Generally speaking, I found this project helped to increase my proficiency in regards to post-processing, as well as operating a camera manually and thinking critically about the lighting and location of my photography. When I began this project, I was fairly rusty at operating my DSLR camera, because, aside from a couple of in-class activities, I hadn’t used it for a three or four years. This meant that I wasn’t happy with the large majority of images from my first few shoots for this project. Because most of these images didn’t work out, I was forced to consider more thoroughly the technical process while I was shooting, and ended up shooting most of my images manually, which I hadn’t done before.

The images of the parked car as well as the close up of the tree were both shot at the same location, which was the Tower of Remembrance in Kangaroo Grounds. I chose this location because it has a brilliant panoramic view of surrounding countryside, and also provides a fairly undisrupted view of the sunset. The evening that I took these photos was very misty and had a very nice sunset, the conditions for the shoot were so atmospheric and interesting I felt very fortunate. However, when I began looking through the photos on my computer I was fairly disappointed with how they had turned out. Lots of the images were blurred because I didn’t use a tripod, grainy because they were very zoomed in, underexposed or overexposed. Because the location for this shoot was far away from where I live, and I didn’t have enough free time to take more photos at the same location, I had to work with what I had, and adjust the photos on Lightroom until I was happy with the outcome. Originally I was planning on editing my photos very minimally, if at all, because Wolfgang Tillmans doesn’t do much post-processing of his images. Because of this I hadn’t put much time or effort into mastering Lightroom, which was a disadvantage when I realised that my images would need some serious adjustments. Here are some examples of my images before and after post-processing:

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the images on the left are the originals and the images on the right are the finals.

The colours of each image have been tweaked, often to reduce overexposure, and to give it more depth and detail. The spot-removal tool was also a feature that I used a lot, which is especially evident in the third image, where much of the white paint on the asphalt has been adjusted to make it more even. Also in the third image I removed the security camera in the background as it was distracting from the model unnecessarily.

Although I was originally planning on shooting on analogue, I ran out of time and had to use my digital camera. I was pleasantly surprised by the results of this though, because it allowed me to take more photos while I was shooting, therefore have more to choose from later. I also think it made the images more similar to Wolfgang Tillman’s Neue Welt shoot which was my inspiration. These are some images by Tillmans that I used as references for this project:

I didn’t actively try to replicate any of Tillmans’ images, instead I was more inspired by the mood of his shots, along with the simplicity and subtlety, and this is how I attempted to imitate him. It was interesting for me to study his photography, as he often makes incredible photographs out of the everyday (especially his still life photography), and this pushed me to approach potential subject matter for this project with a much broader mind. Tillmans photos, particularly those in Neue Welt, often focus on subject matter that is unexpected and often mundane. Through his photography, Tillmans turns  this commonplace subject matter into fine art, and, for me at least, provides the viewer with a greater appreciation for the mundane and unassuming.

Some images showing subjectively ‘everyday’ subject matter from Neue Welt:

Through this project I have learnt that taking a photo that you’re satisfied with often requires an understanding of the technical procedures of capturing an images, and simply putting your camera on manual and pointing it in the right direction won’t produce your best shots. I’ve also learnt how helpful a high quality lens can be, which unfortunately I don’t own and didn’t use for this project, but am now strongly considering investing in. Whilst I used to question the necessity of seriously post-processing photos, most likely because I was used to shooting analogue, I now understand how much of a help editing can be when the camera or the photographer fall short. If I were to reshoot these photos or produce more images for this project I would most likely hire a lens from RMIT and use a tripod to produce the lower-light images.
Generally speaking I’m fairly happy with my images for this project. Whilst they don’t hold a candle to Tillmans photography, his work definitely gave my a new perspective through which to view photography and the beauty in simplicity.

For project 2, my chosen photographer is Wolfgang Tillmans. I will be ‘mimicking’ his photographs through technique and subject matter, inspired particularly by his photo series ‘Neue Welt’. Neue Welt is a diverse series of photos by Wolfgang Tillmans released by Taschen in 2012. According the Tillmans, he approached this photos ‘hoping to find subject matter that in some way or other speaks about the time I’m in’. The photos are hugely varied, ranging from landscapes, to portraits, still life and abstract shots, but to me they illustrate the beauty, diversity and fragility in the world. This is a fairly overwhelming meaning and series to attempt to imitate, but I find the photos in Neue Welt really powerful and thought-provoking, and Tillmans perspective on life very inspiring.

Regarding the technical procedures, I am still deciding whether to shoot my photos on a digital or analogue camera, because tillman’s career originally used only analogue cameras, and I love the look of those photos so much, however Neue Welt is shot entirely digitally. I’m doing some test shots for this project today, and will take use both my digital and analogue camera, so hopefully that will help me get an idea of which direction I’d like to take. I thought that using a film camera could be a nice nod to Tillmans early work, which is how I originally came to know and love his photography. I think most of my photos will be shot with natural/available light, as I’m not interested in shooting any photos in a studio.

These are some of the test shots I took today for this project

I took them very quickly and without much planning, but I’m happy with them as test shots because i think the portrait mimics Tillmans use of light in some of his portraits. Tillmans often seems to capture small moments as well as the frivolity of youth, particularly in his earlier work, and i think the other photo has some sense of that. I also took a bunch of photos on my analogue camera, but they wont be developed until tomorrow at the earliest. Originally I was planning on shooting this project on analogue, but after seeing these photos I’m undecided. whilst I love the aesthetics of film photography, I don’t like the risks that are involved with it: your photos might not look anything like you hope/expect they will, and you can’t know for sure until days after you take them.

I’m interested in doing still life/landscape photography as well for this project, and this photo I took a few months ago in Berlin is somewhat along the lines of the type of photos I’d be attempting to take for this project

Its subject matter is fairly boring, but I remember that I was transfixed by the light in our apartment at the time, and I thought it made these scene quite attractive and worth photographing. This photo I took in France is also one that reminds me of the photos I want to take for this project

It was taken the day after the Bastille Day attack, and shows Nice in the background. I think Tillmans does a wonderful job of capturing human nature and quiet moments of human kindness, and that’s a subject matter/theme that I would like to feature in my photos for this project.

The style of photography that I’m most interested in is probably candid photography, and I think this relates to my choice of photographer Wolfgang Tillmans for Project Brief 1. His photos have an element of sincerity to them, and even though they often are usually posed, the model often appears natural and at ease. Tillmans also shot a lot of candid photos of his friends and the people around him earlier in his career, and I love how these images give an honest snapshot into the contemporary society he was living in, without attempting to uncover any universal truths or show anything more than what they do. The models in Tillmans’ photos seem comfortable with Tillmans and with the situation, which increases the intimacy between the model and the viewer. Another element I like of Tillmans photos is that theyre shot on analogue, and I hope this is something that I will be able to experiment with for Project Brief 2. I think that analogue photos have an element or grit and imperfection to them, which increases the ‘realness’ that I like in candid photography. Especially when photos have minimal post-production editing. I usually shoot on analogue when I take photos of my friends or while travelling etc.. Because of this I feel more comfortable working with an analogue camera than I do with a digitial one, so hopefully film photography is a technique I can employ for project brief 2.