The Found Object

Concept

Struggling with coming up with an original, unique idea I found myself wondering round the city for inspiration. I went to look for objects that I thought may create interesting photos. I gathered leaves as I was inspired by the beautiful patterns and inprints naturally found on them. I also collected conquers and studied the dips and patterns that they had and thought that dramatic and harsh lighting may create an interesting image. I then came across a bunch of feathers, I was drawn to the texture, the symmetry and also the colour harmony.

I experimented with all of the objects but found the feathers were most effective and looked interesting. I wanted to photograph them in a way that you wouldn’t normally see them. I also tried to make the image appear as soft as possible to replicate the soft and lightness of the feather itself. I did this by experimenting with aperture setting, creating a shallow depth of field. I felt that this worked well as it made the image soft replicating the feather. I also chose to shoot on a dark coloured background in order to create harmony. I felt that this would again make the images softer as opposed to a contrasting background. I experimented with lighting techniques, having intense lighting to illuminate the details of the feather but also soft lighting, mimicking the feathers softness. I ensured that the background was the same in each photo to create continuity when presenting the finished triptych as it vital for the images to flow together.

 

Influences 

This body of work wasn’t inspired by an individual artist as such but a range of images that caught my eye. I was particularly inspired by the perspective of the images, as it made them appear distorted. For instance the bananas and fork images make the object look bigger than they are in reality. I was also interested in the simplicity of the everyday object these photos have used however made them appear more interesting than they are usually by using experimental positioning and different lighting effects such as harsh split lighting, creating a dramatic image. I was also intrigued by the level of detail the objects seemed to have. For instance, the last pear image has many beautiful patterns, wrinkles, lines and dots illuminated with top lighting.

The fork image particularly inspired me for it’s use of lighting, positioning and focus. The lighting illuminates the whole image, however the eye is drawn to the reflection of the light on the left fork as it is bright. This adds depth to the image.

 

Angsana Seeds 

Angsana Seeds work particularly caught my interest, as I chose to work with feathers I looked at photographs of this object to see how they are typically photographed. Angsana Seeds image entitled ‘Hello’ was different in the way it had been created. In comparison to the other photos I saw this particular one had a level of abstractness which drew my attention to it. The shallow depth of field and the way the object is positioned mirrored the object itself, being soft and light. I thought this was effective and gave a particular feel to the image like a feather would in real life. This inspired me to position the feathers in more of an experimental way. I noticed that her other work around nature took the same approach – they all had quite a soft tone, replicating nature to be naturalistic.

 

The Triptych Research 

 

Triptych Art

Triptych art is made up of three panels that are intended to be displayed together. Triptych Art was a common feature in the christian church where it was used as an altar-piece. In traditional ways, the two outer panels were attached on the middle panel by hinges and were both folded over it. This was a clever move which displayed two different paintings on the back.

Triptych art can also be defined as a work of art, usually panel paintings divided into three sections. Triptych art was often carved wood in three panels that are hinged together so the artist can either decide to leave them open or fold shut them.

We can refer to a triptych as a kind of polyptych, a name given to all multi-panel works. The middle panel in triptych serves as the largest and has two smaller but related works on either side, however there are many triptychs of equal-sized panels.
The triptych form is also frequently used when creating pendant jewelry.

Source – http://landscapephotographyshop.com/about-triptych-art/

Shallow depth of field

Most of the images I have looked at have a shallow depth of field. I have been inspired by this as I feel it enhances the object. For instance, it enhances the delicacy of nature and the world around us. It also enhances the object, creating more of a focal point. I feel that when you look at the image you feel more aware of the main subject as opposed to if it had a wide depth of field. This could mimic the fact that in today’s world of technology people take the natural  world around them for granted and dismiss the aesthetic.

The first image

Feathers

Here I have used the rule of thirds and  have placed my object in the middle of the photograph. I have also made the background equal, creating balance. I placed the light source directly over the subject so that the feathers were well lit. I have focused on the top part of the feather and made the backs of the feathers soft creating shallow focus. I have done this to emphasise the lightness of the feather. I also focused on the tops of the feathers as they looked more interesting and had more detail. I created this image by adjusting the shutter speed to 1/400 which is a fast shutter to reduce camera shake and blur. The aperture was set to 5.6 to allow shallow focus. In terms of colour, I used harmonious colours such as whites, greys and black. This was to create a calm image to replicate the softness of a feather.

The feathers have been given a new contextual value, feathers begin attached to birds but fall out, and are then found on the floor. You often also normally find one feather by itself once it has fallen off the bird. I have put multiple feathers together in order to represent the coming together of a collective identity.

Alternative images

Other Ideas

‘The found object’ – initial ideas

(images 1 and 2)

My Grandad used to be interested in photography so I borrowed some of his things. The kit is about 30 years old, so you could argue that it’s lost in history, will never be used again and that this image captures an era in time. In this image I have used the rules of thirds, I have placed the centre of the lens on a third line. The aperture setting was set to f.5 to allow quite a lot of light in, capturing as much detail as possible. I ensured the main focus was on the right of the lens, making the left softer. This created a more interesting image. This also created a bokeh effect in the background which adds detail to the overall image. I put the image in black and white to make the image look old and vintage in style. I also increased the contrast, emphasising the tones of the image. I also experimented with colour filters – I added a warm tone to create a slight sepia effect, adding to the vintage tone.

image 3

This image shows off more of the camera. I have used the same techniques however I also experimented with the ‘gradient map’ tool in Photoshop. This has created slightly darker corners and added noise to the image. This emphasises the oldness of the subject itself, again making a more interesting image.

 

Reflection

This brief allowed me to get to know my camera a bit more, understand the different controls and the relationship between ISO, shutter speed and aperture priority. It allowed me to experiment with colour and lighting. I feel that I am now more aware of how to create certain tones and ‘feels’ to an image by using different focal points and aperture settings.

When putting the triptych together, I tried to pick the ones that were visually pleasing, looked like they belonged together by taking the photos at the same time of day and using the same lighting techniques, this ensured that the colours were consistent throughout. I also used similar technical elements such as focus and aperture.

Looking at my final triptych, there seems to be a sense of darkness involved due to the colours I have used. This was not the look I was going for, I wanted to create an effect similar to ‘Angsana Seeds, ‘Hello’. However on reflection, I think the dark colours worked well as opposed to the lighter background as the feathers I had collected had greys and blacks, therefore creating a darker image naturally. I also felt that a darker background made the detail and shadows of the feathers stand out more as it created a greater contrast.

The viewer also gets a sense of belonging as the feathers a placed huddled together, in a sense that they are protecting each other. Also the fact that the feathers use harmonising colours as does the overall image creates a sense of belonging.

Technically I think the images work well, the focus is precise and the lighting works well. If I had more time I would like to experiment further with lighting creating softer and harder images, illuminating the feathers detail as much as possible.