Bending Reality (Waterloo, Ontario)
“Is this what it really looks like?”, is a question photographers have heard many times. For me, that question is easily answered. I photograph only in black and white, and our physical world does not exist in only black and white and shades of grey.
However, I often intentionally alter reality in other ways. These changes can be extremely subtle or more extreme, to the point where the original subject is rendered unrecognizable. The “alterations” can be achieved in many ways, including: choice of camera and lens type, choice of shutter speed and aperture setting, change of point of view (perspective), actions taken during exposure, actions taken during post processing of the image.
Photographers have many reasons for altering reality when producing photographic images, but I believe behind them all is a desire to express one’s feelings for the subject matter in a way that can best portray and communicate them to the audience. It is up to each individual viewer to take from the images what they will.
For the curious - the images contained in this series were photographed at four different dams along the Grand River system in southern Ontario. They were photographed with black and white film and a swing lens panoramic camera, using a technique called ICM (intentional camera motion). Reality has intentionally been altered.
To view image gallery: Click here.
“Is this what it really looks like?”, is a question photographers have heard many times. For me, that question is easily answered. I photograph only in black and white, and our physical world does not exist in only black and white and shades of grey.
However, I often intentionally alter reality in other ways. These changes can be extremely subtle or more extreme, to the point where the original subject is rendered unrecognizable. The “alterations” can be achieved in many ways, including: choice of camera and lens type, choice of shutter speed and aperture setting, change of point of view (perspective), actions taken during exposure, actions taken during post processing of the image.
Photographers have many reasons for altering reality when producing photographic images, but I believe behind them all is a desire to express one’s feelings for the subject matter in a way that can best portray and communicate them to the audience. It is up to each individual viewer to take from the images what they will.
For the curious - the images contained in this series were photographed at four different dams along the Grand River system in southern Ontario. They were photographed with black and white film and a swing lens panoramic camera, using a technique called ICM (intentional camera motion). Reality has intentionally been altered.
To view image gallery: Click here.