Exploration Into Still Life
- Laura Marsh
- Apr 14, 2021
- 5 min read
“The photographer’s way of seeing is reflected in his choice of subject. The painter’s way of seeing is reconstructed by the marks he makes on the canvas or paper” (Berger, 2008:10)
I planned to experiment with shooting the leaves collected out of their locations and in a still life situation, to see how much I could control and if the context or appearance of the images changed, as well as reconstructing the scene outside, indoors. Could I create the same aesthetic using this method as I do on site and with editing techniques?
I used simple makeshift set up with a cardboard box and black sheet and one LED reading light. This gave me a small area to use, controlled so I could move it around and leave the set up if needed. The LED light was used in replacement of the vignette I add to the images I have previously taken, using Snapseed and Lightroom. I was able to move this around with one hand to highlight the area I wanted to ‘spotlight’. I wanted to use a little post editing as possible to try and recreate the aesthetic. I used a mid-shutter speed (1/200), a small f/stop (F5.6) and an ISO of 6400. I used a small macro lens added to my camera, so I was able to get closer on some shots.
The result was mixed, which is what I hoped for as I wanted to see if this could be done and to experiment with still life more, as it something I do not normally do.
The images taken without the macro lens, worked but I felt the subject was too far away still and allowed for more negative space than I wanted. Using a tripod was the best option to avoid and camera shake or movement, so I feel adding the macro suited the images better. However, I selected a couple so far to work on. These were shot in landscape format, but upon reviewing I feel they work better in portrait; this is because it made the negative space appear more even and the focal point was not limited to the bottom or far right of the image. I have not added a lot in terms of editing, as that was my aim. I have reduced and removed and noise from the image and increased the colour contrast slightly to allow the hidden colour to appear.
Edited Versions:
Due to the LED and natural light used, these images are much darker than my previous work for Fragile, but this allows for a sense of mystery almost, as you may not be aware of what I have shot.
With these two images, I feel there is an a painterly feel about them, the soft textures and light remind me of the still life painting, the focus is not quite right either which I feel adds to the soft appearance, I will print these two images to see how the quality is compared to on a screen and I plan to print on linen paper, to explore how the painterly appearance looks on a speciality paper that has the appearance of canvas.
In Fig 5 above, I can see once the image is enlarged that it is not quite in focus around the highlighted area of the leaf, and you can see the fabric still in the background. This appears to be shown differently depending on where you look at it, on a phone screen, computer screen or printed out. The fabric is not seen as clearly on a phone screen or print out, and this is something I will need to bear in mind in future images.
Macro Shots
Below in Fig 6, I used a macro lens and removed the tripod to get closer to a leaf. This image is a bit more abstract than the others as it is not entirely clear what you are looking at, at first. I do not feel this image works as well because of this. The narrow depth of field and the focus is not quite as I would have liked it to be. It is too soft in the foreground and background and I feel the colour is not as impactful as previous work.
In Fig 7 below, I feel I have captured what I wanted to achieve more closely. The background is darker and there is a central focal point in the centre of the leaf, with the veins in focus and the highlighted vignette effect suits my previous work in the series, again this was created using the LED light instead of the vignette tool in editing software. You can still see elements of the fabric underneath the leaf, but it is not as obvious, however it is still there and allows the viewer to notice that this was a still life shot.
To develop on from this image, I adjusted the lighting slightly in the centre using Lightroom as I felt it was slightly too bright for the effect I wanted, I also increased the colour contrast slightly to bring out the colour more. (Fig 8)
This next shot (Fig 9) was taken in portrait format, again the fabric can be seen clearly through the veins of the leaf, once again, indicating to the viewer that this was a constructed shot.
To reduce this, I plan to do more still life shots but using black card or paper, to give a smoother appearance and I could include other elements such as soil and other leaves to replicate the natural environment.
My final shot in this post, Fig 10, I feel suits my intent more. Highlighting the delicate structures of the leaf, up close and this time backlit which removes the presence of the fabric and man-made objects. This isolates the leaf more, so I feel, almost in air as if it were attached to the tree still. The light traces the intricate lines and veins of the leaf, showing us what we can not always see, and making the process of decay evident. A trace of time and life.
The colour is muted more in this image, due to the light, but I feel the simplicity suits the image despite this, as it shows how colour fades with time also in the natural world. I could edit this further by adding a darker vignette around the frame to draw the viewer to the focal point more, but only a subtle edit is needed I feel to achieve this.
Do these still life shots and explorations change or enhance my intent for the viewer? I am not sure yet and I look forward to hearing what my peers and tutor think. To me the process of re-constructing a scene or constructing a reality or scene for this purpose has removed the spontaneity and personal connection to the scene. I am in control of what I shoot and how it looks, but the chance findings and feelings was not there. Do they also represent the human form? Yes, I believe they do, the resemblance to the structures of the human form is there to be seen, but the emotional element I felt was missing on this occasion.
References:
Berger, John. Ways of Seeing : Based on the BBC Television Series with John Berger. 1972. London, British Broadcasting Corporation, 2008, p. 10.
Figures:
Fig 1: Laura Marsh, 2021
Fig 2: Laura Marsh, 2021, Still Life, Fragile
Fig 3: Laura Marsh, 2021, Still Life, Fragile
Fig 4: Laura Marsh, 2021, Still Life, Fragile
Fig 5: Laura Marsh, 2021, Still Life, Fragile
Fig 6: Laura Marsh, 2021, Still Life, Fragile
Fig 7: Laura Marsh, 2021, Still Life, Fragile
Fig 8: Laura Marsh, 2021, Still Life, Fragile, Edited
Fig 9: Laura Marsh, 2021, Still Life, Fragile
Fig 10: Laura Marsh, 2021, Still Life, Fragile
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