Film and contemporary photography

The film inspired contemporary art project as mentioned in the previous blog has been preying on my mind. I particularly like the work of James Stewart and also Alfred Hitchcock, so my choice of film was a no brainer: Rear Window. I was even awake early this morning with all these ideas going through my head – I hate that at weekend!

I have already got a model booked for the studio and have an idea about the kind of set up I want in the photos. I have found an abandoned, grade listed building that is in the process of being done up. I have managed to contact the person who owns it and he has given me permission to photograph it. It was fire damaged, but the beauty of its skeletal remains are still apparent and I wanted to use this aspect in the photographs. The plan is to photograph the building separate to the model as, in its present state, it is a bit of a health hazard. I have taken some photos and once I have photographed the model, I will decide if this method is the best course of action.

I managed to get down there on Saturday afternoon. I waited until 3pm when the sun had settled down, it would have been a nightmare to try to photograph in strong sunlight (and it’s the end of October!) so I waited until it was a bit more muted. I photographed the exterior using HDR as I wanted to bring out the detail in the brickwork and highlight the elegance of the architecture. I was a little paranoid in case someone questioned what I was doing, even though I had permission. I was even more paranoid about the noises I kept hearing from within the ruined building, considering I was the only human there! I persevered however and ended up being there for around an hour or so. There aren’t many buildings of such stature that have not undergone extensive modernisation and that you can photograph without losing the integral part of its atmosphere. The windows and doorways were still evident and it was these parts of the building that I wanted to dominate the background of my intended photograph.

Even though the experience was somewhat nerve-wracking (spooky noises), I loved the structure of the building and it will definitely be part of this shoot, even if I have to re-shoot. I want to use the location before it is sold on and no longer fit for purpose.

© Andrea Percival