Friday 10 January 2014

LANDSCAPE PROJECT


Hi Everyone!


It's been quite a long time since I last posted but as I have just finished my recent project for Uni I have decided to create a post about it!
So this is a portfolio submission of 5-10 images, min A3, max A2 in size and the subject matter was pretty much open to interpretation and in my case it was going to be Landscape all the way! (of course). 
I have always been interested in Landscape whether it's photography or paintings mainly because of the aesthetics and general beauty about it. I also love how we can interpret so many different social/political issues in Landscapes which again makes this subject so interesting.
So as I have also written a project report which will also be submitted, I will post it here for you to look at!

Feel free to tell me what you think, I am open to comments!








Project Description


My work is particularly focused around the idea of change in Landscape Photography, in particular ideas of habitation and spaces or places that have been ‘interacted’ with. There has been an exploration of the area, Basingstoke (Winklebury) which is my hometown which suggests a relationship between photographer and the environment; which emphasises the idea of human existence within a natural space and our continuing relationship with the land. The work has developed by continuously walking and exploring a place with a connection to nostalgia and ideas that I can relate to. The images have become a representation of discoveries, weather, and seasonal occurrences of the past few months; revisiting and taking different routes in that particular area.  All the images appear to have a sense of mystery within them, specifically the paths, the in-closed places and public spaces.  Influences and ideas into similar themes have been from the work of Jem Southam, Virginia Nimarkoh and 19th Century painters; (but not limited to) who represent places that have been or are still in use and continue to document and revisit these particular spaces. The work also aims to address the ideas and differences around Landscape paintings and photography, and how images create awareness about social, political, personal and various other issues; focusing primarily on conceptual and aesthetic meaning and understanding how the traditional ‘picturesque’ approach of 18th/19th century art has influenced are interpretations of  the modern landscape.


Project Development

The work began by exploring the surroundings of my home and familiar places by walking and shooting; developing a feeling for the area and knowing what works with the current weather conditions. After looking at traditional pieces of work of wide-open spaces and beautiful scenery I felt as though my work was venturing into a more pictorial approach and a combination of human and natural intervention. The idea of re-visitation constantly provokes me into going back to the same places at different times and different days to develop a journey or story like aesthetic. During the pin-up sessions I wanted people to feel like they were or could be in the picture, feeling a sense of familiarity and a connection between themselves and the place. Although the images are made in a place I personally can connect with, I didn’t want this to restrict the ideas that people have. I would like to believe that the Landscapes I produce, leave the mind open to interpretation, getting the viewer wondering about that particular place, who has walked there, sat there or what is it used for. 


First Shoot in Southampton (Construction site/Park)

Whilst continuing to look at many images of other artists or photographers; particularly to develop an understanding of the changes and differences landscape art has been through, I go out on foot making images that just feel right, places that just catch my eye. Most of my images contain traces of human presence or man-made objects within them, for example paths, benches, and general public spaces. Picturing the paths specifically has become something I subconsciously do as my intentions are not to produce images of paths but are to capture places I have been or others have been. My first shoots in general were quite vague in terms of meaning and intentions, the aim was to explore areas and show a relationship between man and nature, and how we have changed the land and developed a sense power over it. I started making images of Southampton, particularly around the parks, where we have a common interaction, and where there is evidence of nature/man influences, specially buildings and trees. From these images I received feedback on the lines of, ‘More nature, not so much landscape’, ‘a sense of direction’, and, ‘interesting framing’. The feedback sessions were very helpful in the process of elimination and which direction to head in next. From then on I focused on where I was most familiar with, places I knew my way round and generally where I felt most connection with and the work started to become more fluid and interesting. In terms of meaning, the work has developed into a way for many people to see images of the everyday, which create an awareness of the things that are happening in the areas in which we live. A mixture of nature and human existence really creates the contemporary feel and is an interesting way of showing our ever expanding use of the land. In terms of aesthetics and the traditional image, there are aspects of this through the use of the natural environment, the images do not always suggest beauty and romance but sometimes a sense of the forgotten and nostalgia in the surrounding the areas.


