Available Light
Exam Question
Many photographers and filmmakers such as Imogen Cunningham, Jan Groover and Bill Brandt have created successful images only using available light. Their work often includes clearly defined areas of light and shadow, which reveal aspects of the subject that may otherwise have been unnoticed. Research relevant examples and produce your own work.
Reason for choice:
I have chosen this question as it is the one I feel most matches what I want to explore in photography. The question gives me the opportunity to explore nature and wildlife in photography as well as some night based photos. This question is very versatile and opens up a lot of opportunities to photograph anything and everything given the right situation. Within this question, I will be able to have the option of photographing things I am passionate about and also not have to worry about being limited for options. The question itself is also an interesting subject to base photographs around as the combination of darkness and light are very potent at their best.
I have chosen this question as it is the one I feel most matches what I want to explore in photography. The question gives me the opportunity to explore nature and wildlife in photography as well as some night based photos. This question is very versatile and opens up a lot of opportunities to photograph anything and everything given the right situation. Within this question, I will be able to have the option of photographing things I am passionate about and also not have to worry about being limited for options. The question itself is also an interesting subject to base photographs around as the combination of darkness and light are very potent at their best.
Initial Plan
This question will lead me to focus on available natural light from the sun and possibly the moon. This will mean I will most likely take my photos at dusk or at night, however, this could be altered and photos could be converted to black and white with Photoshop for use in the day. For my images, I intend to take photos of nature so I may visit a forest or park to make use of the available light at dusk. I have been inspired by the work of Bill Brandt so I will hopefully take some photos of some streetlights at night and some other night scenes.
The images above are a collage are a compilation other photographers photos which contain some of the stylistic features, atmospheres and moods I wish to achieve in my own work in the future. All areas which I wish to explore in my project such as forests and streets at night are contained in the collage and demonstrate what I hope to achieve in my project. I hope to produce photographs with similar subjects to a similar standard as the images above.
Keywords: Available, light, dark, street, sun, silhouette, people, night life, trees, forest, raindrops, shadow, sky, stars, lamppost, tree tops, glow, fog, reflection, grass, nature, minimal, bare, cars, alone, overwhelming, fading, shrubbery.
Keywords: Available, light, dark, street, sun, silhouette, people, night life, trees, forest, raindrops, shadow, sky, stars, lamppost, tree tops, glow, fog, reflection, grass, nature, minimal, bare, cars, alone, overwhelming, fading, shrubbery.
Assessment Plan
Research - Work of Other Photographers
Assorted Forest Photography
While the most frequently appearing photographer in the collage above is Filip Eremita, the variety of photos above from many different photographers have been heavily influential within my work as forest photography is something I intend to specialise my project in. The photos all share the common theme of utilising the ways in which light finds its way into forests. This is influential to me as this is how I intend to link natural photography and the Available Light theme. I feel that I may not be able to photograph as colourful forests as in some of the images before due to the few forests in the local area. I do intend, however, to try and capture the light peeking through the trunks of the trees as many of the photos above do.
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. Night photography was one of Brandt's specialties so his work is very suitable to the theme of 'Available Light'.
In these photos, Bill Brandt perfectly exemplifies the effective combination of light and dark in photography. In these photos, he takes advantage of the light available to him and uses it to highlight the subjects of the photos. The ones I like in particular are the ones which use fog to the photos advantage. These add light to the photo but in a much less precise and in a much broader area while creating a sense of ambiguity to the photo. The night photos also particularly appeal to me as they give off a much darker atmosphere but remain intriguing within the barely visible outlines or objects.The fact that they are all black and white adds a lot more definition to the photo and separates the light from the dark even further which works well. The exploration of less glamorous streets and cities as Brandt has done is something I am intrigued in as the dark tones work well with the city's mood. The photos above are a representation as to what I would like to achieve within my photos. The darkness accompanied with the few glimpses of light create really powerful and striking images which is what I would like to explore in my future work.
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 Available Light project as the photo takes advantage of the minimal light seeping through the roof of the building and captures the winding and fluid nature of the banisters and the shadows that the minimal light creates. 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 the 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 Available Light project as the photo takes advantage of the minimal light seeping through the roof of the building and captures the winding and fluid nature of the banisters and the shadows that the minimal light creates. 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 the its context properly if the building was clean and flawless.
Brassaï
Brassaï (9 September 1899 – 8 July 1984) was a Hungarian–French photographer, sculptor, writer, and filmmaker who rose to international fame in France in the 20th century. He was one of the numerous Hungarian artists who flourished in Paris beginning between the World Wars. In the early 21st century, the discovery of more than 200 letters and hundreds of drawings and other items from the period 1940–1984 has provided scholars with material for understanding his later life and career.
