Connecting Essay 4

In the image below Sadie Hernandez has used sparklers to create butterfly wings behind her model . The long exposure means that the wings have been fully captured and stand out. This image has been taken at dusk so that you can still see the person in the photograph but you can also see the movement of the person in the background creating the wings. The image has been edited so that the sparks coming off the wings look bright but to also enhance the small sparks that have fallen from the sparkler. The image works well as it shows off everything that it needs to and shows off the passing of time due to the movement of the sparkler and the man standing behind the girl. 

In my image I have recreated the butterfly wings however I recreated mine in the pitch black and I really liked the effect that it had on the photograph because the sparkler lit up engough of the shape of the body that you could tell the person was there however you can't see their face so you don't know whether it is a man or a woman or the kind of facial expression that they have . This makes the photograph simple and means the focus remains on the wings and the time that went into drawing them and therefore linking to the theme of the passing of time. The contrast between the colour of the background and the sparklers makes them stand out and therefore it means that the theme of the passing of time is key in the photograph. 

In both images long exposure has been used to capture the movement of the sparklers, they both rely on the clear movements of the sparkler to show off the passing of time. They both rely on drawing of wings in order to show the passing of time. The contrast of colours in both pictures helps in making the sparklers stand out and therefore it means that the passing of time is highlighted as it is in the foreground of the photograph capturing the audiences attention.

Shoot 6 - Straight Images

Shoot 6 - Contact Sheet

Shoot 6 - Work Record

Considering how well the last shoot went I have planned to recreate this shoot outside using sparklers. I want to use sparklers because of the easy pattens that you can create with them but also because of sparks that will be flying off of the sparklers. I also wanted to  do a shot outside as I feel that it feels more natural that will show off the sparklers better. I feel like this is a natural progression from my last shot and I feel that if this works well I will continue with the light trace theme however if they don't I will have to look into choosing a new path. From the shoot I hope to achieve some good images that really highlight the passing of time and the detail of the sparkler as it goes around the person. I also hope to be able to play around with the camera settings in order to find the perfect camera settings. 

I like this image because it is extremely simple and therefore means that focus remains on the movement of the sparklers and the passing of time rather than anything else. I think that it is good that you can't see the models face because I feel that this means that it doesn't matter who is in the photograph as it is the wings that are the important part. I also think that the fact the wings are there twice means that the idea of the passing between the drawing of one set and the drawing of the second set. 

I also think that this shows off the passing of time and you can see that the circles have been draw and the direction changes in the middle. I also like this image because you can't see the person drawing the circles. I also think that this shows the passing of time because of all the different sparks flying off in different directions. I think that this shows the passing of time because it makes you think of the time that it has taken to draw out the circles. 

Progression 

For my next shoot I will photograph the lights of cars to show the passing of time. I feel that this will link well with the last two shoots and will also give a real life everyday example to the passing of time. I feel like now that I have done too shoots similar to this I will be able to photograph the movement of cars with minimal issues as I know the camera settings that it should be on.