Abstract Photography: Post 8
Part 1: Basics
5 defining features:
- Use of focus (out of focus, blurry images, contrast in sharpness).
- Warm-toned (oranges, yellows, and reds).
- Contrast between light and dark (especially, the use of lights to create a focus point).
- Interaction between people and architecture.
- Use of straight lines in the composition.
Pedro Correa utilizes these tools to create photographs that emphasize a relationship between architecture/urban features and people. Through the use of warm colors and blurred images (as a result of some type of diaphanous material or an out-of-focus camera), Correa is able to imbue his photos with a sense of warmth, coziness, and comfort. Indeed, despite the city environments his pictures are captured in—which tend to have a lot of metallic material and sharp edges—they still have a feeling of being welcoming and “lived-in”.
This is perfectly aligned with my vision, which is to capture the beautiful and fleeting moments that connect “people” with “places”.
To quote Correa, “It’s my perception of the city that I want to show, the feeling rather than an actual picture”. In this series, I want to document the feeling, the atmosphere, and the “soul” of the city, and I want to do this by putting people in the picture (pun intended).
Part 2: Choose one image
The image that interested me the most was P5. Immediately after seeing it, I was struck by how perfectly this echoed my vision. It depicts a typical city scene, with the object that’s closest to the camera being the cold, rain-stricken glass panes. Turn the lights off, get rid of the misty insides of the windows, and remove all the people, and this image would feel hopeless and unforgiving, but with all of these tiny details—the droplets of condensed water on the window that show traces of liveliness, the bottles on the tables, the conversing customers—this photograph feels warm and welcoming. It is surprising how such features can “bring a place to life”.
One of my favorite things about this picture has to be the colors. In it, we see a lot of black, a splash of blue in the upper right corner, and some white on the left. These darker/cooler tones are in line with the sharpness of the architecture and the sense of city life. However, at the same time, we also find many warm tones. There are yellow/orange lights throughout the restaurant, and the red—which is my very favorite part of the photograph—is absolutely beautiful, because it seems to echo off of walls, glass, and metal structures, bathing the entire scene in a warmth that’s fiercer than yellow or orange. The red seems to emanate a kind of passion and vitality that is so crucial to this snapshot of nightlife.
Part 3: Style
Correa’s photographs are abstract in that—although there are often obvious subjects—the subjects themselves are not the most important aspect. It is the combination of the most essential elements, such as tone, composition, and texture, that makes his images so interesting and full of meaning.
It is exactly this that I love. In the most unexpected places, Correa finds warmth, heart, and a sense of belonging, and he expresses this through artistic elements instead of tangible objects. I hope to do the same with my photos for the rest of this unit, weaving together beautiful structures around the school/798 and cherishable memories or emotions that are relatable to many.
Part 4: Statement of intent (again)
My series of photos will exemplify the modern architectural feats present all around us, from reflective glass panes bordered by hard metal to cement pillars connected to marble floors. I wish to use the interaction of people with such features to reveal their innate “warmth”—indeed, architecture might be much more than cold and “metallic”. Through these photos, I hope that viewers can see what they witness every day from a new perspective, and also be able to project their own emotions onto the locations captured in the images. In the process of creating this series, I will continue to gather inspiration from photos that emphasize the use of color balance, shape, and composition, and those that hold meaning and express emotion beyond the literal depiction.