Nail Varnish
Plans for Shoot:
For this shoot, I wanted to investigate how different colours of nail varnish merged together in interesting patterns similar to those of 'Spin Paintings' created by Damien Hirst. I will be conducting this as a macro shoot and so it will be taking place indoors. Due to this, I will need a macro lens, tripod and remote release, as I will be shooting indoors I won't need to consider location constraints.
Research Influences:
My research influence for this shoot is Damien Hirst because his of his 'Spin Paintings' which include a wide range of harmonious colours that create specific effects in the viewer. To create these paintings he first discovered a spin machine in 1994 while living in Berlin which resulted in a series of 'Spin Drawings' which developed into 'Spin Paintings'. These paintings merge colours similarly to an artists brush stroke but with a randomness that a human could create. It was this randomness and childishness that drew Hirst to this creative method and also towards the bright excentric colours that these paintings include.
Image Bank:
I wanted to investigate the visual effects that occur due to light passing through the nail varnish bottle but also the nail varnish itself as it merges with other colours.
Contact Sheets:
Images that Require Improvement:
DS7_7193.JPG/NEF:
This image is out of focus and so to correct this error I would have to go back and reshoot to which I believe would be redundant as there are similar, if not better images from this shoot.
DS7_7203:
I don't like this image as the lighting is in a peculiar angle and so has created strange shadows, which have overall darkened the image.
DS7_7209:
I will not be including this image as I feel the camera setting are wrong. The image itself is out of focus, the lighting is too bright due to a slow shutter speed and the focus is too shallow due to the F-Stop being too low. To fix this image I would need to reshoot and reconsider the camera settings.
Best Images:
DS7_7137.JPG
An element of this shot that I like is the reflections of the nail varnish are visible and so this adds another dimension to the photograph. The only thing I dislike about this image is that the lighting is strange as it is coming from both sunlight and a lightbulb. I wouldn't shoot this image again as I like the end result.
DS7_7185.JPG
Although the whole reflection of the bottles aren't visible in this image I like the way different rays have created a light sheen over the front of the glass.
DS7_7191.JPG
I like this image as it is a slightly higher F-stop and so this has resulted in a larger amount of detail that the images before. I think this works better at capturing the viewer's attention because both the spiraling varnish and the bottles are in focus.
DS7_7215.JPG
Compositionally this is one of my favorite images from this shoot as it is relatively unusual and the shallow depth of field gives the image a element of motion.
DS7_7229.JPG
This image is the result of shining a torch through a crystal glass that holds the nail varnish. As a result the patterns of the glass have reacted differently and so have cast interesting shadows across the shot.
A03: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.
My main ideas for this shoot were to capture a sense of movement within the images, and so aimed to so this by spilling the nail varnish across the shot in order to show the different colours as they mingled together. Some of the shots I would have liked to change but due to the equipment I was using it wasn't possible. An instance of this was as I was shooting indoors natural light kept creeping into my images and so contrasted to the yellow light from a bulb which gave the images a strange atmosphere.
In comparison to Damien Hirst's images mine lack a sense of randomness as the subject is still very clear and the patterns in the nail varnish aren't as erratic as some of Hirst's paintings. However, there is a sense of movement within my images as a result of his influence. After studying some of his images I was also very considerate when choosing the colours; if I attempt this shoot again I would like to use a wider variety of colours and blend more thoroughly like Hirst.
Next time I would like to shoot either using all a natural light or using a torch or other light source and shooting at night so that no unwanted light is present. Next time I will most likely use natural light in the shoot so that there isn't a combination of both, I also prefer natural light as it is softer than using a torch and doesn't produce such harsh shadows as a torch would.
A02: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, material, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.
Due to Damien Hirst being an artist, I was unable to investigate the different techniques that he used as my area of focus are his paintings. Despite this, I did take into account the type of paint I wanted to use as nail varnish I thicker than acrylics and it is the closest material that Damien Hirst used in his paintings. I planned the location ahead of time, but forgot to consider different variables that could interfere with my shoot such as natural light etc.
I used a Nikon D7200 with a 60mm Macro lens with a tripod and remote release. My reasoning for using the Macro lens is that I wanted to capture the most detail possible as this would show the different colours as they joined together and blended into a different colour. The tripod and remote release were used because I was shooting in low light and had the camera set to Aperture Priority. I used Aperture Priority as I wanted to use a low F-stop for a shallow depth of field and a more intense focus on the nail varnish spilling. In retrospect I used an F-stop that was too low as I liked the last images in the shoot when I moved the camera settings from f/2.5 to f/5.6. In the future I will be mindful to experiment with a range of camera settings so that I avoid boxing myself into creating a specific effect and being blind to other possibilities.
A01: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.
This shoot relates to selected colour as I was mindful as to what colours I used and what effect they would create on the viewer, for example, I only shot using soothing tones such as greens and blues as I wanted my images to have a calming effect.
My artists research into Damien Hirst was helpful as he has produced many 'Spin Paintings' which are childlike and joyful in appearance while also containing an element of motion even when stationary. I carried his influence into my work by using harmonious colours that would blend well together and also by creating motion in my images by tipping the plate or glass and then taking a photograph immediately afterwards so that the colours were still merging.
Damien Hirst's Spin Paintings also create a profound emotional effect on those who view them, which is most likely the cause of some of their popularity. Another reason as to why they are in high demand is due to their simplicity, they boil emotions down to their purest visual representation.
Computer Experiments:
To edit my images I opened them into Photoshop. As I was shooting in both RAW and JEPG I have a choice to use either file. I typically use JPEG files to create contact sheets as they are smaller and use RAW files to edit.
When opened in Photoshop RAW files bring up an adjustment screen where there are sliders to change the Exposure, Contrast etc.
After using the sliders I opened all of the images and began editing them individually depending on how I wanted to improve them.
For the first image (above) it was slightly tilted and so I straightened it in Photoshop.
I then noticed that there was an uneven amount of negative space above the nail varnishes than below so I cropped the image so that the image looked more even.
I edited the other images using these same techniques.
Final Images:
A04: Present a meaningful and personal response that realises intentions and where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.
In this shoot I wanted to capture the movement of the different colours as they converged together. The relates to selective colours as I carefully chose the colours of nail varnish that I wanted to use to create a desired effect. I believe I achieved this, specifically with the last image in this shoot as it is very abstract in the patterns and lighting which create a calming effect on the viewer. I learn a large amount from my research into Damien Hirst and have a better understanding of his techniques as well as his work after this shoot.
Progression:
For my next shoot I would like to create my own spin paintings as a means to further my knowledge into colour theory. I will be shooting either with natural light or wait until night so that I can use artificial light. In retrospect I wish I had poure the nail varnish into an easier vehicle to photography as using a torch mean I either caught the edges of the glass or shadows from the lens hood.
Physical Experiments:
I experimented with oil paints as I knew oils would hold the brush strokes after being dried. Here are the paintings:
