Shoot 1- Miniatures

Thomas Barbey

Thomas Barbey grew up in Geneva, Switzerland and has been a photographer for over twenty years. He has recently adopted a style of photomontage and has had a big role in surrealism. This genre has allowed his work to become very distinctive from other forms of photography. He specialises in taking our ideas of reality and showing them in a different light. He combines images in a way that make his effects more believable, allowing more people to be engrossed in the hyperreality that has been set up.

I like this image because it has a child-like innocence about it. We can see a simple technique has been used in order to compress the focal length to make the image appear as if he is playing with the cars. The child aspect of the image comes from the way that he looks like a child playing with toy cars. This could be a great way of showing what the child is imagining as he moves the fake cars around. This is a great example of hyperreality as we can see it from a child's perspective and imagination.

This image is interesting because it plays with perspective. Barbey takes our ideas about gravity and everyday life and changes them as a way to create his own hyperreality. Barbey achieves the effect so convincingly that he manages to make the initial viewing of the image even more puzzling for the audience.

This image plays with hyperreality on different scales. There is a contrast between something as big as a mountain range to something as small as a table cloth. The seamless blend of the two scales cause the hyperreality to become more convincing and amazing as a result. The image is interesting because it takes something as common as a table cloth and makes it extraordinary by bringing a unique perspective to the image.

Within this image, Barbey changes one aspect which causes the entire image to appear distorted. Again, the effect is made to look so seamless that at first glance some might miss the fact that the entire background is Flipped on its side. What could be just a picture of a person looking through a telescope is immediately made other worldly as he changes just one aspect within the image.

Summary:

Thomas Barbey has a very effective style of surrealism that looks plausible compared to some other photographers who aim to change all aspects of their images in order to create a surrealist effect. Barbey achieves this by keeping the changes in his images relatively simple, often relying on one or two aspects of his images. He likes to play with perspective within images in a way that often appears seamlessly within the image. His sparing use of convincing techniques causes his images to have a visual style like no other. I am a massive fan of the way in which he uses ordinary sights and uses them as a platform for otherworldly effects. I could utilise this process as a means of creating extraordinary yet believable sights out of everyday life. This will be the base for my hyperreality.

Phillippe Halsmann

Phillippe Halsmann was an American portrait photographer who was born in Riga as a part of the Russian Empire. Halsmann had a unique visual style within his photographs which gave an impression that something was slightly off. This granted his work instant recognition amongst audiences. When Halsmann began to collaborate with surrealist artist, Salvador Dali, his work continued to branch out into the more visually dynamic. Halsmann is able to use strong imagery in order to create a hyperreality without any assistance from computer technology, which is something that I would like to consider in my own work.

This image utilises a typical setting of a man at his desk. Halsmann manages to change the foundations of what would typically be an average image by decorating the environment with people. This slight change within one of the simplest of images causes massive effects to how the audience perceive the image. This is an example of how a simple alteration can have massive effects on the image or setting.

This image is instantly concerning. The audience will notice a suspicious man who is appearing next to a skull. The audience, upon further investigation will begin to notice that the skull is made up of people. This creates an almost unnerving image as a result. The effect is heightened as two different images are merged together in a way that causes them to appear from one perspective. This causes further disorientation to the audience as they attempt to make sense of the image. This image simply shows how to take simple tricks and present them in skewed ways in order to create an unnerving effect/reality.

What would have been a simple portrait image has been transformed due to the use of practical effects. We can see that a bird has landed on Alfred Hitchcock's cigar in a way that causes the audience to immediately associate this image with something out of a film. This simple factor of the image immediately causes the image to become otherworldly. Surrealism has caused a simple portrait to become something more, which will cause the audience to view it totally different as a result.

This image show perhaps Halsmann's most interesting and recognisable works within surrealism. He uses complete practicality in order to create a zero gravity effect. The most noteworthy aspect of the floating objects is the fact that only every day items are included. This is just another example of how Halsmann has taken an everyday setting and turned it on it's head, creating his own hyperreality.

Summary:

Phillipe Halsmann's work is a massive inspiration for my project. I have studied how he has managed to manipulate an image or an everyday setting and create something extraordinary. The thing that I appreciate most about his work is the way that he had to experiement with surrealism before the invention of photoshop, meaning that he had to utilise other more practical methods. As a result, he creates an instantly more believable world that causes audiences to be amazed at the hyperreality in which he has created.

Don McCullin

Donald McCullin, was born 9 October 1935 and is an internationally known British photojournalist, who is commonly recognised for his war photography and images of urban strife. His career, which began in 1959, has showed an extreme focus in examining the underside of society, and his photographs have depicted the unemployed, downtrodden and the impoverished. McCullin utilises bold imagery in order to communicate a single point. This type of story telling is on that I would like to seriously consider when doing my own work.

