Unexpected Perspectives
Exam Question
Looking at the world from unusual viewpoints can reveal unexpected perspectives. Ed Ruscha's photographs of car parks, Alexander Rodchenko's observations of city streets and Bill Brandt's high contrast images are all taken from unconventional viewpoints. Make reference to appropriate contextual material and produce your own work.
This question in particular is the one I chose for two reasons. The first being that this question was the most personally intriguing for me. It opens the doors up to a wide variety of different photographic styles and subjects and the ability to make the project personal and styled towards me personally. The second reason is that after sitting with the question for a while, I have conceptualised several ideas as to where I can take this project in terms of both where and what I can feasibly photograph and where I would personally enjoy taking the project. I have visualised my thought process for this below which will lead me to pursue some of the ideas I have devised.
This question in particular is the one I chose for two reasons. The first being that this question was the most personally intriguing for me. It opens the doors up to a wide variety of different photographic styles and subjects and the ability to make the project personal and styled towards me personally. The second reason is that after sitting with the question for a while, I have conceptualised several ideas as to where I can take this project in terms of both where and what I can feasibly photograph and where I would personally enjoy taking the project. I have visualised my thought process for this below which will lead me to pursue some of the ideas I have devised.
Mind Map of My Ideas
The mind map above demonstrates the thought process I went through while conceptualising what direction I am going to take this project in. In the mind map, I have covered what particular aspects I will explore, where I will take photos and what I will take photos of.
My Camera - Nikon D3300
My own version of the Nikon D3300 is the DSLR camera I have been using across the whole of my photography A level. I have made the collage above to properly detail the features of the camera, visualise what it looks like and recently what sort of settings I have used to shoot photos in. I feel that the camera's quality and it's settings have benefited me in taking photos that are of a high standard and are composed in the way that can only be achieved with the technical settings of a DSLR. I have become very familiar with ISO, aperture and shutter speed over the years and have used them to my advantage on the D3300 to create photos of many different varieties and moods.
Work of Other Photographers
Above is a collection of various photos exploring the theme of Unexpected Perspectives. The theme of Unexpected Perspectives is evidently highly versatile which enables plenty of photographic subjects. Perspectives which distort buildings, objects which distort perspective and angles which enable the viewer to see everyday life in a new way are all things which can be heavily explored in this topic. Most of the perspectives above are disorienting due to the viewer seeing from an abnormal perspective which is what makes this subject intriguing. The photos above are a strong source of inspiration in terms of where I will take my project. The ones I will have a good opportunity to replicate are stair and building photos as in Liverpool city centre these are very common.
Alexander Rodchenko
Aleksander Mikhailovich Rodchenko (1891-1956) was a Russian artist, sculptor, photographer and graphic designer. He was one of the founders of constructivism and Russian design. He was married to the artist Varvara Stepanova.
Rodchenko was one of the most versatile Constructivist and Productivist artists to emerge after the Russian Revolution. He worked as a painter and graphic designer before turning to photomontage and photography. His photography was socially engaged, formally innovative, and opposed to a painterly aesthetic. Concerned with the need for analytical-documentary photo series, he often shot his subjects from odd angles—usually high above or down below—to shock the viewer and to postpone recognition. He wrote: "One has to take several different shots of a subject, from different points of view and in different situations, as if one examined it in the round rather than looked through the same key-hole again and again."
Alexander Rodchenko being a named photographer on the Unexpected Perspectives exam question meant that his work was an instantaneous go-to collection. From researching his work, I feel that his style of images are both applicable for the Unexpected Perspectives topic and also relevant to me personally with regards to where I want to take this topic. Rodchenko's photography primarily focuses on alternative angles and ways in which everyday life could be viewed from an unusual perspective. What aids Rodchenko's work particularly is his interest in photographing lines. These help his images to create symmetry and cohesion but not in their regular forms. We are used to seeing his subjects such as stairs and windows in regularly formatted, simple orders but Rodchenko succeeds in subverting our usual perception of them and therefore breaks the rigid shapes that are so commonplace. His images are not just abnormal but through angles we wouldn't usually look through creates normal scenes into wildly interesting artworks. This is specifically what I will aim to do in my own work as I will visit everyday locations and explore the ways in which I can use peculiar angles and positions to create intriguing images.
