The goal of DreamEscape is to convey to the viewer a sense of whimsy and alarm that someone such as myself has depression and anxiety, experiences when they dream during sleep. To accomplish this, I created a dreamscape that was set at night, filled with cool colors, fog, and an unidentifiable figure on the left third of the frame. I placed myself in the lower right third with most of the landscape ahead of my figure. I am sporting a sun hat and backpack to signify I am going on a journey. The painted light strokes can symbolize the whimsy of creation, but can just as easily represent the butterfly sensation of anxiety and nausea, the "knotted stomach." All of the images that compose this composition were photographed by me for this specific assignment. The metallic sculpture is the "Il Grande Disco" on Bank of America Plaza, and the fountains were photographed in uptown as well. The rest of the images were taken at my house. The light streaks come from a halloween black light. I used a variety of shutter speeds from .5" to 10+" seconds. Fortunately, I had a fog machine on hand to a misty, cold quality to compliment the cool colors. I wanted to play with blending modes to mesh layers together, and I feel like I did a decent job with that, but I want to learn more about how multiple blending modes with differently lit layers interact with each other so I'm making decisions in the camera to get a better outcome in photoshop.
One work on the blog that immediately drew my eye was “Dream Escape” by Jacob Taylor. This is exemplary in terms of the assignment parameters because the viewer can clearly see the experimentation with long exposure using different forms of light. It appears that maybe a flashlight was used while running around to form these swirling lines of light. I also really appreciate the monochromatic theme as the whole piece uses mainly blue and purple. There is also heavy editing done to make areas pop out more and appear as if they were glowing like we previously learned in class. The concept feels very clear to me as well because it feels very whimsical and dreamlike with the person in the bottom right corner walking among a colorful, massive, yet magical environment. Blending modes used also have heightened the overall effect of the clouds and pops of light. In some areas, it almost feels like a blast of colorful lightning.
ReplyDeleteOne piece that really stood out to me was DreamEscape by Jacob Taylor. His work was really interesting because he basically built a whole dream world using light. Instead of just light trails, he turned the light into part of the environment, mixing it with fog, reflections, and cool blue and purple tones. The way he used long exposure to create an entirely new environment instead of just “adding” to an already pre-existing image was what really made me appreciate this work. Everything felt alive and glowing, almost like the light had a mind of its own. It’s a great example of how experimenting with long exposure can completely change how we see space, turning something normal into something surreal.
ReplyDeleteYour division of these two characters in space is what pushes this work from abstract to world building. The collage of bright colors, and textures built up over many layers has resulted in a really successful slice of a moment in an other worldly atmosphere. The light trails and cloud becoming a focal point of the image, are almost reminiscent of a battle between the figure on the right and left. The image is full of suspense thanks to the setting of the Bank of America Plaza, and Halloween blacklight. Your message of journey is portrayed in this fantastical setting, but I read into it that it seems to be coming to an end, like this is the final conclusion. I don’t know if that is what you were going for but it visually is successful and intriguing, guiding my eyes around the image with dispersed light from the black light, and fog machine.
ReplyDeleteThe piece that stood out to me was Jacobs Dreamscapes. I found it really notable. The cool colors, fog, and long exposures immediately set a tone that feels both dreamlike and uneasy, which fits perfectly with his concept. The light trails swirl and twist through the scene in a way that really captures that mix of anxiety and imagination you described, there’s this sense of chaos, but it’s also beautiful to look at. I think your use of light as both a visual and emotional element makes the piece feel alive, almost like the dream itself is moving. Your compositing and lighting experiments also stood out to me. The fog adds this mysterious depth that pulls the viewer in, and the balance between the sharp areas of light and the soft haze gives the whole image a sense of motion. It’s a great example of how long exposure and light painting can go beyond technique to say something psychological.
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ReplyDeleteI think Jacob’s DreamEscape used the parameters of the project to make something unique. The use of long exposure is displayed the the frequent and chaotic light trail that moves throughout the piece, creating a world far from our own. The light also gives importance to the time of day, since shooting in the daytime would not have given the same effect. This, along with the use of color and composition, makes this a really strong photo.
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