Project #2 - (The Whole Thing)
What is this project about?
This project is primarily focusing on my passion for nature and I want to convey the themes of power and beauty combined through a framed A4 joiner. I want the outcome in the style of a joiner to show that nature is rather fragmented and is becoming less appreciated nowadays. With global warming becoming a major issue it is clear that nature is essentially falling apart so this is why I want to convey it as a joiner. Combining images from all the shoots I have done so far, I will be experimenting with different design layouts to see which one suits the objectives set whilst showing the two different sides of nature.
In terms of the physical final product, it will be a black framed A4 joiner. Depending on the exploration of paper types I would like to use matt as I have found that, that particular paper type has worked very well in previous projects I have done.
Plans for final product
Within this final product, it is likely that the final joiner will be dropped onto a coloured background that is subtle and doesn't distract the viewer away from the joiner. This outcome as, well as the design, is inspired by the photomontage “Glass House Reflections II." and David Hockney's joiners. The simple design also gives the impression that nature is very isolated and perhaps is a completely different world compared to the human communities that we're used to. I feel that nature is an escape from reality hence I want the particular scene to be isolated and show colour as well as the power of nature. The representation in a format such as the joiner, emphasises the idea that nature is slowly becoming less appreciated and hints at the global warming issue that is widely known around the world which is destroying key habitats and is now interfering with our daily lives. Despite the design being simple, it shows a very important message by showing two very different sides of nature. The purpose of this project is to spread more awareness about nature and how we need to protect it from the increasing concern of global warmong and with human interference (at the location of the shoot, much of the wildlife reserve had been cut back to make way for a new designer retail park).
Looking at joiner experimentations
Physical joiners
I tried to experiment with these two joiners. I think these were partially successful as they convey colour. Looking at the joiner on the left it is rather basic, however, you can distinctly tell what the main subject of the image is. Although this does look alright when first initially it feels incomplete which creates a rather disappointing outlook. On the day I took the images, it was quite sunny so it was difficult to try and keep the camera settings the same for every image. Due to the imbalance of colour within the top half of the images took and the scene itself, I decided to leave this out. Perhaps if I lowered the ISO and aperture to let in less light within the lens, this may have been a more successful joiner. In terms of attempting to create a 'fragmented' joiner, it isn't bad as it doesn't look like a typical image. I do feel that a bigger scene is needed in order to fully portray the message and would leave me with much bigger options to create joiners from.
The second joiner on the right, is much more successful however, again, it feels incomplete. The top half of the scene is missing and so that makes the whole scene imbalanced. Moreover, this joiner is much more engaging for the viewer with a stream and some trees which creates a nice shape and a somewhat relaxing tone towards it. I have successfully achieved the aim in conveying its beauty however in terms of displaying it's power is not yet achieved and so more time is needed to capture this. there is no particular aim, within this joiner which is what makes this scene interesting. It allows the viewer to look at the scene as if it was there in front of them. Furthermore, the scene is bright, bringing in positive connotations of happiness and content. If I was to improve this joiner, it would be to include all the scene regardless as it would then not look imbalanced. Also, I would lower the aperture slightly to let less light in, as then it would look like one solid piece of work.
In terms of assessing these two physical joiners, it has taught me to make sure to include the full scene so it doesn't look odd and when taking the images, to choose camera settings that are applicable for the whole scene and photograph the scene down. For the final product, I don't think I will be creating a joiner physically as with the processing as well as photocopying and printing etc. it takes away the quality of the images taken and therefore, is less interesting and looks low in quality which would not be very engaging.
Digital joiners
The joiner on the left is in no doubt the most successful one. This is because it is one full scene and there is some sort of colour there. The trees symbolise power and adds shape to the image. I feel I could re-create this in the style of Hilderbrand's collage, 'Glass House Reflections II'. However, it may be difficult to replicate asit is not a greenhouse, and is not just trees.
Learning to create digital joiners was quite interesting for me as it involved taking lots of images of the scene but at slightly different angles. It was a little bit difficult to keep the camera settings as the same on the more sunnier days of the shoots however it was a lot of fun creating them and it's a new skill I had now developed. A disadvantage of this however, is that it is very time consuming to create digitally, whilst with a physical one, it's the case of cutting and sticking them together like a jigsaw piece then photocopying them. It is highly likely that I will be creating the final product as a digital piece as I feel that the images are kept at a fairly decent quality when sticking them together, unlike the physical creation of a joiner.
