About Me | Mysite

About Me - Artist Statement

I had to completely change my idea from my original brief since I did not have any of the facilities or supplies, I needed for it, so I instead chose to document my isolation period through a collection of photographs. I decided on 3 categories as my subject matters which were myself and my various moods, my family (pets included) and random moments or objects throughout the isolation period. I wanted to get a variety of outcomes my primary focus being different styles of lighting and editing styles but above all else to have fun with it.

I found that throughout the first half of isolation I had so much inspiration to take photographs, but I also had days or weeks where I would just go into a state of procrastination. This was when I decided I wanted to document some of my moods since I have had mood swings like never before, which was a direct result of forced isolation. I began by just playing with my camera and figuring out how to use a timer on it. I began on a timer of around 10 second between each shot and took 5 images at a time. This had some strong outcomes occasionally, but I felt that I was staging the shot too much. I wanted to capture the genuine emotion I was feeling which I new was going to be difficult since I’m not highly experienced. After a few weeks I changed the timer down to 3 seconds which I think drastically made the pictures feel more authentic. I messed around with different poses and facial expressions that reflected the mood I was in, exploring the theme of mental well being in self isolation.

Daylight offered some nice natural lighting which I figured I could use to my advantage since my bedroom gets the afternoon sun directly shinning into it. However, my bedroom layout made it challenging to get a good angle with the sunlight so I used whatever I could find to prop up my camera which worked well but was a slow process. I searched the house and found an old tripod which allowed me to speed up the process drastically as I could just do a continuous shoot without moving the camera. After moving on from daylight I have a grey blind which I thought would make for a good background that doesn’t pull focus. Of an evening I first tried using the flash on my camera which had some nice direct lighting but I wanted to experiment more so I tried using a torch and my torch on my phone these initially was a failed theory however I got the idea to tape a tube from the toilet roll to my iPhone touch and I was so pleased with the spot light effect. The final lighting effect I tried was a lamp I positioned off to my side to get a half-lit face and placed it directly under my chin to shin up which gave a nice almost magical effect.

Editing I used a combination of photoshop express, and the editor built into my phone. I didn’t particularly enjoy the editing process, but I found it drastically improved the quality of my images. I was very fortunate that I had access to a proper camera, and I think overall the quality of my images are what I wanted to achieve. I decided to present these outcomes on a wix website because I think that it looks a lot more professional than a PowerPoint and it was something I got to learn how to use for any future projects.

Research Tasks

Richard Billingham

I really love the grainy, vintage aesthetic which is something I have tried to replicate myself but without any success. I Have used a warm dynamic filter over some of my self-portraits which have had the best result.

This photograph isolates its subject in a completely random situation with his arm on the toilet. This style of photography is difficult to try out with modern day technology as smart phones and professional camera’s take clear cut images without any grain

I really like how the door has a leading line which takes us right up to the subject. This narrows down our focus and removes some possible distractions.

Phillip Toledano

This photography also isolates its subject however the deep focus on the subject and his melancholy facial expression beautifully captures the feeling of loneliness which is a serious problem the elderly generation face and is something we are all experiencing in these times during lockdown. The dark environment also does not draw our focus from the subject.

Since my family do not enjoy having their photos taken, I have been trying to use myself as a subject hopefully capturing my various moods during lockdown.

This image uses the reflection from the mirror to create a pretty heavy and emotional image. His father suffered from dementia, so his completely bleak facial expression raises the question of what is he seeing? Is he seeing himself or an unfamiliar face?

During these depressing times in isolation all we can think about are our loved ones and how they are coping. If my mum and dad are having a particularly rough day, although it could make a good photograph, I am going to choose to respect that they might not appreciate it.

Cig Hervey

I absolutely adore this photograph because everything about it is so innocent and cute. The empty space makes it clear we are supposed to be focusing on the goldfish peering out from behind the little girl’s foot. The goldfish is positioned like how a child would stand behind a parent when nervous or scared. The natural lighting reflecting on the water really makes the vibrancy of the orange fish stand out.

I also like the positioning of the subjects so they are off to the right so we also get a nice shadow cast which is a nice touch

I would love to find a way to capture my cat’s curious personality in a photograph which will be my aim when photographing them.

Julian Germite

I really like the contrast in the focusing. The meal on the table is clearly the focus point but I cannot help but be curious about what the blurred figure is searching for in the background. The furniture is also a nice rustic environment adding a natural feel to the indoor environment.

I would like to try to have one picture with a shallow depth of field so the background is unclear and pulls focus to what is closest to the camera.

The lighting also seems very natural around the table and more bleak in the background giving another nice contrast

Sonny malhotra

I really like the style of photography in isolation. It’s a situation none of us have been in before in this lifetime making it have a lot of different effects on people and I think this picture beautifully captures the feeling of being trapped in doors only able to view the out from a window. I really like how it captures how these two subjects are coping together offering support for one another with a hug.

I also love how symmetrical this image is, combined with the harsh whites i think it adds a clean and sterile feel to the photograph.

Lockdown has made me connect better with my family through finding ways to entertain ourselves. Although they don’t like me taking pictures of them but if I had other subjects I would try to replicate this style.

Tim Dunk

I really like this particular series of photographs taken over face time since the surrounding environment has a very melancholy aesthetic which is created through the harsh shadows. The subject is positioned in these shadows keeping out of the light which i think is symbolic for how we are being forced to stay indoors when we'd rather be outside with friends and family.

I would like to experiment more with some more harsh lighting to see how that would make a contrast between the light and dark areas.

Fran Monks

I chose this photograph because i found it interesting how this picture captures how this individual has been keeping himself busy during isolation. The books in the background suggest he enjoys reading and there are elements that suggest he enjoys

music.

I would like to try to photography some moments where my parents are in the middle of an activity just as a way of showing how they've been keeping occupied