Nico Froehlich
Nico Froehlich is a British photographer who was born in 1990 in south-east London. His work mainly focuses on street photography which ranges from a large variety of different areas nearby him focusing particularly on social realism and working-class life. Froehlich's photography has many particular different focuses on the street involving photographs in low light, photographs of bright colours on different types of film cameras to bring a more aesthetic effect to the photographs and he also has focuses on portraiture in photographs as well. Froelich has had his work exhibited in many different places across the world including many countries in Europe, the USA and at many popular places such as Heathrow Airport and Photo London and he has been featured in publications such as The Guardian, The Financial Times, The British Journal of Photography, ITV, The Economist, The New Statesman and The Royal Photographic Society Journal. To this day, Nico Froelich undertakes campaigns and editorial assignments for clients, brands and publications worldwide, has been represented by the AMP Agency in the UK and works with more than 15 different clients currently. What I like about Froelich's work is that he utilizes a mixture of portraiture mixed in with a high aesthetic of colours and window type pictures as well with the camera facing outwards towards what is in front of the photographer so there is a mixture of mirrors and windows within the photographs. These photographs show a truthful depiction of how portraiture can be used in a specific style as a number of textures have been used to highlight potential shadows within the photographs as well with many areas being more darkened within these images.
Single Image Evaluation
This image includes many features in the foreground such as a football, some sheds and a few houses in the background of the picture. The picture involves a clear sky that has been partly darkened and the football has been caught in the middle of puddle which also shows a reflection of a few trees in the background of the image. What I particularly like about this photo is how the reflections have been used with the football in the puddle to show off a reflection of the sky which shows that Froelich has had a particular use of composition to showcase how he may have taken the photograph and what his thoughts were behind the camera about it. This photograph was produced by Nico Froelich and I believe it does show a truthful depiction of what his photography may have been meaning to represent as he has particularly utilized the aesthetics of the sky and the background well in the picture whilst also having a high quality use of textures and compositions to bring out shadows and quality lighting. Finally, I believe this photograph could have historical evidence behind it as to this day Froelich is still regarded as one of the most highly rated portraiture photographers and he uses effects that many other photographers may not use.
Hicham Benahoud
Hicham Benahoud is a portraiture photographer who was born in 1968. His main focus on photography was producing portraiture type photographs, photographs that could be printed on paper and gelatin silver type photographs. This collection of images is titled 'The Classroom' which Benahoud produced in the years 1994-2000 where he worked as an art teacher in a Marrekech school. To make these photographs, Benahoud made a performative project for his students to get involved in where they had to perform different poses, gestures and many other accessories to adopt into the photograph. Benahoud also stages his photographs carefully with some of his photographs having some children studying and continuing to get work done whilst other children are shown to actually be engaged in the photograph and bring a creative outlook to it. What I like about these photographs are how Benahoud utilizes the composition of the photographs properly and has had many thoughts about how he should structure the photographs which show how he thinks as a photographer. These photographs show a truthful depiction of portraiture as many children have done different things within the photographs so all the photographs have turned out to be different.
Single Image Evaluation
This image includes many features in the foreground such as a portrait of a figure standing close-up to the camera with many props and accessories such as large pieces of material on the person's legs and arms to make him a much larger figure as a whole. In the background we can see many pieces of paper scattered on the floor of the classroom in front of two tables with three students sitting on each side with a blank wall behind them with no effects of aesthetics on it at all. What I like about this photograph is how Benahoud had staged this for the person standing at the front to use these specific props and accessories to make him very different from the other people in the classroom and make himself stand out more within the foreground of the picture. This photograph shows a truthful depiction of how Benahoud creates his portraiture photography as this project showed him staging many photographs to be in a specific style to create more of an effect on the photograph as a whole. Finally, I believe this photograph could be used as historical evidence of portraiture as this project made by Benahoud stands out to be one of the most famous portraiture projects to this day and how he stages the photographs helps the project to stand out even more to the viewer.
