A few of the images that I want to include in my Photobook are old Archive images that I have taken over the years, My reasoning behind using these images is because I feel like my use of images in nature would be very restricted due to living in Jersey CI. This is because, even though we do have wildlife I feel that a lot of my images would be very repetitive due to us having a limed range of wildlife in this small island. So I am planning on using images from some of my previous travels outside jersey to really incorporate the beauty of nature around the world. Some of these images would of been taken in Spain, Canada and Mexico which would give my photobook a wider range of the uniqueness of nature in different continents around the world rather than being restricted to a small 9 by 5 mile island. I am using these images from inspiration by Marsel van due to his research into wildlife and the images that he has taken while traveling.
I edited all of these images with the increase of vibrance, shadows and dehaze to really elaborate on the beauty of nature. Due to my Previous images of technology being dystopian I wanted to make my landscape images of nature more appealing in the photobook so that the viewer automatically gets drawn to them.
Final edited Images
I edited all of these images with the increase of vibrance, shadows and dehaze to really elaborate on the beauty of nature. Due to my Previous images of technology being dystopian I wanted to make my landscape images of nature more appealing in the photobook so that the viewer automatically gets drawn to them hence the seeking nature part in my Ideas.
Image comparison with Marsel Van
The image that I made on the left represents the Image on the right of Marsal Vans work. There are multiple similarities between our two pieces such as our vocal points being a tree with the sunset in the background. Though there are also differences such as How Marsal vans image is a lot warmer in tone than mine due to the orange and yellow shades that cover his picture where as My image is a lot cooler surrounded with blue shades from the sky and sea. At first glance the two images look as they have no relation but in further inspection the similarities are evident though they tell two different stories.
Conclusion
In conclusion I am very happy with how these images turned out with my editing on Lightroom as I feel that really capture the eye and shows the beauty of nature around the world. I am also happy and confident with my Idea of using these archive images as due to the bead weather in Jersey Ci I am struggling to get some really captivating and vibrant shots so I am glad that I am not restricted. Though I may not use all of these images in my final book I am happy with the selection.
For this photoshoot I was inspired by Eric Pickersgill, though I took a different turn on his style there is definitely a resemblance of our images. I tried to follow the aspect of a dystopian society but is contrasting with my First photoshoot.
For this photoshoot I decided to do it at 3pm when the sun was radiating so I could use the natural lighting, I did this photoshoot with five female models, taking images of them on their mobile phones around my front garden. I chose this setting as my garden is surrounded by nature such as plants, ponds and creatures such as rabbits and birds. The idea behind this photoshoot was for the female models to ignore the nature that surrounds them and for all of their attention to be on their devices. I took various images such as the girls sat on a bench in front of a pond. One of the models on a swing with her full concentration being on her phone. 3 of the girls sat with a rabbit but again only looking at their phones, One of the models looking at online images of nature while oblivious that they are surrounded by similar surroundings, and multiple more.
In conclusion I am very happy with how this photoshoot came out as I feel that it really captures todays society of technology and the ignorance of people when they are surrounded by nature.
Final edited images
I edited all of the images below using Lightroom classic which helped produce the tones that I was looking for in this photoshoot. To edit these sets of images I mainly played with the contrast, shadows and highlights to get the vibrance from the nature in the background but to also make the main focal point the female models on their mobile devices which overall really conveys a powerful message in my opinion of the rejection of nature in todays society and how we often neglect the beauty of it.
Image comparison with Eric Pickersgill
The image that I made and developed on the left was produced to share some similarities with Eric Pickersgills image on the right. The similarities between our images include a female model surrounded by nature with their pure focus on their mobile phones. There are many differences in our style of work though such as how Pickersgill more than often produces his images in purely black and white and gets his models to pretend that they have a mobile phone in their hand even though its not there, compared to my image with is in colour since I wanted to show the beauty of the nature in the background with the female model actually holding her physical mobile phone. My reasoning for not following Pickersgills exact methods as I felt that this would not work in my photobook due me wanting to present the image more straight forward which would of enviably been easier to convey my ideas.
