I started thinking about the process of the reversing the camera in an effort to find a good source for the projected image; Taking a specific viewpoint and projecting the same viewpoint into a part of the image - like I've done before finding available surfaces. The idea would be a kind of reprocessing of the image; taking a photo and then shooting it back out of the camera into a window in the image.
After considering and scouting for locations I come to a halt as my idea seems to not quite sit right - I thought of the other way round like I've previously mentioned; for the opposite view to be projected - so is like a mirror - or the picture looking back at you.
And then I switch back again - my main crisis was where the images to project would come from, and even though something relevant from the area I'm photographing seems to have potential for a better rounded concept - projecting from my own head will produce more interesting results.
I've been wanting to integrate other mediums into my technique recently, something to help the result reflect myself better. Painting got me into photography and now I see a way I can use to it enhance what I'm doing - better than to use cg and cut out images (Although I'm not ruling a combination out if it seems like a good idea) it would be like I'm painting directly on to the surfaces I'm projecting on to. What I paint almost doesn't matter as it's the act of projecting (not literally) myself onto a photographic scene. I was there and was free to paint what I wanted with a artistic freedom. But of course this is a fantasy, and I want the image to reflect that.
The large format shooting the result is my way to create a surreal element using some tilt
I remember at a festival in Bristol, the details I don't remember, where you could draw on a touch screen and it would be projected 30 feet on the side of the Lloyds building, in looking for this I found something even better (Making what I'm doing seem very small scale!)
http://fusionaut.videosift.com/video/Laser-Guided-Graffiti-Awesome
They draw on to the building with a laser pen - the movement of the laser pen somehow calibrated with a projector - obviously someone smart with technology worked it out. This makes me realise a huge advantage of painting what I'll project - No computers are directly involved in producing the images - From canvas to negative/positive to projection. Despite my proficiency with computers I much prefer leaving them out.
Thursday 31 March 2011
Tuesday 22 March 2011
Positive
Having forgotten about the original positive film I took on my last project after it took a month to arrive - I compared it to the negatives I've been using; And it's much better - White's are so easily blown out on positive!
So despite the cost and slowness I may try and use them again, on my next round.
So despite the cost and slowness I may try and use them again, on my next round.
Reversing the camera
I figured out that optics seem to be very interchangable - I created a projector using a camera and part of the assembly from an enlarger. This had a few good points; The assembly was lighter and with more of a structure so I could use just one lighting stand, so much more portable. I could shoot on 35mm and after developing, roll the film back in to the camera, and use its controls to move the frames - meaning i would have to make or carry around slides.
The idea of reversing the camera was attractive to me - shooting light back through the negative and lighting an area with it's image? I've thought before about taking an image from a related place and projecting it in another - what about using the same viewpoint, and projecting that viewpoint, for example in the daytime in to the night scene?
Using the 35mm wasn't flawless - the mechanism was more a chore than a blessing, and often wouldn't align well (a slide is slightly smaller than a negative, whereas the opening on a camera is the same). Therefore, for now I'll go back to use a setup that can take a slide - but still using a camera lens on the front with some kind of aperture control.
Other notes:
- Print on to acetate to get the dynamic range in the projected negatives.
- Start creating workbook properly after this friday! As this has been recorded mainly here so far :/
The idea of reversing the camera was attractive to me - shooting light back through the negative and lighting an area with it's image? I've thought before about taking an image from a related place and projecting it in another - what about using the same viewpoint, and projecting that viewpoint, for example in the daytime in to the night scene?
Using the 35mm wasn't flawless - the mechanism was more a chore than a blessing, and often wouldn't align well (a slide is slightly smaller than a negative, whereas the opening on a camera is the same). Therefore, for now I'll go back to use a setup that can take a slide - but still using a camera lens on the front with some kind of aperture control.
Other notes:
- Print on to acetate to get the dynamic range in the projected negatives.
- Start creating workbook properly after this friday! As this has been recorded mainly here so far :/
Wednesday 16 March 2011
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
I came across the film 'Sullivan's Travels' for the synopsis - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan's_Travels
As my current ideas are based around a light playful comedy, I was worried that there might not be enough depth to it - but this film has a lesson in it - just to make something for amusement isn't of any less value.
I think again (and again) of Gilliams statement - " I think it's more important to be educated, to read, to learn things, because if you're gonna be in the media and if you'll have to say things, you have to know things. If you only know about cameras and 'the media"
As my current ideas are based around a light playful comedy, I was worried that there might not be enough depth to it - but this film has a lesson in it - just to make something for amusement isn't of any less value.
I think again (and again) of Gilliams statement - " I think it's more important to be educated, to read, to learn things, because if you're gonna be in the media and if you'll have to say things, you have to know things. If you only know about cameras and 'the media"
Tuesday 15 March 2011
Brainstorm
As a kind of pictorial graffiti I want to find places that are usually off limits, I've started this with the statues and monuments. The projection should still have a self aware interpretive comedy about it :D
I like the Gilliam style; absurd combinations, hallucinatory effects etc..
