Ask An Artist - Cole Roberts

Ask An Artist
- Cole Roberts

For this task I have been researching the work of a Swedish artist named Cole Roberts. Cole is one half of the highly successful photography company Nordica Photography.  He is mainly based within the wedding photography sector, however a vast number of his photographs are based within natural landscapes and try to capture the aspect of isolation, therefore, his images fit my theme perfectly.


Artist's Photographs

 Due to Cole being an international photographer much of his work is based overseas in varied locations worldwide. The above photograph was taken in Canada, and although the couple are fairly close to the camera, Cole still manages to capture the isolation factor within the landscape by positioning himself lower than eye level.  He keeps the background simple in order that we focus completely on the couple and as the couple are not 'posed' in the frame, we get the opportunity to wonder at their conversation as they clamber over the boulders.  I like the way the horizon in the photograph is lifted giving us a larger view of the stones. This creates great texture to the photograph and gives the impression that walking across this vast beach is quite difficult, especially in a wedding dress. This then validates the man's gestures of help to his wife and provides the viewer with a guessed narrative to accompany the image.

 The second image which I have chosen to represent my theme, taken by Cole Roberts is the above shot. It was captured in Southern Thailand. Although this image does indicate a beach setting to the right of the photograph, it concentrates more on alternative natural beauty by using woodland as a backdrop for the photograph. Cole uses the rule of thirds to compose his shots perfectly, capturing the emptiness of the landscape by positioning the couple to the far right hand side. The trees draw our eyes through the photograph, yet the couple are still prominent and very much the focus of the frame.  I think that shooting this in black and white ensures that the brides dress is highly visible and Cole often uses this technique to ensure our eyes are drawn to to the couple first before then admiring the setting.

The third artist image chosen is a photograph which mainly focuses on the landscape and surroundings, rather than the people involved. This time, Cole has focused of the surrounding natural light to create a breathtaking backdrop for the couple featured. This photograph was taken in Norway, and shows the photographers professional skill when using light and silhouettes and the reflections of the mountains create drama and give an almost dream like quality to the image. This symmetry of the mountains and their reflection in the water create a perfect composition for the photograph, however, although the setting is so picturesque, the couple are fixed on each other rather than their surroundings.  I was drawn to this image due to the exceptional use of light and I really enjoyed the overall atmosphere this light provides to the photograph.

A Further photograph taken with an amazing use of backdrop and reflection is the above image taken by Cole Roberts for a wedding in Norway.  I chose this image as it again shows perfect balance and composition of shot.  The couple are almost floating on the water in this image as the rock they are standing on is completely hidden from view.  The use of reflection is very effective for not only the couple's image is mirrored in the water below but the mountain scenery used as their backdrop is also shown in the lake.  Isolation is very apparent and as the couple do not look at the camera, we feel, as a viewer, that they are completely alone sharing a special moment.


The Questions Asked.

When interviewing Cole, I decided to base all of my questions around the use of isolation as this was a strong recurring theme within his photographs.  I was also keen to explore the types of work the artist was inspired by which could give me further insight into my topic.

• Q - "Do you purposely try and create isolation within your photography, or is this just a style which you have adopted in your shots based on the surrounding landscape?"

"Well, a wedding is broken into the portraits portion, and “everything else”. The “everything else” is basically interpreting the day as it unfolds and remaining hands off, so it’s tough to say whether that’s purposely isolated or landscape focused. But when it does come time for portraits, it really depends on the wedding, location and time of day for the portraits. The rule of thumb is to go for great light over a great location - even if you’re in Iceland or another dramatic location - so that’s the first thought. Afterwards comes location and generally speaking, stepping back and letting the frame tell the story involves bringing in the natural elements."

•  Q - "When did you first become a professional photographer and has photography always been a passion?"

"The end of 2009 was when I quit everything and went all-in with photography. My business partner moved over from Europe to Vancouver, and we completely focused on making it work. It was intended to be a one-year project, but grew quite quickly so we went with it.

Photography definitely has not always been a passion for me. My parents started a photo lab in the early 90s, and my mother has been a professional since the 70s. So straightaway I was sort of wrangled into it at a young age, and wasn’t exactly a fan. Growing up, my focus was totally on hockey, so it’s a bit ironic how things unfolded. But around 2008, I got the bug, started photo blogging, and the rest is history."