For my first photoshoot I was inspired by Andreas Varro, This is due to his use of artificial lighting and dystopian feel that his images produce
For this photoshoot I decided to do it after the sun went down, I did this to eliminate all natural lighting that could intrude into my pictures, I did this photoshoot in a bedroom at my house to create a natural setting. I used my 2 models including a male and a female and took various images of them including them together and them individually. For my first set of images I decided to take photos of them together laying in a bed while ignoring each others presence while all of there attention is on their mobile phones.
Raw unedited images
For my next set of images I took single images of the male model on his laptop working on his trading business with the artifical light from the laptop highlighting his facial features to create the feel of him being oblivious to the outside world and all of his attention in on the pixilated screen.
For my final set of images I took pictures of the Female model on her phone listening to music though a wireless Bluetooth earbud, Again only having her attention on her mobile phone while the light from her phone illuminates her face.
Conclusion
In conclusion I feel that this photoshoot really portrays the dystopian reality of todays consumption of technology from an outside point of view. I am very happy with how the images turned out.
Final edits
I edited all of the above images on Lightroom Classic while exaggerating the exposure, contrast and whites to create the dystopian effect that I was looking for. Playing with these setting also helped me aluminate my models faces to help make their facial expressions more evident to the viewer.
Image comparison with Andreas Varro
The Image that I produced on the left was made and developed to share similar relations to the image on the right made my Andreas Varro. Both images share multiple similarities such as both the male and female model laying down facing away from each other with their attention on technology. Though they are telling different stories such as Varro’s image of the models laying in a coffin comparatively to my models laying in bed I feel that overall they covey very similar messages such as how their full attention is on their electronics. It is also evident to the viewers at both models are in a relationship together but depriving each other of the physical attention that most couples use to show their love. The main difference between our images is the lighting used, Though we both used artificial lighting Varro used overhead lighting so that it was evenly displayed throughout the entirety of the image in comparison to mine where the artificial lighting is coming from their mobile phones and only making the key areas of the image visible to the viewer.
Due to this photoshoot being similar to my first, My inspiration was again Andreas Varro. This is due to our similar use of artificial lighting and the dystopian look that we both aimed to get.
For this photoshoot I decided to do it after the sun went down, I did this to eliminate all natural lighting that could intrude into my pictures, I did this photoshoot in a bedroom at my house to create a natural setting. I used 1 model who was a female and took various images of her in bed while on her mobile phone. To achieve the outcome that I wanted I took multiple images of her in different positions and asked her to represent her ‘Natural state’ meaning to portray what she is usually like when she in in bed on her phone.
Conclusion
In conclusion I feel that this photoshoot really portrays the dystopian reality of todays consumption of technology from an outside point of view of how isolated a person is/looks in their usual day to day life’s. I am very happy with how the images turned out and I am looking forward to editing them in the future.
Final edits
I edited all of the above images above on Lightroom classic to develop these pictures into the tones that I was looking for. To do this on all of my pictures I exaggerated the contrast so that it strongly appeared that in all of my images that the artificial cool lighting really defined my models facial structure and impressions that they where displaying. I also wanted the background in the image to be purely black so to achieve this I made the exposure more powerful so that the viewers only look at the focal points of the image.
Image comparision with Andreas Varro
The image that I made and developed on the right was produced to share some relation with the image on the right made by Andreas Varro. The similarities between our images are quite evident such as both of our focal points are female models sat with or on their phones on a bed in their bedroom. Individually both images significantly display and represent to the viewers the dystopian reality that we live in, in todays society as this is so many peoples reality. The differences between our images though are that In Varro’s image he used the use of both natural and artificial lighting to aluminate the background of the image where as In my image I purely only used artificial lighting from the mobile phone to create more of an unsettling persoonia and feel, and to also covey the model as blocking out the reality that surrounds her while only focusing on her screen.
