Album cover
Album cover
Album cover
Emily Lee
Multiplicity and levitation
Multiplicity
Multiplicity is the existence of a large number or wide variety of something. In photographical terms however, multiplicity is the replication of a person many times within one image. This is done with the help of a tripod and a continuous, non-fluctuating light source. Setting up the camera on the tripod to fit the whole scene, you first capture an image of the background scene you will use in order to create a backup base layer for later on. Next you retake the image many times, ensuring that the camera settings and perspective are exactly the same so that the images can be easily overlayed in photoshop and there is little to no ghosting. Between each photo, the model can be moved to different positions in the scene according the the layout so that they appear many times within the image.
Once enough images have been taken from the exact same viewpoint with the same settings and lighting, they can be imported into photoshop in order to produce the single multiplicity image. Upon opening photoshop, select: file, scripts, load files into stack. This will open all of the images in a single tab, all layered exactly over each other saving the hassle of copying and pasting each individual image across to the file you are working on. Next add a layer mask to each layer so that you can erase/reveal areas of the images in a non-destructive fashion. Inverting the colours of the layer mask (command i) allows you to hide the entire layer and only paint over the areas you want (with white to reveal, black to cover up), leaving most of the image as the lowest layer and therefore avoiding ghosting. Repeating this process for the rest of the layers allows you to ‘paint in’ the model in their various positions from various images thus creating a ‘multiplicity’.
However this process does not necessarily have to be done with just people. The subject could perhaps be a bottle of tomato sauce added many times across a tabletop, covering the entire surface.
"Hide and Seek" by Lera - 2010
Lisa Stock
"Feast" by Lisa Stock - n.d.
Here, Stock has created what at first appears to be a quite boring, dull toned image with colours in the style of the old masters. However upon a second glance, it becomes obvious that there is something fundamentally wrong with what we are seeing. The reflection in the mirror is quite cleverly positioned to be almost, but not exactly identical to the pose of the person we are looking over the shoulder of. This slight alteration of pose creates a sense of confusion in the image as the viewer struggles to comprehend what they are seeing.
Nowadays, it is much more common to see experimental photography such as this image so it is not entirely overwhelming. However by using muted, earthy colours reminiscent of the old masters paintings, Stock is able to transport the viewer back to a time where the sight of such a thing would have been taken as witchcraft. The use of apples and wine in the image also help to produce the atmosphere of a feast from the 1400s - a time where such an image would have been entirely inconceivable - thus accumulating a feeling of unease.
Compositionally, this image is strong as is makes use of triangular shapes from the models body positions, the arms spread to make a base with the lines coming to a point at the head. The triangle is thought to be the strongest shape therefore giving images a sense of stability, however in this image, the triangles appear to show the strength of only the ‘witch’ rather than presenting the viewer with a feeling of comfort. Additionally the mirror reflection is positioned in the negative space over the closest person’s shoulder, directly addressing the viewer and consequently creating disconcerting mood. In addition to this, the use of an even number of subjects is another method used by photographers, applied here by Stock in order to produce an more unnatural, unpleasant image that makes the viewer uncomfortable.
Lighting wise, the person closest has some evident rim lighting, creating tiny areas of highlight down her right arm whilst leaving her left side to fall into shadow this darkens the image greatly, with around a third of the image being covered by the shadows. The reflection however, is fully lit with only a little light falloff towards the edges of her arms. This implies that she has been lit from the front with a diffused light source, diminishing the shadows whilst allowing some light falloff to the edge in order to isolate her from the background. Furthermore, the stronger lighting of the reflection in comparison to the original model empowers the reflection and gives the impression that this unsettling version is much stronger than originally presumed.
On the whole, this image is particularly interesting in regards to the atmosphere that it creates. I feel that most of my images up to this point have been more serene and consequently, I would like to attempt to replicate the mood of this image in my own attempts at multiplicity.
Test
For these images, I ignored Stock’s work for the simple purpose of practicing the editing process before producing my own full multiplicity images. Instead, I returned again to my love of acrobatic gymnastics in order to produce multiplicity images. I feel that a single image of a routine does not give enough context to the sport and does not allow the viewer to see the full extent of its beauty. In order to amend this, I made use of the technique of multiplicity to add multiple versions of the gymnasts on the same floor. I believe that this provides an effective map of the routines, showing a vast array of incredible elements that are all combined into one mind blowing performance.
To create these images, I used a video taken of each routine and screenshotted specific parts of the routine. Carefully pressing play and pause, I tried to find areas of the routine that showed motion and static elements and were all in reasonable focus. In this way, I was able to show the wide range of elements within a single gymnastics routine. Unfortunately due to myself competing in the competition pictured here, the videos were not taken my myself, but by my sister. The quality of the images is also negatively affected due to my use of screenshots compiled together, however this is not overly noticeable unless zoomed in - in which case the image becomes pixelated - due to the use of a Sony A7 II for filming.
Furthermore my sister’s use of active tracking for videoing, meant that the screenshots that I compiled were not all from exactly the same viewpoint and the lighting changed somewhat between frames. Overall, this resulted in some evident ghosting of lines despite my best efforts to correctly line the images up via the use of free transform and reduced opacity. If I re-attempted this idea, I would ensure that I used a tripod to ensure that each of the photos was from the same perspective in order to minimise the volume of free transforming that I would have to complete post-production to align the images.
