Category: Part 4

Exercise 4.1: Michael Schmidt

In [AXS. 2010] Michael Schmidt wrote “I prefer black and white photography because it guarantees the viewer a maximum amount of neutrality within the limits of the medium. It reduces and neutralizes the coloured world to a finely nuanced range of greys, thus precluding an individual way of seeing (personal colour tastes) by the viewer.”

In combination with overcast skies diffusing light, removing shadows and producing a flat reduced depth and contrast image, the image is simplified, easier to consume and comprehend by the viewer.

In considering this aspect of light and photography I think about my own experience and think ( confess even ) that I feel more relaxed, comfortable and confident when taking shots and the sky is overcast. Classically good exposure is easier to attain and dynamic range much reduced. A good quality outcome is nearly always more likely in this case all be it that drama may be harder to achieve. In viewing the images in https://www.prixpictet.com/portfolios/consumption-shortlist/michael-schmidt/ drama does not seem to be what Schmidt is looking for.

 

Bibliography

AXS. 2010. Michael Schmidt: Thoughts About My Way of Working. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.americansuburbx.com/2010/10/michael-schmidt-thoughts-about-my-way-of-working-1979.html. [Accessed 5 May 2019].

Exercise 4.1: Daylight – Sally Mann

Personal view on light quality.

With Southern Landscapes, and other series (Battlefields, Family Pictures etc), Sally Mann uses the wet plate collodian method. A method dating back to the early days of photography, this adds a level of mystery to the photographs in Southern Landscapes that complements the quality of light; early morning or late afternoon.

In particular the images below with their deep shadows created by the low sun provide a depth of image that makes the viewer feel very much ‘in’ the image. There is a richness alongside the depth which would be far less pronounced had the photographs been taken at mid day or with dispersed light of cloud cover.

[Sally Mann:2019]

Southern Landscapes 1

Southern Landscapes 2

The quality of light in these photographs is critical to their success, delivering a fundamental component to the emotional impact.

I wonder how much of the impact can be attributed to the collodian method with it’s high flaw contingent. Sally Mann herself says “I guess, because I was so immersed in that whole glass-plate, nineteenth-century aesthetic, it was natural to want to learn how to do this.” in [art21:2011]

bibliography

Sally Mann. 2019. Sally Mann. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.sallymann.com/. [Accessed 5 May 2019].

art21. 2011. Collodion Process Sally Mann. [ONLINE] Available at: https://art21.org/read/sally-mann-collodion-process/. [Accessed 5 May 2019].