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something and nothing

By observing daily objects that are not humans as the subject, and by shooting, they are given new or deeper meaning.

revived and romade

meta- photography, using the audience's perception of the current image to create new viewing thinking. Use visual memory and visual effects to reshape images.

deadpan

A shooting method that removes subjectivity and emotions, objective, sorting out, without emotions.

intimate life

Photographers use their personal life and relationships to take some diaries or healing techniques. This is a method of merger of records and expressions.

This photo presents a surreal atmosphere. The horse in the picture is illuminated by a strong flash, showing the sense of separation between the theme and the background. The horses and the land are affected by red lights, forming a strange contrast with the blue sky in the background. Only one horse as the theme shows a "apocalypse" of detachment and loneliness. Only this horse survives or seems to be in an environment that does not belong to it.

What artistic technique did the photographer use?

This photo may fit the artistic photography style of deadpan. The picture does not have strong and obvious emotional expressions, and is shot with an objective and calm perspective and composition. Although the color of the photos is exaggerated, the horse's posture and environment as the subject show a sense of alienation. I would think that the feeling presented in the photos is not a comfortable environment, nor is it a scene that you may see in daily life. This leads to a feeling that it is difficult to fit into the photos.

How to apply it in personal creation?

Use strong sources of lighting to create unnatural light effects. Separate the subject and the background to create a unique atmosphere. Different color effects are presented through color comparison. Choose independent animals or objects to enhance emotional expression.

How do we control the flash?

Adjust the distance between the flash and the subject, the closer you get, the brighter and clearer it will be. At the same time, most flashes can change the power of the flash, and adjust the power of the light source according to the desired effect.

Camera Sync Speed

The Mamiya RB67 can be flash synchronization up to 1/400 second (blade shutter).

Mamiya 645 has a maximum synchronization speed of 1/60 seconds (focal plane shutter).

It is a photographic work on the theme of American society. SOTH captures everyday life, social gatherings or moments of solitude in the United States through film photography. Because it is a black-and-white film photography, it strengthens the sense of time and makes the picture symbolic, with a combination of past news, documentary and virtual, and at the same time with the expression of personal narrative. Increase the contrast to accentuate the mood and ambience of the subject. On-camera flash, the subject is more prominent.

Regarding his work, it is a black and white photograph and is visually styled through on-camera flash. creates a surreal, abrupt atmosphere. In the center of this photograph is a small child, suspended from a baby swing hanging from a tree. There is also an empty swing next to it, perhaps hinting at the undertone of loneliness. Trees without leaves, with very twisted branches, give a cold, fearful feeling. It's the opposite of how babies feel. With an open landscape in the background and mountains in the distance, it seems that children should not be alone.

Direct flash light allows the child to stand out from the background, creating unnatural shadows. Black and white photography makes light and shadow and composition clearer, without the distraction of color. Enhance the contrast, bare branches and small children form a strong visual impact. The twisting of the branches and the hanging posture of the child form a relationship that makes people feel uneasy, as if there is some deep meaning behind it.

What kind of inspiration can this work give me/the viewer. Use flash to create an unnatural effect, allowing the subject to pull away from the background. Contradictory scenes, babies and desolate environments are constructed to create tension and emotional output.

is a photographer known for his focus on and documenting the African community. Known for her immediacy, affinity, and visual storytelling, her work has a unique style in street photography and documentary photography. She focuses on Black culture, documenting the daily life, fashion, and identity of Black communities around the world. Her shooting style is not posing but street capture, with realism in real-time images, and natural movements are more realistic. In her paintings, the characters are often closely integrated with their streets, homes, social places and other environments, showing the breath of life. Her lens does not focus on celebrities or politicians, but only on people in everyday life, as if to give them light.

In her masterpiece Black Balloon Archive, there is a photograph that fits her unique lens language. The three women in the picture, standing outside a store, look as if they are waiting for a break. The shopping bag in their hands hints at their path of movement for a short period of time before this photograph. One of them was using a mobile phone, a very everyday act that reflected the immediacy of contemporary life. The black-and-white photos highlight the expressions and postures of the characters, and the billboards behind them point to consumer culture, echoing the shopping bags in their hands, and the ideological push of capital will affect everyone. Although the photograph is contemporary, it gives a sense of time blurring because of its black and white tones. This photograph is a reflection on street culture and modern changes, creating an intimate but non-offensive viewing experience that allows me/the viewer to enter the world she is documenting.

How to learn her style?

Pay attention to the posture, expressions and interactions of the characters, so that the picture is full of story and layers. Employing street photography, it focuses on the relationship between everyday people and the environment. Her work has a lot of emotional power.

