unediting—caroline joseph
In this series, called Unediting, I talk to artists as they reveal what goes behind the scenes of their finalized art pieces.
For this post, we decipher a photo series by Caroline Joseph.
About the Series
Caroline: Ever taken the time to look and appreciate the inside of a papaya? I certainly haven't. Being locked in is making a lot of us re-evaluate and enjoy the smaller pleasures and it has made me look at everyday things in a new light. It has challenged me to explore other mediums of props.
My thought process when I create always starts with the colours. While choosing my props, I see a colour palette I would like to explore in my head and I illustrate and play with compositions from that.
For traditional top shots, you would choose props that relate to each other and illustrate a theme. I wanted to challenge myself and so I ditched all my understanding of the first sentence and followed my colour palette instinct instead. For these isolation creations, I chose to photograph everyday things we consume, to re-look the ordinary.
Caroline: To me it's brought in a sense of calmness during this lockdown to be able to appreciate the smaller things and really embrace slow living which is what I was trying to portray through this particular picture. Illustrating it through a sense of movement and the calming aesthetic the poured milk brings. We all use/see milk pretty much everyday but we often overlook it.
Caroline: After sharing the first image online and seeing the response I got from that, I wanted to challenge myself and make a remake of it. I wanted to take the same props/the same vision and create something entirely new. Which is why even though I have a pappadam coaster, milk with the flower in the remake, I brought in a whole new story.
Caroline: I started with the colour palette and let it induce an emotion. I led with that emotion. The leaf was placed as if it were embracing the spice the chili brought, which is enhanced with the liquid oil. In a way the picture exhibits notes of intimacy, the underlying note I held onto.
Behind the Scenes
On the Cutting Room Floor
Photos that didn't make the final cut:
My thoughts
The mood in these photographs was the first thing that drew me in — the warmth in them, a feeling of home.
In case you're looking to create something similar, a few things to note here. First is the choice of colour palette. Shades of yellows and reds are all warm colours. This can be further enhanced in post-processing by increasing the colour temperature, all of which makes the image more warm and brings out that mood.
Since we want the image to feel inviting, it can't be heavy with contrast. Soft, diffused light, natural sunlight works best in such a case. Sunlight filtered through leaves, like the case here, also adds a bit of dynamism in the scene.
Another thing here is how all of the images are shot close-up. The full frame is filled up leaving not much empty space. Shooting things up close feels more personal, there's less distance between the subject and the viewer. It makes us feel as if we're right there, which further adds to the mood of warmth, and home.