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BETH PATERSON / GCSE PHOTOGRAPHY PERSONAL PROJECT: ABSTRACT NATURE
UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACTION Abstraction has no real definition, as there are no rules that come with it. A lot of abstract photography is based on the form, colour and texture of an image and how close up you can get. Depending on how zoomed in you are you get the less likely the audience is going to be able to tell what it is of, leaving a sense of mystery to the photo. The audience doesn't get to see the whole image so wont be able to identify what the object being photographed is which is called non-objective photography. This is intriguing as you will try to guess what it could be taken of. o be able to get a clear, detailed shot, a macro lens would be a good suggestion of what to use. When doing abstract photography T there should be a real emphasis on the textures used, as an interesting texture can give life to a photograph. These textures can be complimented by good lighting as it can enhance the form, curves or lines in the image. In these types of shots, no background should be used as they can be distracting and take away from the focal point.
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INVESTIGATION OF ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
Line The element lines connect things in the photo for example, the foreground and the background and also two other elements in the photo. This gives more impact. My chosen images use line as for instance in the leaf picture, the veins of the leaf separate out, the cobweb uses lines splitting away from the centre, the water uses wavy lines and the plant uses curved and straight lines.
hape S Different shapes in photography create different senses for example rounded shapes give a sense of movement because of the lack of straight lines and edges, Squares and rectangles give a sense of stability as it has sharp corners and edges and triangles direct the eye to different points. In these photos there are examples of hexagonal, triangular and circular shapes.
olour C colour is a great element in photography to focus on as it brings interest and life into a picture. It intrigues the viewer. These images have a variety of bright colours which attracts people to it and have a mix of primary and secondary colours.
one T Tone is the brightness or darkness of a photo. This means how much white or black is in a photo. These photos show a variety of different tones as the brightness and darkness contrast each other in them.
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Texture The texture of something is the feel, appearance, or consistency of a surface without different textures, a photo can look flat and uninspiring. These images show the different edges and bumps on the objects in the image. You can clearly see the different textures in these photos and so we can imagine what they would feel like. For example, the pinecone would feel rough and uneven.
pace S Space gives depth to an image and helps the viewers eyes travel around. Space can also refer to positive and negative space. Positive space is the area taken up by an object where as negative space is the space where there is nothing. These images have empty space (negative space) and space filled (positive space). This draws the audiences eyes around the whole picture instead of focus on one section.
F orm Form is created by shadows and highlights on an object it refers to a shape on three dimensions. These images use shadows and highlights to their advantage as they look three dimensional. They don't look like 2D images but look real and alive as they have different highlighted areas.
THE 9 KEY PRICIPLES OF DESIGN The 9 key Principles of Design are balance, emphasis, movement, pattern, repetition, proportion, rhythm, variety and unity. Balance involves symmetry in a photo or an unsymmetrical photo but equality on either side. Emphasis is the focal point of a picture that the viewers eyes are drawn to. Pattern is repetition of colour or shapes. Repetition is the repeat of objects, colour and patterns. Proportions is the comparison of the size of one object to another. Rhythm refers to the way eyes look at an image and how they are led across it to look at the different features. It involves a repetition of elements to create consistency. Variety is the use of different elements Unity is when a photo has similarities and it flows and compliments itself.
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MY SHOOT For my first investigation, I have chosen to look at the use of texture within nature. Here are 20 abstracted images where I try to emphasise the use of texture in nature.
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INVESTIGATION OF ELEMENTS / PHOTOGRAPHY SHOOT (Line/Pattern/Tone) CONTACT SHEET:
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In my outdoor shoot I used my bridge canon camera and put the aperture settings on to f/3.4 to get a crisper image, I also changed the monochrome settings to black and white. The environment conditions were overcast weather, with the sun shining though after it had just been raining. This caused a beautiful transparency and glow to the pictures and was very effective. I took these shots from a variety of vantage points from close up, worms eye and ground level. From this experience, I learned the importance of staying still and having a steady hand when taking a picture as this causes a more focussed shot that is better for close ups, which there are lots of in abstract photography. I also learned there are benefits of taking shots in black and white and also in shooting outside too. BEST IMAGES: The strengths of my image is the use of simplification which is caused by the lighting, depth of field, lines and focus. There is also the use of symmetry and the rule of thirds is applied as the image is split into threes. To edit my picture I used PIXLR. To further enhance my image, I edited the white balance, exposure, tints, levels and curves. The use of the aperture setting f/3.4 here in this photo means that there is lots of detail and a very clear focal point which is a clear strength. Another strength was the vantage point as it captured the lighting from the sun which created a good amount of light shining off the water droplets.
