For this project, I will study and capture photography as part of the ‘Mood and atmosphere’ unit. Inspired by photographers Travis Burke, Lucinda Chuna, Mikko Lagerstedt as well as filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. This is interesting research to me as Mikko is a photographer I have an avid interest for because he is responsible for many of my favorite photos that always generate a unique feeling, each photo exudes its own distinct emotion. Alfred Hitchcock is a director I have an avidity for, and as a Film student I am highly familiar with his work as an auteur, and the atmosphere he creates in many of his films. Each individual shot in some scenes creates dramatic and thought-provoking images. Through the study of Photography I realized that attentive detail has been paid to each shot, many of which create deep symbolic meaning in psychoanalytical terms. It’s also interesting the effects and stylistic techniques that have been used, for artists such as Edward Steichen and Hitchcock, these were pioneering artists, using stylistic choices were way beyond their time so it’s apparent that they were connoisseurs of their craft when creating Imagery with deep mood and atmosphere.
To evoke emotion and capture a unique atmosphere through photography has been my pre-eminent goal since I began my endeavors in photography. This is why the exam topic of 'mood and atmosphere' was an easy choice for me; I strive towards capturing atmospheric photos that radiate a strong emotion in the perception of most, and can be appreciated in-depth to the eye of the au fait photographer. To me illustrating strong mood and atmosphere is the very essence of photography, and art as a whole. What is art without mood and emotion? The best photography, like the very best art, will always bring a strong feeling; be it a sense of wonder, hope, elation, melancholy, joy or sorrow which will make the photo so alluring, even if you cannot explain why. If my photography has this affect on someone at least once, I will be happy.
I love this highly atmospheric photo by Gareth Priest, I intend to focus on Black & White during one point of this unit to create atmospheric photography, as well as using light creatively and using people as the subject of some photos like we see here.
While the previous example uses black & white to create a highly atmospheric photo, this uses a broad range of colors to create this great, visually appealing and atmospheric photo. At one point during this unit I would love to capture great atmospheric sunset photos using a graduating lens filter, capturing a great landscape and possibly even a reflection of the sunset like in this photo.
Foggy weather like this is ideal for atmospheric photos, especially when combined with little or no color is applied like this photo. I would love at one point during this unit to capture a photoshoot in weather conditions like we see in this photo. Though this is unlikely during this unit as I don't have access to this type of weather.
When exploring the mood and atmosphere topic extensively, researching photographers who capture atmospheric photography, I was reminded of many of my past photos were I have created a strong sense of emotion, varying from joy, fear, euphoria, sadness, pride, envy and more. These emotions can also be derived not just by people, but locations, possessions and just about anything, just depending on the way it is captured and how the viewer perceives it. This is the beauty of art, what means nothing to one, can have a thousand meanings to the next person. Personally, I believe that a prerequisite to true happiness, is the ability to find beauty in everything with an optimistic outlook.
It is true that mood and atmosphere is something difficult to capture, this unit will require arduous effort, as with so many minds, it is impossible that an image will unanimously radiate the same feeling. Even when put under scrutiny by the trained eye, art is subjective, everyone will form a different perception of the image based on their subjective experience of the world, regardless of how long the image is pondered. My job as the photographer to unite these experiences to create a common ground, creating an atmosphere of an image that can almost unanimously be recognised by an audience without sacrificing the artistic integrity of my photography. Nonetheless, everyone will have their own personal interpretation of my photography, as long as my work is either dramatic, thought-provoking or interesting in a way the work of my research photographers has been, my goal will have been achieved.
Rather than uploading dozens of photos for each photo shoot, and contact sheets with hundreds of images, for this unit, to showcase my most atmospheric photos and explore and understand this unit in-depth, I will upload one or two images from each shoot, and write in detail about the mood and atmosphere it creates, how it relates to this topic.