Famous Photographer Emulation - Duane Michals
Fall '15 • Duane Michals (left), Emulation (right)
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Project Summary
In my introductory photography class, our final project was a "famous photographer emulation". We were to take a piece from a photographer we studied in class and try to emulate it as much as possible. I chose Duane Michals because I like his work with series.
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In my introductory photography class, our final project was a "famous photographer emulation". We were to take a piece from a photographer we studied in class and try to emulate it as much as possible. I chose Duane Michals because I like his work with series.
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Goals
• Emulate Duane Michals' photo series as closely as possible
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Process & Results
I found an area on campus where I could get soft light from behind my model. I set up the shot so that the ledge of the window sill in my photos matched up to the shadowed wall in Michals' photo. I got a footstool and put a full-length mirror on it to serve as the "table" for my model to rest her head on. I tried to find someone to model for me with very curly hair to match Michals'. I used a combination of fake and real flowers, but I didn't have very many because I was trying to complete the assignment on my college budget and spend as little as possible.
I found an area on campus where I could get soft light from behind my model. I set up the shot so that the ledge of the window sill in my photos matched up to the shadowed wall in Michals' photo. I got a footstool and put a full-length mirror on it to serve as the "table" for my model to rest her head on. I tried to find someone to model for me with very curly hair to match Michals'. I used a combination of fake and real flowers, but I didn't have very many because I was trying to complete the assignment on my college budget and spend as little as possible.
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What I Learned
It was really fun to get to work on an emulation project! I think the biggest thing I learned by doing this project is that there are a lot of choices that artists make that go into what the final picture will turn out like. It's not as simple as "snapping a photo". I struggled to match lighting, angles, and subject matter in my version of Michals' series. All of these elements were artistic choices that added to the complexity and intrigue of the final composition.
It was really fun to get to work on an emulation project! I think the biggest thing I learned by doing this project is that there are a lot of choices that artists make that go into what the final picture will turn out like. It's not as simple as "snapping a photo". I struggled to match lighting, angles, and subject matter in my version of Michals' series. All of these elements were artistic choices that added to the complexity and intrigue of the final composition.
