Camouflage

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Anna Osborne

After one of the lectures, I had the idea of camouflaging people into the surroundings behind them, blending them in and turning them into things instead of people. I came across a collection of surrealist portraits by Valentin Abad, Julien Dhivert and Sebastien Riveron that were displayed in Paris.

Here are some of my favourites:

I like how in these 2 photos, the person’s head has become what they are holding. The first image makes his head look like a cloud, which could be said to tie in with the saying ‘head in the clouds’. The simple background works well as it does not detract the viewer’s attention from the main subject in the photo. There are light shadows in these photos but they are not particularly noticeable when people’s heads have been turned into straws and cotton wool.

I love the bright colours and complete camouflage of the man in this photo. Although I could never use paint as it is far too messy to use in the studio, this is a good idea for having the subject merge with the background. The 4 colours also all work well together , appearing to be like a bright wallpaper. I also like the high sheen of the paint on the man’s head, truly making him appear as though he is an object instead of a person.

These are my favourite two photos. They are so strange but work very well. There are quite large shadows in both of them, although particularly the second photo. I like how you can barely tell that the second photo is even of a person and that the first has been turned a parcel and feel that the two photos actually fit our brief very well.

http://www.fubiz.net/en/2014/11/10/artistic-camouflage-photography/

Creature Studio Session

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Anna Osborne

Here are some of my best photos from my studio session yesterday:

I think the orange object works really well. The tentacles do actually look realistic, giving the object a life-like look. I also like how the orange changes depending on how much I have the vibrance setting on. The object could be mistaken for some form of anemone with the strange tentacles and body in the middle. The objects all stand out well against the black background that I used. I am aware that there are footprints on the black background, although in my photos they actually look more like waves or little areas of light in the sea as opposed to footprints. The mushroom has a lovely texture to it, making it appear as though it is a creature losing its skin.

The texture of this bath sponge also works well, appearing as though it is some sort of coral or coral-like creature from the deep. The difference between the background and subject worked well in this photo, as the background is completely black like in David Shale’s work.

If I am to go back and take some more photos, I need to try and find some cleaner black paper to use (there was none present whilst I was there) and perhaps experiment with a different lens as well.

Contact sheet #2

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Anna Osborne

Claire Droppert

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Anna Osborne

Whilst searching for creature photography, I came across these:

Whilst they are not something that is easily achievable in a studio or in Lincoln, I love the shapes that the sand has created and it has inspired me to do a search along the beach for objects that I might be able to take a photo of for my deep sea theme.

https://www.behance.net/ClaireOnline

Danny Treacy

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Anna Osborne

Danny Treacy is a photographer who specialises in using (literally) found materials to make completely different things. His two biggest projects have been ‘Them’, where he used recovered clothes collected from “lonely places”, modelled them on himself and created a set of rather scary photos. His other major project is called ‘Those’ where he used found materials to create creatures that look like they are from the deep sea.

I especially like his ‘Those’ collection as I plan to try and create creatures that look like they are from the deep sea too. He uses a black background in all of them, which I also plan to do, and the way he has lit the objects is perfect for a sea theme.

Here are a selection of my favourite photos from ‘Those’:

The way that some of them look as though they have legs and heads is very effective. I think I plan to use objects with different textures to these – more of a wet/rubbery texture – as I feel that it will tie in with my ocean theme more.

I may revisit Danny’s work in later briefs as his ‘Them’ collection will fit in well.