Last week I worked with 10 people taking portraits for the personal identity project. It was a great time of collaboration with people I had never met before and also a few friends. Thanks to each person for allowing me this opportunity of creating an artwork about who they are.
Some of the final portraits from this second session are shown below.
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The journey of this portrait project is very rewarding for me. Each person is so unique and special. I feel honoured to have the opportunity to collaborate in such a personal way.
As I work on each portrait I try to interpret who the person is and channel those emotions into the artwork. Often I play the person's favourite song while I paint. Personal taste in music can reveal thoughts and feelings which the individual assimilates to. More work on the portrait project! Painting is so much fun, but I am continually checking myself to make sure the paint still represents aspects of each person. I am testing how acrylic paint behaves on glossy photo prints. Today I had a class learning salt printing which is another alternative print method. The process is much longer than cyantype and the final print is sepia tone. The darker streaks across the image are from brush strokes when painting on the emulsion.
The steps to salt print are shown below. Normally, I don't like to talk about how I think and create. However, I didn't have a choice! My art teacher recently gave me the following questions and encouraged me to post the answers. (Thanks Paul :P). I hope my responses will give some insight into how I think and help you understand why I create stuff!
Currently I am working a portrait project that explores personal identity. Perception of a person is very subjective and can be impacted by a number of variables. People are multi-dimensional individuals, but often personality is quickly judged and assumptions are made about who a person is. The term person perception refers to the different mental processes that we use to form impressions of other people. Consider how often you make judgments of people everyday. I believe it is important to remember that our perception of a person does not determine their value. Sometimes, only one dimension of a person is visible, and this can lead to misunderstanding and wrong opinions. The best way to perceive a person is without judgement and to respect that there may be more aspects to that person than meets your eyes. I am expressing this concept by taking black and white portraits and then painting over the print. The portrait represents the first impression that people see of you, and the paint represents the complexity of the personality. During each portrait session, I ask the subject personal questions, including how they view themselves, and some of their favourite things. The answers then influence how I paint on their portrait. The final artworks will attempt to illustrate each person in an abstract way. 1. The Start What do you start with? To create a concept, I start by reflecting on my emotions and surroundings. I observe my current environment and think about things that are important to me. How do you proceed beyond these starting points? As my mind collects information about my surroundings and emotions, I begin to sort through and categorise thoughts that have higher importance to me. I create mental categories first and then write down words that have reached a “priority status”. What restricts or restrains this process? My process of creative thinking and mental categorisation is limited if I am in a room with annoying sounds or too many people. What enables or enhances this process? For me, concepts are best created when I am alone, or if people are present, I prefer to put headphones in. I often pace within a room, or fidget when I am thinking deeply about creative ideas. My creative process can be enhanced by looking outside, walking, and listening to music. 2. Blocks How do you establish and maintain safe professional practice? Safe practice is maintained while I work by using an ergonomic standing desk system. When photographing in a studio, I always ensure electrical cords are safely marked and placed away from walking areas. Light stands are also setup away from walking areas and the safety of myself and the model is prioritised before achieving the right shot. How do you outline a difficulty, block or pause in the process? Problems can arise within the creative process from thinking too long on one topic. Creative block can also come about from a lack of stimulation and not observing enough content. How do you navigate past this point? The best way I deal with blocks is to take a short break from thinking directly about the concept. I allow my mind to relax and wander and I stimulate myself by looking at other artists creations. Then, I come back to the original concept and experiment with fresh ideas until I find a final solution. 3. Evolution Once you have reached an initial creative outcome how do you continue? I continue with a creative concept by thinking about what I want the final image to look like. I imagine the final picture very clearly and consider how it feels. Then, I simply work backwards thinking about the light, makeup, model, and style that is visible in my imaginary image. Once I have decided all the final elements, I put together a mood board to communicate the concepts to other people involved in the shoot. Consider the different options available to you at this stage. How could you progress differently? The creative process could be navigated differently by creating a mood board first, and then building up concepts to achieve the final image. What could expand your practice here? I am excited to expand my current photography practice by including other medium such as paint, ink, paper, and alternative printing processes. What are the positive and negative elements of change at this stage? Change is always a positive element because it allows for growth and learning experiences. The only negativity can arise from others criticism. 4. Listening How do you recognise internal feedback? I thrive on internal feedback and I recognise it by the influence it has on my concepts. I continually throw ideas around in my mind and critically evaluate why I shouldn’t do something, as well as reasons why I should. How does external feedback influence your process? External feedback can be helpful, but I first evaluate who is offering the feedback and whether their opinion is relevant to my work. External feedback can introduce a new perspective to my work and help me understand how other people interpret my concept. I then may make adjustments to my work to ensure the concept is projected correctly how I intended. 5. Maintain Once you are working how do you remain focused? I remain focused on my work by feeling emotionally attached to the concept and believing that the final results will be worth the hard work. How do you use breaks? If I feel distracted or disinterested, I first take a break and eat. My next step is rather unconventional. I let myself relax and scroll through social media. The shallow content on social media actually gives me motivation to create something important and I get excited to work again. How do you recognise when to stop? I stop working once I feel an idea or emotion is clearly communicated through the final image or artwork. 6. The End Once you have completed a creative work, how do you evaluate it? I evaluate completed work by checking how closely it represents the original concept. I also look at all final work upside down to check if the mood of the work is portrayed enough just by the light, dark, and colour. Flipping work upside down takes the focus away from the subject matter and helps me evaluate just the mood of the light. What process of critique or feedback is useful to you? To me, in-person feedback is the most valuable. It allows for a discussion and helps me understand more about the critique. In-person I can also read the person’s body language to assess if their feedback is honest. How do you learn from the process? I learn so much from the process of creating because it makes me reevaluate how I think and feel. I also try to find mistakes and learn how to fix them in future work. How and why do you begin again? I begin creating again because there is simply no limit to what can be expressed. There are always emotions to portray or another story to tell through creating. The never-ending possibilities and my desire to improve is why I begin again. PS. Thank you for taking the time to stop by my blog and reading so much! :) Today I went hiking with some classmates to Purling Brook Falls. The long trek was totally worth it. Keep an eye out for the final images.
