Inspiration for photography can come from many different material. It may be your own life, a specific subject, or more often than not I draw inspiration from other photographic work. Whenever I attempt a different project, the researching phrase is a primary aspect of the process. It allows me to develop ideas, and find new techniques. This project led to me to discover many interesting photographs and use them as inspiration for my photography.
When I found the work of Michael Kenna I was drawn to his varied work, from commercial photography to industrial architecture. What intrigued me the most were his long exposure landscapes. These photos are exposures of up to ten hours that transform his locations into alluring landscapes. The black and white results are captivating, and the composition of the photos are simple yet powerful. I saw his work as an opportunity and challenge for myself, to attempt long exposure photography for the first time.
One of the first things I noticed as I attempted long exposure photography was how different it was than other photographs I have taken in the past, not just because of the technique but because of the loss of control over the photograph. Usually, when taking photos, as the artist I am in control of the scene I am trying to shoot. I create the environment, and have control over the moment. However when taking these landscape shots it was different. I wasn't controlling what was there, simply capturing it. As I waited for the long exposures I never knew what the final results would be.
Michael Kenna has said that he enjoys working with film because it is a “long, slow journey.” I feel that this idea is similar to why I was interested with long-exposures.The results are unpredictable, but it turns what is real into something surreal.
As well as taking long exposure landscapes to imitate Michael Kenna’s work, I also applied other recurring patterns I noticed in his photography. All of his artistic work is in black and white, as he prefers to work with film. I felt that the absence of colour was an important element that drew me to this series so I utilized it in my series as well. Another compositional idea that connects his work is that it is usually a square. Knowing this, I composed my pictures as a square and cropped them when editing.
As I looked back at the final series I was impressed by my finished work and attempt at long exposure photography. I believe that I was successful in embracing the process of longer exposures and finding locations that allowed me to create them. I continue to explore and be inspired by Michael Kenna’s work and his unique approaches to photography and I am drawn to continue working with long exposures.
When I found the work of Michael Kenna I was drawn to his varied work, from commercial photography to industrial architecture. What intrigued me the most were his long exposure landscapes. These photos are exposures of up to ten hours that transform his locations into alluring landscapes. The black and white results are captivating, and the composition of the photos are simple yet powerful. I saw his work as an opportunity and challenge for myself, to attempt long exposure photography for the first time.
One of the first things I noticed as I attempted long exposure photography was how different it was than other photographs I have taken in the past, not just because of the technique but because of the loss of control over the photograph. Usually, when taking photos, as the artist I am in control of the scene I am trying to shoot. I create the environment, and have control over the moment. However when taking these landscape shots it was different. I wasn't controlling what was there, simply capturing it. As I waited for the long exposures I never knew what the final results would be.
Michael Kenna has said that he enjoys working with film because it is a “long, slow journey.” I feel that this idea is similar to why I was interested with long-exposures.The results are unpredictable, but it turns what is real into something surreal.
As well as taking long exposure landscapes to imitate Michael Kenna’s work, I also applied other recurring patterns I noticed in his photography. All of his artistic work is in black and white, as he prefers to work with film. I felt that the absence of colour was an important element that drew me to this series so I utilized it in my series as well. Another compositional idea that connects his work is that it is usually a square. Knowing this, I composed my pictures as a square and cropped them when editing.
As I looked back at the final series I was impressed by my finished work and attempt at long exposure photography. I believe that I was successful in embracing the process of longer exposures and finding locations that allowed me to create them. I continue to explore and be inspired by Michael Kenna’s work and his unique approaches to photography and I am drawn to continue working with long exposures.