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Many of you will be at a loss, photographically, because of the present restrictions which prevent you from going out to take pictures. Since you will be confined to your home for the foreseeable weeks or maybe months, why not 'create' some pictures indoors? Some say 'I don't know how to' or 'I don't have Photoshop' and others say 'I'm not good enough with the computer'. Believe it or not, you do not need a computer at all to create pictures. For many years before the 'digit' and computers I spent many enjoyable hours (in fact most of my time) creating pictures. The very word 'create' means to produce something new. So we are all free to find new ways of making a picture.
First, try 'making' a picture then photograph it. One method often used in the past and occasionally now, is called 'Tabletop' photography. You simply arrange an object or a number of objects on a flat surface (a table) and then photograph it. Just look around and you will find all sorts of things such as bottles and jars. One competition winner I remember was just a cup and saucer caught in the light of a cottage window. Articles such as coloured pencils, paper clips, scissors and spectacles are all useful. You need to think about backgrounds to your composition, but probably the most important thing is how to light it. Natural daylight from a window is often very effective.
It is also important in making creative pictures for competition that it is 'obvious' that they have been 'created'. If creativity is not obvious to the judge, all your work will have been in vain.
We now come to actually doing Tabletop photography, and I will demonstrate this by showing you a few pictures from a series which I called my 'Chequer Theme' series. I first painted my Tabletop to look like a chequer board (black and white). This was to provide a consistent feature throughout the series. I then took an interesting object (fortunately I had a collection of sculptures to draw from) and positioned it on the left side of the table. I then looked around for something more ordinary to occupy the right side of the picture. I found two quite plain, clear glass bottles which were positioned on the right. Lighting was, I believe, provided by a slide projector positioned to my left, projecting one of my photographs of blue sky with vapour trails onto a background screen. This Tabletop picture does not mean anything and is not very pictorial, but that doesn't matter, it was a start and I gained some useful experience. (See picture 2-15).
Picture 2-15
Moving on several pictures I created picture 3-10d.
Picture 3-10d
Here I have chosen another sculpture as my main point of interest but prominently positioned on the right is a tin can with cream interior which is spilling red paint, which in turn appears to be running down a vertical surface. Again, the projector on my left is projecting one of my abstract photographs onto the background screen. If the picture makes you think and wonder what it is all about, then it has done its job.
Moving on many more pictures and creativity was really kicking in. Another sculpture is shown but now it does not form the main point of interest. What takes the eye is the paper from a toilet roll at the bottom of the picture which seems to climb vertically, crosses over a flat surface, does a loop, then climbs around and up through the sculpture. It then emerges from the top and appears to be the trail of a small aircraft which is zooming away at the top. Once again the projector is projecting another of my abstract photographs onto the background screen. (See picture 3-15d)
Picture 3-15d
I think that series of pictures showed a development of creative thought and skills and resulted in the last picture getting into the Welsh International Salon.
Quite a number of you like to work with studio lighting but will now be unable to use studio facilities so I am going to suggest that you might find it enjoyable to go back to basics and do some Tabletop photos making your own colour lamps.Naturally, since I do not know what odd equipment you have in your cupboards, I can only show you what I did and hope that it will give you some ideas/inspiration. I had two Photax flood lights with 9" diameter reflectors. I made two cardboard 'snoots' to fit to the rims of the reflectors which tapered down to a wide slot (3" wide by 1" deep), not a circular aperture. I then divided this slot with pieces of card to make three x 1" square apertures and covered the three apertures in each snoot with red, yellow and blue cellophane. That was to be my only lighting for a number of Tabletop shoots.
The subjects/models for this next series of pictures was to be a collection of plain white cards (like greeting cards) which were cleverly cut so that when opened up, became three dimensional. The card itself was also thin so some light passed through it. The photo procedure was as follows. Position an open card in the centre of the table, position the two lamps (one on either side of the card) resting on the table and quite close to the card. Switch on the two lamps and switch off all other lights in the room. Adjust your composition and lighting, then take your photo.
The first picture of this series that I am going to show you (see Homage to the Cult), I have added two objects to give more interest. My little kneeling monk I made with plasticine covered with a bit of black cloth and I fixed a clear glass marble to the card back.
Homage to the Cult
My next picture (The Hall of Life) shows the same card but I have altered the lighting by moving the lamps slightly. I have also replaced the Monk and marble with two children (model railway children, about half an inch high) and an Ankh fixed to the back of the card. The Ankh is the ancient symbol of life, adopted by the Coptic Church and always shown in the hand of Egyptian Pharaohs.
The Hall of Life
Another card in the collection (see The Coming 2001) when opened flat and placed on a light box, with cellophane (red, yellow and blue) on the top glass, produced a pyramid. By rotating the light box I got different pyramid patterns. To enhance my pictures I added a little figure and again projected one of my landscape photographs onto a background screen.
The Coming 2001
I am well aware that you will not be able to follow exactly what I have done but my objective is to give you some ideas. The ways in which you can make creative pictures are, I think, endless. Tabletop photography offers a wonderful way in which to experiment, and to learn what your camera can do. Your lighting can be simple and cheap. Incidentally an angle-poise lamp is a very useful lighting accessory.
To sum up, look around you, most homes have one or two interesting objects on view. Perhaps a glass ornament, or an aquarium with fish, or a child's toy. Look in your store cupboards and bring out your old lighting gear. Let's see what you can do.
Bob
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