Part 4 Reflection

The feedback for Part 4 highlighted both strengths and areas for development in my recent work on lighting and long exposure photography. I was pleased to see that my reflections on lighting and its impact were acknowledged, particularly through the exercises where I experimented with different artificial light sources. This process helped me begin to understand how various types of lighting can dramatically change the mood and outcome of a photograph.

One of the key suggestions was to explore lighting not just as a tool, but as a subject in itself. Meaning I could consider how lighting can create atmosphere, evoke emotion, and contribute to storytelling within a still life or indoor setting. While I had started to do this in the banana exercise, it was noted that the image of the “banana sunbathing” felt disconnected from the others. In hindsight, I could have embraced the humorous tone more fully by developing that narrative across the whole set. Perhaps through actions like peeling the banana or introducing props that enhanced its character. This would have created a more cohesive and playful approach.

Technically speaking, I need to improve my handling of exposure when using experimental light sources. Some of the banana images were underexposed, which resulted in a loss of tonal range. Going forward, I’ll pay closer attention to exposure and consider bracketing shots or adjusting lighting placement to ensure that the full range of tones is captured, especially in low-light setups.

In assignment 4, I was encouraged by the feedback on my choice of subject and the development of the theme through a consistent visual approach. I found Marcus Doyle’s work especially inspiring, particularly the way his use of artificial light suggests a human presence that’s just out of frame. His cinematic style gave me a new perspective on how urban night photography can feel narrative-driven even when no people are present. I need to build on this by comparing the visual strategies of different photographers more directly in my reflections, deepening my analysis.

The feedback also pointed out that the first two images in my cityscape set were brighter and quite similar to each other, which affected the overall cohesion. This reminded me of the importance of curating a final selection that feels consistent not just in subject but also in tone. I plan to reflect more critically on what each image brings to a set and explore alternative combinations of images to better understand how small tonal or compositional changes can shift the impact of the work.

I acknowledged that working without a tripod limited the sharpness of my images. In future shoots, I will either secure a stable position, using a wall or another surface, or fully embrace the motion blur, using it creatively as seen in Dominic Pote’s work. This would allow me to lean into the expressive potential of movement rather than see blur as a flaw.

In summary, this feedback has shown me that I’m on the right path with my experimentation and reflection, but there is much more I can do to push my creative and technical development. I need to treat lighting as both subject and storyteller, refine my technical control, reflect more deeply on image selection, and become more intentional about presentation. These next steps will help strengthen both the visual impact and the conceptual depth of my photographic work.

Assignment 4 – Languages of Light

For this assignment, I revisited the theme of artificial light, using my local environment in Woodend as my subject. I’ve always been drawn to the dark, moody aesthetics created by ambient lighting and neon signs, particularly at night when artificial lights stand out more vividly. This fascination became the foundation for my project, where I explored the relationship between light, space, and atmosphere. I wanted to show how everyday spaces, when lit in certain ways, could evoke feelings of isolation, nostalgia, or quiet beauty.

Developing the original exercise from Part 4 into a full assignment helped me move beyond simply documenting artificial light. Instead, I used light as an emotional device, crafting scenes that felt cinematic rather than purely observational. I had to adapt quickly when unexpected rain began falling, but I embraced it, allowing reflections and wet surfaces to amplify the atmosphere I was trying to capture. This challenged me to be more resourceful and observant, pushing my creative thinking further.

My work was strongly influenced by several practitioners. Todd Hido’s House Hunting series had a major impact on my approach. His images of suburban homes at night, often softly glowing in otherwise dark landscapes, capture an emotional stillness I wanted to reflect in my own photographs. His use of light to isolate subjects and create atmosphere informed many of my compositional choices.

Alongside Hido, Edward Hopper’s paintings, especially his night scenes of diners and gas stations, also shaped my thinking. Hopper’s work evokes solitude through light, space, and the way figures, or their absence, are framed within settings. I aimed to recreate a similar quiet tension without relying on obvious narratives.