Halász's job and his love of the city, whose streets he often wandered late at night, led to his impressive night photography. He first used it to supplement some of his articles for more money, but rapidly explored the city through this medium, in which he was tutored by his fellow Hungarian André Kertész. He later wrote that he used photography "in order to capture the beauty of streets and gardens in the rain and fog, and to capture Paris by night." Using the name of his birthplace, Gyula Halász went by the pseudonym "Brassaï," which means "from Brasso."
Brassaï captured the essence of the city in his photographs, published as his first collection in the 1933 book entitled Paris de nuit (Paris by Night). His book gained great success, resulting in being called "the eye of Paris" in an essay by his friend Henry Miller.
Halász's job and his love of the city, whose streets he often wandered late at night, led to his impressive night photography. He first used it to supplement some of his articles for more money, but rapidly explored the city through this medium, in which he was tutored by his fellow Hungarian André Kertész. He later wrote that he used photography "in order to capture the beauty of streets and gardens in the rain and fog, and to capture Paris by night." Using the name of his birthplace, Gyula Halász went by the pseudonym "Brassaï," which means "from Brasso."
Brassaï captured the essence of the city in his photographs, published as his first collection in the 1933 book entitled Paris de nuit (Paris by Night). His book gained great success, resulting in being called "the eye of Paris" in an essay by his friend Henry Miller.
Brassai’s work is very intriguing to me and fits the ‘Available Light’ question perfectly. By capturing city life through the lens and using only the light from lampposts, his work is very minimal but still remains striking. The fog of the city in his photos accompanied with the black and white adds a mysterious and dark atmosphere to them.
Part of Timed Examination:
Out of the two artists I have researched, I have drawn the most inspiration from Brassai. This is because I particularly like his use of minimal light and how the little light there is in his images becomes the focus of them. Although Brassai and Bill Brandt show some similarities in their work, Brassai’s has inspired me more due to the clarity and the versatility in his images. His subject being mainly streets inspired me because I was intrigued by how he used light from different sources such as lampposts and then used them to create very mysterious and even sometimes slightly unsettling images. I also think the use of black and white in his images is effective as it highlights and accentuates the light in them. Whereas I don’t have very many gloomy photos similar to Brassai’s apart from some in my night photography collection, I was still very aware of and inspired by Brassai’s technique and composition which I took into account while taking my images. To replicate the style of and to achieve a similar effect to what he does in his work, I will convert some of my photos to black and white and edit them in a way to try and achieve a similar aesthetic.
Part of Timed Examination:
Out of the two artists I have researched, I have drawn the most inspiration from Brassai. This is because I particularly like his use of minimal light and how the little light there is in his images becomes the focus of them. Although Brassai and Bill Brandt show some similarities in their work, Brassai’s has inspired me more due to the clarity and the versatility in his images. His subject being mainly streets inspired me because I was intrigued by how he used light from different sources such as lampposts and then used them to create very mysterious and even sometimes slightly unsettling images. I also think the use of black and white in his images is effective as it highlights and accentuates the light in them. Whereas I don’t have very many gloomy photos similar to Brassai’s apart from some in my night photography collection, I was still very aware of and inspired by Brassai’s technique and composition which I took into account while taking my images. To replicate the style of and to achieve a similar effect to what he does in his work, I will convert some of my photos to black and white and edit them in a way to try and achieve a similar aesthetic.
In this image, Brassai has taken a scenic photo of a park with a river in the fog. The image looks particularly effective as the fog creates a gloomy and mysterious atmosphere. The image has been arranged to create a sense of distance as the bicycle in the front of the photo works as the foreground while the distant light and buildings form the background.The couple walking away from the lens and the brightest light in the image, the lamppost, also create a middle ground. By photographing all of these components, Brassai creates a photo with a lot of depth which leads the eye through the photograph. While the lamppost draws the most attention in the photograph, Brassai ensures that the foreground is not lacklustre with the dark and sharp silhouette of the bicycle creating a very full image. The image is not oversaturated however as the vague outlines and lights in the background draw the eye away from the bicycle.
As Brassai was mainly a French photographer, this photo will most likely be one from his Paris collection from the 1930s. His work mostly consists of night photography so this one is very similar to a lot of his previous work.
This photo is influential to my work as it exemplifies the aesthetic Brassai goes for which I wish to explore and potentially even replicate. The way in which light is made to appear very soft and helps to capture the objects in a photo more clearly is something I personally admire in Brassai's work. As the project is Available Light, I feel that Brassai uses the light given to him in the environments he photographs in very well and lets the minimal light become the subject of the photo as opposed to it being an obstruction. His work provided me with a different outlook on night photography and showed me a new angle to night photography which I can explore in my own work.
I feel that the strengths of this photo are its advantageous use of light in using soft light to make a mysterious, subtle and elusive photo. I personally don't feel there are any faults with this image.
