The Science Museum-Alec Soth
Alec Soth is an American photographer, who is to be considered one of the most famous documentary photographers. 'The greatest living photographer of America’s social and geographical landscape'- The Telegraph. Many of his photographs are of portraits, landscapes and the wilderness, which are all linked to his main theme of on the open road. He captures the rawness of the human emotions through his modern images, such as happiness, joy, disappointment etc. In the exhibition at the science museum, it includes his four classic series - Sleeping by the Mississippi (2004), Niagara (2006), Broken Manual (2010) and his most recent Songbook (2014).
I think seeing these images in person was a lot different to seeing the images on the internet. This is because, looking at the images in person, you can sense more of a feeling to the images and how they make you feel, as you can really closely look at all the little details in the images. Where as on the internet, you can zoom into the photographs, but they usually turn out burry. One thing i have learnt today from Alec Soths work is that lots of his images are portraits of people, and they all tell a different story. I think I could use this in my own work, so instead of taking pictures of things I like, I should think about what story it tells behind it or how is makes the audience feel. He lays out all of the images in the same way, usually portrait or landscape but from in all his pictures, which either have a lot going on, or haven one main focus, such as the man dancing on his own.
I think seeing these images in person was a lot different to seeing the images on the internet. This is because, looking at the images in person, you can sense more of a feeling to the images and how they make you feel, as you can really closely look at all the little details in the images. Where as on the internet, you can zoom into the photographs, but they usually turn out burry. One thing i have learnt today from Alec Soths work is that lots of his images are portraits of people, and they all tell a different story. I think I could use this in my own work, so instead of taking pictures of things I like, I should think about what story it tells behind it or how is makes the audience feel. He lays out all of the images in the same way, usually portrait or landscape but from in all his pictures, which either have a lot going on, or haven one main focus, such as the man dancing on his own.
This was my favourite photograph from the exhibition. This is because when I first saw the image, it actually felt like I was in it, because it looked 3D. I think the way Alec Soth photographed this purposefully made the foam and the two people at the front, look as though they are coming out of the picture. This put me feel enjoyment from the setting the people were in, a foam party. |
V&A-Richard Learoyd
All of Richard Learoyd's colour images are created from the photographic process: the camera obscura, which is Latin for 'dark room'. His subject is usually a person or still life.
Learoyd has created a room-sized camera in which the photographic paper is exposed. The subject of his pictures are often a person, sometimes a still life. Light falling on the subject is directly focused onto the photographic paper without an interposing film negative. The result is an entirely grainless image. The overall sense of these larger-than-life images redefines the photographic illusion. Learoyd’s subjects, composed simply and directly, are described with the thinnest plane of focus, re-creating and exaggerating the way that the human eye perceives, and not without a small acknowledgement to Dutch Master painting.
I really like all of these images, seeing them in life allowed me to see the pictures from all angles to see how it can manipulate the pictures. as well as this it allows me to really look into the detail of the pictures, such as the mirror image, that looks like a photograph of space. When I was looking at the picture of the dead horse head, although it is a really grusom picture, it didn't repulse me enough to stop looking at it, which I found quite strange, as Learoyd positioned it in a way to become an elegant picture, at it was side on, and the white horse head matched the white/grey block and background, to make the red blood stand out. From the images I took today, it made me realise that from only one photograph, I can create many others from it, just from the different angles, and by the focus of it.
Learoyd has created a room-sized camera in which the photographic paper is exposed. The subject of his pictures are often a person, sometimes a still life. Light falling on the subject is directly focused onto the photographic paper without an interposing film negative. The result is an entirely grainless image. The overall sense of these larger-than-life images redefines the photographic illusion. Learoyd’s subjects, composed simply and directly, are described with the thinnest plane of focus, re-creating and exaggerating the way that the human eye perceives, and not without a small acknowledgement to Dutch Master painting.
I really like all of these images, seeing them in life allowed me to see the pictures from all angles to see how it can manipulate the pictures. as well as this it allows me to really look into the detail of the pictures, such as the mirror image, that looks like a photograph of space. When I was looking at the picture of the dead horse head, although it is a really grusom picture, it didn't repulse me enough to stop looking at it, which I found quite strange, as Learoyd positioned it in a way to become an elegant picture, at it was side on, and the white horse head matched the white/grey block and background, to make the red blood stand out. From the images I took today, it made me realise that from only one photograph, I can create many others from it, just from the different angles, and by the focus of it.
The main reason this was my favourite image, was because it made me feel really calm. I think this is from the light colours used such as blue and white, and the paleness of her face. Another way it mass me feel relaxed it from the dark edges of the photograph, that fades in, to focus the attention of the viewer, on the woman's dress. |