In all, I feel that these images link to the work of Mahardhika shown previously via the use of a composite involving people to create an atmosphere of confusion.
Response
This is my set-up for my multiplicity shoot. I made use of the largest free wall by moving the sofa and the painting and placing the kitchen table in its place. I had to use the long sides of the table due to a lack of space, however even this was still too wide, resulting in a messy background. If I had to repeat this shoot I would look into a different, larger space in which to do it. I would also use a darker background so that the subjects will be lighter than it so I would be able to lift the exposure to better see the faces of the model, but keep the overall image dark.
For this shoot, I wanted to remain inside in order to be able to control the lighting better. Here, I was attempting to imitate the orangey glow given off by candles, the only light source available to the old masters (besides sunlight). To create this effect, I kept the ambient sodium lights on, casting an orange glow onto the subjects. I also used a flash unit on the camera with a small diffuser on it in order to create a beam of light similar to that of a candle. The small diffuser allowed me to increase the radius that the light reached, but without losing too much in the sharpness of the shadow edges. I only used one flash unit for the same reason - I didn’t want to wholly light up the subjects as I needed the majority of the photo to be dark to imitate Stock’s work. I wanted to reduce grain in this image so I kept my ISO low (250) and used a shutter speed of 1/200 to freeze any movement. However, this meant that I had to open up the aperture slightly in order to allow sufficient light to enter the camera (F4). Unfortunately, this left no room for error meaning that I was not quite in focus due to the lack of a subject to prefocus on as I was using myself as the model.
I used a similar composition to Stock, having two people seemingly dining together. I however decided to make a more contemporary interpretation and created a piece inspired by the idea of ‘good and evil’. Unlike Stock, I did not use a mirror in my image. I feel that the lack of a mirror is more appropriate in this instance as it allows a more direct line of contact between the relative “good” and “evil” sides. I chose to use plain black and white outfits to represent the two sides as we have come to associate the colour white with purity and innocence (e.g. doves) and black with fear and evil - due to many horror films making use of more underexposed footage. I also positioned the bodies of the models to specifically represent how I see their characters. This took many attempts until I achieved the presence that I wanted. The evil side sits on a reversed chair, body quite open, showing that it is comfortable and unafraid. Meanwhile the good side is tucked into a ball, cowering under the intimidating glare of the evil side, with a look of terror evident on the face. The slight upwards glance also creates an implied leading line, drawing the viewer’s eye up to the dark side, suggesting that it is superior.
I feel that I could have used an orange gel on the flash unit to make the colours more authentic - or even used a real candle - however, I was able to mostly make up for this in lightroom by dropping the shadows and lifting the saturation of the oranges in order to further imitate a scene from the 1400s lit by candle light. There were a few other small issues with this image (such as the background not being entirely empty due to the limited space that I was working in), but overall I am pleased with how it turned out.
A land before photoshop
Artist Sandy Skoglund was a pioneer in the field of multiplicity. Creating scenes containing a large quantity of the same objects in different forms, she produced abstract, almost surreal images. However, operating in the early 80s meant that Skoglund had no access to a computer in the way that we do now and hence could not easily use photoshop in the way that we are able to. Consequently, each individual object in every image is hand crafted. The process of creating her own props for her photoshoots would have taken Skoglund countless hours thus showing her determination and vigilance as a photographer.
"Revenge of the Goldfish" by Sandy Skoglund - 1980
Levitation
This concept is similar to that of multiplicity due to its use of the same technique to produce the final images. As in multiplicity, the use of layer masks is also required in order to erase away parts of the image that ground the subject in order to create the impression that it is levitating. In this particular type of shot, it is absolutely vital to capture and image of the whole scene before the presence of any kind of subject in order to produce a base layer to work from. It is also critical that the camera - once correctly positioned and set up - is not adjusted in any way so that every shot taken will align directly to one other and reduce the ghosting of features in the image. It is far easier to to this indoors with a continuous, unwavering light source, however the possibilities of the outdoors create a wide margin of opportunity to the extent that most outcomes are favourable.
One particular favourite is the use of levitation over water. This technique creates beautiful reflections, but it becomes increasingly difficult to remove the apparatus used for the levitation in post production editing.
"Waterfall" by Tristan White - n.d.
Florian W Mueller
"REM" by Florian W Mueller - n.d.
This image is a levitation shot by Florian W Mueller. The most common images that we see upon searching for ‘levitation’ photography are those containing women with flowing clothing, arched above some form of water source. As incredible as these photos are, I feel that there is a much more simple yet effective version of this technique to be done. Here, Mueller efficiently uses photoshop layer masks in order to layer together two images of a woodland scene. In order to take this image, Mueller would have had to use the afore mentioned process of taking a plain image and then another with the item to be levitated from the exact same position in order to be able to layer them neatly together.