As Brassai was mainly a French photographer, this photo will most likely be one from his Paris collection from the 1930s. His work mostly consists of night photography so this one is very similar to a lot of his previous work.
This photo is influential to my work as it exemplifies the aesthetic Brassai goes for which I wish to explore and potentially even replicate. The way in which light is made to appear very soft and helps to capture the objects in a photo more clearly is something I personally admire in Brassai's work. As the project is Available Light, I feel that Brassai uses the light given to him in the environments he photographs in very well and lets the minimal light become the subject of the photo as opposed to it being an obstruction. His work provided me with a different outlook on night photography and showed me a new angle to night photography which I can explore in my own work.
I feel that the strengths of this photo are its advantageous use of light in using soft light to make a mysterious, subtle and elusive photo. I personally don't feel there are any faults with this image.
My Own Photographic Work
Little Wood
Part of Timed Examination:
I feel strongly about these images as they look unique to all my other sets. The other places I have photographed have trees that are full of life and have many leaves however this set contains nearly all photos of dead trees. This works well as being accompanied with a gloomy sky gives them a creepy and slightly disturbing vibe. The amount of thin branches they had creates some very interesting photos as in my overhead photos the various patterns of their outstretching creates very detailed images that lead the eye through them. To improve my images I will use distortion effects to take advantage of the branches frequency and length.
I feel strongly about these images as they look unique to all my other sets. The other places I have photographed have trees that are full of life and have many leaves however this set contains nearly all photos of dead trees. This works well as being accompanied with a gloomy sky gives them a creepy and slightly disturbing vibe. The amount of thin branches they had creates some very interesting photos as in my overhead photos the various patterns of their outstretching creates very detailed images that lead the eye through them. To improve my images I will use distortion effects to take advantage of the branches frequency and length.
Formby Forrest/Beach
Part of Timed Examination:
I chose to take photos in Formby as its forest is home to very tall and crooked trees. Its beach was also part of the appeal as I have photographed there before to my success. I am quite fond of this set of images as the amount of trees and their small trunks create a lot of crevices for light to pass through, a main aim of images I wanted to create starting off on the project. Although arguably the beach pictures are dull and lifeless due to the grey sky, I believe this adds atmosphere to the images and through the fog and mistiness a sense of mystery is created. Due to the dull weather, not many people were on the beach on the day of shooting. This creates a sense of isolation which I further enhanced by photographing my friend Ben by himself. I personally feel that these images are very atmospheric and add intrigue through their spaciousness.
I chose to take photos in Formby as its forest is home to very tall and crooked trees. Its beach was also part of the appeal as I have photographed there before to my success. I am quite fond of this set of images as the amount of trees and their small trunks create a lot of crevices for light to pass through, a main aim of images I wanted to create starting off on the project. Although arguably the beach pictures are dull and lifeless due to the grey sky, I believe this adds atmosphere to the images and through the fog and mistiness a sense of mystery is created. Due to the dull weather, not many people were on the beach on the day of shooting. This creates a sense of isolation which I further enhanced by photographing my friend Ben by himself. I personally feel that these images are very atmospheric and add intrigue through their spaciousness.
Best 20
Black and White
The photos I have taken fit into the Available Light project as the areas I have taken them in make use of any light that comes through. Little Wood and Formby Forest are home to pine trees which created a lot of barriers for light to glimpse through through their long branches and trunks. Although on the days I took the photos the Sun was not bright, the minimal light that does prevail through the trees creates very intriguing images and a mysterious and dark atmosphere. The photos I have taken later on in the Formby set work well into the Available Light project as the minimal light that can be seen from the sky off the coast is taking advantage of the light which was available to me. I chose these two areas, Little Wood and Formby to take photos as I wanted to have a theme of nature for the project. The way in which there is minimal light which can creep through in few places in forests feels very appropriate for the subject so I thought it would be a good idea to take photos in them. As most of my images as of yet are very dark and feature dull blue or grey skies due to poor weather, I intend to take more photos at a later date for the project. I will most likely revisit the same areas to take more photos featuring bright skies as I initially intended. In these photos, I will try to photograph the shadows the trees make and the bright sun leaking through the numerous tree trunks. Some brighter photos on Formby beach would also be beneficial to my work as the shadows the sand dunes would make as well as the Sun being very prominent on the coast would make for some very dramatic images.
Experimentation of Images
Experimenting with Photoshop
In the above images, I have used the same image to explore different ways of editing it and the different effects they produce. I chose this image particularly as it stands out to me due to its minimalism and potency in the range of the beach and the sole person stood alone. I feel that I have fully explored the relationship between the human figure with the beach aesthetically and a different variety of looks and moods have been produced as a result. I feel a more lonesome mood is created through the likes of the black and white photo and the photo above but a more light hearted mood is created in the likes of the vibrant pink/green picture for example.
