Hand study- cooking

A few days ago I did a new shoot whilst someone was baking, I thought this would be a good activity to photograph as it brings in the idea of domestic life and hobbies, which Sander brings to his photographs. So here are my most successful images...

In this composition I wanted the hand to be near to the centre so it the main viewpoint. I also wanted more context than previous shoots. I also wanted to adopt Sanders narrow focusing he uses in many of his portraits. It hints at a context but defers the interest of the viewer to the hand.

This is one of my favourite images from the shoot, I like the fully focused hand overlapping the bowl. The background is slightly dropped out to give an idea of context, but not take away the emphasis on the hand. The tones are quite warm also. 

The light in this image helps to draw attention to the hand. This was created by the natural light from the window. I think if I was to use this image further I would crop out the persons t-shirt on the left, it slightly distracts. Although the hand doesn't evoke strong emotion from the viewer it documents the persons occupational hobby, like Sander does in most of the images. 

In this image I tried to add more context to the image as this was emphasized in the feedback given a few weeks ago. Again the natural window helps to pull emphasis on the hand.  

This is the same composition, but I moved closer a little. 

Again I moved even closer, this gave the hand more focus from the viewer, they aren't distracted by its surroundings. They however may still be distracted by the flour in her hand. 

In this image I focused on the back of the photograph as this was where the hand was. The bowl slightly distracts. 

I really like this image to the lighting once again.

In Sanders portraiture he often dropped out the landscape to pull attention to the person and his or her occupation or fashion, but still give an idea into where the person is, which often relates to the occupation at hand. In this image I used the same technique of dropping out the background to pull emphasis on the hand. 

Overall focus in the photograph doesn't really work into pulling emphasis on the hand. 

The hand doesn't work, as it isn't fully in the photograph, we can only see the thumb over the measuring bowl. 

Here the hands aren't in the centre of the composition, which I wanted to do. The bottom hand is fully focused but the hand in the top is out of focus due to the aperture I used. 

In this photograph the bottom hand is again fully focused but the top hand isn't because of the movement whilst I took the shot. I think this movement captured distracts us from the language and characteristics of the hand. 

I feel these images work very well due to the natural light. The images with fully focus on the hand in the centre of the composition work very well, as it draws attention to the hands, which is my main subject. 

Looking at my recent images of hands, I have decided to concentrate on one activity in the next shoot. I will capture the hand actions of a person when cooking. I will use colour in the images to bring more life and bring the overall concept in Sanders images into the modern day. Although colour can sometimes slightly move the viewer away from the overall message or subject within a photograph, I think this ill be a good way to bring my interpretation of a similar photographic study.

Hand images 1

Here are my second attempts at capturing the language brought by hand gestures/ positions...

In this image I captured my brother playing on his xbox. I really like the lighting in this image, there was a nearby window in the scene, and the light outside was dropping. But this lack of light has helped to highlight certain parts of his hand and arm. Looking at the feedback I got last time I tried to add more context but as it was rather dark in the room it was hard to get a lot of detail of the surrounding room.

In this image I stepped back further and managed to get the light on the cushions that surrounded. 

In this image I held my camera above his arm and a little closer than in other images of the same activity. It doesn't work as well because of the smaller amount of context. 

In this image I wanted to capture the intimacy and comfort when my sister was stroking the pet dog. There was quite a lot of natural light so I didn't need to add any. I think I want to concentrate on hobbies however, as it enters the viewer into a persons personality a lot more.

I didn't stage the people hand positions I watched what they were doing and documented the positions how I found them.

Going forward...

Having received feedback to narrow down and focus on either portraiture or hand studies, I have decided to build on the hand studies. I will need to include more context in the images, by stepping back a little and I may try to use colour instead of black and white.

Feedback given...

On Monday we did another presentation on our work so far emulating our given photographer, in my case August Sander. This was what was said-

• narrow down idea- concentrate on the hand studies or the portraiture and develop further
• for the hand studies I needed to include more context in the images- in Sanders hand images he has the hand in the middle of the composition and the context surrounds, giving us an idea of their profession or hobby, for example in one I have looked at he has a whole pottery wheel surrounding a one mans' hand
• they also said to try and use colour images instead of the black and white for the hand studies
• they liked the image which include the teenagers pet at the bottom- added more context to the image
• I needed to have used a tripod and have my camera more central to the persons face because the images look as if I'm slightly below and Sander doesn't work like this
• they liked the idea of having a window in the composition to give an idea of time- again more context being expressed
• liked the slightly dropped out landscape- gives some context, similar to Sanders approach
• preferred the use of natural light- image with flash had a bit too much emphasis on the girls face, Sander uses natural light,  I will still have to add a light to the room if there isn't enough light however
• liked the idea of photographing teens in the bedrooms, because at the age their bedroom seems to be their "sanctuary".

Portraits inspired by Sander

I have also attempted some portraiture work because Sander is most recognised for these sort of images. I have adopted the straight forwardness that his images have, black and white style, and my person looks straight into the lens of the camera. In most of his images he has done the whole bodies of the people he photographs, I have done this but also have tried some head and shoulder shots. I will compare them with similar images from Sander. In the images I have photographed the same person multiple times wearing different clothes from day casual wear, school clothes and nightwear. Here are my outcomes...

In this image I captured the whole of the persons body in the composition. I think the window helps to create the sense of night time/ context. I have used the bedroom as my background, as the person is a teenager, and normally at this age this room is their 'sanctuary'. 

The person had just come in from school, so I set up my camera in a similar position to the previous images ad photographed her in the state she had walked into the house with. I had to add an extra light on the right as it had just become a bit darker outside, therefore the room lacked natural light. I find this camera position (with the whole body in view) helps to draw emphasis on the persons clothes. I would need to take this state again as it is a little out of focus. 

