Coral Lands
2018
Coral Lands is an underwater series of photographs in which unique marine creatures are arranged amongst live rock and florals to present strange and otherworldly landscapes.
These unusual and precious sessile animals exist alongside bright colours and night sky backdrops, creating familiar yet dream-like vignettes, encouraging the viewer to delve into their imagination.
Each of these scenes has been carefully and often elaborately constructed underwater. A water tank environment was prepared where coral could thrive, and flowers and plants, held down by weights, were then introduced and carefully placed. Once the scene was set with time being of the essence, LED lighting was temporarily replaced with studio lighting.
Throughout the photographic process, a focus plane merging technique was used to extend the depth of field in the works. Later in the post-processing stage, multiple layers were manually blended to create a single image, the aim being a perfectly in-focus image. Attempting this slow technique was quite a challenge when it was discovered that coral can and do move quickly, making the blending process almost impossible at times.
Each planetary day, coral emerges at dawn and retreats at dusk. One magical night of the year, on a full moon, entire coral reefs spawn, reproducing in synchrony. Their eggs are carried by ocean currents to create new life, shining a glimmer of hope for this disappearing life form.
2018
Coral Lands is an underwater series of photographs in which unique marine creatures are arranged amongst live rock and florals to present strange and otherworldly landscapes.
These unusual and precious sessile animals exist alongside bright colours and night sky backdrops, creating familiar yet dream-like vignettes, encouraging the viewer to delve into their imagination.
Each of these scenes has been carefully and often elaborately constructed underwater. A water tank environment was prepared where coral could thrive, and flowers and plants, held down by weights, were then introduced and carefully placed. Once the scene was set with time being of the essence, LED lighting was temporarily replaced with studio lighting.
Throughout the photographic process, a focus plane merging technique was used to extend the depth of field in the works. Later in the post-processing stage, multiple layers were manually blended to create a single image, the aim being a perfectly in-focus image. Attempting this slow technique was quite a challenge when it was discovered that coral can and do move quickly, making the blending process almost impossible at times.
Each planetary day, coral emerges at dawn and retreats at dusk. One magical night of the year, on a full moon, entire coral reefs spawn, reproducing in synchrony. Their eggs are carried by ocean currents to create new life, shining a glimmer of hope for this disappearing life form.
The works feature stars and moons which hint at the lunar relationship and cyclical attunement within all nature,
also symbolising the artist herself living with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder,
a debilitating hormone-based mood disorder which follows a predictable,
cyclic pattern where imbalances arise during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.
also symbolising the artist herself living with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder,
a debilitating hormone-based mood disorder which follows a predictable,
cyclic pattern where imbalances arise during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.
