Experimental Photography
Experimental photography creates images that alter the visual in order to reflect photographer's artistic vision.[1] It differs from mainstream photography which depicts reality as it is, such as in the Magnum and AP standards.
The term was used casually for a long time,[vague] but recently has become a term collectively defining areas of the media exploring approaches that are different from traditional photography.[citation needed]
Areas of experiment[edit]
Staging[edit]
Artificially creating set-up for the shoot can itself promote surreal results. While it doesn't alter the depicted reality, certain applications of it can be used to create imagery that is not realistic in whole. Lighting and combinations of black and white paints can be used to make the shape, color or size of photographed objects differ from reality. Forced perspective can create believable life-size imagery of streets, using model cars.[2] Robert Mapplethorpe uses application of fabric in order to reshape imagery. Staging can be combined with complex and advanced body painting, which besides artistic applications also found its way to commercial photography world.[3][4]
Lighting[edit]
Experimental approaches to lighting can create unusual results. Light painting is a technique based on creating trails and shapes by moving a source of light during a long exposure shot. Photographers can modify the temperature, intensity and position of the source of light, while the object of shooting remains stationary.
Shooting[edit]
Experimental shooting techniques include multiple exposures, custom and unusual optics, including period lenses on modern cameras, pinholes, various photo filters, ranging from gradient filters to prismatic ones, using unusual types of film, and infrared shooting. The moment of taking picture is only part of the process - what happens next has a larger role.[5]
Development[edit]
After an image has been captured using either analog or digital photography, the development process offers numerous possibilities of photo manipulation. In analog photography the manipulation is based on film development techniques such as adding objects on the negative during printing, combining parts of several negatives, manipulating exposure times, exposing several negatives in one image, or manual retouching. The digital process allows broader possibilities, applied via image manipulation software, such as stitching several images to produce larger image, combining several exposures in one shot, color manipulation and manipulation of color channels.
Printing and display[edit]
The possibilities for printing a photographic image, especially a digital one are broad and provide opportunities to experiment. Instead of traditional prints on paper, an experimental photographer may try sublimation on various materials ranging from metal to wood, or various applications of transparent surfaces, such as acrylic and resin. There were some successful experiments made with applying partial 3D printing for digital 2D images.[citation needed]
It is also important to mention the significance of application of mixed media, incorporating photographic images.[why?]
Another direction of experiments in reproduction of photographic print is employing older generation processes such as cyanotype in modern processes.[6]
Historic perspective[edit]
Early experiments[edit]
Since the very beginning of the media experiments in photography, aiming to improve aesthetics were in place. In early stages of experimental photography the experiments were chiefly limited to adding texts and small ornaments during development, hand-coloring of the images, primitive (and pretty obvious staging of the shot) and some of the photo manipulation, which at that time was more aimed at misdirection of the viewer than aesthetic effect. The further photography was developing the more tools were becoming available and more advanced the results were possible. [7] One of the most famous examples of experimental photography based on staging is iconic Lunch Atop a Skyscraper by Charles C. Ebbets
Commercial applications[edit]
While experiments were ongoing since the 19th century, the first products of experimental photography, which were aesthetically notable and visually convincing were applied to commercial purposes. It's worthy noticing in this context work of Ryszard Horowitz [8]- one of the pioneers of digital photo manipulation, the artists, who created some of the most celebrated images in experimental photography, and one of the few, who equally succeeded in both analog and digital manipulation. Most interestingly his works were possibly first modified photographic images adopted for commercials.
Contemporary state[edit]
Modern applications of experimental photography a plentiful and cannot be condensed in the small list of examples, however to mention some of the examples of the directions in which it may go. One of them is modifications of the photographic images during the process of negative development by application of various chemicals, as Barron Rachman does. [9] The arguably biggest issue associated with the present of photo manipulation is danger to be too immersed in the process of modifying the image, concentrating on the technical part of it instead of focusing attention on the objective of creating the image. Work of Mark Seidenfield and Alex AG exemplifying the approach that is employing experimental techniques for the purposes of the narrative, not vise versa.
Future and Issues[edit]
The current moment in photographic history is a period when the media is torn apart between rigid expectations for the media created and nourished by established approach to understanding photographic image, the exponentially increasing number of photographers, due to significant simplification of the process, and unprecedented accessibility of the photo equipment, accompanied by a shit in public understanding of the place of the photography in the society due to mobile photography expansion and improvements. [10] All this is aggravated by the prejudice against photo manipulation caused by huge negative impact of fake news on our society. The optimistic expectation is that soon we will experience branching of the media into several different directions, including traditional film photography, craft photography, based on exotic and vintage techniques, experimental surrealist photography, and possibly several others.
References[edit]
- ↑ "Aesthetica Magazine - Experimental Photography". Aesthetica Magazine. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ↑ Genzlinger, Neil (2018-12-13). "Michael Paul Smith, 67, Founder of a Beloved Imaginary Town, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
- ↑ "100 Bare-It-All Body Paintings". TrendHunter.com. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ↑ Ltd, Magezine Publishing. "6 Ways To Explore Experimental Photography". ePHOTOzine. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ↑ "In Experimental Photography, Is There Ever a Decisive Moment?". Aperture Foundation NY. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ↑ Ivanova, Taya. "10 Amazing Alternative Photography Processes to Try". ExpertPhotography. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ↑ "A Short History of Photo Manipulation (Before Photoshop)". CreativeLive Blog. 2017-12-08. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ↑ "Ryszard Horowitz". International Photography Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ↑ "Photographer's Right to Reality with Barron Rachman – Single Shot Show about photography on MNN". Retrieved 2020-01-30.
- ↑ Gray, Richard (2012-11-16). "The rise of mobile phone photography | Guardian photography guide". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
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