While waiting for the test prints to arrive from DS Labs, I thought I would try something different. Inspired by the photographic collage technique and methods of Noel Myles, I created the following compound image.
These are images taken in May 2017 when I first started experimenting with interval timer shooting and timelapse photography. The piece is comprised of 24 individual images that I’ve combined using Adobe Photoshop. The subject is the Longford River, which flows through Bushy Park. They were taken on a particular stretch of the river where the sun hits the water at a certain of day, creating the most hypnotising reflections.
This piece was inspired by Myles’ similar obsession to mine of going repeatedly to the same place and taking extreme amounts of images. This is a thread that runs through my own practice and the basis of the majority of my work. I was always criticised by my classmates at Richmond School of Art of ‘taking too many shots’. At the time, I took this a negative aspect, but now I realise it’s how I work.
I also realised that I had tried something similar during the AGM60 Research & Experimentation module.
The following is a visual reference that has influenced this current project.
When searching for images of Bushy Park, there is a particular set of attributes that always appears. Lush green space, deer, misty sunrises, waterfowl and waterways, plus (of course) trees.
This collection of features has been diligently captured by photographer Joanna Jackson in her book A Year in the Life of Bushy Park. Through photography, Jackson has chronicled these elements over the year. The book is divided into chapters categorised by the four seasons.
When looking at these images, I noticed Jackson’s use of different aspect ratios, depth of field and combinations of images within the book.
Each image tells its own story of the park from a different perspective. This is what I will do in regard to the hawthorns.
References
Jackson, J. 2014. A Year in the Life of Bushy Park. London: Unity Print and Publishing Ltd.
Joanna, J., 2020. Joanna Jackson Photography – A Year In The Life Of…. [online] Joannajackson.co.uk. Available at: <https://www.joannajackson.co.uk/> [Accessed 8 December 2020].
The intention behind today’s shoot was to try out the tripod and different aspect ratios. I also wanted to experiment further with the 85mm lens. The light wasn’t the best, but after three days of being stuck inside, it felt good to get outside.
I initially set up the tripod quite low to get the right aspect, but it was proving difficult to the see the screen. When using the camera in portrait, the viewing screen at the back of the camera doesn’t articulate vertically. This means the screen can’t be seen easily at that angle. The aspect ratio for the following is 5:4.
Despite this frustration, I tried the other aspect ratios settings from one position.
FX 3:2
DX 3:2
1:1
16:9
Note to self, if I change aspect ratio, change the camera position and recompose. Also, looking at the 16:9 image, I need to keep an eye out for passing birds and planes in the sky when taking a shot.
I then set the camera back to 5:4 and took the following using the tripod.
What struck me about these particular trees is the missing branches. In hindsight, what could work is composing the image as if these missing pieces were actually present.
I then focused on one of my favourite hawthorns. This is the first time I used the 85mm lens and tripod capturing this tree. Again, trying to find the right horizon using the tripod at a low angle was getting to be frustrating. As such, I removed the camera off the tripod and took some close up shots.
By this time I was starting to get a bit disheartened. I took these shots, but I didn’t feel particularly inspired. What I was starting to realise that there was no spark of ‘Jennie’ in my shots. Nothing that would ‘identify’ these images with me as the photographer. I also wasn’t experiencing that surge of excitement that I get when being creative. Time to stop and have a cup of tea. Only one place to sit…
While contemplating what I should do next, I remembered that I had installed the Nikon Snap Bridge app on my smartphone. This enables the camera to be connected to the smartphone via WiFi, so you can see what the camera is viewing. The shot is then taken by pressing the smartphone screen, not the camera button. These are the shots I took while sitting on the bench.
I started with a conventional composition then tried different angles just to see what would be the result. One thing I did notice is that there is a slight delay between moving the camera and this adjustment appearing on the smartphone screen. This does help in slowing down the process.
Next, I went for a wander in the Woodland Gardens to finish off my flask of tea with some ginger biscuits. After this break, I went back to the line of hawthorns nearby and took the following shots.
At this stage, I was still trying to work out the best approach. I knew it was probably staring me in the face, I just needed to see it.
