1. Lauren Barrett
A2 Photography
Unit 3: Contrasts
Connecting Essay 3:
‘Changing of the Seasons’ by Flickr Member ‘Spluch’
‘The Four Seasons’ from a mixture of my nature-inspired shoots
The photograph by ‘Splutch’ is a take on the same image captured over four
different periods in the year in an attempt to capture the four different seasons
we have and the complete contrast in the different weathers and what effect they
have on nature. It looks like the same scene has photographed four times, and
then each photo has been applied onto the same canvas with sections erased out
to give the appearance that they all blend into one. The capturing of colour was
key for this image as the symbolism of each season relies heavily on different
colours i.e. spring = fresh pinks and blues, summer = hot yellows, greens and
bright blues, autumn = oranges, reds and browns and winter = duller hues of
blue, white and grey. I love the complete contrast in the colours used in the
image and how they show the sheer differences between each season.
Composition is also key as not only is the state of the tree important, but the
elements of the sky also give away factors associated with the season.
My take on the theme of contrasts in terms of seasons included me creating a
multiple imagery grid, progressing from spring at the top to winter at the
bottom. The images I used were made up of photos from a variety of nature
shoots I conducted over the last 3-6 months under my theme of Contrasts, as I
needed images from a variety of months to realistically show the change. Colour
in the images was hugely important, as I needed a realistic representation of
each season. I felt like patterns were also important in making the layout of the
grid look effective, so I alternated between images of trees, flowers and the sky,
as these for me were all important factors associated with the changing of the
seasons. I created contrast in the hue of the separate images, as I felt the duller
the image, the more appropriate it was for winter, and the brighter the hues, the
more appropriate for summer and spring. I changed the hue and saturation of
the top images, and then contrasted this with the hue and saturation of the
bottom layers.
Although the images are visually completely different, they both connect in the
sense that they follow the same theme in the contrast between the four seasons,
but they are simply put into a different layout/format. The use of colour is really
strong and significant in both pieces as they become symbolic of the seasons they
are representing, and without the colour, there would be no differentiation or
contrast. The composition of each image may be completely different, but they
both connect as they are specifically done to include main focal points for the
viewers – the first image is the tree, and my image is the middle column of the
grid. Both of the images include focus on trees and the sky as a way of
showcasing the ever-changing aspects of the seasons.