The strengths of this image is the pattern, lines, colour and texture on the leaves and the shape of them. The clear focal point is the middle leaf because the lighting hits different on it as it is lighter and it also includes the element space as it is closer to the camera lens, this creates an abstract view. When post-processing, I used PIXLR to adjust the white balance, exposure, tints, levels and curves. The f/3.4 aperture focus made a clear focal point which is a strength and i like the focus on the abstracted leaf as it displays the detail of the lines.
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COMPONENT 1 I chose this image because it successfully uses simplification with the use of depth of field, lines, viewpoint/perspective and shape. The pattern and texture is also enhanced by the lighting. The lighting also draws our attention to the detail on the water droplets which are scattered all of the leaves. To post edit this image, I changed the white balance, exposure, tints, levels and curves on PIXLR. The strengths of the use of an above vantage point is that no lighting is blocked therefore creating a brighter, clearer image. There is also strengths in the aperture setting which was f/3.4
This image was successful because of the pattern, shape, lines and depth of field in it. There is also a good use of symmetry and the perspective the image was taken at causes an abstract view. On PIXLR i edited the white balance, exposure, tints, levels and curves after my shoot. The strengths of this image was the perspective it was taken at as it included lots of leaves which left an abstract view and also it showed lots of lines.
ARTIST INVESTIGATION / EDWARD WESTON “I would say to any artist: ‘Don’t be repressed in your work, dare to experiment, consider any urge, if in a new direction all the better.” – Edward Weston
Why this artist? To begin my Abstract Nature Artist Investigations, I will initially study the work of Edward Weston because he looks at abstract photography which links to our work in abstract nature. He takes pictures of weird and wonderful things that bring him excitement. However he takes the images of ordinary objects Who is he/she? Edward Weston was born 24 March 1886 and is known for his still life photographs of peppers and shells, his heroic portraits, and abstract close-ups of nudes, rocks, and trees. Why the quote? I chose this inspiration quote because it sums up / typifies the work of Weston because he doesn't take pictures of specific things but takes them randomly. This quote shows this when it says "dare to experiment". Why this video? This video is inspirational to me because it shows Weston's different work that are abstract and include all the elements. elow are a selection of 10 Weston images that are inspirational B to me because they are clear abstracted shots.
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SEMI analysis / Edward Weston he Photographer of this image is called Edward Weston The title of this Photograph is Pepper No. 30 which was taken back to the 1930's.The genre of this photograph is abstracted still life. The prop can see in this picture is a deformed green pepper. The composition of the photo shows a pepper central in the foreground. The viewer’s eye is lead around the photo because of the composition & perspective Weston has used. The perspective that Edward Weston has taken the photo from is an above view. This is effective because from the perspective the pepper takes the form of an almost human shape. The photographer employs a range of visual elements in his work. The most striking elements are line, curves , shape, tone, space and light. The line / curves in this photograph are used on this photo where the green pen points out and the light is emphasised with the yellow pen. The photo has been taken from a short distance so there is only one object in the main field of view. This is so the pepper is the main focal point of the image. By doing this the viewer’s eyes are lead around the pepper as the almost human looking arms at the top of the pepper creates a different focal point to the 'body' of it. The photo has been taken inside using a soft box. The light source is placed on the right which is shown by the red lines edited on the image. The light is highlighting the areas coloured in yellow creating shadowed areas which give a depth to the picture. This creates an atmosphere because of the dark depressing areas, this causes an isolating, lonely feeling to it. To emulate this photograph myself, I would use an analogue camera and film. Additionally I would also need to research dark rooms. I feel the photo coveys a message of loneliness and i get a feeling of anxiety from it. The lines and form make this pepper look almost human like and as it is hunched over, This is what is creating the distressed feeling. It is also stood alone which is why it gives the feeling of isolation. This image is relevant to our project of abstraction because you cannot at first tell what the image is of.
