Hockney Joiner

Hockney Joiner

This weeks challenge was research a specific technique adopted by David Hockney and create our own "Hockney Joiner" piece of work. In the early 1980s, Hockney began to produce photo collages, which he called "joiners". Using varying numbers of Polaroid snaps or photolab-prints of a single subject Hockney arranged a patchwork to make a composite final image.

Artist's Photographs

This is my first photograph which has been produced by the artist - David Hockney. It is a highly skilled image which has been created by taking multiple shots whilst moving the camera around his subject.
I was drawn to this first image as i really loved how all the buildings featured were slightly wonky, which added to the depth of field of the final image. It created an interesting new perspective to a regular street scene.  I liked the way that this image is obviously made up of many different photographs, however, the final image portrayed is still very recognisable and highly detailed.  We are able to see the spokes on the motorbike wheels and even the window panes perfectly.  I also found it interesting how all the colours had a high contrast, I liked the way the dark leaves of the trees contrasted with the lighter buildings and we could clearly see the blue sky in the horizon. 

With this image i found it even more complex than the others which i had featured in this post. The detail that has been achieved in the above image is phenomenal and it is very difficult to believe at first glance that the overall photograph is made up of multiple shots.  I loved the bold colours in this piece and the way that the sky has been given drama by using so many different shades of blue.  I think that the horizon really draws us into this photograph and gives the road a strong focal point to the photograph.
Hockney has also created a type of story within the image with all of the "stop" signs, which makes the viewer want to discover the background behind this piece.

My final artist image is slightly different, due to it featuring an actual person instead of a landscape image. Once again i liked how everything didn't quite fit where it was supposed to which also helps to create an interesting feel to the final image.  This image has been created in a different style to the other images and is an earlier piece.  Initially Hockney used multiple Polaroid photographs lined up in a grid like pattern in order to compose these early pieces. The subject would actually move while being photographed so that the piece would show the movements of the subject seen from the photographer's perspective. It was only in later works that Hockney changed his technique and moved the camera around the subject instead.
I liked the way that this image is more distorted that the two previous pieces, it gives an almost cubist feel to the work and I found it very striking.  We are able to see the subjects facial features and expression, however, it is a more abstract view.

My Own Photograph

This is my final piece which i created for this task, i used the first two images as my inspiration as i felt that i would be able to add more dimension than if i was to use a person as my subject. I also used Hockney's later technique of camera movement around the subject as I felt that this would allow me to capture more details within my piece. I used Photoshop to create the layers effect of the joiner.  I was very pleased with the overall image which kept much of the details, shape and form of my house.  I liked the way that the pattern of the brickwork was still visible and the colours of the plants in the foreground created interest.  I think with a highly coloured image, the effect may be more striking, however, this image was unfortunately taken on a dull day with enhancement of colour very limited. I liked this technique and I may take this idea further when completing my final piece, perhaps using different shapes of individual photos to enhance the effect.


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Photography Mock Exam - Double Exposure

Photography Mock Exam 

- Double Exposure 

Artist images

My first artist image which I have been exploring as inspiration for my mock exam involves an almost ballet like figure, with a intense sky background merged within the photograph.  I like the fact that the artist gives the billowing clouds a strong focus within the image as it creates good drama and a dark feel to the photograph. I found this image a striking shot as the silhouette of the lady is a very bold shape and although the clouds help to provide good contrast with this shape, they also focus our attention to the outline of the woman more, giving it primary focus.  The clouds have a similar outline to a human brain which could be the intention of the artist to have a play with the imagery within the photograph.

My second artist image was used as inspiration due to it being taken from a different angel.  I liked how the image was solely of the subjects face and we are able to see all the details of the woman's features clearly.  This double exposure uses part of the tree's shape as the rear of the facial image and I think this works very well to ensure that bothmerged images are given high focus within the shot.  Again being a monochrome photograph, the detail is very clear and I liked this effect as I felt it made the photo more interesting.

My final artist image shows once again another technique used within double exposure.  With this third piece, I liked how the artist had kept the sharp lines
with the second exposure image very obvious. The silhouette is very bold and the use of a white background in this image is clever as we are able to focus completely on the darker strong subject without being distracted by other shapes or colours. I also thought it was interesting how he had almost faded the image towards the man's face creating an ombre effect to the piece.
By looking at these double exposures, I began to understand that the selection of shape for my silhouette was of high importance as this will determine how bold the overall effect of my piece will be.  Texture and pattern within the second image was also of great importance as it will be these details which will create a more dramatic double exposure shot.



