Photographers use artificial lighting to illuminate their subject in various ways and for different reasons. For her series Alina, Bettina von Zwehl used randomly fired flash lighting to create a feeling of intensity and an element of surprise in her portraits. Walead Beshty used a darkroom enlarger to make abstract colour photograms of folded paper sculptures. In the project The Black Country by Richard Billingham, urban environments appear mysterious when illuminated with streetlights. Investigate appropriate sources and produce your own response to artificial lighting.
Definition
Artificial
Adjective - made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, especially as a copy of something natural.
Illuminate
Verb - Light up.
Darkroom Enlarger
An enlarger is a specialised transparency projector used to produce photographic prints from film or glass negatives, or from transparencies.
Abstract
Adjective - relating to or denoting art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but rather seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, colours, and textures
Verb - extract or remove (something).
PhotogramsA photogram is a photographic image made without a camera. It involves placing things on the surface of a light sensitive material and then exposing them to light.
Fired Flash
Continuous flashing deliberately/intentionally.
Urban
Adjective - in, relating to, or characteristic of a town or city.
Approaches & Techniques
- Painting with light (shutter-speed manipulation).
- Studio lighting (softboxes, snoots, etc).
- Photo manipulation (Photoshop).
- Physical experimentation (torches, flashlights, etc).
- Manipulating nature light (shadows, flames, etc).
Mind Map
Mood Board
This mood board presents photos from the photographers Bettina von Zwehl (top) and Richard Billingham (bottom). Zwehl's photos are in a sense candid portraits of women sat in a certain positioning in a white atmosphere. The photos are candid because the flash used to create an intense lighting was fired randomly so it captured the subjects when they weren't expecting it and were presenting a candid expression. Billingham's photos present a dark and mysterious atmosphere due to their dark setting and the lighting being a harsh yellow hue, creating an eerie setting. The locations photographed also appear to lack a substance and meaning to them, making the photos feel all the more dark because they lack a meaning.
06 Staged or Candid
Photographers can choose to record subjects candidly or in staged settings. Holly Andres often poses models for the camera to create a sense of drama and mystery. In his early documentary photographs Stanley Kubrick observed people busy in their work environments or relaxing at home amongst their belongings. Thomas Demand has constructed life-size paper recreations of interiors for his photographic compositions. Laura Letinsky recorded the remains of meal times exactly as she found them. Investigate appropriate sources and produce your own response to Staged or Candid.
Mind Map
Mood Board
This mood board presents photos from photographers Holly Andre (top) and Stanley Kubrick (bottom).
My Exam Paper Decision...
Once analysing the paper and the options available for this exam, I very quickly decided to choose 01 Artificial Lighting and experiment with that topic. I decided this because I felt this was something that would challenge my skills in photography the furthest I've ever challenged them. Other topics such as 06 Staged or Candid intrigued me but I realised they were things I've experimented with before and wanted something to be challenged on. There were also topics such as 07Signs that I felt didn't excite or inspire me, I felt there wasn't much I could enjoy and experiment with from the topic. With artificial lighting I feel I can get very experimental and creative, I have already thought of many ideas and considered many possibilities for my final pieces. I feel this topic is the next step in my success in my photography abilities.
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