Narrative and Sequencing
In this module, we will look at how professional photographers diversify their income by selling prints though their own websites or online presence or through established gallery and patron networks. The module will look at different workflows to do this and introduce a basic element of analogue practice as well as more familiar digital routes. We will work with one of London’s most prominent laboratories to offer a basic introduction to analogue practice in both black and white and colour so that should you wish, you could shoot in this way for the final module submission. Please note that this approach would have to be funded by yourself as the university does not support analogue photography practice outside of flat-bed scanning.
Mood board
Simon Schollum
Aged Beauty
Simon Schollum, a portrait, still life and commercial photographer based in New Zealand. Previously a Forensic Photographer in both NZ Military Police & Police, now retired from the police Schollum is a Lecturer, Photographer, Teacher and Tutor.
Schollum's still life work that he has produced has been done in the studio/ studio like environment. Which can be seen from his use of backdrop and clean lighting. With his work shown on the IGPOTY website where lots of his still work has been entered into the IGPOTY Awards and done well from this. With the selection of work I've have chosen above containing similar works of floral still life pieces that can be found on the website linked below.
With the shot being created in the studio we can see he has used every aspect to add to the image and not just contain one area to look at. With how, both dead leaves and recently picked plans have been placed on a wooden crate that helps blood the tones from bottom to top, of dark to light browns. But also the tones of the rest of the composition from the position of the lighting creating shadows and texture of the objects. Using the grey background shows it in a studio and not on location and the main light to the left of the image raised pointing down and a second light to the right seen to cover the orange light but less intense. Shot on a digital DSLR, SLR or medium format camera and can be seen with the high quality style of the image, how sharp it is, in focus and use of colour with all of these aspects.
Encased in a glass vessel is the dead branch and an alive plant. Allowing for the plants to stand and also create further flow to the composition as a whole. Having the eyes following the beige stick round back down to the pink flowers. When we look further we see Schollum has also included garden based creatures, such as a butterfly and a snail shell. Complimenting the orange of the right leaf with the butterfly and the dark brown of the wood with the snail. Helping with balance of colours of the image so that neither the leaf or butterfly is so pronounced in the photograph.
With the light grey background that has many different tones to, allowing for everything that has been placed into the still life to be clearly seen and not blend into the background. However, not too dull with one colour or overpowering with different shades. Having the shades also provides more textures to the image as well as the different objects that are used, creating a rustic take on the image. With cool tones in the background and warm with the objects used in the image. All the aspects of this image have it come together as a whole to make it more striking than if different features weren't included.
What will I take from this.......
The aspects I will then take from this Photographer will be Schollum's use of composition and blend of different shades and objects used to build and balance this piece.
Charles Jones
Charles Jones was born in England in 1866. Between 1895 and 1910 Jones experimented with photography and produced a series of stunning gold-toned silver prints of vegetables, fruits, and flowers. The artist’s work was unknown until discovered by a collector in a London street market in 1981. Charles Jones left behind no negatives, journals, or papers and died a near recluse in 1959.
Jones still life work is seen to be produced in a studio/ studio like environment. But with use of close up photography to displace more textured details to the objects he uses.
Jones often shot, fruit and vegetables but also plants. Using what he had to hand most often to then show the detail. Shot on a film camera, either 35mm or a medium format camera. Using one source of lighting for his photographs, which may have been the light that was in the ceiling in the room or natural window light. Being close to the object means that this can be seen reasonably sharp regardless of using 35mm film and in focus with all these aspects. The lighting shown with the lack of intensity on the objects meaning that the light source was not close and therefore placed further away including the lack of harsh shadowing.
This photographer intrigued me through the use of close up on the objects and use of 35mm to help create the grainy aspects of this image. I will add use this technique in the beginning of my still life project to show to beginning of the plants life.
Karl Blossfeldt
Group of 15 Plates, from Wundergarten der Natur (15 works) 1932
Karl Blossfeldt was born in Germany on the 13th June 1865. Known for his magnified black and white images of plants and flowers. As a teenager he apprenticed at the Art Ironworks and Foundry in Mägdesprung, Germany. In 1881, Blossfeldt moved to Berlin to study ornamental design at the Royal School of the Museum of Decorative Arts. He died in 1932 on the 9th December in Germany.
