Tag: ernst haas

Abstraction: Final Evaluation

Posted on by Josh

PDF LINK: Final Triptych

Which artists have inspired your project and how?

Ernst Haas inspired my project because his style encouraged me to take colored photographs of urban areas. He also inspired me to use the formal element of focus because he used this formal element in many of his photos in “New York in Color, 1952-1962,” which had stunning effects. 

How do your images link to your inspirational images?

My images link to Ernst Haas’s images because they are vividly colored photographs that consist of multiple focal points. Furthermore, they are taken in the bustling places of urban areas. 

What have you experimented further with to help you develop your ideas for the project?

I experimented with different saturation levels to see which lighting best enhances my photos. 

How have you built on what you have done before?

I built upon my skills with snapshots. During the first time in photography class, I learned how to use sport mode to capture objects in motion. The first two photos in my triptych have distinct moving objects. The moving objects are slightly blurred because it wanted to create more contrast with the focal points in the photo. In addition, it also gives the photo a surreal vibe. 

What is the idea behind your final series of images and how does it bring together the best parts of your previous projects?

The main idea in my final series of images is the transition from day to night and the transition from suburban to urban. Starting from the photo on the left of the triptych was taken in the afternoon at around 4-5 pm from the inside of a car. I was entering the city at that point, and the sky was still blue, and the sun was visible. Then, the middle photo was taken around 7-8pm in the middle of a crosswalk in downtown Beijing. Lastly, the photo on the right was taken at about 9-10 pm in a populated commercial area. Overall, my final series of images illustrates the transition from day to night because of the chronological order in which the photos were taken; the transition from suburban to urban because of the change in location of where the photo was taken. To answer the second part of the question, my final series of images brings together the best parts of my previous projects because it was the outcome of learning and improving from set 1 and interpreting the style of a new photographer. All in all, my final series of images demonstrates the best of my photography for now. 

How did you create your final series of images?   

First of all, I was quite puzzled about which photos to choose for my final series. Since I was interpreting the style of Ernst Haas, all of my ‘good’ photos had a variety of main focuses. There were some photos that contained the same objects; however, they were not the best photos to display the influences of Ernst Haas. After finishing my red selection, I looked at the photos to see if there were any connections. After rearranging the photos to see if there was a pattern, I noticed that there was a common idea of transitions in three of my photos. Essentially, that’s how I came up with my final series of images. 

What are the overall strengths of your project and why?

The main idea is quite intriguing because it makes the audience interpret a relationship between three seemingly unrelated photos. 

What are your areas for development – what do you need to work on in future projects?

I would need to learn more on how to use aperture and exposure, so I can use them right in the moment of taking the photo. This way, I can take quality photos that are more specific to my statement of intent. Also, I might focus on taking more photos of a single scene or object, so I have more to choose from in the end. 

 

Full Contact Sheet+Yellow Selection+Green Selection+Red Selection

Posted on by Josh

The Full Contact Sheet:

The full contact sheet consists of 32 photos in total. I took the photos in various places, so the scenery in the photos can appear quite diverse. All of the photos are colored and mostly abstract. Most of the photos target the formal element of focus through optical effects.

The Yellow Selection:

For the yellow selection, I discarded 12 photos of the 32 photos from my full contact sheet. They were discarded because they didn’t align with my vision or because they didn’t fully incorporate the formal element of focus. For this selection, I chose 20 photos.

The Green Selection:

In this selection, I chose 10 photos that really demonstrate my vision. In these photos, the use of the formal element of focus is demonstrated by diverting the viewer’s attention to a certain part of the photo. For example, in the 10th photo with the cello bow and notes, the viewer is intended to on focus the elements of the photo separately. They either see the bow first or the notes first. At least, that is my interpretation. Different people might see the photo in a variety of ways.

The Red Selection:

