I get asked a lot what sort of kit I use and who I prefer with regards to Nikon or Canon and I feel like people are expecting some wondrous amazing answer which I really do not have.
I use a good ol' fashioned DSLR Canon 350D... why? Simply put I don't want to spend a God awful amount of money on a 'better' camera [better meaning like a 60D, 7D, 5D, 1D... etc] when simply put I do not need one. My camera may be a fair few years old but it has served me well and is no where near the end of its life. I do have a fair few lenses but I mainly only use my Macro and a standard zoom lens, nothing overtly flashy with £££.
I don't want to sound like I'm hating on people who have the above mentioned cameras or even better but I do not think it is the end of the line if you don't have one or can't afford one. I am torn down the middle here a bit, I could spend my money on a more up to date camera but I have other things to spend my money on, to some extent more important things or things I would place above my career. Also I don't really need to... maybe the most important message in this blog post... I do not feel I need to 'invest' in a 'better' camera.
Why? My work goes beyond the confines of a DSLR anyway. I see the camera as a starting point of my work and not the whole point. I work with a lot of mediums anyway so within the work I present at the moment I want to push it to the maximum. I feel it goes into an overt digital world where it will be layered, mixed, blended, cloned, C&V'd and the colours will meld across a multitude of alterations on various palettes. Other aspects will be brought in never even in sight of the viewfinder on the image, textures, shapes, accents etc will 99% of the time be present in my final image.
I think a lot of pressure is put on people to have what is deemed as the best when it might not be the best for them... [geek mode] kind of like the Final Fantasy series... in my opinion FF7 is the best and I have played the game back to front but the series didn't end there it has carried on but for me my favourite is FF7.
I will even further hit my point by saying that some of my photographs were not even taken on a DSLR but on a little compact camera because I do not always have the ability to carry all my equipment around or I might not even have been on a shoot but just out and about and happened to have my little Nikon around.
Photography is almost about seeing the final image before you have even hit the shutter, you tend to know your own skill level or know an idea you want to try and to limit yourself to the number which happens to be the model of your camera doesn't make you a photographer. You have to be creative, get out there, if you don't have your camera then sketch it out, build on other creative skills to hone your talent, do not limit yourself to one aspect when the whole creative world is brimming with so many interesting and innovative notions.
Thursday 30 May 2013
Monday 20 May 2013
Copyright etc etc...
So I have been meaning to write a blog about this for some time now as it seems to be quite a major contention which has been written about and talked about for quite some time. I have always held opinions on the issues of posting work online but in this contemporary world where we are in a somewhat growing unhealthy relationship with technology the posting of images online is a non-negotiable.
Prior to going into the educational arena with regards to my current Artwork I was a member of a popular online community which allowed for artists, writers, general creative beings to interact, share work... you name it! I must have been about 16 when I started my account there and I think at that sort of age, especially with the whole internet phenomena just really kicking off on a huge scale, no one really thought about copyright and issues like that.
I uploaded poems to begin with because at the time I was having a few issues going on and found writing very therapeutic and to this day I still love reading and writing not only poetry but short stories etc as well. However being on the website allowed me to go on a visual journey through photography, digital art, illustration, vector art etc etc and I fell in love with photomanipulation. So I remember my first ever attempt and it was shockingly awful but through trial and error I grew my own style, very rarely did I look up tutorials because I find the process of trying to work it out yourself makes you more likely to not only remember the process but also evolve your work naturally. Also I was working on Paint Shop Pro 9 and there were not many tutorials out there so maybe that led to the thought process above, who knows.
I would create these images and upload them, crediting peoples stock images etc and just carried on enjoying what I was doing and it was that that led me to where I am now. But since then I have found my images all across the internet, spread out to far flung regions. People have used them as cosplay/roleplay characters, incorporated into myspace layouts, as avatars etc etc and to some degree I do not mind... I don't overly care whether I was asked or not but I think it would be polite...especially if the image is literally put into a collection of images detailing 'Zodiac Signs' for example... if credit is given where it is due. A simple link or even just my user tag or name would be nice so if other people browse and like the work they can find more.