Rodchenko was one of the most versatile Constructivist and Productivist artists to emerge after the Russian Revolution. He worked as a painter and graphic designer before turning to photomontage and photography. His photography was socially engaged, formally innovative, and opposed to a painterly aesthetic. Concerned with the need for analytical-documentary photo series, he often shot his subjects from odd angles—usually high above or down below—to shock the viewer and to postpone recognition. He wrote: "One has to take several different shots of a subject, from different points of view and in different situations, as if one examined it in the round rather than looked through the same key-hole again and again."
Alexander Rodchenko being a named photographer on the Unexpected Perspectives exam question meant that his work was an instantaneous go-to collection. From researching his work, I feel that his style of images are both applicable for the Unexpected Perspectives topic and also relevant to me personally with regards to where I want to take this topic. Rodchenko's photography primarily focuses on alternative angles and ways in which everyday life could be viewed from an unusual perspective. What aids Rodchenko's work particularly is his interest in photographing lines. These help his images to create symmetry and cohesion but not in their regular forms. We are used to seeing his subjects such as stairs and windows in regularly formatted, simple orders but Rodchenko succeeds in subverting our usual perception of them and therefore breaks the rigid shapes that are so commonplace. His images are not just abnormal but through angles we wouldn't usually look through creates normal scenes into wildly interesting artworks. This is specifically what I will aim to do in my own work as I will visit everyday locations and explore the ways in which I can use peculiar angles and positions to create intriguing images.
Bill Brandt
Bill Brandt ( 2 May 1904 – 20 December 1983) was a British photographer and photojournalist. Although born in Germany, Brandt moved to England, where he became known for his images of British society for such magazine as Lilliput and Picture Post, later his distorted nudes, portraits of famous artists and landscapes. He is widely considered to be one of the most important British photographers of the 20th century. Being a named photographer on the exam question and also a photographer whose work I have personally looked into previously, I feel Bill Brandt was a good choice of photographer to base my research around and to draw inspiration from. His work covers a wide range of themes but Unexpected Perspectives definitely has a strong link to Brandt's work specifically.
I have collected photos above of Brandt's that fit strongly into the theme of Unexpected Perspectives. There is a very human element to most of Brandt's work and as a result unusual perspectives of the human body is an area he has widely explored. Even in just the few photos I have collected, Brandt's work ranges from unusually near close ups of the human body to making people appear very static and using their position in the images to create an abnormal sense of perspective. For example, Bill has photographed an old man's eye up close which adds a level of detail to it that we don't see in everyday life. We are able to see a very exposed and intimate version of the eye and can, from the unexpected perspective, appreciate details of the human body we usually skim over and don't notice. The photo in the top right of the man lying down in front of the open window provides a baffling perspective. The open windows in the background lead the eye towards them and provide a sense of spaciousness and freedom but this is juxtaposed by the immediacy of the man's face lying upward. The unusual position of the man and the windows at the same time become focal points due to the immediacy of the closeness of the man and the brightness of the windows. Brandt's work will become a source of inspiration for this topic to me personally as his experimental work provides many ideas to how the everyday world can be manipulated using perspective to change how we may view people, nature and city life as a collective.
In this image, Bill Brandt has photographed a bombed staircase in London in the midst of World War 2. Despite the traumatic circumstances surrounding the origin of the image, Brandt creates a very intriguing and abstract photo utilising light and shadows.
Due to the image's abstract nature, it is difficult to pinpoint a specific focus of the image or way it has been arranged. I feel that it is a relatively cohesive picture as the two layers of staircases look very similar while being different enough to have variety in the photo. The photo achieves as while there is similarity in the two floors, the difference in the curve of the banister and the shadows differentiates them. I feel that both the image's look and the context behind it creates a very stark and lonely atmosphere. The absence of people walking on the stairs is obviously one of these attributes but the dirt and dusty look the banister and the walls have add to the loneliness. The fact that the photo is photographed in black and white also adds to the starkness as there is no colour which alleviates the photo from this mood. The dark shadows are also very bold and help to accentuate the edges in the image.
I feel that the photo's context of being after the damage of World War 2 to London creates a very potent photo. The photo's subtlety in its absence of colour or focus reflect the state of the city at the time as the war had intercepted all normality and joviality in the city's usual state. With this in mind, the image is compelling to look at but also encapsulates the terrible state of the world in the midst of death and destruction.
