Scanning Nature
Photo challenge
photography a definition
n.
1. the process in art of producing images of objects on sensitized surfaces by the chemical action of light or of other forms of radiant energy.
Over the last few years I have listened to many opinions from all levels of photographers and artists relating to what they think photography actually is, people with big photography studios to others with camera phones and Ipads.
Among this collection of people are people who put themselves firmly into one seat or the other.
Personally I think that photography is the use of any device to produce an image that people like including yourself.
As I kid I remember getting a packet of photo paper from the photography teacher at school and placing an oak leaf over it then placing them both on a window ledge in the sun for a minute or so. I then put the paper back in a black bag and fixed the image in the school dark room. I did one of my photography projects that year based on this and never laid my hands on a camera for it.
So last autumn I returned to this concept and collected as much as I could find from our local woods and hedgerows and using a scanner created the following set of images.
If you would like to have a go all you need is a scanner and old shoe box and some black spray paint and paper. The black paint is for the inside of the shoe box (Spray two or three coats until fully black) the paper you lay on top of the upside down box as follows.
Place your selected object on the scanner screen and cover this with the upside down shoe box, the black paper covers this, it needs to be A3 in size for an A4 scanner. The edged border you see around my scanned objects is the edged of the shoe box.
So my school project comes of age and into the digital world!
Nigel Borrington 
Super cool! Fabulous results!!
April 5, 2013 at 11:34 am
Thank you Anne and Monty, I loved making these so it great to get your comments 🙂
April 5, 2013 at 11:55 am
really interesting story; I think Iwould try it!
April 5, 2013 at 11:40 am
Great I look forward to seeing the results !!
🙂
April 5, 2013 at 11:55 am
Hi Nigel, thanks for your very kind comments on my latest drawing, I really appreciate you took the time to do it. The Chilterns are my new focus as far as landscape subject is concerned. They are nearby and a gentle subtle landscape that I partially know but I think exploration will be very productive for me artistically.
I really love these elegant images that make a strong series, each seems to be equally able to hold the eye and draw the viewer in. I think these very pared back images are especially hard to do well, particularly when a series is so easy to compare one to the other. I find this kind of consistency of visual language very hard to achieve, so well done.
April 5, 2013 at 11:47 am
Thank you Nicholas that’s wonderful feed back, I enjoyed every bit of this process even the spray painting of the box!
Thank you 🙂
April 5, 2013 at 11:58 am
Oh wow! That is so cool! Yes, I agree that photography is the use of any device to produce an image. What a beautiful collection!
April 5, 2013 at 1:36 pm
That you Rene, Great comments very pleased you enjoyed these 🙂
April 5, 2013 at 5:36 pm
I like the delicacy of the frame on the thistle. Compliments the plant well.
April 5, 2013 at 2:17 pm
Thanks Sheila 🙂
I just started reading your own blog and am enjoying it very much!
Love your sketchbook idea’s
Nigel
April 5, 2013 at 5:35 pm
Thanks Nigel, the enjoyment is going both ways!
April 6, 2013 at 12:09 pm
🙂 Thanks!
April 6, 2013 at 12:20 pm
Stunning and very cool Nigel! I was wondering how you did that but I got my answer as I read further. Thanks so much for sharin 🙂
April 6, 2013 at 11:42 am
Hi Norma
Many thanks for your great comments…
Really enjoyed doing these and would love to see what someone else could do!
🙂
April 6, 2013 at 11:45 am
These work brilliantly in mono. Recently I have seen a local artist using this technique for some colour montages. When I first bought a scanner I scanned some flowers….squashing them against the glass, and was amazed at the beautiful crystalline detail that the scanner brought out…your post has reminded me to experiment further….thanks Nigel.
April 8, 2013 at 5:31 pm
I like these images – although I’d say that photography can’t be just “the use of any device to produce an image that people like” because the device needs a person to make choices, as you have done here. You chose what to make an image of, where to place them in relation to the frame etc ! On the other hand, there can be photos that you don’t like, but they still fall within the realms of photography , though maybe that’s more the first part of what you’re saying?
Thanks for the likes on my latest painting.
April 8, 2013 at 7:38 pm
Thank you Sonya for your great and Valued comments!!
🙂
April 8, 2013 at 8:38 pm