Photographers/Artists to Research:

Brian Oldham: Young photographer who explores surreal photography, influenced by Rosie Hardy and Alex Stoddard.
http://alexandracameronphotography.blogspot.it/2011/07/feature-interview-365-days-brian-oldham.html

Rosie Hardy: Very interesting young photographer who takes photos in a contemporary surrealist style.
http://www.rosiehardy.com/1145-self-portraits

Alex Stoddard: Very similar style of surrealist photography to Rosie Hardy and Brian Oldham.
http://alexandracameronphotography.blogspot.it/2011/01/feature-interview-imagination-land-alex.html

Lissy Elle: Another contemporary young photographer exploring a surrealist style very similar to the above artists.
http://www.lissyelle.com/

Marybeth Rothman: Fine artist, using photographs and painting combined to create interesting mixed media pieces.
http://www.marybethrothman.com/

Irina Popova: Documentary photography, interesting series called Anfisa’s Family.
http://www.irinapopova.net/

Fritz Liedke: Photographer – Portraits, interesting series of photographs called ‘The skeleton in the closet’ exploring anorexia in an almost tragic poetic way. Also looks at adolescence.
http://fritzphoto.com/arts/astra-velum/

Tono Stano: Does beautiful, surreal images of the nude body in the series ‘White Shadow’.
http://www.lensculture.com/stano.html?thisPic=4

Claire Felicie: Interesting series on triptychs exploring how subtly the pshchological changes in soldiers before they go to the army, during, and after.
http://clairefelicie.com/

Bill Westheimer: His techniques are old school which present lots of atmosphere to the viewer, ‘The Manual Project’ is very interesting, looking at the personalities of hands.
http://billwest.com/manual-project/

Kirsty Mitchell: Beautiful fairytale/preraphealite stlye photography. Also on the website combines music with each series.
http://www.kirstymitchellphotography.com/galleries.php

Francesca Woodman: Self portraits, ghostlike.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2010/nov/21/francesca-woodman-photographs-miro-review

Juergen Teller: Fashion photographer, really interesting style.
http://www.designboom.com/portrait/teller_biography.html

Hiroshi Sugimoto: Japanese photographer, ‘a bottomless kind of beauty’.
http://www.sugimotohiroshi.com/

Music and Lyrics as an Influence for Photography Projects

Notes:

Fashion Shoot Influences – David Bowie Space Oddity:
Look at music video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D67kmFzSh_o
Reflections distorted round a focal point image – Fun house mirrors

Different perspectives looking at the body – feet to head
White Backgrounds – Contrasts with stark colours/metallic
Black Background with figure appearing to ‘float’
Female figure with metallic gold face/ hair wearing a floating thin dress

Vogue October 2011: pages 266-277,
‘Tech Mate’ – “Shake up everyday looks with an intergalactic spin. Minimal separates shift gear in blast off brights, gleaming techie fabrics and new ergonomic lines – all multi-tasking for now.” Photographer: Patrick Demarchelier.

Bright Colours- Lips, accessories, props, clothing.
Robot toys important prop in this shoot, poses of model are also almost robotic, clothing clean cut lines with layering, techie fabrics.

Maybe combine aspects from the two influences…Space oddity’s layout (distorted reflections circling a focal point) Poses being ‘lighter than air’ the effect of floating. With ‘tech mate’ fashion shoots bold bright colours in front of white background/black background, props such as children’s toys – robots, spaceships, aliens, clothing  ‘techie fabrics’ combined with ‘blast off brights’.  (Props  - could possibly use sliver skull..)


Vogue ‘The Secret Address Book’ : “Light Source” Shoot – “The perfect blend of technological precision and artistic sensibility. Swarovski Elements if, and has long been, the preferred choice of cut crystal for major designers, from Coco Chanel and Christian Dior to Marios Schwab and Christopher Kane. Swarovski crystals throw light on everything they touch.” Photographed by Benjamin Lennox.