With a day of sunshine forecast, this was the time to get up early and catch the light. I also wanted to try out the 5:4 aspect ratio instead of my usual 3:2. My intention was to follow the tips outlined by Tony Sweet, Elliot Hook and Lindsay Silverman.
Sunrise was due at 7.45am, so I got to the park at 7.30am. This enabled me to both see and experience just how slow the light came up. It also made me look for the light’s direction and how it lit up my subjects and the environment.
My intention was to tryout the 85mm lens. I had returned the 105mm lens to its owner who assured me I could achieve a similar effect with the 85mm. However, I had made the mistake of not checking and packing my kit the night before. The camera had the 35mm lens on it. Annoying, but it would take me about 40 minutes to get the other lens and return to the park in time for the light.
I decided to go to Teddington Gate and start with this tree below. The last time I was in the park on 27 November, there was a large herd of deer near to the tree so this could be the time to capture it from a different angle.
35mm Images – 5:4 Aspect Ratio
These images were taken between 7.41am and 7.50am. The light was still caught behind the trees behind me at this time.
Admittedly, I was finding it difficult to get the composition and angle I was looking for. Realising I was in need of a bit of a warm up (photographically and corporeally) I walked to the patch of hawthorns on the left of Hawthorn Lodge.
The sun was gradually coming up and I took the following shots at 8.00am.
My patience was rewarded a minute later when the sun finally showed its glory.
The light was stunning – it gave a coppery glow that lit up the ferns beautifully. Again, I was having difficulty in getting low enough with the camera to get the angle I was looking for and being able to see the display screen.
These are the two images I think work best (both have been rough edited in Camera Raw. What does need work is aligning the horizon line. I was using the 4 x 4 grid that can be shown on the display screen to help with composition. So that there would be uniformity, I aligned the top of the ferns with the bottom third line as a guide. This seems to provide a good ratio of foreground, subject, background and sky.
When I shared these two shots with my classmate, Mark, he made the following comments:
“I like the way the sun is coming from the side. I think the second image works. Also, if you didn’t know, they could have been taken on safari. I would try to keep then looking the same in the frame so it doesn’t give the viewer the feeling of ‘bouncing’ in and out. Great shots!”
Will take these on board!
By this time, I was itching to use the 85mm and the light was beginning to get a bit harsh.
The decision was made to return home the return to the park with the 85mm.
85mm Images 5:4 Aspect Ratio
Unfortunately, the light had increased in harshness. Despite this, it was useful trying the 85mm lens with the 5:4 aspect ratio. The first tree I tried was this one (image below taken on 4 November 2020 using the 24mm-70mm zoom lens at 70mm and at 3:2 ratio).
These are the results.
I then walked to the row of hawthorns leading to the gap between the Woodland Gardens plantations.
I did manage to get the effect of blurring the background, which I liked. Again, I wasn’t able to get low enough and see the display at the same time.
My next step is to revisit all aspects of this project in light of the feedback and actions resulting from the Interim Review and previous Group Tutorial.
After another day in front of the computer, I went for a walk in the park. My intention for this visit was to continue using the mirror-less camera to shoot both a RAW and low-quality JPG and see how this method works in relation to this project.
The afternoon was a bit sunny, but by the time I got to the park at approximately 3.30pm the light had ‘died’. The sunset was at 4pm that day, but I was hoping to catch some golden rays. Despite that lack of light, I thought I would still try to take some shots to see what the results would be. I also wanted to explore with focusing on one tree and take different shots from different angles and distances. For the following shots were taken using the 35mm at ISO64.
Tree One
The first hawthorn I photographed was the one I’ve nicknamed The Grim Reaper.
These are the low-quality Black & White conversions created by the camera.
I also took at smartphone shot from a particular angle then combined it with the following images. The ‘abstract’ one has been made from the fourth shot above.
Tree Two
I then walked towards the hawthorn that’s at the end of the row before the gap between the two plantations of the Woodland Gardens. This was taken at F1.8.
The sun was going down towards the left of this tree. What I could do for a more effective shot was to try the speedlight flash a bit earlier in the day to test how this would work.
I then edited this image by bringing up the exposure.
