Photographer Research - Damien Blottiere

Why I've chosen him

Damien Blottière studied Fashion at the Parisian Art School Duperre. He was always interested in images and photography, so he worked first as a fashion editor for Mixte, Purple Fashion and Dazed & Confused until he decided to devote himself entirely to photography. Blottiere plays with images and creates a universe for the models or the objects by building "hand made" sets or collages looking like animals, flowers or surrealistic sculptures, which are an open window to his childhood and own world of magical fantasy. This photographers work beams with passion and creativity, the pattern of each piece consistently strong and eye catching. Blottiere works with a variety of topics that all inherit the same theme; his artistic style of collaging shapes of the same/different images. I have chosen this photographer because his style isn't something that I often see in fashion photography, as he manipulates photographs to illustrate a complicated yet engaging piece of work. Some of his photographs act as illusions such as the first one below, whilst others are more simplistic yet still flawless such as the second one below. I am interested in doing my own fashion shoot as a result of studying this photographers work and am interested in manipulating some of my outcomes in his style.

This is the first photograph of Blottiere's that includes the formal element pattern. The pattern is found in the triangular slits that separate the two faces yet mix them together at the same time. This technique is peculiar because it looks as though the faces of the two men make a complete one in the middle, yet when you look harder you can separate the two faces from each other, resulting in this type of photography being an illusion. Blottiere has used gel lights to cast a faint red glow over the side of the mans face on the left, making his appearance more feminine than masculine. This red glow contrasts with the black tones in the frame found in the background and in the items of clothing the models are wearing. The mixture of red and black are colours that have the connotation of danger/anger/fierce etc. The expressions on both of these mans faces are blunt, with their lips shut tight and one starring deeply into the camera - his expression is therefore complimented by the colours in this image. Curves on Photoshop is a tool that has the most effective touch to this type of photograph, as it will enhance the dark shadows, create more depth and give dimension to the faces, making their features more piercing. I may mix two faces together in my project through a physical experiment to experiment with this style.

These above are both screen shots that I have taken from a Gif. This was originally an animation of two photographs; the first one of the man hiding his mouth with his gloves and then his ears with his gloves. The pattern in this piece isn't as strong as some of Blottiere's other work, however the idea of an animation is something that I can create large amounts of pattern with. The model is dressed in dark colours that contrast effectively with the bright white background, allowing the props to stand out. The colours of this piece are neutral, which means the saturation would have been decreased in Photoshop as the original pictures of this Gif would have been a lot brighter as a result of a studio shoot with lights. Winter is a season that is evidently being advertising in this piece as the model is wearing fluffy gloves and a patterned scarf; perhaps a project for winter clothing was being carried out. 

This is a very abstract piece of photography of a lipstick. This product has been photographed from an assortment of different angles and then merged together in one photograph to make one illusion. You can see a birds eye view of the packaging, a close up of the lipstick, a picture of the whole product etc. Blottiere has used Photoshop in this image to blend these images together, forming an artistic and confusing pattern. The combination of light red, black and white are colours that contrast effectively when grouped together, making this lip product pop and appear extremely dramatic. The quality of this photograph is smooth and flawless, which is exactly how beauty products should be photographed as it will entice the viewer to purchase it. High key lighting has been used for this piece in order to make the product bright and vibrant, creating a clean white backdrop and giving the packaging an immaculate finish.

This is one of Blottiere's fashion installments which he has manipulated with geometric shapes and slits, as part of a project where he performed similar creations to other pieces of his fashion photography. He shot the model in a studio using two lights to brighten both his sides, and used a blue sheet for the background pulled down onto the ground in order to create an infinity curve which avoids noticing the separation between the floor and the wall. This style of work is something that immediately caught my attention because it is a unique and engrossing method used to direct the viewers attention to specific items of clothing. The circle around his face conveys his appearance, the circle around his body conveys his smart jacket and the circle around his feet conveys his footwear. The circles have been used to present the models body from head to toe, whilst the rest of the shapes have been inserted around and inside the circles to create a more fascinating outcome and enhance the eccentric style. The colours are a bizarre combination, however this exaggerates the already odd presentation of this piece of work. There are different shades of blues, oranges and blacks which are found in the clothing and the background/shapes, meaning this photograph was pieced together with thought and effort instead of carelessly thrown together. 

