Shadow Play

These are some of the designers I looked at to start the project.

Christian Boltanski:
I really like the way in which Boltanski uses shadows to create a mood. His work is quite dark and sinister and this is all created by the simple use of lighting and shadows.

The first photograph shown here looks very complicated and may have taken quite a while to set up, as there is so much to show. I love the way that he has made simple images look menacing and the way that they can make someone feel uncomfortable. 

This photograph is quite interesting because you cannot see the actual photographs that are along the wall, instead you can just see the light that is casting the shadow onto the wall. I think this makes the photo looks interesting because it makes you interested in what the images will be of and makes you a lot more intruiged in the photograph than if they were to simply show the images.

This is one of my favourite images of Boltanski's. I like it because it has an element of fun and childishness eventhough it may still be considered to be quite frightening because of the shadows of the figures on the wall.

Ronald Stroops:
I looked at Ronald Stroops because, eventhough he is mainly a fashion photographer, I like the way in which he uses black and white to create a certain atmosphere, whether it is dark, fun, interesting or creating a statement.

This photograph in particular shows an impactful way of using light, or lack thereof. For example, to me, this image is quite haunting and tells the story of a young girl not accepted by her peers. This is shown through the dark space between the girl and the group of girls and also in the way that this photo is lit. It conjures up feelings and emotions that may not have been there if this was lit in a different way.

I really like this photograph because of the sudden change in contrast between the blackness of the girl's hair to the paleness of her face. I think that it projects a certain feeling of innocence, with her face being so brightly lit, however, her eyes look much more serious and therefore show a different side of the subject.

























Tadao Ando
The work that Ando produces is sometimes based on architecture. For example, the image below shows a church that is lit from the front by a cross symbol. The way in which this has been done is by using natural light to flow through the gaps in the wall, which, when contrasted with a darkened building, have a huge impact on how people view the area.

Another of Ando's buildings has used light on the exterior by creating panels that are reflective, so that when the sun shines onto the building you get a wonderful and unique experience, simply from the exterior. I really like the way in which this relies on sunlight to happen. This shows that the designer has also taken in the surrounding elements and worken with them to create something original.