Key features:

Film format: 6×7 cm (120/220 film)

Lens mount: Interchangeable lens system for Mamiya RB67

Focusing method: manual focusing (large-area focusing screen)

Shutter: Inter-lens shutter speed (shutter speeds ranging from 1 sec to 1/400 sec. for different lenses)

Fuselage Design:

RB stands for Rotating Back, which allows you to switch between horizontal and vertical compositions without rotating the camera

Fully mechanical, no battery power required

Modular design, replaceable back, viewfinder, handle and other accessories

Indoor portrait photography: Rich in detail thanks to the 6×7 format and interchangeable lens system, it is suitable for high-end portrait works.

Landscape photography: Large-format film provides extremely high resolution, but handheld shooting is difficult and requires a tripod.

Commercial photography: Equipped with a high-powered flash in the studio, you can get the highest image quality.

1. Key features:

✅ Film Format: 6×4.5cm (larger than 35mm film for higher quality)

✅ Shutter type: Focal plane shutter (some models support electronic shutter)

✅ **Flash sync speed: Up to 1/60s (may be lower on some models)

✅ Framing method: Replaceable viewfinder (waist-level viewfinder or prism viewfinder)

✅ Focusing method:Manual focusing (some electronic models support auto-metering)

✅ Lens mount: Mamiya 645 dedicated lens mount (interchangeable for a variety of high-quality lenses)

✅ Weight: Approximately 1.4kg (lighter than Mamiya RB67 for handheld shooting)

✅ Applicable scenes: weddings, portraits, documentary, travel, landscape photography

Concept precedes the image

At the heart of the photo is ideas, not superb technology. A theme and concept need to be clarified before shooting. Such ideas can present new meanings through composition and combination even ordinary daily objects. Through light, angle, etc., these daily objects become unfamiliar or surreal. Photography can imply a deep meaning through text or title. Adding a short paragraph of text in each photo can guide the audience to have a new understanding. At the same time, photography is used as a way to record performance art, such as following a stranger and shooting the same scene every day, making photography a part of the behavior. Concept photography does not pursue traditional composition very much, but focuses more on the meaning of images.

In her latest work, she shifts her attention to different parts of the face and cuts them, or twists them to build a fully awake character. This way shows hierarchical details, removes the external environment, focuses on the face and head, and creates a sense of discomfort through grimaces, etc.

Take out the negative carrier and change it to a size that just stuck your film. After it just got stuck, gently put it into the machine. Twist the black knob on the side, remove the original lens, and change the lens to 80mm.

In photography, a single photo cannot fully express complex emotions and complete narratives. We can show a story through multiple photos. Body research around specific topics. Express abstract feelings through series of images, rather than relying solely on the meaning of a photo.

Photos can be arranged in time or in order, which can better reflect the relationship between photos. The photos are presented in a repetitive and contrasting manner, forming a strong test paper relationship and emphasizing structural aesthetics. It can create visual tension and have a sense of overall feeling.

Through composition, tone, and changes in light and shadow, the viewing experience is more layered.

Eliot Porter is a famous American photographer with profound attainments in sorting and series. His shots are sorted in the order of the four seasons, with each photo according to time and natural rhythm. His albums are visual poetry, allowing the audience to experience the natural fluidity through sequence. Such visual effects allow the audience to read and understand nature. It breaks the limitation that photography is just a visual experience. His works not only express the direction of natural beauty, but also advocate ecological protection. He broke the barriers between photography and other majors, such as science and literature, allowing them to communicate across disciplines. Photography requires a reexamination of the essence of photography from multiple angles, not just the superficial content, but a deeper understanding. At the same time, use photography to influence environmental policies and strive to promote social improvement

Because I will most likely shoot at home, the scene level is not rich enough. I just want to increase levels and enrich the subject through light and shadow. So I checked many photographers for inspiration.

Trent Parke

He is a photographer known for his high contrast black and white photography and light and shadow. He needs to dig into loneliness, anxiety and dreamy emotions in reality, so he often presents works that are half bright and half shadow in his photography. His work is not a linear narrative, but tells the story through fragmentation and metaphor. It not only depicts the real scene, but also reflects the psychological state of a person. In his works, shadows represent unknown and anxiety, while light symbolizes hope.

What can I learn from his work.

You can use curtains or door cracks to create shadows, so that Winnie can stay in different parts in different states, or entangled and confused stages, let the light and shadow cut into your body, making it half in the light and half in the dark. Take photos of different stages separately, and each stage uses different light and shadow to present different moods.