People - I think it'd be important for the subject to be unsuspecting, not neccesarily of the camera but of what I'm projectiong.
I can't think of a way to capture moving people, so would have to be still, either approach people in public (this is me, not going to happen) or a sat portrait.
Face masks - Clown make-up, stiches (like a teddy or horror), zombie, mime
Urban locations - A bit hard as quite is quite a graffiti's place, would need to find some places that arn't normally graffiti'd.
Already thought of interacting with statues
Car's (a dirty one? maybe be a bit shiny to work well) -
Pavement - trapdoors, or a pun on the 3-drain superstition
Churches - a mocking religious symbol, maybe a devil banging at the door, or climbing from the floor.
Nature - Bit tricky to find a good surface though
Tree - something cartoony, a small door and windows and a little man. Or spiritual, fairies
I like the Gilliam style; absurd combinations, hallucinatory effects etc..
People - I think it'd be important for the subject to be unsuspecting, not neccesarily of the camera but of what I'm projectiong.
I can't think of a way to capture moving people, so would have to be still, either approach people in public (this is me, not going to happen) or a sat portrait.
Face masks - Clown make-up, stiches (like a teddy or horror), zombie, mime
Urban locations - A bit hard as quite is quite a graffiti's place, would need to find some places that arn't normally graffiti'd.
Already thought of interacting with statues
Car's (a dirty one? maybe be a bit shiny to work well) -
Pavement - trapdoors, or a pun on the 3-drain superstition
Churches - a mocking religious symbol, maybe a devil banging at the door, or climbing from the floor.
Nature - Bit tricky to find a good surface though
Tree - something cartoony, a small door and windows and a little man. Or spiritual, fairies
Broadening
Refining my ideas to statues and monuments with their historical context has caused me to hit a wall - The few images I created were not as interesting as I imagined; The idea's behind them lacked something substantial.
I've been falling in to the same traps as I have before - becoming obsessed with the technical process. In this way my idea's work better when broader - when the process is the subject of the images.
A line of thought I'm currently persuing is the idea that what I'm doing is like graffiti - I'd mentioned before how my process isn't visible while I'm making it, only on the final image - the photo record.
Graffiti obviously can be put anywhere, but there legal and other issues which just don't apply to what I'm doing - I could get away with projecting anywhere, like the Gail Porter projection I mentioned previously.
I have a few limitations on non-static subjects, mostly the amount of light I can produce in one flash - so daytime shooting as I explored yesterday; is very hard. I would have to flash the same subject multiple times to build up exposure of the projection, whilst not over exposing the image. At about 2s recycle time this means I'd have to use multiple exposures, which I havn't the equipment meter how many times i'd have flash - I need a remote flash trigger.
My aim at the moment is to brain storm ideas of subjects and projections to go with them, opposing my previous method of finding a location and researching and finding a subject - this made a long working process longer.
I've been falling in to the same traps as I have before - becoming obsessed with the technical process. In this way my idea's work better when broader - when the process is the subject of the images.
A line of thought I'm currently persuing is the idea that what I'm doing is like graffiti - I'd mentioned before how my process isn't visible while I'm making it, only on the final image - the photo record.
Graffiti obviously can be put anywhere, but there legal and other issues which just don't apply to what I'm doing - I could get away with projecting anywhere, like the Gail Porter projection I mentioned previously.
I have a few limitations on non-static subjects, mostly the amount of light I can produce in one flash - so daytime shooting as I explored yesterday; is very hard. I would have to flash the same subject multiple times to build up exposure of the projection, whilst not over exposing the image. At about 2s recycle time this means I'd have to use multiple exposures, which I havn't the equipment meter how many times i'd have flash - I need a remote flash trigger.
My aim at the moment is to brain storm ideas of subjects and projections to go with them, opposing my previous method of finding a location and researching and finding a subject - this made a long working process longer.
Tuesday 8 March 2011
First Negs
I havn't learnt from the past it seems, initial negatives have come out way to light - So I'm gonna try some extreme push processing to see if I can improve things - the illusion would be destroyed if not good enough!
Thursday 3 March 2011
Julian Beever
As I make the images ready for projection, I'm considering the distortion needed for the perspective to look right. A good example of how this is used is Julian Beever's 3D pavement art, the farther away from the viewing point the longer and wide the image has to be -
Fortunately Photoshop makes this easy with the perspective in free transform - basically distortion in a trapezoid shape. It will still be a little trial and error though, although I can estimate it using the 3D Postcard tool, for a preview of what angles the perspective shift will look right from.
And I still need to consider the distortion from the projector!
The simulated final image, the perspective transformation, and 45' view above.
Fortunately Photoshop makes this easy with the perspective in free transform - basically distortion in a trapezoid shape. It will still be a little trial and error though, although I can estimate it using the 3D Postcard tool, for a preview of what angles the perspective shift will look right from.