Photography Making Day
Reduction to 27 images
Portraiture inspired by Nico Froehlich
Portraiture inspired by Hicham Benahoud
For my photography personal investigation I took two photoshoots inspired by Nico Froelich and Hicham Benahoud. To do this I used different lightings inside and outside the building in different locations whilst also using media and studio lighting to create a colour lighting effect on the face of the photographed person which adds more of an aesthetic display on the foreground of the photograph with the person's face whilst also bringing colours into a reflection of the background of the wall of the picture to bring more of an effect to the photograph as a whole. What I like about these photographs are that they bring a highly sophisticated use of colours which bring a more vibrant effect to the person and photograph as a whole.
My response to Portraiture inspired by Froehlich and Benahoud
For my photography personal investigation I took 12 portraiture style images inspired by Nico Froelich and Hicham Benahoud. To do this I went to a variety of different locations across London to take photographs of portraits within my photographs which have been done in day light and low light, with accessories such as trees and extra lighting used within the background of certain images. What I like about these photographs are that they bring out the emotion and effects of how the photographed portrait may be feeling and the mood they give off within the photograph depending on other aesthetically features in the background. These photographs show a truthful depiction of how portrait photographs can be utilised with the different types of moods and poses shown from the photographs that the portrait may be showing for this type of image. Next, I am going to focus on thinking about what type of photographer I am and what inspires me to take photographs.
What kind of photographer am I?
The next step in my photography personal investigation was to describe what kind of photographer I am and what types of photographs I particularly enjoy taking and gather my best qualities in. As shown in the mind map and the sheet, I have described myself to be more of a fact type photographer meaning that I prefer to show what the photograph truly means through what I take photographs of and show the aesthetic of the foreground and background of the photograph to showcase to the viewer what the true meaning of my photograph may have been and how I can use the lighting and other aspects to symbolise this. I also like to take many of my photographs in the outside world and focus particularly on urban landscapes and window type images to focus on particular buildings and places that may highlight high quality aesthetics and composition to show the type of photographs I truly enjoy taking and can take in high quality.
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Portraits taken with the Raw camera setting
The next step of my photography personal investigation was to take more portraits but this time focusing on the Raw setting of the camera to create a more vibrant effect in the photograph. We learned the controls of the Canon DSI 650 and 1100 cameras where I learned more about the depth of field and shutter release in particular within the camera and how they should be used to develop better photographs. The word photography comes from the Greek words 'photos' meaning light and 'graphos' meaning drawing. Photography also features aperture and ISO on the cameras to determine how much light is let in. An ISO of 100 to 400 would be used when bright light is around, an ISO of 800 would be used for slightly darker light and an ISO of 1600 would be used for dark light. The aperture settings can range from 2.4, 4, 5.6, 8, 11 and 16 where the higher the number the more light is let in to the camera. What I like about these photographs are how the grass shows a very vibrant effect on the photographs specifically where the grass is darkened with the portrait aswell which brings a more sophisticated effect of the outcome as a whole. Next, I am going to research a new photographer then make portraits inspired by them.
Sally Mann
Sally Mann is a portraiture photographer who was born in 1951 in Virginia, USA. Her work is mainly focused on photographing portraits in a variety of different areas within an area around her where she photographs her other family members and uses black and white photographs to bring retro type effects to her photographs. She is one of America's most renowned photographers and has received a numerous number of awards based on her photographs. What I like about her photographs is how she utilises the black and white to bring a retro type of effect within the photographs with her family in the foreground of them to create a hidden emotion within the photograph and the black and white helps the photographs look more distorted. These photographs also show a truthful depiction of Sally Mann’s work as she is able to use the black and white to her advantage within the photographs and create an effect that cannot be explained and only sought.
