Exercise 21: Making figures anomyous

The aim of this exercise was to understand and utilize ways of including people/person in a photograph of a place while deliberately making them unrecognizable. In some of the following photographs I have succeeded in this, but in others I have zoomed in too much on the person so the photograph is more about them than the place. I have included them anyway as it is all part of the learning process.

Photo 1. Reflection in a painting at GOMA. Perhaps too much about the fun nature of the image rather than a space per se.

Photo 2. Small and many (not that many...) Good balance between the children and tables.

Photo 3. Partially obscured. An effective and interesting photograph, but not really about a space, more focussed on the woman - I should have stepped back and included her in her environment more.

Photo 4. Cyclist in silhouette. An effective photograph of a building, with the cyclist in silhouette giving some human interest.

Photo 5. Couple in silhouette, sunset at Noosa. Another effective photograph of a stunning sunset complete with moon finished off with the inclusion of the (small) couple in silhouette. 

Photo 6. Red wall, advertising sign with people. About the place (under a bridge), with the inclusion of people slightly blurred against the bright wall.

Photo 7. Perth convention centre - a cleaner and man shown from behind add interest to the foyer of the large convention centre.

Photo 8. One from the archive - Munich showing small people which emphasise the scale of the gardens.

Photo 9. Another from the archive - this time Dubrovnik, old buildings with a very blurred person who almost looks ghost-like in this photo...

So not all were a success but a good collection of examples showing how people can be included but with less emphasis. I need to step back a bit more sometimes to capture more about the space than the people. With projects like this I'm so glad I have my super dooper point and shoot (Canon Powershot S95), it's so useful to have it with me all the time!