Today I printed the abstract architecture images from last week using the cyanotype method. I love doing cyantype prints. It is a wonderful hands on experience and very rewarding to see the image come to life in the sunlight.
Cyantype is an alternative method of printing which uses UV light to expose the negative image. After the exposure, the paper just needs to be rinsed with water and then dried. The process is simple enough to do at home without a professional dark room. The cyantype chemicals can be purchased at: http://www.goldstreetstudios.com.au/photographic-supplies/cyanotype-kit/ Yesterday I shot the first portrait sessions for the personal identity project. It was very busy but so much fun. I met four lovely ladies who volunteered to become part of the project. We had a great time chatting about how I will portray them through the final artworks.
I am amazed at the response I have received for the concept of revealing people's true self through art. So many have offered to join the project, and I feel encouraged by the support. I still need a few more people to fill the next portrait sessions. Please contact me if are able to help. I was in the town of Miles for the last few days visiting friends and also shooting a property for Place Estate Agents.
This trip was a great time for me to reflect on ideas for the project. It is relaxing to be surrounded by the rugged beauty of the outback. In spare time, I began organising for the first portrait photoshoots for the personal identity project. Last weekend I went to the Hair Of The Dog conference for the first time. It was such an incredible three days of learning and being inspired by other photographers. The conference is run by the AIPP and the best photographers from all around Australia present workshops.
By listening to other photographers stories, I rediscovered the reason I am a visual artist. My work is all about showcasing life and emotions and communicating ideas visually. There is meaning to each image and I always want my work to have an impact on others. I am a photographer because it is a form of expressing myself, not because it is a profitable business. For me, the conference was a great time of evaluating the direction of my work and the goals I have for myself. I spent a lot of time reflecting on my motives and what inspires me to create. Overall, Hair Of The Dog is a must-attend event for any photographer who is keen to push themselves and learn more. Images copyright of AIPP, HOTD. Today I walked around the city and took abstract images of architecture. I tried to included a person within most images because the buildings wouldn't exist without human contact. I also experimented by using multiple exposures. I find so much inspiration by wandering with crowds of busy people all around me. Please let me know in the comments which image is your favourite!
Deep breath...there is so much work to do in such little time! Last week I received all the assignments for my course in visual arts. I have been given six months to create a series of work which will exhibited. Sounds easy enough right? Except that I need eight final pieces finished by this month, and before I start creating, I need to research a concept.
It's exciting to decide on a concept that will be the foundation for a series of work! However, I have too many ideas running through my head. I have actually written "breathe" on my hand to help myself take time to rationally think through each idea. I have finally chosen to create a series of portrait collages. Below are some images I am inspired by. I need people to photograph! Please get in touch with me if you would like to become part of the project. In return for your awesome help, you will receive a nice black & white studio portrait. This project is based on personal identity. It will not be a fashion shoot, so don't start stressing about modelling. 😊 Here are some very simple methods I use to get creative ideas flowing.
Most importantly, don't get discouraged if you feel your creativity is blocked! Stay positive and keep learning something new. Hard work is always rewarded. I have never kept a diary or journal. I am not an organised person. I dislike any routines. However, this year I decided to begin a blog! Why?? Because, I would love to communicate more of who I am and what I do. This blog will be a place for me to show behind-the-scenes on my photoshoots, and also share tips & techniques.
Over the next few months I will begin a portrait series, create a collection for an exhibit, and launch a range of cyanotype photogram prints. I am super excited for this year and all the possibilities. I hope you will enjoy this insight into my journey as a creator. |
Hi. My name is Rachel. I am a photographer & artist. Currently, I live in Brisbane, Australia. I prefer thinking rather than talking. I believe in minimalism but...I have a shoe collection. Welcome to my blog.
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