• The name of the photographer

-Barbara Cole

  • What country are they from? (This is important as it puts the work into context)

-Canada

  • What series of photographs have inspired you?

-Appearances and Beat

  • The name and date of the series of photographs that you are interested in (show examples of 4-6 images from the series and/or a collection of their work

-Appearances, 2020

  • What is the image/series about? (This could be researched or your own opinion) / Explain how this work is related to the theme of reflections.

-In Appearances, Barabara Cole anthropomorphizes flowers, giving them each a name and a unique personality that we all can connect with. This exploration into transformation, nature, and beauty, is marked by Cole’s delicate use of water as a medium. In this series, Cole explores what it means to posses a form and what is considered worthy to be the subject of an artist’s attention. This series is related to the theme of reflections both visually and conceptually, visually, the water that Cole uses in her series creates reflective surfaces, creating a dream-like effect; conceptually, the series explores the theme of self-perception and identity, encouraging introspection

  • Is there any other important cultural context that relates to the artist’s work? (see below)

-It does not directly reference specific cultural and historical events

  • What does the photograph show?

-Anthropomorphized flowers submerged/interacting with water

  • What is the main focus/ where is your eye drawn to?

-The anthropomorphized flower captured in the middle

  • What do you like about the image?

-The dreamy effect-soft and hazy lines of the flowers

  • What composition style have they used? leading lines, framing, the rule of thirds…etc

-Mostly balance-the main element is positioned in the center, and framing-the subject seems enclosed by water

  • How have they used the lighting in the image?

-The light appears brighter and highlights the main element in the center while becoming dimmer and creating shadows when around the background

  • If they have used people in their photos can you read any body or facial language?

-In fact Barbara does often explore the human body as her main subject in other series, she focuses mainly on the movement of the body, highlighting it’s fluid and free nature

  • Can you talk about any of the formal elements that are shown? Line, Colour, Shape, Form, Texture, Pattern, Tone… How has the artist achieved the meaning, concept or message in the image?

-The soft colors, muted tone, and the hazy lines creates by the organic flow of the water establishes the dreamy effect of the photograph; the shapes/figures often appeared blurred, enhancing the sense of movement; The rippling water and blurry figure creates a painterly texture, as if looking at a piece of oil painting instead of a photo

  • What techniques has the artist used to create the meaning/concept or message?

-Cole mostly uses depth of field and negative space

  • Where have they focused the camera?

-On the flower

  • Discuss the aperture settings used? Shallow/long depth of field

-Possibly a shallow depth a field, as to create the soft, hazy, and blurred effect of the photographs

  • What shutter speed do you think they have they used?

-A low shutter speed would be able to create this dream-like effect, capturing the movement in water