There were two aspects I liked. Firstly the sky showing through the gap. Secondly, the contrast between the in-focus branches and trunk in contrast to the blurred background. This really does make the tree ‘pop’ from the background.
Tree Three
I then walked had a wander through the Waterhouse Plantation then came out at the other end. This brought me to another part of the park I hadn’t explored as yet. At this time the sunlight was lower in the sky and there was a golden glow.
I came across this particular hawthorn. When I looked closer, I realised the trunk was split into multiple trunks.
When I arrived home I made my own Black & White conversion to compare with the one created by the camera.
In addition to these Black & White images, this is a low-res JPG saved directly from the original RAW file without additional editing.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”
Albert Einstein
When stuck in a photographic rut these wise words always come to mind. After the Interim Review, I took the received advice on board and decided to tackle on some key aspects that were mentioned during the session.
The strongest element which I took on board is that is time to focus on producing strong and coherent images. Up until this point I had carried out a high amount of in-depth background research and had produced a range of initial photographs. I now had to take a different tack by refining and improving my technical techniques and narrowing down my subject matter.
With regards to my use of equipment, I had been using my digital mirror-less camera with a 24mm-70mm lens. This was in order to try out different focal lengths to see which distance gave the best results. However, it only goes down to F4, so if I wanted to focus on the tree itself and create a less-obstrusive background by creating a shallower depth of field, I would need to use either my 35mm or 85mm, which goes to F1.8.
The following image, taken with at 53.21mm at F4, was pointed out as having this effect, which was mainly due to the misty conditions.
The other aspect was the conversion of the original colour images to Black & White. This was sparked by my classmate, Mark, who is also a purely digital photographer. Mark is now focusing on Waverley Abbey for his project and is also carrying out Black & White conversions. While talking about his images, Mark mentioned the Zone method (initially formulated by Ansel Adams). This approach to taking digital images then converting them to Black & White has to be carried out in a different way to analogue – expose for the highlights, not the shadows. When recovering ‘information’ in a digital image, the ‘blown’ highlights (pure white) cannot be restored. The darker areas can be made lighter in order to reveal the details. In analogue, it is the opposite.
While looking online for more information about this aspect, I came across a very useful article by Spencer Cox.
‘The art of black and white photography is surprisingly difficult to master. You can’t just slap a “noir” filter on your images and call it a day!’
(Cox, S. 2020)
Over the past seven years, I have been converting images to Black & White digitally and have certainly developed my particular methods. I am in complete agreement with Cox on his instructions and would never even consider whacking on a filter to create a particular effect. The conversion needs a subtle touch and a keen eye to achieve the best results.
One other recommendation that stood out was using the camera settings to take the shot in Black & White. When shooting in RAW, the file will retain the colour, but the monochrome version will appear on the screen. On that piece of advice, I set my camera to capture a RAW version and a low-quality JPG. This means I have both the original colour file that can be converted to Black & White utilising all of the available information and have a monochrome reference for editing.
Cox’s article is extremely useful and I will be taking his advice on board as this project progresses.
The other aspect was getting to know my camera better. This article by Nasim Mansurov was very informative.
By following Mansurov’s suggestions, I reset my camera to see how it would make a difference.
With this information in mind and the suggested changes made, I visited the park.
Tree One
The first hawthorn I revisited was the one that had elicted the best response.
35mm Shots
I first tried the 35mm lens. The sunlight was trying to pierce its way through the clouds and I noticed how the light exposed the texture on the side of the hawthorn. The following shots were taken using F1.8 and are the Black & White JPGs converted by the camera. These were shot in Aperture Priority, but with an exposure compensation of -0.67 in order not to blow the highlights.
When initially looking at the resulting images, I chose this one to edit using my usual Camera Raw method. When I looked closer at this image, I could see the noticeable difference between the sharpness of the tree and the majority of the foreground in comparison to the out-of-focus background. I was not sure about this effect at this stage. It would have to be investigated further by placing the camera on a tripod then changing the settings. This would enable me to compare results and work out the optimum effect.
These are the Black & White JPG and converted RAW file images for comparison.
