Photographer Research

Patty Hankins

Patty Hankins photographs flowers in their natural environments like parks, gardens or conservatories. Patty quotes ' I seek to capture the simple beauty of a flower ...'. I really like the simplicity of her work and the way the entire image is focused on a natural flower rather than an edited piece of work. Hankins explores nearby locations to where she lives in order to constantly produce new photos, each one unique from the next. Hankins also claims that she has begun photographing flowers in her studio which she says allows her to capture details of flowers that she was never able to before. Hankins also like the idea that the environment the flowers are being shot in can be so controlled.  

The photo above is of a brightly coloured flower. There is no other flowers in the image and the background is just leaves. The flower is full of saturated colours. Towards the inner of the flower there is a saturated pink and then towards the outer edge of the flower there is a saturated yellow. The photo looks as though it has been taken with an aperture of approximately f/11. This is because the background of the photo is not extremely out of focus however it is not as focused as the foreground. I believe Hankins has purposely decided to not include any other flowers in the frame of the image because she wanted the focus to be just on the flower itself. The saturated pink and yellow complement each other nicely. The yellow within the flower could have connotations of happiness, positivity and joy. The punctum of this image for me is the centre of the flower. This is because there is an interesting texture which looks slightly out of place in the image. I feel as though this could represent the core of someone's personality and who they truly are. The outer edges of the flower may represent the way a person comes across to others and the centre of the flower is a representation of a persons true personality. The studium of this image is a flower sitting elegantly in its natural environment. I have used the adverb elegantly because the flower has not been destroyed by weather or human contact. 

Above is an image of a pink flower with a green centre. The photo has been taken at a slight angle. The colours pink and green are opposite on the colour wheel and therefore compliment each other well. I like the angle that this image has been taken because it is slightly off centre however I feel like this emphasises the entire flower rather than just a specific area. The photographer has used a wide depth of field to create this photo. I think this has been done because Hankins wanted to show the beauty of the entire flower rather than just a specific area. This links to the context of this photographer because she wants to capture the entire beauty of flowers. I like the way that on the right edge of the image you can see a small amount of a background. This could be done purposefully by the photographer to implicate the idea that nature is much larger than just in one photo. This could then have connotations of the importance of nature and how much of a large impact it has on the world. The punctum of this image for me is the green area in the centre. This is because it uses a different texture to the rest of the flower and it is a very unique lime green colour. 

This is an image of a white flower with a yellow centre. This image is very close up to the flower. The photographer has focused on the formal element of form in this photo. Although each of Patty Hankins images have a main focus of colour this image looks at the structure of the flower.  The white in the flower has connotations of purity and peace. The colour white is neutral and does not have complimentary colours however the saturated yellow in the middle stands out due to the neutral white colour surrounding the frame of the image. The form of the flower is very important in this image because it is as if the centre of the flower is being revealed by the petals. This may represent inner personality coming through gradually.

The image above is of a mainly pink toned flower however there are areas of a pale orange within the inner sections of the flower. This image is taken very close up which I like as it emphasises the intricate details of the petals. Hankins has used a narrow depth of field to create this image. She has ensured the focal point is in the foreground of the image and that the background is very out of focus. The photographer will have used an aperture of around f/2.8 - f/4 to capture this image. The background being extremely out of focus can have connotations of mystery because it is not clear what is in the background. This photo has been taken in its natural environment which I believe has connotations of the importance of nature within the world because the photographer has purposely decided to leave the flower in its natural environment. This image focuses on two main formal elements, form and colour. The fact that the photographer has chosen to use a macro technique to create this photo ensures that the intricate details of the flower are expressed through the photo. 

Overall I would like to use Patty Hatkins idea of macro photography in my work. I would also like to explore photographing flowers in their natural environment. 

Comparison with my own images 

The main element that stands out as linking to Patty Hankins' images is the use of saturated colours. When focusing on Patty Hankins the use of saturated colours is something I wanted to focus on due to the connotations of different colours. I like the way that bright colours represent happiness because flowers are often given as a sign of love or friendship. This could contrast the idea that some people do not like flowers due to then causing hay fever during the summer season. Patty could be trying to portray that even something so colourful and beautiful can have negative effects on people. When capturing these photos I wanted to use a narrow depth of field because this is something that Patty Hankins did within her photography and I liked the way that this emphasised the details within the flower.    