Duplicate Effect
Polaroids
Bankfield Park
Part of Timed Examination:
I took these images of Bankfield park and local areas in school hours due to its short distance from the school. I feel that these photos were a success due to the light passing through thin leaves and branches of the trees and the many blooming flowers of the other plants. As the shoot was within school hours I was unable to take as many photos as I would have liked as I was restricted in time and areas to photograph. I do believe that this set aids my project however as it is one of the few with bright sunlight within it. To improve upon these images, I will take advantage of their bright light and colour by adjusting their contrast.
I took these images of Bankfield park and local areas in school hours due to its short distance from the school. I feel that these photos were a success due to the light passing through thin leaves and branches of the trees and the many blooming flowers of the other plants. As the shoot was within school hours I was unable to take as many photos as I would have liked as I was restricted in time and areas to photograph. I do believe that this set aids my project however as it is one of the few with bright sunlight within it. To improve upon these images, I will take advantage of their bright light and colour by adjusting their contrast.
Developing Ideas:
Reflect and Refine
LLandudno at Night
Part of Timed Examination:
These photos are a collection of photos I took at night while in Llandudno, Wales. At the start of my project, I intended to take photos centred around nature but I also intended to explore night photography which I have done in these images. At the time these photos were taken, it was raining which luckily added to the appeal of them. The rain has caused many reflections on the ground which brightens up and colours the photos more than they would have been on a dry day. In some of the images, the rain also produces a hazy effect which accompanied with bright lights and some slight blur creates an eye-catching and intriguing set. I will improve upon these images by taking advantage of the bright and colourful lights and editing with saturation in focus. I will also try to create some images stylised in a similar way to Brassai’s work who I have drawn inspiration from.
These photos are a collection of photos I took at night while in Llandudno, Wales. At the start of my project, I intended to take photos centred around nature but I also intended to explore night photography which I have done in these images. At the time these photos were taken, it was raining which luckily added to the appeal of them. The rain has caused many reflections on the ground which brightens up and colours the photos more than they would have been on a dry day. In some of the images, the rain also produces a hazy effect which accompanied with bright lights and some slight blur creates an eye-catching and intriguing set. I will improve upon these images by taking advantage of the bright and colourful lights and editing with saturation in focus. I will also try to create some images stylised in a similar way to Brassai’s work who I have drawn inspiration from.
Sefton Park
Part of Timed Examination:
As I based my Available Light project around nature, Sefton Park was an obvious local choice due to the scale of it and its lush greenery. As it is so large, I was able to take many different photos of its trees, flowers and lakes. The park being home to the palm-house aided me well in having many exotic and vibrant plants for me to photograph. As it was particularly sunny on the day of shooting, a lot of my images look a lot brighter than some in my other sets. This worked well for me as things in my photos such as the reflections cast off of the water wouldn’t have been possible without the weather working to my advantage. The differentiation of brightness in my sets has been a positive however as it has enabled me to have the versatility of creating images of both lighter and gloomy atmospheres.
As I based my Available Light project around nature, Sefton Park was an obvious local choice due to the scale of it and its lush greenery. As it is so large, I was able to take many different photos of its trees, flowers and lakes. The park being home to the palm-house aided me well in having many exotic and vibrant plants for me to photograph. As it was particularly sunny on the day of shooting, a lot of my images look a lot brighter than some in my other sets. This worked well for me as things in my photos such as the reflections cast off of the water wouldn’t have been possible without the weather working to my advantage. The differentiation of brightness in my sets has been a positive however as it has enabled me to have the versatility of creating images of both lighter and gloomy atmospheres.
Timed Examination
Llandudno
Bankfield Park
Little Wood
Sefton Park
The image below took many steps in Photoshop to have its final outcome. Beneath it, I have taken screenshots of the editing process to show the different stages in editing the photo and to outline the specific and subtle features I have used.
This is the original image that I started out with
To add some focus to the focal point of the image, the bench, I used the lasso tool to select the bench, inverted the selection and then blurred the remainder of the image.
To fix the image’s brightness with its blown out look, I adjusted it with a levels layer.
To brighten up the image slightly and to bring out more colours, I then used a brightness/contrast layer.
To then finally add another subtle feature to focus on the bench more, I added a gradient layer which fades away towards the bench.
The image above is the final product which I feel is a large improvement on the original.
Formby Forrest/Beach
With these two images, I have chosen to experiment with black and white combined with colour spotting and full colour variations of the same photo. I feel that both photos respectively convey different atmospheres which demonstrates just how much effect Photoshop can have on an image. I personally think that the black and white variation is the stronger photo as it further highlights the isolation of the beach and its grey, gloomy sky.