This photo has influenced my work as it takes a normal scene such as a flight of stairs and transforms it into an unusual but visually impressive art piece. This was typical of Brandt as his work would often transform mundane places and things by adding his unconventional take to it. More specifically though, it has influenced me in my Unexpected Perspectives project as the view of a normal staircase feels unnatural. Having such a wide and clear perspective on the staircase due to the building's destruction provides an unusual viewpoint we usually don't have. Not only is the actual perspective of the photo unusual but the fact we see these stairs so intact and their elegant shape after the building has been destroyed is an unusual sight to see (also the state of a building being affected by a war is unexpected in itself). I feel that the photo's strengths are the curves of the shadows and the banisters. I would say that the photo's murkiness would be a weakness but I personally feel this adds to the lonesome vibe Brandt creates and would not convey its context properly if the building was clean and flawless.
Due to the image's abstract nature, it is difficult to pinpoint a specific focus of the image or way it has been arranged. I feel that it is a relatively cohesive picture as the two layers of staircases look very similar while being different enough to have variety in the photo. The photo achieves as while there is similarity in the two floors, the difference in the curve of the banister and the shadows differentiates them. I feel that both the image's look and the context behind it creates a very stark and lonely atmosphere. The absence of people walking on the stairs is obviously one of these attributes but the dirt and dusty look the banister and the walls have add to the loneliness. The fact that the photo is photographed in black and white also adds to the starkness as there is no colour which alleviates the photo from this mood. The dark shadows are also very bold and help to accentuate the edges in the image.
I feel that the photo's context of being after the damage of World War 2 to London creates a very potent photo. The photo's subtlety in its absence of colour or focus reflect the state of the city at the time as the war had intercepted all normality and joviality in the city's usual state. With this in mind, the image is compelling to look at but also encapsulates the terrible state of the world in the midst of death and destruction.
This photo has influenced my work as it takes a normal scene such as a flight of stairs and transforms it into an unusual but visually impressive art piece. This was typical of Brandt as his work would often transform mundane places and things by adding his unconventional take to it. More specifically though, it has influenced me in my Unexpected Perspectives project as the view of a normal staircase feels unnatural. Having such a wide and clear perspective on the staircase due to the building's destruction provides an unusual viewpoint we usually don't have. Not only is the actual perspective of the photo unusual but the fact we see these stairs so intact and their elegant shape after the building has been destroyed is an unusual sight to see (also the state of a building being affected by a war is unexpected in itself). I feel that the photo's strengths are the curves of the shadows and the banisters. I would say that the photo's murkiness would be a weakness but I personally feel this adds to the lonesome vibe Brandt creates and would not convey its context properly if the building was clean and flawless.
Visiting the Open Eye Gallery
Founded in 1977, Open Eye gallery is an independent not-for-profit photography gallery based in Liverpool. They are one of the UK's leading photography spaces and the only gallery dedicated to photography and related media in the North West of England. They claim to "consistently champion photography as an art form that is relevant to everyone".
To draw inspiration, I travelled to Liverpool city centre and visited the Open Eye gallery. The particular exhibition that was on was The Pier Head by Tom Wood. Tom Wood is recognised as an internationally significant photographer and made his name photographing Liverpool and Merseyside. As the title implies, the project on display is based around The Pier Head. The photographs were mainly taken of people near the Pier Head in the 70s and 80s and provides an insight into the relatively recent history of Liverpool and its people. Within his work, Wood has preserved the fashion, behaviour and society in Liverpool while also exploring these aspects artistically. What I personally drew from the collection with regards to my own work is the composition. The photos I have taken below are two photos that I drew particular inspiration from. In relation to Unexpected Perspectives, they are both taken through glass windows and are not at all the conventional portrait. A sense of depth of field is highlighted in these two images as we are already distanced by the glass but the inclusion of closer and further people is quite disorienting and peculiar. In conclusion, I have came away from Tom Wood's work inspired by how I could potentially incorporate people into the theme of unexpected perspectives and how depth of field and disorientation makes for prominent images.
I have included some of Wood's images below (beneath the row of three) not necessarily from the Pier Head collection which have inspired me as I feel that they have a direct correlation to the theme of Unexpected Perspectives.