Nick Knight 

Nick Knight is originally a visionary, fashion photographer. Knight also is an honorary professor at University of the Arts London. He has been awarded an honorary PHD by the same university.

Nick Knight explains that to create the images of flowers with the colours dripping down the page he took the initial image to a laboratory in Los Angeles. The pigments within the images were then treated to make them ' run ' which created a scissored effect on the edge of the petals and drips of colour from the larger flowers.

The image above was taken by Nick Knight and is of an arrangement of flowers. The flowers look as though they have been arranged in a very specific way. The image looks as though it has been taken in a studio and it looks as though the lighting and camera settings have been tightly controlled.

The idea that the flowers have been taken out of their natural environment and placed in a studio could have connotations of man kind ruining the environment. Each of the flowers have been chosen carefully in order to create an analogous colour scheme. Yellow and orange are placed next to each other on the colour wheel. I feel as though the orange coloured flower could have connotations of joy and enthusiasm. I think that Nick Knight has chosen these specific colours because he wants to portray the idea of happiness and positivity. On the other hand the colours he has chosen are not saturated and they are slightly washed out. This has connotations of positivity and happiness being ruined by other people. The individual flowers have been arranged in a way that looks as though they should be standing in a vase. The fact that the vase is not there could have slightly surreal connotations to the image.

This is similar to the image above however the flowers look as though they have been arranged in a more specific way. All the flowers in this image use pastel pink tones. The way in which the flowers have been arranged is very artificial. They have been placed in a way that does not mimic their natural environment. I think that this could represent the power of humans and how easy it is for humans to damage and ruin nature. I like the way that the petals have been scattered in the foreground of the image. This has connotations of a flowers life cycle and the idea that everything must die or come to an end eventually. I also feel as though this could have connotations of many things still being beautiful despite the fact that it may be dying. The flowers are positioned in a way that makes the image look slightly surreal. This is because they look as though they are standing upwards with no support. I think Nick Knight wanted to give the flowers human like features. This links into Nick Knights fashion photography because this type of photography is very structured and thought through and this is what I think he has done with the flowers in this image. The punctum within this image is the flower in the centre of the photo. This is because the light is directed at the centre of the image and therefore makes the colour of the flower brighter than the rest. The flowers towards the outer edges of the image are slightly darker and therefore are not the focal point of the photo. I think that the lighting being aimed at a specific part of the photo could have connotations of uniqueness.   

Nick Knight created an album cover for a band named 'The Massive Attack'. The image on the left is the original image that Nick Knight took and the image on the right is the edited image. The edited image on the left is the photo I will be focusing on. When you first look at the image it just looks as though the original image has been darkened however when you look closer at the photo Nick Knight has edited different objects into the shape of the flowers. Knight has added different weapons into the image like a gun and a missile. There is also a skull that has been subtly edited into the image. In the original image there are pastel colours within the flowers. Knight has darkened the contrast of the image to make the entire image very dark and dull. This could have connotations of unhappiness or sadness. Also the use of weapons in the image could have connotations of death or war. The fact that the photographer has chosen to include a skull could also have strong connotations for death. I like the way that there is no background in the image because this makes the objects easier to be seen. I don't think there is a specific focal point in this image because the edited photo has been created to provoke a response and to make the viewer think about what is going on within the photo. This allows the viewer to choose their own focal point and punctum. For me, the punctum of this image is the skull. This is because although it is subtle your eye is immediately drawn to the skull. This gives the whole image a gruesome atmosphere.  

    

The image above is of flowers that have been arranged in a certain way. Nick Night has given the image the effect of the colour within the flowers running down the photo itself. I am not sure if the photographer created this effect with physical manipulation or whether it was done on photo shop. This photo is very intriguing because it is not like any other flower photography I have seen. The image itself is very artistic and creative which I believe is shown due to the fact that Nick Knight was originally a fashion photographer. The image looks as though the colours are being dragged out of the flowers. Nick Knight has used the formal element of colour and manipulated a regular image to something that is quite surreal. The colour running down the image could have connotations of tears. This represents sadness and pain. This idea is contrasted by the bright, saturated colours used. This use of juxtaposition could have a deeper meaning of trying to regain happiness. The punctum of this image for me is the flowers on the top right hand side which the colour is running from. This immediately catches my eye because at the top of the image these flowers are the only ones Nick Knight has decided to drag the colour down from. I feel as though this could have connotations of individuality and uniqueness.  The studium of this image is flowers which colours are running. 