My initial idea. Winnie bathes in the sunshine from innocently, representing a new life full of vitality. To a messy scene, the light cuts Winnie's body. The last photo shows that people who enter society or mature people are ultimately confused and hopeful.

The tall buildings, the city with starry lights, and the railings form a clear sense of division. Winnie sat alone in front of the railings, facing the vast cityscape. The high camera perspective highlights Winnie's insignificance. The city lights in the distance provide background spots, making the picture more in-depth. The very dark prospect forms a contrast between light and dark, creating a lonely atmosphere. The existence of the railing reinforces the feeling of being "trapped" or "estranged from the world", implying a certain psychological dilemma.

Winnie faces the city, and seems to be thinking or yearning for a certain future, similar to the struggles of unknowns in the process of growing up.

Optimization ideas

The shadow of the railing can be cast on Winnie, a metaphor for the feeling of "restriction" or "bound". Use a lower angle to make the railing appear higher and make the feeling of being "trapped" more obvious. Let Winnie deviate slightly from the center of the picture, making the city view more intense in composition, making Winnie look smaller. You can also try lower camera positions to make Winnie's perspective closer to the city and enhance the feeling of "looking up to the future". It also reflects a feeling of being more confused.

Device List

Camera: Nikon D800 (powered by AC power supply)

Lens: Tamron 90mm macro

Software: Capture One (shoot & negative film reversal)

Cleaning tools: white gloves, dust removal air blow

step

✅ 1. Place the negative: the negative side is glossy and aligned

✅ 2. Adjust the camera height: Make sure the negative film fills the screen

✅ 3. Connect Capture One: Check whether it is recognized/connected to the camera

✅ 4. Shoot: Trigger the shutter in Capture One. Tap the shutter to automatically focus the camera (AF), and the image will be displayed in the form of a negative film and further adjustments are required.

File backup: Backup to the ddp storage space, your own folder, use capture one and lightroom to adjust and put it into the class share folder

Make friends, but the relationship is complicated.

I'm experiencing emotional fluctuations and don't know what to do.

The true self cannot be found in the group.

📌 Import scan files: Import film scans (usually negatives) into Capture One.

📌 Invert the image: Use the Curves tool to invert the input curve 180° to make the negative film become a positive film.

📌 Adjust contrast: Use Levels to stretch the histogram to make highlights and shadows more balanced.

📌 Sharpening and noise reduction: Enhances details while reducing the graininess of negative film scanning.

Handle scratches and blemishes

When scanning film, there will inevitably be problems such as dust and scratches, as shown in the red text in the picture "Really bad scratches!". The following methods can be used to correct it:

✅ How to reduce scratches:

Light correction: Use wet cleaning film when rescanning to avoid additional scratches during scanning.

Adjustment Layers: Use the Brush tool to create masks in Capture One to adjust only the brightness and contrast of damaged areas.

Indoor photos: Darker light may lead to underexposed or increased noise.

To judge the exposure by observing the density of the negative film—the darker negative film (the bright part in the negative film) may be overexposed, while the shallower negative film may be underexposed.

Post-adjustment of contrast: After the darkroom is enlarged or scanned, you can use curves to adjust the bright and dark parts to make the visual style of the entire series more unified.

Select photos that match exposure: If the exposure of some photos is too extreme (too bright or too dark), you can consider giving up to ensure that the tone of the entire series is consistent.

Local adjustment: If there is a specific photo that is important but the exposure deviation is large, local adjustments can be used to balance it.

Winnie's posture triggers associations, lying on a stone, facing down, like a "exhausted" or "collapse" state, with very emotional tension. Winnie was lying face down, loose and powerless, and it seemed like she had experienced an emotional breakdown. This "imperfect" image breaks people's traditional perception of its lovely. Focusing on this picture as a "climax/trough" node, it tells the story of Winnie's loss of self in the city. This photo is anthropomorphic, not playing, but escaping emotions, which is in line with psychological struggles in growth.

After using this software, all files must be processed internally.

Import images to Catalogue

Start Lightroom Classic ➝ Create Catalogue

Import with the "ADD" option (do not copy the file, only read it in place)

Steps: Select a folder ➝ Check "All photos" ➝ Settings preview ➝ Click "IMPORT"

Basic panel: exposure, white balance, contrast, black and white switching

Tone Curve Curve: Used for image inversion (negative film to positive film

Summarize

Scan / shoot ➝ Import Lightroom ➝ Adjust ➝ Export ➝ Check ➝ Backup ➝ Upload DDP

The middle area shows a thumbnail of an image, located in the "Grid View" and the user can see multiple images arranged in a grid.

Filmstrip at the bottom shows a series of image thumbnails.

