Fading

Rationale

This series of images discusses about how families are forgotten after war that they are the ones left behind to pick up the pieces. The inspiration behind this piece was several photojournalistic artists that worked in the major wars of the 20^th Century. I wanted these images to look dark and grungy and have a depressing feel about them. The woman in the image is standing on a balcony looking as though she is waiting for her husband to come back but through the series of images it is obvious that her hope is fading as she disappears completely by the end of the series. The images can be read and interpreted several ways, it can be interpreted that her hope is fading that her husband will never return. It also can be interpreted that over time she will be forgotten and is expected to carry on with her life. The images also have a sense that the woman’s memory is fading and this is a topic that the Australian Photographic Artist Anne Ferran is famous for.

I wanted the five images to have a surrealist look to them, as they are not a reflection of the past but an insight into the emotion of how the families and wives were feeling at this time. Through my research I found that artworks at the period of both the world wars were heavily influenced by death, destruction and fear. The series of images in “Fading” can be related to several photographers such as Margret Bourke-White and Anne Ferran who use shutter speed in their work in similar ways.

I Just Need Someone to Listen

Rationale

This apeture project is about escapism from depression, depression is a very senstitive topic within Australia and depression is the leading cause of suicide within Australia. About 20% of Australians will face depression within their life with 6% of people suffering major depression. Tasmania has the highest rate of suicide from depression in Australia (http://www.mindframe-media.org/site/index.cfm?display=85537) 2191 people committed suicide in Australia in 2008. Depression is a common illness and it can be treated most mental illness can be treated if detected early (Beyond Blue).

The purpose of this project was to raise awerness about how people were taking their own lives from a preventable illness. The water tank symbolises a form of escape for someone suffering depression. Once under water no one can here your screams, you are alone, you can escape your problems. You are free… This project is not about condining suicide but showing it in public to raise awarness that these people are real they have faces, they have families. They might leave their problems behind but their families are also left to wonder why?

This project can be read and interpreted on many levels in the critque the feedback suggested that this project was very successful and strong in illustraing this story. People saw the images as disturbing and confronting of watching someone take their own life before there own life. Though the group said they were disconnected from the person as they did not know who they were. The Group said that you were able to connect with the way the person was feeling even though you did not know them. You could connect that they felt alone, isolated, lost, that she was screaming underwater and that no one was there to help you.

To shoot this project I had to fill a 200 litre fish tank full of water then I played with the lighting in the garage and made several tests with the fluro lights. I then tested the light with just natural light and decided that I was not able to control the natural light how I wanted. So I then blacked out the window on the door in the garage with cardboard. After doing this I then used a bed lamp to light the tank from the side this was a little difficult as I kept getting a reflection of the light bulb.

To shoot these images in the certain style I was thinking of I bossted the camera ISO to 1600 and shot the images on a 1.8f stop with a 50mm lens. I had to set the camera onto burst mode as I only had a short time to get the images while the talent was underwater. I tried to shooting the images with different light settings and ISO settings a few images I tried with not light and a very high iso but it did not give the effect on the image I wanted.

After shooting all the raw files I then importeed them into photoshop and played around with the contrast settings trying to darken the image. I was very happy with the end result of the raw files they turned out exactly how I invisaged, as old time evidence photos.

I am thinking about printing the images on matte paper with no borders though I will be testing with borders and different paper. I was also thinking about presenting these photos in an evidence bag so the viewer has to open the bag and it will give the project a sense of mystery.