Plant Form - 16-09-17 (Shoot 2)

Plant Form - 16-09-17 

Imogen Cunningham 

      The two images above inspired me in my 'Plant Form' shoot. I wanted to concentrate on the detail and shape that nature forms while and when it is growing. Imogen Cunningham does this perfectly, she photographs flowers and plants in such close proximity, isolated against a dark background so that their shape, depth and detail shines through. The images are striking as we see the plant in a way that we wouldn't usually, large and in detail that the human eye overlooks. The first photograph shows the leafs of a plant all intertwined, growing in symmetry. This photograph shows the creases of the leafs but also their curved outline that leads them up to the top of the plant. This inspired me in my work as it really focuses on the growth of the plant. The second photo is an isolated flower, a beautiful, delicate and light flower against a dark screen. This contrast allows us to see the shape of the petals and the way they form around each other better than if it was against white. I really enjoy the black and white effect of these images as it furthers the contrast that Imogen displays so well, this is something I want to concentrate on when photographing and editing my images. 

Image Bank 

      The three images above are ones that I have found on the internet by other photographers that inspire me in my own work. As this shoot is going to be taken using the plants in my garden, I need something achievable and realistic, photographs that I could replicate. The above photo's show the isolation that I want to achieve and the detail I would like to capture in my work. 

Contact Sheets 

Best Images (Edited) 

Images that require improvement 

      I believe this image requires improvement due to the shadow that consumes the lower half of the photograph. As I was working in the garden with sunlight it meant that I had to be aware of the shadows this would cause. By me standing in the way of the light it produced this shadow which makes the two halves of the image appear very different. The half in the sun looks overexposed whereas the half in the shade is a good exposure. When viewing this photo during the shoot I realised I had to be aware of where my shadow would be produced not just shadows of the plants. 

      This image is similar to the one above, again there is a shadow on the lower part of the photo creating an undesired contrast within the image. This was due to me changing my location to a different plant and becoming aware of where I was standing. The other aspect of this photo that I don;t like is the composition of it, I do not think I was close enough to the plant therefore didn't achieve the desired effect. Where I was too distant no detail of the leafs was picked up pour you can see the pot that the planter was in. To correct this I took other images of the same plant but much closer, I believe this worked well as evident in my best images. 

AO1 - Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigation informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding. 

      This shoot that I produced was influenced by the photographer Imogen Cunningham who I done research on before setting off. I feel that viewing Cunningham's work steered me in the right direction in order to produce a piece of work that shows the form and detail of plants. Her work is very focused on the shape that leafs and flowers have from various different perspectives, showing a close and in depth account of plant form. I really enjoy this work therefore took this style into my own shoot by taking the images at a close proximity and from original perspectives to give the photo's an abstract feel. Another way Imogen influenced my work was when it came to the editing process. Majority of Cunningham's work was taken in black and white due to the time it was taken, however I think this works better than the photographs being in colour. Therefore when editing I decided to change my best photographs to black and white to show the Imogen Cunningham style. 

AO2 - Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops. 

      When taking these photographs I didn't use a tripod because I needed to get close to the ground in order to be close to the plants therefore using a tripod in this case wouldn't have worked. As I didn't use a tripod I had to ensure that my camera was set to a high shutter speed of around 1/125 - 1/500 in order to counteract any blur that it may have caused. As I was in a sunny outdoor setting I had to keep the ISO to a minimum so that my exposure would be kept at the right level. 

       When editing images, as mentioned before, I wanted to change them to black and white in order to reflect Imogen Cunningham's style. Below is an example of an image I improved - 

      This is one of the best images I produced during this shoot, originally it was a bright image with a predominantly pink flower. However I prefer this edit as it takes away the colour and makes you concentrate on the form and detail more. This was inspired by Imogen Cunningham's work, majority of which is black and white with a dark look to it. I think this works week as it isn't a typical image of a flower, instead it has a dull colourless effect to it. 

AO3 - Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress. 

      This shoot was focused around  the work of Imogen Cunningham. I mainly wanted to recreate the way Imogen takes photographs of the plants extremely close up in order to gather the detail of them however still includes enough in order to see the form of the plants. I wanted to recreate this on a local scale by using the trees and flowers I have in my own garden therefore adapting her work to the resources I have available. 

      The first image in my best images links to Imogen's image of the leafs which appear to be intertwining themselves. Cunningham's image show large leafs all growing together and the intricate shape they are forming. I tried to recreate this in my photo by showing the shape the plant has formed and the progression of growth from the middle to the outside. Similar to how Imogen's photo can be seen as leaves growing upwards. 

      The second photograph shows the isolated flower that I tried to recreate from her work. I think this worked as my main aim was to ensure the flower was isolated enough to see the individual petals and their delicate nature. This is what Cunningham achieved when she took images of flowers, the appearance that the flower photographed has grown on its own and stands out which I believe is really effective. 

AO4 - Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements. 

      I believe I have produced a meaningful response to my initial objective which was to photograph plant form in the style of Imogen Cunningham. As evident from my best images I have managed to produce three strong images that show the delicate and intricate form of plants in black and white. I wouldn't change the photographs I have taken however I would like to have one or two more strong images that illustrate the same thing. That being said the three I have are strong enough to stand on their own in showing the style I had in this shoot.