How he has influenced me

Similar to the second photograph of Blottiere's in this post, I have taken on his technique of photographing the same person in the same outfit with the same pose, but changing one thing about the composition. For my work above that I captured in my exam, I got Danielle to pull different facial expressions and put the results into a triptych to act as one piece. I was very pleased with this outcome as it appears to be a sequence along with a pattern that responds effectively to my title. 

Summary

Ultimately, this photographer evidently lives and breathes creativity, piecing together surreal and abstract photographs linking to fashion to make the outcomes extra effective and appealing. He doesn't just take a photograph of attractive models and stylistic costumes, Blottiere thinks about how he can make his next piece of work more intriguing than the last, using methods such as gifs, paper and Photoshop. The pattern is consistently strong in his work and the combinations of colours always make sense, providing connotations and meaning that makes his photography impressive and inspiring.

Photographer Research - Phillip Shannon

Why I've chosen him

Phillip Shannon began shooting professionally in 1996. He started his career shooting on film and this background gave him a base to embrace the digital revolution which came about 2-3 years later. Shannon said he was lucky enough to be part of one of the first studios to buy, implement and start shooting on the first Phase One digital camera backs. Many years later and thousands of shoots later, he has always kept up to date with the latest advancements in technology using the latest cameras and software. This is one of the main reasons as to why I have chosen this photographer to study, because he is professionally skilled in Photoshop, using techniques that create artistic images and layouts that draw you in as a viewer. Pattern is a very strong formal element found in all of Shannon's work, whether that be realistic pattern or edited pattern. Shannon also doesn't work in just one specific area of photography, he is an exploratory and creative artist with many inspiring ideas that have already influenced my imagination.

In this photograph, Shannon has photographed a grooming product for men; Simple Aftershave Balm. Simple is usually known for consisting of the colours green and white, whereas with this product the packaging is jet black with white text. This colour works well with the male gender as it has the connotation of masculinity, whilst white has the connotation of femininity. Shannon has worked from this and used a black background to compliment the colours of the subject, along with a few out of focus lights in the background to create more pattern in the image. He has also added in a Photoshop splash beneath the bottle to add extra dramatic effect, making the product appear more fresh and revitalising if used as part of a mans skin care routine. The bottle stands out among the patterns in the frame and the black backdrop as there has been two lights used either side of the product to make the edges shine; this white glow emphasising the size of the product and allowing it to stand out from the other features in the composition.

This is a different style of photograph by this photographer of cookies and milk which has required no specific Photoshop editing or techniques, just high key lighting and a neatly arranged composition. The pattern in this photograph is evident in the red and white striped straws and the pile of chocolate chip cookies. As the cookies are the subject of this photograph, they are in focus, whilst minimum depth of field has been used to create a strong blur in the background objects. Red is main accent colour of this image as it also appear in the background in the top right hand corner of the frame, contrasting effectively with the bright white surroundings. This image looks like one that draws you in for when you're looking for recipes in a book as the cookies look extremely indulgent. They are thick cookies that easily crumble, suggesting that they are fresh out the oven. This corresponds with the use of colours as white has the connotation of fresh, making this photograph an all round success when it comes to the lighting and use of formal elements.

Similar to the first photograph, Shannon has used a black background which enables the illuminated blue to stand out as dark colours contrast effectively with highly saturated colour. An irregular pattern has been created by this splash which starts in a small group at the bottom and expands into a larger arrangement of bubbles at the top. This pattern is effective because it makes it look as though the bubbles could constantly grow into a large group if the fizz carried on outside of the frame. The composition of this image is effective because Shannon has left a large quantity of space to the left for text to be inserted, which would make this image look more finished. It has the potential to be an effective piece of advertising photography for a refreshing drink if Shannon were to employ this technique into his work.

Similar to the second photograph of Shannon's, this is another one of sweet food that looks extra delicious because of the use of bright and saturated colours with their positive connotations. There is pattern in the hundreds and thousands and pattern in the ice cream cone. I think it is extremely effective putting two images next to each other that have different coloured backgrounds because the colours are able to contrast with each other, which always results in a successful outcome and eye catching photograph. Shannon would have edited the ice cream cone photograph on Photoshop in order for it to stand up without anybody holding it, which looks more like a piece of pop art than it would if there was a hand/arm involved in the composition. 