  1. The photo is in the top left corner. I chose this photo to include in my red selection because it relates to my vision and uses the formal element of focus uniquely. At first glance, you might not recognize that the photo depicts a night sky. The photo consists of one very bright red light and another very bright yellow light; they greatly contrast the whitish light near the middle of the photograph (the moon). These are the most appealing elements within the photograph. They catch my attention almost immediately when I look at the photo. I tend to ignore the clutter of buildings, cables, and clouds in the background and only focus on the lights. Realistically, the viewer’s eyes should focus on the lights first, but again, the photo is abstract and is open to interpretation. I would call this photo: ” Vision.”
  2. The photo is in the top right corner. I chose this photo because it highlights the formal element of focus very abstractly. The photo does not focus on any element, as it’s an array of transparent spaces in a commercial building. Thus, the viewer must use their interpretation and focus on an element that holds their attention. It is similar to choosing an item from a store in the mall. Instead of selecting items, you will have to choose what to focus on in this photo. Due to the fact, there is a huge number of possible interpretations for focus, this photo is abstract and aligns with my vision. Because of the above, I would call this photo: “Selection.”
  3. The photo is in the bottom left corner. I selected this photo for the red selection because the elements in this photo because it consists of a variety of lines and shapes that split the photo into different sections. The focus on the different sections is part of my vision statement. I took these photos at the gym in the corner between two mirrors; the objects in the mirror are actually in the opposite position in real life. The large brown portion in the middle of the photograph looks as if it split the photograph into two pieces. A muscular man is walking on the right side of the photo; he looks as if he walked through the large brown portion in the middle. All the possible interactions between the man, room, and large brown portion make this photo abstract. I would call this photo: “The Barrier.”
  4. The photo is in the bottom right corner. This photo is special because it appears to be an ordinary picture of a horizon but has extra elements that hook the viewer’s attention. First, the photograph aligns with my vision because it is abstract and focuses on many elements. The different elements include the sky, the buildings, the trees, the river, the bridge, the motorcyclist, and the finger. Each unique element is made imperfect because another element is interfering with it. For example, the buildings block the view of the sky, and the finger blocks the view of the bridge and the river. The fact that you can’t focus on one element without focusing on another makes this photograph abstract. I would call this photo: “Cohesion.” The reason behind this name is up to the viewers. 

Artist Analysis: Ernst Haas

Posted on by Josh

A list of 5 typical things that are present in the above photos:

-All photos vividly portray some sort of color scheme

-Repetition of elements

-A unique level of focus in the camera.

– Different textures.

-Multiple parts, not just one main subject.

The photos of different types of architecture have a mesmerizing feel to them. The elements within the photographs look similar, but they have unique details upon closer inspection.

Other photographers whose photos reference these characteristics are Michelle Palazzo, Steve Deer, and Masayuki Yamashita.

Statement of Intent: I will take photos of imagery in ordinary public areas to show the different perspectives that can be found there. The audience should be able to notice the beauty of perspectives that they didn’t know existed.

I chose Ernst Haas because he was one of the most celebrated photojournalists and photographers of the 20th century. He was a pioneer of color photography and had coverage in major events around the globe. In his experiments with Kodachrome color film in the 1950s, he photographed large color photo collections in New York City, which were published by the LIFE magazine.

Ernst Haas relates to my statement of intent because his photographs depict beauty and introspection in ordinary landscapes. He captures the beauty in the ordinary and shows the audience perspectives that they didn’t know existed. 

A quote by Ernst Haas is:

“A picture is the expression of an impression. If the beautiful were not in us, how would we ever recognize it?”

I chose this quote because it reflects how photography is something more internal and less surface-level than one might think. Haas implies that photography expresses someone’s impression of something, making it more personal than a visual record of an event. Then he says the beauty of a photograph is also internal because if it weren’t for the recognition of the photographer, it wouldn’t even exist as a photograph. 

 Analysis of Ernst Haas’s work:

This photo is for Ernst Haas’s New York in color. I chose this photograph in particular because it’s interesting in the fact that it is an effective combination of multiple elements. I found this photograph particularly unusual because you tend to pay more attention to the things that appear further away from the camera. When I first saw this photograph, my attention was not focused on the curvy white object in the bottom center of the photograph. For some reason, I was rather focused on the tops of the people’s heads. I think there might be some option illusion that diverts the viewer’s attention in this photograph. Due to the above reasons, I think the most crucial formal element in this photo is the focus. Focus is important in photographs because it puts the viewer’s attention on something particular in the photograph. Sometimes, the focus is related to the resolution of the photo, but other times the focus is achieved through optical effects or angles that direct the viewer’s attention. For example, the photo that I chose has a resolution that is pretty much consistent, but the focus is achieved through the angle/optical effects. This photo is abstract because there is no defined subject present in the photograph. The viewer must look for it themselves and discover what they think is the subject. Stylistically, I like this photo because it seems to split into two by the grey line in the middle where people are standing. It looks as if it was edited using digital software. But again, I don’t think digital editing software was a thing back then. The slightly uncanny feeling I get when I look at the photograph is quite intriguing. I will adapt this particular style of Ernst Haas into my photography by making my photos look like they consist of multiple parts to make the photos more unclear and create a more abstract effect. I will experiment with multiple angles and levels of focus to enhance my photographs and make them look more convincing. 

Revised Statement of Intent: I will take photos of imagery in ordinary public areas to show the different perspectives that can be found there. I will refer to the photographer Ernst Haas and use option effects and different angles to accomplish this. My photographs will shock the audience with unique perspectives that they didn’t know existed.