My Mock Images

This is my main piece which I worked on throughout the given time frame in the exam.  It was also the piece which I was most happy with. By exploring artists images of double exposure, I began by selecting a strong human image on which to then experiment with overlaying different textural shots. The girls silhouette which I selected was a strong shape which had a balanced feel to it.  I liked the added interest of the raised elbows and hoped this would give me a little more width to work with when overlaying my second shot.
 I loved the way the final resulting image has an almost ombre effect which I created using levels on Photoshop, and then removing areas which were either too dark or too light.  The horizon of the landscape is not lost and the treeline is very much a focal point within the frame which I liked as my theme of Man & Nature was very clear within the photograph.

My second image involved the same double exposure technique, however, I have tried to create a more complex image by having gaps running through the second exposure image. I have done this to create a more interesting effect and so that the viewer only sees certain parts of the second image rather than a full landscape image.  I think that the tree branches do almost replicate the human fingers and this is further enhanced by the shadows that are cast of the white wall used as a backdrop.  I think, in this instance, perhaps added colour could enhance this image further, perhaps by either using a filter or possibly using a torch to enhance the shadows formed.

My third and final image again concentrates on a human outline, however, this time, I asked the model to put their hands in front of their face to draw the viewers eye to the centre of the shot.  This was partly successful, however, did not give enough detail and the human silhouette was not a strong. The landscape image was also not as striking as those used previously which left the overall effect weaker than some of my other experimental pieces.



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Cyanotypes

Cyanotypes

For this task, we were asked to explore the technique of Cyanotypes and create images using this historical method of print making.  Cyanotype images are visually very appealing and this technique could be incorporated into my theme of man and nature as often the natural world is used as inspiration for the subjects of these prints together with the use of strong silhouettes.
Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print. The cyanotype, is one of the most recognised of all the historical methods. Dating from 1842, this classic Prussian blue process is a great technique for artists to explore and I enjoyed discovering the processes behind these images immensely. Cyanotypes are economical, permanent, have few pitfalls, and are versatile in that a variety of toning effects are possible. Engineers used the process well into the 20th century as a simple and low-cost process to produce copies of drawings, referred to as blueprints.

Artist Images

While there are a few photographers that use cyanotypes as their preferred medium, most consider it a fun side from their normal work.  The above image was created by a New York artist Christian Marclay and I liked the way that the familiar cassette tape has been given a really interesting display when using the cyanotype technique.  The bold shapes of the cases and unfurled ribbons create great interest within the image and the use of the singular blue colour enhances these shapes perfectly.  I liked the simplicity of the above image and hoped that I could create a similar striking image with my cyanotype piece.
 

The above cyanotype is a completely different style to image one, however, it is just a striking.  This image was taken by photographer Michael Witting, who experiments with faces using the cyanotype technique. With his images I liked how he dissects the images to make them different to any others which i had previously seen.The way in which this image is split into thirds allows us to focus more on the central facial portion of the piece.  The face is framed by the other segments and we find ourselves meeting the girls gaze.  I enjoyed the softer blue tomes to this piece which fitted the subject perfectly.

The above artist image is a simple, more modern cyanotype concentrating predominantly on shape. I like the way this image was composed with the plant life framing the shot.  The bright silhouettes of the human forms are very strong and worked well with this technique and the layering which has taken place has achieved a softer feel to the surrounding flowers which drew me to this image.  I like the way that various tones of blue came through on this piece and I hoped I could achieve a similar effect within my work. I think that the strong use of shape worked well and made the image one of my favourites.

The above final artist image stood out to me as it did not have a clean border.  Although the photograph of the dancer was very obvious and we could see all the details within the shot, I liked the way that the rough lines which are used within this piece help give a feel of movement.  It enhanced the overall effect and I liked the composition.



My Final Image

This is my final image which i created using the cyanotype technique.  Due to time restraints, I was only able to create one image, however, I will be using the technique in future experiments, and will even consider using it as part of my final piece.
I tried to incorporate many of the ideas collected in my research and blend them together to produce one image.  I used the cassette shapes from image one as I liked the bold, clean lines of these objects, together with plant life shapes from image three, which again fitted with my theme and produced strong contrasting softer outlines within my work.  
I experimented with the brush stroke border in order to frame my work which I think was quite successful. 
 As you may be able to see in the centre of the image there is less colour.  This is the part of the image with which I am not entirely happy and I think further development was needed in order that the true cyan colour could be achieved more successfully. 

Chemigrams & Photograms

Chemigrams & Photograms

This weeks task was to experiment with the techniques of both chemigrams and photograms, showing a final image for our blog together with an insight into the creative process behind the technique.  The chemigram process is an artistic technique that involves the use of photographic materials and chemicals to produce images on light sensitive paper with photograms using the same technique without the use of a camera.  The basic idea of a chemigram is that photographic paper is alternately & repeatedly exposed to both developer and fixer. Areas of the paper exposed to developer first will turn a shade of black (since the paper is fully saturated with light), and areas of the paper exposed to fixer first will be predominantly white.