In this image is the same clothing/ state but I have shot a head and shoulder shot, like Sander did occasionally. This takes the emphasis away from the clothes slightly and onto the persons facial features. Again I have used the same extra light on the right. I think the clock in the image also helps to pull in context for the viewer, as well as the window. 

I have attempted to use the flash on my camera in this image, I don't think this has worked as well because Sander didn't use flash in his portraiture. So if I were to carry on with the portraits, I would only use natural light, and depending on the time of day and extra light already in the room. 

The dog in this image, again adds more context, and also gives viewers more of an idea into the life and personality of the person captured. Weirdly I was able to get the dog to look into the lens of the camera to adopt Sanders straight on approach. Again it is a little out of focus. 

In Sanders images I noticed he tended to drop a little information out of the background, so a little context is known, this is what I wanted to adopt in this image. Again I have used an extra light on the right. 

My hand photographs

Here are my images that are inspired by Sanders hand series...

In this image I have captured my brother cooking, as this is his passion. There is a sense of delicacy in the way the hands are placed on the frying pan. I have used a small aperture to focus on the hands and drop out the plate of food in the background. This is what Sander does in his portrait image. It gives a sense of surrounding but doesn't take away emphasis on the hand position.

There is a sense of comfort. The persons hand is placed on a hot water bottle, so this sense of comfort is suitable for its context. The cotton on the bottle if focused at the front to give us some warmth form the material and I have dropped out some detail form the background. 

This image has been used to capture hairdressing. I asked the person to grasp the scissors in their hand in different comfortable ways, and I found this image worked best. The image is probably the less successful of the three as it is rather dark.

Hand studies

I have decided to have a go at doing images of hands to capture a sense of a persons hobbies or occupations. I have researched the language of hands and discovered that Leonardo DaVinci has done a similar study using drawings.

Assignment 3

From my selected monographs I will now create 3 images that emulate Sanders body of work in respect to the overall concept, rationale and remit. I will consider...

• What is the subject? People/ objects/ landscapes.
• Location?
• Photographs colour or black and white?
• How lit?

IDEAS FOR MY IMAGES...

Seeing, Observing and Thinking

I also looked at the monograph called "Seeing, Observing and Thinking". This book holds a range of Sander's work.

This is the first image in the book. It shows Sander overlooking the German landscape. The image I think is a good opening image due to it showing his admiration for his German community/ landscape.

The book then goes onto his landscape images. They are very dramatic from the low clouds, and dark country fields.

He uses a wide range of his portraits, from the occupation images to the dressed up family portraits like this one.

The book then goes onto his hand studies. These two images show the people grasping each hand showing intimacy. 

There is then images of plants and small insects like snails. He seems to have photographed everything beautiful that he admires in and around Germany.

Assignment 2

Prepare a 5 minute presentation focusing on one monograph published by your given photographer.

Research the following...

• What is the significance to the overall title?
• What was the social context at the time of the works production?
• Is the work significant/ important? Why?
• What are the recurring themes?
• Book design
• Information with each image

For this assignment I will look at the book called "CITIZENS OF THE 20TH CENTURY".

BOOK COVER

This is the book cover. The photo on the cover almost fills the page. The image itself gives a representation of the following images in the book.

The image on the cover is titled "Young farmers in their Sunday best". It is probably one of the most famous of Sanders photographs. The 3 men are on a way to a dance. Their is confidence they look towards Sander and his camera, like many in the series. There is little focus on the landscape, but the field hints at their profession.

BOOK LAYOUT

• Book compiled through Sanders notes and negatives
• 431 Portraits
• In the 7 categories
• wanted to create a rank ordered book of portraits before death but failed to do so, this book attempts to do this

BOOK TITLE

• Expresses Sanders desire to portray entire German community
• Word "citizens" expresses him wanted to portray peoples innocence 
• Equality in the title
• Archive of 20th century men

SOCIAL CONTEXT

• Time of the Weimar republic, lead of the Nazis 

Assignment 1

For the first assignment I had to prepare a 5 minute presentation about the oeuvre of my given photographer. I will research the following-

• What is their approach/ what tradition does their work belong to? 
• What is their work about?
• How is their work made? Equipment used?
• Where have they published their work (books etc.)? 

I will now research Sanders background information and his most credible work...

EARLY YEARS

• born 1876 and died 1964
• Later described as " most important German portrait photographer of the early 20th Century"
• First learned about photography by assisting a photographer working for a mining company
• own studio in 1911

SERIES "PEOPLE OF THE 20 TH CENTURY"

• A collection of 200 photographs
• Sander put the images in 7 categories- the farmers, artists, classes and professions, women, the last people
• Wanted to portray his fellow countrymen and document the German community
• Images portray peoples fashion
• Series featured in book " Faces of our time"

FACES OF OUR TIME

• Book seized and destroyed by the Nazis
• From then on captured landscapes instead
• 60 portraits included in book

SOME OF HIS PORTRAITURE WORK

(Images discussed in workbook)

The portraits have in common-

• black and white documentary style
• people look straight into Sanders camera
• capture a sense of community
• people are almost always in centre of image

LANDSCAPES

After Sander had his book " Faces of our time" seized he moved onto shooting German landscapes. He seems to capture culture and dramatises the scene. 

HAND STUDIES

Like many in those days, Sander did hand studies where he captures a persons hobbies/ occupation through what the hands in the images are doing. Some have a sepia tone.

EQUIPMENT USED BY SANDER

• Sander favoured a large format camera with quite lengthy exposure times.

QUOTE

• "Let me speak the truth in all honesty about our age"