I was advised to look at the work of the following Photographers in relation to their different approaches to light:
Bill Brandt
Ansel Adams
Wolfgang Tillmans
Bill Brandt:
I was lucky enough to see some of Bill Brandt’s work in an exhibition at Nunnington Hall, where we were invited to the preview evening on 26th September. Other photographers included: Antony Armstrong Jones, Eve Arnold, David Bailey, Sir Cecil Beaton, Terence Donovan, Terry o’ Neil and several other world class photographers. I’m afraid the prices for prints were way out of my pocket, but it was never the less a real treat to see.
One of his favourites was ‘Top Withens’ on the Yorkshire Dales – a man after my own heart. In this image he waited until the conditions were right to get the image he wanted to portray. This was typical of the way he captured landscapes, waiting for the conditions and light to be right for the image he wanted to catch.
His later work seems to make ‘light’ the dominant part of his images. High contrast images accentuate this use of strong light, whether nudes, portraits or landscapes. The common theme was to use light to show the subject at its best.
This statement he made is one I really appreciate:
“I am not interested in rules and conventions ... photography is not a sport. If I think a picture will look better brilliantly lit, I use lights, or even flash. It is the result that counts, no matter how it was achieved. I find the darkroom work most important, as I can finish the composition of a picture only under the enlarger. I do not understand why this is supposed to interfere with the truth. Photographers should follow their own judgment, and not the fads and dictates of others.”
I also appreciate his attitude to the darkroom – this has always been the best part and most interesting for me. So much can be altered and enhanced here. I too believe that an image should be an interpretation of what the photographer wants it to be – not just a factual record of ‘this is what it looked like’.
Ansel Adams:
He had a similar outlook to Brandt with regard to manipulation in the darkroom, particularly using dodging and burning to alter the tonality of an image. He wanted to create, as opposed to record.
His use of light, especially in his Yosemite images is more to use the existing light to create a spectacular view. His photographs were predominantly high contrast images which showed off the light - this is in contrast to Bill Brandt who used light to produce the feeling he wanted to represent in an image.
He appreciated the changing nature of light and its effects on the landscape and developed a zoning system for the different qualities of light for use in composing an image. In this system, he took light measurements of the significant areas in a scene – these were correlated with exposure and developing criteria to determine the whole range of tones which would be seen in the final print, taking the guesswork out of the photography.
Wolfgang Tillmans:
Looking at his work, I find it hard to determine a common thread regarding his use of light with his photography. His exhibitions tend to be more themed to the use of light, with large expanses of white with sometimes small unmounted, unframed images. At other times his images are huge, to make an impact. Some of his images, particularly his ‘lighter series’ where he uses glossy paper show a skill in directing and using light to produce abstract photographs, but other photographs used seem to be almost in the vein of ‘family snaps’.
So I’m afraid I have very mixed emotions regarding his photography – he obviously has a lot of skill with some types of image, using overcast light or backlighting to show texture in his still life photographs, but then I think he spoils it by taking an image to shock which exhibits no particularly good photographic skills. Obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder and some I appreciate, but if fame is to be gained by using average photographs of body parts to be provocative in the name of art then I’ll remain anonymous.
I’ve used various books / websites in the study of colour. Of particular note are:
The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography – 4th Edition – Michael R. Peres
ISBN 13: 978-0-240-80740-9
Light Science & Magic – 3rd Edition – Hunter / Biver / Fuqua
ISBN 13: 978-0-240-80819-2
The History of Photography – Beaumont Newhall
ISBN 0-87070-380-3
The Complete Guide to Light & Lighting in Digital Photography – Michael Freeman
ISBN 13: 978-1-904705-88-8
Web Pages
www.billbrandt.com – a huge resource for his life history and photography
http://www.vam.ac.uk/people/b/bill-brandt/ - The V&A museum photography section for Bill Brandt
http://www.anseladams.com/ - the Ansel Adams Gallery.
http://masters-of-photography.com/ - a good site for overviews / biographies of the masters.
http://tillmans.co.uk/ - A good resource for the work and exhibitions of Wolfgang Tillmans, including pdf downloads of exhibition catalogues.
http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/events/talks/wolfgang-tillmans,1554,EV.html – Royal Academy Schools Annual Lecture by Wolfgang Tillmans
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