The major counter argument being perhaps the artist shouldn't put their work online... but if it is put online with copyright written in, watermarked or just randomly stuck up without anything bar their name then that is enough to secure ownership in my personal mind. People should respect other peoples creations, enjoy them for what they are and not steal them. Why shouldn't an artist put their work online for others to enjoy or buy when other retailers are doing the exact same thing. Just because an artist is normally flying solo without being incorporated into a bigger firm it does not mean their rights should be lesser due to this. An artists life is typically an isolated one and this is another reason the internet is important, it allows for artists to gather from literally anywhere and share, enjoy, constructively critique each others work.
Personally I feel stealing peoples work is pretty low, it shows a lack of creativity and also eludes to the lifestyle which seems popular today... one where hard work is shunned in favour of immediate limelight success. Too many people stamp their little feet when work has to be done, effort has to be put in and they blame everyone else but themselves when it all goes under. Hard work is essential and people should not be ripped off for their efforts.
In short the internet is an amazing tool for getting images out there and it is understandable that not everyone will tell you if they use artists images for whatever reasons there may be but common courtesy surely dictates that you at least apply credit, a small nod in the artists direction.
Prior to going into the educational arena with regards to my current Artwork I was a member of a popular online community which allowed for artists, writers, general creative beings to interact, share work... you name it! I must have been about 16 when I started my account there and I think at that sort of age, especially with the whole internet phenomena just really kicking off on a huge scale, no one really thought about copyright and issues like that.
I uploaded poems to begin with because at the time I was having a few issues going on and found writing very therapeutic and to this day I still love reading and writing not only poetry but short stories etc as well. However being on the website allowed me to go on a visual journey through photography, digital art, illustration, vector art etc etc and I fell in love with photomanipulation. So I remember my first ever attempt and it was shockingly awful but through trial and error I grew my own style, very rarely did I look up tutorials because I find the process of trying to work it out yourself makes you more likely to not only remember the process but also evolve your work naturally. Also I was working on Paint Shop Pro 9 and there were not many tutorials out there so maybe that led to the thought process above, who knows.
I would create these images and upload them, crediting peoples stock images etc and just carried on enjoying what I was doing and it was that that led me to where I am now. But since then I have found my images all across the internet, spread out to far flung regions. People have used them as cosplay/roleplay characters, incorporated into myspace layouts, as avatars etc etc and to some degree I do not mind... I don't overly care whether I was asked or not but I think it would be polite...especially if the image is literally put into a collection of images detailing 'Zodiac Signs' for example... if credit is given where it is due. A simple link or even just my user tag or name would be nice so if other people browse and like the work they can find more.
The major counter argument being perhaps the artist shouldn't put their work online... but if it is put online with copyright written in, watermarked or just randomly stuck up without anything bar their name then that is enough to secure ownership in my personal mind. People should respect other peoples creations, enjoy them for what they are and not steal them. Why shouldn't an artist put their work online for others to enjoy or buy when other retailers are doing the exact same thing. Just because an artist is normally flying solo without being incorporated into a bigger firm it does not mean their rights should be lesser due to this. An artists life is typically an isolated one and this is another reason the internet is important, it allows for artists to gather from literally anywhere and share, enjoy, constructively critique each others work.
Personally I feel stealing peoples work is pretty low, it shows a lack of creativity and also eludes to the lifestyle which seems popular today... one where hard work is shunned in favour of immediate limelight success. Too many people stamp their little feet when work has to be done, effort has to be put in and they blame everyone else but themselves when it all goes under. Hard work is essential and people should not be ripped off for their efforts.
In short the internet is an amazing tool for getting images out there and it is understandable that not everyone will tell you if they use artists images for whatever reasons there may be but common courtesy surely dictates that you at least apply credit, a small nod in the artists direction.