Shoot Plan / Edward Weston This shoot is inspired by Edward Weston’s Bell Pepper No. 30. The shoot will take place in the classroom because then we can control the direction the lighting hits the vegetables we're photographing as we can either take our props towards the window, which is the light source, or away from it. I intend to shoot with a bridge camera using a kit lens on a tripod because tripods give clearer shots as you aren't shaking so there is no blur. The camera will be set to aperture priority mode. For props I will use a plant pot, black paper, a chair to lean the plant pot and black paper and the veg. To further emulate the work of Edward Weston I will take my images in black and white and with dark lighting.
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Edward Weston shoot Edits:
Abstraction through Cyanotypes / Anna Atkins Anna Atkins was an English botanist and photographer. She is often considered the first person to publish a book illustrated with photographic images The cyanotype process is relatively cheap and easy to use. A wide range of surfaces can be coated with the mixture of chemicals and you don't need a darkroom or any complicated equipment. When making cyanotypes you need the sun light because it's a natural source of light so you must be outside, however, it all depends of the time of day and year making it difficult to get a accurate photo. POWERED BY
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ere are my cyanotypes that I made in lesson. I really enjoyed this technical process because its a very creative way to make H abstracted images that change colour due to the about of exposure time.
Horst P. Horst / The unfamiliar and abstracted F ashion photographer Horst P. Horst used rotational symmetry to create new patterns. His book, Patterns from Nature (1946), has inspired me to create my own series of rotational symmetry patterns using my work so far. Here are some of my examples:
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Artist Investigation / Karl Blossfeldt
"Nature educates us into beauty and inwardness and is a source of the most noble pleasure."-Karl Blossfeldt
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fter studying the work of Edward Weston, Anna Atkins and A Horst P. Horst I will now further my research into Abstract Nature by looking at the work of Karl Blossfeldt. Karl Blossfeldt was born 13 June 1865 and is most famously known for his close-up photographs of plants and living things. His photographs used lots of elements such as the rule of thirds, simplification and texture. He uses simplification by using a plain white background with no distractions. he also uses a high key lighting which gives more detail and makes the image clearer. I chose this inspiration quote because it sums up the work of Blossfeldt because he looks at nature and sees beauty and thinks deeply about it. This video is inspirational to me because it really explains what work Karl Blossfeldt did and what would have inspired him to take the photos the way he did. Below are a selection of 10 Karl Blossfeldt images:
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Shoot plan / Karl Blossfeldt This shoot was inspired by Karl Blossfeldt because I have been looking at how he works and the way he creates abstracted images using natural forms. I wanted to emulate his style. The shoot will take place at school in the classroom and at home for homework because indoors I can set up a light room. however at home I did not have all the right equipment so I improvised by making my out light studio. The props used will be things in nature like leaves and flowers and shells because these props were also used by Blossfeldt so will emulate his work. They can also create a very abstracted image. The lighting conditions I will require is high key lighting which will be created using either natural, soft box or LED lighting. I will use the school camera (DSLR 4000d / Prime lens 50mm / tripod / UV filter) and my own camera which will be a canon bridge camera. I will need a camera aperture of f/22 and a shutter speed of 1“ (1 second) however on my own camera I will use the settings Aperture priority. I intend to use a small aperture f/22 for a large depth of field and will shoot in sepia to give an aged look to the photoshoot. I intend to shoot with a tripod because this creates a clear shot that has no blur.
Contact sheet / Karl Blossfeldt:
Editing Process / Karl Blossfeldt To edit my Karl Blossfeldt images I used the online image editing software PIXLR. When editing my images I focussed on three key areas of cropping, adjusting the background and amending the levels of the image. Here are some screen shots of this editing process.
