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Experimental Photography

Catherine Giggal

Reflection

The experiments that were carried out in a reflective manner turned out rather interesting, as each one had a unique look to it. For this particular experiment, a specific camera setting was not required, it was completely spontaneous. It is notable that puddles, as well as a mirrored surface in order to carry out the experiments, which acted as great canvases for the photography work. The results of the experiment varied, where the second image had a ‘warped’ appearance to it, which added a sense of surrealism into the photograph, therefore making it more interesting as an image. However, the first photograph, which was taken using the reflection of a building was effective, as it captured the colours that were posed by the building itself. Also, it was very clear and has no means of distortion as the camera was in focus, as opposed to the second image, which was rather blurry, which may make it less appealing to the primary target audience. The third and final image was the most clear out of all three, which is why it would be deemed as the most ‘effective’ and successful experiment from this particular set.

There is a clear, crisp focus upon the reflection itself, making it the primary focal point of the whole image. It is also rather bright, which makes it stand out as a photograph, whilst also attracting the attention of the viewer fully too.

It captures not only one reflection, but three (the clouds, feet and the tree branch), which is effective as it gives the viewer several mirrored aspects, as opposed to a singular one, which makes it more appealing to view.

In a way, the photograph appears as though it has a ‘blurred focus’ element to it, where the outer sections are not in focus and there is a sole focus on the reflective part of the image. This initially makes the shot look more professional and stylised, which will interest the viewer highly.

Out of Focus

The several images that are displayed on the right-hand side are the results that were obtained from the ‘out of focus’ photography experiment. All three of the photographs have a significant sense of blurriness attached to them, with the third image being the brightest, due to the artificial lighting surrounded by it, in contrast to image one and two, which have natural lighting that almost adds a sense of darkness to the stated images which was due to the weather at the time. The change from artificial to natural lighting enabled me to experiment with the different outcomes that each ‘out of focus’ shot could have depending on what type of lighting was provided at the time, which made it more interesting to shoot. The contrast of colour is very unique in the first image, as a form of low-key lighting is provided, but the pop of colour from the window pane stands out and will initially catch the attention of the viewer, as it is the central focal point and makes the image look more effective as a whole.

It is interesting how the dark tone of the image does not detract the bright sense of colour, which was detected by the camera and makes the image look more appealing in general. Also, the ‘blurred’ subject(s) of the image can still be determined, which makes it appear rather clear, even though it is classed as an ‘out of focus image’.

The vibrant, turquoise section of colour stands out and draws in the attention of the viewer and is effective as a whole and contributes greatly to the overall experiment in general.

The speckled, blurred effect on the window is interesting as it was spontaneous, but works well, as it adds a patterned effect onto the photograph and makes it appear more artistic in a sense and rather professional looking, even though it was a mere experiment.

Photomontages

The several images that are displayed on the right-hand side are the results that were obtained from the ‘photomontage’ photography experiment. I used Photoshop to combine a set of similar images together for each of the images, which I think turned out rather successful, with my first photograph (the staircase) looking abstract, which adds depth to the image and makes it appear more interesting. On the other hand, I think my second and third image are much more structured than that of my first image and looks as though they are one big, landscape piece so to speak, as opposed to a haphazard image, which is effective, as it makes them appear more clear, and as they are all in one strip, they are more easy to focus on. In order to create these image, I had to take several images of a certain section (such as a line of tree) then I had to upload them to Photoshop itself and initiate the ‘photomontage’ process from there. Overall, I think all of my final three images looked rather professional, but in would say that my third montage appeared superior to its predecessors, due to the simple fact that it is more structured as an image than the other montages.

This particular photomontage is effective as it almost looks as though it is a panorama shot, even though it was composed like that by chance through means of Photoshop. It adds a new perspective onto the image, as the entirety of the upper tree section had been captured in full, which gives the viewer an extended outlook of the area itself.

There is a ‘collage’ feel to this specific image, which is effective, as it adds dimension to the photomontage in full and makes it appear rather abstract, which initially makes it highly interesting to view as a piece, due to its quirky nature.

The ‘panorama’ type shot captures not only the trees, but the background elements as well (the clouds, sky and bus shelter), which is useful, as even though they are secondary to the primary focal points of the image, the viewer can still take notice of these features that initially add detail into the image, which makes it more interesting in general.

Movement

The set of experimental images on the right-hand side show some form of movement through means of altering the shitter speed of the camera so that it captures the full effect of an ‘active’ subject, in a sense. It is notable that ‘activity’ is key in this form of experimental photography, where image one of the shots displays a group of individuals who seem to be blurred out, however, this is due to their gradual movement over a short period of time, which added an ironic sense of life into a still image. This compares with both images two and three, which also inhabit this unique sense of movement; however, they are significantly more prominent and are therefore the most successful experiments, as the ‘movement’ aspect is clear, with a track of footsteps being recorded over a certain amount of time that was captured by the camera perfectly. The ‘still’ objects around the subjects of the images are secondary to the established ‘movement’ element of each of the photographs, which makes them appear more unique, as they have an equal ratio of activitiy:inactivity.

