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.