#study tasks

I am very aware that still life photography has had a surge in popularity over the last few years, as my artist research shows, so it’s always a concern of mine that I’m doing the same thing as everyone else. However, I do feel passionate about this project and am really pleased with how it’s developed since the start of the year. The research has definitely contributed to this, as what I’ve discovered has helped me develop the concept of the project which will hopefully make it stand out, and be a bit more worthwhile than a spur of the moment still life shoot. The philosophical side definitely adds to this and I feel it’s provided room for development in the future, meaning there’s probably more to the idea than you might think at first glance. 

I feel my idea is achievable in the time we have to produce the work and I have high hopes for the final outcome. I’m quite proud of the work I’ve done so far and have definitely enjoyed the research, but don’t want to get carried away and let myself down when it comes to the actual production of the images. My concern is that I may struggle to make everything I’ve carefully researched and planned become reality. However, because I’m so excited by the project I’m quite confident it can stay this way and I hopefully won’t have this problem next semester.

As the research is such a crucial part of the project I will continue it as I go into the production stage, however it will take a back seat to make sure I achieve my production goals. 

I feel my strengths lie in this area of research, which has definitely helped me develop my ideas and what I’ve read and discovered since the start of the semester has really helped shape what I’m doing. I did have quite a clear idea of what I wanted to do when I started the module but it’s evolved into something I feel has more depth to it, the concept having more importance but the aesthetic aspect still being crucial which was my main driving force to begin with.

My idea is to create a series of approximately six still life photographs based on transforming and elevating everyday home accessories to new works of art in the form of photographs. My aim is to look at the relationships between people and the everyday objects we choose to have in our homes, and challenge our perception of them.

I will do this by photographing them in the studio in a way that emphasises their design characteristics, as well as carefully selecting the other elements I choose to juxtapose them with. 

The aesthetic is a vital part of the project and will be minimal, graphic, and abstract with vibrant but sophisticated colours. The lighting will be even but with strong shadows, highlighting the objects’ shapes and visual details. The images will have a pristine finish, projecting a high end, luxury feel. 

My test shoots have highlighted the amount of time it takes to create the images in the precise manner I want to achieve. In terms of technical aspects, I intend to use the Linhof 4x5 with digital back to achieve this precise and detailed finish.

To make the project successful I require an understanding and appreciation of design in order to choose objects that work, and to know how to highlight their design details. These objects could be anything from door hooks and candle holders to soap dishes and mirrors.

To develop this understanding of design I have carried out broad research, starting with visiting the Danish Design Museum, as design plays such an important role in Danish peoples’ everyday lives. I have also read various books on design history, as well as looking at photography practitioners that work with similar themes or aesthetics. In addition I have researched the theory of objects, including Bill Brown’s Thing Theory, to help me understand how I can challenge peoples’ relationships with, and perceptions of, everyday objects. Research into modernism and minimalism has also been important in terms of the ethos and aesthetic of the project, so I have researched minimalist painters such as Piet Mondrian and Kenneth Noland. 

In terms of timescale and schedule, I will source my objects over Christmas, ready to start shooting in Semester B. I will create some of the background objects with help from a model design student, and will source the homeware accessories from a range of shops. As each image will take time to prepare and create, requiring experimentation in the studio, I will allow for two photographs per month which would give me time to create eight images before mid-April.  

My project is intended for people interested in design, and those that aren’t. I intend to get these people thinking differently about what they choose to decorate their homes with, thinking more about design. The commercial side of the project is also targeted toward still life industry professionals, as I will demonstrate my technical skills as well as my love of design and ability to take creative and desirable photographs of objects. 

I intend to create a series of still life photographs based on homeware accessories. While ultimately for commercial purposes, the images will be highly creative and abstract, transforming the objects into new works of art in their own right. 

I will achieve this by carefully selecting the objects based on their design, taking their form, shape, colour and other visual characteristics into account. Perspective and composition will also play a part in transforming the objects, as will the selection of other objects, colours, textures etc. that I include in the images. Following quite a sophisticated and minimal approach I will keep lines and shapes clean and simple, removing clutter and unnecessary elements. 

The objects themselves with either all be from one retailer (e.g. Habitat), or will be a selection of affordable but visually pleasing design available on the high street. No matter the origin of the objects, they will appear high end and sophisticated in the final images. 

I hope that by basing my project on two areas I’m particularly interested in, still life photography and design, my passion for the series and appreciation of the chosen objects will be clear in the finished piece. 

Continuing my research into homeware design is very important and I will do so by carrying on reading library books and design journals, as well as visiting the Museum of Design in London and the V&A. The research will extend into the areas of how homeware is produced, photographed and sold, as well as designed. Customer magazines for retailers such as John Lewis and Marks and Spencer will help with some of this, as well as continuing research into commercial and editorial photographers’ practices such as Scheltens & Abbenes. 

In terms of project realisation, I hope to get a job as sales advisor in a local Habitat to help me get more familiar with high street home accessories and the process they go through. This should also make sourcing the products to photograph easier, whether through staff discount or being able to borrow items. If I don’t focus solely on Habitat, focusing on general high street design will help with the funding side of the project. I may also return the items once photographed as I have done in previous projects.

The research stage should be complete by December, when planning and testing should also be well under way. Over December and the start of January I will source my objects. After Christmas, with my dissertation finished, I should be able to spend lots of time in the studio, which is key with my usual approach to still life, involving experimentation as I go rather than meticulous planning beforehand.

My project is intended for an audience that appreciates art and design. By demonstrating my passion for this area I hope to get other people with similar interests excited.