Possible aspect that could combine with Space Oddity/Tech Mate is to add lots of crystals to the model using light to shine colours etc. almost like a star in space, a beautiful object (model) placed in a blacked out space.



 Vogue September 2011 issue: ‘Master Class’ – “The rigorous beauty of the autumn collections is perfectly recast in Antwerp’s austere cobbled streets, with echoes of Old Master studies.” Photographed by Mario Testino.

Mood Series from Music:

The Cinematic Orchestra/London Metropolitan Orchestra – The Arrival of the Birds, The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos

Mood: Uplifting, Has interesting pace (grows and then explodes almost euphoric then dies down again, almost like the curve of a wave, undulating), Euphoric, Emotive.
Lighting will be a very important factor to this series, to create the mood of an uplifting and euphoric pace most likely will be either a sunrise or sunset. Maybe do a series of photographs recording the rise or setting of the sun in one single spot.

Photographers that create an Atmosphere:
Jurgen Schadeberg: Euphoric, Uplifting photographs…

“Hans Prignitz’s Handstand on the Saint Michaelis Church, Hamburg”

“Dancing at the Ritz”

John Bulmer: The weather in his landscapes plays a vital part of creating an atmosphere, most of his images show dark, depressing landscapes, this characterises the context of the image.

“Lonely Pub, Yorkshire”

“View over the Potteries, Stoke on Trent”

“Graveyard, Wakefield”

Sebastiao Salgado: Again a photographer using lighting to create emotion and atmosphere in …
“Tigray, Ethopia”

Kurt Iswarinko: Beautiful use of light very atmospheric very similar to Nan Goldin’s photography…

Phil Toledano: Extremely emotive and thought provoking images, a series called ‘Days with my Father’ …

Bruno Avelien: Interesting use of light and colour to create a mood…

Lyrics as an influence for Project:

Smashing Pumpkins – Fuck you (An ode to no one) – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

“I’m never coming back” – Could be an influence to the process of travelling, looking out of vehicle windows, tickets, traffic lights/signs etc.

“Galaxies full of nobodies” – Photographs of strangers on my travels, crowds of people to show the insignificance of an individual.

Decision: “GALAXIES FULL OF NOBODIES”

Photographers who take images of strangers …

August Sanders: Almost like a collector of butterflies he collects photographs of people and their identity…

Tim Walker: Imaginative photographs of people …

“Aunty Bunty: witch”

Jake Chessum: Documentary photography, movement in a city square, strange, almost ghostly…

Alexey Titarenko: Recording movement and sombre ghost like figures in industrial landscapes using long exposures to record the movement of people, not just an accurate record of them-the sombre nature of the images shows you more about the real atmosphere of the areas of which these where taken (Russia) …

Summer Project - Self Portrait

Self Portrait Photos:

Key Elements
• The Distinction between Life and Death.
• Nature
• Concealment
• The use of tones to depict moods.

Expressive and poetic, combining a landscape with a figure,
Colour, bold and clean,
Eye catching quality,
Image gives nothing and everything away,
Swallowed up by this cold landscape,
Powerful idea, frightening even,
Surroundings claiming you,
Surroundings can effect and overpower you, metaphorically and eventually literally,
Pre-Raphaelite painting essence,
Darker twist,
Neutral colours bring out bold colours more effectively,
Simplicity with Complexity,

