15th February 2020 – attended Jerry Webb’s workshop:
A different look at photography. This workshop will take a darker look at life using techniques and ideas that reflect that and provide you with drama and tension in your photographs. How to work in low-light, bright light, twilight and darkness, using a number of different techniques including motion blur, contrasting exposures plus a host of ideas that give you moody, atmospheric and sometimes tension creating images. We will be using varied environments, from wide open spaces, to streets, dark corners and car parks. You will be shown camera set-up and some processing procedures, ultimately demonstrating how you can take dark or moody photographs.
The afternoon will be followed with a photo-walk where you will be tested on these skills, given simple tasks and followed afterwards by an informal review of your work either online or via email.
In the midst of storm Dennis, I expected this workshop to be a complete washout, but it turned out to be really interesting. What’s more I came to the realisation that a lot of my images err on the side of the dark / film noir style. Assignment 4 of Expressing your vision, and Assignment 5 of Context and Narrative to name but two.
Jerry introduced us to a number of different photographers, some of which I have come across before such as Brassai, Cindy sherman, Erik Johansson, as well as fair few I hadn’t.
Film Noir or Dark images were described as having the some or all of the following characteristics:
- shadow
- concealment / hidden
- tension
- drama
- enclosed spaces
- veils
- cropping faces
- hidden context, (can’t see what someone is doing)
- hidden eyes or mouths
- silhouette
- moody and atmospheric
- masks
- empty spaces
- blur
People in these kind of images are often, alone, vulnerable, either a victim or perpetrator.
Create drama, by taking images from angles other than eye level, i.e. either looking down, or up. Keep subject simple, lots of contrast and only one light source.
List of Photographers to invesitgate
- Donald Cameron
- Bruce Davidson
- Mark Morrisoe
- Dennis Oppenheirm
- Patsy Smith
- Lindsey Addario
- Daido Moiyama
- Trent Park
- Ben Clera
- Tsim Sha
- Wing Shya
“darkness is always visible”
Don McCullin
Following the workshop we undertook a photowalk, with a view to creating ‘dark’ images with the following headings:
- confusion
- surreal or double exposure
- something concealed
- light in a dark place
- empty space
- blur or distortion
As it was incredibly wet we only spent about an hour doing this, but below are some of the images, I’ve taken:
