The decision to undertake a project about loss came from a deeply personal experience – coping with the loss of my horses. Their absence dominated my thoughts, and this project served as a therapeutic outlet, allowing me to process my grief constructively. I found a level of peace through engaging with this work, particularly as I visited various sites around Cornwall to take photos.
I am passionate about creating meaningful bodies of work that offer social commentary, something I have previously achieved through analogue processes. Although I have extensive experience in the darkroom, this project provided an opportunity to revisit digital infrared photography, a medium I find highly engaging. My aim was to deepen my understanding and skills to a level where pursuing infrared photography professionally could become a feasible goal.
This module required me to utilise my creativity and specialist knowledge to develop a project for exhibition, with a clear theme and purpose. I then needed to refine my work through research and feedback, build a comprehensive understanding of professional practices in the field of infrared photography, and critically evaluate my strengths and weaknesses. This project demanded self-management, extensive use of academic resources, and a high degree of skill. My primary intention was to invite the audience to explore different types of loss and reflect on their own experiences of grief. Recognising that people often judge how others grieve, I aimed to create a judgement-free space that fostered compassion and understanding.
In developing my project, I drew inspiration from several photographers. Francesca Woodman’s use of slow shutter speeds to create an impression of movement influenced my approach to creating ethereal, thought-provoking images. Although I did not incorporate much motion blur into my photos, Woodman’s approach inspired me to aim for softness and a sense of surrealism in the way I edited them. Her use of gothic symbolism also influenced me, leading to poignant photographs of rooks and cemeteries.
Simon Marsden’s work was particularly influential, primarily because he took hundreds of atmospheric photos of ruined structures, landscapes, and monuments – subjects also common to my project. While our approaches were vastly different, we both sought to create surreal images with a ghostly aesthetic. Through my work, I hope I demonstrated that digital infrared is not inferior to analogue, and that my colour images are just as ethereal and beautiful as his hazy, monochrome images.
I was initially drawn to Barnaby Attwell’s photography because I recognised some of the locations depicted in his images. The way he portrayed the Eden Project within a magenta forest and Roche Rock surrounded by a fiery eruption of grass captivated me, and I was eager to see more of his work. I had hoped to meet with him to discuss our respective projects, but time constraints made this difficult. Attwell’s editing style is vibrant and highly saturated, bringing excitement and new life to the ruins his work depicts. He achieves this through channel-swapping and hue manipulation, techniques that I also used when editing my photos. However, where Attwell uses bright colours, I opted for a desaturated, subtle palette to complement my solemn theme.
I had hoped to include some surreal infrared portraits in my work, inspired by Duane Michals’ series, “Heisenberg’s Magic Mirror of Uncertainty”, where Michals was able to capture a model and her warped reflections by using a convex mirror. This sparked my idea of shooting a standard colour photo of a person looking into a mirror with an infrared reflection of her childhood self staring back, illustrating the loss of youthful innocence. However, due to logistical challenges and a lack of confidence in my portrait photography, I focused on other aspects and did not include any portraiture in my project. Other unrealised ideas included portraits of an elderly couple partially in infrared and a disabled person unable to go outside due to their loss of independence. This decision proved beneficial, as the project was broad enough without being overambitious, which I have a tendency towards. Consequently, I did not incorporate many of Michals’ techniques in my work, although researching his methods and intentions deepened my understanding of surrealism.
The two books I read, by Adrian Davies and Rob Shea respectively, were extremely useful. Davies’ comprehensive overview of the basics of infrared photography helped build my technical foundation, particularly regarding how infrared light is reflected by different materials. Shea’s book, blog, and YouTube channel taught me a lot about the difficulties I could, and did, encounter as an infrared photographer. Shea’s tutorials significantly enhanced my understanding of infrared photography, enabling me to tackle technical challenges such as focus issues, hotspots, diffraction, and chromatic aberration. Through this process, I learned the importance of lens compatibility and found that this was the main cause of my focusing problems. I resolved this by discovering and purchasing the lens my camera had been calibrated to work with. In time, I would like to upgrade my kit, but I now know to check lenses for performance regarding hotspots and diffraction. A wonderful lens for visible light does not always make a good lens for infrared light. I would also like to explore UV photography, which my camera is capable of, but have found that the additional kit needed for this is beyond my budget at the moment. Inspired by Shea’s photos, I am looking to purchase the highly popular Chrome filter to expand my infrared toolkit.
Channel-swapping is a common editing technique for infrared images, and Shea’s free colour profiles and Photoshop actions have been extremely valuable, as I used his presets as a foundation to cultivate a style that favours subdued, natural-looking colours, especially the golden hues achieved through swapping the red and blue channels and splitting the green channel equally between red and blue.
