'PHOTOGRAPHY'

Lens Based Image Making Self Directed

There are many types of pre 20^th century photography; the three types I have chosen are Cyanotype, Ambrotype, and Stereocards.

 

Cyanotypes occasionally produced during the period of 1840-1880. Most examples originate from the late 1880s to 1920.  It has a matte surface and bright uniform blue image color. Little image fading occurs, although it is hard to say what is faded and what was light to begin with.

 

Ambrotype was in use from 1855 to about 1865, but enjoyed its greatest popularity in the late 1850s. Several opaque, non-reflective supports were used with the Ambrotype, including dark red or purple glass, and clear glass backed with black velvet or black varnish. Most Ambrotypes were put in protective cases like those used for daguerreotypes. As with daguerreotypes, ambrotypes sometimes exhibit hand painted/tinted highlights and flesh tones.

 

Stereocards were produced in massive numbers in both Europe and America from about 1850 to well into the 20th century, and are still produced in small numbers today. They provide a way of showing a scene in three dimensions, which adds to the realism of presentation. The most usual format is on a cardboard mount, 7 inches wide by 3.5 inches tall, with two similar, but not identical, views places side by side. The slight difference in the two images allows for the optical illusion of depth. Stereocards are viewed in a Stereoscope.

 

This is an example of very early photography.

 

 

The traditional process of photography in the 20th century were made and produced in darkrooms using the darkroom trays and stop baths.

 

Film based photgraphy has to be developed over time and isnt produced insantly and cannot be edited digitaly like digital photography where it can be viewed and edited straight away.

 

 

Collage Artist Research

Richard Hamilton – A British painter and collage artist. He is best known for his 1956 collage, ‘Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?’ This work was initially intended as a poster for the now legendary exhibition "This is tomorrow". This collage is said to be the beginning of English Pop Art. His work is very famous and is presented in galleries such as the Tate Modern.

Shown below, the ‘Just what is it that makes today’s home so different, so appealing? Created for the ‘This is tomorrow’ exhibition in London, in which it was reproduced in black and white. The work is now in the collection of the Kunsthalle Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. It was the first work of pop art to achieve iconic status.

Mowgli Omari – An art student at an art university in South London, 20 years old and already showcased his complex works at an international solo show in Zurich. His works combine simple geometric shapes with retro images to create very complex, futuristic looking optical illusions.

Shown below, this is a piece of his work. The lines are creating a window effect going onto another intense image. This image has a very futuristic effect to it. The lines also play tricks on your eyes.

 Matt Wisniewski – A web developer and collage artist from Brooklyn, NY. Matt creates digital art collages that incorporate both the beauty of the human form and the beauty of nature.

Shown below, a piece of his work, he has blended parts of nature to create a very strange and quirky collage. The background later is made up of lots of different mountain scenes and waterfalls creating a depth of many colors. The letters are then made from other environmental scenes. It is a very interesting piece of work, I also think the fact it’s quite hard to make the letters out makes you look further into it at the images in the letters.

 

Photographer Research

Ansel Adams – An American photographer best knownfor his black and white landscape photography of west America. Especially places such as Yosemite National Park and the Grand Canyon. Also being an environmentalist, I think most of his influences of taking these pictures ofthese amazing landscapes were triggered by his younger life of being interested in the nature and environment of west America.

Shown below, the famous photograph, ‘The Tetons and theSnake River’ taken in 1942 at the Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Ic hose this photo as a good example because it’s interesting how the sun light is reflected in certain areas of the image, mostly on the river what also gives a great depth to the photo.

 

 Eugène Atget – Was a French photographer famously known for using his images to document the architecture and street scenes of the French capital Paris. Influenced by travelling around France on drama studies and then started to paint street scenes of French cities and life what made him turn to starting professional photography.

This photo below I chose because I think it isvery interesting, the way he has brought the curve of the river into the imageand the reflection of the bridge itself. Atget’s last photos before his death were of bridges on the Seine River. He enjoyed this part of the city as he thought it was very tranquil and calming.

 

Yousuf Karsh – Was a Canadian photographer and one of the most famous and accomplished photographer of all time. He photographed so many famous figures such as President JFK to Picasso. His main influence to become a photographer was his uncle who Karsh lived withand was trained in his teenage years by him.

Below, this photo portrait of Sir Winston Churchill is said to be one of the most reproduced and famous portrait images in history. Karsh was extremely good at capturing motion in this subjects faces.

 

Robert Doisneau - Was again aFrench Photographer famously known for his images taken of people on the streets of Paris. ‘Doisneau was known for his modest, playful, and ironic images of amusing juxtapositions,mingling social classes, and eccentrics in contemporary Paris streets andcafes.’ – Quote from Wikipedia.

Below, the famous photo ‘Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville’what means ‘Kiss by the Town Hall’. I chose this photograph because I think the motion he has captured is amazing, the way the people of the street are rushing past and the two people kissing are very stationary and still. The townhall in the background also adds some emotion to the picture making it look slightly rustic.   

 

Julia Margaret Cameron – Was a British photographer, she became best known for her portrait photos of celebrities of that time, and photos with King Arthur and other legendary themes. She took up photography at the age of 48 when she received a camera as a present. I think that her photos have a slightly spooky feel, although they are old but I think it is the images are cropped to only show the top half of the body and the face.

I chose this image to prove my comment earlier, although this may not have been thought as spooky when this was taking, now is has a very scary feeling and look about it. Her portraitphotos were of very different classes of people and that’s why she has a widerange of different portraits.