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UNIT 2 - IDENTITY
Anton Ostlund is an artist who explores black and white imagery and double exposure with the intention to highlight the tonal values of the skin that can be seen around the jawline and collarbone. Furthermore, most of his work consists of black and white images emphasizing the structure of the body and the boldness of the texture of the skin. Most of his work, has an ominous and eerie affect as Anton Ostlund uses blur and double exposure to create an strange, abstract impact on how one perceives his work. The setting within his frames is mostly a black, dark background in order to contrast deeply with the person in front to accentuate their features boldly.
The main lighting used within his work, is low-key and focused towards the main subject of the frame in order for an overall mysterious and questionable affect on the result of his work. The majority of his photos, he uses double exposure by layering a different photograph to the original photo to then blend them together in order to create an sinister and ghostly affect by representing the human body as an unreal illusion as if it is obtaining an delusional perspective towards an hallucination portrayed within a frame. Furthermore, his technique within the angle he uses is clear and straight-forward as the outcome of his work is to ensure the main focal point is within the frame. Furthermore, he also does this in order to represent his edits within the frame for a clean and precise look.
In each one of his photographs, a person stands at the focal point of the frame and when photographed, he edits each photograph in black and white in order to highlight and emphasize the tonal values of the skin and collarbone portrayed. This is done to ensure his work is as detailed as possible as well as ensuring his work is illusionary. As well as this, Anton Ostlund has a dark, mysterious affect within his work to demonstrate his bold and detailed editing that makes his overall work unique and abstract. For example, in his double exposure photographs, his work is all in an dark, low-key lighting in order to mainly highlight and emphasize the illusionary editing affect he has demonstrated throughout his work. In addition to this, when his photographs have low-key, dark lighting, it contrasts with the double exposure included as it aligns perfectly in detail and stands out when within the frame. As well as using a low-key, dark lighting on his work to create an bold, focused affect, he also mainly uses an dark background behind a person in order to create an sinister, ominous look and an eerie affect on the viewer's perspective. The concept of these elements combined such as the lighting and background contrasting with eachother, demonstrates how Anton Ostlund aim is to clearly represent each person is demonstrated as hallucinatory and in an unique yet abstract perspective.
Photoshoot plan
Contact sheet
In my contact sheet, I have demonstrated the photos that will be edited in the style of Anton Ostlund photos in order to represent them in my developments. Furthermore, I have captured this photoshoot in high-key lighting and with an white background as this will contrast with black and white in an light tone
Development II -exploring high-key long exposure
Developments II- exploring with low-key, long exposure
In my developments above, I have demonstrated how I have edited each of my photographs in black and white similarly to Anton Ostlund's style. I have also ensured I have lowered the brightness and exposure as well as increasing the curve on the black and white tool for an more deeper grey in order to highlight the tonal values of the skin as well as the collarbone, any lines or scars presented on the skin. In each of these photographs, there are all highly contrasted to deepen and accentuate each feature within the frame in order to aim to achieve an similar style to Anton Ostlund's way of highlighting features. I have also used the burn tool to draw on the background to ensure its fully black and clear.
I have decided to take double exposure shots during my shoot in order to demonstrate my work similarly to Anton Ostlund as the majority of his photographs is double exposed in order to create an illusionary affect on his work to show within his frame. Furthermore, the main focal point of my photographs is portrayed as bold and abstract as the camera has captured the frantic movement for an illusionary affect. I have done this to draw attention to the focal point to show how that I have attempted the technique of taking double exposure shots and ensuring it had an successful outcome of it being seen as delusional and abnormal.
Further developments- Mirroring + long exposure blur
In these further set of developments, I have decided to further experiment with my set of long exposure photographs by mirroring them and adding motion blur within the depth of the face in order to create an illusionary, twisted affect. Furthermore, by slightly merging the faces together, it also creates a peculiar perspective upon the focal point as the facial features are intentionally blurred to create a deceptive look when mirroring the photographs close to one another, displaying my ability to further refine and experiment similarly to Anton Ostlund's style and editing capability.
Process log
In my process log, I have demonstrated the steps I do in order for my photographs to be in an dark, black and white imagery. Firstly, I press on the black and white tool and I decrease the red that is presented along with other colours such as yellow, green, blue etc to create an more mysterious, abnormal affect.
Furthermore, I experimented with the majority of the colours either increasing the brightness of it or decreasing it leading to a darker black and white which is what I am overall aiming for the result of my work in order for an ominous and mysterious affect.
After I have done this step, I press on the curve tool which demonstrates a curved line to either pull down or pull up in order to increase the light of the black and white within the frame or decrease it.
I have aimed to go towards the bottom of the line, as I want to decrease the level for an darker black and white imagery on towards the skin in order to create an ominous, eerie affect as well as highlighting the texture and the tonal values on the skin for a bold, precise result on my overall work too. Furthermore, at the end I have decided to layer my developments with motion blur.
Further developments- black and white imagery
In my further developments, I have demonstrated a series of photographs blurred in order to create an ominous and ghostly affect on my work similarly to Anton Ostlund. After I have edited the photographs with an blurry affect, I double exposed them in a way it looks like an illusion within a frame. Furthermore, the photos that were previously double exposed, were added another layer of double exposure in order to portray an type of hallucination towards one's perspective. I have also ensured that the lighting has remained high-key in order to bring the focus towards the mains subject outcome to be bold and intricate.
Experimenting with double exposure + motion blur
In my new set of developments above, I have decided to edit each photograph in black and white before further experimenting with my further developments. I have produced this shoot by using a white background to contrast with the details displayed as well as the high-key lighting. Furthermore, I have photographed the focal point by using a variety of angles in order to capture the detailed tonal values from each perspective by zooming in and out closer to each feature.
Further developments- Mirroring + motion blur
In these set of developments, I have successfully double exposed my photographs and added motion blur in order to create a surreal yet illusionary affect. Furthermore, I have finalized my set of developments, by mirroring them to create a strange perspective within the frame. This was successfully edited as I have experimented with my editing capability to further create a surreal outcome which is relevant towards what Anton Ostlund originally has done. In the majority of his photographs, he has created a blurry, illusionary edit within his photo, presumably attempting to create an unusual deceptive outcome.
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