This photo is interesting because it shows the gritty industrial areas in a few interesting ways. The black and white filter of the camera enhances the gritty and polluted themes within the image. The image is set up in in a way where the sky is used in contrast to the gritty industrial structures in the bottom of the frame to enhance the themes of pollution . There are formal elements included within this image, including contrast, pattern and depth. Contrasts can be seen against the white sky with the black pollution.  The figure in the road shows more examples of contrast as they appear as a silhouette against the lighter background. Pattern can be seen within the panelling of the fence as it begins to fall down. Depth can be shown as objects such as the fence and the lines on the road change as the distance increases.

This image features a man mid-action. The use of the man holding a gun acts in contrast to the white background. This promotes the thought that the violence of the man is acting in contrast to the purity of the white wall. Other formal elements such as pattern, contrast and movement can be seen within the image. The bold black colour of the open door creates a clear contrast against the white background. Examples of pattern can be seen on the door frame in the form of large squares. The movement within the image can be seen as the man appears to have a foot off the ground mid-sprint.

This image shows pattern within uniform and shows a united power amongst the police. Contrast is also emphasised here as the protester stands out and becomes the focal point of the image dues to his difference in both outfit and position within the frame. Contrast is a main feature of the image and serves a powerful purpose. The clothing of the policemen stand out against the white sky. The contrast of the dark outfits of the policemen and the light colour of the protester create a visually powerful image. The lighter colours used indicate that the protester is purer than the policemen. These contrasts cause the protester to be the focal point of the image and the fact that the audience cannot see what sign the protester is holding, creates a more interesting image.

This image is interesting because of its composition. In this photo we can see the facial expression combined with the body language of the soldier to show us that he is shocked and frightened. The result culminates in a way that shows shell-shock. The composition is a key factor in making the image reveal the soldier's emotions. The bottom of the frame is used to show that the soldier is clutching a gun, causing him to appear more defensive and afraid. The form and tone of the image enhance the shadows on the face and clothing revealing more detail in the emotion and state of mind of the soldier.

Summary:

Don McCullin's approach to his images offers layers of meaning to be seen by the audience. He is able to use multiple themes to tell a story in his pictures. Tone is reflected throughout his images by the emotion shown by the subjects along with the black and white filter and dark colour pallet. McCullin's use of formal elements in order to create strong images serve to tell the audience a small story. I would like to use similar themes in order to create striking images that can tell stories and reflect heavy subjects within hyperreality.

Research Log

Thomas Barbey 

Thomas Barbey grew up in Geneva, Switzerland and was brought around a very artistic background. He specialises in photomontage which is a form of editing the reality of the image. His work is very visually striking and can appear other worldly at times. I believe I could take a lot of inspiration from Thomas Barbie's work as I am looking at hyperreality. I can use photomontage to make the ordinary seem extraordinary, and at the same time more visually appealing.

Staudinger Franke

Staudinger Franke is famous for his focus on visually striking presentation. He has won awards for his complex pieces and is regarded as a leading figure in his methods of photomontage. He takes everyday photography and flips it on its head by changing details within it. I am a fan of his somewhat dark visual comedy at times, for example taking a soft teddy bear and turning it into a cactus or replacing a children's slide with a food grater. This idea of changing certainties within our day to day lives for a comedic or eye opening undertones could be something worth exploring for my hyperreality subject.

Ari Mahardhika:

                                

                       

                     

                                           

Ari Mahardhika is a photographer who uses photo montages in such an interesting way that I would like to explore in my own work. He experiments with scale in his photographs by either making someone big surrounded by a small environment or by making someone small in a big environment. While he uses this technique to explore social aspects within his photography, I am looking to I pimento the techniques in order to create an extraordinary effect. This will help me to create a heightened reality where the ordinary is made exciting by changing the way people perceive the environments.

Jerry Uelsmann:

Jerry Uelsmann is a surrealist photographer who was born in Detroit. He creates an interesting depiction of life in his photographs, twisting our ideas of normality. He specialises in dark and skewed versions of reality which I could definitely utilise within my own work. I could create a hyperreality by blending this brand of surrealism with the real world and contrast them after in order to highlight the way in which the real world can be distorted by the media.

Frank Uyttenhove:

Frank Uyttenhove is a well known photographer and film director. His work appears like a painting, or something from a drawing. The most remarkable thing about his work is the way that he can achieve this enhanced reality through the use of everyday objects and activities. This is something that I would definitely like to explore within my work as I can make the ordinary and mundane appear extraordinary. I would like to implement this idea by taking objects that I see everyday and show it from a new perspective.

Stephen Criscolo:

Stephen Criscolo is a 19 year old photographer who favours a warped and odd style of photography. He utilises great effects in order to create extremely visually interesting results. These techniques allow him to play with reality or make the image other worldly. I could utilise these techniques in my work in order to tweak people's ideas about reality through some solid visual effects.