On the left are the "Catalog" and "Folders" panels, which display the currently imported collection of images.

The toolbar on the right is not expanded, indicating that no editing is currently performed.

The overall picture is in the image sorting stage and has not yet entered the Develop module.

The photo in the picture has been imported into Lightroom and has been edited basicly, such as exposure or white balance adjustment. Although currently viewed in the Library module, the icon in the bottom right corner of the bottom thumbnail prompts that the image has been adjusted in the Develop module, reflecting the characteristics of Lightroom's non-destructive editing: the original image has not been changed, all modifications are saved in Catalogue, and a new image file needs to be exported before it can be generated.

Exposure adjustment: Make photos brighter or darker

Contrast fine-tuning: Enhance the visual impact of the image

White balance: Use the straw tool or color temperature slider to correct the color cast

Color Mode Switch: Try switching between Black & White and Color

Tone Curve Operation: Learn how to reverse images (especially suitable for film negatives)

But I was still hesitating about the first one. Because I don't think the presentation of this portrait has achieved the effect I'm satisfied with. A back has little to do with the childhood I want to express, and the content is a bit thin.

The second one expresses the content outside the framework. I used a mirror as an element, and I wanted to express that everyone will receive different feedback when looking at the mirror, different states and moods. But we can't intuitively feel Winnie's emotions.

The third photo is changing the element. I used a lot of Winnie and wanted to express Winnie's different moods and perspectives. At the same time, many Winnie also expressed their mental state of gradually having many friends but still being confused.

Chapter 4 requires two more photos to be converted. I used Winnie to shoot at the same location, day and night at different times. It means that people will have different states at different time periods. There are different contents to think about.

The last one is that a narrative change is needed. Winnie, who is thrown into the trash can, will give people a stronger visual impact. Compared to the previous photo, this photo looks even more "cruel".

1. Import images

Import new images into existing Catalogue using "ADD" method

Files are classified in Imports folders, retaining a unified structure

2. Library module

Quickly locate images using Grid + Filmstrip browsing

Add keywords and star ratings to prepare for later selection and organization

3. Image editing (Develop module)

Select the "Black & White" processing mode to unify the visual language

Adjust Exposure and Contrast to increase tone intensity

Use Tone Curve to enhance the levels of dark and bright parts to create a sense of space

Adjust White Balance to ensure a balance between black, white and gray

Use the local adjustment tool to brighten/dark some areas to highlight the body

Check Histogram to make sure the image is not exposed or dead

4. Export settings

Set the export format and size according to course requirements

Clearly named files, easy to distinguish and archive

Export to Exports folder

This work emphasizes visual level and tension. I try to create a sense of space through light and shadow, and weaken the color information, so that the audience can focus on the structure, material and emotional expression of the image. Fine-tuning of contrast, shadows and details in Lightroom makes the image more "thick" and expressive.

Black and white make the audience pay more attention to the outline and light and dark tension.

Dark the surroundings and concentrate the line of sight: Through the local adjustment tool, I deliberately lowered the exposure value at the edge of the image, creating a slight "encirclement" and allowed the line of sight to be naturally guided to the center of the picture.

Reduce clarity, not boost: In the adjustment, I tried a different approach - reducing Clarity, allowing the edges of the image to soften slightly. This makes the overall picture more dreamy and weakens the sense of reality.

Black & White Mode Enable: Adobe Monochrome

Exposure -0.2 (slightly darkened)

Clarity -15

Highlights -35 (low-highlight)

Shadows +25 (brightens the dark part)

Partial Adjustment Brush: Four corner luminescence reduction

Export size is 2000px long side, JPG, high quality

Mode: Black & White

Configuration file: Adobe Monochrome

Exposure: -0.25

Contrast: -15

Highlights: -30

Whites: -20

Shadows: +20

Clarity: -30

Texture: -15

Added Grain: Quantity 25, Size 20, Roughness 50

Gradient filter (upper and lower edge): exposure -0.30, feather 60

Configuration file: Adobe Monochrome

Exposure: -0.40

Contrast: +35

Highlights: -25

Shadows: +30

Whites: +5

Blacks: -40

Clarity: -10

Post-Crop Vignetting: -20

Radial filter: central area exposure +0.30, feather 75

I lowered the clarity, which was a loose treatment of “reality.” The reality is too clear, and I want this image to become something between memory and imagination. The texture is also slightly weakened, further blurring the materiality of the image.