To draw inspiration, I travelled to Liverpool city centre and visited the Open Eye gallery. The particular exhibition that was on was The Pier Head by Tom Wood. Tom Wood is recognised as an internationally significant photographer and made his name photographing Liverpool and Merseyside. As the title implies, the project on display is based around The Pier Head. The photographs were mainly taken of people near the Pier Head in the 70s and 80s and provides an insight into the relatively recent history of Liverpool and its people. Within his work, Wood has preserved the fashion, behaviour and society in Liverpool while also exploring these aspects artistically. What I personally drew from the collection with regards to my own work is the composition. The photos I have taken below are two photos that I drew particular inspiration from. In relation to Unexpected Perspectives, they are both taken through glass windows and are not at all the conventional portrait. A sense of depth of field is highlighted in these two images as we are already distanced by the glass but the inclusion of closer and further people is quite disorienting and peculiar. In conclusion, I have came away from Tom Wood's work inspired by how I could potentially incorporate people into the theme of unexpected perspectives and how depth of field and disorientation makes for prominent images.
I have included some of Wood's images below (beneath the row of three) not necessarily from the Pier Head collection which have inspired me as I feel that they have a direct correlation to the theme of Unexpected Perspectives.
This picture is relevant to the Unexpected Perspectives theme as there is a weird sense of depth in the image. The foreground of the image is a blurred woman in motion, the middle ground is of another woman but is static and in focus and the background is of a woman who isn't even facing the camera. The feeling of a natural scene is heavily apparent through this abnormal structure and reflects the busy and natural scene of city life through its impromptu feel and blurriness.
Unexpected Perspectives incorporates itself well into this image as its slight tilted angle is an immediate link. The tilt as well as the contrast between the close passengers and the distant ones through the glass create a feel of separate worlds and lives being so close yet so distant. The combination of the camera's perspective and the suggested perspectives of the close and distant passengers relate to an idea of uniqueness and the fact that we see the bus' interior from an unusual perspective physically but also that the others in this image will have perspectives physically and in life that may be unusual to us.
This image relates to the similar theme above. The contrast in the perspective of the children and the old women behind them again relates to metaphorical perspective. What may seem unexpected to the children may not to the old women and vice versa. The fact we view these people through a glass window creates distance between us and them and therefore gets us to think about not just the camera's and our own perspective but also theirs. To both, the other perspective is unusual and unexpected.
My Own Work
Up On the Anglican Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral is the Church of England Cathedral of the Diocese of Liverpool, built on St James's Mount in Liverpool and is the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool. Liverpool Cathedral is the largest cathedral and religious building in Britain.
The cathedral is based on a design by Giles Gilbert Scott, and was constructed between 1904 and 1978. The total external length of the building, including the Lady Chapel (dedicated to the Blessed Virgin), is 207 yards (189 m) making it the longest cathedral in the world; its internal length is 160 yards (150 m). In terms of overall volume, Liverpool Cathedral ranks as the fifth-largest cathedral in the world and contests with the incomplete Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City for the title of largest Anglican church building. With a height of 331 feet (101 m) it is also one of the world's tallest non-spired church buildings and the third-tallest structure in the city of Liverpool. The cathedral is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.
I chose this building as due to its grand height. Being the world's tallest non-spired church at 331 feet, it was a great starting place to get capture unexpected perspectives. One of the first things that came to mind when planning where I could take photos and what I could take photos of was the Anglican Cathedral as an elevated perspective is particularly unexpected as we are so used to taking level photographs. A high viewpoint such as at the top of the cathedral can always provide an unusual perspective as looking down the world distorts the regular view we have and is interesting within belittling larger objects that would normally seem imposing. The height of the cathedral enabled me to take photos directly looking down with the cathedral's distinct sandstone architecture which ties the photographs a distinct Liverpool theme. The photos that are level with Liverpool's iconic skyline and capture the city's famous landmarks also fit into this concept.
The cathedral is based on a design by Giles Gilbert Scott, and was constructed between 1904 and 1978. The total external length of the building, including the Lady Chapel (dedicated to the Blessed Virgin), is 207 yards (189 m) making it the longest cathedral in the world; its internal length is 160 yards (150 m). In terms of overall volume, Liverpool Cathedral ranks as the fifth-largest cathedral in the world and contests with the incomplete Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City for the title of largest Anglican church building. With a height of 331 feet (101 m) it is also one of the world's tallest non-spired church buildings and the third-tallest structure in the city of Liverpool. The cathedral is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building.
I chose this building as due to its grand height. Being the world's tallest non-spired church at 331 feet, it was a great starting place to get capture unexpected perspectives. One of the first things that came to mind when planning where I could take photos and what I could take photos of was the Anglican Cathedral as an elevated perspective is particularly unexpected as we are so used to taking level photographs. A high viewpoint such as at the top of the cathedral can always provide an unusual perspective as looking down the world distorts the regular view we have and is interesting within belittling larger objects that would normally seem imposing. The height of the cathedral enabled me to take photos directly looking down with the cathedral's distinct sandstone architecture which ties the photographs a distinct Liverpool theme. The photos that are level with Liverpool's iconic skyline and capture the city's famous landmarks also fit into this concept.