• Q - "Has there been a certain artist which you have followed that gives you inspiration or do you just shoot what feels right?"

"I almost never look at other wedding photography, so can’t say I am influenced in any way from people within our genre. The most influential photographer for me definitely is Ragnar Axelsson, and oftentimes when I view his work, there is isolation and a bit of reclusion which I love. Tough to bring that into a wedding day though, so I would say I tend to just photograph whatever is in front of me and not overthink it."

• Q - "Is Photoshop (or similar programme) a piece of software you use on a regular basis to enhance you photographs, or do some photos just speak for themselves?"

"We use Lightroom to edit everything, but our editing is very light. We feel a timeless image should not be overly edited, and we feel people hire us for our vision and not editing (albeit we realize editing is important so we do not understate quality post-processing)."

• Q - "Do you ONLY focus on wedding photography or will you tackle any project given?"

"Our brand only speaks to weddings and that’s completely intentional. We would rather be known as masters in one thing as opposed to a jack of all trades. In saying that, you name a genre of photography and we’ve done it, but we simply do not show it anywhere online or elsewhere."


Further Images Taken By Nordica Photography

 

Landscape Through Man Made Eyes

Landscape Through Manmade Eyes

Stemming on from my time in Iceland, I began to try and experiment with other mixed media techniques as I believed this could provide an interesting angle for my work, so I began to explore the idea of looking at landscapes through man made eyes. 
 Inspired by a memory of viewing the solar eclipse through a welding mask in 2015 in order to view the Phenomenon safely, I have decided to experiment using further man made materials such as clingfilm and bubble wrap to look at natural forms.  Hopefully this technique will still enable the natural object to be viewed however, the nature will be manipulated by a man made object which will fit with my theme of Man & Nature.


Artist's Photographs

The artist whom I have chosen to research and use as my inspiration, is an amateur artist called Alex Kershaw, she used the book "through the looking glass" as inspiration for her photographs.  All the photographs I have featured in this post have been taken through different materials and mediums.

- The first image taken through clingfilm

 - The second image through plastic

- And the third taken through a glass jar

I found that this technique could produce some interesting results and changed the viewers perspective in a creative way. I began to experiment with many different man made objects, hoping to achieve some similar interesting effects.Although many artists don't use mixed media in their landscape photography, I thought it would be interesting to experiment with what kind of effects I could create using man made objects. I will not only use clingfilm, plastic and glass to create my photographs, but also items such as paper with holes cut in, where you will be able to see the landscape behind in a restricted way.The above image, demonstrates what this obliterated view may achieve.
Although the image is taken through another medium, the subject of the photograph is still quite obvious.  In this image the outlines of the trees create interest and the light shining through them creates interest and intrigue within the photograph. The clingfilm itself also creates an interesting linear effect over the whole image and as the plastic catches the sunlight, additional texture and interest is provided.

In this second image taken through plastic, we see different textures emerge.  The plastic used in this image, gives the overall shot a softer feel and the shapes almost blend together. I think that the colour in this photograph is used well and the vivid green leaves in the foreground of the frame contrast well with the blue of the sky.  The almost blurred effect created by the plastic is very appealing and I like the way the plastic alters the shapes and textures of the landscape behind.

The third artist image once again uses manmade objects to enhance the natural scenery within the image. The jam jar is almost used as a magnifying glass, as the bottom of the jar creates the focus point for the image. The blurred edges of the jar also help to emphasise the moss and branches within the centre of the photograph. I think that this technique was highly effective and this almost tunnel effect created by the glass jar, ensures that the viewer does not miss any detail from the subject of the shot.


My Own Photograph's

When deciding exactly how I wanted to replicate the artists images, I debated using many different mediums including sweet wrappers, stained glass and other man made opaque materials.  i also deliberated using different eyewear options such as sunglasses and welding masks. In the end I decided on using motocross/ski goggles as I was able to interchange the different colour lenses, to create different effects. I started out with using a clear lens just to grasp the initial concept behind the technique which produced some interesting results to build upon. My first attempt was quite pleasing and the softened image produced by the goggle lens was appealing.  I liked the way the surrounding goggles remained sharp creating a frame for the photograph.

