Option B Rationale

Flight Project

 “For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward…”¹

The dream of human flight has captured our imagination since time immemorial. Flight Project is a photographic study of human movement focused primarily on aerial acrobatics. Two subjects were taken to Belongil Beach to perform acrobatic stunts from the sand dunes onto the beach. Each stunt is recorded in sequence and overlaid to show phases of the motion. On the one hand the aim is to capture the movement, on the other to show the acrobat in flight, in a state of suspended animation, defying gravity. In addition to documenting the stunts, each sequence provides an intimate portrait of the performers in locale. And as the project evolved it became clear that the collaged shots acquired a life and character of their own, that the profusion of limbs and bodies created striking geometric forms, adding another whole dimension to the final shots.

The language of acrobatics is a powerful means of non-verbal expression and live action is immediate and absorbing. One is drawn into the moment. Capturing these fleeting moments with photographic stills is challenging on many levels. In his essay Photography and Performance, Mark Durant (Professor of Photography at the University of Maryland, Baltimore) observes that “photography serves performance in many ways: by saving the ephemeral instant from disappearance, by composing a moment at its narrative and symbolic zenith, and sometimes by banishing from the frame all that may have distracted the actual witnesses of the event”.² But he also questions the distinction between documentation of live performance and of actions deliberately staged for camera, such as Cindy Sherman’s tableaus. Although Flight Project was ‘staged’, the natural environment, repartee between the two performers during the shoot and arbitrary choice of acrobatic stunts at the time made it seem spontaneous and engaging.

Eadweard Muybridge’s motion studies were again a major influence, in particular his collaged overlaid sequences of movement, such as the child jumping as shown in the visual diary. Rosemary Laing was another photographer of interest with her choreographed performance works, notably Flight Research, in which a woman appears in an Edwardian bridal gown in free fall above the landscape. Aaron Siskind’s motion shots of divers (from Pleasures and Terrors of Levitation) almost abstract the human figure as it tumbles through space. Last but not least the Russian photographer Rodchenko, who was central to Russian Constructivism in the early 20^th century, was a major influence with his concept of ostranenie. In his 1928 manifesto Ways of Contemporary Photography, he states that, "in order to educate man to a new longing, everyday familiar objects must be shown… with totally unexpected perspectives and in unexpected situations. New objects should be depicted from different sides in order to provide a complete impression of the object".³ I aimed to include an element of making strange through shooting from many different angles and by overlaying the action in sequence. Unlike Siskind, I hoped to capture the whole movement as a sculptural form, suspended in motion.

The camera I use is a Sony a37 digital SLR. I used an 18–55mm lens, usually set around 28mm, using shutter speed priority (1/250^th) and ISO set on auto. After manually focusing on the static model, I then panned as necessary through the action in continuous shooting mode. Experimentation revealed that continuous shooting with my camera is limited to 6fps maximum. I decided to shoot in the mid-afternoon in cloudy conditions, hoping to minimise glare problems and to enable shooting from many different angles. On average it took six plus frames to capture each stunt.

In post-production, shots were selected and stitched together to make a complete background, minus figures, simplifying as necessary to remove distracting material. Then each stage of the figure’s movement was etched and superimposed on the background with varying degrees of opacity. Overlays of movement were removed to make the image clearer. In each sequence one dominant shot appears at full opacity, according with whether the motion is forward or back within the frame.

Overall Flight Project has been a great experience and a steep learning curve. The problems I faced with my initial efforts helped me to understand how best to approach shooting motion. Achieving some degree of image clarity was challenging, especially in shots with strong background light, such as those set against the light reflecting sky. My experimentation with photographing circus performers was good preliminary practice for this project. Meeting other more experienced photographers was informative and hopefully will help me in the future. I look forward to learning how to improve my technical skills in capturing motion photography. I suspect that my entry-level digital SLR camera and/or lens need to be upgraded to enable high quality motion shots, especially those taken at night. After reading about night action photography, the consensus seems to be that a ‘fast’ lens capable of wide aperture coupled with elevated ISO settings (800/1600) allowing faster shutter speed maximizes the potential for good shots.

I have realized that, as well as being engaged with performance and action photography, it is the ‘behind the scenes’ action that interests me. One image that stands out in my mind is a group of made up circus performers at the end of year show operating the mixing desk, doubling as lighting and sound technicians. Having my sons as subjects for Flight Project made this a highly personal and enjoyable project. The fact that they had fun on the day is reflected in the outcome. For me, it is the artistic aspect of the composite shots that works best. I love the weird and wonderful pastiche of overlaid forms, the glimpses of concentrated effort that appear within the shots and the beautiful natural setting. And best of all, the boys have given their seal of approval, so the shots will endure in the family archive as a record of shared experience.

Bibliography

1 Martin, George R.R. and Tuttle, Lisa, Windhaven (New York: Bantam, 1980).

2 Durant, Mark Alice, “Photography and Performance”, Aperture, Issue 199 (2010) p30-37.
3 Rodchenko, Alexander, "The Ways of Modern Photography", Novyi Lef, 9 (1928).

Option B Diary

Flight Project Diary

I was captivated with the idea of studying human movement, having always been interested in figurative art. Was hoping to find an acrobat with aerial skills, eg. a trampolinist.