Museums in Liverpool City Centre
The Museum of Liverpool is the newest addition to the National Museums Liverpool group having opened in 2011 replacing the former Museum of Liverpool Life. National Museums Liverpool intention is for the new venue to tell the story of Liverpool and its people, and reflect the city’s global significance. The museum is housed in a new purpose-built building on the Mann Island site at the Pier Head.
The museum, designed by architects 3XN and engineers Buro Happold, was expected to cost £72 million and provide 8,000 square metres of exhibition space, housing more than 6,000 objects.
The main museum I have photographed is the Museum of Liverpool but I have also additionally taken some photos at the World Museum of its artefacts. I decided to photograph the Museum of Liverpool due to its distinctive spiral staircase. Both from higher and lower angles I thought that the staircase would be interesting to photograph as it's unusual spiral shape and curvature can be photographed and look very different from a variety of perspectives. Viewing from the variety of these perspectives, the staircase's shape can appear to be very ambiguous and mysterious and therefore creating sets of unique images while using the same subject. While in the museum, there were also other unusual perspectives I found to photograph such as the juxtaposition of the small size of the model Liver Building and the actual Liver Building in the background. There were also model towns which are quite unusual as their small scale looks odd compared to the size of the buildings they represent.
The museum, designed by architects 3XN and engineers Buro Happold, was expected to cost £72 million and provide 8,000 square metres of exhibition space, housing more than 6,000 objects.
The main museum I have photographed is the Museum of Liverpool but I have also additionally taken some photos at the World Museum of its artefacts. I decided to photograph the Museum of Liverpool due to its distinctive spiral staircase. Both from higher and lower angles I thought that the staircase would be interesting to photograph as it's unusual spiral shape and curvature can be photographed and look very different from a variety of perspectives. Viewing from the variety of these perspectives, the staircase's shape can appear to be very ambiguous and mysterious and therefore creating sets of unique images while using the same subject. While in the museum, there were also other unusual perspectives I found to photograph such as the juxtaposition of the small size of the model Liver Building and the actual Liver Building in the background. There were also model towns which are quite unusual as their small scale looks odd compared to the size of the buildings they represent.
Reflections in Little Woods Forest
Little Wood is Stockbridge Village's main community wood. It is a mature broadleaf wood, which is a designated Local Wildlife Site and has an important heritage as the former coach road linking Croxteth & Knowsley Hall estates. It is a local woodland nearby to the larger park Croxteth Hall.
I chose this location as I have previously explored it in last year's exam subject Available Light and was successful in photographing it. Whereas last year I explored light and how it integrated itself into the woods, in this project I have explored the variety of peculiar angles that appear in the forest through the ponds and trees. I have specifically focused on the perspective of being directly beneath trees and the upside-down reflection of the forest from within water. The random and sprawling nature of branches create varied and unique photos every time a photo is taken which is what makes the forest such an ideal place to explore this project.
I chose this location as I have previously explored it in last year's exam subject Available Light and was successful in photographing it. Whereas last year I explored light and how it integrated itself into the woods, in this project I have explored the variety of peculiar angles that appear in the forest through the ponds and trees. I have specifically focused on the perspective of being directly beneath trees and the upside-down reflection of the forest from within water. The random and sprawling nature of branches create varied and unique photos every time a photo is taken which is what makes the forest such an ideal place to explore this project.
Before visiting Littlewood, I initially expected to be mainly taking photos of trees and ponds but did not anticipate a nearby motorway. This provided a unique perspective of cars from above and also the skyline. As motorways are only usually seen from the perspective of being in a car on one, the elevated stand point from behind the railings was an unusual look at the everyday sight of a passing car.
Inspired Work - Metropolitan Cathedral's Stairs
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, officially known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, is the seat of the Archbishop of Liverpool and the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool in Liverpool, England. The Grade II Metropolitan Cathedral is one of Liverpool's many listed buildings. To distinguish it from the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral, locals call it the "Catholic Cathedral". Nicknames for the building include "Paddy's Wigwam", "The Pope's Launching Pad", and "The Mersey Funnel".
The cathedral's architect, Frederick Gibberd, was the winner of a worldwide design competition. Construction began in 1962 and was completed in 1967. Earlier designs for a cathedral were proposed in 1853, 1933, and 1953, but none were completed.