Portraiture inspired by Sally Mann
The next step in my photography personal investigation was to take a series of 6 extra portraits that were related to more of the outside world and environmentally which also includes 6 photographs of the surrounding environment within the photographs. To do this I went out to a few locations across Central and East London to gather some photographs across the streets in these areas to produce more environmental type portraits. What I like about these photographs are that they show the whole background of the environment surrounding the portrait and the whole view of the portrait within the photographs which gives off a whole lot of different feelings towards these photographs. These photographs show a truthful depiction of Sally Mann’s work as they all utilise the portraits in a variety of different ways to bring many different emotions and effects within the photographs. Next, I am going to review these photographs further and decide where to go for my personal investigation from here.
Nico Froehlich Workshop
For my photography personal investigation I had to take portraits of people inspired by Nico Froehlich’s photography where I also got to utilise some of Froehlich’s ideas and techniques that he uses within his images and influence it in my own work. To do this I went to a nearby place around Kidbrooke and got some portraits in the shops and a bus stop around Kidbrooke of people walking by or working in the shop during the day. What I like about these photographs are that they utilise the lighting from the sun in particular to create many shadows among the portraits which brought a more sophisticated and bright outcome to some of the pictures as a whole due to the light reflecting off the faces of the portraits and the colours of the clothing some of the people wore also matched with the shop colours as seen in some of the images. These photographs show a truthful depiction of Froehlich’s work as he also takes his photographs around shops in the sun during the brighter hours of the day to bring out emotions within photographs and bring a more vibrant effect to the photograph as a whole and I have also learned from his techniques on how to benefit my future portrait photographs. My personal favourite photograph is the photograph with the man with half a brightened face with the other half of his face captured within a shadow as it shows a contrast and adds extra effect to the portrait and photograph overall. Next I am going to begin analysing photographs in more detail among more different artists.
Deana Lawson - 'Nation'
In this photograph I can see two people sitting on a sofa with a third person in the background and some pictures and paintings on the walls. The paintings in particular seem new to me because they seem very contrasting to what the emotion of the image actually is as this image feels intimidating and concerning but the paintings are very vibrant and colourful. The lines in this picture seem to have been aligned very well alongside the shapes, colours, textures and patterns as they are all very symmetrical and positioned well around the room and the photo itself. However, some of these tones and colours are also contrasting as there are different moods and effects from the colours in the painting in comparison to the photograph itself. The photographer has captured a high amount of light and used the aperture to its effect to bring the most out of the lighting and bring a more sophisticated effect to the photograph. The thing that interests me the most about the image is the effect that the people on the sofa have given as the room and photograph itself looks bright and aesthetic however the people themselves pose to bring a whole other effect of contrast within the photograph. The photograph is quite spaced out as well as the other person in the background is a distance away from the other two on the sofa and is just stood up in a different space of the room and the people on the sofa have are quite close together with a slight gap in between where a lighter can be seen. The part of the photograph that I find most interesting is the person in the background because his face is covered by some damaged teeth but we do not know why the photographer has done this and what the third person could have been doing or why he was there in the first place. This picture is different from reality as these people may have just done these poses to look intimidating but they may not be like that at all and the photographer may have just told them to do those particular poses. I think this photograph is meant to be a lesson to show that not everything you see through a photograph is always the true meaning as the people could be totally different outside of the photograph instead of the way they acted in this photograph and I was able to come up with this as in many other photographs aswell there are hidden meanings and different thoughts to what the photograph is actually meant to be about. I believe the artist made this photograph to present a warning of what to watch out for at times and how you can easily stay safe and I think this because there can be many instances where people don't know the dangers around them. The main parts of the photograph that are effective are the people themselves and how they act within the photograph. I also believe that other aspects don't work so well such as why the other person in the background has their face covered by dentures so it is unknown what he was doing or what effect he could have brought to the photograph. I think other people would feel a mix of liking the effect of the photograph but also finding it concerning due to how the people on the sofa are posing especially also with the lighter in between them and I think this because the spacing and aesthetics of the photograph are a high quality however the people themselves bring a contrast to the photograph with how they are acting. Finally, I believe it is worth remembering how the people on the sofa have a lighter in between them and why they may have done this if it was to be intimidating or if they just wanted to have that to provide more of an effect that could have been inspired from an album cover from a rapper that these people may have liked whilst we can also think about why the other person had his face covered by dentures and what hidden meaning there was behind that decision to have him there and cover his face.
In this image I can discover why Lawson may wanted to use these people in particular as the person on the right has a unrealistic hairstyle for a black man as the hairstyle would more stand out for a white man. This knowledge affects my understanding of the image as I understand more about why Lawson may have wanted to use this person, how the props she used changed the photograph's effect and how him doing the poses and having an intimidating look may have affected the photograph. This affects the way I might view the photograph as the two people on the sofa while both looking intimidating may have a totally different vibe in and out of the photograph. The artist says that the image has the person on the right commanding the image with his look of all parts across his face with his mouth, hair and eyes. Other people might say that this photograph brings a variety of different moods and emotions to the viewer with how Lawson has got these people to act and why the dentures obscure the face of the third man in the background on the far right of the image.
In this image I can discover why Lawson may wanted to use these people in particular as the person on the right has a unrealistic hairstyle for a black man as the hairstyle would more stand out for a white man. This knowledge affects my understanding of the image as I understand more about why Lawson may have wanted to use this person, how the props she used changed the photograph's effect and how him doing the poses and having an intimidating look may have affected the photograph. This affects the way I might view the photograph as the two people on the sofa while both looking intimidating may have a totally different vibe in and out of the photograph. The artist says that the image has the person on the right commanding the image with his look of all parts across his face with his mouth, hair and eyes. Other people might say that this photograph brings a variety of different moods and emotions to the viewer with how Lawson has got these people to act and why the dentures obscure the face of the third man in the background on the far right of the image.
Dave Fieldhouse - 'Urban Landscape'
In this photograph I can see a train depot with a few trains and tracks around with bright green and white lights with another train track leading off to the side with many moving lights and then there are also some modern buildings in the background with red lights from cranes with a night sky in the background. The moving tracks in particular bring new insight to my observations as to how Fieldhouse has brought that effect into the photograph and how he knew when was the right time to take the photograph. This photograph reminds me of a futuristic type of feeling as there are many modernised buildings alongside a futuristic track with the moving lights that bring thoughts about the type of feelings the photograph could bring aswell. I would describe the lines and shapes in this picture as very spaced out as there are a high amount of train tracks within the photograph with similar shapes of the train depot and buildings aswell. I would describe the colours and tones of the image as very aesthetic as there are a high variety of different lights involved within the photographs and the tone of the colouring aswell are very differentiated from each other as the lights around the train depot are very bright and vibrant however the track has dimmed moving lights so they bring many different feelings to the photograph with how the lighting is utilised as a whole. Fieldhouse has captured light in a variety of different ways with some modernised futuristic lights in some aspects of the photograph and some sophisticated bright lights in other aspects of the photograph. The main thing in this image that interests me the most is the moving lights on the bending track on the far right of the image as the lights look futuristic and I wouldn't expect these types of lights in and around an old train depot so this could raise some questions about where these lights came from and how Fieldhouse was able to make these lights have this specific type of effect. The photograph uses space while also minimising its use as well as some aspects of the image are spaced out such as the train tracks however the buildings in the background are more compacted together and narrow. This picture could also be different from reality as questions could be asked about what techniques Fieldhouse may have used to capture the moving lights on the bend of the far right train track and why he took the photograph in this specific location. I think this photograph could be about a particular interest of Fieldhouse from his childhood until now as he went to a train depot where not much people would have gone and captured the scenery around the train depot and the tracks and buildings aswell. The artist may have made this photograph to inspire people and showcase some of his past interests and I think this because he utilises the scenery to make an urban landscape with the background of the image and having the train depot in the foreground to capture his other interests aswell. I think that the futuristic modernised lighting on some of the train tracks is the most effective part of this photograph as a whole as Fieldhouse would have to have reflected the lighting off of the walls of the train tracks in the image. However, I believe some of the buildings on the left hand side of the picture don't work as well compared to the rest of the image as the buildings look very ancient and old in comparison to the rest of the modernisation of buildings and lights in the image. I think other people would be very inspired by this work as there are many aspects of the photograph that can be captured with the buildings, lights, trains and many more parts of the image that make it a high quality urban landscape. I believe it is worth remembering the flashy lights on the bend of the train track as many people will be interested to how the lighting works in the image and what gave Fieldhouse this idea.
