issue three

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The Untold Magazine 2

index/ credits

credits

EDITOR Callum Bird ASSISTING EDITOR Sabrina Cooke COPY Sabrina Cooke ARTICLE CONTRIBUTIONS Jade Shaw, Rachel Whitworth PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTIONS Desiree, Samantha Jarman, Alice Jean, Sarah Kissaun, Jaymii Knierum, Adam Dale GRAPHIC DESIGN Rita Batalha FRONT COVER Desiree


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An Interview with Desiree

Sunflowers of a Not So Spotless Mind

An Interview with Jarman & Jean

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Edward Watson

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Interview Two

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Still life in Beautiful Landscapes

An Interview with Kissaun

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Interview Three


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Hi Desiree – how are you today? Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m great that you. My name is Desiree, and I’m twenty six years old student. I’m just entering into my last year at school; I’m studying Communication with a specialization in Digital Media at a school in Rotterdam.

Very nice, how are you finding it all so far?

So far this year has been very boring, but I’m very excited about this year; I’m going to follow it with a minor in photography at an art university after, just to improve my skills. It’s only a short course – only six months long.

Sounds like you’ve got it planned out – have you have any experience in photography,, or is it more of a hobby for you?

Not really any experience – it started

out as a hobby. When I was on vacation with my Mom, I always got given the camera because I loved taking the picture; I experience the whole holiday through the camera.

What about the photography – what do you find so interesting about it?

I love to make pretty images, just that moment when you see something pretty you want to capture it – to let others see that thing that you are seeing that moment.

It sounds like you’re a very spontaneous photographer, do you find you put much planning into your photography, or is it something that is a spur of the moment thing?

More spontaneous I think; when I go somewhere I know I can make some pictures, I take my camera along. For example, when I got to the zoo, I never go without it. Saying that, I don’t have any professional shoots as I don’t plan them.

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So where did the idea of photographing dolls come from?

When I started the hobby. The cool thing about these dolls is that you can custom-ize them. So when you’re done you take a picture and place them on forums. I always saw some people on Deviantart and forums making these awesome photos of their dolls. I think they made them look so real. So I de-cided to give it a try and really liked it. Some-times, I edit the joints out of the pictures to make them look more human – it makes people wonder if they are actually a doll.

It’s a very interesting approach to still life photography – how long have you been col-lecting the dolls?

Um, I think about five years now. I first make the pictures with a very cheap camera, but then I started to like taking pictures of my dolls so I brought a more expensive camera. These dolls made me love photography even more.

It’s always great when you have that moti-vation with something that you do – what camera are you currently using then?

I’m using a Canon 110D. I’m in love. I’m already starting to save for a better one. But it’s kind of hard because these dolls are also kind of expensive. And I’m still a student so saving up goes very slowly.

I’m intrigued, how much do your dolls actu-ally cost?

Well the ones that I’ve got are around the five hundred euro mark. You can buy them online. They’re made in Asia, but you buy the bodies online and then you can paint them and just make your own thing from it. That’s why I love this hobby so much. I used to draw a lot. I did draw a lot of characters and such comics. But this hobby gives me the opportunity to create my own 3D char-acter.

It sounds a pretty amazing hobby, and if you have the talent to create 3D characters then that’s pretty amazing too. How many dolls do you reckon you’ve brought over the years?

Uh I’ve brought a lot of dolls, I think around eight. But then I’ve made them pretty and sold them. Rich not I have four dolls who I’m planning to keep. They’re kind of special to me. In every doll I create I put a little piece of me; just like you’re creative a piece of art. I also customize dolls for people online. They tell me what they want and I make it for them.

So you’ve actually got a small business from your hobby; do you class it as work or is it something that is still a passion?

Yes, thanks to my hobby I don’t need a part time job; but I’m not planning to make it my work. When I’m painting too many dolls, it be-comes something that you do daily and them you lose your creativity. So I only take com-missions when I feel like it. The year before I had a waitlist of eight months and I only paint-ed three heads in each. That’s not what I want anymore. Otherwise you lose the fun in it all.

Definitely, repetitively isn’t always the best, it can lead to losing your creativity, how do you advertise yourself? Is it by word of mouth on those forums, or do you have a website?

Forums, meetings and of course Devi-antart. On forums, I have my own shop where I show some examples of the dolls that I’ve painted and if the people like your style, they contact you. I always love to add piercings and tattoos to the dolls that I make. It’s something that I’m not allowed to have so I put it on my dolls instead.

It does show that you are putting a lot of yourself into your work. So where do you actually photography your dolls?

Mostly at home. I’m too chicken to take my dolls outside. Most of the people in my town think I’m crazy when they see my dolls. Most people who have dolls look more artistic. I look like a very normal girl who studies com-munication. The people in my town don’t know I collect these dolls or make pictures of them. I have two types of friends; My doll friends who are amazing people and my or-mal friends. Some of them do know I collect these dolls, but they find it kind of strange so I don’t talk to them about it – It’s like I’m liv-ing a double life.

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The photo’s do look amazing through – do you have any special techniques when it comes to photographing them?