The Metropolitan Cathedral is a significant landmark of Liverpool and therefore lends itself to being photographed very well. The reason I chose to photograph its stairs is due to being inspired directly by Alexander Rodchenko from the Unexpected Perspectives question. The photo below incorporates steps to provide a disorienting view of an everyday scene. The only thing unusual about the image is the slight tilt of the perspective but regardless gives the presentation of an alien and surreal world. The power and simplicity of this effect and also the potential of photographing unusual perspectives motivated me to create my own take on stairs and to explore ways in which angles can be used to distort their typical appearance.
The cathedral's architect, Frederick Gibberd, was the winner of a worldwide design competition. Construction began in 1962 and was completed in 1967. Earlier designs for a cathedral were proposed in 1853, 1933, and 1953, but none were completed.
The Metropolitan Cathedral is a significant landmark of Liverpool and therefore lends itself to being photographed very well. The reason I chose to photograph its stairs is due to being inspired directly by Alexander Rodchenko from the Unexpected Perspectives question. The photo below incorporates steps to provide a disorienting view of an everyday scene. The only thing unusual about the image is the slight tilt of the perspective but regardless gives the presentation of an alien and surreal world. The power and simplicity of this effect and also the potential of photographing unusual perspectives motivated me to create my own take on stairs and to explore ways in which angles can be used to distort their typical appearance.
I have analysed Rodchenko's image in more detail by deconstructing and analysing it. By doing this, I will be able to understand what Rodchenko does in his images, what exact effects they create and how I will be able to replicate this in my own work.
White Scar Caves
White Scar Caves is a show cave in the civil parish of Ingleton, North Yorkshire, England, under Ingleborough in the Chapel-le-Dale valley of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. It is a solutional resurgence cave formed in Carboniferous limestone, some 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) long.
It was first explored in August 1923 by two amateur geologists, Christopher Long and J.H. Churchill, but further discoveries have been made since then including The Battlefield, at 90 metres (300 ft) long it is one of the largest known cave chambers in Great Britain. Originally accessed through a vertical boulder choke, an access tunnel has been cut to include it on the visitor trail.
While on a small trip with my family in North Yorkshire, we visited the White Scar Caves. As well as being naturally interesting to photograph, the caves can provide a range of unexpected perspectives. To photograph inside the cave at all is arguably an unexpected perspective as it is only due to the cave being opened for tourists that we are able to access and see its interior. Particularly intriguing unexpected perspectives are the crevices and unusual angles caused by the shapes of the rocks.
It was first explored in August 1923 by two amateur geologists, Christopher Long and J.H. Churchill, but further discoveries have been made since then including The Battlefield, at 90 metres (300 ft) long it is one of the largest known cave chambers in Great Britain. Originally accessed through a vertical boulder choke, an access tunnel has been cut to include it on the visitor trail.
While on a small trip with my family in North Yorkshire, we visited the White Scar Caves. As well as being naturally interesting to photograph, the caves can provide a range of unexpected perspectives. To photograph inside the cave at all is arguably an unexpected perspective as it is only due to the cave being opened for tourists that we are able to access and see its interior. Particularly intriguing unexpected perspectives are the crevices and unusual angles caused by the shapes of the rocks.
Ingleton Waterfalls Trail
Ingleton Waterfalls Trail is a well-known circular trail beginning and ending in the village of Ingleton in the English county of North Yorkshire, now maintained by the Ingleton Scenery Company. It is claimed that the trail, some 8 kilometres (5 mi) long, and with a vertical rise of 169 m (554 feet) has some of the most spectacular waterfall and woodland scenery in the north of England.
While still on the trip in North Yorkshire, I followed the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail. A variety of things lent themselves to unexpected perspective photography and motivated me to take photos such as the heights reached on the trails, the reflective waters and the path's ability to provide unusual perspectives of viewing the waterfalls and their surroundings. Some unexpected perspectives I found were reflections of branches in puddles and perspectives of waterfalls.
While still on the trip in North Yorkshire, I followed the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail. A variety of things lent themselves to unexpected perspective photography and motivated me to take photos such as the heights reached on the trails, the reflective waters and the path's ability to provide unusual perspectives of viewing the waterfalls and their surroundings. Some unexpected perspectives I found were reflections of branches in puddles and perspectives of waterfalls.
