Research & Development – Martyn Rainbird

Assignment 5 – On location

Day 1 of 3

Arrived at the cottage and everything was as I expected and plug sockets were in convenient places. The first evening I spent moving a couple of items around. One lamp removed from the scene. Sofa and table moved closer to the window. I positioned the spotlight and LED panel on their light stands. I mounted the camera on a light stand using the tripod ball head allowing me to angle it downwards. The main decision for this evening was the angle of the shot.

I tried straight on in landscape and portrait. Although the portrait shot included everything in the frame it did not have the same presence as the landscape orientation. I still needed to work on my angle of view and exposure settings.

Day 2 of 3

The next day I spent positioning the props: Bible, lamp, bookmarks etc. The high angle of the camera was a choice to convey being looked on by God from above. Unfortunately the height of the camera was going to make setting up the camera a huge problem.

The Nikon App that I had on my smartphone only allowed me to control the shutter, which was useful, but I wanted a liveview facility or else I could see myself running out of time to produce an acceptable image for submission. A 30 minute break to research other apps and I found my saviour in ‘Camera Connect & Control’. There was a 3 day free trial that included liveview and full control of exposure settings. In fact I spent so long setting up the scene in liveview I didn’t actually take many shots in camera.

The table, lamp and bible set up centred on an open bible. Having read the bookmark text I was immediately taken by ‘I will trust and not be afraid’ Isaiah 12.2. I chose to have the Bible open on this page with the bookmark on the edge with the remaining bookmarks scattered on the floor.

A bonus prop came in the form of a ‘tether’ that was attached to the manger on the other side of the room. This was a prop I wanted to use as it suggested being weighed down. Initially I had it resting on the floor but then I thought that having it hanging from the rope would be more sinister and unsettling. Lighting it to get a good shadow on the wall was another challenge.

I set the orange manger light up and the blue gel spotlight behind the curtains. The camera in position and LED panel set up I changed in to my work clothes (costume) and started taking shots mainly with ISO 400, 1/50s, f/8. Spent the evening editing in Lightroom and identified some areas that I wanted to improve on the final day. There were multiple shadows on the bridle and tether that I wanted to resolve. I also found the results to be too noisy and so I wanted to get as close to ISO 100 that I could.

Day 3 of 3

The final day was all about getting my posture and facial expression right. I adjusted some lighting positions to provide clarity to the shadows. I also added a foil snoot to the blue spotlight to produce a directed light on to my head. This also had the added bonus of producing a partial light on the bookmarks on the floor.

My final camera settings were 20mm, 1/8 sec, f/6.3, ISO 100. This worked well as long as I kept as still as possible. The depth of field was also ok to get everything from back to front in focus. I would still need to increase the exposure in post processing but all seemed to go ok.

My final set up and some final shots are shown below along with a lighting diagram of the set up I used for my selected image.

Final Lighting setup

Key light. 150W Spotlight. Blue gel. Foil snoot. Light stand on windowsill.
Fill light. LED Panel on 1.5m light stand. Barn doors directing light away from the left.
2 x Portable LED work light. Orange gel.
Table lamp.
LED Panel desk lamp. Standing on sofa.
LED torch attached to under side of table.
Camera. Sigma 18-35mm lens. 20mm, 1/8s, f/6.3, ISO 100. On 2.7m light stand.

Religion and religious motifs in art photography

Having decided to use a religious motif in my final assignment I felt it necessary to do some research around uses of religion in art photography. The main reason was to ensure I treated the subject with respect and be clear on what I was communicating and why. I did not want to leave the reading of my image to any misunderstanding. Obviously there is always a chance that this may happen, but I wanted to do my best at making sure I read around the subject first.

Religion and Christian iconography has been used in painting for centuries and was an early subject for photography during the time it was copying painting. As photography created its own place in the art world religion has been used in post-modernism as a message against religion. Others have used it to embrace religion and others to challenge it. (Sinclair, 2015).

It appears that incorporating religious motifs or incorporating the likeness of Jesus Christ in art is in itself controversial. It is regarded as blasphemous. A lot of artists are being controversial just to create scandal but others may be making a well researched point from a position of knowledge. The difficulty for the viewing public is to recognise one from the other.

David LaChapelle. American Jesus: Hold Me, Carry Me Boldly (2009) http://www.lachapellestudio.com

David LaChapelle is a photographer of pop culture and has used Jesus Christ in a number of his images. In one series, American Jesus: Hold Me, Carry Me Boldly, he produced Jesus Christ carrying the body of Michael Jackson in an attempt to highlight the way society treats celebrity and holds them in the same regard as others do religious figures. I can see why this would be controversial to a Christian but can also see that a Michael Jackson fan would be equally outraged.

Andres Serrano. Piss Christ, 1987. Photograph: Thames & Hudson

Andres Serrano, a Christian, also created controversy with his image ‘Piss Christ‘. I feel uncomfortable even including it here but the artist was making a serious point of how society has cheapened the image of Christ and the hypocrisy of followers who twist his words to fit their own purpose. When it was published in 1987 Conservative US senators were outraged. However, having followed US politics very closely over the last two years, I fully understand the artists accusation of hypocrisy amongst decision makers to benefit there own ends. Interestingly the image is conspicuous by its absence on Serrano official website. Maybe he feels it belongs in the past or maybe it has been banned. Certainly combining a likeness of Jesus on the cross submerged in the artists own bodily fluid is a risky decision and one not to be taken lightly.

Mark Wallinger. Beyond The Stable. Photograph: theguardian.co.uk

On a slightly less controversial research point I found an article in The Guardian where a number of contemporary photographers were asked to produce their version of the nativity. The article published in December 2009 (Barnett, 2009)would have been met without too much controversy even though the author of the article was challenging what the nativity meant in a modern, secular society. The image that captured my interest was Mark Wallinger’s Beyond The Stable. Three security guards stand around a cot with a temple like structure in the distant background. The use of light and depth was created an atmospheric feel which I thought I could use for my assignment.

The Glass Magazine produced an article that included an interesting statement;

‘Perhaps some photographers, despite their secular approach to photography, still have lingering doubts about God’s nonexistence. What emerges from the visual act of remembering the spiritual past is often very different from the figuration that emanates from religion’s institutions.‘ (Simpson, 2016)

Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel Ceiling, 1508-1512, fresco

Not all photographers have a strong position either way and include references that are understood by contemporary audiences. David Adams discusses the position of the agnostic artist being able to question both sides. (Adams, 2013). The use of a photograph to convey ‘truth’ has been a discussion in art photography since its inception. Its use therefore, in challenging the ‘truth’ of religion can meet with serious objections by both sides. An extreme use of art will have no impact on a believer or non-believer. However, a balanced thoughtful image may be better received. As Adams says in his piece that even an atheist can admire the artistic skill and talent of Michelangelo and his painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

References:

Adams, D (2013) Perspectives on truth in art and religion. At: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/perspectives-on-truth-in-art-and-religion-1.1341178 (Accessed 31 Mar 2018)

Barnett. L (2009) Thoroughly modern mothers: artists reimagine the Christmas nativity scene At: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2009/dec/14/artists-christmas-nativity-scenes?picture=356878543

Simpson. C, (2016) From the Glass Archive: The mystic lens – the influence of religion on photography. At: http://www.theglassmagazine.com/the-mystic-lens/ (Accessed on 31 Mar 2018)

Sinclair. L (2015) The groundbreaking artists challenging religion through art. At: http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/28290/1/the-groundbreaking-artists-challenging-religion-through-art (Accessed 31 Mar 2018)

Assignment 5 – Story Development and Lighting

From the available images on the cottage website I drew up a layout of the living room to understand the window arrangement and identify possible angles. The manger I was going to use was on the end wall where a photograph of a plough hung and a bridle to one side.

My story had moved on from my wife as a stable hand. I was going to be the star of this show! I had produced a self absented portrait piece for assignment 3 so I felt it was a challenge to produce a self-portrait. I felt confident with this decision as I was presenting a single image for this assignment rather than a series.

The manger made me think of ‘The Nativity’ which I could light up to represent the baby Jesus. I also liked the idea of a burst of light from the sky representing being spoken to by God. I do not have a strong religious belief, it now borders on atheism, but I was brought up going to Sunday School and attended study groups during school holidays where I learnt all of the old and new testament stories.

As one of my props I would use the Bible that my Grandma bought me in 1975 (when I was 10 years old). Inside were the bookmarks I made at Sunday School which quoted sections of text and were placed at the appropriate chapters. Although I had only about half a dozen I thought I could show them scattered on the floor. Gregory Crewdson uses items scattered on the floor and I also thought of his image of the lady surrounded by flowers on her kitchen floor.

The idea progressed to being a scene where I am laying on the sofa in a troubled state, wondering about the meaning of life, having long since discarded religion but still wondering whether something spiritual exists that can help you through the tough times. I would dress in my work clothes with a scruffy unshaven look. The work aspect would tie in with the horse, plough and heavy bridle representing a hard slog.

My theological scene would contain symbolism using concepts that I studied in Visual Culture by Howells and Negreiros. The following aspects from my book review are relevant to my idea:

Iconology – The Arnolfini Wedding Portrait (1434) by Jan van Eyck (1395 -1441) communicates the purity and standing in society of a couple on the occasion of their wedding. The contentious aspect is the female figure appears to be pregnant – at least to the 21st century eye.

Form – Roger Fry’s (1866-1934) emotional elements of design – content secondary to form. Light and shade, colour.

Semiotics – Semiotics originated with Swiss linguistic analyst Ferdinand de Saussure. He showed that language was a system of signs or signals which enabled people to communicate with each other. The terms he used were: ‘signifier’-something that stands for something else; ‘signified’ – is the idea of the thing it stands for; ‘sign’ – is the union of the two. Where Saussure related semiotics to language, Roland Barthes (1915 – 1980) used it for images and published his thoughts in the book Mythologies (1957). One of his examples is a bunch of roses which he uses to signify passion. The roses are the signifier and the passion the signified. Each existed previously separately but when brought together the roses were ‘passionified’.

