Start by doing your own research into some of the artists discussed above. Then, using slow shutter speeds, the multiple exposure function, or another technique inspired by
the examples above, try to record the trace of movement within the frame. You can be as experimental as you like. Add a selection of shots together with relevant shooting data and a description of process (how you captured the shots) to your learning log.
Research
Robert Capa (B 1913-D 1954) was a Hungarian born war photographer and known for some of the greatest combat and adventure photographs in modern times. he was the only civilian on omaha beach (D-Day), his images were known as the ‘magnificent eleven’ that were captured on that day. He stated he captured 106 photos but only eleven survived and were published in Time magazine, June 19th 1944.
Capa shots from that day have a quality of movement that have a movie-like feel, perhaps from an old cine camera. They give a sense of the hectic chaos that these soldiers were walking into. They are exhilarating and terrifying at the same time to look at and give both a sense of the enormity and the individuality of the situation. There is an urgency to the images that comes from the subject matter and the scenario that Capa finds himself in.
Hiroshi Sugimoto (B 1948 is a Japanese photographer and spoken of his work as an expression of ‘time’ exposed serving as a time capsule for a series of events. In 1978 he photographed his series Theatres he started the exposure at the beginning of the movie, then stopping at the end of the movie. These feel like a nod to modern viewing habits of consuming films alone at home. They also give life to the thought of what happens when the film has finished at the cinema and the audience has left? He is also well known for his Seascapes photos which have a haunting, timeless look about them created by giving equal space to vast expanses of air and water seemingly frozen in time.
Michael Wesely B 1963 German born photographer known for very long-exposures of landscapes, cities and still life. His work is fascinating as his exposures can take up too 2 years to create a dream-like quality to them. Wesely has said “Time is more like the vehicle i use to arrive at images and photos. The extreme length of exposure leads to a shift in perception. It’s no longer the motif alone that counts—that is often a more invisible than visible, merely looming presence. But peripheral conditions such as light, movement, and other atmospheric elements emerge differently as focal points”
I am intrigued by the techniques used by Wesely and the technology used to achieve the ultra-long exposures over weeks/months/years. The images are effectively time-lapse films captured in a single frame.
Alexey Titarenko B 1962 While researching Michael Wesely I came across the work of Titarenko, a contemporary of Wesley. His long-exposure urban scenes depicting the hustle of Russian people going about their business and are meant to depict both present and past of 20th century Russians. The way his images are staged, to me, make them look etherial and look like a cloud, a fog passing through the scene.
The fair is in town!
I wanted to get some shots of good movement and the opportunity of the fair being in town was too good to miss. I could have gone down in the daylight, but the lights at night were too tempting.
It appears I took quite a few snaps! Not all are usable due to camera shake as they were all hand-held shots.
Having looked through the images I selected a few that I edited in RAW then brought into Photoshop.
Reflection
Once I’d chosen my subject matter, this was an enjoyable shoot experimenting with slow shutter speeds. I also tried a little focus-pulling with the 1st and 4th images above with some success.
My favourites are the 2 images of the waltzers. The static foreground and the cars and their occupants in motion give a nice juxtaposition between the 2 elements. However, I think all of the images give a great sense of movement.
References
100 Photographs | The Most Influential Images of All Time. 2021. See The Story Behind One Of the Most Courageous Images In Photojournalism. [online] Available at: <http://100photos.time.com/photos/robert-capa-d-day> [Accessed 29 July 2021].
2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.atlasgallery.com/exhibition/magnificent-11-robert-capa> [Accessed 29 July 2021].
Ft.com. 2021. Hiroshi Sugimoto: how I photographed an entire movie in a single frame. [online] Available at: <https://www.ft.com/content/baedab88-2792-11ea-9a4f-963f0ec7e134> [Accessed 29 July 2021].
Tate. 2021. ‘Aegean Sea, Pilion’, Hiroshi Sugimoto, 1990 | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/sugimoto-aegean-sea-pilion-p77624> [Accessed 29 July 2021].
Kozlova, E., Касьянова, Д., Касьянова, Д. and Pochkhua, L., 2021. Time Shows: Ultra-long Exposure in Works of Michael Wesely — Bird In Flight. [online] Bird In Flight. Available at: <https://birdinflight.com/inspiration/experience/time-shows-ultra-long-exposure-in-works-of-michael-wesely.html> [Accessed 30 July 2021].
Alexey Titarenko. 2021. Alexey Titarenko. [online] Available at: <http://www.alexeytitarenko.com/#/cityofshadows/> [Accessed 30 July 2021].
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