For my surreal composites I intend on doing a similar style to what I did last semester. I want to push the limits of surreal photography and come up with original and interesting ideas. I really like work that can have several confronting meanings, but it is left up to the viewer’s interpretation. My ‘Prosecution’ composite (see above) of the masked man shooting a goat is a prime example of this, as I got many comments about religion, the meat industry and terrorism, but the image itself doesn’t have a set definition.
Last semester I planned my composites very meticulously, but found this was not helpful as I ended up changing all of my ideas. This semester I am going to stay away from any set planning and let my ideas develop as I go, as this is what proved most effective last semester.
I have decided to do surreal work without Photoshop to set myself a challenge. Created abnormal things using Photoshop is not difficult as you can create almost anything that comes to mind. Creating a surreal image straight out of the camera is a complicated process however as the definition of ‘surreal’ is simply not real, but in order to photograph something it has to exist, so trying to make it look out of this world will be quite difficult. I have a few ideas on how I can achieve a surreal image without the use of Photoshop; techniques like multiple exposures and light painting can be done in camera but can create unusual images, so for one of my photographs I intend to use one of these techniques.
For the other one I will focus on the presentation of the image to make it look surreal. Presenting an image upside down for example can give a photograph a completely different look and meaning, so if I shoot cleverly I will be able to create a surreal image without any in camera, or post production techniques.
I have always been interested in alternative processes and I would love to try different techniques to create interesting artworks. I have decided to try and create cyanotypes, as the process is relatively simple and the chemicals are easy to acquire. I really like the look of cyanotypes, as you are able to print on art papers and materials to create beautifully textured works. I will most likely be capturing images digitally and printing out inkjet negatives on transparent paper to then create my cyanotypes. I may also try exposing actual objects, much like a photogram.
For my other alternative process I will be experimenting with double exposures using black and white film. I have always loved working with black and white film, and creating a double exposure in film gives a very ‘authentic’ appearance to the image, as it is much more challenging than creating something in Photoshop. There are many other alternative processes out there and I intend to do more research and find techniques that interest me and hopefully try them out.
For my cover art I want to stick to a similar style as my surreal artwork intended for exhibitions, except I am putting the art to commercial use. I want it to be in a similar style as conceptual art with surreal content and bizarre meanings has become my forte and I would want a client hiring me because of my unique and individual approach.
Unlike my other artwork, the cover art will have to be restricted in forms of size, ratio and placement of content, as room for text will be needed. The cover art will also have to be related to the music, or theme of the book. I would like to try and create cover art for local authors and musicians, but this may prove to be a difficult process, so I may end up creating work based on albums and books I really like.
Creating a fusion video will be a new experience for me, as I have not attempted at using video on my camera as of yet. Fusion is a new technique which is becoming increasingly popular, particularly in wedding photography, but it can also be used for advertising or showcasing art. I want to try doing Fusion as I believe that keeping up with new technologies is very important in the photographic industry if you want to make the most out of your career.
For my fusion entry I want to focus on landscape and nature photography. I have always been interested in landscape and nature, and I would love to create a video to showcase my skills in this genre. Being able to take spectacular photographs and videos of the natural world would give me an advantage if I want to go for a job as a travel or wildlife photographer, which is one of my desired options after the course. In my video I plan to put together a combination of Stills, videos and time lapses to create a beautiful showcase of the natural world. By using a combination of these techniques but shooting the same locations I can create different aspects of the same content which will fit together very nicely in the end product (for example a time lapse of stars and a long exposure photograph). As the Fusion video will be 2 to 5 minutes in length, I will need to take approximately 40 photographs and videos to fill that time (a 4 minute video comprised of 40 pieces allows 6 seconds for each).
Some of my current Fusion ideas are:
-Time lapse of a flower blooming
-Flower and insect macro photographs
-HD video of rain in a creek
-HD video of a butterfly or insect in slow motion
-Time Lapse of grass growing
-HD video of waves
-Long exposure photograph of waves
-Time lapse of star trails
-Long exposure of star trails
-HD video of a waterfall
-Long exposure of a waterfall
In order to get a variety of different landscapes I plan to do a lot of travelling, and possibly returning to the Grampians and Dorrigo National Park, as they were both excellent locations for landscape photography. The backing music I have decided on is Miss You by Trentemoller. It is a beautiful instrumental piece that I find very visually stimulating.
