Statement of Intent

My theme for component 2 shadows. To create my work, I will be using techniques such as using the studio lighting to create natural shadows, as well as natural daylight to experiment with shadows in natural lighting. Using panels and objects to create shafts of light, and also using Photoshop to create surrealism like effects using shadows. I intend to use my year 1 skills of positioning studio lighting correctly, to ensure the shadows are natural but strong and dark enough to create meaning and impact. I thought that focusing on shadows in more detail would be interesting and also challenging at the same time. Quite a lot of my first year work consisted of making sure I had no shadows in my images, so I am interested in how I can make my work even better with the subject of shadows being the point of focus.

I have looked at artists such as Serge Najjar for natural occurring shadows, which I can use as inspiration for outdoor shoots, and also Nirav Patel who focused on specific shapes and patterns created by shadows and shafts of light in the natural world. As well as photographing people, I will also be using objects and everyday items to create shadows, an artist I found who works in the style of this is Andre Kertesz. I think this theme is suitable for me to work with because I have a lot of ideas for creative shoots I can create, and I have also done research using the internet and Pinterest to get some ideas and inspiration from photographers who work with shadows.

I will be experimenting with different lightings and how it can change the mood of the photographs, as well as creating purposeful shadows to create meanings. The genre of photography I will be focusing on and exploring in further detail through shadows is mostly portrait photography, however, for part of my work I will also be using still life objects to create shadows. I will be using the studio for most of my shoots, however, I have also chosen to experiment with natural light outside.

I have made a rough plan as to what I want my journey of shadows to be for my blog:

• Starting with natural occurring shadows outside.

• Shoots focusing using the studio lighting and models to create shadows in the studio.

• Using different light positions on still life objects to see what different shadows I can create.

• Shoots using Photoshop to create surreal images. Media I will be choosing to experiment with:

• Studio shoots – using studio lights, gels and using objects to create shadows.

• Photoshop – editing the digital studio pictures to add words, manipulate how the picture looks and so layer photos

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Rupert Vandervell

Rupert Vandervell is a London-based photographer who focuses his images on looking at light, monochrome, streetscape patterns, and architecture. All of his images are shot in black and white, which adds to the dramatic effect of the shadows and dark scenes. I chose to research his work because whilst looking through his images, I liked the idea of simplistic shadows, with a dramatic effect.

I took interest in the first images because I liked the idea of combining shadows and silhouettes of the person creating the shad0w. The dark monochrome effect created a dark and mysterious atmosphere, and I also think shooting in monochrome allows the audience viewing the images to create their own visions of what the image would look like in real life in colour, because even though shadows are monochrome originally, for all we know, the woman in the image could’ve been wearing bright colours, or have coloured hair which would automatically change the mood of the image.

Although the second image doesn’t contain the actual silhouette of the person, the shadow of the person stood on the stairs is just as effective and still sets a mysterious feel to the image. I like how the stair railings create their own pattern, but still keeps the image simplistic and doesn’t make it seem too busy or like too much is happening in the image. This allows for the shadow of the person to be the subject and the thing we focus on the most.

Natural Shadows

Shadows are a natural occurrence. They are created when the sun or a light is shone behind an opaque object, making the shadow dark and clear. I chose to chose the theme shadows as I wanted to experiment with lighting, both natural and studio, as well as trying to find the perfect positions and brightness.

Natural shadows, to me, are the best kind. They are everywhere we go, and quite often we ignore them in everyday life, they’re just there, sat there, unnoticed.

These images were taken on a bright, clear day. I decided to have my model facing towards their shadow, and I decided to have a mix of colour and monochrome. I think the simplistic look of a shadow on some paving stones can be really effective, as you are seeing a person, but you know nothing about their appearance. Shadows can leave us wondering whats behind it.