Photographers of interest who influenced me all took different approaches to aerial figurative photography. I love this Muybridge sequence:

Rodchenko was another great influence, taking the idea of ‘making strange’ through a different perspective on the action:

Aaron Siskind’s divers are caught in motion and flattened in space:

Rosemary Laing’s flight research images are theatrical & performative, staged halfway between fantasy and reality. It was interesting to read that her fascination with flight stemmed from living under the flight path. See http://nga.gov.au/tales/Rosemary.cfm

Shoots

I approached Byron Circus Arts looking for an acrobat and they suggested an aerial silk artist. Research on aerial silk performance revealed this amazing Russian acrobat, Margarita Koroleva: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dAuDHEQ0JA

My first shoot was focused on one of the Circus Arts aerial silk performers. It was shot during the day under less than ideal conditions. 

Initially I removed the background altogether and replaced it with a spotlight. Later I posterised the original background and reintroduced it to give a sense of locale.

I also took the opportunity to attend the circus school’s end of year show, hoping to get some good night shots with better lighting. However my camera settings and use of tripod compromised many of the action shots. Used tripod on f8.0. As a result very grainy shots.

On the upside met another more experienced photographer at the end of the night & read extensively about night action shooting. Definitely no good using a tripod, too limiting, couldn’t follow the action. From what I have read a ‘fast’ lens on max aperture with elevated ISO (enabling faster shutter speed) is what I should try next time. The only shots that worked for me were well lit and close at hand. I do like the natural theatrical background. And I am interested in focusing on the ‘behind the scenes’ action - I think there could be some good shots there.

My final shoot was at Belongil beach with my two adult sons, one with great aerial skills. Both performed acrobatic stunts while I shot them from various angles. I was interested in Raimond’s idea of documenting preparation for the aerial silk artist’s poses in sequence, incorporating it in the form of a series of overlaid shots for each stunt, showing stages of the movement.

Task 11: Selected shots

Windy day was shot for an exercise focusing on shutter speed (S1/250^th). Shelayne threw rose petals up in the air as Kathy jumped. The petals took flight on the gusty breeze, leaving a trail of colourful debris. Electric wires have been Photoshopped out of the background.

Graffiti came from Task 5 first setup, Rodchenko style. In this shot the optical curvature of the wall mimics the leaning figure, just as her angular gesture echoes the graffiti. The colour is heightened, accentuating the transition from warm to cool. Shot using Aperture priority f4.5. 

The Green Sarong was used in the double image setup. The sarong was 6m+ long and there was enough wind to keep it airborne, making it a great prop. Rapid shutter speed was used to capture the jump. The calm sea didn't reflect the windy conditions, and the late afternoon cloud cover softened the light.  

Dawn at the Bay was a 180° panorama shot at dawn using a tripod and slow shutter speed. Six shots were merged in Photoshop. The combination of natural and artificial light was of interest, making for a striking transition from night to day. The long cast shadows accentuate the low lit sunrise. 

Waiting was a production shot from the Tableau Vivant task. This shot shows the location and lighting prior to digital intervention. I like the simplicity and colour harmony of this shot, and the way her fleeting glance is barely visible.

Blue Bottles was shot at the same location, as possible props to use in the Tableau Vivant. Though not used for that task, the bottles reminded me of Giorgio Morandi's monochromatic still lifes.

Aerial Ring shows an acrobat from Byron Circus Arts performing in Flights of Passion, the end of year show by the circus troop and their trainers. The stage setting of jugglers' tools and curtains made for a great natural theatrical background. Shot using aperture 8.0, S1/60th, using a tripod, with no flash.

Task 10: Photo sequence

Cartwheel

in motion...

Digital Diary

Eadweard Muybridge was a major influence for this task. He was a trailblazer in photographic motion studies, with amazing sequences of human and animal motion. I was keen to try shooting acrobatics, opting for a nine shot sequence of Shelayne doing a cartwheel. The sequence was made at noon in full sunlight. I made photomontages of the individual shots showing progressive states of the movement, at first separately, then overlaid. An animated gif of the same sequence compresses the action so she is cartwheeling on the spot. 
I used a 28mm lens on shutter priority S1/250th, f8 and ISO200, using continuous shooting while panning to follow the action. It took a few attempts to get a clear sequence capturing each element of the movement. The original shots had a high contrast background (a house in sunlight) which proved problematic, so each figure was etched and montaged onto a simple landscape.

Task 9:Tableau Vivant

Digital Diary

For this shoot, we cleared an internal wall to provide a plain background, blacked out all windows on one side of the house and introduced a diffuse spotlight on the light side to accentuate the contrast. Kathy dressed up to the nines with a beautiful black dress and theatrical make-up. The red hat made for a striking accessory, almost concealing her upper face, introducing an element of mystery. 

The chosen shot was superimposed on a favourite oil sketch of mine. It doesn’t seem to matter that she’s ‘walking on water’, the manufactured shadow gives the illusion of horizontal surface under her feet. As the painting is low lit with a vibrant sunset sky, the light seems to gel with the subject.

The settings used were a 28mm lens on aperture priority f8 (S1/60^th, ISO 600), using a tripod. I was hoping to use a wider aperture, but had difficulty getting good focus – possibly because the room was small.