Kyle Thompson:

Kyle Thompson is a 22 year old photographer who specialises in spectacle in order to make his images more visually interesting. He uses a lot of practical effects in his shooting in order to make themes seem grounded and more astounding. He sometimes manages to find a blend between practical and photoshop effects in order to enhance the image. I believe that this practical approach can cause my hyperreality to become more believable and hard hitting.

Annie Leibovitz:

Annie Leibovitz is one of America's most influential portrait photographers, using bold colours and tones to create her iconic imagery. I have noticed that she uses soft tones in her portraiture in a way that causes the face to become more flawless. This is achieved through a mix of lighting and editing, which I think could be an interesting aspect of hyperreality to explore by comparing an unedited image with the edited one. She has also had a partnership with Disney that allowed her to create these vastly different and visually interesting portraits. Her images tell a visual story of location and character, which I believe could be a good way to communicate my hyperreality message across.

Chema Madoz

Chema Madoz is a Spanish photographer who is best known for his black and white surrealist work. He takes everyday scenery and objects and then alters something in the photo to make them appear different and more interesting than we are used to. I would like to use this idea of skewing peoples ideas about everyday life through minor changes in order to make them more exciting like a hyperreality of a film.

Erik Johansson:

Erik Johanson is a photographer/ artist from Sweden. He specialise in surrealism as he takes scenery and messes around with it by making everything out of place and odd. He does this by taking objects and reshaping and resizing them.

Banksy

Although Banksy is not a photographer, his varied art style is one that is often admired and imitated by many. The thing that stands out the most with his work is his strong themes and imagery. I would like to implement this into my project as it would grant me the ability to tell a visual story through implied meaning. This would allow for more creative experimentation over the different ways in which to implement a story.

Andre de Frietas

Andre de Frietas' work largely consists of multiple exposure. This is a visually striking technique and can often be used to evoke what the person is thinking. This creates layers of information within the image in which the audience can pick apart. This style of portrature is so distinctive that it could prove to be a useful tool for me to use in my work. I could communicate a range of messages through this method in a way that can be very visually striking.

David Lazar

I am a fan of David Lazar's work within portraiture for the simple fact that he manages to take a common part of photography and make it completely interesting. He achieves this by filling as much of his image as possible with detail and story. As a result we can see the people's background, culture and their environment. Some of this imagery can be strong as he incorporates different elements such as colour and contrast. This has given me a lot to consider when approaching portraiture. I know that I should consider filling the frame with relevant information to the message that I am trying to get across in order to create a visual story.

Albert Watson

Albert Watson is another portrait photographer who manages to take the simple format and make something original and interesting. He utilises formal elements such as pattern and contrast. The result is a number of images that incorporate many themes of surrealism. The interesting thing about these effects is that they are all in camera and practical, with no editing done. This has given me some ideas to use practical means in order to achieve some strong imagery.

Steve McCurry

Steve McCurry is a widely known photographer whose work creates a powerful sense of journey and story. He achieves this by cutting anything useless in the image and replacing it with story telling points. These little factors within the portraits cause the audience to look deeper within the image. We can gather information about the people's cultural backgrounds and things that may have happened to them up until this point.

Maurice Tabard

Maurice Tabard is a photographer that specialises in surrealism. The interesting thing that Maurice lends to surrealism is his practical approach. He manages to merge images together in a way that distorts reality or provides another way of looking at things. His images appear more shocking and real as a result. I could incorporate this into my work by blending two different images together. Hopefully the practicality of the image will cause there to be a stronger message as a result.

Don McCullin:

Don McCullin is one of the most recognised photographers, known mainly for his work in the Vietnam war as a photographer, he manages to capture a brutally honest side to the war through a means of visual story telling. He uses powerful imagery and bold elements such as contrast in order to make simple, yet effective images. His messages can be as subtle as a facial expression or as obvious as a gun. I would like to replicate this bold story telling in a way that can convey an image in a single action or pose.

Robert Capa:

Robert Capa is a well known photographer who's war photography stood out to me. He used contrasting tones of black and white in a way that caused strong images to be shown. These simple tones create some amazing effects, causing them to feel more like a heightened reality. The audience are able to get a clear sense of what the photographer is wanting them to see through a simple method. I would like to incorporate this method as a clear indicator to my audience of where I want their eyes to be in order to communicate a larger idea.

Phillipe Halsmann:

Halsmann's photography focuses largely on surrealism. Since Halsmann's photography is set before the uses of photoshop, he had to come up with some interesting ways of creating a warped hyperreality. He uses people and other practical effects in order to make the world that he is laying out for his audience seem skewed, by altering perspective or the natural order of things. The practicality of these effects make the hyperreality seem more believable as a result which is something which I would like to think about when creating my own hyperreality.

Tommy Inberg:

Tommy Inberg's work shows us what hyperreality can look like when we incorporate tools such as photoshop and blend them with practical aspects. Inberg manages to create an interesting yet somewhat believable hyperreality. The use of photoshop creates an other worldly feel to the images which I would like to explore. I would like to take this idea and make the boring and mundane seem other worldly and impossible.