Shadows created by everyday objects and things we do not notice often is also something I focused deeply on at the start of this journey as it was interesting to see the different angles and shapes created by objects that are already there. These images were slightly harder to capture as it was a cloudy day, so I had to turn the exposure higher and make the contrast deeper.

Natural Shafts of Light

Nirav Patel

Nirav Patel is a fine art photographer based in San Francisco, whom after a short career in wedding photography, recently devoted his images to personal projects and ideas.

I liked Patel’s style of photography because of the minimalist approach, using simple shafts of light, minimal patterns, and natural shafts such as body parts to create the shadows. I also like the way the second picture uses the light to recreate body parts, in this case, the woman’s spine.

My work

I think my work in the style of Nirav Patel was successful. I found it challenging finding natural objects that would create sharp, defined shafts, however, after experimenting with a colander, blinds, and other random objects, I think the shafts I managed to produce went well. I had to make sure the images weren’t too dark, however, I found having them brighter then upping the contrast worked well for me.

Studio Shafts

These greyscale shaft portraits were a success because the lighting was bright, therefore cresting the darer shadow pattern on my model. Having the exposure high also meant the image was bright, and when upping the contrast, meant the shadow was very defined. To take these photographs, I had my shutter speed on 1/60, which, in my opinion, is the best for taking still studio shots.

Experimenting with flash

Using a flash gun, in my opinion, was the best way to get a defined, darkened shadow. I used the flash gun and also the flash on the studio lights to create these images.

Experimentation with colour

Using colour can add emotions and moods to a normal greyscale image. I like the colour contrasts in these images as I purposely picked contrasting bright colours, such as purple and yellow, to see a clear effect on the shafts when colour was introduced, and to see if there were any particular colours better for seeing shadows.

Still life shadows

André Kertész

André Kertész is a Hungarian Photographer, well-known for his unorthodox camera angles and unique style. The images I focused on of his work were objects creating shadows.

André Kertész works in monochrome which creates a high contrast and brings out the shadows, making them look bold and dark. The artist captures images of shadows from everyday objects, these shadows are visually interesting, creating lines and blocks from the object, without them being stretched or distorted.

The Fork: 1928.

This photograph was used in an advertisement in Paris in 1928. I like this image as I like the effect of the light on the metal, as well as the shadow the object creates, as it is crisp and realistic.

Objects creating shadows

Projection

Using a projector, I was able to get the effect of shadows, and shafts of light on my model. I chose quite funky, busy patterns, as I found this also made my inverted images look cool. I had to decrease the exposure of these images as the projector light was extremely bright, so finding the perfect balance was a challenge.

INVERTS

Shadows, reversed.

I thought the initial concept of inverted shadows seemed a bit cliche, and I thought they wouldn’t look much different to the originals. However, after inverting some of my images, I grew to like them, especially the busy patterns, as I feel they look a slight bit ghostly.

COLOUR

Shadows and sequences

Experimentation in the darkroom

László Moholy-Nagy

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László Moholy-Nagy is a Hungarian artist and photographer who is well known in the world of modern art. One of his greatest, well-known series of works were his ‘photograms’. He created the term ‘photogram’, as he explored the ways in which to create the images. He invented the idea of the ghostly-like images were created by using objects placed on photographic paper, and then exposing it to light, meaning the parts of the paper not covered by an object will turn dark, leaving what looks like an inverted shadow on the paper.

For my works, I decided to try 2 methods of recreating László Moholy-Nagy’s work. One way in which I did this was to use a method much like Moholy-Nagy. I used the darkroom and found objects I thought had unusual shapes to create my images. I then used the lights from the enlarger to project light onto my photographic paper, and therefore creating the desired inverted shadows.

My work

Scanography

The other method I wanted to try out to create my images was to use a scanner, which I thought would work in the same way as the light being projected onto the paper, except the only difference would be that the objects creating the shadows wouldn’t be inverted, and instead would still be in colour, which in one way makes it a lot different from László Moholy-Nagy’s work, however, I think this interpretation is also relevant.