Cloaked in Shadows

My project Framed by the Light is deliberately restrictive: with only slight variations in subject, lighting and composition. You could even say it is a bit limiting and repetitive, but on reflection I've learnt to see these almost-copies as an opportunity. By taking similar yet slightly different photographs, particularly in regards to lighting, a pattern is formed. I do personally really like this sort of fine art black and white 'chiaroscuro' photography. It appeals to me both in taking the photos which I find very therapeutic and absorbing, to observing their aesthetic style with a preference for deep shadows creating a film noir look.

But combining these photos in my project Cloaked in Shadows offers myriad opportunities to transform them into a different entity entirely, built upon their repetitive nature. If I took the same photo again and again, that wouldn't be very interesting to me. If I made a body of work where each photo was taken in a completely different style and genre, I think it would be disjointed.

Leaning towards the same photographs in concept, but that are technically different opens up creative possibilities. Day to day life can be repetitive and seemingly the same but looked at as a whole or comparing one day to another over time, the difference is clear. Building up a library of similarly lighted photos over time might seem confined and the opposite of expansive. But as well as functioning as standalone images, they can be used together to illustrate their similarities and expose their subtle differences. At the same time, I feel this collaging of images allows for commentary that wouldn't be possible with a single image.

For me it's a playful narrative with many possible interpretations.. one could be that lost in a harsh black and white city where reality and dreams intertwine, the people passing through it are connected only by the light they walk on.