I found the idea of doing a self-portrait a very difficult concept. I felt that to bare my face completely would be too hard so instead I used concealment. In my research I looked at many photographers who experimented with colour. In all of them the most effective way of portraying an eye catching image is to have one neutral colour which makes up most of the picture and then on piercing bold colour. I wanted to have an image that had this effect, it had to be eye catching. In my research I also looked at my favourite genre of painting which is the Pre-Raphaelite. Its romantic and poetic beauty is something I attempted to capture an essence of in my images. Nature has always been a great interest of mine and over the last couple of years combining it with the figure through photography is a reoccurring theme. So in these images nature is used very much as symbolism. These images are to do with the harmony between life and death. The first two images are representing life at its fullest bloom with the bold colours of nature and the main facial features (eyes and lips). The last two images represent death with neutral tones and nature which has perished. How does this represent me in a self portrait? I am consumed and concealed by the nature. I am exploring my understanding of life and death which is that we are not so different to natural organisms. In my research I identified aspects which influenced me in my final images. As well as this I feel that for a self portrait I can’t really say I see myself as any kind of particular representation. I don’t necessarily identify myself and examine how I am seen or how I am represented so in a way adding nature to conceal my features was because it feels safe.

Extracts from research powerpoint:

• Julia Wang slide – “As  a self-portrait it is very expressive and poetic, combining a landscape with a figure is something I am very interested in.”

• Mara Brioni – “I like how this image uses colour, its bold and clean with an eye catching quality. Using the background’s almost blinding whiteness to contrast and bring out rich tones to their advantage is an interesting perspective. I must keep this in mind when creating my own self portrait. I also like how this image gives nothing and everything away, it draws the viewer in and asks them to question what’s going on, making them use their imagination to come up with a conclusion.”

• Mario Sanches Navado – “Mario Sanches Navado has an incredibly illustrative style, full of dark mystery and emotion. If I were to take anything as an influence from this image it would have to be the way he has made his face look like its being swallowed up by this cold landscape. It’s a powerful idea, frightening even, almost resembling a body being buried into the ground, his surroundings claiming him. This is definetly an idea to think about, how surroundings can effect and overpower you as a person, metaphorically, and eventually in death literally.”

• Danielle Tunstall – “Again the use of bold colours against a monochrome backdrop is essential to create a striking image. I must keep this in mind for when I take my self portraits. As an image it takes on the traditional portrait of having the figure in central position. The thing that’s interesting and mysterious about this image is how the body is almost rising out of the darkness, or being consumed by it. The face then becomes the central point of the image, the eye is drawn to the vibrant tones of the lilies and the brightness of the deathly face staring out at the viewer.”

• Alexandra V. Bach – “This image has so many beautiful factors to it which make it such an interesting photo. First thing that draws the viewer in is the fact that there is a circular frame which focuses on the figure. It’s got essences of pre-Raphaelite paintings but with a darker twist, a grimms fairy tale character being lifted from the books. Again the artist has kept neutral darker tones to bring out certain tones, like the redness of the rose and the flawless skin of the face.”

• Kiyo Murakami – “This image combines nature with the figure, a theme that I constantly refer to. Here the photograph titled ‘Coming of winter’ is full of beauty and has a flawless quality. The figure is becoming the tree or the tree is becoming a part of the figure either way they both balance together in harmony. As mentioned before using the technique of using one bold colour (the berry in her mouth in this case) on top of neutral/one base colour makes this image eye catching and breath taking.”

• Frederico Bebber – “Frederico Bebber’s photography is utterly captivating. It tells a story through silent cries and screams a figure in each being eaten away by something unknown to the viewer. It’s beautiful yet darkly frightening packed with emotion in this silent surreal world.”
“It is the need to express and to vent restlessness that produces these artworks: it is unrest coming from discomfort and speaking through artfulness and nature. The audience is universal. Tones are colourless, from pure white to dark black, through the whole range of greys. The contents are literally ripped out of everyday life, combined and merged with agonising shapes, exposed to a fantastic metamorphosis, within a dream-like and surreal environment. Viewers will stop to listen, as if waiting for some noise, without knowing whether it will be music, words or screaming. Will the viewers be able to the detect the humour hidden behind that unrest?”

• Alexandra Bellissimo – “These portraits are stunningly illustrative as well as having a unique simplicity which is very effective. In a quite literal way Bellissimo combines the landscape and the figure to create a strong captivating image. This is definitely something I should keep in mind when doing my self portrait balancing simplicity with the complexity of an illustrative style.”