Through researching this artist and photograph I can discover that the photograph was made by Dave Fieldhouse as part of his urban landscape series. This knowledge has partly affected my understanding of the photograph as a whole as it was published in a series involving many other photographs which could symbolise whether it had a higher quality than most of the other photographs and makes us wonder what made this stand out so much more than other photographs as Fieldhouse will have used many techniques and processes that we would not know about which could spark some insight into how he made his photographs in this style. This could affect the way we view the image as there can be many questions asked about what Fieldhouse has done to make the photograph and where his inspiration and ideas came from. There is not much insight on what the artist says about the image however other people could find inspiration within this image and want to find out more about Fieldhouse and his thoughts, techniques and why he takes these types of photographs.
Portraits inspired by Deana Lawson
The next step for my photography personal investigation was to capture photographs that were inspired by Deana Lawson and specifically capture how she uses a simple environment and the emotion of the portrait to make a high quality image. To do this I researched Lawson’s photograph called ‘Nation’ which gave me inspiration to take photographs with some similarities to what that photograph featured in it. What I like about these photographs are how the lighting has been captured very vibrantly and vividly to bring the full range of light into the image and onto the portrait and the emotion the photograph gives off as some photographs have the portrait looking more casual and unbothered with others looking more intimidating and concerning just like the contrast between the two people in Lawson’s ‘Nation’. These photographs show a truthful depiction of Lawson’s photography as a whole as they have been able to showcase not only a high quality level of sophisticated lighting but also a wide range of emotions through the look of the portrait in the image. Next, I am going to write and analyse more about Lawson and other photographers and photographs in further detail.
Questionnaire
What is it within your photography that you are really interested in?
Within my photography I am really interested in urban landscape and street photography and how much detail I can capture within these particular topics to then create a more aesthetically pleasing and sophisticated photograph with many tones, colours and many more details and I also like to inspire people with my photographs to create similar outcomes from my ideas and techniques of photography. What is it about your project that you want to know? I would like to know more about my photographs in depth and the techniques used to take high quality photographs in many different types of photography including urban landscapes and street photography as these particular topics interest me a lot and I can produce very high quality and sophisticated photographs with these styles. I also know many good locations on where some of the best types of photographs in these styles can be taken which can be really beneficial for planning where to take my photographs. What is it that you want to document? I usually document on my personal investigation my ideas for each photograph, the artist the photographs are inspired by and how I used specific features to help boost the quality of my photographs such as lighting, colours, tones and the foreground and background of the photograph. I do this so that the viewer can have the best experience of going through my website and seeing how I have utilised photography during my time in A-Level. How much do you want to document what you see? I like to document a high amount of detail within my analysis and evaluation so that the viewer can understand where I got my ideas and inspirations from and how each technique can be utilised in specific cameras for specific photographs which they could then not only benefit from that in their own work but also be able to learn more about how the camera works as a whole. What do you want to share with the viewer? I want to share my photographs in many different categories to many different viewers so that they can be inspired by my photographs and understand in depth how I have been able to take photographs like the ones on my website with the specific techniques I used and the ideas I had. By doing this, the viewer will be able to gain an experience in photography and find out more about why I enjoy photography and like to take these specific types of pictures. What do you want the viewer to experience? I want the viewer to experience my journey through photography and the different tasks and challenges I had to face in photography as I found some topics such as starting my personal investigation easier however I found working in the darkroom quite difficult as it was the first time I had tried working in one. I also want to show the viewer high quality photographs and show them how I was able to produce my outcomes. What kinds of emotion/experience do you want the viewer to have? I would