Well I always try to pose them like real humans. They always have the same expression so I always try to give them a different expression with the angles that I take the picture from. That’s also what I like about these dolls. Some of them are really androgynous, and that’s what makes some pictures special.

You mentioned earlier that you edit out the joints on the dolls; do you do any other retouching with your work?

I always light up their eyes and I’m always busy with the light. My room is kind of dark so I have to edit it in after. Every time I try to do something

different. But I’m always trying to make the eyes stand out because the eyes are the soul of a picture. Even with the dolls. If you can make them look real, the dolls look more human.

Out of the images that you’ve submitted, what would be your favourite?

I really like the darker one – the one with the black hair and a plaster on his cheek. That doll looks really real to me and he really looks at you.

It’s a great image; do you know what you want to do in the next year? Will the dolls be on your to-do list, or are you heading towards a different style of photograph with the course you are going for?

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I’m planning to keep photographing my dolls. It’s because I really like doing it and it’s always a challenge. On the net I like to show my dolls to people. Dolls won’t have to be boring, but with the course I’m taking, I want to focus on other kinds of photography like fashion. Maybe there is a future for me where I can combine my hobby and other photo-graphic work together. But who knows, at the moment I like what I’m doing.

To finish with, do you have any advice for those either interested in dolls or those thinking about starting a photog-raphy course?

For people who want to start photogra-phy I have a tip; Always start to photo-graph things that you really like. Let it be trains, cars or even dinosaur bones, when you like photographing some-thing, you have much more motivation to become better at what you do. You will do most of your best work as you want to make it shine. My dolls have me the motivation to improve my photographic skills and they made me enjoy photog-raphy more. And for those interested in dolls; these dolls are called ball jointed dolls and you can find them on Google.

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Sunflowers Of A Not So Spotless Mind

It’s a painting we all know. One nearly all of us study in art classes from a young age. It could even, per-haps, be one of the most famous still life paintings you’ve heard of. Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers is one of his more notable pieces of work, and like the rest of them, is much more popular now than it was at the time. But, the Sunflowers painting we’ve all seen has much more history than we’d care to imagine; this was not just one painting. In all, the Sunflowers series of paintings totals 11 canvases. All of which shows a

different side to the artist, and the development of his talent.

Written by Jade Shaw

Vincent Willem van Gogh was born 30th March 1853, a Dutch post impressionist painter who’s work is most recognised for its rough beauty, bold colours and emotional honesty. Although he drew from a young age, he did not begin painting until his late twenties and is known to have produced 2,100 artworks in just over a

decade. His work progressed from dark neutral colours, to the bold colours and brushwork he is more famous for today. His most notable works are known as being Starry Night, Sunflowers, Bedroom in Arles, Sorrow, and many of his self portraits.


His first works of Sunflowers were made in Paris, when he was staying with his brother, art dealer Theo van Gogh from 1886 to 1888. Not much is known of Vincent’s activities in these years, as we know most of his history through letters to his brother, there is obviously a distinct lack of them in the years he lived with him. It wasn’t until a letter to his brother in the spring of 1889 that these first Sunflower paintings were revealed. These first paintings were of 2 sunflowers on a table, the first of the series of 4 is a small study in darker tones, the 2nd is a larger, brighter version of the 1st. The 3rd is of 2 different sunflowers on a table, and the 4th combines to the two studies onto one large canvas. Minus the 4th, all the paintings depict two sunflowers showing two buttons. These are known as Van Gogh’s first “nothing but sunflowers” paintings – yet sunflowers had already been included in his 1886 work Roses and Sunflowers.

Before moving on to his next lot of Sunflowers, there are some things we should address. These paintings, done between the years of 1886 and 1889, are some of the works done by Van Gogh towards the end of his troubled life. Vincent van Gogh died on the 29th July 1890, from an apparent suicide. It has often been theorised that Van Gogh’s mental health

impacted heavily on his artwork. Some critics see in his work an artist frustrated by the “inactivity and incoherence” brought about by his illness, where as others look at his later work and see an artist at the height of his ability who is completely in control. When it comes to Van Gogh, it can sometimes be hard to separate his personal battles with his demons, from his artwork. Looking at the Sunflowers paintings a question that I find in my mind is; Are these the paintings of a man trying to find beauty in a world that, to him, is harsh and cruel? A world, that at those very moments, he was planning to leave?

If we continue on the journey of the paintings themselves, we find ourselves now in Arles in around August 1988. Van Gogh was to live with his friend Paul Gauguin and stated in a letter to his brother “Now that I hope to live with Gauguin in a studio of our own, I want to make decorations for the studio. Nothing but big flowers.” This letter went on to describe the planned series in every detail. The difference here being that none of the paintings done match the descriptions to his brother. His first canvas is in fact bigger than first stated, and none of the pictures depict the dozen or 14 flowers he wished, but more (around 15 – 16).

This series of 4 pictures, again, go from dark to bright colours. Looking closely at the 3rd and 4th paintings in the series, the ones including up to 16 sunflowers in the vase, they have been studied to discover they are wet-on-wet reworks. Believed to be genuine, it is thought Van Gogh added the extra sunflowers after the original compositions. The first painting is a study of 3 sunflowers in a vase, and the second appears to be an enlarged version of the first, but with added sunflowers on the table around the vase.

In January 1889, we were given The Repetitions, reworks of the 3rd and 4th paintings in the 1888 series. The first in this lot of paintings is a copy of the 3rd from the previous collection. It is hard to see Van Gogh’s usual distinctive brushwork in this painting, and the whole thing feels a lot softer than the original. Both the 2nd and 3rd paintings in The Repetitions are copies of the 4th painting from 1888. Both have slight colour changes, but all have copied the wet-to-wet reworks from the original series, again lending the fact that they were genuine reworks by the artist himself.

When it comes to these works, you do wonder why he spent so much time studying and painting sunflowers. This is, after all, around 3 years of his life,

painting, reworking, and repeating the same flowers. Why sunflowers? Although flowers, they are considered by many to be far from the most beautiful flora one could paint. In a 2003 film they were described as looking like “crooked teeth around a mouth that’s too big” and “a beautiful mistake” on the creators part. What did Van Gogh find so attractive about them? Was it a personal like of the flower, or a grasp to find something that called to him through the din his mind often caused him? Did he find their obscure beauty a companion to his own, misunderstood life? Or more darkly, did he spend all that time painting his own funeral flowers?

The Sunflowers mystery is something we will never truly know the answer to, but one that should not shadow the brilliance of the paintings themselves. They remain some of his most noted and known works for a reason. These pictures show his pure, unadulterated talent. One that was not appreciated in his time, and not until long after his death. Sunflowers, as a whole series, demonstrates the talent of a man misunderstood, with a love for what he did.


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Hi Sam and Alice, how are you both today?

Hey, I’m good – I’m currently responding from Bodrum, Turkey about fifty meters from the beach so things are very good.

Hello! I am great thank you.

Alice and Sam are the founders and photographers of the digital and print magazine – Chew Magazine. So what have you two been up to?

I’ve been travelling since the third of August, and I’ve been in Italy, Greece, Albania, Macedonia and Turkey. Obviously I’ve been taking a lot of photographs, all of which I’m currently updating now before finishing up my last leg of my trip in Rhodes, Greece.

I have been very busy blogging for Chew Magazine and for my new Internship at VisitWiltshire. I am very excited to be heading out to Kenya next month and working on a project to promote awareness of animal conservation, and also to document my journey.

How long have you both been working

with your photography – were you one of those children addicted to their parents compact cameras?

I received my first digital camera one Christmas, when I was 12 years old so I guess my love for it started then. I remember being really excited about it! Before that I had many cheap disposables that I would use all the time and I think I even had a Barbie camera that where you would load the film in yourself. I definitely had a passion for taking photos and the whole process of it.

I got into photography when I was choosing my options for college, since then I have not wanted to do anything else.

What type of photography would you say showcases your portfolio?

My photography work varies a lot, but nowadays it is largely based on food and traveling. I like taking photos of people when they are unaware that a camera is present. I think it’s the best way to capture a person and even a culture. When people are too aware of the camera, it becomes posed and unnatural. During high school, in Paris, I would

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simply take my camera and shoot the people, go to markets and take photos of anything that caught my eye. Probably a too simplistic way of shooting, but it’s what I enjoy the most, and is still what I do today. Food is especially fun to take photos of as it’s so colourful and always looks different. I also have always enjoyed baking/cooking, so combining two of my favourite hobbies is amazing.

I would say my work was documentary as it hugely consists of food, travel and animals. These are huge parts of my life. My work shows the journeys I have made - events I have been to, the food I eat and my two adorable cats.

What would you say has been your most interesting shoot to date? I rarely shoot in studios, or even organize

shoots. As I enjoy street photography, it’s hard to think of a specific moment that I enjoyed. My favorite moments are when people start asking questions and speaking with you about photography or their life and you get to talk to that person and understand them, which makes the photo have even more life. And you are then able to gain their trust of being able to shoot them freely. Although, you do get the opposites with people screaming at you as they feel threatened by a simple camera.

My most interesting shoot was when I went around Wiltshire with my internship and photographed a range of places including; hotels, cafes, restaurants and a few attractions. I loved the range of places we went to, my favourite was Wadworth Brewery as we got to see the stables and the sign making room!

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Do you charge others for shoots, or do you mainly shoot because it is what you enjoy?

Again, since there are no real organized shoots, I always shoot for fun - I love seeing new places and faces and being able to photograph them.

I have not yet charged for photographs. It would be something I will be doing in the future, but for now, I mainly do things for free as I am always looking for new opportunities to expand my portfolio and it is a great way to show people what I can do, and meet new people.

If you have the chance, and are given an unlimited budget, what project would you love to work on?

I would love to travel the world, that’s already a goal of mine but with an unlimited budget I would simply pack a backpack and go straight away, with no real plan of which way I would go or how long I would stay in one place. I think traveling is an amazing thing that continuously teaches you about yourself and the world, and being able to take photos of that trip and my adventures and all the food specialties of each country would be amazing.

