The Hidden City
In this task, I considered the city at night and how a space that I traverse constantly transforms when the sun goes down. I tried to find intriguing locations to take photos and to focus in on details that I thought represented the wider idea of a familiar place turned unfamiliar. I also aimed to convey an isolated mood, at times even unearthly, to relate back to the concept of photography as an art form through which new perspectives can be shown. I found that the photos were more successful when devoid of human presence as they highlighted the idea that physical objects still remain even when there is no conscious agent to perceive them.
I took these photos of a grimy phone booth as I felt the dripping graffiti and the disused phone created a lonely feeling. I found the bright light coming into the phone booth from either side in the photo on the right interesting as it gives an otherworldly texture. The uniform text of ‘Broadband’ is set up in opposition to the sprawling graffiti.
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For these photos I focused on symbols as it is interesting to take a shape that symbolises something out of its normal context in order to see its actual form. The photo on the left is of a buzzer entry system to a block of flats. I edited it to darken the image to create a more alien look. The other is of the interior of a phone booth.
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These photos were taken in the same area. I found that the jagged graffiti and the neat framing of the phone booth created a stark contrast in the photo on the right. The car lights coming from behind create an almost accusatory feeling. I also liked the abstract pattern of coloured lights that I created while focusing the lens. I wanted to experiment with representing the city at night in opposing ways as it is a multifaceted environment.
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I took the photo on the left at the entrance of a closed supermarket. The neatly lined trolleys and empty darkness outside the windows shows a strange calmness that comes with the lack of human presence. The photo below is of broken glass against a harsh fluorescent light, creating a violent atmosphere, showing the opposite sides of the city at night.
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