How he has influenced me

In Shannon's first photograph of this post, he captured a beauty product with splashes as the pattern. In shoot 5, I carried out a shoot of the Ed Hardy hand cream and the grafruitti flavoured Lucozade. These products both have packaging that include extremely detailed patterns that fill the whole bottle. These patterns were enhanced in the studio with the lighting, where I shot the first one in a more simpler way than the second one with the splatter effect, inspired by Shannon's technique.

Summary

Overall, Phillip Shannon is a very broad based photographer who enjoys exploring a mixture of themes in his work from still life to food to creative to people etc. The main photographs of his that will help inspire my project are his food based ones and his creative ones as this is where I will be able to capture the most pattern. As I am extremely interested in advertising, this photographer captures photographs that come under this area, therefore making him an extremely appropriate inspiration for my upcoming work. His use of colours are what I enjoy analysing the most because he often makes sure there is a colour connotation to relate to the subject, which results in photographs that have meaning, therefore making them stronger. 

Photographer Research - Franck Bohbot

Why I've chosen him

Franck Bohbot is a French photographer living in New York City. He is a documentarian with an eye for the theatrical who found his way to photography by way of cinema, and although he turned his focus fully to photography in 2008, the formal and aesthetic influences of the cinematographic form continue to underlie his present work. His work inhabits a space between reality and fantasy, documenting and storytelling. Bohbot frequently takes a formal, typological approach to crafting visual narratives, highlighting the surreal symmetries of our constructed worlds and capturing the poetry of everyday places with a unique attentiveness to the interplay of light and colour.  Rendering public spaces, street scenes, and architectural sites of interest in his distinctive muted palette, he documents inanimate structures with all the sensitivity of a human portrait. The lighting featured in his work is often soft, yet many shadows are apparent in the rest of the composition. This contrast works effectively in his landscapes, allowing specific details to stand out. I am interested in his levitation pieces, which he creates by having someone in their natural habitat be lifted up into the sky e.g. a picture of someone walking on a road will be transformed into a picture of someone walking in the air. I also like his location photography portraying many formal elements such as depth, pattern, colour, line, form and shape through landscapes of different galleries, cinemas, libraries and swimming pools etc.

Franck Bohot isn't a surreal photographer, however he has experimented with this movement in his levitation project that he shot in 2007. I admire in these images how he has managed to shoot someone performing an ordinary activity in an ordinary location, but edited their outline to levitate from the ground. This concept is fascinating, as I am used to creating surreal pieces that are extremely surreal, but in this project Bohbot has created simple surreal photographs - which work just as well. The majority of the images are in black and white, which avoids colours clashing together in the frame, as the focal point is the person 'levitating'. In this image, the pattern isn't as strong as the photographs below, however this technique has a lot of potential to create patterns. For example, I could repeat the persons body creating an arch from the bottom left hand side of the frame to the bottom right if I was to take influence from this photographer. 

This photograph comes under Bohbot's Last Stop - Coney Island personal project that he shot in 2013. The majority of his photos from this shoot feature an attraction that appears deserted and quite haunting amongst lonely roads and beaches during the day, as there is no life evident in the frame. This picture however is the complete opposite to most in this project, as the setting is appropriate - night time. Attractions like the ones in Bohbot's project are meant to run best at night, where the lights contrast with the night sky and stand out to the public. There is a sense of movement featured in the Wonder Wheel as it's details are blurred and suggest that it's spinning, conveying how there are people on the ride which makes for a more successful piece of photography in comparison to the other lonely looking pictures. The pattern is strong in the fences that separate the underpass, along with the moving wheel. Colour is also a strong formal element of this piece as it is the attractions lights that allow it to stand out, whereas if there was no light, there would be a lack of colour. Therefore, the lighting plays an important role in this image, as natural lighting often works as well as false lighting.