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1. Cropping the image using the rule of thirds:
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2. Using the magic wand tool to select and edit the background:
3. Adjusting the levels of the image for the correct range of tones and contrast:
9 Best Images / Karl Blossfeldt :
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My Animated Response / Karl Blossfeldt
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My Edited Overlays / Karl Blossfeldt I was explored layers and overlays on pictures on the editing software PIXLR. Overlay's are basically images that are added as an additional layer to photographs in order to add textures and elements that were not there in the original shoot. I uploaded my initial image onto PIXLR then inserted a new overlay using the 'add image as layer tab.' Once this was done, I used the 'Screen Overlay' and Layer Transparency' options to layer a 'scratches & dust' effect onto to my edited Karl Blossfeldt Photography. I added a subtle vignette to further the vintage feel to the image
Examples of Overlays:
My Overlay Edits:
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Karl Blossfeldt Evaluation: During the study of Karl Blossfeldt I feel have gained important knowledge and learnt lots of different skills and techniques. I learned this when we did a ‘high key’ photography shoot in class. With the technical equipment, was easy to emulate Blossfeldt’s lighting as we have facilities such as a light studio, box lighting and a plain white backdrop. This helped to emulate the high exposure Karl Blossfeldt has in his photographs but also allowed to lens to focus with clarity on my detailed natural forms. I used a tripod and a 2 second timer to give a clear shot in each photo, improve image stabilisation and to allow light to pass through the lens adding more detail to each shot. We used a 50mm prime lens and a slow shutter speed to provide crisp, detailed images that lacked distortion. In contrast, my second Karl Blossfeldt shoot was taken at home. This was harder to do as I had no equipment other than my camera and a prop to take pictures of, so I had to improvise by replicating a tripod with a bag of rice and using my phone torch as a lighting source. This helped me develop as a photographer. My favourite part of our project was the post editing process where I used the editing app PIXLR to enhance my images and emphasize the different textures and organic shapes similar to those of Blossfeldt. In particular, I experimented using different filters to age and give a vintage look on my pictures, using vignettes, ‘dust and scratch’ overlays and layers. I then used the app Photofunia to create a vintage photo and experimented with some of their framing graphic Assets. My most successful outcome was my animation because I felt the images used effectively emulated Blossfeldt by generating a vintage aesthetic. I also believe they all had good composition, used the rule of thirds, were well balanced and utilised good lighting and exposure levels through the contrasts between light and dark. I am very happy with these outcomes and think I have put a lot of POWERED effort BY into photography so far.
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My areas for improvement would be my use of the camera; in particular, practicing more with settings and different mode options. I could also improve my contact sheet by adding more details.
Artist Investigation / Dennis Wojtkiewicz Email Quote – Direct Artist Response I use a Canon EOS 90D camera with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM fixed lens. The only reason I even know about the technology is because my colleague told me that's what I needed and would be the biggest bang for the buck. The rest of it is all by feel. I have absolutely no photo training. For me that suffices because I'm not hung up on technical stuff. Just looking for ways to capture information for my paintings. Dennis Wojkiewicz / Jan 2021
Why this artist? The final artist in the Abstract Nature project is Dennis Wojtkiewicz. This artist differs from my other artists because he uses colour with succulent fruits and he uses his photography to paint. However, there are similarities in his use of simplification and abstraction. Who is he/she? Dennis Wojtkiewicz was born 1956 and is most famously known for his enormous paintings of detailed, photorealistic fruits. His website is: www.wojtkiewiczart.com Why the quote? The quote is from a direct email response from Dennis. W himself. From the email, I was able understand what equipment & techniques he uses such as Canon EOS 90D camera with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM fixed lens Why this video? This video is inspirational to me because it shows mouth watering, colourful detailed pictures of fruits very close up. They are very striking.