Looking at paper types
The samples displayed above are from printed.com and included 6 different paper types. However, the two I'm primarily focusing on, are the two on the right; Hahnemuhle German Etching (310gsm) and Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Pearl (320gsm). These two are my favourites of the pack because of the texture and the 'look of them.' Unlike the glossy paper types, they do not leave a reflection on the paper which is what I like because it does invade the image, and doesn't allow us to observe the image on it but, these two paper types do not leave a reflection which is why I have considered using a paper type very similar to these to use for my photobook. In addition, I had always intended right from the start that I would use a matt paper type because, not only is it one of my favourites, I like it because of its rough texture which gives connotations of nature, I feel. In addition, this paper does dull down some of the colours within the images but there is still a high level of detailed displayed such as the German Etching paper type. Finally, I really like these two because of their weights. I had been debating in using a heavy paper type, but it turns out I quite like it so in the final product I intend on using a paper type between 200gsm to 300gsm as well as keeping it to matt.
I also ordered these paper samples from Mixam. This has allowed me, whilst at home, to look through the different paper types and see which ones I like best. As this is a nature based project I would like to go for the Matt UV or the Uncoated Litho as these are nice thick paper types and for me, gives a natural feel as nature can typically be seen as rough at times. I feel that the colour of the joiner would best show up with these paper types in which, unlike gloss, does not show a reflective light that is invasive of the image. However, I also like silk paper, as I feel that this somehow makes the colours pop within the scene and thus makes it very engaging and eye-catching for the viewers. Unlike the matt paper type, silk, is also quite thick with a little bit of a reflection but not as harsh as gloss. I feel that this would definitely be an option to print for the final outcome.
The Final Product
For the final product, I decided to order through Mixam via the free sample test print. I have previously ordered from here before and it's an efficient and high quality professional printing service. I decided to go with an A3 final piece, on a plain white background using silk paper. I decided to use silk as this shows the colour of the final piece extremely well and colour was an important part of the project as it shows positive connotations and emphasis on my passion for nature. In addition, I feel that using a silk paper type for a nature project is not a bad idea, as it brings me out of my comfort zone in exploring the paper types as well as allowing the colours of the final product to become eye-catching. Furthermore, I decided not to have an artist statement on the final portrait as I didn't want it to be invasive of the final piece and so therefore, I let the piece kind of speak for itself.
UPDATE: Within this project, my final piece had not yet arrived from Mixam so I decided to change the physical paper and size of the final piece. In the final physical product, I used a gloss paper type as I know this usually brings out the colour of an image as well as allowing the piece to look a lot more dramatic and therefore, would make the final product a lot more eye-catching for the viewer. In addition, I did not add a frame or add an artist statement to the final piece. I feel that this would have taken away the main subject of a joiner as other joiners I had researched did not contain them so therefore, I believed it was the right decision to not include this on the final piece. I also decided not to frame the piece also, as I felt that the piece would definitely be too close the edge of the frames and so therefore, envisioning it in my head it would look right so I decided not to do that. So essentially, my final piece is an A4 printed piece/poster.
Linking research to my work
I feel that I could relate this work to Freya Najade's Along the Hackney Canal, as in her work, the composition of both the tree and the lake are very similar however a starking contrast is the mood and tone of the image. Linking my final piece to Najade's both show the power of nature. Looking at the stream that has made it's way through the trees, very similar to my piece where the stream flows through the trees creating a mini river. This shows the power of water and thus nature. However, both look weirdly majestic and portray a rather relaxing sense towards the piece perhaps hinting at the fact that nature really is a completely different world to the industrial one us people are used to.
Secondary Research
Freya Najade (Along the Hackney Canal)
Freya Najade is a German photographer living and working in East London. Najade is a very influential photographer within this project as some of the images within her work has a lot of atmosphere and more importantly, composition, which is quite important when attempting to portray a landscape of nature as being beautiful.