like the viewer to feel a sense of excitement and inspiration through my journey in using different types of photography from my challenges to my strengths and give them an experience they can enjoy and I would like them to learn more about how to take photographs of specific topics in photography such as urban landscapes, streetscapes and all the other topics I have done during my personal investigation. Have you documented in great detail a photographer or groups of photographers that have also photographed similar theme/story/subject? I have documented great detail about many photographers in different types of photography such as Nico Froehlich for street photography, Dave Fieldhouse for urban landscapes and Deana Lawson for portraiture who have inspired me to take my own versions of their photographs and types of photography which I did by going to different areas in London to take streetscapes in some areas and I also went to Canary Wharf to get some urban landscapes. What were your findings within their work? Within these photographers' work I found many details within the photographs that inspired me to take more photographs from that specific photographer as I paid great attention to the techniques they used, how they used lighting within their photographs and what colours, tones, foreground, background and type of photograph they may have taken which all factored in to my findings from their work which made me want to take my own versions of their photographs. |
‘Questionnaire’ inspired Photographs
The next step in my photography personal investigation was to take photographs based on what topics inspired me and the photography in which the photographers I researched did. My main focus was to replicate the type of photography that Dave Fieldhouse and other urban landscape photographers utilise in their work and I did this by going to many different locations in Canary Wharf and taking landscapes around modern urban buildings and the lakes around the buildings which created a more aesthetic effect within these photographs. What I like in particular about these photographs are how they were planned out to be photographed in those specific positions to capture the whole wavelength of detail of the buildings and other key aspects of the photographs. This way many more of the key aspects can be included in the photograph in the foreground and background of the image. These photographs show a truthful depiction of how they can be inspired by these other photographers as they involve similar aspects to photographs taken by photographers such as Fieldhouse for urban landscapes where many effects of lighting had been used particularly well. I feel that if I were to take this photographs again, I would focus on capturing them at night to see a comparison of how the area looks during the day and during the night to see contrasting difference. I would also focus on having a better arrangement of composition as some of the photographs may have been slightly angled and not fully centred which may have brought down the overall effects of the image as a whole. Next, I am going to develop more urban landscape photographs into my next photography project in my personal investigation.
Imaginative Research
I started my imaginative research by looking at what extra details Dave Fieldhouse who is the photographer I am researching for urban landscapes uses in his photographs. I did this so that I can compare what he does in his photographs compared to mine so I can research his techniques then include then in my own photography. To do this I researched some of his interviews and features he used within his photographs such as the camera he used, the lens he used, what effects he used such as shutter speed, aperture and lighting, the location where he took his photographs and the time of day or night when he took the particular photograph. For example, in this photograph, Fieldhouse uses a high variety of different effects to make a more highly sophisticated and more aesthetically pleasing outcome. Fieldhouse states when taking his photographs that he always lines out a clear plan and what type of photoshoot he is going to do at what time. He states that ''It would be far too easy to find yourself going around in circles, walking unnecessary miles or spending too long underground. But it’s also important that your plan is adaptable.'' Fieldhouse uses a Fujifilm X-Pro2 camera for street photography and a Fujifil X-T2 camera for landscapes and urban landscapes where he typically captures street photography in the early hours of the morning and urban landscapes in the blue hour just before the sky turns black. I think that I could try going to similar locations where Fieldhouse took his photographs whilst also going to many other locations that I may have not gone to before to find more areas to expand my photography whilst also bringing out new outcomes at different times of day to differentiate my work from other photographers.
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1.50am: Battersea Power Station in London in the middle of the night Fujifilm X-T2 with 16-55mm lens, 0.6sec at f/8, ISO 50. Credit: Dave Fieldhouse
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