Later in the walk, we encountered limestone pavement which looked both unusual to photograph and was at a tall height. The combination of the uneven, ridged rocks and the distant scenery in the background created an unusual and atmospheric scene to photograph.
Fisheye Lens - Sefton Park
The lens I used for this set was the SAMYANG 14m f/2.8 Wide Angle Lens (as shown above). As well as its ability to distort the world in providing a wider view (much like a fish eye), this lens also produced very sharp and detailed photographs due to its high aperture.
Utilising a fisheye lens I borrowed from the school, I set out to Sefton Park to take photos of the wildlife and also the people there in the sunset. Due to the afternoon being particularly hot, the weather brought out a lot of visitors and gave me opportunity to incorporate more of a theme of people in this project. The fisheye lens itself provided many unexpected perspectives throughout my visit. The lens had the ability to distort the usual perspective of a normal lens and create wide and spherical images. This lead to pictures such as close ups not only being very clear but also including a lot of the background in an unusual way. The camera generally created a strong juxtaposition between what was close and what was in the distance by completely warping any usual perspective of distance.
It is in this set where I feel that I have been most strongly influenced by two of my researched photographers. Bill Brandt’s work through the contrast of near focuses and distant backgrounds and Tom Wood's work of people and their relation to distance and perspective both show their influence in this set.
In using the fisheye lens, I feel that my take on the Unexpected Perspectives topic has been hugely advanced. The lens itself made every photo I took look surreal and encapsulated the space of the park scene I took them in. Being able to capture people with the lens has given me a good mix of natural, architecture and people photography throughout my project. I believe that capturing people with this lens would have been one of the most intriguing ways to do so as there is a lot more of a focus in movement in relation to other people and their surroundings.
Utilising a fisheye lens I borrowed from the school, I set out to Sefton Park to take photos of the wildlife and also the people there in the sunset. Due to the afternoon being particularly hot, the weather brought out a lot of visitors and gave me opportunity to incorporate more of a theme of people in this project. The fisheye lens itself provided many unexpected perspectives throughout my visit. The lens had the ability to distort the usual perspective of a normal lens and create wide and spherical images. This lead to pictures such as close ups not only being very clear but also including a lot of the background in an unusual way. The camera generally created a strong juxtaposition between what was close and what was in the distance by completely warping any usual perspective of distance.
It is in this set where I feel that I have been most strongly influenced by two of my researched photographers. Bill Brandt’s work through the contrast of near focuses and distant backgrounds and Tom Wood's work of people and their relation to distance and perspective both show their influence in this set.
In using the fisheye lens, I feel that my take on the Unexpected Perspectives topic has been hugely advanced. The lens itself made every photo I took look surreal and encapsulated the space of the park scene I took them in. Being able to capture people with the lens has given me a good mix of natural, architecture and people photography throughout my project. I believe that capturing people with this lens would have been one of the most intriguing ways to do so as there is a lot more of a focus in movement in relation to other people and their surroundings.
Timed Examination Work
Up On the Anglican Cathedral
In these photos, I utilised the way in which the Anglican Cathedral’s architecture provides an altered perspective of Liverpool’s skyline. By using photos from my other collections such as my cave photos and photos taken within the Liverpool Museum, I have created my own digital unexpected perspective. By combining images from two separate places, the images above are very jarring in what each image represents and comes from. They create an odd and surreal perspective of reality.
Museums in Liverpool City Centre
Reflections in Little Woods Forest
Inspired Work - Metropolitan Cathedral's Stairs
White Scar Caves
Ingleton Waterfall Trail
In these images I have experimented with solid colour layers in Photoshop and its ‘lighten’ mode. The original image above after modifying it with levels, vibrance and gradient fill looked quite powerful but also isolated. By adding the colour layer, it distorts the natural scenery and colour scheme altogether which creates a surreal and atmospheric image. The photos provide an unexpected perspective not just in their height but also in their altered viewpoint of reality.
In this couple of images, I decided to create the Unexpected Perspective in post-processing. The nature of waterfalls is that gravity always pulls the water downwards but by reversing this in Photoshop, a surreal effect is created. By using this method, the expected scene of a waterfall is inverted and the ordinary perspective of a countryside landscape is warped.
Fisheye Lens - Sefton Park
I added spherical blur here to add to the spherical nature of the fisheye lens.