I would definitely do a world tour with Alice. We are always thinking of places to visit where we can discover new foods and cultures. It would be great to spend quite a long time in each country in order to really understand and get to know each place. We would have so much fun eating everything; we wouldn’t want to come back!

How would you describe your style that you shoot in?

I shoot in a simple way, with natural light and simply focus on the subject. I really enjoy low aperture, which works well with food.

I like to shoot close up using shallow depth of field. Focusing on the smaller details is something I enjoy as not everyone can see these like I can. I want people to be ‘wowed’ by these photographs.

Are your pictures raw in essence, or do you use any post-production techniques (if so, what and how)?

I rarely use an post-production techniques - just simple editing here and there but nothing major. I like to mostly use the camera to get my photos right.

The only thing I do to my photos is adjust the brightness, contrast and saturation when they need it. Especially when you’re shooting on a dull day, usually my photos only need minor tweaking.

What is your opinion of film photography – do you think there is still a market for it, or is it outdated?

I really love film photography but I can understand that it is dying out, and most people don’t even know it still exists. However I still have three film camera, and one of which I carry everywhere with me. I love the whole process of it, and if I start to lose touch with film and start thinking too digitally and taking too many photos at once, I’ll put down my digital camera and come back to film for a while to start re-thinking of the real photography process and having a limited about of stills.

I love film photography; I shot a lot of

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my work in film at Uni. However, since University I must admit I have not used film; this is purely due to how expensive it is to develop nowadays. Digital is a lot more convenient in today’s busy world as we are always working towards tight deadlines. I do believe that there is a market for film; Lomography is thriving in today’s market. I own many Lomography cameras and these would be my preferred choice in the film world.

Do you believe that having a high tech set of kit makes a good photographer, or do you believe that there still needs to be a creative ability?

I don’t think it’s necessary to have the latest kit, and always be spending your money on that.That’s also why film photography is important; all you need is good film

and a good camera to start from, no need for much else. As long as you know how to use your own material as best as you can and have some creative skills, nothing else is needed.

I don’t think a good photographer needs a fancy kit, all they need is a camera and a creative mind. As long as you can use your camera well you can take good photos. Even now I am always getting better; practice is key, just make sure to take your camera everywhere!

Do you believe that photography will one day be taken over my moving image, or that photography will always have a part to play in the creative industry?

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ways and is present in many different Medias (billboards, magazines, newspapers) even if these Medias are digitalized, there’ll still be a need for still photography, I hope! Moving image is definitely an interesting and innovative field and one which is still uncommon to most people and even I would love to start getting to know how it works better. However, I don’t think one can replace the other and one will always need the other.

I believe the still image will always play a huge part in the creative industry. Unless of course technology changes and we can put videos in newspapers and other printed materials, like Harry Potter.

Can you explain the work that you have submitted and what it means to you?

I’ve chosen to include food photography photos as well as photographs from recent travels - although they all have something to do with food. I shoot a lot at fresh produce markets, especially as it’s a universal thing that most countries have, so it’s always interesting to see how they differ. Being able to combine food and travel and photography all in one is so much fun, and I’ll be doing it for a long time to come.

My photos are of food I have made or food from local markets. I love wondering around food markets with my camera as you can find great food that looks delicious; I love to share this with our followers!

What are your plans for the future when it comes to photography?

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I’m studying for another year, but with more focus on advertising and marketing, and hopefully my creative background will help in this field. I’m hoping to still love photography years from now, andI’m planning on also focusing more on videography and trying to learn more about that. The future of Chew Magazine is still uncertain but I’m hoping we keep going with it as much as possible and get more people interested in it as well. I’m hoping Sam and I continue to take trips together and make projects out of those trips, and see new countries and cultures together.

For me, I am really excited about blogging. I would love to be paid to blog and go out and review restaurants, attractions and events! I would still want to take photos of food, events and animals!

Any advice for those who wish to get into photography?

Make sure you know exactly what you’re interested and which kind of field you’d like to focus on.Maybe think of other hobbies and interests you have and find way to incorporate those as well.And definitely have fun with it, and never take it too seriously. Don’t let it become a hassle or stressful to take photos.

Just go out and always take your camera, you never know what you may come across and what one day you would be passionate about photographing. For me, I have always had jobs in the catering sector; this is probably why I am so interested by food as I am always around it! You need to take photos of anything and everything in order to learn more about your camera and eventually, take amazing photos!

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www.chewmagazine.co.uk

We are Sam and Alice.

Our story starts in October 2010, where we met at the University of South Wales, in Newport. Two shy young girls, who were often put in the same seminar groups, due to both of our last names starting with a J.

Strange how things work…

We then lived together for the remainder of our university years, and surprisingly never got in any fights, but instead grew closer and starting working together at the same job, and in projects for university.

You might be wondering how two people could spend that much time together - we’re also trying to figure that out.

We both love taking photos of food and mixing that with travelling, and trying out new specialities.

This blog started with a week long trip around South Wales, which we turned into our final year project at university - you can see these photos towards the beginning of our blog.