This is a photograph that acts as part of Bohbot's House of Books long-form project that he began in 2011 and has been exploring ever since. This is the Fleet Library at the Rhode Island School of Design, which he shot in 2015. What drew me towards this image was the symmetrical architecture of the roof and the reoccurring podiums that grow smaller the further they travel back into the frame. These two features act as the pattern in the composition, complimented further by the lines, shapes and tones. Bohbot has manipulated the lighting in this image as it casts a soft beige tinge over it to emphasise the warm and homely feel of being in a library. This lighting matched with the neutral colours of the interior has the connotation of a home, as it appears welcoming and positive, instead of cold and drowsy. In my opinion, this is how a library should feel, because some people travel to them in order to find a book that they can use as escapism from their current situation. I also admire the depth that Bohbot has captured in this piece, as this is a more successful piece of framing than if he were to have shot the picture closer in the room; there wouldn't be as much pattern, and this is the most interesting feature. 

This is a photograph that's part of Bohbot's Cinema Series that he shot in 2014. It's called The New People, Cinema in San Francisco, California. Immediately it's the pattern that draws me to this type of image; the pattern in the ceiling and on the walls that are reoccurring and symmetrical. The colours in this piece are the most effective in my opinion, as white contrasts with black the best out of all the colours. This colour pairing is then complimented by the black wall in the center of the frame and the bright white screen. The only accent colour in the composition is the tinge of red that comes from the group of chairs in the middle. The fact that these hold no people makes for a more effective photograph as there is no interruption to the pattern and framing of the subject. I don't often shoot many photographs that lack in colour, because this is my favourite formal element, however I am inspired by this photographer to perhaps explore some black and white imagery as it works extremely well when there is an additional accent colour featured in the frame. 

How he has influenced me

I wanted to capture some natural pattern photographs featuring the formal element depth like Bohbot because it is these images of his that drew me towards his work. I visited the National Portrait Gallery and The British Library in London which allowed me to take these two photographs influenced by Bohbot.

For shoot 9, I went to a fair in London, and captured some photographs linked to Bohbot's work, and specifically looked for a wheel to shoot against the sky to convey its pattern.

Summary

Ultimately, Franck Bohbot is a photographer who has explored a large variety of themes in his work that feature many formal elements, mainly pattern. His photographs of the cinema, library and theme park all featured depth, and are images that have been caught in their natural habitat. No certain structure has had to go into shooting the photos because they are natural locations, which is what inspired me to capture a few photographs similarly in my London shoot that I have presented above. I am also looking to explore the surreal movement in a style like Bohbot's because this fascinates me as it is something I don't often see by photographers.  

Photographer Research - Nick Fancher

Why I've chosen him

Nick Fancher is a Columbus, Ohio-based portrait and commerce photographer as well as an author and educator. He specialises in lighting, specifically in unconventional locations. Many of his portraits are captured with minimal lighting and often rarely in a studio. Fancher makes the most of his own surroundings with one light, and captures stunning portraits with what he has. What I admire the most about his work is his commercial and food photography, because it's very neat, sleek and filled with fun patterns. I have chosen to study Nick Fancher as part of my photographer research because he photographs food in an artistic fashion; instead of capturing meals and structured dishes, he simply uses confectionery sweets and bold block coloured backgrounds to make his work appear slightly pop art and very vibrant. He also uses a white background often and light boxes in his work to give products a strong reflection, which is a formal element I would like to experiment with by using a light box myself. The colours that Fancher uses are also uplifting as all of the bright colours have the connotation of happiness, positivity and energy - which is represented in his work, as he doesn't have one bland or boring piece.

In this photograph, Fancher has captured an interesting irregular pattern of plates, spoons and ice cream cones. There are different flavours of ice cream on each plate, all displaying a different colour, supporting the irregular pattern. The plates are situated in an untidy triangle, whilst the rest of the props in the shot are scattered around in a random assortment. The frame is landscape, and has been captured from a birds eye view point, resulting in thin shadows cast next to the subjects formed by a light coming in from the top left hand corner. This lighting is effective because it allows the positive colours of the ice cream and white plates to shine against the dark background, forming a contrast that works well in this piece of photography. I think the framing of this piece is also successful because it allows for plenty of space to create a pattern, as this is a formal element that Fancher portrays in the majority of his work. The composition is what inspires me with Fancher's work, as I want to reinterpret his style through capturing my own table shot from a birds eye angle, with food items dispersed around the frame in an irregular pattern.