85mm Shots
I then tried the 85mm lens. I wanted to get some close-up and abstract images of this tree. The reason behind this is that it was suggested I focus on just one particular hawthorn for this project. I wanted to know how the different angles and proximity of the lens could change the viewer’s perspective of an individual tree. Again, these are the Black & White JPGs created by the camera.
I created the following Black & White conversion to see the results.
Again, these are the Black & White JPG and converted RAW file images for comparison.
In reflection, different results were created by different methods. My aim for this exercise was to try something new and this was certainly achieved.
The day after the Interim Review, I was still processing the verbal feedback. I had spent most of the day looking at ways in which to improve my Black & White conversion technique and getting to know my mirror-less camera better. To clear my head, I took a walk in the park at dusk.
It was interesting seeing some of the hawthorns in darker conditions and I thought I would try something different. I took the following images using my smartphone. The first three are without using the smartphone camera flash and the second three are without.
I later tried the following Black & White conversions. The one on the left has been carried out using Camera Raw, the one on the left using the Instagram editing settings.
In order to showcase what I have researched, collated, and produced so far for the Interim Review, I will have to present:
Work-in-progress: considered rough edits of my project to date. If I feel that including contextualised research would be beneficial, I will bring these materials as well.
A short project statement: I will be asked to succinctly introduce the project’s underpinning concept and reflecting on my decision making so far in terms of production.
The aim of the mid review is to make possible a critical and safe space where project ideas are articulated in relation to the production (techniques, materials etc). Each student will receive formative, verbal, feedback from tutors (Fergus and Åsa). It is important that I show a broader selection of my work, in order to enable a productive discussion with peers and tutors, for example to do with potential edit and sequencing.
There will be walls and tables for me to present prints. There will also be a screen available for me to use if I have work that is not yet printed.
I will present the following:
Project Statement
Invisible Trees: The Hidden Hawthorns of Bushy Park
My project will focus on the hawthorn trees of Bushy Park. Since starting this line of inquiry, I have discovered that the hawthorn is integral to human history, medicine, religion, culture, mythology, and the environment. I have also looked deeper in the history of Bushy Park and how it is strongly connected with the hawthorn. By focusing on a particular tree within a constricted environment, my intention is to photographically reveal the hidden ‘identities’ of the hawthorns in Bushy Park.
There were two main decisions behind choosing this particular location. Firstly, due to the current lock-down restrictions, it is close to my home and can be reached by foot or bike. The nature of this project means I will need to visit and study my subjects on a regular basis and in different weather conditions. I can also combine outdoor exercise with my photography. Secondly, it is an environment that, although I know well, also recognise there is scope to discover it further both through research and photographically.
My initial plan was to map these trees for the purpose of adding them to the Ancient Tree Inventory. The majority of hawthorns in Bushy Park fit the particular criteria of ‘ancient’, ‘veteran’ or ‘important’, as outlined by the Woodland Trust. As far as I am aware, none of these hawthorn have been recorded and my work could help in this endevour.
With regards to production so far, I have used a mirrorless digital camera for this project in combination with a selection of lenses (24mm-70mm, 35mm and 85mm). I have been converting the original colour images to Black & White. The reason for this choice is that it enables the details and shapes of the trees to be seen. I also purposefully chose to not take images that are usually associated with Bushy Park or hawthorn trees.
My composition choice is to create a portrait of each tree, abstracting it from its environment. I have taken these following shots from a low angle. By doing so, it makes the tree appear much bigger than in reality.
At this stage of the project, I have printed a selection of rough edits on as C-prints on matt paper. My final substrate will be decided on at a later date.
Work In Progress
Edited and Printed Images
In addition to these ‘objective’ portraits, I have taken subjective shots of the trees.
Print Combinations
Un-Printed Rough Edits
Polarising Filter Results
Typology Test
I will also be able to present other unprinted images on screen, if required, and in context with the review.
Contextualised Research
Photographers/Artists
Tacita Dean
Simon Roberts
Minor White
Bernd and Hilla Becher
Riitta Päiväläinen
Jean-Luc Brouard
Terry Evans
Myoung Ho Lee
Rachel Talibart
Aubrey Beardsley
I will present the relevant blog posts covering the above, if requested.