This is one of my favourite images by Najade due to its composition and juxtaposition within the image. The reflection of the trees in the water combined with the fog surrounding them, makes the image more meaningful in a way and creates a calm atmosphere. However, what catches me most about this image, is it's composition and the use of the fog. There's a lot of shape created by the trees and this reinforces its calm atmosphere. I think she did this purposely, coinciding with the fog, to create the juxtaposition feel, perhaps to make the image stand out from the rest. In terms of what I think the camera setting had been used, I believe she used a mid aperture, perhaps f11 to let in some light but not too much, and a fast shutter speed with a low ISO. This image is from her photobook, ‘Along the Hackney Canal’, whereby she takes the viewer on a slow journey from the Regent’s Canal to the River Lea in East London looking at nature’s beauty and wilderness in the middle of a big major city. I really like the landscape images captured and allows the reader to fully analyse the scenes. In addition, I believe Najade has purposely captured this image on a foggy morning, to create some kind of sympathy for nature and in an interview she claims that she loved the juxtaposition within the image as it looked beautiful however, at the same time, it looked quite sad. On the other hand however, this appears to be an outlier within her book. The other images (shown below) show more vibrant colour, primarily focusing on green as its seen as the typical colour for nature.
The image on the left is a swan sticking its head in the water and what I'm drawn to in this image, is also the leaf floating in the water. These two objects contrast with the dark colour of the water making them stand out towards the reader. The second double page spread of the two images are very alike in colour however, the context of them are very different. The top right is a simple landscape image which is beautiful in its own way however the bottom left shows rubbish within the algae caused by human interactions. So therefore, this particular book not only represents the beauty along East London's canals but also the consequences of human interactions.
The idea that she hadn't ignored these interactions makes the photobook more meaningful and gives a clear message that, yes, nature may be beautiful and peaceful, but if we interfere and leave rubbish it can have a deep impact upon it's environment and this links in well here within my project. I want to show the beauty side of nature but as a divided final product to give this message as a photo montage or a joiner. In addition, the composition is an important part in the final outcome of this project so therefore inspiration such as Najade’s is vital. Finally, her work is perfect in creating an atmosphere of beauty towards the scenes so I can take some inspiration from her work and apply it within mine.
Jem Southam
Jem Southam is a well known British photographer who specialises in landscape photography, working across twenty-five years. As Southam is from the UK, it is typically known that it has some beauty spots and this can change the context of the photographer’s work. However, a photobook of his that I am mostly interested in, is ‘The River Winter’. A project taking place over several months, Southam takes us on a transformation journey along the banks of River Exe in Devon from late autumn to early spring returning in several intervals.
Likewise to Najade, he creates some outstanding landscape images with great composition. However, in contrast to Najade, his work is located in a single location and how it changed through the winter. The glimpse of colour throughout his landscapes adds to the beauty of nature and colour will be used within this project also, so this is what links his work to mine.
The photograph displayed above is one of my personal favourites due to the composition and atmosphere. I get the impression that Southam took this photograph to not only show what nature’s beauty looks like, but perhaps to show the power of it too. This is shown with the river, whereby it goes through the middle of the image and through the trees giving the impression you can’t beat nature. Power is one of the themes I want to investigate within this project so to see this within the image gives me some real inspiration and ideas to show how I can convey this in a possible joiner/photo montage. In addition, what I also like about the image is the reflection of the trees within the water. I love exploring with reflections and maybe this can be incorporated within the project. Furthermore, this adds a very relaxing a calm atmosphere and calm tone which is what nature is all about. It’s typically seen as calm and quite peaceful so maybe this is the reason why Southam decided to take this photograph. There is also a slightly underexposed element to the image also, and this makes it more majestic. In terms of the camera settings I think they used, I think they may have used a low ISO (maybe 100/200) and a mid-high aperture (f11/22) to create this not so bright image but also at the same time giving the peaceful impression.
Southam’s work does link to mine in some way. Southam bring to our attention that it is in winter that the countryside is stripped bare and behind living nature and along side the ever moving river there is always stillness, death and decay that follows. Southam makes these images seem peaceful and majestic yet there is the oddly disturbing context message behind the images. As industrial work is becoming ever invasive of nature, it’s becoming less appreciated. So therefore, this is reflective in the final product of the project whereby it’s presented as a joiner/photomontage which is all split up.
David Hockney
David Hockney is an English painter, draftsman, print maker, stage designer and photographer. Hockney has produced a plethora of work in his time however, what I will be focusing on is his joiners. He began producing these in the early 1980's in which he first used Polaroid prints taken at different perspectives. The piece I will be prominently focusing on is the Pearblossom Highway.
