Inspiration
When searching for inspiration I looked into photographers who's works may have explored childhood in some way. I found two very interesting ones. The first was Sally Mann. She became my main inspiration for this work. I was mesmerized by one photo in particular from her photography series At Twelve. It pictures a young girl in black and white with a sheer sheet blowing over her, creating a very ethereal feel. I admire Mann's work on exploring childhood through photography, especially because it is both controversial and moving. I planned to at least at least experiment with with working in black and white, as i love the contrast and dramatic in can create (as seen in Mann's work). |
My second inspiration was Liséa Lyons. I found her through a collaborative collection she participated in that explored the fantasy and reality of childhood. I enjoyed the way she manipulated the lighting and the colors in her works. I wanted to play around with these things in my work as well. Her explanation of her journey to find the meaning of her photography also caught my attention. For a long time she though she was just capturing the world around her, but after having a daughter and beginning to photograph her as she grew up, Lyons said she realized her works were windows into her own memories and experiences. That idea was very similar to the basic idea I had for this photography piece and it was interesting to see the way she put it into words. |
Planning
I knew i was going to be telling a story with this piece. As I developed my idea for what to do, I ended up with two sort of "versions" and ways I wanted to approach it. This gave me a chance to really experiment with editing and digital manipulation
My first idea and sketches are the simpler, original idea I had. There were two location I had in mind to take the photos: on the staircase leading to the second complex in my house and the bathroom. For both I knew I wanted to create a hazy effect, and I felt like playing with the colors like Lyons would look best. I even considered adding a fish eye lens effect to the first version. If I couldn't properly create the second idea I would most likely to this simpler plan. My second idea was a bit more heavily inspired by Mann. Basically the same original locations and set up, but I wanted to layer other photos of me in different positions over, lowering the opacity to create a memory-like effect. For the stairs, I though maybe just running up the stairs and creating the phantom idea of the motion. For the bathroom I thought you would just see someone standing on their tiptoes reaching for something. Almost like the mainly visible person was remembering these lost moments. I felt like black and white would serve this version idea better. Depending on how well I was able to edit, I would either stick with this more complicated idea and toss the first. If I like them both I might keep them. |
Experimentation
It had been a while since I last used Photopea, so I used the bathroom version of this photography piece to both get used to the program again and test some things out. First I played around with how to layer the photos and change the opacity to make the background more dreamy and off-putting. I decided to cut out the main subject to place over the opaque layer, but I thought it didn't look too good. In the final work I avoided doing that again. I also messed around with the hue for a colored version. I also tried out black and white to see what might look better. Surprisingly, I ended up preferring colored versions. I found some really cool mechanics in Photopea I hadn't known about before and this helped me in editing the final work. |
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Process
1. The first photos I took were in a bathroom. I had to prop my camera up on a pretty rudimentary setup, but it worked. I used my method of taking video while doing different poses, then reviewing it later on to pick screenshots I liked.
2. After that I moved into the hallway of my house for the second location. I took both horizontal and vertical photos here, but ended up choosing to use the horizontal versions. 3. I uploaded all the photos and organized them. Then I experimented with Photopea to get used to the program again. I used the photos from the bathroom for this. 4. Next I started on the stairway version. I copied the base photo onto a blank canvas. 5. I opened the 'memory' photo and cut out just the legs running up the stairs. I wanted it to seem like the action was happening outside of the current moment, so I didn't just layer the whole photo on top of the base and lower the opacity. That way there was no shadow from the legs on the wall. 6. I positioned the legs onto the base photo and then played with the opacity settings until I was satisfied. 7. Next I added a hue/saturation layer and lowered them slightly along with the lightness. This blended the layers together and made the photo's colors similar to my second inspiration Liséa Lyons. 8. I did test out this version in black and white, but ended up just sticking with the color version. 9. After that I went to the 'memory' layer and added a lens blur effect to them, making them seem more dreamy. |
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Reflection
I am very happy with my final product. I'm proud of the way I used colors and edited the work. However, I realize that there are some things I wish I could have done. I wanted to make the photo seem dreamy by somehow blurring the lens, but I wasn't able to. I tried to incorporate that idea into the 'memory' part of it, but I think it would look even better if the entire work was hazier. I want to use Photopea more, because as I get more familiar with the program I'll be able to create even better work.
Compare and Contrast
Similarities
Differences
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ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork.
The messages explored by my inspirations helped me develop the theme of my own work. The colors Lyons used became very present in my work.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
I was able to find some information directly from Lyons about her work, which was really interesting. The author seemed to be very interested and respectful of Mann.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, ect. while you researched your inspiration?
Childhood is often romanticized as you leave it behind, often leaving you unsatisfied while growing up.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
I wanted to find interesting photographers and stumbled upon artists that shared a similar message as me. I also searched for art that explored childhood.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred some things about my inspirations and a basic summary of my generation's views on childhood and growing up.
The messages explored by my inspirations helped me develop the theme of my own work. The colors Lyons used became very present in my work.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
I was able to find some information directly from Lyons about her work, which was really interesting. The author seemed to be very interested and respectful of Mann.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, ect. while you researched your inspiration?
Childhood is often romanticized as you leave it behind, often leaving you unsatisfied while growing up.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
I wanted to find interesting photographers and stumbled upon artists that shared a similar message as me. I also searched for art that explored childhood.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred some things about my inspirations and a basic summary of my generation's views on childhood and growing up.
Bibliography
“Liséa Lyons Porfolio.” Liséa Lyons, 4 Nov. 2018, www.lisealyons.com/.
“Sally Mann.” Jackson Fine Art, www.jacksonfineart.com/artists/sally-mann/.
“See Jane Run: Contemporary Art about Childhood (and Other Cozy Things).” Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts, www.bedfordgallery.org/exhibitions/past/see-jane-run.
“Sally Mann.” Jackson Fine Art, www.jacksonfineart.com/artists/sally-mann/.
“See Jane Run: Contemporary Art about Childhood (and Other Cozy Things).” Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts, www.bedfordgallery.org/exhibitions/past/see-jane-run.