Artist images

Whilst completing my artist research I stumbled upon the above image which I thought was an interesting shot to use as inspiration.  I loved the bold use of shape and colour within this image and although not highly detailed or intricate, still gave a striking final image.  The lines in the frame are quite chaotic and I liked this effect which I thought would fit in quite well with this technique as there are no strict barrier's as to what could be achieved.  As there are so many factors which can influence the resulting image, I will be able to experiment with different methods to try and find the most pleasing result.

The Creation Process

Initially, we began by selecting light sensitive paper, to which we then applied resist.  This would be the base for our overall resulting image, therefore, we were able to be creative in how this was applied using different tools including sponges and our hands to hopefully produce different effects. We could either coat the paper completely, or just partially in order to create different effects.  We then left the paper to stand for approximately 30 seconds to ensure the pattern would stay put when submerged in the chemicals. 

The second step was to place our paper into either the developer or fixer, whilst moving the chemicals to ensure the development was even across the sheet. We let the paper soak for a short amount of time in order for the process to be successful.  If desired, we could physically rub away at the resist a little, or just let the chemicals slowly dissolve it.

We then took the paper out of the tray and put it in the plain water tray to wash off chemicals. Once washed, we put the paper into the other chemical, and again rubbed the resist for the desired effect.
By repeating this method, switching between the developer and fixer each time, we continued until all the resist has gone away and then put the paper into the fixer for a final time. With the final fix done, we washed the print in a fresh bath of water to remove all trace of chemicals.

My Photograph

This is my final Image which i created. I used my hand to create the finger prints, and then also used a paint brush to add the speckled affect on the page.   I liked the way that by using different utensils and your own hands, you could change the whole image produced.

I really enjoyed exploring this new technique as can see that , if mastered, could produce some really stunning and interesting images.  The shapes created were not only unusual, they were also at times, completely unintentional, which I thought made the technique altogether more exciting.  

Shooting With Film

Shooting With Film 

For this task we have been asked to experiment with the medium of 35mm film, in order to create some diversity and added interest to our component one photography. 

We were also asked to research artists who's style which believed we could use as inspiration and I began researching styles of photography within my theme which had all been taken by film rather than digitally. I found that often photographs taken using film had a certain atmospheric mood to them which I had not encountered with digital photos and I was keen to try and replicate my own shots using this new medium.

Artist Images

The above photograph was found on Pinterest, and unfortunately the artist is unknown. However, I chose this particular image as I loved how the artist had used the natural available sunlight to make certain areas of the image stand out. The photo has a certain softness to it which suits the wild flower field where it was taken and the glare of the sun has created an aura at the top of the photograph which actually adds to this dreamlike quality. The artist may have used a special type of film and development process to create the green tinged affect to the image.

My second artist photograph has been taken by a Canadian photographer who specialises in double exposure shoots. To create this image the artist has used 35mm film to take an initial image, then wound the camera film back in order to take a second photograph which becomes layered on top. This then creates a double exposure effect without using Photoshop.  I was very interested in this technique as I have been drawn to digital double exposure images throughout my research and found it an appealing alternative.  The trees in this image again have a certain softness to them and the overlapping of the images enhances the effect of light and shade very successfully. 

My final artist image focuses on a specific tree branch within a forest. The photograph concentrates on using a dark colour palate with the orange of the leaves bringing a vivid relief to the dark forest surroundings.  I liked this contrast of colour which drew the eye to the centre of the image very successfully.  I also liked the sun protruding through the branches at the top of the shot which casts a subtle hue over the whole image and creates definition of the trees.   



My own photographs

This is the first photograph which I have chosen to use in my final three. With this being an analogue photo-shoot it took me a few roles of film to master the technique of taking images without actually being able to view them on the camera immediately after they had been taken.
Concentrating on techniques which I have admired when researching photos taken with film, I began by using trees as my initial theme. I used my knowledge of composition to try and capture the fields in the background, whilst keeping the tree on the right as an interesting shape in the frame.  I was very satisfied when the image was developed as the resulting shot has a natural vignette around the edges, which adds more depth to the overall landscape. I managed to keep the definition of the trees whilst a splash of colour from the bracken bank adds interest to the photograph. Although the image is slightly over exposed, the overall effect portrayed was pleasing and gave me confidence to begin experimenting further with analogue techniques.
 

My second image using analogue photography is again taken in the British countryside, however, this time I tried to experiment by focusing more on the sky for the subject of my image.   
At the time the photograph was taken, I was interested in the cloud formations above me and hoped that I would be able to capture the unusual shapes and shadows within my photograph by using film rather than a digital camera.
I selected this shot as my second image due to the resulting ombre effect which was created which I found appealing.  Although the cloud definition was somewhat lost compared to what I believed I could have achieved with digital, the burst of light in the centre of the frame does give a good contrast to the treeline which is almost in Silhouette.

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