Marsal van is a Dutch photographer who specialises in nature and wildlife photography. He started his career in advertising. As an art director at various renowned agencies and has won numerous awards for his captivating work. Van made a Dutch nature conservation organisation which is representative of both his creative and emotional approach to communication as well as his love for the natural world and his concern for the environment. After a trip to Tanzania and Van’s close encounters with animals really sparked his love for wildlife and drew a deeper passion for photography. Now van’s lives in South Africa when he is not traveling and runs specialised nature photography tours for people to destinations worldwide. Van’s has been rewarded “Travel photographer of the year” and the overall winner of “Wildlife photographer of the year”
Image analysis
This captivating image by Marsel vanis really stuck out to me Due to my project being about the contrast of technology and nature this image brings the both worlds together. The dystopian effect of the monkey in the natural lake while holding a manmade item helps portray the theme of addiction towards technology. I also feel that the use of the closest species to man is significant in the evolution in animals but still how they conflict with humans due to this image looking unnatural. I admire the way that the lighting in this image is natural with the innate tones of the money and the bold focal point of the mobile phone.
For my initial idea I don’t think that any of the artists referenced on the exam booklet would link to my take on documentary photography very well, so I have decided to research into my own photographers.
Eric Pickersgill
His background
Eric Pickersgill is a full time photographer and father working in North Carolina. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree at The University of North Carolina in 2015. He was born in Homestead, Florida in 1986 and spent his teenage years in Charlotte, North Carolina. Pickersgill received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Fine Art Photography from Columbia College Chicago in 2011. Between 2011 and 2013 Pickersgill taught high school in Charlotte, NC via Teach for America. His passion for teaching and image making allows him to see the connections that the two share. The work Eric makes is often about photography as he explores the psychological and social effects that cameras and their artifacts have on individuals and societies as a whole. Eric has exhibited and presented his work internationally at institutions, galleries, and art fairs such as The North Carolina Museum of Art, Pantheon-Sorbonne University, The Ackland Art Museum, Rick Wester Fine Art, Pulse Art Fair Miami, AIPAD, and many more.
His work
Pickersgill quoted ‘The application of the personal device in daily life has made tasks take less time. Far away places and people feel closer than ever before. Despite the obvious benefits that these advances in technology have contributed to society, the social and physical implications are slowly revealing themselves. In similar ways that photography transformed the lived experience into the photographable, performable, and reproducible experience, personal devices are shifting behaviours while simultaneously blending into the landscape by taking form as being one with the body. This phantom limb is used as a way of signalling busyness and unapproachability to strangers while existing as an addictive force that promotes the splitting of attention between those who are physically with you and those who are not.’
‘Family sitting next to me at Illium café in Troy, NY is so disconnected from one another. Not much talking. Father and two daughters have their own phones out. Mom doesn’t have one or chooses to leave it put away. She stares out the window, sad and alone in the company of her closest family. Dad looks up every so often to announce some obscure piece of info he found online. Twice he goes on about a large fish that was caught. No one replies. I am saddened by the use of technology for interaction in exchange for not interacting. This has never happened before and I doubt we have scratched the surface of the social impact of this new experience. Mom has her phone out now.‘
I find his work inspiring in the factor that he is exploring some of the negative implications that come along with todays overly developed technology which
Personal image analysis
The large format portraits are of individuals who appear to be holding personal devices although the devices have been physically removed from the sitter’s hand. They are asked to hold their stare and posture as I remove their device and then I make the exposure. The photographs represent re-enactments of scenes that I experience daily. We have learned to read the expression of the body while someone is consuming a device and when those signifiers are activated it is as if the device can be seen taking physical form without the object being present. Removed avails performance, portraiture, and photography to question the physical utility of personal devices and the ways they influence society, relationships, and the body. The photographed scenes are derived from observations in my daily life. I ask the sitters to re-enact my original observations of them and seconds before the exposure is made, I remove the device from the their hand. The sitter is asked to remain frozen as if they were still engaged with their device, producing a photograph that points to the performance of being photographed and making them. The project is a form of intervention, calling attention to the use of devices by family members and those around me that I do not know. The making of the photograph operates as a way of disrupting the isolation I feel from strangers who barricade themselves behind their technology. This exchange creates new relationships while also asking the viewer to question their own device habits. I am excited by the way the viewer fills in the device at first look. It is as if the device has become one with the body and can be seen when not present.