The staged, cinematic lighting in Gregory Crewdson’s work also provided some visual inspiration. It reminded me to be deliberate about how artificial light defines mood, even though my approach was far less staged.

Finally, Sinziana Velicescu’s minimalist cityscapes and use of car light trails inspired me to experiment with movement and reflections, seeking beauty in otherwise overlooked urban scenes.

Technically, I shot using manual settings to manage the challenging lighting conditions. I kept ISO on auto to focus on aperture and shutter speed adjustments. I opened the aperture between f/4.5 and f/8 to gather more light, depending on the available illumination. For scenes involving light trails or very dark environments, I used slower shutter speeds, between two and five seconds, to allow movement to blur into glowing streaks. Without a tripod, I stabilized the camera on railings, car roofs, or handheld the shots as steadily as possible. As a result, some natural motion blur appeared in a few images, but rather than detracting from the work, I believe it contributed to the ethereal, cinematic quality I was aiming for.

The final series includes ten images. Rain falling on a car window at traffic lights created dreamy, abstract colors. A light trail shot captured movement across the street corner. A house porch illuminated by an outdoor light yielded a slightly blurred but ghostly image, enhancing the feeling of otherworldliness. Other photographs included a car and garage lit starkly by a single bulb, a train pausing at a wet, reflective platform, and the local pub corner shimmering with neon green light and fairy lights. I also photographed a warmly lit shopfront, a solitary neon sign in a window, and water droplets on my car window to conclude the sequence.

In assessing my work, I believe the strongest aspect is how the rain unified the images, adding consistent texture, mood, and reflection across the series. The contrast between the dynamic light trails and the stillness of other scenes created a strong visual rhythm. I am particularly happy with how composition and reflections helped build depth and layering within the frames, often leading the viewer’s eye naturally through the scene.

The main weaknesses stem from the technical limitations of not having a tripod. Some images, like the porch scene, contain more blur than I intended. However, upon reflection, these imperfections contribute to the dreamlike atmosphere I sought. In a few cases, framing could have been wider to create more breathing room around the subjects. Some compositions feel a little too tight, slightly disconnecting the scene from its environment. In hindsight, varying focal lengths more might have improved the sense of space and enhanced the cinematic quality I wanted.

Overall, I feel this project successfully captures the intimate, often overlooked relationship between artificial light and everyday spaces in Woodend. By focusing on small moments—the glow of a streetlamp, reflections on wet pavement, or the neon flicker of a pub sign, I aimed to transform ordinary settings into something emotionally resonant. I also feel I met the criteria for Creativity by adapting to conditions, experimenting with light and movement, and developing a personal, imaginative response to the brief. This assignment helped build my confidence in crafting atmosphere through photography and deepened my connection to the subjects I photograph.

Bibliography

Hido, T. House Hunting. At: http://www.toddhido.com/househunting.html [accessed 27/4/2025]

Crewdson, G. Gagosian Gallery. At: https://gagosian.com/artists/gregory-crewdson/ [accessed 27/4/2025]

Hopper, E. Edward Hopper – Official Website. At: https://www.edwardhopper.net/ [accessed 27/4/2025]

Velicescu, S. Exteriors – Commercial Architecture. At: https://www.sinzianavelicescu.com/commercial-architecture/exteriors [accessed 27/4/2025]

Contact Sheet

4.3: Egg or Stone – Ex Nihilo

This exercise was about creating light from scratch, building it “ex nihilo” instead of discovering it out in the world. With no natural lighting to rely on, I had to build an environment where I could fully control the light’s quality, contrast, direction and colour to reveal the form of a simple, organic object.

I chose to work with an egg, focusing on how light could bring out its shape, surface and presence within the frame. I placed the egg on a small lid so that it would stand up by itself. My “studio” was minimal. I used a desk with a lamp as my main light source. Two pieces of white paper created the background.