Now we have moved away from each other (sad, sad times) but are keeping this blog alive with yummy recipes and more trips we will take, whether they are together or apart!


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I’m a 21 year old freelance stage manager from Perth, Western Aus-tralia, with a love for all the arts.

When I was five years old I wanted to be a ballerina, then a painter, then writer before eventually finding my way into the production and design side of theatre. As a stage manager I love the endless possibilities and stories the world of theatre can pre-sent and the huge amount of dedica-tion and collaboration that brings it all together. But between my times in dark dusty theatres there is noth-ing better than finding a nice quiet green and sunny spot and soak up the world in my skin and cap-ture the moment with my camera.

I am an explorer at heart and my photography keeps all my secret places close by.


Winter came and with it, without even trying, I caught a cold. But that’s not all I caught this cold came with a side of terrarium fever.With almost a week in bed snuggled up with my ipad I had a lot of time for googling. My small stuffy apartment closed me in and I dreamed of beautiful vegetable patches and a flowering garden sadly too far out of reach. Then I found it, terrariums, micro gardens in a jar. Not only was I going to be able to bring some much needed green into my world, I finally had use for all the washed sauce jars I had been hoarding under the sink! By the time I had managed to get some n and oo scale figures to live out my fantasies in these little worlds I was head over heels in love. Naturally, I just had to pull out my camera and start exploring my new tiny gardens with the lens. While it’s still early days in this, what no doubt will be an ongoing project; I can now see greener pastures ahead. It was just what the doctor ordered.


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I have always had a keen interest in photography and started to take it seriously after a switch from music.

I enrolled in an access to photography course at Tower Hamlets college where I learned the basic use of a DSLR and set about learning my craft. I have a particular interest for people but this series of trees was taken in Canterbury after spotting them at the side of the road I was driving along. It was a damp misty morning and I wanted to capture the stillness and mystery of them.


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Edward WestonStill life is not as easy as it may seem. You don’t just get to snap a picture of an inanimate object and receive a perfect piece, worthy of the greatest art galleries in the world. Still Life photography gives the photogra-pher some artistic freedom over their picture, unlike with landscape or portrait, these pictures can be com-posed and arranged. It demands the photographer have a refined sense of lighting, as well as compositional skill. They do not just take pictures, they make them. Few have entered into the world of still life and really caught the world’s eye, but those who do, do so for all the right reasons. One such man is Edward Weston.

Written by Jade Shaw

Born Edward Henry Weston on March 24th 1886, Weston was born in Highland Park, Illinois. He was the second child, and only son, of his parents Edward Burbank Weston and Alice Jeanette Brett, a Shakespearean actress. His mother died when he was still very young, and he was raised mainly by his sister Mary. Their close bond was

one of the only steady relationships Weston maintained throughout his life. After his sister left home, he became a bit of a recluse, he stopped attending school and spent most of his time alone in his room.

At the age of 16 he was given his first camera and his love


for photography flared. He upgraded his camera and his artistic ability was clear, even at such a young age. Weston was first published in 1906. It took him two years, but he worked up enough courage to one day submit his work to the magazine Camera and Darkroom. They published his picture “Spring, Chicago” on a full page reproduction, and this is the first known production of any of his work; he would later say that his work from this period “though immature – is related more closely, but with technique and composition, to my latest work..”

In the Spring of 1906, at the urging of his sister, Weston followed her out to California. He decided to pursue his passion, and a career in photography, but after a year discovered he would need more professional training to make that dream a reality. In 1907 he moved to Illinois, and enrolled in the Illinois School of Photography nine month course. He finished his work in six months, but never received his diploma after refusing to pay for the full 9 months work. So, in 1908 he moved back to California and pursued his passion there.

Weston briefly worked for George Steckel in Los Angles, toughing up his negatives. He moved to a more established studio of Louis Mojonier, where under Monjonier’s supervision, he would spend several years learning the techniques and business of operating his own studio. It wasn’t until 1911 that Weston was able to open his own studio, after marrying into the wealthy Chandler family, in Tropico, California. When his sister asked why he had opened it there, rather in the metropolis of Los Angeles, he simply replied “Sis, I’m going to make my name so famous that it won’t matter where I live!”

Weston started out as a very strict, conservative man, but through his work at his studio and with Margrethe Mather, a photographer from Los Angeles with permissive sexual morals, who leant more towards women than men, Weston’s work took on a new life. He found Mather’s lifestyle irresistible and her work intriguing and a display of both of theirs works in 2001 showed that Weston not only adopted her style, but her subject matter. He would later describe Mather as “the first important person in my life, and perhaps

even now...the most important.”

1920 was the first major change in Weston’s work, and perhaps in his life. It was at this time that he started shooting nude models, and where his wife questioned how intimate these nude shoots became. It was queried that several of his nude models became lovers at some point in his life. One of the first models that he shot for a nude shot, Tina Modotti, became his model for several years, and even accompanied Weston and one of his sons to Mexico in 1923.