Overall I would like to explore the idea of shooting in a studio because I feel as though it creates a very different response than photographing in a natural environment. I would also like to explore Nick Knights use of artistic skills when editing my images and look at different ways in which I can bring art materials into my work. 

Comparison with my own images

Throughout my project I only focused on Nick Knight's work in one shoot however there are similarities between the work I have created. The most obvious similarity is the fact that I used the dripping technique that he displayed within his work. I do feel as though Nick Knight's photos look a to more natural and realistic however this is because he completed this physically by dripping ink onto the image and I did my examples in photoshop. 

Imogen Cunningham 

Imogen Cunningham is a self taught American photographer. In 1901 Cunningham purchased a 4 x 5" view camera, at age 18. This began her passion for photography and also allowed her to learn the art of photography. As Imogen Cunningham's life continued she got married and had children however her love for photography never ended. She began to take photos of her family however in her spare time she would focus on photographing portraits of flowers in her garden. In 1921 Imogen Cunningham's photography changed and her photos altered from a long to near camera focus and focused on details of patterns and forms.


Each of Cunningham's photos are in black and white. I like the use of black and white and tone within all of her photos because it draws your eyes to the smaller details of the images. This is because your eyes are not focusing on the colours. Sometimes colour can distract people from the beauty of the image and I believe Cunningham has purposely decided not to incorporate colour within her images purposely to focus heavily on the form and shape of flowers rather than their colours.

Lumiere

The image above is of a flower which Imogen Cunningham has named lumiere. The word lumiere means 'light lamp'. This suggests that the the photographer wanted the entire image to be very bright and vibrant. This photo is slightly different to the other images I will be focusing on because it does not have a black background. This stood out to me because the black background creates a harsh contrast between the white flower. Due to this photo not having this harsh contrast it makes the overall image a lot softer and makes the flower seem slightly more feminine. I also like the way in which the flower fills up the entire frame of the photo because I think that this is an effective way to focus peoples attention on the flower itself rather than anything that may be in the background. The punctum of this image is the centre of the flower because this creates a different texture within the photo. Also this part of the image has a slightly harsher contrast which could have connotations of being unique and different.

Calla, 1925

The image above is of a callas flower. Within this image I feel as though the shape of the flower is emphasised. The flower is associated with purity, holiness and faithfulness. I feel as though the shadow created by the flower contrasts the idea of purity because the dark shadow is implying the pure white flower has been disturbed by the darkness of the shadow. The shape of the petals create leading lines within the image which leads to the centre of the flower. I feel that this emphasises the detail within the image because your eyes are immediately drawn to the details within the centre of the flower. For me the punctum of this image is the leading line which leads to the centre of the flower. I like the way this adds an interesting element to the photo. This draws you into the image and makes you focus heavily on the intricate details within the flower petals. 

Amaryllis flower, 1933

The photo above is a photo of an amaryllis flower. Cunningham has used light in an interesting way. She has placed the light on the right side of the photo. This means that the flower on the right is a lot brighter than the other flower. I feel as though this could have connotations of someone having a darker, more morbid side to their personality. Also the darker flower looks as though it is sightly less central in the frame then the bright flower. This could have connotations that people hide this side of their personality and show the kind and bright side. I like the way that the background is pitch black because I feel as though this makes the bright flower stand out and draws your attention to the intricate detailing within the flower. The punctum of the image is the centre of the darker flower. This is because Cunningham has manipulated the lights in a way that made the centre of this flower completely black. This makes the flower look as if it has an infinite hole in the centre. This could represent the length of time that nature has existed and also the importance of nature living infinitely in the world. 

Flowering cactus, 1930

The image above is of a flowering cactus. I like the way that the pure white flower contrasts with the completely black background. The colour white is associated with purity and peace and I feel this is contrasted with the parts of the flower which are growing outwards. These parts of the cactus look sharp and slightly dangerous. This may suggest that things may seem pure and peaceful however they may be more dangerous than originally thought. The punctum of this image is the parts sprouting from the centre of the cactus. This is because this looks very unique and is not something that you would commonly see on flowers. I feel as though the photographer wanted to capture this flower in order to add a unique twist into their work because this gives the image an eye catching element to it.