And I still need to consider the distortion from the projector!
The simulated final image, the perspective transformation, and 45' view above.
Wednesday 2 March 2011
Camera Obscura
Finally got the reserved book 'Camera Obscura' by Abelardo Morell.
Quoting from the forward by Luc Sante - "The outside comes inside, unaltered and unabridged but wrenched out of context by the apparently simple matter of being turned upside down"
There defines the relevance and the different to my current process; I create or take and image, alter, cut down and bastardize an object with it - giving my own context.
I'm slightly worried that I have too much control, that my context is inferior to one that say, I get from a source directly relevant - like (this is just an example) a daytime pinhole image from directly opposite the projection. I can't imagine the composite image would be interesting or effective in saying anything but I'm keeping my mind open to a more 'natural' process, one that keeps some kind of authenticity, away from computers and especially my input of context - just carrying out a process which defines the context.
I often think this is form a vandalism, even if the projection only lasts 1/10,000 of a second - Even if I just used a constant light source I'm sure I'd get asked to stop in some cases. For a more extreme case see the projection of Gail Porter on the houses of parliament! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/341052.stm
"No light can survive the passage to the retina without exchanging some of its baggage" - Luc Sante talks on even the purest, simplest and 'as unmediated capture of light can be' - is still altered, so what of the process light goes through to be perceived to our eye? Previous projects I've undertaken have been about the problems of perception - now I should be able to exploit them.
Quoting from the forward by Luc Sante - "The outside comes inside, unaltered and unabridged but wrenched out of context by the apparently simple matter of being turned upside down"
There defines the relevance and the different to my current process; I create or take and image, alter, cut down and bastardize an object with it - giving my own context.
I'm slightly worried that I have too much control, that my context is inferior to one that say, I get from a source directly relevant - like (this is just an example) a daytime pinhole image from directly opposite the projection. I can't imagine the composite image would be interesting or effective in saying anything but I'm keeping my mind open to a more 'natural' process, one that keeps some kind of authenticity, away from computers and especially my input of context - just carrying out a process which defines the context.
I often think this is form a vandalism, even if the projection only lasts 1/10,000 of a second - Even if I just used a constant light source I'm sure I'd get asked to stop in some cases. For a more extreme case see the projection of Gail Porter on the houses of parliament! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/341052.stm
"No light can survive the passage to the retina without exchanging some of its baggage" - Luc Sante talks on even the purest, simplest and 'as unmediated capture of light can be' - is still altered, so what of the process light goes through to be perceived to our eye? Previous projects I've undertaken have been about the problems of perception - now I should be able to exploit them.
George VII
In the same area outside the Victoria Rooms is the statue of King George VII -
The side panel is a good opportunity for a projection - In looking for a comedic, interpretive image. For example George VII was a heavy smoker and suffered from bronchitis before his death, so something smoking related? He was also responsible for the military reform after the Boer Wars, and making peace with a lot of Europe, hence the title 'the peacemaker'
The skeleton relaxing, sitting back smoking is a peaceful action - this type of image would benefit with a caption/title, even as simple as 'Edward the peacemaker'. I'd also like to create a 3D illusion, like the skeleton is sitting inside the plinth.
I think the process of finding a suitable statue/monument and reading into the background for a series of images to place will work - I realise I will have to create a lot of these to have a good selection at the end.
Better get cracking with Idea's
Boer War Statue
My first thoughts for an image are with the Boer War memorial, at the top of park st. Although I like the computer game angle, there isn't really any for the Boer War :/
But is interesting as a link between older troop and calvary style warfare to a more modern warfare - where the media (in this case newspapers) were involved and literacy was common.
Great easy on this war and the media here -
http://ics.leeds.ac.uk/papers/pmt/exhibits/1215/Morgan.pdf
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boer_War_memorial_Bristol_1.jpg
At the moment I think I just need to produce a couple of images, so I should go for simple and and easy target like WWI & II.
The central memorial of both wars with the vertical sword maybe - I just need to find a way for it to interact with a projected image.
There are alot more distictive perspectives of war in media - films are probably the most distinct, but I feel this is going in a direction I don't want it to. For now I'm going to research the places I'm looking at in Bristol in order to grasp something to use.
But is interesting as a link between older troop and calvary style warfare to a more modern warfare - where the media (in this case newspapers) were involved and literacy was common.
Great easy on this war and the media here -
http://ics.leeds.ac.uk/papers/pmt/exhibits/1215/Morgan.pdf
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boer_War_memorial_Bristol_1.jpg
At the moment I think I just need to produce a couple of images, so I should go for simple and and easy target like WWI & II.
The central memorial of both wars with the vertical sword maybe - I just need to find a way for it to interact with a projected image.
There are alot more distictive perspectives of war in media - films are probably the most distinct, but I feel this is going in a direction I don't want it to. For now I'm going to research the places I'm looking at in Bristol in order to grasp something to use.
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