An interesting effect is created with the inactive objects in the image (chairs, tables), with the active elements (people). In a way, it is rather ironic, as a sense of activity has been included in a still image, which makes it more interesting to look at as well.

The subjects of the photographic experiment stand out from the white flooring, which has made this particular, image the most successful experiment, as a contrasting effect is made and it almost looks like an illusion, as the footprints of the subjects are floating above the floor. Also, the use of black and white together makes the image stand out, which will initially grab and hold the attention of the viewer in full.

A high-angle shot has been utilised as a way of capturing the image, as it is an effective stance that initially connotes ‘smallness’, which is appropriate as the camera is looking down on the subjects who are small in stature from this particular point of view, which is why this angle works well in conveying a sense of minimalism.

Harris Shutter

The set of experimental images on the right-hand side display the ‘Harris Shutter’ effect, that was obtained from using an app on a smartphone device. The three images show the full extent of what this particular app filter can display, where the element of movement has been captured along with a high amount of colour, which is effective, as it makes the images more visually appealing, as there is a high focus upon bright colouring. My first image (which captured a chair) turned out rather successful, as it shows a ‘doubled’ image of the main subject, which almost makes it look like an optical illusion in a way, which will make the viewer even more interested in the photography effect itself. This sense of ‘doubling’ is featured within all three of my photographs and looks unique and initially catches the attention of the viewer due to the vibrant aspect of it, which is why the ‘Harris Shutter’ effect is seen as a popular effect. Out of all three of the images, I prefer the second image, which not only captures the main subject, but also the other elements around it, which makes it look more appealing in general.

The mixture of different colours on this specific image are highly interesting as it almost adds a ‘kaleidoscope’ effect onto the photograph, which initially makes it have an abstract edge, as the viewer can focus on not only one single colour, but a rainbow of different ones, which is effective, as it means that it will immediately catch the attention of the viewer.

The doubling effect adds a sense of dimension onto the stated image, as the viewer will be able to see the movement element posed by the filter itself. It initially adds a sense of energy into the photograph itself, even though it is a still image, which makes it more intriguing as a piece in general.

The Harris Shutter captures the background of the image in full, emphasising the most prominent parts and adding colour onto them so that they also stand out, not just the main subject(s) of the photograph. The effect detects a range of different elements, which initially makes it more interesting.

Lightography

The set of experimental images on the right-hand side have been created using a ‘lightography’ effect. The first image displays a heart shape, which I think that turned out successful, even though it was an experiment. The camera captured the shape in full and it was one of the most effective images that was shot on the day. In contrast, the second photograph was shot in broad daylight, (unlike my first and third image). However, I do think that the second image turned out rather successful, as even though the backdrop is bright, the light still shines prominently and is the main focus of the image. However, I do think that the first and third image were the best examples of the lightography experiment, as the dark background enabled the light of the torch to shine brightly and glow to its full potential, whilst the one shot in broad daylight hindered the development of the light in a sense.

The dark background is a perfect environment for the lightography experiment, as the bright torchlight stands out greatly and it makes the heart, which is the primary focal point of the entire image, the main section that the viewer will admire.

The shape of the main subject is outlined perfectly, which means that the viewer will be bale to determine what the actual subject is and from that they can determine their own view on it and what the meaning behind the iconic symbol means to them on a personal level.

I think it is effective how the light form itself has different beams of extended light coming off of it, as it adds a sense of intensity to the light figure and makes it appear more glowing in a sense, which will intrigue the viewer greatly.

Scanography

The set of experimental images on the right-hand side have been created using a ‘scanography’ effect. I think that this specific form of photography Is effective as it displays a sense of surrealism into the image, which adds a unique and interesting edge onto the final image, making it more appealing to the viewer. This type of experimental photography shows an almost ‘distorted’ version of the subject that has been captured under the scanner. My first image shows an elongated hand, which is rather eye-catching and almost has an ‘animated’ style look to it, which makes it appear quite quirky and unusual. On the other hand, my second and third photographs are more haphazard in structure, as opposed to having an ‘animated’ look to them, much like my first image. The third image displays a combination of two colours, with a central jagged edge, which makes the image appear more intriguing in general. Out of all three images, the second one is my favourite, as it is rather simplistic, as it was created using a scanned duster; however, the movement of the subject almost looks like a set of sound waves, which adds a unique, artistic edge onto the stated image. Also, there is a rippling effect on the photograph as well, which initially makes the image have a sense of dimension linked into it.

The pattern within the shape is unusual, as it looks as though it is moving in a swirling motion, which makes the image inhabit a sense of ‘movement’ into it, even though it is a still image, there is an active element to it, which will most probably be picked up by the viewer.

The pattern of movement that was recorded by this experimental technique is interesting, as it appears in the shape of a sound wave, which makes it unique, but also a successful experiment, as it works effectively as it stands out greatly from the noticeably dark background.

The pattern within the shape is unusual, as it looks as though it is moving in a swirling motion, which makes the image inhabit a sense of ‘movement’ into it, even though it is a still image, there is an active element to it, which will most probably be picked up by the viewer.