He spent his years from 1923 to 1946 travelling the world, shooting a range of landscapes, portraits, still life pictures and more. While in Mexico, his reputation increased the more he pointed his camera, he recorded in his journals at this time that “The camera should be used for a recording of life, for rendering the very substance and quintessence of the thing itself....I feel definite in the belief that the approach to photography is through realism.” And with that he burned his old journals, and with them his old life.

In his later years, Weston’s

ability to continue his photography dwindled as his Parkinsons disease took hold and made it almost impossible to hold his cameras, or carry them to shoots he could manage. He spent many of his last years preparing sets of prints with up and coming photographers, ones that were happy to work with him to gain such experience from a master of the trade. Weston sadly died at his home on Wildcat Hill on New Years Day, 1958.

This, I’m afraid is only a peek into the life of one of the best photographers, noted for their still life skills. To go into depth would take up a lot more pages! Weston has left behind a legacy, and a family that have followed in his footsteps, even to this day his ancestors have a website of their own, filled with still life photographs from themselves and Edward Weston. With the added knowledge that two of his pictures are amongst the most expensive sold (accurate up to 2010), it’s hard to think of any photographers that have had as much success in the field. Although his life may not have been so still, it is a sure thing to say that his photos clearly captured the public interest, and earned him recognition worldwide.


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Still Life in Beautiful Landscapes

If somebody asked me to define still life, I would not define it as a painted fruit bowl or a nude artist posing for an art class. Yes this is technically still life, but to me it is much more. It is a moment of peace and calm with nature, a moment where the world just slows down and we have time to connect with its beauty and escape from our troubles. We all have our own happy place, but my happy place is a location of pure nature away from the sometimes entrapping city. Call me old fashioned but a beautiful landscape, perfect enough for a liv-ing room canvas is Still life at its best. I have four favourite areas of still life- historically stunning monuments and buildings; the rustic countryside; animals in a complete state of

relaxation and contentment; the fresh and calming ocean.

Written by Rachel Whitworth


I always feel involved in the history of a location when looking at the stillness of a monument or building. Take for example the huge Buckingham Palace! Although when I went to see this famous place of royalty it was hectic and busy with tourists from all over the world posing for pictures next to the iron gates. But if you zone out of those around you and take in the wonderful structure of the land, you feel a sense of belonging to a powerful heritage of British culture. I imagine standing observing the building in silence and alone. One day this will happen, but for now I will contend with hundreds of cameras all desperately hoping for a glimpse of the cute Queen herself. Big Ben is also a magnificent structure that captivated me when walking round London. It stands out from everything else and is a great building for a picture! Another architecturally stunning aspect of still life is Wollaton Hall in Nottingham. The lands around the Hall arepristine and faultless. To stand inside or out of the Hall is a marvellous sight, and as it is not as hectic as Buckingham palace, it can be a fine experience of still life.


The next area of still life that I adore is the British countryside. The city and the country both have one thing in common: they both take your breath away. However both doing so in completely opposite ways. Whereas the city takes your breath away in a physically demanding way after ploughing through hustle and bustle, the countryside takes your breath away from its pure beauty. Brits often moan about not having the lifestyle of those have abroad. Fair enough we do not have palm trees and a setting sun every night, but when it does happen here it is spectacular, especially in the stillness of the green country lands. If we go for a random Sunday walk it is shocking to see what views you can find. Often the most beautiful of countryside landscapes are found when least expected. My photograph of the blue skies, nurtured brown fields and the odd tree in the distance is such an intriguing landscape in the heart of Warwickshire. The colours rest harmoniously together, creating the perfect still life image!


I suppose it isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but my idea of happiness is to sit in a place like this with a book and a camera. The other two images of the countryside are taken in Staffordshire. When I took the black and white image of the dirty track and the sun glowing over the lonely tree, I felt part of some sort of Jane Austen novel. I think why I find places in the countryside so idyllic are because they have always

been the same. As time goes on towns and cities change, even villages do. If you place photographs of a town at least 100 years ago and compare it with a photograph of now, it will have altered remarkably due to industrialization, modernity and commercialisation. Whereas the fields and trees never really alter, they stay as serene and green as time goes on: the perfect still life image for all time.

Another favourite still life image in the form of landscape and scenery is similar to the countryside but with one added beauty – animals! Yes, I understand animals are not technically still, but to me it is about the image they create, the photograph taken that later becomes part of the family album. Many times I have seen animals grazing and had to take a picture as they are so calm without a care in the world. Sometimes it is not about the composition or colour of still life, but the feelings you get from it. See how the flamingos are chilling silently in the water. When taking this gorgeous picture in Twycross Zoo, yes the birds moved slightly, but the overall still life image is spot on! It captures the birds in their daily routine – relaxing and being social, what we all like to do! The same goes with the photograph of the horses, nonchalantly eating the bright green grass.

This was far from a planned picture. Around this time last year I visited my friend’s stables on the way home from the zoo where the flamingos were captured. My friend left me to wonder, so I took a walk in the field with the horses, clearing


my head in the fresh summer air. I randomly took this photograph, and then when getting back into car I saw how much potential this image had for a still life success. The colours are outstanding and the trees frame the fields and the brilliantly white horses. Animals are much calmer than us, yet are more under threat than us. Looking at this still life photograph, it is obvious that the horses appreciate life and its surroundings, which we sometimes forget to do.