First shoot (Southampton Park)



Second Shoot (Basingstoke/ Winklebury-‘Tire-Swing’ Park)




Third Shoot (Sycamore Community Centre- Winklebury)


Fourth Shoot (Winklebury Basketball Courts)



Fifth Shoot (Sunset- Winklebury Playing Fields)


Sixth Shoot (Foggy- Winklebury Playing Fields)


Visual Research

The research for this project mainly involved the work of landscape photographers and landscape painters, particularly Virginia Nimarkoh and Jem Southam, who create narrative explorations about familiar and common places. Also Ernst Haas (20th Century photographer), who combines traditional techniques with the contemporary, picturing nature and the modern world together. In essence the photographers mentioned and 18th/19th century painters, J. M. W Turner and Caspar David Friedrich, have influenced my work with their paintings and the many scenic places that they offer, with the ideas behind ‘aesthetics’ of images, in particular the beauty and sublime. 



Jem Southam- The Pond on Upton Pyne

The Photographer Emily Shur was an influence from the start, focusing on the relationship between human and environment, whether it was outside or inside, there is always a connection either way. Eric Bessel and Jennifer Ray show how the land can be formed into other shapes and formations through installation and purely by our involvement and intervention. I have been very interested in how landscape photography has majorly become about how we ‘use’ the land rather than how we see the land and also a demonstration of man-made structures within a natural space rather than a purely natural, untouched environment, because realistically it doesn’t exist.


Emily Shur- Parking Lot, Arizona


Photographers Young Suk Sun and Carl Gunhouse portray these ideas with the use of pylons, roads and billboards within transformed natural environments. The ideas mentioned only help to support my existing ones; along with the images I produced that aim to help viewers create their own interpretations of the landscapes I make of

 


Virginia Nimarkoh- Urban Utopias

the every day, familiar spaces. Going back to the past and looking at older landscapes has helped me to realise why it’s so hard to produce a ‘natural’ image of the environment and how photographers and painters today struggle to find the wide open vistas that were much commonly demonstrated in the 17th-19th centuries. The work of Eugene Atget shows the beginning of experimentation with architecture and nature and is yet to be restricted to landscapes that feature human presence. Romantic painters, J. M. W Turner and Caspar David Friedrich, also explore these ideas above and although the difference of their work is how they produce it, the reasons why they make the images are similar to why photographers do. Landscape is about showing of the land, showing people what’s out there, creating a relationship and connection between us all.


 J.M.W. Turner


Ernst Haas- Monument Valley

Project Conclusion

The final images I have chosen show evidence of change in terms of weather and demonstrate a ‘journey’ which I have experienced by continuously photographing the same area. The formation of the series, works in showing images taken near to the beginning of the project and then gradually towards the end, with obvious changes in conditions and natural occurrences. Another aim for the project was to provoke a message of change in Landscape art and to emphasise the need to demonstrate the progress in which artists and photographers share; from barren waste lands to cultivated farming to thriving villages, commons and enclosures; becoming accustomed to the changes in society, and developing relationships with the land around us. Landscape has become about uses of land instead of views of the land, images of personal places rather than new places; one might question the notion of beauty when it comes down to issues around the idea of land.
I believe my work shows an understanding of how landscape works, how certain conditions (weather/time of day etc) depend on what images you produce and of the thinking and meaning behind each image. I have found it hard to eliminate certain images from the series, but at the same time, found it hard to make a series because I believe the images work individually as well. The next page demonstrates the layout I feel best suits the images (This could change if exhibited). The series has been put together by thinking about a specific pattern in which I followed, specifically the days in which I made the images, and showing the differences and changes in the seasonal conditions, especially the colours. It was important that the images had a picturesque aesthetic as well as showing our relationship to the land and habitual space around us.
















Thank you for reading!

Visit www.facebook.com/rosieknightleyphotography for more work or equally visit my flickr page and like!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58999424@N03/
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https://twitter.com/RosieK1992


Monday 5 August 2013

POPPIES AND THINGS


I recently had a fascination with the poppies in our nearby fields, so made a trip up there and captured some interesting shots!
I also managed to find some other things to grab my attention!















 Sweat Peas just smell great!



Visit my page for more work! 
www.facebook.com/rosieknightleyphotography 

Monday 27 May 2013

TARAXACUM







The Dandelion to many of us is just a weed. But why is it we fill the need to pick it up and blow it and help it spread its seeds for miles around?

'Taraxacum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to Eurasia and North and South America, and two species, T. officinale and T. erythrospermum, are found as weeds worldwide. Both species are edible in their entirety. The common name dandelion, from French dent-de-lion, meaning "lion's tooth") is given to members of the genus, and like other members of the Asteraceae family, they have very small flowers collected together into a composite flower head. Each single flower in a head is called a floret. Many Taraxacum species produce seeds asexually by apomixis, where the seeds are produced without pollination, resulting in offspring that are genetically identical to the parent plant.' (wikipedia)

Saturday 11 May 2013

END OF YEAR EXHIBITION!


