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Experimental Photography

(Rachel Kent)

(Multiple Exposure)

Use this slide to annotate your final image

I have selected this image as one of my final 3 because I am pleased with the overall outcome and finished look. I think layering the rose with the swimming goose has worked well because the colour of the rose stands out and grabs the viewers attention but does not control the image, meaning the goose can still stand out and be visibly seen clearly in the image.

The details of the rose petals work to add to the water and the overall appearance appears as though the petals are larger ripples within the water. The ripples of the water enhance the petals and create finer details which end up looking like a macro shot of the rose has been captured and all the small, fine, hairline details of the petals that you would not typically see with the human eye at a glance have been captures and brought out to add depth to the finished look.

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I feel like my final results are good and that they have reached their intentions but I do not feel like the final, finished pieces are all that interesting and I feel that some of them are dull and boring. I knew from the start that I wanted to create multiple exposure images by overlaying similar styled images together or even the same image on top of itself but at different sizes. Other intentions I had were trial and error, going through multiple different images and styles until I found outcomes that I thought suited and looked half decent. The first two images I created with the trains overlaid by the tracks I feel went well and were effective as the images went together due to having a similar themes and they also went together well because the images blended together well and stand apart from each other whilst working together and complimenting each other.

For my work of this style I took influence from Jerry Ueslmann and general images that I found online. Compared to images which I found online, I feel like my images are fairly dull and boring whereas the ones I researched seemed to have life and vibrancy to them, making them interesting to look at. I thing that over all, although my images seem boring and dull, they work effectively and turned out alright in the end as some of them work better than others and are not to bad. Along with the train photographs, I think the 2 bird style ones and the white dog image worked effectively also. I think the persona head cut-out with the colourful background and pencils overlaid on top looks like there is too much going on in the image and your eyes don’t have chance to focus on one visual aspect as there is always something else catching your eye and distracting you. I think the pigeon and white dog images have been effective and work well as an overall finished product. To create these images I used 2 copies of the same image and overlaid them together then made one image larger than the other for the pigeons and for the dog one moved them so it appears as though the dogs are standing next to each other. I think this has worked successfully because in both images you can see the different between both images and they strand apart from each other to remain as separate frames but they also blend together and fit together to work as one whole image.

I think my work is overall technically strong in some areas and could be improved in others. Some of the images I have experimented with and tested out various ways on have not been as successful as I would like due to being overly exposed and having large patches of white or bleached out areas which means that the overlaying did not work perfectly as the images didn’t show through these areas. The opposite of this would be the darker images which are under exposed and have dark areas work well as the overlaying of the images allows the second image to show through these darkened areas and overlay 2 or more images together, creating a visually interesting end product.

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One way in which I would improve my work would to take a wide selection of images and also more images of the same subject and style. This would leave me more option for experimenting and working with the images through trial and error until I found pairings which I thought worked well together and created visually strong final images. Through collecting a larger sample of images and wider variety of what these images are, I will be able to create a wider variety of multiple exposure images and will be able to out different things together and see what will work well, rather than having to work with only a small select few photographs which I have taken. Another way in which I would improve and experiment with my work would be to use the internet to search for stock images and experiment with them and once I am happy I could photograph similar styled images myself and out them together. I could also incorporate stock images into my work so that I have a mixture between a photograph I have taken and an image from the internet. This would benefit me because the internet will have nearly anything that you want picture wise and has thousands upon thousands of images to look through and work with until coming up with the perfect blend.

I feel like some of my images have fulfilled the brief and match the theme of discovery as I had to apply discovery to my work in order to discover which images work well together and how different ones can compliment each other and how the colours and shades within an image affected the outcome for the final piece. My final images are experimental as I have applied double exposure to them all and have had to manipulate them to make them different from the “standard photograph” you would typically find in shops, postcards, online etc.

(Multiple Exposure - Hands)

Use this slide to annotate your final image

This image has been selected as a final image because I am overall really pleased with the finished piece and the final outcome. When experimenting with this image I changed the hue and saturation of the image to red as I knew I was intending to place the tree branches over the hands to try and make it seem as though the arteries running through the hands. However, when it came down to actually overlaying the two images, this is the result I got. Although it doesn’t look like I initially intended for it to, I reallylike the finished product. This is because although some parts of it look lover run

by the colour red, the parts where the white comes through and shows the shape of the leaves, it appears as though the woman has henna tattoos and it creates a diverse and visually interesting look to the final image, making it better than I had initially planned in my opinion.

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This project was inspired and influenced by the photographer Jerry Ueslmann and his multiple exposure images. I researched jerry and instantly loved his images where he had placed a photograph inside hands, using them as a framing device. One of the main similarities between my work and his would be the use of hands being used as framing devices with a black background. The images I looked at all appeared to be mainly architectural ones with buildings being placed inside the hands, whereas for my final images I went with a slightly more natural and environmental approach, using photographs of wildlife, plants and pets. Another difference between my work and that of Jerry's would be the use of colour in mine and he used black and white. I feel the use of colour adds depth to the images and makes them seem more life like and natural whereas black and white works well on architectural images but can look a bit stark and dull if not edited properly, making the images seem stark and having a low mood to them. I think that throughout my imagery I have clearly and strongly gained the results I wanted through my intentions and ideas. From the start I instantly knew I wanted to go with the images in hands look for my final image and knew I wanted to use photographs such as insects, flowers and wildlife. Although I feel like some of my experimentations are stronger than others, as a whole I feel the set of images is strong and shows potential for a strong set of images and ideas if practiced more and a wider set of images are used to show variety. Dropping the opacity of the images to show some detail of the hands such as the rings and individual fingers works well because it adds more depth and detail to the images, making them seem more lifelike and realistic rather than just a solid cut out of the outline of hands which may not look as good or have a finished off and polished look if you can see the cut out edges and they are not smooth and clear.

