Holywells park in Ipswich is a place full of greenery and nature - perfect for the theme of my shoots as I aim to exclude modern technology and immerse myself and the audience into a world separate from what we know today. In addition to this, I'd like my images to reflect what you can see in the paintings I plan to use as references and inspiration, which were created at a time without the technology we have today and so wouldn't be that appropriate.
There are many parks and woodland areas around Ipswich and the surrounding areas, but as Holywells is closest to me it seemed like a good starting point. I walked around the entirety of the park and took photos of potential shoot locations;
Location 1: This location offers an opportunity to interact with the nature around me as I take on the personality of a Greek Goddess. I don't feel like this would be the most suitable for Asteria as it doesn't reference any of the art work I have looked at, nor her story. With Selene, i'd prefer a more open location as to show a strengthened relationship between her and the moon. However, it' certainly worth noting for the future. While I know very little about flora, this tree look rather like some sort of pine or fir tree to me, both of which are native to Greece, meaning it wouldn't look out of place if I were to use it in the future.
Location 2: This location represents havoc and stress due to the entanglement of the forestry, and so I will keep this in mind for future shoots where I may want to get this feeling across to a viewer. However, it would be hard to approach this location as there's a lot of spiky plant on the floor, and most goddesses are depicted as barefoot. I would likely have to be further away from the bush than I would like because of this. I think it would also look interesting if I were in the bush, but again due to the nature of these plants this wouldn't be wise.
Location 3: This location caught my eye because of the emerging shadow from the depths of the forestry. This offers a natural contrast and I feel that this sense of depth will give an image a more immersive quality. Potentially the falling branches could look too intrusive in an image, especially if a flash is used. This is because they will be closer to the camera than the subject, and therefore will turn out very bright if I'm exposing the image for the main subject. I don't think that this is a strong contender, however it may suit a shoot in the future.
Location 4: While the cut logs in this image show some sort of human presence, it doesn't show a technology that would be too modern to be relevant and so I don't mind them being there. I think if I shot this at night, without the light from the field behind seeping into the shot, this location would offer a secluded yet natural place for me to create a scene. The trees create a sort of border or frame around the image and so it feels intimate to a viewer. The logs could offer something to interact with within the photograph, such as lying upon them. I think this location would actually suit a shoot for Selene, as it reminds me of the scenes often painted of her and Endymion.
Location 5: This location is just a little further on from #4, and I also see this as working for Selene. This location caught my eye because the contrast of the plant roots and the shadows that they cause. The winding and twirling, to me, is very beautiful - delicate yet shows strength - much like he Goddesses I aim to impersonate. Again, I see this as most appropriate if it were taken at night without the light flow from the field behind it.
Location 6: This tree has grown a branch horizontally, forming its own bench or bed, which could be used in a photoshoot. I've been aiming to incorporate more of the area around me in my images rather than just have the images appear too literal. This gives me that opportunity, however, again, i'd have to find the right Goddess to use this location for. Perhaps Asteria would be suited, considering her relationship with dreams. However, if I wish to go down the line of showing my influence of other artists perhaps this wouldn't be most appropriate.
Location 7: Again, I decided to make a note of this location as it would give me an opportunity to interact with my surroundings, making for a more interesting image. I'm not sure how I would use this yet, but I could potentially sit in it, lean across it or look inside of it. The overgrowth in this place makes the image have a secluded and isolated feeling to it, yet almost freeing at the same time due to the lack of human presence.
Location 8: This is perhaps my favourite location from Holywells, and once I had found this I automatically felt inspired. This location could be used in a shoot inspired by John William Waterhouse's painting The Charmer, in which Asteria sits upon the shore of a body of water, playing her lyre and looking solemnly into the depths. While this isn't that deep at all, and the island in the middle isn't made of rock, combined with aspects such as pose, props and costume, I feel that this location could be great. The forestry on this mini island has good depth and contrast, allowing for an image to feel less flat and still, and has that overgrown look that suits the story of Asteria.
Location 9: This location is off a viewing platform, however if I had the camera on the platform and myself on the other side of the river it would be a good way to have an interesting angle. However, this angle would be from a higher perspective which would give the feeling of inferiority rather than power.
