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Thursday 28 October 2010

A Complete Rethink

I was having problems finding dancers to come in to be photographed.This combined with Adams talk on research I began to have doubts about the substance surrounding my proposal and the difficulties of actually putting it together.
I had only managed the  one rather unsucessful studio session so far using my  daughter.

I subsequently spent the next few days going over everything again, looking at my original ideas but trying to find something with more depth,less personal ,something that could have a stronger research base.

Monday 25 October 2010

Joyce Tennison

The fabric wound around my daughter with her face only slightly exposed gave her an impression of mystery.

Clem had suggested that I look at Joyce Tennison and this particular image struck a note with me.There was something in the blank expression,the stripping away of personality with the veil-type wrapping of cloth around her head and the plain silk wrapped around her body. Although she is still incredibly beautiful there is something quite haunting about her too.








This second Tennison photograph again has her trademark expressionless face but there is what appears to be genuine warmth and tenderness in her posture as she gently holds the baby to her.She has however one hand holding the baby s leg and the other is placed on her own arm as opposed to touching the baby s back.Could this suggest some detachment?

Overexposure in the Studio

I actually had my first session in the studio last Saturday but was too embarrassed to show the results.I was however persuaded by Clem that we should blog our work no matter how appalling , as hopefully it will show our progression eventually,so here goes:

I unfortunately borrowed a camera from the media store and then discovered on the day I could not link it to the flash cable in the studio.  I therefore had to resort to camera flash and studio lights. Not the best combination , hence the overexposed images.Thankfully my ' models ' were my 12 year old daughter and friends, so time was not an issue .Enough of the excuses....

I was attempting to capture this feeling of pushing out from a confined space,being wrapped in a cocoon .














Tuesday 12 October 2010

Swirling Thoughts

I am conscious of lots of thoughts and ideas swirling around in my head at the moment.There are also all the many new learning skills that have to be taken on board.I would like to try and convey this type of movement in  my photographs too.
Both the Claire Davidson photo and the Light drawings of Barbara Morgan show this crazy muddled swirling form.I may have to take separate images of the figure and the tangled movement and then lair them to get the right effect.Possibly using slow exposure fluorescent coloured tubes?

Nick Knight

                                                              Nick knight - War

This dynamic image is just so full of raw energy , movement and anger.The perspective adds to the sense of chaos.

The Relationship of Colour

                                                                          Zafer Baren    

Colour is going to be important in the development of this project. I 'd like to use colour to help to convey the various stages and emotions .




                                   'Colours are the mother tongue of the subconscious'
                                                                                               Carl Gustav Jung

Jung looked into the different characterisations of people and divided these into four colours- RED , YELLOW, BLUE and GREEN. He believed that we all fell into two categories of either introvert or extrovert but that everyone should have all four colours in their make-up.If one or more colours were missing he described the person as flawed.

We use colour in our language on a regular basis to describe feelings and emotions.People are said to be 'green with envy',' in the pink','seeing red','true blue','white as a ghost','yellow bellied'.Colour and emotions are so closely related that we use these terms as descriptions for concepts and feelings that go beyond words and language.
Steven Bleicher- Contemporary Colour ,Theory and Use

There is obviously a huge amount of information that can be looked at in this area and I will come back to it.

Monday 11 October 2010

BARBARA MORGAN

  
It seems impossible to read any books concerning dance and not come across photographer Barbara Morgan and her connection to the famous dancer , Martha Graham. In the Re-issue of Martha Graham : Sixteen Dances in Photographs by Barbara  Morgan 1980 by Curtis Carter , he said ;

'Through her art she reveals the inner landscape that is a dancers world'

The photograph above, 'Ekstasis' is a static figure but, she still wished  to give movement to the picture.To do this she concentrated on the fabric of the garment and chopped of the head and feet . A rather strange way to photograph a dancer , nonetheless , highly effective.

I have started to look into the choreography of dance and again have found constant references of Martha Graham.

Monday 4 October 2010

An awakening of the senses



We have been asked to get out of our comfort zone for our first project so we have no comfort blanket to hide under. I have always felt most at ease photographing inanimate objects.Being able to take your time and compose the image has always appealed. Strong moody B &W architectural shots with abstract overtones , using mainly available light. I have therefore decided to move away from this as much as possible . I will do as much as  can in the extreme  opposite. The initial plan is to shoot dance moves in a studio situation using colour, capturing the movement .

 At present I  see this developing as a personal journey of discovery. I envisage  that it will probably take me on a long and winding road.

Here I am embarking on a massive learning curve as a  mature student. There is high excitement at the prospect of starting but also a feeling of panic about knowing where to begin .There are so many different threads of learning that I will have to master before I can even start to work on a project.Where to start?


Lois Greenfield

I came across the extremely stunning photographs of Lois Greenfield. This cocoon type photograph in particular resonated with my feelings of restarting, new beginning , rebirth .



'Lament' -Martha Graham by Barbara Morgan



Arthur Fink
I adore the movement in this shot.The fact that it looks so organic



Claire Davidson