Hockney created Pearblossom Highway over several days while in California and took many photographs of a view on the notorious route 138, Antelope Valley. This piece of work, which is made up of around 700 images, is particularly interesting for me as the use of colour is really engaging and eye-catching for the viewer so it makes the tone of the image somewhat bright and happy despite it being a simple straight road. However, Hockney discovered that his creation of the 'joiners', provide different viewpoints of the image so in this one, the right-hand viewpoint represents what a driver would pay attention to, while driving down that road. However, looking at a left hand perspective the view is of the passengers perspective. He emphasises the view that the passenger is more likely to observe the features around them, noticing the scenery as well as the rubbish on the road. To link this in with my work, in terms of a joiner, I want this to have the underlying context view that nature is becoming less 'appreciated' so therefore the separate images of a joiner represent these divisions. Moreover, the main reason as to why I chose to focus on this particular joiner, is the colour used. I want to emphasise colour as well as power in the final product in the design of a joiner. Furthermore, I feel that this particular montage is over-exposed and perhaps this is why the colours stand out as much as they do. The rubbish/litter on the side of the road emphasises my point that nature is being less cared about and it's pretty much everywhere in out daily lives. Despite this work being accidental, I think its a very creative piece that demonstrates the different viewpoints of a drivers' and passengers perspective.
Primary Research
Interview with Jack Newcombe via Instagram (@jack_newcombe_photography)
This interview with Jack was used within my last project, however, as this project is once again about nature, it feels relevant to include it as the questions are about his opinions on nature. Like me, Jack believes in order for us to have a stable relationship with nature, we must be less destructive. Jack has already found his answer as to why he has a passion with nature, "when I'm out in nature, I feel connected to it." Maybe that's a thought I need to consider. In the future, I need to photograph how I feel connected to nature which is another way I can experiment. However, in relation to this new project, I will be capturing the beauty element of this as well as looking at the power also, but rather than presenting it as one image or a photo book as I usually do, I want to present it as a joiner or photo montage to give a contextual message that nature is slowly disappearing due to the industrial work of humans.
Landscape Architecture in Photomontage Exhibition (https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/industry/the-amazing-photomontages-of-landscape-architects/#media-4)
I visited the Landscape Architecture in Photomontage exhibition and I found some really interesting pieces of work on there. This exhibition features the work of Charles Waldheim who states;
"The practice of montage, the overlay or superimposition of one image over another to produce a composite image, is as old as image making itself. Various forms of photomontage emerged as critical and conceptual tools across a range of the visual arts throughout the twentieth century."
Although the exhibition is no longer available to view, I saw a really interesting piece of work called Gary Hilderbrand’s collage “Glass House Reflections II.” This piece of work was made in 2012 and is a hand cut collage/montage, offset print, handmade paper, 6”h x 5” w.
What I really like about this piece of work is the colour and the basic composition. The trees are sometimes in line but not always and I think that’s what makes this collage so good. I like the randomness and I feel that I could apply this skill within my work. In addition, the colour and the slight over-exposure on the bottom half of the image pops out to me as its the typical colour of nature and makes the tone of it quite warm and somewhat lush. I feel that the composition of this is also good and the different pat sit really well together as you can distinctly recall the top, middle and bottom of the image.
I think Hilderbrand’s created this piece of work for a reason. I think he purposely made the green pop out for the viewer as green house has the word green in it and so maybe he wanted to emphasise this by placing it in the middle of some green trees and creating a new scene. However, I strongly believe that he made this collage to also show the beauty of nature. As mentioned above, green is the typical colour for nature and this colour has connotations of life in nature and creates a fairly warm tone so therefore, maybe he wanted to show this as a collage. However, there must be a particular reason why he presented this as a collage and not as a normal image. Perhaps he wanted to emphasise the glass greenhouse as so wanted to surround it with green trees?
This piece of work links in with my project because I am focusing on my passion for nature and attempting to emphasise this as a collage of some sort or a photomontage. However, contextually I want to give the impression that nature is slowly fading away due to the human invasions. The piece of work conveys colour really well and this creates a warm and majestic tone to it. Furthermore, the actual product being a collage, is what I am aiming to do in my final product also as well as exploring the different themes such as power, peacefulness, beauty etc.