The first image was a classic soft portrait, with the lamp placed just above and slightly behind the camera, directly facing the egg. This created soft, even lighting that gently wrapped around the egg, producing minimal shadows and a neutral, balanced mood. It felt clean and simple. A kind of lighting you might use for a traditional headshot or product photo.

For the second shot, I moved the light to a 45-degree angle to the side of the egg. This created a much more dramatic look, with strong contrast between the illuminated and shadowed areas. The hard light brought out the shape and curvature of the egg more clearly, carving it out from the background and giving it a sculptural, intense presence.

In the third shot, I kept the light in the same 45-degree side position but changed the camera angle to a bird’s eye view. Looking down on the egg from above created a more abstract composition, where the sideways shadows fell across the surface in interesting ways. It felt less like a portrait and more like a study of form and space.

The fourth shot used backlighting to shift the mood completely. I positioned the lamp behind the egg, angled slightly toward it, so that the light created a glow around the edges. The front of the egg fell into shadow, which made exposure a bit trickier, but the result had a soft halo effect and a mysterious, dramatic feel. It almost looked like the egg was silhouetted, which was a nice change from the earlier setups.

Finally, the fifth shot placed the light directly overhead, while the camera returned to a front-on portrait position. This setup created a symmetrical spotlight effect, with soft shadows falling evenly around the base of the egg. It flattened the form a little but gave the image a clean, graphic look, almost like a product shot, but with a more focused, isolated mood.

What really stood out to me in this task was just how much impact small lighting changes can have. Shifting the position of the lamp or changing the angle of the camera altered the entire feel of the photo. Even with a simple object and a minimal setup, there were endless possibilities. It reminded me that in studio photography, the light becomes the subject in many ways. It’s not just what you’re photographing, but how you reveal it.

This was a great chance to practice being deliberate and thoughtful with lighting, and I came away with a deeper appreciation for how light behaves and how much control you really have over it, even with the most basic tools.

Photographers

I looked into the methods used by the photographers that are mentioned in the course brief, and I found several reoccurring themes that I will explain at the end.

Wim Wenders:

Wenders highlights the power of focus in guiding the viewer’s gaze, suggesting that the choice of where to direct attention within a frame is a significant decision. He remarks, “The most political decision you make is where you direct people’s eyes.” – Wim Wenders (1997) quoted in Broomberg & Chanarin, 2008

This quote from Wim Wenders highlights the power of directing the viewer’s gaze, which is a significant aspect of using depth of field in photography. The choice of focus (shallow or deep) can subtly influence how a photograph is read, much like how a director in cinema uses focus to guide the audience’s attention.

Andre Bazin:

Bazin discusses how deep focus cinematography allows viewers the freedom to choose where to direct their attention within a scene, promoting a more personal engagement with the visual narrative. He notes, “Deep focus gives the eye autonomy to roam over the picture space so that the viewer is at least given the opportunity to edit the scene himself.” – Bazin (1948) quoted in Thompson & Bordwell, 2007

Ansel Adams:

Adam and his contemporaries championed the use of small apertures to achieve sharpness throughout the image, aligning with their belief in photography’s independence from traditional art conventions. They viewed this approach as a means to “remain independent of ideological conventions of art and aesthetics that are reminiscent of a period and culture antedating the growth of the medium itself.” – F64 Group Manifesto, 1932

Fay Godwin:

Fay Godwin, a British landscape photographer, also used depth of field as a political tool. Her photobook Our Forbidden Land (1990) used deep focus to convey the expansive but restricted nature of the countryside in Britain. This visual technique helped to communicate the message of restricted access to nature, which played a part in changing laws governing public access to the countryside in Britain.

Gianluca Cosci:

Cosci’s use of shallow depth of field in his series Panem et Circenses employs selective focus to comment on corporate influence in urban environments, using “slivers of sharpness” to represent the impact of corporate power on public spaces.