Sunday 5 May 2013
Photographer? Artist?
I have always called myself a Photographer, even when I studied Graphic Design at college I always considered myself more of a Photographer and naturally studying Photography at University does give you a vibe of being a Photographer. My FMP at University was not strictly photography though, it had more of a digital ethic to it... yes it all started off as photographs of flowers but it all soon evolved into a mixture of texture, layers, cutouts etc.
Since University I seem to have fallen into a bit of a trap. Someone asks what I do and I say I'm a Photographer they always ask 'Like Weddings and stuff?'... well no, no I don't photograph weddings and that has never really interested me the whole studio thing. That is not what my photography was about and having to explain that I was an Art Photographer led people to being even more confused.
Then recently I have started a new project called 'Chimerical' which combines my illustrations with my photography where by using the photos as a type of texture. So in essence it is destructuring photography and using the same elements but ending up with something completely different and looking not much like what someone would anticipate if you said they were looking at a photo.
I think maybe it comes down to being a tad embarrassed to say I'm an Artist that I try and define myself through a medium which is more socially acceptable. Being a Photographer holds an illusion of grandeur whereas being an Artist makes some people hold the opinion that all I do is sit on my ass all day doing nothing.
I feel confident enough now to call myself an Artist as opposed to a Photographer, I use photographs as a medium but I am not confined by the typical structure of a Photographer in general. I enjoy using a multitude of mediums, some of which I have not yet displayed online due to the above reason of not wanting to be judge... but being in the Art world is opening oneself up to be judged. People either like your work or they don't and often more than not they hold no qualms rendering someones work pointless. I am not immune to these judgements, there is some work I love and others I find hard to understand but I think sometimes you have to look beyond what is presented to the idea behind the work... what was the Artist thinking etc.
So today I took the leap of faith and changed myself from being 'just a Photographer' into an Artist. I feel more comfortable every time I say it to myself, as if it is an affirmation to myself.I think shaking off the old skin and taking a step forward into a new direction, leaving all the old baggage behind and drawing a line of no return in the metaphorical path of life is thrilling. My mind is already abuzz with new ways in which to take my work, new mediums with which to embrace, new books/myths/legends to read to gain inspiration.
Since University I seem to have fallen into a bit of a trap. Someone asks what I do and I say I'm a Photographer they always ask 'Like Weddings and stuff?'... well no, no I don't photograph weddings and that has never really interested me the whole studio thing. That is not what my photography was about and having to explain that I was an Art Photographer led people to being even more confused.
Then recently I have started a new project called 'Chimerical' which combines my illustrations with my photography where by using the photos as a type of texture. So in essence it is destructuring photography and using the same elements but ending up with something completely different and looking not much like what someone would anticipate if you said they were looking at a photo.
[Laura Ashford, 'Chimerical']
I feel confident enough now to call myself an Artist as opposed to a Photographer, I use photographs as a medium but I am not confined by the typical structure of a Photographer in general. I enjoy using a multitude of mediums, some of which I have not yet displayed online due to the above reason of not wanting to be judge... but being in the Art world is opening oneself up to be judged. People either like your work or they don't and often more than not they hold no qualms rendering someones work pointless. I am not immune to these judgements, there is some work I love and others I find hard to understand but I think sometimes you have to look beyond what is presented to the idea behind the work... what was the Artist thinking etc.
So today I took the leap of faith and changed myself from being 'just a Photographer' into an Artist. I feel more comfortable every time I say it to myself, as if it is an affirmation to myself.I think shaking off the old skin and taking a step forward into a new direction, leaving all the old baggage behind and drawing a line of no return in the metaphorical path of life is thrilling. My mind is already abuzz with new ways in which to take my work, new mediums with which to embrace, new books/myths/legends to read to gain inspiration.
Friday 3 May 2013
Appropriation
I've been thinking a lot lately about Art in general and have read so many articles, blogs etc on how to sell your work and what does sell and what you should or shouldn't be doing and I've got a tad pissed off to put it mildly.
