Illustrated Project Proposal

Project Proposal

Initial Ideas

Concept, Ideas and Issues

I would like to investigate the idea of nature. I would then like to look deeper into nature by looking at life and death of flowers. I would also like to look into the different colours and textures of flowers.  Although I would like to focus on flowers I think that I will also look at other elements of nature like leaves and trees and other plants that have interesting shapes, textures and colours. I would like to convey the delicacy of flowers and the intricate details within nature.

My personal investigation is... 

I will investigate the subject of nature. I would like to look more specifically at the delicacy and intricacy of flowers. I will also investigate the life and death of flowers and how nature visually changes, focusing on the different textures of living and dying flowers.

Background

I have chosen to look at nature, particularly flowers. This idea has been inspired by looking into a new technique called macro photography because I really liked the way that the images looked and the amount of detail these photos had. I am planning to travel to different places to capture photos for example a local area where there are flowers growing however I would also like to go to a flower garden in order to capture a wide range of different flowers rather than just flowers I may find nearer to home. 

I would like to start my project by just looking at flowers in their natural environment, for example in a flower garden and then I feel as though I can expand upon this basic idea and look into more experimental photography. I feel as though this will be a good starting point because I will be able to easily access different flowers in their natural environment. This can be done during lesson time and then in my own time I would like to travel slightly further and also bring some flowers back into the studio in order to capture photos that are in a natural and unnatural environment. If I plan to travel somewhere to take photos I will do so prior to my lesson so that I will be able to use lesson time to edit my images.  

Inspirational Images 

This image inspires me because it is looking at dying flowers. I like the way the image has been taken because these flowers are not taken in their natural environment therefore this image has connotations that someone has purposely killed the flower. 

This image inspires me because it uses the technique of macro photography which is something I would like to explore. I like the way that this flower has been photographed in its natural environment because the background of the image is very vibrant. I also like the depth of field used within this photo because this makes the flower the only focused part of the image, making the colours and textures of the flower stand out. This is something I would like to explore. 

I like this image because although this is not a flower it is another part of nature. I feel as though this is something I may want to explore in my work. I like the way that this texture is so different to any flower that I would be able to photograph therefore I may look into focusing on flowers as well as other parts of nature to show the unique beauty of different elements of nature. 

Photographic Techniques

I would like to explore multiple techniques within my project.


Firstly I would like to look at macro photography. I feel as though by using this technique I will be able to capture photos that are unlike any images I have taken before because they will be so intricate and detailed which is a style of photography that I really like.

I may also explore the use of animated gif. I believe I could incorporate this into my work by looking at the life cycle of flowers or other elects of nature and put the images together in an animated gif.


The final technique that I would like to look at is time lapse photography. I feel as though this technique will link to looking at the life cycle of flowers.

Photographer Research 

I have looked into some different photographers that I feel could potentially inspire me when progressing with my project. I have tried to focus on a range of photographers that look at some more creative ideas in which I could use to influence my creativity within the project.   

Patty Hankins

This is an image of a flower in its natural environment. This photo has been taken by Patty Hatkins. I feel as though this photo focuses on the colours of the flower. The flower is made up of vibrant red and oranges which is what Hatkins has focused on. I also like the raindrops in the image because this takes the intricate detailing even further. I feel as though the bright colours used represent happiness and positivity and also the summer season.  

This image could have been taken in a studio. You cannot see any background in the image therefore it may not be taking in its natural environment. I like that this image is so detailed and I feel as though this has been achieved by using a macro lens and studio lighting, for example soft boxes. This image has a very vibrant yellow in the centre of the image. The composition of this image could represent the sun in the centre and the petals surrounding it could represent the different elements around the sun like Earth. The colours that have been used are yellow and purple. These are opposite colours on the colour wheel and I think this is why they work so well. This makes the colours contrast each other.  

Irving Penn 

I like the images that Irving Penn creates because they are different to the previous photographer I have looked at. He takes flowers and presents them in an unnatural way which I think is very interesting. I like the way he looks at dried flowers which is something I would like to look at within my work. I would like to have a look at the difference between the textures of dying and fresh flowers and I feel as though Irving Penn emphasises the textures of dried flowers. This image is very sharp and focused which I believe he has done to emphasise the death of the flower and to show the way in which the flower has changed and altered during the process of it dying.   

I feel as though the image above is interesting because it looks as though the flower has been flattened or pressed. This inspires me to look at different ways of presenting flowers rather than just looking at them in their natural environment. Irving Penn uses a studio to take his photos. I like that by using a studio you can control the way the flower is positioned within the image. I also like the fact that it is possible to manipulate a regular flower and change it to something that looks very different. 

I believe that the images above have connotations of being outside of your comfort zone because these flowers have been removed from their natural environment and are still being photographed in a beautiful way. These images may represent leaving somewhere you feel comfortable and moving on. The fact that the flower that has been used is red could have connotations of passion and love. I feel as though this could also represent relationships and romance. I also believe that this is a poppy. This would mean that the colour red could have connotations of blood and sacrifice.    

Nick Knight 

The image above is a photo of flowers which have been arranged outside of their natural environment. The fact that this image has been taken in a studio has connotations of humans being able to destroy nature and that humans are constantly ruining the world. This image focuses on the intricate details of the flower itself. I like the way that the image has been made to look slightly grainy because it gives the effect of the image being a painting. I feel as though Nick Knight wants to incorporate photography and art together in a way that compliments one another. This is an image of multiple flowers that have been laid out in a precise way to create a beautiful arrangement of flowers. I feel as though this image could have connotations of simplicity and peace because the background is very plain which attracts your attention then then flowers. The flowers are also laid out in a very simple elegant way which portrays the idea of simplicity. The photo looks as though the flowers are arranged to look as though they are upright. I feel as thought this gives the illusion of a vase being behind the flowers however the fact that its not there gives the image more negative space.   

This photo is an image of flowers that have been modified to look as though the colour is running. Nick Knight uses the idea of nature and incorporates artistic concepts to create an image that is very different to the usual photos of nature you always see. I am not entirely sure how this photographer has created this image meaning whether he has physically manipulated the image or whether he has used photo shop to give this effect. It looks as though he has taken the image and dragged the colour downwards giving it the effect of using water colours. I feel as though this image could have connotations of feeling out of control of something because the colours have fallen in a way that was out of the artists control and maybe this is the idea he wanted to portray within the image itself.

This is an image by Nick Knight. He created this as an album cover for 'The Massive Attack'. On the right is the original photo and then on the left is the edited version of the flowers. This is so interesting because at first glance it just looks like the image has been darkened however there is a lot more to the image than it looks. Nick Knight has subtly added in different elements to the image, for example a skull within the flower and it looks as though a missile and a gun have been placed within the structure of the flower. I believe this has connotations of death and war. The gun and the missile that he has added in represent war and the fact that he has used weapons represents violence and destruction within the world. I think he has used photoshop to add the details within the original image he has taken. I believe he took images of the different objects he wanted to incorporate and has used layers to add them in. I really like the idea of manipulating an original image and turning it into something with deeper meaning. I believe that this would be a challenge for me within my project and I would like to explore this idea in more depth and create my own ideas based on Nick Knights work.