I didn't add obvious vigors, nor did I use filters to emphasize a certain area. This picture is not for "guiding viewing", but hopes that the viewer can enter slowly in his own pace

Basic adjustment (Basic)

Exposure: -0.35

Contrast: +25

Highlights: -20

Shadows: +15

Whites: +5

Blacks: -30

⬇️ Detail Control

Clarity: -25

Texture: -10

This is a portrait work, but it is not a portrait of a character in the traditional sense, but a "stand-in" expressing a certain psychological state in childhood through the doll. As a companion to many people's childhood, Winnie symbolizes a sense of security, intimacy and innocence. It is placed on the sunny side, strengthening this positive and warm mood and also symbolizing the time surrounded by sunshine in childhood.

The sunlight forms a clear "boundary" in the picture, giving the photo a strong sense of visual rhythm and visually distinguishing the "safe/warm" and "unknown/dark" spaces. Winnie is close to this border, but still sits firmly in the light, this delicate position reinforces the theme – childhood may be close to the shadow of unknown and growth, but it is still a space full of warmth and tranquility

“the main focus is outside of the frame”. because:

We cannot see its true “face” – only reflected through the mirror;

Nor do we know how it perceives itself;

All meanings are based on the actions and psychology of "not directly presented"

Makeup is not only an externally changed behavior, but also symbolizes the individual's construction of self-identity, especially the "disguise" or "imagined self" during growth. Winnie is a character who symbolizes childhood, but now she sits in a real space filled with daily necessities and cosmetics, "changing yourself" in front of the mirror. This is a metaphor for the self-cognitive process in real society: how we gradually shape our own image through the gaze of others (mirror) or social norms.

Changes in Number: Winnie is no longer a lonely character, but “many” appear. This itself changes the viewer’s understanding of Winnie’s image—it is no longer just “your childhood friend” but perhaps “a metaphor for your social world.”

Repeat of the same character: These Winnies may have different postures, angles, and positions, just like different aspects that people show when facing different occasions during their growth.

Metaphor of emotions and perspective: Each Winnie represents a different emotion or perspective. Through this arrangement, you blur the question of "who is the real me", just as we will experience emotional changes and identity changes due to environment and relationships as we grow up. The audience cannot immediately distinguish which one is the "protagonist", thus losing the centrality of the traditional portrait and replaced by a state of chaos, multiple, overlapping.

They are stuffed in a corner, some fall down, and some only reveal part of it. This treatment makes the picture feel forgotten, suppressed, and hidden.

During the process of growing up, we will have many different oriented elves, some of which are seen in external social interactions, and some are buried deep in our hearts;

Every Winnie is like an "emotion", or a memory, relationship. They may be warm, or heavy, and complex.

2. Metaphor of the fence

A clearly visible railing has a dual meaning:

On the one hand, it symbolizes “the protection of childhood residuals”, isolating Vinie from the outside world and forming a security boundary;

On the other hand, it also implies "discipline of social structure". Individuals have not yet truly crossed this invisible threshold and are still standing at the observation point before participating in society.

The urban landscape in the distance is regular, orderly, and lacks emotions, presenting a typical "modern society". There is no one in the picture, only tall buildings, squares, and tracks. This cold sense of order constitutes an invisible pressure. The train tracks below also imply the operation of the social system

The overall picture becomes darker, and the city is as bright as it is in a dream. This is an emotional graphic language, symbolizing the complex heart that people face when they are alone, especially at night.

During the day, we face the world; at night, we face ourselves.

This picture no longer talks about "social order", but explores "individual emotional fluctuations". Nights are always easier to make people contemplate and reflect on themselves, and they are also easier to make real emotions emerge.

This night's work forms the "inner mirror" in the previous work (day) - it transfers from the external social structure to the inner emotional state. The two images form a mirror transformation through similar compositions, forming a double annotation of the growth state:

Daytime symbolizes “an expectation in the face of the world”;

Night symbolizes "face your own thoughts".

The change of light brings a completely different psychological context in the same role, the same city, and the same location. I try to present a very real experience in my growth in this way: between the alternation of day and night, we gradually become complex selves.

As the protagonist of the series, Winnie, from the first picture symbolizing "the light of childhood" to now lying deep in the trash can, completing a very tense visual gap.

This contrast is not a denial of childhood, but an honest presentation of the reality of growth.

Metaphor of the trash can

A trash can is not only a real object, it also symbolizes the "sense of giving up" or "chaos" in the psychological state.

The world of adults is often not a continuation of ideals, but a mixture: dreams are still there, just overwhelmed by real muds.

Even though Winnie is in the trash can, the picture is not completely dark. The intense direct light hits its body, creating an ironic and real contrast: even in the "worst" position, we are still trying to be illuminated and understood.

This light symbolizes hope and resilience, perhaps weak, but still exists