Shadows

A quick note regarding this page

Unfortunately due to a hard-drive failure on my computer I lost the vast majority of my Images related to my second year work as result I’ve scanned the images from my course work book, thus a degree of quality has been lost with some of the images that have been uploaded on this page.

Shadows

Introduction

My final project of my A-level was centred around shadows and trying to illustrate them to be the focus of an image or even use them to enhance images greatly. After experimenting with a wide array of subject matter I settled with Architecture at my focus.

Being inspired by the likes of Paul Strand and Ellsworth Kelly I leaned towards abstraction and to closed composition with my images. When enhancing the images, I primarily tried to exaggerate contrast between dark shadows and light sky, hence why I used a black and white filter for many of my images.

Studio

Within this project I invest a great deal of time on experimenting with different sorts of subject matter and styles of shooting. One style I spent an exceptional amount of time doing was Studio work, after my prior project I was hooked on using the equipment and the methodical style of shoot that was brought with using a studio.

Within my sessions I used soft boxes, led lights and projectors to create soft and hard shadows and of which have different effects. In relation to using the human figure as a subject matter, it hard shadows helped create silhouettes and when projected onto the face creating a menacing aura to the image.

But my studio work wasn’t exclusive to the human figure I tried a selection of materials and objects to experiment how they interacted with the light and the sorts of shadows they would cast. I found using metal objects to be the most interesting and enjoyable to shoot.

Despite one having a more definitive end with architecture, shooting a studio setting was an enjoyable experience that I will return to at a later date with different subject matter.

Architecture

Towards to the end of the project I began a focus on Architecture and there relation with shadows. I personally enjoyed how the geomtry, shapes and texture of architecture could be amplified with using shadows.

These images are also far more subtle in terms of shadow, they often take an more supporting role within the images. Without them being there the images would look flat and un-defined and wouldn’t draw the eye nearly as much.