I've been mulling this over for days without much success. The assignment calls for 5-10 monochrome images on a theme or subject of choice shot to highlight aspects of form, tonal contrast, texture and key. Since I don't typically shoot b&w, I've been at pains to conceive of a project that justifies its use. I don't want to just shoot anything in b&w simply because its a b&w assignment.
I've been wanting to explore time through long exposures, but since form tends to be lost in these kind of images it might be best to wait for a better opportunity. My thinking shifted to what themes or objects lend themselves to monochrome. Religion came to mind, but I couldn't come up with any decent ideas until I hit on the idea of cemeteries, inspired by an article on the work of Susan Fox.
I haven't been to any cemeteries here in the UAE. I started googling and found a couple of interesting prospects. I stopped by one of them on my way to work today and it looks fantastic. The site appears to be not well cared for. There are rusty bits of metal, crooked headstones, overgrown bushes, piles of wind blown trash in the corners, and very little color, mostly just concrete, marble, and sand, perfect for b&w treatment. Thematically, what could be more black-and-white than life and death?
The plan is for an early morning first round of shooting this weekend.
#
No comments:
Post a Comment