Final Statement

The Photographer II

 

It has come to my attention that photographers are rarely found on the opposite side of the camera; as the sitter for a project rather than for use as a document. As the media increases, we have developed a need for more information on those around us, including knowing the identity of someone.

With the initial idea from the series Behind Photographers by Tim Mantoani with other inspiration gained from the Sky1 Arts series Capture, I have aimed to capture the identity of amateur photographers, such as my peers. Photographs have been captured in sharp detail, particularly in the eyes; the key to seeing and the making of a photograph, while exploring who the photographer is within a single photograph. It can be noted that key influences have included the close up headshots of Thomas Ruff and Martin Schoeller. The start of the project began by looking at the use of using the photographers as the sitter with their camera as a literal nod towards their identity as a photographer, taking different approaches and understanding the limits of the Mamiya 67 Medium Format camera, to then overcome any obstacles such as the view finder on top. The idea expanded to the simple, single portrait of the photographer without any props, subsequently removing the distracting idea that the camera is the only thing that defines the photographer.

Only a fraction of the reality and personality can be achieved within a single image. With perseverance and experimentation of props and expressions expressed by the sitter, the ability to capture a raw portrait of a fellow photographer has been enabled. The dull, detached stare of the subject, in recognition of the camera, allows for the eyes to be a window to the soul; the start of seeing the true identity of the subject. A journey of the unknown has been undertaken for this final image. With limited possibilities of expressing the identity of a person, particularly in a direct portrait which defines the image in which they appear, revealing the character of the sitter becomes a challenge, working with the still image and no words. The portrait is one which forces the viewer to ‘read a book by its cover’, yet the ideas upon the identity become monotonous.

Editing and Publishing Images 2

With another session upon the key aspect of editing photographs down to decide on the one final image we are going to select whilst also selecting a particular method or style or idea that is to be pursued and experimented further. Working in film, there is often fewer images to work with while in digital there is a greater chance that you have a considerable number of photographs to select from. Time is the esscence and you cannot rush the process.

There are many different methods in editing numbers of photographs and can be unique to different people, some prefer to quickly remove images they do not like while others take time by looking at them all for a long period of time before making any  decisions – this can be described as reductive editing. Other methods can include adding to the collection of images before reducting the number, while constantly adding and removing images for the right image number/ series. All it  depends on is personal choice, image medium and time frame; give yourself enough time to contemplate decisions to make the right choice. Another idea to contemplate when deciding on a final/favourite image is whether you are looking for technical perfection or if you want the concept of the image to be the main focus.

A great analogy was presented to us by Thom Atkinson, to paraphrase; editing photographs down to your favourite when there is a variety of images is like listening to a music album having a favourite song which after plenty of time, can change to like one of the more obscure tracks on the album which you did not pay attention to when you first listen to the album.

 

Thomas Atkinson, Himself, 21/04/2015