SOUTHAMPTON SOLENT UNIVERSITY PRESENTS

RECOLLECTIONS

2ND YEAR BA PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENT'S
FINAL PROJECT EXHIBITION
THURSDAY 16TH MAY TO TUESDAY 21ST 5-7:30PM
PLEASE COME SUPPORT US AND ENJOY OUR WORK!



Here is a little preview of my own work that will be displayed!
(subject to arrangement nearer the time)

There will be a variety of genres of photography and it will be a very interesting display of work, please come along it will be great to see a good turn out!
(Drinks also!)
















My work centres around the idea of Common Objects being interesting and creating equality in objects as a whole.
I am trying to eliminate any preconceptions of objects you would pass by as boring in everyday life and also any heirachy there may be between the common and uncommon. I have created very abstract close-ups using a macro lens to get the viewer thinking and make them aware of their own perceptions making them fully immersed and invested in the work. I have chosen objects that you would come across either in or outside the home creating a relationship and understanding between photograph and viewer. There are no frames and just clips to emphasize the idea that the images are as equal as each other and that they all share the same importance. I am interested in the work of Wolfgang Tillmans whose work also focuses on highlighting the beauty of objects that are thought of as unimportant, ugly or banal. Finally the different sized images will grab the viewer’s attention by making them change their perceptions of the usual gallery exhibited work and they will view the images individually as well as a whole piece. 

Here's how it looks...




 Beside my work






Wednesday 20 March 2013

LOST AND FOUND


PLEASE CHECK OUT MY FEATURE ON THE NEW UP AND COMING STUDENT SHOWCASE BLOG BASED IN SOUTHAMPTON!

THANK YOU!


http://www.lost-and-found-mag.com/2013/03/student-showcase-rosie-knightley.html

LANDSCAPE PROJECT!


Landscape Photography
Option Unit 2, Term 2


Jem Southam, 
The Pond at Upton-Pyne

Landscape Photography is finally here and I would love to share with you my experiences on this particular subject and one which I am going to find enjoyable as well as difficult!

So, we have been given a few words to associate our work with;

Industry
Edge-lands
Forest
Suburban
Tourism

I have already made a reference to a few photographer's, for example, Ori Gersht (The Clearing), Walter Niedermayr and his work on Man's involvement with the environment in terms of tourism, Peter Bialobrzeski and his beautiful images on 'change' and finding beauty in our rapidly industrializing world and of course Jem Southam. (Above)
I have also looked at 19th Century Landscape Paintings and the movement of 'Romanticism' with influences by Caspar David-Friedrich and John Constable.


Ori Gersht- The Clearing


Walter Niedermayr- 
Exploring the development in mass Tourism in mountainous environments



Peter Bialobrzeski- 
Finding the beauty in our rapidly industrializing world.



John Constable-  19th Century Landscape painter



Caspar David-Friedrich- 19th Century Landscape painting

So here is what I have produced so far and my idea around it;




Sherfield on Loddon

















Old Basing, House and Ruins










So I am exploring the idea of Man's relationship with the environment and how we interact with the land positively rather than negatively in terms of looking after and protecting it. I am revisiting and exploring areas of Basingstoke that I feel are of interest and have history and meaning behind them.
We have a very strong connection with the environment as we have used the land for so many things throughout history which have supported our everyday lives. I have thought about the town that I have grown up in and would like photograph it in more picturesque way with references to the 19th century Romanticism paintings above. I have initially made the work in digital but I also plan to shoot in 5X4 large format film to get the most out of the landscape I am shooting.


I have also been featured in a new up and coming student showcase blog called Lost and Found please check it out!
http://www.lost-and-found-mag.com/2013/03/student-showcase-rosie-knightley.html


My next shoot will be with the 5X4 camera....

So since the last time I updated I have used the 5x4 field camera but having not used it before, had some difficulties fine focusing and ended up with two blurred films.
I am yet to shoot some more film, but planning to re-shoot tomorrow as it has become a challenge getting to the location. I have now learnt and after practicing at home looking through the viewfinder, that when you pull out the bellows of the camera, sometimes you can pull them out too far and then it prevents you from focus finding. I think it will be much more successful in my next shoot. Fingers crossed!!
Although I am experimenting with large format photography, it is still a working progress and if I am unsatisfied with the results I will continue with my digital images, as I know these have worked out fine.