Using a shallow aperture for some of the photographs works well and was effective for my project as it helps the subjects in the foreground stand out and softens the background, ensuring there are no distractions and all of the focus is on the foreground subject, helping it to stand out. An example of this would be the ladybird on the flower. The ladybird and daisy in the image stand our clearly and instantly grab the viewers attention whereas the grass and greenery in the distance and background of the image is softened and blurred to make the foreground and subjects stand out and be clear. Having the correct exposure for the photographs benefit my images and final outcomes as the images that were over exposed and really bright did not work to well when it came to overlaying them onto the hands as the images appeared bleached out and you could not see much. This worked the same for the images that were under exposed. Although the dark tones and shades work well at helping the image behind it shine through, if the images were to dark you could only properly see the hands and the image over the top was barely visible.

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To improve and develop my work further I could take a wider selection of photographs to ensure that I have a wider variety of photographs to work with then composing the images and I have more chance of experimenting with different techniques and styles. Taking a wider selection of images with more variety would also benefit me and help me develop/improve because it allows me to have more variety within my final images rather than just all nature style photographs. Along with nature and insects I could also experiment with architectural styled photographs, people, landscapes such as beaches and loads more different photographs. If I was to stick with the nature theme however, this could also be improved by taking more photographs of different plants such as trees, bushes, different flowers. I could also experiment with capturing a wider variety of wildlife such as other insects, different birds, squirrels, etc.

Another experimentation and development I could try would be moving away from hands and using different shots such as legs and feet, full bodies or headshots. I would still keep them as cut outs but I feel like different framing devices and shapes would create different styles of images and may make my work more visually interesting to look at. Dropping the opacity of the photographs so that minimal detail shows through would add depth to the frames and also make the images more striking and visually interesting to look at. Revealing fine details such as show laces or facial features to show through the photograph would make the final images ‘freaky’ and seem as though someone is peering at you through the picture.

Overall I think my set of images fulfil the brief and match the theme of discovery rather well. This set of images applies discovery because I wanted to create the sense of the world being at your fingertips and waiting for you to discover it. I feel this was successful because I have shown small aspects of what can be seen within the world such as insects, flowers and wildlife. These are the small things most people see on a day-to-day basis but take for granted so I applied them into my work to show that the small things are often left undiscovered and appreciated due to being seen to many times. I applied discovery to show that even the small things you can see and discover in the world create magic and can add beauty. Using cupped hands for the photographs makes it seem as though the subjects/the world is being held in someone's hands and implies anything is possible and within in your each, you just have to find it and discover it. My set of images are experimental because they are not photographs you can simply point and shoot with a camera, they have to be taken as separate images and then placed together using photo manipulation software. They can be created using a film camera but the more common way of creating them would be taking separate images and then using a programme such as Photoshop to put them together. They are experimental because when placing 2 or more images together it is trial and error until you come up with an outcome you are happy with and an outcome that works well with the 2 images together. You never know what you will get or how the images will look until you have created the final piece and blended them together, that is when you find if they work or not.

(Multiple Exposure - People)

Use this slide to annotate your final image

I have selected these two images as my final images because I like them both, they are very similar and I could not decide between them. In both of these images the subjects have been doubled and appear to be in deep thought. I like the way both of these final images have turned out but feel like the top picture is slightly more effective. I think this because the second photograph used is more faded and appears more as a thought rather than a person overlaid on top of himself. It appears as though he is troubled and his thoughts/conscience are troubled also, showing deep thought throughout the image.

I do however like the second picture also and feel it is also effective. I like this picture because the subject also appears to be in deep thought which creates a set of 2 images which go together. Another reason I like this photograph/final piece is because you can see through the larger image to the smaller one, which makes it seem as though you can see through the person and you can see their troubles/inner being. One way the second image would benefit from improvement though would be to separate the images slightly so that the overlays do not overlap to much and cover the person’s facial expressions. The opposite of this could be moving the images closer together so that the smaller person fits inside the bigger overlay, giving a literal sense of seeing inside the person.

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Overall I feel like I have met my ideas and intentions but am not too pleased with the final products. I think one or two of the images work and the other ones were trial and errors that ended up as errors. Although my images seem visually interesting when you look at them, I don’t think they all work together very well and I feel like some of them are two images which have been placed over the top of each other but do not say anything or tell the viewer anything. In some of the images you can not easily make out the difference between the 2 separate overlays and it does not work very well, especially since it is people and their faces; you would ideally want to be able to make out the images and the persons mood, expressions and personality. Besides the two images I have selected for my final image, I think that the image with the baby scan has worked fairly well because the white scan of the baby stands out clearly and then the black background allows the second photograph to blend in, making it appear as though the people in the photograph are looking through the image and they are a glimpse from the future into what the baby’s life will become. I placed the scan and the photograph together because the photograph is mother and baby, 7 months on from the scan and it shows you how the baby has developed and grown into what he is now. The multiple exposure image shows the scan and then a dream of what the baby wishes their life would be like. The scan/foetus wishes to discover what his future will be and how his life will become. This fulfils the theme of discovery because it is as though the foetus has discovered his future and discovered his dreams and how he wants a happy life with a loving mother.

If I was to do this project again or develop and improve what I already have, I would probably work more with the baby scan and images shining through the background as I feel that experiment was successful and worked well to create a strong, final piece. I would also develop more of the images where the subject is in front of a simple and plain background so that when doubling them up, it seems to work and be more effective using the empty space than overlaying them directly on top of each other and them seemingly blending together and you cannot decipher and separate the separate images making them not very strong final pieces.

(Other image experiments)