Some thoughts on ‘Recreate or Reimagine’
Context
The idea for this challenge emerged from a comment in the Club’s recent survey, the results of which are used to inform the programme. There was a request for advice on “emulating” an image someone has liked, and for information on “what we need to do to achieve it”. In order to set the task in a wider context, we were reminded of a recent presentation by the photographer Thomas Peck which he called “The Photographic Sublime – how artistic traditions of the Sublime influence photography of the past, present and future”.
On his website, Thomas Peck quotes Ansel Adams:
“You don’t make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, all the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.”
This serves as a reminder that we “make”, rather than “take”, photos and that our forays into capturing images are intentional and often prompted by something we have seen or experienced that has inspired us. Thus, the ‘Recreate or Reimagine’ challenge was launched.
The influence of art on photography
The Sublime seems to have emerged as a philosophical concept in the 17 th Century and refers to the ability of art to evoke very strong emotions, often awe and wonder, particularly in landscapes. Thomas Peck’s inspirational presentation left us in no doubt about the influence of this concept, initially on art and subsequently on landscape photography, using examples from painters like Turner and Caspar David Friedrich, and from photographers such as Ansel Adams, Sebastião Salgado, as well as from his own portfolio.
If you look at the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, they are full of atmosphere, depicting mists, trees, forests, gothic ruins. Equally, Turner’s paintings often represented nature at its most awesome – dramatic skies and seas, storms. All scenes that are sought by landscape photographers.
Reflecting on this powerful presentation, I recalled seeing an exhibition of Impressionist paintings called ‘Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse’ which prompted me to think about photographic techniques such as multiple exposures and intentional camera movement (ICM) which aim to produce a ‘dreamy’ effect similar to that presented by Impressionist painters such as Monet.
Of course, recreating or reimagining images is not confined to landscape photography. The Amateur Photographer weekly magazine occasionally publishes features on ‘Recreating a Classic’, usually focusing on portrait photography, for example, using models to recreate classic images of Marilyn Monroe, Robert Doisneau’s ‘The Kiss’.
But equally, the image that you want to recreate of reimagine might be one you have seen in a magazine, on a billboard, on a greetings card or postcard, in an exhibition, while searching for holiday destinations, one taken by a friend, or another member of the camera club, or a tapestry or sculpture.
Emulate, Recreate, Reimagine
In terms of “what we need to do to achieve it”, it depends on what is the desired outcome. A brief internet search reveals that the lines between these terms seem to be blurred.
Emulate
Emulate might suggest imitating and faithfully reproducing an image that has pleased you. Many of us like to be the authors of classic views, be it Durdle Door or Corfe Castle in Dorset, the Grand Canal in Venice, the Eiffel Tower in Paris. If you see a photograph you’d like to ‘emulate’ on-line or in a journal, check out the author’s website. The photographer might offer workshops.
If anyone wishes to ‘emulate’ an image of another club member, tell that individual, and enlist their help with producing your own photograph. Ask about the location, the equipment that was used, camera settings, time of day the image was taken. Most club members will be delighted that someone is interested in their work and will be only too happy to assist.
There is a series of books/photographic guides published by fotovue. East Anglia
photographer, Justin Minns, has published ‘Photographing East Anglia’ which includes very precise information on how he took each photo – camera, lens, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, time of year image was taken. I do a lot of photography in East Anglia, and I have found this book very helpful in terms of ‘emulating’ his images. Also, photographic journals often publish detailed information on how their published images were captured.
Recreate
The lines between recreate and reimagine are blurred, but recreating can entail finding an image that inspires you, but then using the same site, situation, topic, and capturing your recreated image from a different viewpoint, in different lighting, using a different depth of field. I am reminded of my first photographic workshop, many years ago, in Paris. I wanted to capture the traditional sights. I had nothing specific in mind at a dawn shoot at the Eiffel Tower, so I lined up my tripod looking straight at the Eiffel Tower. One of the workshop leaders saw what I was doing, said “No, everyone does that” and guided me to take alternative and less traditional views of the Tower, maximizing use of the early morning light, and thus ‘recreating’ a traditional view.
Reimagine
Having secured our ‘emulation’ or ‘recreation’, we might then seek to reimagine our ‘scene’ by putting our own stamp on the image. From what I’ve seen on-line, reimaging often entails applying a very artistic effect, maybe multiple exposure (either in camera or in post capture production) or ICM, or moving into the realms of fine art. Again, drawing on my own experience, I was on a workshop in Slovenia, out again at dawn at Lake Bled photographing the famous church on the island in the lake. We’d captured the classic view and one of the tutors then suggested trying ICM – “see what happens” when a lengthways movement accentuates the tower of the church and the lights.
Whatever you choose to do for this challenge, remember, this is a challenge, not a
competition. Enjoy!