Mona Kuhn:

Mona Kuhn’s Evidence series is a profound exploration of the human form, capturing both young and old subjects in intimate, sensual compositions. Her photographs present individuals who are nude yet not naked; they appear completely relaxed, as if their own skin offers the utmost comfort. Kuhn’s unique style combines sharply rendered portraits with blurred backgrounds, guiding the viewer’s eye and stimulating the imagination.

Over eight years, Kuhn photographed friends and family in Southwest France, creating images that balance light and shadow, gestures, and gazes. The accompanying publication begins with the statement: “The most immediate form of evidence available to an individual is the observations of that person’s own senses.”

In her portrayal, Kuhn emphasizes the natural essence of her subjects, inviting viewers to engage with the images on a sensory level. This approach aligns with the notion that photographs can adapt to various interpretations based on context and presentation, a concept that will be further explored later in the course.

Kim Kirkpatrick:

Kirkpatrick utilizes a restricted depth of field to direct the viewer’s attention to specific details within his compositions. This technique not only highlights particular elements but also adds an abstract quality to the images, encouraging viewers to engage more deeply with the scene.

Kirkpatrick’s photography has been exhibited in various prestigious venues, including the Strathmore Hall Arts Center and the Maryland Art Place. His work has been recognized for its sensitivity to light and color, with gallery owner Sally Troyer remarking, “I have never seen work so sensitive to light and color.”

Guy Bourdin:

Bourdin’s application of deep focus allowed every element within his frames to be sharply defined, compelling viewers to engage with the entire composition rather than focusing on a singular subject. This technique, combined with his strategic placement of models and objects, often elicited feelings of unease and contemplation. As noted in his work, “he created images laced with undertones of psychological tension.”

Bourdin’s photographs often subverted traditional narratives by presenting models in provocative poses within unsettling environments. This approach not only challenged conventional notions of beauty and fashion but also invited viewers to explore deeper psychological themes. His work, as described in a Phaidon article, “put shock, suspense, and surrealism into fashion photography.”

Common Themes:

Across these photographers, depth of field is used deliberately to guide the viewer’s attention, whether through selective focus on specific details or deep focus that keeps the entire frame sharp. This technique influences how the viewer experiences the image, adding emotional or intellectual depth.

Many of these artists also use their work to comment on societal issues, aiming to provoke thought and sometimes inspire change. For instance, Mona Kuhn’s intimate portrayals of the human body and Fay Godwin’s expansive landscapes touch on themes like identity, vulnerability, and our relationship with nature, offering reflections on complex topics.

From Kuhn’s intimate portraits to Godwin’s landscapes, there is a shared interest in exploring the human experience, both literally and symbolically. These photographers capture not only their subjects but also broader themes about society and the environment, using photography as a tool for both artistic expression and social commentary.

Ultimately, these insights show that photography is not just about capturing the world but also about engaging with audiences through deep, thoughtful narratives. By combining technical skill with thematic depth, these photographers use their work to provoke, question, and communicate complex ideas.

Exploring Aesthetic Codes

For this exercise, I selected a photo from my archive featuring a single boat floating on a calm, blue sea beneath a bright, blue sky. The image is sharp throughout, capturing the natural tones and textures of the scene with clarity. I’ve titled it Clear as Day, a name that reflects both the weather conditions and the clean, unfussy composition.

This photo aligns with the Straight Photography aesthetic code, which emphasizes accurate, detailed representation. There’s no soft focus or dramatic manipulation—just a real moment, crisply observed. The depth of field allows everything in frame to be seen clearly, inviting the viewer to appreciate the simplicity and peacefulness of the scene.

Although I didn’t take this image with a particular aesthetic in mind at the time, revisiting it through this lens has helped me understand how technical choices like aperture and depth of field contribute to the overall feel and message of a photo. It’s a gentle reminder of how even a straightforward shot can be rich in visual meaning.

