mun·dane
ˌmənˈdān/
adjective
1. lacking interest or excitement; dull.
The things around us, the cycle of our daily lives are mundane, ordinary, and not something you would expect to be the centre of an artist's work. However, I think it is this very fact that makes mundane subjects so interesting to capture. There is an instant sense of connection and a way of bringing forth a new perspective, making our ordinary lives extraordinary. When I approached this project I didn't think it would be too hard. I believed it would be easy to draw inspiration from everything mundane around me and find a subject. However as I started, I realized that giving glory to the mundane objects, and finding the beauty within them would be harder that I initially anticipated.
My final series has a consistent theme and idea. Each one is a photo of a mundane object with a simple composition against a black background. I titled each photo by simple stating the object to reinforce the simplicity of them. I came to this final idea after experimenting, researching, and trying to figure out how to show these mundane objects beyond their everyday roles. I chose to use a simple black background as I felt that it isolated the object from what it was, giving it a different perspective.I also made the decision to put them in black and white, as stripping away the colour was another way of disassociating the object from its mundane qualities.
The techniques that I used to take these photos were also inspired by my research of commercial photography. In commercial photography the role of the photographer is to be able to make ordinary goods, seem appealing to the audience. Therefore I felt I could apply what I learned and saw in commercial photography to this photo challenge. When taking the photos I noticed the importance that lighting and focus play when photographing simple subject matters. My goal when taking these photos was to experiment with the idea of mundanity, and make the viewer see beauty in these objects. I think I was able to accomplish this and created an interesting series of photographs. I feel that the theme and ideas of this project, of mundanity and the everyday, will influence my future photographs and work.
ˌmənˈdān/
adjective
1. lacking interest or excitement; dull.
The things around us, the cycle of our daily lives are mundane, ordinary, and not something you would expect to be the centre of an artist's work. However, I think it is this very fact that makes mundane subjects so interesting to capture. There is an instant sense of connection and a way of bringing forth a new perspective, making our ordinary lives extraordinary. When I approached this project I didn't think it would be too hard. I believed it would be easy to draw inspiration from everything mundane around me and find a subject. However as I started, I realized that giving glory to the mundane objects, and finding the beauty within them would be harder that I initially anticipated.
My final series has a consistent theme and idea. Each one is a photo of a mundane object with a simple composition against a black background. I titled each photo by simple stating the object to reinforce the simplicity of them. I came to this final idea after experimenting, researching, and trying to figure out how to show these mundane objects beyond their everyday roles. I chose to use a simple black background as I felt that it isolated the object from what it was, giving it a different perspective.I also made the decision to put them in black and white, as stripping away the colour was another way of disassociating the object from its mundane qualities.
The techniques that I used to take these photos were also inspired by my research of commercial photography. In commercial photography the role of the photographer is to be able to make ordinary goods, seem appealing to the audience. Therefore I felt I could apply what I learned and saw in commercial photography to this photo challenge. When taking the photos I noticed the importance that lighting and focus play when photographing simple subject matters. My goal when taking these photos was to experiment with the idea of mundanity, and make the viewer see beauty in these objects. I think I was able to accomplish this and created an interesting series of photographs. I feel that the theme and ideas of this project, of mundanity and the everyday, will influence my future photographs and work.