I then progressed to using a yellow tinted lens to see if i could create a more surreal possibly artistic look to my photographs. I also experimented by using a flash in this particular image to try and create more interest and depth within the photo. I was not overly happy with this effect as it failed to create the striking drama of which I was anticipating.  Instead, the effect obtained was more of a yellow haze within the goggle which I thought drew away from the main subject and the natural features were not prominent enough to be effective.

My third and final image using the goggles was once again more of an experimental shot.  This time, I selected not to use a flash and tried to concentrate on textures of my subject rather than concentrating on light. Once again, unfortunately, I was not entirely happy with the overall effect achieved.  Instead of enhanching the photograph, I found that the goggles did not really add any interest and the textures of the stones were lost through the thick plastic of the goggles.  I thought that by using coloured conifer cuttings within the gravel, these would enhance the shot, however, again this interest seems to blend away and I was left with an uninspiring image.
For my final shot, I will experiment with possibly a thinner material which will hopefully allow the subject to become the focal point rather than being obliterated by the material selected or perhaps by using a more simple subject with a strong silhouette which will not be lost within the photograph.

 As my inspiration came from viewing the eclipse through a welding mask, I decided to return to this concept, however, this time using the moon as my subject.  I tried to ensure that my lens was a close to the viewing window as possible to try and avoid any distortion of image. This final photograph was much more successful and using a more simple subject with a clear outline gave me a most pleasing result.

I particularly liked the way in which the whole colour spectrum is displayed to the left of the image creating an interesting rainbow beaming out from the darkness.  This was completely unintentional, however, gave the shot atmosphere and real appeal.  I was also impressed at the way the shape of the moon was retained and almost enhanced when looking through the welding mask. This was by far my most successful photograph using this technique, however, by learning about subject, light and how this was altered through the man made eyes, I was able to improve my work.

 

Contact sheets

Man & Nature Emulation - Andrew Studer

Man & Nature Emulation
For this task I will be emulating the artist Andrew Studer, this will consist of a sketch/plan and three showcase images which should be similar to the artist's work whom I have chosen. 
 
Due to having the ability to extensively travel during the next six months, I have decided to use this artist in my emulation work and as Andrew's work is visually striking, I was drawn to his stunning images of Man placed within the most epic of landscapes.  Isolation is depicted perfectly in his images and the viewer is left wanting to visit these remote places to experience these magical moments with nature for themselves.
During my travels, I will aspire to capture similar epic imagery on camera in an interesting way.  I will try to capture scale and depth of field whilst keeping detail and hopefully having contrast within my photos to create drama or emotion.



Artist's Photographs

This image depicts Man marveling at the view of Skógafoss Waterfall in Southern Iceland. As Andrew's theme is named 'Lone Humans', all of his images feature a singular person, quite often shown as a silhouette. In this image, the artist is clearly trying to show the sheer scale of the waterfall, however, by using a slower shutter speed, the power of the water is also able to be felt.  The isolated man in the image is positioned carefully and precariously close to this wall of water and this provides a very dramatic effect. I hope to achieve a similar effect and will experiment with shutter speeds and running water too.

Andrew Studer, 20, has travelled the world far and wide to capture sole humans in nature's vast and engulfing landscapes.  Here, a surprise visit from the Northern Lights over the Enchantments in Washington, provides a spectacular background for his photograph. This image once again shows the scale and gigantic proportions of the landscape, but this time, focuses more on the dramatic colours of the Northern lights.  I hope that I will be lucky enough to witness this natural light phenomena on my trip to Iceland in the coming months and get a chance to experiment photographing it. I believe, from research that photographing the Northern Lights is difficult so I will enjoy learning more about my camera settings and hopefully achieving an image to be proud of.

This final image portrays two people enjoy a misty walk in Oregon, Mr Studer's hometown, where many of his breathtaking photographs are taken. This is the only image within the collection which features two people and they are positioned in the very centre of the image. I think that the purpose of placing the focus as a central point in this photograph is to enhance the use of reflection as the reflections used in this image balance the shot perfectly.  I will experiment with the positioning of the human element of my photographs to see the different effects it has when viewing the images.