Location 10: When looking at this I again thought of how I could use the location in order to become at one with my surroundings. The way the stumps are stood up remind me of how a natural throne could look, however this would need to be used with a Goddess who is known for being confident and bold, rather than Asteria or Selene. I can image Hera, the goddess of women and fertility and the wife of Zeus, to use this natural throne.
There are many parks and woodland areas around Ipswich and the surrounding areas, but as Holywells is closest to me it seemed like a good starting point. I walked around the entirety of the park and took photos of potential shoot locations;
Location 1: This location offers an opportunity to interact with the nature around me as I take on the personality of a Greek Goddess. I don't feel like this would be the most suitable for Asteria as it doesn't reference any of the art work I have looked at, nor her story. With Selene, i'd prefer a more open location as to show a strengthened relationship between her and the moon. However, it' certainly worth noting for the future. While I know very little about flora, this tree look rather like some sort of pine or fir tree to me, both of which are native to Greece, meaning it wouldn't look out of place if I were to use it in the future.
Location 2: This location represents havoc and stress due to the entanglement of the forestry, and so I will keep this in mind for future shoots where I may want to get this feeling across to a viewer. However, it would be hard to approach this location as there's a lot of spiky plant on the floor, and most goddesses are depicted as barefoot. I would likely have to be further away from the bush than I would like because of this. I think it would also look interesting if I were in the bush, but again due to the nature of these plants this wouldn't be wise.
Location 3: This location caught my eye because of the emerging shadow from the depths of the forestry. This offers a natural contrast and I feel that this sense of depth will give an image a more immersive quality. Potentially the falling branches could look too intrusive in an image, especially if a flash is used. This is because they will be closer to the camera than the subject, and therefore will turn out very bright if I'm exposing the image for the main subject. I don't think that this is a strong contender, however it may suit a shoot in the future.
Location 4: While the cut logs in this image show some sort of human presence, it doesn't show a technology that would be too modern to be relevant and so I don't mind them being there. I think if I shot this at night, without the light from the field behind seeping into the shot, this location would offer a secluded yet natural place for me to create a scene. The trees create a sort of border or frame around the image and so it feels intimate to a viewer. The logs could offer something to interact with within the photograph, such as lying upon them. I think this location would actually suit a shoot for Selene, as it reminds me of the scenes often painted of her and Endymion.
Location 5: This location is just a little further on from #4, and I also see this as working for Selene. This location caught my eye because the contrast of the plant roots and the shadows that they cause. The winding and twirling, to me, is very beautiful - delicate yet shows strength - much like he Goddesses I aim to impersonate. Again, I see this as most appropriate if it were taken at night without the light flow from the field behind it.
Location 6: This tree has grown a branch horizontally, forming its own bench or bed, which could be used in a photoshoot. I've been aiming to incorporate more of the area around me in my images rather than just have the images appear too literal. This gives me that opportunity, however, again, i'd have to find the right Goddess to use this location for. Perhaps Asteria would be suited, considering her relationship with dreams. However, if I wish to go down the line of showing my influence of other artists perhaps this wouldn't be most appropriate.
Location 7: Again, I decided to make a note of this location as it would give me an opportunity to interact with my surroundings, making for a more interesting image. I'm not sure how I would use this yet, but I could potentially sit in it, lean across it or look inside of it. The overgrowth in this place makes the image have a secluded and isolated feeling to it, yet almost freeing at the same time due to the lack of human presence.
Location 9: This location is off a viewing platform, however if I had the camera on the platform and myself on the other side of the river it would be a good way to have an interesting angle. However, this angle would be from a higher perspective which would give the feeling of inferiority rather than power.
Location 10: When looking at this I again thought of how I could use the location in order to become at one with my surroundings. The way the stumps are stood up remind me of how a natural throne could look, however this would need to be used with a Goddess who is known for being confident and bold, rather than Asteria or Selene. I can image Hera, the goddess of women and fertility and the wife of Zeus, to use this natural throne.
Location 11: This location I feel would be good to stand in front of with a few leaves and branches in front of me and so to incorporate the nature around me. However, this would been that any props would have to be discarded as I feel it would look odd being in the leaves if my hands were not interacting with the leaves.
Location Scouting - Holywells Park
Reviewed by BethCorbett
on
January 30, 2020
Rating:
Reviewed by BethCorbett
on
January 30, 2020
Rating:
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