Photographing Collections

If we take a look at how most collections are photographed we find that in most cases objects are isolated from their surroundings and photographed in a very sterile manner with either a black or white background. This tends to let us see the artifact without any distractions but gives us no indication to where it resided or how it was perceived by the original or later owners. It becomes just an object, without history, with no connection to any being.

In this case history I felt it was important that all the objects photographed were done in situ as the positioning of all the other objects around was of great importance. The  grouping of objects

 I felt  was significant in indicating the identites of the new owners. Many people would have categorised items by colour, series or similar objects. In this house objects at first impression seem to have been put together in a rather random fashion, a possible indication of not wishing to conform to ideals. However on close inspection it is clear how much thought has gone into the placement of each piece.

Although I wished to home into single objects I still wished to retain the feeling of the grouping. In order to do this I began to use a very shallow depth of field. This retained the sence of the other objects around but allowed the viewer to focus on one object at a time.

Similarily I avoided the use of  additional lighting , using available light where possible to retain as much authenticity as possible.