Emulation sketch

For the sketch part of my emulation plan I have decided to focus on trying to show all the components of the actual photograph, rather than trying to concentrate on a large amount of detail. I believe that this helps to make the sketch a better match to the artist's image and what they wish to achieve and portray.  I have included as many elements of the background landscape as possible as I believe that it is all these components fusing together which creates the final image and helps display the artists intention.  I have also used some shading as I believe that light and shadow play a large part in achieving the quality of isolation.  In the same way, the two people in the sketch are shown as silhouettes. 

After studying Studer’s work, I was especially excited to be visiting Iceland this year, as I had been advised that the light and the changing weather conditions here could create fantastic landscape shots and as it is rugged and remote, should perfectly fit within my theme of isolation.  I was not disappointed and found throughout my visit that I was provided with great material to work with, from epic skies filled with dramatic cloud shapes and sunbeams, thundering waterfalls, to vast barren lava fields and an unforgettable viewing of the Northern Lights.

I thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with my camera and the diverse landscape gave me great material to work with.

My Own Work

The first of the three of my emulation photographs was actually taken at Skógafoss waterfall in the south of Iceland where Andrew's image was shot. It is a well known tourist destination, so was quite a challenge to photograph a singular person in front of the waterfall face as there were many people all battling to get to the bottom of the falls.

With this photograph I have also tried to portray the sheer scale of the natural feature by positioning myself lower to the ground, as well as concentrating on my main theme within my emulation of isolation. The man, like in Andrew's image, is looking up, giving the impression of awe for the natural wonder. I think that this image works well and the man looks alone in his thoughts.  Although the image is almost monochrome, even without any editing, the green of the hill frames the image well and enhances the spray given off by the waterfall.

My second emulation photograph was taken on the black beach of Vik, again in Southern Iceland.  I have used shadowing in this photograph to create a better illusion of a silhouette of the man carrying his camera equipment. I also, again, positioned the camera strategically so I could capture the sun appearing from behind the rock face, (but only the slightest amount so as not to give too much glare). In this image I have experimented and used Photoshop to edit the foreground, keeping it as dark as possible.  By using an editing programme, I was able to keep the definition within the sky so the viewer can depict the dramatic cloud formations, however, I could lose any distracting detail in the foreground so the eye is drawn to the man and the skyline.  The suns glare enhances the image and draws the viewers eye to the human element of the photograph which I like.  

   My third and final emulation photograph was taken in the same place as the second shot, Reynishverfi beach, Vick, Southern Iceland. With this image, I experimented by capturing the photographer in the far left hand corner of the image, copying the style of Andrew Studer.  Even though the human presence is harder to see, I thought that this effect may enable the beach to become the focus point of the photograph. The man is wearing a red jacket and within this very monochrome shot, helps him still stand out. I experimented with further beach images and found the contrast between the black sand and a singular colour very dramatic. I used clothing and even the green of grass to lift the black and white images. 

 This image still portrays isolation but mainly focuses of the landscape surrounding. To take this photograph I ensured to lower myself as near to the ground as possible, so I was able to create a wider expanse of beach and a larger feel to the boulders scattered on the sand. Due to the haze in the sky you are able to see the cliffs in the backdrop but only faintly, this helps to add depth and also elongate the image.

My Final Emulation photographs above were taken in Iceland as an experiment using the Northern Lights as a background. Like Andrew Studer I tried to incorporate a silhouette of a human being into my photographs.  The first image is unedited to demonstrate the differences between an unedited shot and Studer's highly edited photograph. My second image has been edited using Photoshop to try and enhance the trail in the sky further and create more contrast in the colours captured.  I found photographing the Northern Lights very difficult as any degree of movement resulted in a very blurred image, I found mounting the camera on a tripod and using a remote to release the shutter was the most effective, however, as the sky and the light levels continually changed, the settings of the camera also required adjustment. My contact sheet shows further images taken without placing anyone in the foreground which were more successful.  These images could work as background for a double exposure which I may experiment with during my course and select as material for my final piece.

Contact Sheets