Bibliography

Evidence – Mona Kuhn (2007). At: https://steidl.de/Buecher/Evidence-0020293453.html [accessed 21/03/2025]

Mona Kuhn | Works (2007). At: https://www.flowersgallery.com/exhibitions/515-mona-kuhn-works/ [accessed 21/03/2025]

Wikipedia (2024) Kim Kirkpatrick. At: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Kirkpatrick [accessed 21/03/2025]

Guy Bourdin (2018). At: https://eledhwen.blog/guy-bourdin/ [accessed 21/03/2025]

Phaidon (2014) How Man Ray helped Guy Bourdin put shock, suspense and surrealism into fashion photography | Photography | Agenda | Phaidon. At: https://www.phaidon.com/agenda/photography/articles/2014/august/12/how-man-ray-helped-guy-bourdin-put-shock-suspense-and-surrealism-into-fashion-photography/ [accessed 21/03/2025]

2.4 – Woodpecker

Focus is another powerful tool in photography, guiding the viewer’s attention and shaping the overall composition of an image. In this exercise, I explored how different focusing techniques and depth of field settings can dramatically alter the way an image is perceived. I found a subject positioned in front of a background with depth, ensuring there were clear layers to work with. I used a moderate zoom lens and got as close as possible to my subject while staying within my lens’s minimum focusing distance.

I started by setting my focus directly on the subject. With a wide aperture, this resulted in a beautifully blurred background, isolating the subject and drawing the viewer’s eye immediately to the sharpest point in the frame. This effect is commonly used in portrait photography to create a professional, artistic look.

Next, without changing my framing or focal length, I set my focus to infinity. The background suddenly became sharp and detailed, while the foreground (including my subject) became a soft blur. The shift in focus completely altered the composition, making the environment more prominent than the subject itself.

For the final shot, I selected a small aperture to achieve a deep depth of field, ensuring both foreground and background elements were in focus. This technique is often used in landscape photography to create immersive scenes where every detail is visible.

The key takeaways from this exercise were focus dictates attention. Our eyes are naturally drawn to the sharpest part of an image. Shallow depth of field forces our focus onto a single subject, while deep focus allows the entire scene to be explored. Changing the focal point alters how the image is perceived. A blurred subject with a sharp background feels completely different from a sharply focused subject with a blurred background. When using deep focus, including strong foreground elements can help create balance and prevent wide shots from feeling empty. Neuroscientific studies suggest that our left part of our brain processes details while the right sees the bigger picture. Mastering both shallow and deep depth of field allows us to create images that engage both aspects of visual perception.

This exercise was a great reminder of how much control we have over an image simply by adjusting focus. Whether you’re shooting portraits, landscapes, or storytelling images, understanding how focus structures composition can take your photography to the next level.

2.2 – Viewpoint

This exercise helped me understand how focal length and viewpoint together affect perspective distortion in photography. The task was simple but eye-opening: I took one tightly framed portrait using my longest focal length, then moved closer to my subject while zooming out to my shortest focal length—keeping the framing identical in both shots.

I chose a portrait setting with a background that had depth. My subject stood still while I first used my lens to capture the initial shot from a distance. Then, I walked toward them while adjusting my lens to a wider focal length, ensuring they remained the same size in the frame.

Flipping between the two images, I was surprised by how much the background had changed.

First Shot (Long Focal Length): The background appeared compressed and distant elements seemingly closer together. The subject’s features looked natural, and there was a nice separation between them and the background due to the shallower depth of field.
Second Shot (Short Focal Length): The background expanded dramatically. Objects that had been far away now seemed much further apart, and new elements crashed into the frame. The subject’s face also appeared slightly distorted, features like the nose seemed larger, and the perspective was more exaggerated.

This exercise reinforced that zooming in from the same spot doesn’t change perspective, moving your viewpoint does. A long focal length compresses the background and creates a more natural portrait, whereas a wide-angle lens exaggerates depth and can distort facial proportions.