Images that inspired my thinking at this stage:

Jeff Wall, *After “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison, the Prologue* (1999)

Gregory Crewdson, Cathedral of the Pines (2016)

Mark Wallinger – Beyond The Stable (2009)

My story and scene necessitated the purchase of some lighting equipment. Research on YouTube detailed 3 point lighting: Key light, Fill light, Back Light. Most of them were using flash and strobes for studio portrait work. This wasn’t really what I wanted and I settled on researching ‘continuous’ lighting which meant I could see the shadows produced by my setup allowing me to make adjustments without worrying about flash synchronisation.

A couple of weeks of research and progressively adding Amazon orders and returning items I settled on the following equipment:

1 x 660 LED Panel 3360 Lux/m Dimmable 3200K – 5600K
1 x 150W LED Bulb
1 x 150W LED Spotlight
3 x heavy duty light stand
1 x lightweight light stand
2 x portable LED work light
2 x bulb holders with switch (1 with dimmer switch)
2 x colour gel set of 8 (including a blue and an orange)
2 x home made soft boxes
3 x extension leads

Items that I already owned that were packed for the shoot:

DSLR Nikon D7200 (Crop Sensor)
Various Lenses (35mm, 40mm, 18-35mm, 18-200mm)
Travel LED torch
Travel tripod ball head
Foil
Selloptape
4 way extension coil cable
Work shirt, tie, trousers and shoes
Bible and sunday school bookmarks
Talent, unshaven for 5 days, haircut 3 weeks overdue

I spent a few evenings at home prior to the shoot, trialling the new equipment and trying out different lighting combinations.

Assignment 5 – Ideas and location search

Planning – Phase one

The Brief for the final assignment is here.

Indoors or Outside? Indoors would allow more control of the environment and lighting. Time would not be as much of a pressure indoors either so indoors is my preference.

Gregory Crewdson – Cathedral Of The Pines exhibition @Photographer’s Gallery

Mood/Style? A period piece would require costumes. Maybe add in a murder mystery element to it. Or a psychological piece using dramatic hard lighting. I liked Gregory Crewdson’s staged scenes that have an element of intrigue and human angst. He produced work indoors and outside, some combined ie. inside looking out/ outside looking in.

Lighting? I owned a speedlight flash and an LED desk lamp but that was it. I definitely wanted to use artificial lighting as I had not used it for any of my assignment or coursework in EYV or CAN. I needed to learn more about lighting setups and kit. YouTube and Amazon will be my go to suppliers for this.

Actors? Yes, probably my wife. Maybe me. I had not used models before for any of my work. The only people I have taken are either passers by in the park or voters at polling stations. Only on a few occasions did I direct them and even then it was briefly to ask them to repeat a short walk and then I let them go on their way.

Story? I was comfortable for this to be directed by the choice of venue. Whatever my story I wanted the narrative to be communicated in a single image. All of my previous assignments used a series to convey a feeling and/or message so this was a new challenge. It would be completely staged and everything in the frame having a purpose.

Location/venue? Renting holiday cottage accommodation would be suitable for 3, 5 or 7 day rental depending on whether I was combining it with a family holiday. My initial idea was to find a small period folly or tower available through ‘The Landmark Trust’. I had stayed in a small tower in Kent a couple of years ago which would be ideal for an indoor or outdoor shoot. Other possibilities were quirky holiday venues such as barges or railway carriages which would offer an obvious theme. A beamed cottage would be ok but it would need a central feature to initiate an idea.

Planning – Phase two

Booking annual leave and finding a cottage available on those dates was the next step in creating an idea. All of my research was based on internet searches and estate agent style images. Prospect Tower in Kent was not available, damn!

Kent and Sussex were my initial search locations but timings meant that we would only be able to get to Suffolk (from Essex) due to family logistics. There are surprisingly a lot of holiday rentals in Suffolk, unfortunately not too many were available on my dates or didn’t have enough character to generate an idea for a story.

The short list was a couple of beamed cottages, a railway carriage and a barge. The theme for the latter two would be obvious although I could create an odd combination eg. operating theatre in a railway carriage, or a more obvious ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ theme. The cottages on my shortlist had features that I liked i.e. wide opening doors to outside, internal leaded light window on a narrow corridor, a manger and bridle. The cottages also had interesting flooring that would add character.

I decided the barge and railway carriage were too cramped and I hadn’t really had an idea that was gaining traction for either venue.

The cottage with the 2 mangers and horse paraphernalia was my choice. My wife used to work as a riding instructor and both her and my daughter have been riding regularly over the last few years. This meant I already had access to props and my wife, although a reluctant actress, would be more comfortable playing such a role.

The various beams and brick floor were the other stand out features. The size of the lounge offered a variety of options for setting up lights including a high sloping roof space along one side of the room. I needed to get a better idea of the room layout before deciding on booking the cottage but I felt it was a good choice with lots of options.