This photo above is one of the more experimental ones from this particular set. I initially created it without the use of Photoshop by experimenting with intentionally shaking and blurring an image while pressing the shutter button. This version above is the tweaked version with its levels and saturation adjusted in Photoshop. I feel this version was very successful as the deliberate shaking of the camera added another layer of distortion and also mystery to the unusual perspective of the fisheye lens. The added colour and brightness of the trees in Photoshop bring out the life of the natural imagery in the photo while simultaneously skewing their normal structure. The photo gives us an intriguing look at the scene of a park but not in the way we expect it to.
To further experiment with the image, I added radial blur to it as the original reminded me of that particular Photoshop effect. This further distorted the image and increased the blend between the outlines of the trees for a more structured and less intricate image.
In the final image, I have added a green solid colour filter layer. I did this to create a more abstract image and to experiment with unifying the image further.
In conclusion, I feel that the original image is the most successful as it is the one that most clearly provides an unexpected perspective of a typical park image and transforms it while retaining the original structure and outline of its subject. Within doing this, it has the perfect blend of distortion and also the normality of a typical photograph.
In conclusion, I feel that the original image is the most successful as it is the one that most clearly provides an unexpected perspective of a typical park image and transforms it while retaining the original structure and outline of its subject. Within doing this, it has the perfect blend of distortion and also the normality of a typical photograph.
The image above is a collage of adjusted images I have compiled together and have demonstrated how I created it below.
Firstly, I edited each image using the levels and vibrance tools. These are small but effective changes which really make a difference by adding additional light and colour. I have shown one of the photos before and after the edits below to show the difference.
After doing this with the other three images I opened up a blank background (I have used the clone stamp tool to fill in white gaps which can be seen).
I then pasted the images onto the background.
I then made two dividing rectangles with flicked edges to separate and stylise the collage. I made the two rectangles green and yellow to fit in with the images’ colour scheme. This is the final image which can be seen below. I feel it was a success and was a visually simple but effective way to present my images.
Again, here is the final image.
Forced Perspective at Formby Beach
While on a visit to Formby Beach, I quickly experimented with an idea I had previously seen in a photo during my research. The other photos above are to show my intended direction with the experiment but the single frame photo is the specific image where I derived the idea from. The photo above utilises forced perspective by making the models lie sideways on a street. The photo can then be rotated in post-processing to then appear as if the world has tilted sideways and the models are the right way up. This creates a simple yet very confusing image by presenting the world from an alternative perspective.
In my own version, I wanted to experiment with the warped perspective of gravity and make it appear to be pulling down sideways. I feel that photographing another hanging off the wood would give an immediate impression of a warped sense of gravity as the drama and tension in trying to hang on conveys this.
In my own version, I wanted to experiment with the warped perspective of gravity and make it appear to be pulling down sideways. I feel that photographing another hanging off the wood would give an immediate impression of a warped sense of gravity as the drama and tension in trying to hang on conveys this.
I have adjusted the two photos above in Photoshop and rotated them to create the forced perspective of a sideways world. I have used blur in the images however in two separate ways. I used Gaussian blur in the first image solely to obscure the people in the background to enable the viewer to immerse themselves properly in the image continue their suspension of disbelief. I have been more experimental in the second image as I have surrounded the model in the photo with motion blur. I did this to give the impression of the world sliding away while the model hangs on. I feel this gives the photo an added level of drama and makes the photo even more surreal. I feel both photos work effectively. The first works as a simple but effective version of the forced perspective concept while the second has an added element of surrealism to it and visually conveys the idea of the world sliding away in a more visible and dramatic manner.
Final Set - Influence of Alexander Rodchenko in My Work
Rodchenko's original image which I have taken inspiration from.
I have created these four photos from the Metropolitan Cathedral set to directly show my influence of Alexander Rodchenko’s work. His particular style in his stair photo in slanting the camera’s angle is clearly visible in all of the photos I have taken for this set. By making them black and white and adding noise, I have emulated the visual aesthetic of the photo itself and also the era and the technology it was created with. The three top photos are a variation of this style but the right photo is a direct emulation of Rodchenko’s original photo (including the sole human focus and the exact angle and perspective of it). Though the models and era are different in each image, the same visual aesthetic is achieved. By using Rodchenko as a source of inspiration, I feel that my take on Unexpected Perspectives has been highly advanced and has provided me with a new outlook on regular city life through an alternate take through the lens. It is through using photographers such as Rodchenko that has inspired the process of my whole project. Through researching the work of Rodchenko, Bill Brandt and Tom Wood, my creative output has been shaped and influenced through the work of professionals that have explored similar themes to me by taking components of their work and using them in mine.