Comparison with my own images 

The main inspiration that I gained from Imogen Cunningham's images was the fact that she wanted to focus on the intricate details of the flowers by making the flower the focal point of the image. I feel my photos also relate to Imogen Cunningham's due to the lighting that I used. When taking these photos I used a snoot attachment to create a strong beam of light on one side of the flower. This was inspired by the way in which Imogen uses light to create a harsh contrast within her images. I was particularly inspired by her images named 'Amaryllis flower, 1933'. In this photo there is a strong beam of light coming from the right of the image. As a result this darkened the right side of the photo. I loved the way this allowed her to focus on one specific part of the flower rather than just lighting the entire image. This was a technique that I used when photographing my images and I feel as though this was successful. I also took inspiration from the use of a dark background because I liked the way in which this created negative space within the image and therefore draws your attention into the object itself. Both mine and Imogen Cunningham's photos use dark backgrounds.  

Nadege Meriau

Nadege Meriau photographs organic matter and the series I am looking closely at is 'photographs of flowers and their roots'. Her work has sculptural elements and also video is included within some of her work. Meriau allows nature to take its course within the photos however she uses her materials to create certain behaviours or forms.

In each one of Nadege Meriau's images I really like the way in which the textures of the roots are used to create slightly harsher lines and shadows within the images. It is not completely clear as to what Meriau uses as a background for her images. The background could be plain black or she may have used a textured surface like soil. If soil has been used I feel it adds a slight texture to the image and I also feel as though this could have connotations of trying to rebuild a flowers natural environment but the fact that the flowers have been ripped out from their roots shows that this is not possible. This could have wider implications of the idea that if humans ruin or destroy nature it may not be able to be re grown. 

The image above has a lot of intricate details within the leaves. The pure white flower contrasts with the pitch black background. The colour represents purity and the colour black is associated with fear and I feel as though this strong contrast gives the image a sense of mystery. The colours within the photo are very soft which leads me to believe that Nadege Meriau has used a soft box to create this image. The textures that have been created by scattering the soil around the plant creates more depth within the photo. I also feel as though this could represent some imperfections like someone being messy because although this is not a desirable trait to have it is still something many people find themselves being. The punctum of this image is the white flower. This is because the pure white contrasting with the black background stands out. This is also because this is the only brighter colour within the entire image. The fact that it is pure white could represent that everyone has positive parts of their personality.

The image above is of a brightly coloured red flower that has been taken out of its natural environment. The flower within this image looks very healthy and looks as though it has only recently been grown. I feel like this fresh flower contrasts with some of the other images that Nadege Meriau has taken within this series because they are slightly dying. I think this could be trying to show the life cycle of a flower and the fact that everyone's life will eventually come to an end no matter how beautiful it was at its peak. The saturated colour red within the image may have connotations of love and passion. Generally flowers are used as a symbol of love and affection therefore the photographer has incorporated the colour red within the series of photos to emphasise the idea that flowers represent love.

The image above is of a plant that looks as though it is dying. The plant looks as though it has been grown in a pot which restricted the growth of the roots and then this has been removed to look as though the roots have been trapped. There is also a pop of colour within the photo in the individual purple flowers. I like the way in which the plant looks as though it is dying and some of the stalks are drooping downwards. The fact that the plant is gradually dying could represent people as their lives continue to move on. By this I mean that the fact that the flower is weak could closely represent a person becoming weaker as they grow older, just like a plant. The way in which the dirt is scattered around the frame of the image makes the photo look messy and disorganised. I think this has been done to try and mimic a flowers natural environment because there is no control over how a flower grows which I feel is portrayed within this image.

The image above is slightly different to the other photos that I have analysed because the roots of the flowers are not in the image. I like the way that the ends of the flower stalks are not visible in the frame of the photo. Each of the flowers have a slightly different colour within them, for example yellow, orange and red. Each of the colours are associated with different things such as red is associated with love. I feel as though the fact the red flower is the biggest could imply that love is the most important thing within peoples lives. The punctum of the image is each of the stalks of the flowers. This creates leading lines within the image and looks as though it is never ending due to the ends not being visible. The fact that the flowers look as though they last forever could have connotations of nature and the environment always being an important part of the world and the importance of nature to last forever.

