evemorganphotography-blog

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Critical Essay

In my photographic work, I usually like to concentrate on how I can make something rather ordinary, seem far more interesting and extraordinary; just through my use of the tools within my reach. These tools are the camera in my hands and all of the knowledge that I’ve learnt over the past two years studying Photography at A Level and experimenting in my own time. Therefore, when I discovered how photographers use natural light to create these pure and beautiful images I was fascinated, and eager to produce my own images in this style.

 The first artist I was inspired by was Uta Barth. Her use of very visual and often abstracted work was something that I found incredibly interesting. Using her skills of understanding basic photographic techniques like cropping, blurring backgrounds, colour schemes and composition; she was able to capture the rare and often fleeting moments that come with the natural qualities of light. I also really liked her contemporary approach to the presentation of her final photographs. Usually, Barth would place two together in a pair and I think that this was to enhance the simplicity of the subject matter, whilst also emphasising the fact that they are professional photographs with a deep meaning within them. Her ability to also spot the carious patterns and shapes within these abstracted forms of light streaming in through windows or a doorway is really effective. I think it allows her to produce work that is unique and very thoughtful.

 A similar photographer that I admired when first beginning this exploration into capturing natural light in my locality was Karl Hugo Schmolz. Although he is a much more traditional photographer in comparison to the more contemporary work of Uta Barth, he too was interested in the way natural light displayed itself around various environments. Schmolz’ work is a lot more detailed than Barth’s; due to his keen interest in architecture and building interiors. He takes on a very creative perspective when photographing the subject image, often making something as simple as a winding staircase look dramatic and elegant, by capturing the curves and lines of the everyday object. His style made me aware, and far more considerate when taking my photographs. I thought about the formal elements like line, tone, pattern and texture; and although his images were black and white, I later thought about colour too. The minimalist subtle style of photography here is clearly something that takes a lot of skill to achieve perfectly. To improve my images I knew that I had to concentrate on making the frame less busy, introducing muted and pure colours, not just black and white as this added a contemporary feel to the final photographs.  

 A far more contemporary photographer that interests me is Andrea Grutzner. In contrast to Barth and Schmolz’s work, Grutzner captures harsher lighting against backdrops of far more saturated and blocky colours. She describes her choice of shooting from an unusual angle because of how it ‘de-familiarises space and place’; which was something that I find very inspiring. When exploring my interest into natural light and how it can be photographed, one thing I concentrated on was how to uphold an abstracted element within all of my outcomes. I feel that this allows my photographic work to be unique and differentiable from other peoples work.

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Response to Martin Parr

2015

This set of photographs were the final four images which were my response to the work of photographer Martin Parr. I increased the saturation and contrast in order to capture the harsh colours and detail within the food items and their backgrounds.

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A Collection of Memories - a portrait 

2016

This portrait of my Great-grandmother was taken as part of the same series. I opened up the locket in order to create some form of narrative and emotion within the frame. I decided to use this angle also as it is quite unusual and creates interest.

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A Collection of Memories - a collage

2016

In response to the same theme, I also created a series of collages, made up of random, found images from magazines alongside pre-exisiting black and white photographs that belong to my Great-grandparents. I took inspiration from the dream-like collage work of Martina Lopez.

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A Collection of Memories - Typology 

2016

This photography of still life objects was a response to my theme, through the inspiration of the work by photographer Emily Blincoe; and the specific form of photography called Typology. I wanted to use a collection of objects belonging to one specific person, as a way of telling a story about them; containing many memories within the frame. 

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A Collection of Memories

2016

This image as taken as another element in my response the the theme A Collection of Memories. This is a still life image, as all of the subjects within the frame were not touched before I decided to take the photograph. It shows elements of natural light and how I’ve found inspiration from the work of photograpahers like Uta Barth and Marjolaine Ryley. 

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A Collection of Memories

2016

This image as taken as another element in my response the the theme A Collection of Memories. I composed the objects within the frame in order to tell a specific narrative. My Great-grandparents’ lives basically encapsulated within one frame, using their belongings. I think that the soft focus and zoomed angle if this photograph also creates a lot of emotion. 

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Cardiff Bay - A Different Perspective

2015

This set of images are taken from a set which was the outcome of my response to my Year 12 exam theme of Different Perspectives’. I used photoshop to overlay and manipulate images of various architecture.

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Celebrations

2016

Over time I’ve developed a real interest into food/lifestyle photography. I like to concentrate on enhancing the colours and composition of the image, in order to create the best outcome possible.

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Fruit Smoothie

2016

Over time I’ve developed a real interest into food/lifestyle photography. I like to concentrate on enhancing the colours and composition of the image, in order to create the best outcome possible.

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A Coffee and Cake

2016

Over time I’ve developed a real interest into food/lifestyle photography. I like to concentrate on enhancing the colours and composition of the image, in order to create the best outcome possible.

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St Fagans

2016

This is a photograph I took at the St Fagans National History Museum in Cardiff, of a botanical greenhouse. I wanted to create a minimalist image that showed the contrast of colours and tones. 

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Welsh Coast - Southerndown

2017

This is another set of images in which their similarities enables them to be a cohesive set. I experiemented with macro settings and composition with depth of field, to capture the details and simplistic beauty within the coastal landscape. 

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Welsh Coast - Porthcawl

2016

This set of images displays various moments captured whilst on a walk along Porthcawl Pier, South Wales. I feel that the purity and minimalist colour palette used here allows them to work cohesively as a set, and tells a narrative of life lived on the coast.

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Response to Natural Light

2016

This is a minimalist still life image. I continue to notice the patterns and shapes made in natural settings, and add to my collection of photographic responses to natural light. 

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Response to Natural Light

2017

This set of images shows the way light has come in from the stained glass windows in my home. I continue to notice the patterns and shapes made in natural settings, and add to my collection of photographic responses to natural light. 

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Response to Natural Light

2016

This was an image that I took of the light bouncing off the surface of a mirror in my hallway. I continue to notice the patterns and shapes made in natural settings, and add to my collection of photographic responses to natural light.