Andreas Varro
Varro looked also at the dystopian effects of mobile phones using multiple images and then bringing them together as one. Compared to Eric Pickersgill he looked more at the effects that social media had on peoples mannerisms compared to the physicality’s of someone on their phone. He generates some of his work with the help o artificial intelligence.
His background and motive for his work
Andreas Varro’s internationally awarded and published artwork represents human behaviour through the medium of satire art. He uses conventional methods to create props and construct scenes. Using photography, he captures and manipulates images using digital techniques. As a child, Andreas had a social phobia, and he lived with an intrinsic fear of expressing his ideas to others, afraid of being judged and punished for them. He chose to self-censor during his boyhood which haunted him and was painful on several dimensions. Having a quiet and thoughtful nature made him the target of bullies. Later on, life drastically changed and threw him into the abyss. After his father died from cancer, a man brutally murdered his mother a year later. Andreas asked himself what drives people to do the things they do? The quest for understanding the motivations of individuals came at a time of darkness which fundamentally reconstructed him. Using art, he started to express the transformation he hoped for in society. The darkness he experienced shaped his artistic style which seems to derive from Renaissance paintings with those illuminations shrouded by dark canvas. Universal themes are inspired from ancient mythical stories which are translated into contemporary messages in his creative work. Over a short period of time, Andreas has received over 50 prestigious awards for his art, and his talent is now recognized worldwide. Surreal artist Andreas Varro creates thought-provoking art and highlights modern concerns like technology, social media, and power structures. By blending elements from myths, stories, and pop culture, he crafts art that triggers reflection. Varro’s art prompts dialogue about crucial modern issues. His surreal art becomes a focal point at home, urging people to engage. Seamlessly blending past and present, Varro’s surrealism sparks curiosity and meaningful conversations.
Image analysis
In this photo Varrous is trying to show the detrimental effects that ‘too much screen time’ has on a young child. He has taken a portrait of a young girl with a screen that looks attached to her face. He has used warm tones with the background being black/dark grey and the only light that appears is artificial lighting projecting from the screen of the phone. Not only does his work look at the obsession from adults about technology but also the developing addiction that the newer generations are starting to establish.
Observe: to watch somebody/something carefully, especially to learn more about them or it: The patients were observed over a period of several months
Synonyms of Observe
study.
examination.
inspection.
monitoring.
review.
surveillance.
watching.
Seek: the act of searching for something.
Synonyms of seek
pursue
hunt
search
chase
quest
Challenge: something that needs great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully and therefore tests a person’s ability
Synonyms of challenge
objection.
exception.
question.
complaint.
protest.
difficulty.
My first idea when I heard the 3 themes was to take pictures of the natural world around us such as animals, plants and general wildlife. The more I thought bout the idea I started thinking about the actual world that humans have created such as technology. Since 2007 when the first iPhone was developed , it have become a common mannerism in 1st world countries to be on their phone. Globally the average screen time is around 7 hours
These statistics mean that the majority of these users are getting preoccupied by technology and spending less time observing the real and natural world that was given to us.
This is also having a physical effect on peoples eyesight as Near-sightedness is on a rise world wide, due to the lack of observing objects from far away.
I am incorporating it into the themes that we are assigned such as ‘Observing’ the world around us (the rise in technology) ‘Seeking’ for nature and ‘Challenging’ the addictive behaviours that the world is becoming immune to.
If I did follow along with this idea then it would be classified as a documentary, inspired by page 28 from exam booklet
