I’ve spent the past week thinking about what kind of processing to do for Assignment 5. During the course I have particularly enjoyed working in monochrome and manipulating images. Whilst searching the web I discovered the work of Jerry Uelsmann. I really liked his surrealist approach and was intrigued by how he used double exposures to create his images. Using multiple exposures in an image is something I’d like to explore further, possibly using it to express themes to do with movement and change.
Untitled, 1969 Jerry Uelsmann (Source: Museum of Contemporary Photography)
Above is one of Jerry Uelsmann’s images of a tree floating above a lake. The imagery is an expression of growth. The main subject (the tree in the centre of the frame) is floating away from the island, above a lake that has a reflection of a seed pod. Meanwhile in the far right corner a tree has floated much further away. There is also a symmetry in the background. Uelsmann has reflected the mountains so that the left half is a mirror image of the right. I like how Uelsmann’s images are subtly composed, allowing the viewer to learn more about the scene the longer it is looked at.
I’m feeling happier that I have found a way forward and intend to look at further examples of surrealism and multiple exposure. Although I still haven’t decided on a subject I am pleased about this because it shows that I’m spending much more time considering how to construct my photographs. Before I started DPP I would have probably rushed this assignment with the aim of finishing it ASAP, and this blog post would have been to announce it’s completion. The time given to complete DPP is 2 years, and since I have progressed to this stage within 1 year, it means that I can take time to really push myself further out of my comfort zone and try something out of the ordinary.
My Digital Eye 