This is a more simplistic photograph captured by Fancher, still conveying as much pattern as the image before. A crushed eye shadow has dispersed itself around the frame, creating the sense of an explosion taking place in the frame. The subject has remained in a crowd in the center of the frame, whilst the dust and smaller parts of the palette has blown across the rest of the frame, mainly in the top half. The bright blue against the white background is an effective contrast, as it makes every particle of the make up product visible. If a black background was used, parts of the subject could perhaps become lost in the frame, whereas with the combination of white and blue the pattern is clearly evident. This type of photo would work well in a multiple imagery piece, with the subject changing colours, so that each square in the multiple imagery would consist of the same photo but display a variety of colours. The formal elements pattern and colour would work productively together if this type of piece was created.

The pattern featured in this piece is evident in the woman's nail art. There are geometric shapes on her nails, all of different colours, complimenting one another and shining under the beam of light. The added ring on her finger is also a touch of femininity, making this piece extra elegant. The pinks and blues on the nails contrast with the woman's white jumper, which is blurred due to minimum depth of field. The nails are the focal point of this photograph, which is why they are the most in focus in the frame. I like the composition of this piece, as the woman is only holding the mug in order to show off her manicure - it acts as an effective platform to display the design. It's a relevant prop, and has inspired me to perhaps create similar pieces, as I was thinking of taking photographs of certain nail art myself, which I could now capture by having the woman's hands holding something that contrasts with the colourful pattern.

This is a commercial piece of photography that Fancher captured in a studio. He had a selection of fancy glasses that he laid on top of a light box in order for their reflection to appear beneath them. This use of formal element works well in the frame as there isn't much else going on. There is a large quantity of wasted space in the top half of the frame, which could be seen as effective as it directs more of the attention onto the products being advertised. The glasses are the pattern, along with their reflection, however I don't think the pattern is as strong as some of Fancher's other work. Despite this, the mixture of colours all compliment one another and result in it being a successful piece of photography. I may experiment with using a light box for some shoots in my project as I find the reflection and bright background work together well to create a captivating, effective and stylish image. 

How he has influenced me

Fancher has inspired me immensely when it comes to shoot 3 of my coursework and shoot 6 of my exam. In these shoots, I looked mainly at different layouts of confectionery, capturing them from a birds-eye view and altering the pattern, sometimes irregular and sometimes symmetrical. This style of work is something that the first picture of Fancher's in this post inspired me to carry out. To develop these types of images, I will next need to explore different coloured backdrops to compliment some of the colours found in the subjects.

Summary

Overall, Nick Fancher's work is fun and vibrant, with a variety of lighting used for each photograph. He is a very exploratory photographer who shoots different themes for a range of projects. My favourite pieces of work comes under his food theme, as he often uses two block colours as backgrounds which I rarely see by photographers. I admire the irregular patterns that he creates, and the more simplistic ones that are refreshing amongst the chaotic patterns. He introduces many formal elements into his work which explains why they are effective and successful as stand alone pieces - very inspiring for my work. 

Photographer Research - Carl Kleiner

Why I've chosen him

Carl Kleiner is a superbly creative still life photographer from Sweden, even if it's fashion, food or advertising. He has an impressive imagination that beams through every piece of work. He has worked for Ikea, making the images for a cookbook called Hembakat ar Bast. His photography is colourful, graphic and experimental, where he uses materials raging from paper to eggs and clothes to dolls, not limiting himself when it comes to thinking outside the box. This is the main reason as to why I have chosen this photographer to research in depth and influence my work. He is effortlessly original, and uses backgrounds of one colour that aren't the typical white or black. Kleiner experiments with pastel shades even if it doesn't blend too well with the subject, the contrast and combination of colours makes an eye popping piece of photography. Effort goes into every piece of this mans work, allowing him to create abstract and sometimes surreal pieces - two themes that I enjoy employing into my own work. Furthermore, Kleiner's versatile approach to his work is another inspirational trait of his that I'd like to employ into my project, as he doesn't focus around just one theme which gives him that edge as a photographer.

