centre of them. I like this photo because it has been taken in natural setting. 

Laura Letinsky's style of photography has influenced me to take photos within the studio, with a completely white background. Her work has also influenced my ideas of taking photos inside and location, of ordinary objects and 'house' possessions. I also like the idea of arranging objects to look messy as well as neat. Although Letinsky's photos look similar to one another, she has used different objects and placements each time. I think these sort of photos would look perfect in a multiple imagery. 

Letinsky's work influenced the concept of this image, as I didn't arrange the objects, and shot the image without any positioning. This allows the photo to show these objects in their natural placement, and also identifies personality traits of the person whose these possessions belong too. In this image, this person can be identified as messy as their desk isn't very organised. This is evidence of human presence as it shows that this desk and the possessions on it belong to someone, and they have obviously put them there. 

This is another "messy" image that I took in a Location shoot. This photograph was influenced by Letinsky's work because I attempted to capture ordinary, homely objects such as the mug, packet of crisps, carton of orange juice, pens, tablets etc. Again, I didn't manipulate this photo to look neat or tidy, as I took the photo without moving any of the objects. 

In summary, I plan to use the influence of Laura Letinsky's work by shooting in the studio a lot more, using a completely white background to emphasise the focal point in the image. I would also like to use Letinsky's style so that i can capture 'human presence' within possessions, and objects within the home.