Blossfeldt photographed his work on film black and white 35mm camera. He used the process of Photogravure, which is a process for printing photographs. Film positives are made from the original photographic negative. A smaller negative can be enlarged onto a sheet of film, which is then processed to a range of continuous tones with specific densities. It is a photo-mechanical process using a copper plate as its grained, creating a pattern to the plate and then coated with a light-sensitive gelatine tissue which had been exposed to a film positive, and then etched, resulting in a high quality intaglio plate that can reproduce detailed continuous tones of a photograph. Film can be seen to be used with the enlarging of the image further shows the grainy quality of the photoravure produced from the 35mm. However, due to the images being taken close up still allows for all the detail of the objects to be seen.
This photographers work intrigued me with the use of close up on the objects and using the different shape of the plant that provides the leading lines. Using 35mm to help create the grainy aspects of this image. I will add use this technique in my still life project, with the roots to show the base of the plants life.
Hommage à Sanyu (#13) edition of 4 pieces
Bas Meeuws
Maeeuws was born in the Netherlands, he makes dramatic and hyperreal photographs of floral bouquets that reference many Dutch and Flrmish still life paintings by artists. Self-taught, Meeuws has been making art since 2010.
Meeuws shots mainly floral arraignments, shooting on a digital camera in a studio environment. Using one source of lighting in this photograph, which would have been one studio light. The lighting shown with the lack of intensity on the objects meaning that the light source was not close and also had a diffuser and therefore placed further away including the lack of harsh shadowing, also meaning the flowers where further away from the backdrop as well.
This photographer intrigued me from this one image, with the use of one strong positioned plant and editing in post placing it into black and white while keeping the table its placed on as the wooden colour.
Whispering Weeds
Year 2011
Materials
Fan, Hard Drive, LCD Screen, Wooden Frame
Dimensions
76cm x 66cm x 16cm
Mat Collishaw was born in 1966 and is a key figure in the important generation of British artists who emerged from Goldsmiths’ College in the late 1980s. He participated in Freeze 1988 and since his first solo exhibition in 1990 has exhibited widely internationally.
Collishaw shots mainly still life works arraignments, shooting on a digital camera most often in a studio environment. Using many different lighting set ups and source of lighting in his photograph. In this image however, it seams to have been shot on film with the slight grain that is visible. The lighting shows the lack of intensity on the objects meaning that the light source was not close and also had a diffuser and therefore placed further away including the lack of harsh shadowing, or maybe using natural lights as the image has very little shadow and lighting dynamic and therefore quite flat in this regard.
This photographer intrigued me from this one image, with the use of the plant taking up the whole image and the view of the roots below the soil.
Visualisation for my Still life
A small home studio set up to show the process of the plants life from seed to plant, using one continuous lighting source. Either being a lamp or phone light as from what I have at home with something modifying it to create the desired lighting effect. Having a white background to have a clear look to the images, and a camera on a tripod in the same angle for each shot to help show a clear change in narrative with only the plants changing.
Equipment list
Small white backdrop
Table
DSLR
Film Camera
Lamp + Some kind of diffuser
Props
Mason jar
Seeds
Soil
Idea development
My idea for my still life work has changed, due to the time it takes for a seed to grow in the time for this brief to be completed. Instead I shall be using plants of different sizes and species, cleaning off the soil and placing them in different size glasses with water, with the water being used as a way of seeing the roots in a more clear and defined way. Then using a strong torch as the light source, with the torch being small enough to move about with ease it will then allow me to use different angles.
Equipment list
Small white backdrop
Table
DSLR
Props
Glasses
Plants
Water
Still life set up
This is my still life set up of my plants I photographed as part of my Narrative and Sequencing project. Using a cut out as part of an old backdrop stuck to my wall and desk. With the use of a torch to shine on and or through the plants. Having my camera on a tripod to allow for me to take longer exposer shots without causing motion blur to make sure that the ISO can stay low.
Contact sheet
This is my contact sheet for my still life shoot, from this I will select the main photos I want to edit from each plant.
Above are my still life chosen edits for each plant I did, both as group and individuals compositions. I've edited them all using black and white and colour edits. Increasing the contrast, adjusting the highlights and shadows and slightly adjusting the detail. All these edits were done on Capture One. Once I decided on the few final shots to chose from, I then further finalised the edits, by placing them into Photoshop, re-touching some areas by removing any unwanted dust/dirt or marks in the image.