I particularly like the atmosphere that this image exudes; it has a calm, comforting feel - almost dreamlike in its colour scheme - but borders on the edge of sinister. The muted, earthy tones create a sense of stability, however there is an almost overwhelming amount of darkness in the image, producing sinister undertones and suggesting that the image is not quite as serene as the viewer is led to believe.
Compositionally also, this image appears less innocent than the muted colours show with a full background of trees that show strong vertical lines which create a feeling of dynamacy. The levitation itself also creates a feeling of dynamacy as we are all educated enough to understand that gravity pulls objects down and hence seeing a floating object hold the implication of motion as we understand that it cannot possibly stay it its current position. However the existence of such a photo in the first place produces a mildly unsettling feeling as the whole concept goes against the natural order.
There appears to be a minimalistic lighting set up, with Mueller making use of the natural ambient lighting to expose his shot. The use of the natural light is evident due to the lack of harsh shadows that would’ve been created by external flash units. This is due to the sun being so far away with its light being immensely diffused by the clouds and thus able to vastly light a subject. In order to achieve an image with the subject so clearly lit against the light fall off through the trees in the background, Mueller has specifically chosen a clearing which allows the sunlight to stream through whilst a dense mass of trees sits behind, falling into darkness. However, to produce this effect with purely sunlight would be near impossible, therefore we can assume that Mueller used a flash unit in front of the subject in order to light it, but with the distance between it and the background producing a large fall off, effectively isolating the subject.
I would very much like to achieve an unconventional levitation shot such as this. I might use a similar idea in order to produce the same juxtaposition of ground and air objects that makes the image feel so unnatural.
Response
Attempt 1
My first attempt of levitation did not involve a stepladder. Instead, I used my dad to lift me into a position. This location was my first choice as I liked the leading lines created by the trees and the track, reminiscent of an album cover for Imagine Dragons.
Unfortunately, this shoot did not work out. My focus point was wrong for the images, making the background in focus, but not the main subject hence diminishing the astonishment of the levitation as a whole. Additionally, I took very few images here due to a small incident in which I was dropped and hence my attire became muddy and I had to return home to change. The road down to this location was flooded so for my second attempt, I had to use a more urban location that was easier to get to. I also took a stepladder the second time around in order to reduce the risk of being dropped again.
This album cover is one of the sources of inspiration for this shoot. I intended to use a similar composition with leading lines drawing the viewer’s eye to the subject, making it that much more impressive.
Attempt 11
These are the raw images that I used to produce my levitation shots. It is painfully clear how cold the day was due to the strong blue tones in the images, hence showing the sheer volume of colour correction I had to undergo in lightroom in order to make the image more visually appealing. Additionally, these images show the progression of positions with both myself and the step ladder, attempting to find a pose that would look impressive after the editing to produce an awe inspiring levitation image.
In my attempt of levitation, I strayed away from Mueller’s woodland dreams and instead pursued the alteration of the ordinary. With the use of a stepladder and a 10 second timer, I was able to capture images of myself in various positions which I then overlayed onto a plain image in order to create the effect that I was floating. I used a layer mask with inverted colours to allow me to paint myself into the image rather than painting the rest of the image out. Initially going over the image with a large brush to transfer all of myself onto the blank canvas, I then retraced the edges of the body with a small, hard edged brush to reduce ghosting.
I chose this location as it has some nice leading lines formed by the two walls, however it also contains a large area of negative space which works perfectly for a shoot like this, creating a clear gap between myself and the floor, amplifying the initial effect of the levitation. Additionally this location was effective for my shoot as the colours were reminiscent of Mueller’s work, hence linking my work to his. Despite this, the background was not exactly as I would have liked it, with messy fences and overgrown bushes crowding it, distracting from the main subject. In an attempt to minimise this distraction, I used a larger aperture (F4.5) to produce a smaller depth of field so that as much as possible of the background was out of focus, therefore drawing the viewer’s eye back to the subject. Furthermore, I dressed myself in blues and purples so as to isolate myself further from the earthy tones of the background. This creates a similar juxtaposition of sky and ground objects to Mueller’s work due to blues common association with the sky.
I wanted to create a slightly unsettling feeling of awe similar to the atmosphere produced by Mueller’s REM series. I feel that I achieved this through the use of ordinary processes - such as walking - in an extraordinary manner. Unfortunately, these images are not quite as awe inspiring as I would have liked due to the time of year that they were taken. Being captured in early December means that the ambient lighting from the sun was somewhat dulled and therefore I had to push my ISO up to 800, increasing the grain. Despite this, I still had to drop the highlights and lift the shadows greatly in lightroom in order to get an even exposure. Additionally, due to my unwillingness to push the ISO any further to avoid grain, I had to drop the shutter speed down to 1/30 which produced some slight blur (however it wasn’t too bad due to the support of both the wall and the stepladder keeping me fairly still). Moreover due to the chill of the day, the temperature of the image wasn’t how I wanted it so I had to greatly adjust the colours in lightroom in order to make them far less blue and seem more natural.
Lastly, my body shape in these images seems slightly distorted. This is as a result of gravity acting by bodyweight, pressing down into the ladder and hence caused great difficulty when removing it in photoshop. Despite this, I feel that this was a good attempt at levitation photography and I will most likely return to this technique in the future.