Comparison with my own images 

My photos closely relate to Nadege Meriau's images due to the fact that I focused on the plants roots. This was the name of her project and I liked the way she didn't just look at the typically 'pretty' part of the flower. My images also closely relate to the photographers images due to the use of my background. I decided to use soil as a background for my images because this is what I believed she used within her images as a background. Another element of Nadege Meriau's images that I liked was her use of saturated colours which I believed to contrast the rest of the image due to the darker brown shades used. In both of my photos above I have included saturated colour. I think the first image that I have displayed above is very similar to Nadege Meriau's images with regards to the composition of the image. The entire plant is in the frame and the photo has been taken from above the object. This is the composition of a lot of her images therefore I took compositional inspirational from this photographer.  

Irving Penn

Irving Penn worked as a photographer who initially focused on fashion photography and then branched out and began to take still life photos. The idea of death and dying of nature inspired Irving Penn to create his flower series. One of Irving Penn's achievements was working for Vogue as a magazine photographer and focused on fashion elements of photography. I am going to be focusing on his 'Flowers series'. His work focuses on the beauty of nature which is something I think is very clearly portrayed through his work. This series happened very gradually and throughout seven summers he photographed a different flower each year. The photos that he created were published as a book. The flowers that he photographed were: 1967, Tulips; 1968, Poppies; 1969, Peonies, 1970, Orchids; 1971, Roses; 1972, Lilies; 1973, Begonias.

The image above is of a poppy which looks as though it has been dried. Poppies have strong connotations of remembering soldiers that died during the war. The flower is used on remembrance day to represent each soldier during the war that lost their lives. I like the idea of creating photos that have strong connotative meanings behind them and this is something that I would like to incorporate within my work. The process of drying flowers is a long process and I feel as though the fact that this flower is dried could represent the strength of poppies and the idea that during the war poppies continued to grow in the battlefields throughout the war. The punctum of the image is the saturated yellow in the centre of the flower. This is because I like the different texture of the centre of the flower and I also feel as though the brightly coloured yellow could represent hope and positivity which contrasts the slightly darker connotations of poppies. The studium of this photo is a dried poppy.

The photo above is of a rose which is slightly dying. Although the flower does not look completely dead the petals look as though they are falling slightly. Flowers have strong connotations of love and the idea that the rose petals are falling could represent people falling out of love or love slowly dying or fading. Irving Penn has captured the finest details including drops of water on the flower. This could have connotations of tears and emotions related to love. The entire image is very detailed. One part of the image that stands out to me is the veins on the rose petals. This level of detail inspires me to take photos of very high quality and to be able to use the correct camera settings in order to capture the most detail possible. For me the punctum of the image is the centre of the rose. This is because I like the idea that the centre of the rose has many petals and the petals gradually fall off around it. I feel as though this could have connotations of strength and power because although someone may seem to be upset or breaking down, there is always strength at the heart of everyone and the centre of this rose could represent this.

The image above is of a flower which looks as though it is being moved in some way. I am not sure how the photo has been set up however I feel a though the flower is being blown in a certain direction. I feel as though the shape of the flower looks very unnatural and looks as though it has been physically altered. I think that this could have connotations of flowers being ruined or killed by humans and nature being ruined by humankind. The flower is a blush pink colour and this colour has implications of femininity. The entire flower being pink immediately suggests that flowers are something that women like. The idea that men buy women flowers conforms to this stereotype. The petals of the flower look slightly see through towards the outer edges. This could have connotations of females emotions being fragile. This could also be representing the stereotype that women are seen as weak. The idea that the centre of the flower is not opaque could refute these stereotypes and represent strength.

Comparison with my own images 

The main reason as to why my photos relate closely to Irving Penn's images is because I went through the process of drying and pressing these flowers. This is something that Irving Penn did throughout his photography to represent a number of things. Irving Penn dried and pressed a pappy which I believe could have connotations of the strength of a poppy due to them being the only flower left in the battlefields of the war. I wanted to use flowers that also had strong connotations therefore I decided to press a rose. I feel as though this could have strong connotations of love slowly dying and people falling out of love. Due to Irving Penn using specific flowers that conveyed specific meaning I decided to do this too but with different flowers. I do also feel my work has similarities based on the compositional elements of the image. I wanted to try to take the photos looking directly at the flower in order to show that it has been pressed. I also did this to make the textures of the flower easier to see in more depth. This is something Irving Penn does in order to show the true beauty of the flower.