This is one photograph of many featured under the Herman Miller project that Carl Kleiner worked on. This is my favourite image out of the group because it features the formal elements that I most enjoy experimenting with, such as colour, pattern and shape - especially colour. In my project patterns I am able to creatively explore colour, just like Kleiner has here. Mixing a variety of colours together usually results in an effective piece of photography because it stands out and catches peoples attention. Kleiner is advertising a mixture of chairs from this company, all composed together in a group, creating an inconsistent pattern due to the different styles of chairs. By using a white background in this piece has allowed the colour of the chairs to pop even more, also creating a large contrast. In my opinion, Kleiner has wasted the top half of this frame, where he could have perhaps trimmed it or added some text to fill it. Other than that, the pattern is strong and the combination of colours is also extremely effective.

This portrait advertising piece by Kleiner is my favourite photograph out of his varied style of work. He is advertising Ritz crisps which are a new product brought out by this company, in need of some creative manipulation to help advertise it to the audience. Kleiner has most certainly employed his imaginative and artistic skill to this piece, by making it look like the Ritz from the packet are jumping out and neatly heading towards the bowl below in a tidy and repetitive pattern. "Put on the Ritz" is the slogan for this piece, suggesting that you can put on a spread as great as the Ritz in London with the help of the brand Ritz. I like the background, of two block colours covering the whole of each half of the frame. The light red and dark pink colours compliment one another, conveying a successful use of formal elements. This background encourages the yellow tone of the crisps to stand out from the frame, displaying how Kleiner thought efficiently when it came to piecing this image together. I am very interested in creating fun patterns with food, similar to Kleiner, and feel that this photograph is the most effective form of inspiration. I could photograph the hands, packet and crisps separately, and use the quick selection tool on Photoshop to piece a photograph together like this one. 

This image is Meow-Meow by Carl Kleiner. It consists of food products, situated around in the frame in a pattern that represents some sort of process. The food products used in this piece are all of the same colour, such as egg yolks, spaghetti, triangle cheese, bread, butter, eggs, rice and crackers. The background is also of a yellow tone, meaning that all of the colours compliment one another to result in a well thought out piece of photography. This type of image inspires me to create a piece similar with food all of the same colour, such as red: jelly beans, cherries, strawberry laces, ketchup, tomatoes, lobster etc. Shape is also a strong formal element featured in this photograph, as all of the foods are circles, squares and triangles etc. The layout of the food corresponds with the title of the piece, as it looks similar to the face of a cat, linking to Meow Meow. The overall composition of this piece is successful as the framing has been used to the best of its ability, with a birds eye shot displaying the subject clearly. 

On the rare occasion, Kleiner has people featured in his work, resulting in photographs that still hold a large amount of creativity. As a lover of macaroons, it would be enjoyable to create some work based around this food item. Kleiner has shot a man in a white shirt and white apron, sitting at a table with one of his hands open, welcoming a pile of macaroons to float from his palm in a consistent pattern. Kleiner has added in each macaroon to the frame to create the illusion of floating food, keeping his artistic side current even in a portrait shot of people. He doesn't only work with still life, but also portraits, which I would like to experiment with also - mixing food and people together to form an interesting and fascinating pattern.

How he has influenced me

Kleiner has inspired me to take these styles of photographs below. After looking at his project for Ritz and spotting all the surrealistic elements,  I was influenced to do something similar but with confectionery (M&M's and Starbursts) as these are always the most colourful and eye catching to shoot. I used Photoshop to create the flow of sweets falling/flying from the packet and heading towards Danielle's mouth/a pile. This technique is an extremely effective form of advertising, as it's quirky and eccentric in comparison to just photographing a still of the confectionery. Kleiner's last photograph also inspired shoot 12 of mine, where I added in individual sweets from my exam shoot into a frame with Danielle's holding her fingers up 'balancing' the pile of sweets.

 

Summary

Ultimately, Carl Kleiner is a very versatile photographer who undergoes an endless amount of projects for a large portion of different companies. His work is often abstract, and always inventive. The colours he uses are always exploratory and never safe, similar to the patterns that he creates in practically every photograph he takes/manipulates/creates. He doesn't just focus on one theme because his work is always displaying different messages and advertising different products, allowing him to explore every artistic bone in his body, always expanding his ideas and trying out new styles. I specifically admire his manipulated and pieced together photographs, as these are always the most intriguing and inspiring.