Originals
ISO 100 f/3.5 1/20s ISO 100 f/7.1 1/8s
Final edits
FINAL TIFF for gallery exhibition
Editing process
The reason I chose this image for my gallery piece was to relate to the size of the print we had; which was A4 and the ability for details to be clear and stand out. With this image being a close up of the roots and further magnified with the class and water it meant that the detail was clear even from a distance and would stand out.
The editing process for this image was simple, as I adjusted the contrast and sharpness of the original and then placed it into photoshop to take out any of the unnecessary marks that I had from the class or soil let had been left on the roots and were floating in the water.
I chose the colour option for this print due to the colours that I still wanted to be seen and the visible colour difference in the areas of the root that would be under soil and above. However, black and white would have been nice due to the different tones, and I have used black and white for a few of my final 5 prints I handed in.
Photos from the exhibition
Estimates and Invoice
An Estimate is what you provide your client with before you have done the job so that they can see where the costs are for different sections of the job and also the overall final cost. Sates your rates as a photographer, the description of the job, what media format it is, territory usage time (where it can be viewed and used) and how long the work is valid for for your clients to use. It is what you and your client finally agree to to then proceed with the service you are providing.
An invoice is what get sent with the job or when sending over the final part of the job you've completed, its has a shorter overview of each section of the costings with due date of payment. Still containing all the information as estimate such as stating your rates as a photographer, the description of the job, what media format it is, territory usage time (where it can be viewed and used) and how long the work is valid for for your clients to use. It is what you and your client finally agree to to then proceed with the service you are providing.
A contingency fee is there in case you end up going above the expense you plan on spending to allow you some for of leeway in case some in expected expenses occur.
Call sheet
A call sheet is what is sent to everyone that is involved in the shoot days, containing all the needed information for the day. Providing the mood board for the theme on the front, type of shoot (whether its location or studio) who its featuring/collaboration with and the date and address. With a list of crew with their positions, call time (arrival time for shoot) name, locations and contact details. If there is a contracted model then it will also often contain a recent polaroid of them so that the stylist and anyone else that needs to can see what they look like. A shoot schedule is also provided to show what's happening for everyone and when breaks can be taken as well as an image and detail of location. With a studio it is where to find it, and how accessible it may be.
Model release form
A model release form is very important for any and all of your models in a shoot, it shows that they have signed and agree to give you permission for you to use images of them and the time for. If this isn't done it can cause them to sue you for the rights of the image and cause you more trouble than you need, with the potential of other possible models and clients get put of from your lack of professionalism.
Certificate or authenticity
Certificate of authenticity is a document that often goes along with a print you sent to simply authenticate it, its shows that you are the photographer of the image. What number print it is, which relates to its worth, the date or the photograph taken and then printed and the series of prints its part of. Along with the imformation about yourself and the description of the print, being what paper and weight of it was used, name of the print and it being hand signed and size.
Final 5 chosen images for the still life module
These are my final five images for my Narrative and Sequencing brief, with all different compositions, edits and some in colour and black and white. Using a zoom lens one light source to be able to capture different composition depending on the size of the plant and glass, having different tones, contrast and saturation.
Conclusion of project
To conclude this project I feel I was able to complete it successfully by producing 5 final images that relate to the theme of narrative and sequencing brief by showing the different roots below different species of plants using water and glass. My work has a clear concept throughout and development of idea from start to finish and taking inspiration from the artist I have researched in this projects. With a slight change from my original idea and previsualisation of the process of the growth of an individual seed to different plants, due to the time we had for the brief could not facilitate the grows of the seed to a substantial sized plant and from soil to water that houses the roots and are then more visible to see. The rustic and single lit photographs is the kind of aesthetic I was aiming for, with the light reflecting through the water by placing the light source behind the glass in some images for clarity on the roots and from the front to create shadows onto the backdrop behind.
If I was to continue this idea, or further the project would have been to use this shoot as a test and to progress the idea further within the studio to create a cleaner more uniformed look to each plant. Using a main cylinder and swapping them in and out, due to using water it could cause a mess and would have to be done in a very safe and organised way that would need more time than provided. With more time I think I also would have been able to complete my original idea of the growth of a single plant but for this project was too ambitious and time consuming.
Overall I am pleased with what I have achieved with this project.