In addition, I will present and discuss the following books:
Adams, M. (2018). The Wisdom of Trees. London: Head of Zeus Ltd.
Barnes, M., 2019. Into The Woods. London: Thames & Hudson.
Vaughn, B. (2015). Hawthorn – The Tree That Has Nourished, Healed, And Inspired Through The Ages. New Haven & London: Yale University Press.
While thinking of a title for this body of work, I was inspired by a book called Invisible Cities by Italian author Italo Calvino (1923-1985). The book features Marco Polo recounting the cities visited on his travels to Kubla Khan. Through Polo’s narration, he presents his native Venice as fragments of other places. This book’s scenario highlights how people perceive the same place or object in different ways.
Invisible Cities evokes a ‘sense of place’, referring to both the experience in particular locations and how the distinctiveness or unique character of particular localities and regions can be described in different ways.
It could be said that people develop this ‘sense of place’ through experience knowledge of a particular area. A sense of place emerges through:
knowledge of the history, geography and geology of an area
an area’s flora and fauna
legends of a place
a growing sense of the land and its history after living there for a time
This struck a chord when I was reflecting on my own relationship with Bushy Park and the hawthorns in particular. Each tree tells its own story of ‘being’ a hawthorn. Each has their own identity and features.
Also, before I started my focus on hawthorn, they were (to me and the majority of visitors to Bushy Park) invisible trees – hidden in plain sight. As such, the title for this body of work is:
Invisible Trees: The Hidden Hawthorns of Bushy Park
In addition to this title, I could name each tree after the names of the cities in Calvino’s book, relating it to the particular story. The names in include, Dorothea, Zaira, Anastasia, Tamara & Zora. This concept was sparked by the story of Zobeide, which is:
‘The white city, well exposed to the moon, with streets wound about themselves as in a skein. They saw a woman running at night through an unknown city: she was seen from behind, with long hair, and she was naked.’
(Calvino, I. 1997. pp. 39)
References
Calvino. I. 1997. Invisible Cities London: Vintage.
The Weeds And The Wilderness is a series of photographs by British artist-photographer, Simon Roberts (b. 1974).
This evocative series:
‘Seeks out and finds ancient wooded sites that depict a primordial, Edenic state. The approach is inspired by idea of the inscape, a term coined by the Victorian poet Gerard Manley Hopkins to suggest that every living thing has a unique set of characteristics which distinguish it from the next – something akin to a God-given essence. Hopkins argued it was the artist or poet’s responsibility to recognise this ‘inscape’ within nature and convey this to others through their art. All the photographs were taken during the winter months, between November – February, in various ancient woodlands around Britain.’
(The Weeds and the Wilderness – Simon Roberts, 2020)
While carrying out the research for the AG60 Research and Experimentation module, I was recommended to look at the photographic work of Simon Roberts, specifically his images of woodland. Admittedly at the time I couldn’t see the connection between my Moments of Eternity pieces and Roberts’ photographs. However, when I revisited Roberts’ work in light of this new project, the connections became quite clear.
My research involving hawthorn trees has made me realise how much they are part of humanity’s culture and ecology. The following paragraph brought this realisation home:
‘Many Britons no longer have any daily connection with its woods. Mostly we go about our lives sealed from the wild. At the same time, these landscapes touch upon themes such as conservation, ownership, history, magic and myth, climate change, childhood fears, and our current obsession with what is ‘native’ or ‘alien’. They also say something about Britishness and belonging.’
(The Weeds and the Wilderness – Simon Roberts, 2020)
The realisation came from my ‘discovery’ of hawthorns – I had been visiting Bushy Park since 2007 and it was only this year (2020) that I discovered the part these trees play within this environment. Before this, the hawthorns were ‘invisible’ and only an afterthought compared to the other trees in the park. Although Roberts’ images are different in style and composition, the ethos behind the work is similar. It is making the hidden visible, provoking awareness of our natural environment.
Simon Roberts
Simon Roberts’ work deals with our relationship to landscape and notions of identity and belonging. He has published and exhibited widely and his photographs reside in major public and private collections, including the George Eastman House, Deutsche Börse Art Collection and V&A Collection. In 2013 Roberts was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.
Jennie Meadows MA Photography 