TASK 1
This first series is about 3 different aspects of myself, portrayed using the theme of fire.
To me, fire is a very chaotic and powerful element, it represents intensity and focus, which i have used in my work to symbolise my strong focus and concentration.
The concept i have used is similar to a magnifying glass under sunlight, how my intense concentration ignites the object i am using and causes it to burst into flames.
By using the fire as the main light source, the strong contrasts and highlights will pull the eyes of the viewers to the object in question.
My reference artist for this series is Tom Lacoste, a self taught flame photographer who actively experiments with various methods of capturing fire. His playful experimentation with fire inspired me to try out various ways to create and capture visuals of flame.
“The Showman”
In this image, im portraying the showman aspect of myself. As a performer, i enjoy drama and impact, therefore i have chosen to ignite the rose, as the rose is a symbol of passion and intensity, and represents a certain form of grace and showmanship present in many performances, like the mexican guitarists of old.
“The Craftsman”
In this next image, i am displaying the artisan side of myself, by capturing a image of myself mid-swing, in the process of creation, with the hammer ignited to show where my energies and focus is concentrated, representing the effort and concentration i put into my work.
“The Freshman”
As a student, i am constantly studying and improving myself, thus i took this image of immersed in a powerful, silent concentration, with this silent passion taking the form of a gentle flame on my pencil.
TASK 2
For the second task of this project, chose an object that i have held very dear to me since i was born, my plush toy “Fluffy”. As a recepient of my love an adoration since the very beginning, it carries a deep emotional bond with me, relaxes me, and bring out a side of me that i dont normally show to others.
Therefore, i wished to capture this hidden side of myself in a series of images, featuring me in this relaxed emotional state, in varying situations.
“Wee!”
I captured an image of Fluffy mid flight, with me grinning happily, to capture my emotional state when im playing with it, comfortable and relaxed during play.
“:3”
As the day ends, everyone needs to sleep, but some people sleep more soundly when they have something close by to them. To me, that thing is Fluffy, as having it close lets me relax my body and enter a deeper state of rest. This image captures my emotional state of total relaxation during sleep.
“Speak.”
Every master needs its pet. In contrast to the other 2 images, i attempted to capture a different form of relaxation, my emotional state when i am at rest. I used the imagery of a mafia boss and his dangerous pet in order to form the image, with me as the master and Fluffy as my pet, shot with backlighting in order to create and ominous, imposing and overbearing look.
Task 3
For the final task, My World, i chose to depict the various nooks and cracks around my house where i have once caused damage directly or indirectly.
These images of decay may not mean anything to anyone else, but to me these marks remind me of events in my past and trigger certain emotions within me. As i grow, so do the marks i create, charting a journey from when i was born to the present day, as if the marks are growing alongside me.
This image is of a etching i made when i was a child, as i loved to carve images of what i saw into the side of my parents bed. Like how cave drawings symbolise the beginning of man, these drawings symbolise my beginnings as a person and as an artist.
Reflections
From this project, i have learnt alot as i slowly experimented with different ways of capturing photos and framing, as shooting fire is a very challenging prospect, with many issues like ambient light and shutter speed to take into account. As a spontaneous and chaotic element, it was exceptionally hard to capture the image as i desired it, and thus i simply let the fire itself create the image.
For task 2 especially, certain shots like freeze framing the plush toy in mid air had to be retaken continuously until the correct angle of both me and the plush toy were placed correctly. Finally, My World was surprisingly the hardest to photograph, as my subject matter was exceptionally plain and uninteresting as compared to my first task, fire. Thus my lack of photography technique became very apparent as basic skills like leading lines and framing increased greatly in priority.
Overall, this assignment has taught me patience and planning, that behind every beautiful shot, hundreds of similar shots were taken in order to produce that one photograph, but i enjoyed taking every single one of them. I hope after this, everyone would be able to appreciate the photos i have taken the same way that i did. Thank you!
Final Presentation