Photographic Techniques / Macro Photography Macro Photography is extreme close up photography which captures small details. The benefits are it captures things unseen to the human eye. To be able to do this kind of photography, you would need a macro lens, good bright lighting, photo booth, and a tripod. For those without specialist equipment you could get a drop of water and put it on the lens of an iPhone or use a magnifier. POWERED BY
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Shoot Plan / Dennis Wojtkiewicz: I have been inspired to create a shoot on the work of Dennis Wojtkiewicz because he uses a range of different elements to create an abstract image that has lots of detail. I will do this shoot indoors at home with fluorescent lighting. The props ill be using will mostly be home made. I will use a cardboard box as a tripod, glass from a photo frame, a lamp, two chairs, an orange and a grape. The lighting source will be balanced between two chairs with glass on top, this will be the backing lighting. The fruit will then be placed on the glass. i will use my canon bridge camera with the kit lens, using an aperture of f/8, an ISO of 100 and a range of shutter speeds 1/100 to 1/1000. i also used a two second timer to reduce shake.
Contact sheet / Dennis Wojtkiewicz:
Post editing / Dennis Wojtkiewicz
Editing step 1: I used the adjustment tool to change the exposure, tints, levels and saturation.
Editing step 2: In this screen shot i removed the background by using the lasso select tool around my focal point and then inverting the selected area so the background could be deleted and turned white.
Edit step 3: I then duplicated my focal point many times and inverted some of the pictures and placed them differently around the page.
Edit step 4: Finally i selected each section and made edits to the tints or made them black and white.
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Rotational designs / Dennis Wojtkiewicz Using rotational symmetry and the work of Horst P. Horst I have created a series of rotational designs using the abstract elements of shape, colour, form, tone, repetition and harmony. I will develop these further using PIXLR.
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ABSTRACT NATURE PROJECT EVALUATION Initially, I researched the work of Edward Weston. His work was inspirational as it focussed on the genre of abstract nature. He incorporated elements such as tone, balance, shape and texture into his work, this taught me about a lot of elements. After studying Weston's work, I then emulated it by creating abstracted monochromatic images. I investigated the technical processes of shutter speed, exposure and sharpness. Their work helped me understand the theme of abstracted nature by using different objects from different vantage points. Secondly, I researched the work of Anna Atkins. Her work was inspirational as it showed me you didn't need a camera in all types of photography for example she used cyanotypes. Through this studying this artist, I was able to explore concepts of line, colour and space in my own photography examples. Inspired by her work, I created a series of emulations by coating paper in a liquid to make it light sensitive. Then after layering on parts of the paper, I left it in the sun to create an image. I investigated the technical processes of cyanotypes. Her work helped me understand the theme of abstract nature by showing that it doesn't necessarily involve direct pictures of nature, but it can be shapes of leaves or petals that are shown in an abstract way. Then, we studied Horst p. Horsts work. He really brought out the abstracted side of this project as his work is rotational symmetry patterns. His use of dynamic compositions and no clear focal point, reinforces the idea of abstraction. After researching his work, I gained more knowledge on pattern, rhythm and movement. After doing research, I emulated his work by gathering past shoots and cropping them and rotating until it created a pattern. Their work helped me understand abstract nature because i could create very abstracted images by doing digital manipulation. In contrast to Horst p. Horst, I studied the work of Karl Blossfeldt. His work was inspirational, and a contrast from other artists, as he used simplification and made very obvious clear focal points with a restful composition. He demonstrated the elements of space, emphasis and texture which I then incorporated in my work. Afterwards, I emulated Blossfeldt work by creating restful compositions and put my camera setting on a sepia tone. This helped me understand the theme of abstract nature by presenting things from nature and photographing them. POWERED BY
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Finally, I researched the photographer Dennis Wojtkiewicz who focusses on abstraction and simplification. His work explores elements like line, texture and especially colour. I emulated his work by using a backlight to get in extra details. I further edited online on PIXLR to delete the background and create a clean finish. His work contributes to this project well, because his use of vibrant colours gives a very abstracted effect. The most successful outcome from the project was the post editing part of shoots, as i could see a clear improvement in my final pieces and i really enjoyed and understood what i was doing. My areas for improvement going forward would probably be to improve the quality of my photo shoots. I need to work on my techniques and look at the composition.
Abstract Nature / Hand Manipulation Sample Board
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