I think the beauty of countryside landscape and historical buildings make for a fabulous still life image but the most perfect still image you can capture is of the intense yet tranquil ocean. The ocean is not still, the ocean is not always calm. But to me the ocean is graceful and when captured in a photograph the most beautiful of stillness is created. In its calm phase, the ocean can appear still. To me, the ocean is

freedom. It connects every land throughout the world and I get an excited yet invigorated feeling when looking onto the still horizon where the sea line meets the skyline to create a perfect picture of blue. Other colours over the ocean are stunning too, especially the orange, pinks and greys of sunset over the Welsh town of Barmouth.

This night, my boyfriend and I had the beach to ourselves, apart from the odd elderly couple walking their dogs. The evening was quiet apart from the odd whisper of a wave. I could have stood there forever, thinking and taking in the sea air - there is something very refreshing about sea air! Many canvasses created nowadays are of the beautiful bond of sunset and sea, and standing there that night I know why. It is a captivating view of still life, a view we do not see often but when we do it is magical.


The other image of the bright blue sea was taken in Turkey. The ocean here is brighter than any blue I have seen. The landscape is a still life that is simply made for a postcard that you cannot wait to send home to show off.Even flying home I was snap happy with my camera! As you can see the sky is so bright and clear that you cannot resist taking a picture of an Ariel view of Turkey itself. The contrast of green and blue makes a glorious still life image. Of course we were not still when taking it, travelling at 300pmh is certainly not still. But like I have said before, it is not about the making of the image, it is about the final image of still life. It is safe to say, the ocean is the part of nature that creates the best still life landscape image.

I thought I would end this article with a picture that still fascinates me. It does not fit into any of the above categories, but does just as good of a job at creating a magical still life image; only this one would be even more fantastic on a canvas.

It is like another world. I suppose we are closer to another world up within the clouds. What strikes me every time is how the clouds form a seabed almost, meeting the skyline in the background of the image. The delicate lumps of white and the deep blue are euphoric. Not everyone can say they have ever taken a photograph like this. It is still life at its best. There is nothing to disrupt this image. It is so calming you feel you have to whisper. Many people look up at the sky everyday and imagine what is beyond the clouds. I got beyond these clouds and I can tell those people that up within the sky exists the most serene and exquisite of views: a still life beauty that would look breathtaking on any wall.

Written and photographed by Rachel Whitworth


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FEATURE

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Hi Sarah, how are you today? Tell us a little about yourself.

Hi! I’m fine - thank you for asking! I’m a 19 year old at the time of writing – I’m actually turning 20 on the 27th August! I was born and live on the largest of an archipelago of islands in the middle of the Mediterranean, Malta. I’m a hobbyist amateur photographer and take photographs just for enjoyment’s sake – it’s my greatest hobby and means of expression. I’m currently a full time student at the University of Malta studying for Doctor of Medicine and Surgery – heading off to third year which is the start of a new exciting journey in terms of my future career since these final three years will be a truly clinical experience. Since of course we have about two and a half

months of Summer ‘holidays’, till the next academic year starts I’ve been keeping myself busy with a summer job, medical lab research, some social activities, preparing for third year, drawing and of course photography!

What is your earliest memory of being involved with photography?

I believe I was about 13 years old when I first used and had my own compact camera. I had always wanted a camera of my own – initially with the intention of taking pictures when out with friends, but that quickly changed when I realized there was so much more to take pictures of. For a child who loved drawing, it was an easier way of capturing a picture that I would have otherwise found very difficult to draw. (Mind you, this still

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happens to me – whenever I see an unbelievable photograph I always get an urge to draw!). Mine quickly broke down being a cheap camera, so I did in fact turn to my father’s compact camera, sneaking it while he was napping, to be able to continue taking photographs!

I’ve noticed that your portfolio contains a lot of still life – would you say that was your main style?

I really have quite a broad selection of photo categories that I indulge in, but if I had to take the one that’s most common in my portfolio it would be conceptual still lifes. There’s just something about simple objects which can be used to create a setting, and combined with particular lighting and angle can really convey my thoughts, mood and feelings, as well as something that to me is aesthetically pleasing and gives me a sense of fulfillment. Following still life photography, it’s a tie between self portraits and nature shots – which in essence always have a concept. My photography always has meaning behind it – there are times when I see a relatively accurate fixed picture in my head from before which I then strive to bring to life, while other times I wouldn’t initially know why I took a certain photograph from before and is a bit more spontaneous. In the case of the latter, I always explore my mind to determine what drove me to do so, because I know there is always a reason.

What would you say has been your most interesting shoot to date?

Difficult question! Well, I think it would have to be the first time I ever set out to take pictures of two children one afternoon earlier this year. I rarely take pictures of others, so it’s already an experience in itself to take pictures of others artistically. With children it was something completely new to me. It was a great day, ended up with unexpectedly quite a few shots I was really happy with, and it was the day I truly realised just how important lighting is in making a photograph so magical! Ever since I’ve been in love with sunset lighting, and pay more attention to it to appreciate its beauty more.

