Also in this book (Contemporary Photography And The Garden) I looked at the work of Sally Apfelbaum, a landscape artist recognised for her fresh and complex intrepretations of the natural world. I also looked at her work on line: Untitled Document - Sally Apfelbaum
by Sally Apfelbaum
Again these sort of images look dreamy, but in a different way to those of Linda Hacketts, they are not all totally blurry. I think I have always been drawn to these type of dreamy looks in photographs, but I have only just realised .... as I look around the room that I sit in typing this, there are 3 pictures on the wall, all of which have dreamy looks and feel about them (I may take pictures of these pictures to include here too).
These sort of images can look like paintings with the colours and the way the blur comes in just here and there. I think there are focus points in the above scene, it looks to be to the middle right where the water looks clear as the reflection. The colours make it look like an old painting, where as in the top most image the colours make a more up to date look to the scene. Lines guide the eye up into the scene in both images from the path in the top image to the water way in the above one, and the angle they are taken from shows these guide lines on the diagonal, starting from the bottom left foreground leading up diagonally through the scenes. Different sized objects are looked at in both scenes from the small of the flowers, ranging up to the taller bushes then the taller of the trees in the top image (depicts scale). Then in the above scene the scale is showing from the flat of the water, ranging up to trees in the middled ground and up higher still to those in the clouds, and upwards higher to that of the clouds themselves, in the background. So in this Sally Apfelbaum appears to be following a theme showing the scales of nature. I think also here we have old and new, the new being the top scene. The old is where we can see the objects are taller overall and in the new scene, the things are overall smaller, maybe to mean that in nature things get shorter, smaller or flattened over time. Both scenes are of a 50/50 balance too, in that the majority of detail and colour is confined to the bottom half of the images, leaving lighter and somewhat sparcer detailing to the top halves.
Sally took this image and the 2 below in Giverny, France while she was an artist in residence at the Monet Museum. These images are made up of multiple exposures, where she used a compass and combined North, South East, and West views on a single image. She is interested in the space of an image and its take on meaning, and also wants to include as much information as possible.
by Sally Apfelbaum
by Sally Apfelbaum
These 2 images on her web site can be zoomed into via the '+' buttons to view the close textures. She uses differential focus with the placement of various structures, the horizon line, motion and colour combined through the layers to create a sense of depth and continuous space.
taken by Sally Apfelbaum
Again in this scene taken in Paris the majority of bold colours and objects in placed in the lower 50% of the scene, with the sky and clouds covering 50%, another half and half image. Some digital manipulation is also present in this one I think to bring out the dramatics of the clouds and again it looks to be overlayed by more than one image, as there are people in the clouds, so this is a different throw on dreamy. Three quite different colour ways show in these 3 scenes from the new cottage garden look, the the old painting scene, then the city colours, but all follow the 50/50 look of bold and heavy at the bottom.
Low Flight
Shutter 1/125 aperture f7.1 iso 200 focal L 105mm
Planning: I planned to go to Calke to take shots of nature in the form of lake views, hand held with a Canon Eos 5D camera. I ensured I had a full battery and clear flashcard before I set out, good walking footwear, mobile phone, umberella, just in case, and a couple of cereal bars. I would not be taking the tripod knowing I would be working on unsteady ground (bank of the lake).
In the above shot I focussed on the lake and watched some colours seaping into the far background right from not too much of a low sun. Then as if by magic, I got lucky to see the 2 birds having a majestic low flight accross the water, and centre focussed in on them, on a centre focus only mode which shows their brightness in a dim lit conditions. This one does not hold great colours, (I could enhance them slightly in Photoshop), but what it holds is the feel of nature for me. The 2 birds gliding over the centre are paramount to the scene adding a softness and focal point to take the eye inward. They also give the scene movement and I like their bright reflection in the water. While they are not clear, they don't need to be to give the overall feeling of calm nature happening.
I have included this here comparing it to the above scene because it contains water, sky, darker colours and horizontal layers, ie. in the front foreground bush layer to the light water layer (the reflections) to the dark water layer, the trees and colour layer then the top sky layer. Similarly Sally Apfelbaum's image starts with a foreground dark water layer, to a reflected layer, to an objects colour layer, to an impressionistic layer, and another upper one, to the top cloud layer. Also the reflections show down in hers from the sky to the water, as in mine, showing similar contrasts of light and dark. I have not used multiple exposures to achieve my images though.
Spring Flight
shutter 1/32 aperture 7.1 iso 200 focal L 105mm
This gives a completely different look and feel to a lake side view. It says "this is spring" to me with the bold colours and is in stark contrast to the above soft subdued lighting shot. Here the sun was brighter, and a little higher in the sky, and I used a slower shutter to give blur to the birds and again was hand holding the camera. I was careful where I stook here on the bank, from a health and safety point of view (see blog Heath and safety Act) so as to not stand to close to the edge to slip and fall down the bank. I then walked round and down to sit lower, on the yellow bank to take more shots at a lower angle with views up the lake, and again was careful with my footwork, because some of the pathway was quite narrow. I carried my camera equipment carefully over my shoulder, leaving both arms free just in case of stumbling and walked gingerly. I sat on the bank a while and waited for the sun to lower. When I did shoot I kept the camera strap over my head and held the camera close and steady. My posture was that of one foot in front of the other to give steadiness on the bank.
I have enhanced the colour slightly giving more radiance. I was capturing the birds in mid air which gives a joyous feel to their group gathering. I don't think it would have worked with just one or two birds, there had to be more in the scene to capture the effect. I am trying to show, as with Sally Apfelbaum's, that different colours in similar scenes can give quite different feels and atmospheres. Again it is not all clear, but Steve has told me not to be frightened of blur, and the blur here adds to the atmosphere I think.. the blur of the birds gives a mystical look and the blur of the bank lends to what I am trying to achieve in part, that of a painting effect.
My glooming scene was taken from a lower angle than that of my bright scene, again comparing to Sally's bright new garden scene being taken from a higher angle than her darker water ones.
Whilst on this visit to Calke I also considered conservation issues (see blog Wildlife & Countryside Act) ie. I would be looking where I was walking so as not to step anywhere that would damage wildlife habitats.
What would I do differently next time....maybe I could have had my iso higher for 'Low Flight", though like I say I could also lighten it post capture.
