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Experimental Photography Essay

 Experimental photography Is using non-traditional techniques In photography. It includes digital editing, using a darkroom with alternatives, using your camera settings differently or making collages. Alternative process means and refers to any non-traditional or non-commercial photographic printing process.


A pinhole camera is a simple camera without a lens but with a tiny aperture. It Is a light-proof box with a small hole on one side. Light passes through and projects an inverted image on the opposite side of the box, Well known as the camera obscura effect. Alan Thoburn is a well-known photographer who uses a pinhole camera. I like how creative the style is, Especially the photos in black and white. The image of a pinhole Camera may be projected onto a translucent screen for real-time viewing, But it is more often used with photographic film or photographic paper. A common use of a Pinhole camera Is to capture the motion of the sun over a long period of time. This type of Photography Is called Solargraphy.



Photomontage Is the process and the result of making a composite photograph by attaching two or more images into a new Image. In 1916, John Heartfield and George Grosz invented the Photomontage by pasting two pictures together. Photomontages are created to either mock something or to tell a story. Sometimes the complete image is Photographed so that the final image may appear as a seamless photo print. A similar technique is known today through the use of image editing software such as Photoshop.




Vortograph Is the first abstract kind of photograph, made by kaleidoscopic repetitions achieved by photographing objects through a triangular arrangement of three mirrors. Alvin Langdon Coburn invented Vortography In 1917. The original way of doing a Vortograph only lasted a short while after it was invented.


I love how abstract the photograph Is. The leading lines that point to everything make it really appealing.

I love the splashes of yellow scattered around the image.




An Anthotype Is an Image created by using photosensitive materials from plants. The process was created by Mary Somerville In 1842. An emulsion from crushed flower petals or any other light-sensitive plant, fruit or vegetable. A coated sheet of paper Is then dried. Place some material, expose It to sunlight until the Image part not covered is bleached out by the sun rays. Then the colour remains In the shadows.




I love how creative these processes are. I look forward to making my own and creating some wonderful pieces. Learning about these Processes makes me see photography In a different way, as an art form and not just a simple photograph. 


Comments

  1. RachelApril 30, 2021 at 7:25 AM

    + Well done Harry, this is a well researched essay, illustrated with examples and a clear outline is given to the experimental techniques and processes. You can even refer to, or add examples of your own work as you have produced some superb photomontages, a pinhole and some photograms that are similar to the anthotype example .
    - You could add a bibliography of sources used.
    -When you plan your own ideas you can explore on the blog any links to other photographers and how their work will inform your own. I look forward to seeing what you decide to do.

    ReplyDelete

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