Understanding this is a game-changer for composing portraits. If I want an intimate, cinematic feel with beautiful background compression, I’ll reach for a longer lens. If I want something more dynamic and immersive, a wider lens with a closer viewpoint can add energy to the shot. This simple but effective exercise helped me see how small technical choices completely alter the look and feel of an image.

2.1 – Zoom

This exercise explores how zooming in alters our perception of a scene, moving from a broad context to isolated details. Inspired by films like Blade Runner (1982) and Blow-Up (1966), I examined how focal length changes not only the framing but also the meaning of an image.

I selected a scene with strong depth. From a fixed position, I captured a sequence of five images, adjusting the focal length each time without physically moving. The sequence progresses from a wide-angle shot to a tightly cropped detail.

After looking through the photos, I noticed:

The illusion of movement through the scene, as though stepping closer.
The transition from documentary-style representation to abstraction.
The way zooming changes the relationship between elements, i.e. backgrounds disappear, subjects become isolated, and meanings shift.

Deckard’s “Esper” equipment in Blade Runner enables him to zoom into photos, supposedly revealing secrets. However, detail fades into grain at the highest resolution, a reflection of photography’s physical limitations. The main character in Blow-Up enlarges a negative in an attempt to solve a mystery. However, he gets less clarity the more he zooms. This calls into question the notion that zooming increases comprehension. Even at the highest resolution, Google Arts & Culture’s extreme zoom capabilities on well-known pieces of art cause the paint and canvas to break down.

For my final image, I chose the last shot in the sequence, which focused on the open end of an alleyway. While the initial wide shot captured the full length of the alley—emphasising its depth and surrounding textures—the final close-up revealed a quiet moment: a woman taking a photo of above down the alleyway, her movement framed by the narrowing passage. This subtle detail shifted the image from a broad environmental study to a more intimate, narrative-focused composition. This is a good example of how zooming and selective focus can turn a space into a story, drawing the viewer’s attention to a single moment within a much larger scene.

This exercise reinforced the idea that zooming is not simply about ‘getting closer’ but more about shifting perspectives. As Cavell suggests, perhaps we are already close enough; it is our way of seeing that changes.

1.3: Line

The brief of this exercise asked me to take a number of wide-angle shots using lines to create a sense of depth. Diagonal lines are key to creating a strong sense of depth because they guide the viewers eye into the image and enhance the feeling of space.

I drove through this village on my way to work, and when I read the brief, this particular place came to mind since the trees are lined up between a fence and a road, both of which also have lines. All of these elements work together to generate a sense of depth in the frame. After examining the photo, I saw that, while the sensation of depth had been accomplished, I could have taken the shot standing closer to the line to emphasize the depth even further.

The next photograph I took was of a different tree line. A sense of depth has been achieved because the size of objects decreases with distance. The horizon may be seen through the woods. If you look at this line in connection to the side of the road, starting from the nearside and continuing to the end, the two lines meet at the end, highlighting the depth in the photo.

This shot was taken in my garden. I thought the lines on the fence at the right angle would be great to portray a sense of depth. However, I still could have gotten closer to the line.

The final photograph I captured was on a train track. This shot has the best sense of depth since I took it from the center of the track, which you can see until it goes into the horizon.

Perpendicular lines are less likely to cause discomfort or tension, as they feel contained and don’t lead the eye to “escape” the frame. They help provide a strong, grounded structure, and allow the viewer to experience the composition within the frame’s boundaries.

Perspective lines can create a powerful sense of depth, but they can also disrupt the harmony if they lead out of the frame. When a line exits the frame, the viewer may feel like they’re missing a part of the story or that the flow of the composition is interrupted. This makes it harder for the viewer to re-engage with the image and creates a visual “dead end.”

The concept of leading lines becomes crucial here. These lines should guide the viewer’s eye through the image and lead to something within the frame, not out of it. A well-placed leading line creates a visual journey, giving the viewer a way back into the image and encouraging them to explore the entire composition.