To me an artist's style is their signature and you go to an artist or look at their work because you know what they can do. I also think a true style is one in which a natural flow occurs and not because someone has looked at someone elses work and copies their style. This differs from looking at other artists work in an inspirational way, that is seeing another's thought process and bringing a minor essence into your own work... normally through a mutual appreciation of the concept of the piece eg Art Nouveau.
I feel a style, although it can expand and grow, is tantamount to maintaining an honest approach both within work and life on a broader scale. It shows integrity, that you are honest in your work. A case in point is the artwork of Bec Winnel, I love her work and its style and flow. Looking through her past work and having followed her for some time it is enjoyable to see her art grow and her popularity hit the skyline. Her work is published and exhibited everywhere and I think that is amazing. But then you turn around and .... suddenly her style is being copied... note not used for inspiration to incorporate into their own style... outright copied. If you placed one of her works and another artists work next to each other it would be difficult to tell them apart.
Why is this trend suddenly started to happen? Art movements in general have a common theme... as before I expressed an example of Art Nouveau, a movement which incorporated an ethos of natural form which was presented by many different artists over many different mediums. The movement included architecture, painting, ceramics, sculptures etc...
There are also the people who simply don't even pretend to have a style and simply steal work and post it about as their own or as the assumed artist. Many a time I have found my own work being paraded about the net under the guise of being someone elses whether I watermark my work or not. Potentially a watermark is an easy enough thing to remove if you have basic image editor.
It seems we are in an age of massive appropriation in art and maybe this is to do with our current cultural state? Why buy designer when the highstreet will have close enough the exact same thing being strutted down the runways of the world? Everything has to be cheap and it is seemingly at the cost of our own integrity.
I don't know why this has bothered me so much of late. Maybe it is because I like pushing my work out there and experimenting with my own style and knowing it is my own style but maybe that is all 'old school' now?
The amazing work of Bec Winnel can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bec-Winnel/48722434365
To me an artist's style is their signature and you go to an artist or look at their work because you know what they can do. I also think a true style is one in which a natural flow occurs and not because someone has looked at someone elses work and copies their style. This differs from looking at other artists work in an inspirational way, that is seeing another's thought process and bringing a minor essence into your own work... normally through a mutual appreciation of the concept of the piece eg Art Nouveau.
I feel a style, although it can expand and grow, is tantamount to maintaining an honest approach both within work and life on a broader scale. It shows integrity, that you are honest in your work. A case in point is the artwork of Bec Winnel, I love her work and its style and flow. Looking through her past work and having followed her for some time it is enjoyable to see her art grow and her popularity hit the skyline. Her work is published and exhibited everywhere and I think that is amazing. But then you turn around and .... suddenly her style is being copied... note not used for inspiration to incorporate into their own style... outright copied. If you placed one of her works and another artists work next to each other it would be difficult to tell them apart.
Why is this trend suddenly started to happen? Art movements in general have a common theme... as before I expressed an example of Art Nouveau, a movement which incorporated an ethos of natural form which was presented by many different artists over many different mediums. The movement included architecture, painting, ceramics, sculptures etc...
There are also the people who simply don't even pretend to have a style and simply steal work and post it about as their own or as the assumed artist. Many a time I have found my own work being paraded about the net under the guise of being someone elses whether I watermark my work or not. Potentially a watermark is an easy enough thing to remove if you have basic image editor.
It seems we are in an age of massive appropriation in art and maybe this is to do with our current cultural state? Why buy designer when the highstreet will have close enough the exact same thing being strutted down the runways of the world? Everything has to be cheap and it is seemingly at the cost of our own integrity.
I don't know why this has bothered me so much of late. Maybe it is because I like pushing my work out there and experimenting with my own style and knowing it is my own style but maybe that is all 'old school' now?
The amazing work of Bec Winnel can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bec-Winnel/48722434365
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