Cally Whitham Tree Photography

       

When I first saw this photograph, I thought it was an illustration! I couldn't beleive it had been taken by a camera. I like this very much, and want learn how to achieve the effect in my own photographs.

Fashion

During half term, I spent a lot of time sorting out the countless boxes, bags, envelopes, and jars that make up my bedroom. One of these was my art box, where I came across my photography folder! In this folder lies any photography that really interests and inspires me. Most of it is sourced from my collection of fashion magazines, but I am hoping to change this, and start looking in less obvious locations when adding to my collection, as inspiration is everywhere, and comes in many forms. 

  

Here, I have brought together my favourite fashion photography that I have in my folder, and tried to justify what it is that I find interesting about it. Enjoy!

A Marc Jacobs advertising campaign by Juergen Teller. I have had a look at some of his other work and found it interesting. I am particularly fascinated by the way his photographs feel instant, like a surge of energy has gone through you, or the flash of the camera has gone off right in front of your eyes.

I feel the same kind of sensation when I look at this, only the effect is more subtle. Another advertising campaign, this time by Steven Meisel for Balenciaga. This picture, like the one above has a fresh, instant feel to it. Infact, I don't immediately recognise it as a picture. I feel like I'm in the room, watching a real person, frozen in time, soon to spring back to life. I also like the way it seems to be just a quick snapshot, that could have been taken by anyone, when in reality it has been taken by an experienced fashion photographer. With one click of the shutter, the photographer has created something quite personal within the picture, giving an insight to the person's life through their surroundings.

Elaine Constantine's work also makes me feel that instant/frozen in time/camera flash feeling (you know the one I mean by now). I think her photographs have a lot of energy, making them powerful, exiting and uplifting.
           

                                        

Javier Vallhornrat - And God Created Woman, for September Vogue 2010. I remember my Grandma buying me my first issue of Vogue on the way to Devon. We stayed in a travel lodge, and my sisters and I needed a little something to keep us entertained. Well, it certainly served it's purpose! Two years on and it is practically falling apart, with more pictures stuck into my scrapbook and on my door than in the magazine, but it is very special. These photographs were always my favourite, and have now made their way into my folder.

They remind my of fairytales and Alice in Wonderland, but also of eras like 30s, 40s, maybe even 50s for the full skirts. Wonderful, beautiful, and glamerous vintage ladies, with an air of mystery that surrounds them. An air that only women could posess, which is exactly the point the photographer wanted to get across though these pictures, leading us back to the title: And God Created Woman.

Paolo Roversi - Wild Roman, also for September Vogue 2010. My favourite thing about these photographs is the beautiful setting, and how the photographer has enhanced its beauty.

There is a great sense of mystery in this photograph. It seems as if the women has approached the cracked window, then apon noticing that she is not alone tries to recline her head and return to the shadows before she is seen.

Another of my most beloved magazines is Love, Spring/Summer issue 7. I love every picture inside, so it was hard to choose my favourites. It also felt wrong to rip pages out to store in my folder - it's such a special magazine, I felt guilty when I did so and put them back! Some photographs I particularly like are the ones taken by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot, titled The Misfits. Beauty and emotion emanate from every page. The soft light creates mysterious shadows, with the movement of the camera causing a slightly blurred effect.

 

Another collection of photographs from this issue that I like is Cold Summer, by Solve Sundsbo. My favourite being the girl on the white horse - I love the way her hair and the silver mane of the horse entwine.

Benoit Paille Photography and Lighting

I find this interesting, as I acheived the same kind of effect with Grandma's Flowers. My favourite thing so far about photography is experimenting with natural light.

London in the Puddles

Here are some photographs by Gavin Hammond, of London in the Puddles. I was looking at the Open Eye Photography blog when I came across his work.

 

The first thing I noticed was the interesting viewpoints he uses - they make me feel slightly dizzy, like I'm about to fall over. I really love the idea of seeing things through puddles, and it's one I have experimented with before. I am going to London in half term, and have decided to take some Gavin Hammond-inspired photographs when I am there, if I can find any puddles!

Loretta Lux

Loretta Lux is a German fine art photographer. These are some of her photographs that I found when browsing through the back issues of Portfolio Magazine.

 

Her photographs remind me somewhat of Alice for the surrealness, and sometimes the colours, but also with the subject being mainly young girls.

Alice

Here are some excerpts from Alice by Jan Svankmejer (my favourite film in the whole world). It is an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Jan Svankmejer is a Czech filmmaker and artist, and Alice is a stop-motion animation film.

I think that every aspect of this film is beautiful, if a little surreal and disturbing in places. The way it's shot, the colours and textures, sounds... not to mention the fascinating stop-motion characters. Birthday money well spent.

There Is Here

Last night, my suspicions were alerted when Mum and Dad got changed into their pyjamas at 7 O'clock, and urged us to do the same. You can probably guess how I felt when we were driving back home from Grandma's, and Dad went right past our house. I pointed it out to him, but he didn't slow down. Instead, he kept on going. By this time we were all guessing where we we could possibly be going in our pyjamas. The answer was... The Sainsbury Centre for a pyiama parade! It was really fun, although we didn't win any prizes. My favourite part was just walking around the exhibitions in my jimjams. That, and seeing There Is Here - Photographs by Avi Gupta. On the way, we took a look at the toothbrush exhibition:

 One thing I noticed when walking around, was how in in the interiors of these houses small details such as these could be picked out, and in a single photograph capture the personality and mood of the place, and tell me more about it than if a picture had been taken of the entire room.

 The exhibition shows photographs of the interiors of private homes in Washington DC and Kolkata, India. Avi Gupta grew up in the Bengali community in Washington, after his parents emmigrated there from India. You can see the influence this has in is work, with photographs taken in the two locations that hold a place in his heart.

 Finally, a collection of 25 photographs of the refreshments received when working in the different locations. After seeing this, we decided to go home for hot chocolate.