Creating the book, business cards, and postcards was a highly successful endeavour, showcasing my attention to detail. Although I am happy with the end products, I realise that I should have done further research into designing these printed resources and my website. These materials represent a professional standard I aim to maintain and build upon after my studies, and in order to do so, I need to keep my knowledge of design trends up to date.
Selecting the final images involved careful consideration and feedback from lecturers and classmates. The “shortlist” was approximately triple the number of images that made it into the book. The photographs chosen to display as prints were four of my rooks and four of my other favourite images edited with golden hues. This enabled me to showcase a representative overview of my work, balancing the need for quality with the desire to present a cohesive narrative.
One of the main difficulties I encountered arose when a local photographer expressed interest in seeing some of my work and I sent them a link to my website. Soon after, they raised a concern with my tutor that some aspects of my work were too similar to theirs, particularly an infrared photo taken through the same archway at Botallack. While I could see some similarities, we had both independently photographed the same archway, and our images differed significantly in their contexts. This structure is on National Trust land, freely open to the public, and is a popular spot for visitors to photograph. Unaware that this photographer had also visited, I went to Botallack in search of two engine houses on a cliff that I had seen in an early 1900s archive photo, which I wanted to replicate for my composite image.
The photographer was also concerned that I had copied their words in some of my text, suggesting that I implied being the first to take infrared photographs in Cornwall. My words, “Cornwall as you’ve never seen it before”, were written four years ago for a previous project when I first started infrared photography, years before I encountered this artist’s work. It is a common expression and does not insinuate that I am the first to use infrared to depict Cornwall – Simon Marsden was taking photos here before I was even born.
Despite being upset by the concerns raised, I was confident that I had done nothing to infringe on anybody else’s copyright and did not need to make any changes. However, as a gesture of goodwill, I chose to replace the photo of the archway as the banner image on my site. Although it remains part of my body of work, out of respect for the other photographer, it is no longer the first image you see on my website. I feel my response was measured and mature, resolving the conflict while still asserting my position regarding the validity of my photograph. The fact that they visited the exhibition on the last day gives me hope that they feel the issue is resolved.
This experience has taught me a great deal about interacting with other artists, as well as laws surrounding copyright and intellectual property. I have also become more familiar with the National Trust photography policies. I feel that this has spurred me on and encouraged me to pursue my Infrared Cornwall project further. I purchased a domain name for my website, set up a business email, and will soon be taking steps to turn this into a professional endeavour.
My photos are not perfect - some are too soft, and my editing skills still need some polish, but these are areas I can improve over time. Some representations of loss require a bit too much explanation, for example, the rooks as symbols of losing connection or the woods as a reflection on our loss of a secure future in the face of climate change. This does not mean they should not have been included, but I should have found other ways to contextualise them.
This project provided an opportunity to develop my infrared photography skills. While I prefer analogue processes, focusing on digital skills, particularly Photoshop, was essential for becoming a well-rounded photographer. It also served a personal, therapeutic purpose, helping me navigate my grief through creative expression. The most emotionally challenging aspect was finding a poem to pair with my final image of the horse, but it was a necessary and fulfilling part of the process.
I effectively identified a theme and purpose, developing both my technical and theoretical understanding of infrared photography and surrealism. Although I did not incorporate all my initial ideas, streamlining my focus proved beneficial. Time management remains a challenge for me due to ADHD, compounded by personal difficulties over the recent years. Despite this, I produced a high-standard body of work. I also recognised my struggles with confidence and assertiveness due to being autistic, particularly in seeking portrait subjects and handling professional conflicts. This is a weakness I have been aware of for many years and continually try to improve.
According to some feedback, some people found my images of the rooks quite poignant. I feel confident in the choices I made to reach my goal of inviting the audience to reflect upon their interpretation of loss, with the poetry, the archway symbolism, and the specific sections chosen. However, I did not get much feedback about this specifically, so I don't know how successfully I met this aim. The feedback I received has been positive, although it has been more general than specific. Setting up the infrared camera for the private view was very well received, and I would love to include more interactive elements in any future exhibitions I have. Lots of people have said they love my pictures, and a few have asked if I can sell them prints for their walls. I feel I understand some of the weaknesses of my work, but if I were to exhibit my work again, I would seek more feedback from my audience.
Overall, while acknowledging areas for improvement, I am pleased with the progress and outcomes of this project. It has provided invaluable learning experiences, both technically and personally, and has laid a solid foundation for my future endeavours in infrared photography.
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