Have you ever considered charging for shoots, or is it mainly to fulfill your own passion for photography?

Definitely the latter. As I’ve already said previously, I rarely shoot others; so on the occasion I do, it’s just my want for personal experimentation of human subjects in my photography rather than a booked shoot with the intention of providing a photographic service. I can’t stand the idea of doing a shoot of a subject I am not willing to photograph just because I will be paid for it – I believe there’s no personal satisfaction in that, and instead is being done with the wrong motivation and so takes away the pure joy that going out just for photography’s sake gives.

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Okay – so we’re offering you (theoretically) an infinite amount of money; what shoot would you do?

There’s so much I would do if that were the case! I have a soft spot for wildlife photography and capturing gorgeous forms of life found in nature, so I would probably travel to places with large varieties of flora, fauna and landscapes and indulge in wildlife and nature photography. It’s a very general project I suppose, but it’s one of my dreams and I’m sure will be highly inspiring and lead to so much more. Here in Malta there’s very little in terms of variety suited for such a dream - will need to travel the world for all that! More specifically though, I do wish to get pictures of the many species of butterflies – they have and always will be one of my favorite little creatures.

Is there anything special that you always try and put in your photography?

I’m not sure I could put a name on it – but there are particulars I like to include in my photographs. I like to have a decent concept, pleasant colours, moody lighting and a sense of depth of field. I also absolutely love bokeh and try to include it as often as I can – it gives such a magical touch to my photographs, and I’ve loved it ever since I discovered the combination of using wide-aperture and specific kinds of backgrounds for my set-ups.

Are you pictures raw in essence, or do you use any post-production techniques?

I do use post-production to enhance my photographs, yes. There’s a lot that gets lost from what I see in the viewfinder to my laptop, especially in terms of colour, so I focus especially on reviving colour and contrast using the available tools in the software I use – I often do this at random and have no specific sequence, but I can be very particular about making sure each

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shade of colour looks right! Sometimes enhancing the lighting, or modifying original colours, to create the right mood and focus in the image is also beneficial to the final product I am ready to share with others, which I usually achieve using a variety of gradients and blending modes.

What is your opinion of film photography - do you think there is still a market for it, or is it outdated?

I’ve never used a film camera personally, so my opinion is only a superficial one. I do find it fascinating how the original techniques and materials to capture photographs are still around, and it’s nice that there are others who indulge in these primitive but amazing ways of capturing photographs and keep them alive in these more modern times. However, I don’t think there’s any film camera like the cameras of today with such advanced technology offering so much flexibility, quality, and ease of use in comparison. For the few that still appreciate the old techniques, the market for film photographic items is something that should be kept alive for them even if they’re just a minority. I’m sure a lot can be learnt from film photography even in this day and age – we might all be too used to automatic settings and focusing to appreciate it all and know how to really exploit a digital camera’s manual functions to the full.

Do you believe that having a high tech set of kit makes a good photographer, or do you believe that there still needs to be a creative ability?

Great equipment with no creative ability can only give rise to photographs with great quality – not great photographs. There is such a big difference. Often enough I find a good photographer doesn’t even need the highest tech equipment, but of course it does help to have decent things to work with. Creativity, composition, and knowing how to use your equipment properly is almost everything in photography. You can tell when the right equipment is in the right hands – their photography just leaves impressions in your mind which are hard to get rid of. I often have dreams (last night included!) of being with particular photographers I admire who may not have the best camera or lenses around, but have produced some of the best photographs I’ve seen in my life.

Do you believe that photography will one day be taken over by moving image, or that photography will always have a part to play in the creative industry?

I personally believe they should be treated as two separate entities – one definitely cannot replace the other, and so photography will always stand strong. Photographs in their stillness can still express so much movement, emotion and beauty – I find that really fascinating. They also give you enough time to analyze a moment which if not frozen by a still image in the form of a photograph, would never have been observed or appreciated so well before.Can you explain the work that you have submitted and what it means to you.These photographs are from my series which are centered around my cardboard-box fellow, Danbo. He’s like my miniature me – and I have used him in situations where I as the subject wouldn’t have been suitable, or simply in otherwise unreal surroundings that can only be created in-camera because of his small size. Being a toy, he leaves me more flexible for placing and positioning in a variety of environments, with other objects his size, to capture situations and ideas that I come up with. It’s a series that has opened my mind to so many new ideas and experimentation, as the world is an even bigger place in his eyes!

What are you plans for the future when it comes to photography?

For now I don’t think I have any fixed or big plans. I do know however I will continue to use it as my means of expression of all the thoughts that are continuously running through my mind. It’s a bit like my personal diary which I fill with my thoughts, dreams, knowledge and experiences, which I then share with others in the hope that I can inspire others at the same time.

Any advice for those who wish to get into photography?

Photography is just like any art form – a means of expression. Your camera and editing software are your materials. You will learn a lot from taking and editing thousands upon thousands of photographs, and experimenting as much as possible to find out what you like to capture and what you discover brings out your thoughts and feelings best. Always remember – photography is not a destination, it’s a journey.

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