When I asked you to tackle the topic of Passion I did not expect you to use over-saturation as the main tool. My previous classes did not do this. Maybe I was thinking of a softer form of passion, more to do with the passion between people, about relationships, and even about environments. Perhaps I will alter this topic for future classes by renaming it, ‘Color/ Ambience’. I am trying to get you to elicit a feeling of environment through the use of color. The color of an environment changes through the day because of the changes in the angle of the sun and the way the atmosphere alters the color of the sunlight hitting us. [When the sun is setting and it drops below the edge of the earth, the earth’s atmosphere bends the sunlight letting only the longest wavelength, the reds and oranges, illuminate our world.] One problem with color photos is that they tend to look too normal, aka regular. It is desirable to alter the color away from normal to make a more interesting photo. Most cameras pump up the saturation automatically, so it is better to desaturate to take things in the other, unexpected direction. [Most TV’s and Computer Monitors come with the color saturation turned up as well!]
I do have to comment that there are still a number of photographs that come under the heading of Photo Clichés; dogs, babies, flowers, sunsets, City Hall, lights, graffiti, etc. Please re-read the Photo Clichés document. Avoid people posing for a photo, or worse, hamming it up for the camera. That turns that shot into a snapshot. If people are aware they are being shot they become self-conscious and it usually doesn’t work. Simply asking people to close their eyes can make a big difference. The problem with snapshots is that the essential meaning is not actually contained within the photograph. Snapshots are used to trigger people’s memories, so the image is in their minds, not so much in the photo. This is not what we are looking for in this class.
Typical Color Clichés include anything with intense color. If it is seen that you are shooting just to grab the color, and there is no deeper meaning behind that subject, the photo is not going far enough. Shooting graffiti, or architecture just for the shapes, is appropriating some else’s art. It is preferred that you make your own art directly from the raw material that the world provides for you. If you are using architectural elements such as graceful curves to enclose a space, or edges of buildings that cast sharp shadows, then you are on the right track. Cute animals (are there any animals that are not inherently cute?) are a classic form of snapshot. Sunsets are a classic content of picture postcards and those are too commonplace. The feeling generated by the light of a setting sun can however be used to create an evocative setting for a subject. Flowers are another classic photo cliché and should be avoided. They are just too easy. Lights seem to be overused these days. The light cast by a fixture, however, can create an environment with ambience, as described above when talking about the sun, just this time it is interior rather than exterior.
note: If you are going to do more work in B&W, as I have encouraged, they have to be toned, even if just slightly. Dead flat B&W is not enough.
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Let’s start this analysis by looking at the simplest use of color, the Monochrome images. The first five photographs in this set deal with this is aesthetic problem by zooming in on a specific simple subject. In this case the form is supporting the content. Allison and Brooke come in with very tightly framed shots. Alexandra’s photo of pumpkins show how you can take something that is very commonplace, especially in October, and make it intriguing, just by desaturating the color. Normal color would have been an, “Oh, more pumpkins” photograph.
The next set of 6 photographs approach of topic of complementary color. They start out with simple subjects but quickly become more complex and then move out onto the street. Ross has 2 photos that have a great display of color while staying tightly focused. Chelsea’s Coca-Cola sign is a classic subject and the doorway and Rachael’s porch has the kind of color I was seeking. This photo is extraordinarily emotive in a very simple way.
The last bicycle shot by Ross takes us onto the street, that is explored in the next several photographs. The lone flower left on the sidewalk in Breanna’s photo makes me think of a lost love or a neglected lover, where the nighttime street by Alexandra makes be feel like my friends have left me behind, partially achieved by having no particular focus (usually a deficit in a photo).
Then Breanna’s gate photo makes me feel like I am being held prisoner, and Brooke’s photo makes me feel imprisoned by a glass of alcohol, both leading to seemingly abandoned places in the next couple of frames, enhanced by the nighttime light. The street photo by Lauralea has that classic purple sky that comes from Reciprocity Failure (the inability of color film to render color properly at more than 2 second of exposure). In the garage photo by Rachael I am not sure if this is the happy suburbs or the dangerous suburbs... do I feel secure or threatened? (Maybe it depends on where you were brought up.)
The next 6 photographs take us into industrial landscapes, each silent and empty in its own way. Sara’s looming shot of the building that is exaggerated by the angle of view. Debora’s backyard in B&W shows a restricted space that makes me think of the person stuck in there. The last shot of the row houses by by Debora has that particular sense of color that only happens at a certain time of day. This is an exceptional use of color, again enhanced by the desaturation (and maybe a little vintage effect).
The next 6 shots are all connected through trees. The first is an extraordinary shot by David from a very high angle. Even though skateboarding is on the list of Photo Clichés, this shot transcends that. The next 2 shots have buildings that show man’s interaction with the environment. Ryan’s photo has a curious angle of view. The Barn shot by Maria has a really subtle vintage effect that is the main idea behind the 4th topic, Memory. The next 3 tree shots work well because of the framing. Jordan’s vertical trees almost become painterly lines on a canvas.
The next 5 photos are all connected by water. The first by Lauralea is a reflection off a water coated surface. The next by Maria opens up a large expanse of water with great color. The next 2 by Emily and Rachael are more abstract and fascinating. They both elicit a response of ‘Yikes!’. The last photo shows a very calming landscape, or seascape. I had to desaturate the shot, however. I present the original next to the adjusted version so you can see what I mean.
The next photo by Brooke still has some water present, and this photo needed to be desaturated as well, both versions are shown. Jordan's photo is also oversaturated. I made another version for you to ponder. Which one has more drama? This following set of 6 photos seem to be focused on chins. This gets us back to the Mystery theme. These are all evocative shots that make me wonder who these people really are.
The next 6 photos get darker and darker, emotionally as well as tonally (form supporting content). Emily has her face wrapped in gossamer material. Rachael is distorted by a lunch truck and the other Rachel is severed. Lauralea’s face is lit to the extreme by a lamp, and has that enigmatic look on her face. This is where you have to be an actress to make some internal feeling or thought come through. This is another exceptional shot. [Using a desk lamp at 3 feet can be a very effective lighting tool.]
These next few photos introduce the environment of one's living space as an essential element, helping to describe the people in the photos. These photos become more about the things these people are doing, about activity. Cartier-Bresson talks about "capturing the subject like an animal in his habitat!" These photos are doing that. Sarah’s shadow photo is loaded with drama and mystery, the source of which we will never really know. Emily's lampshade with the face on it is an intriguing setup, enhanced by lighting and at the clues to what might be happening in that space. Brooke’s has a great angle, and Mariah’s has great lighting, as well as capturing a fascinating exchange. I am not sure if they are fighting or making fun of each other exactly. When I walk down the street and I overhear a couple debating, I think to myself, “Ah, domestic bliss...”.
The final 3 photos by Jordan, Kandi and Lauralea are little glimpses of daily life in an internal setting. The color is minimal and almost monochromatic, that leads to an otherworldly feel, almost as if they are memories. Keep these in mind as well as we approach the 4th topic, as mentioned earlier.
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