Image Bank

https://liamlynchphoto.wordpress.com
https://charlottewebber.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/the-5-senses-touch/

I think these images are very effective in conveying the sensory experience of touch. They are tightly cropped and just focus on the person's hands and so direct attention on the sensations being experienced there. They show the heat of the sun shining through a window and warming the hands of the person who has spread out their hands to enjoy this experience. The other image captures a child placing the palms of their hands onto a large sheet of frosted glass, in order to experience the rippled texture in the glass. The effectiveness of these images encourages me to use close up images of the part of the body that is experiencing the sensation, such as hands, nose, ears, eyes and mouth to highlight the experiences being portrayed in my images.



http://ramproductionsla.com/spaghetti-sensory/
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/pair-of-worn-out-leather-work-gloves-donald-erickson.html

This baby is having a great time exploring the squishy texture of cooked spaghetti as it slides through her fingers. When we are born we start from a blank canvas of sensations and it is only through exploring that we learn and experience how different substances feel. It is the memories that we create and remember that allow us to imagine how images of other materials we see later on will feel like. I will use carefully selected props that have familiar textures or sensation of touch (hot/cold/pain) to convey to the viewer what the hands are experiencing.

When I look at these gloves that are worn out with use I can imagine the many hours of handling rough materials they have done. They have protected the owner's hands from the rough texture of all sorts of materials such as bricks and branches. The gloves material has been slowly worn away by the friction and damage from these rough materials. Even though the sensation of the experience is not being shown here in this image, the worn gloves convey through our imagination what the hands have experienced. Certain props will have connotations associated with them, for example, if we see someone using a white stick we know that they are visually impaired. I will select props to use that reveal details about the person and their experiences that would not be clear otherwise.




https://www.dandad.org/en/d-ad-next-photographer-tips-super-sensory-images/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/no-bake-triple-decker-peanut-butter-smores-bars/


This macro image of an eye is absolutely captivating and captures the beauty and intricacy of our eyes and our sight. It makes me think of how it is not just our eyes that are beautiful but also our ability to perceive beauty through them and opens up the world for us to explore. I will use the technique of macro photography in my project to create such intricately detailed images of the eye, not just human eyes but also of other animals such as geckos, snakes, rabbits, donkeys etc to highlight the different sensory experiences they have with their sight.

The taste of food is something that can be visually conveyed as the sight of looking at delicious food will create the anticipation of its taste. Therefore I will research how to effectively present food visually so that it looks appealing and delicious to eat. This image of warm marshmallows and chocolate makes my mouth water with the anticipation of how they will taste and how their soft texture will feel when I bite into them.



http://brightonlibrary.info/2017/04/06/hide-and-seek/

The image showing a child covering her eyes as she plays hide and seek reminds me of how some people are visually impaired and cannot just remove their hands from their eyes to see again. I will capture images depicting the sensory experiences of visually impaired people and the tools they use to allow them to experience the world in a different way, such as through braille writing and by using a white stick to detect objects in their path.



https://www.dornbracht.com/en-ae/products/bath-and-spa/private-spa---transforming-water/luxury-shower-sensory-sky/

https://www.theexperience.org.uk/about-us/sensory-room/

The freeze frame image of water spraying down onto the person having a shower evokes memories of how refreshing it feels to have warm water spraying onto your face under the shower and how invigorating this feels. By capturing images with perceived motion in them this will better convey the sensations being experienced to the viewer. I will, therefore, endeavour to include motion in some of my images to make them more effective at conveying the experience.




https://www.farmfowl.com/guide/chickens-like-eat/
http://children-learningreading.info/kwrcinfo-chicken-teeth.htm
http://www.children-learningreading.info/kwrcinfo-chicken-mouth.htm

Hens have very little ability to detect differences in things they taste because they have less than 100 taste buds. This means their ability to taste is very bland and they are not fussy eaters. This will be a difficult thing to convey visually, I could perhaps use black and white in my image to convey this. There are a number of unusual animal sensory experiences that I could choose to capture in my project and I will have to carefully research information about them before deciding upon which ones to select for my project. A number of these are illustrated below.





http://www.oaklandzoo.org/animal/ball-python
https://sites.google.com/a/mitacademy.org/evolution-and-natural-selections/field-data-and-results
http://www.keepingexoticpets.com/ball-python-heaters-heating/
http://animalia-life.club/other/ball-python-face-close-up.html


I am fascinated by reptiles and therefore knowledgeable about them and when I look at these images of a ball python I think they illustrate the way snakes can sense the world. The close-up images focus on the line of small pits just above the snake's mouth, which are called sense pits and this is where a snake detects heat. These pits allow them to see in infrared by physically detecting the heat radiating off other animals. As snakes have very poor eyesight it is this sensory experience that enables them to strike their prey accurately. This ability is perhaps not generally known so I think viewers will be interested to see how snakes experience the world and see how the world can be experienced differently by certain creatures with extreme abilities.






http://www.catsexclusive.com/blog/what-is-whisker-stress
https://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/the-science-behind-your-cats-most-adorable-features
http://agingfree.org/en-us/news/ArticleID/483/Mouse-teeth-providing-new-insights-into-tissue-regeneratio


These close up images of whiskers on animals such as cats and rodents capture how the many sensitive whisker hairs protrude from the animals face allowing it to touch and explore the environment by physically sensing and feeling what is around them. This helps them determine things such as whether a tunnel entrance is wide enough for their bodies to fit into. By using close-cropped images I can better convey to the viewer how the experience of having whiskers will feel. In these images, you feel as if you can reach out and touch them, the close-up images make them feel more intimate and personal.






http://canacopegdl.com/keyword/macro-wallpapers-full-hd.html
https://www.somepets.com/25-amazing-chameleon-pictures/
https://wallpapercave.com/chameleon-wallpaper
http://www.thepinsta.com/chameleon-crazy-eyes_LroJ5Bm44x4AoBgXPn3jnmkuPLyRxaCHIuFwySW8MDI/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472666923372946436/

The first and last images illustrate the unique visual experience a chameleon has. It can move its eyes independently in different directions, and this allows it to view two different scenes at the same time. This helps the chameleon to hunt for prey at the same time as keeping an eye out for predators that could harm it. When I look at the image my attention is immediately drawn to the differences in where the eyes are focused, one can be watching something from the side or above it while the other is watching the sky, or directly ahead. It is quite amazing to think of the way it can see the world and it would be fantastic to experience the world in this way. I would love to capture images of a chameleon's eyes in my project but will have to find an owner that is willing to let me photograph their pet.





https://www.myeyedr.com/blog/eye-care/three-tips-to-improve-your-child%E2%80%99s-eye-health
https://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/eye_exam.html?sti=mcrfs0w1tme4xibo96|&mediapopup=25122676
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/typical-opticians-eye-test-chart-over-784634263
http://pisacanoeye.com/diabetes-vision-diabetic-retinopathy-diabetic-macular-edema/

I am short sighted so without my spectacles my distance vision is blurred. I, therefore, need to wear glasses to correct this and right my sensory experience. These images remind me of when I visit the opticians and how the charts would look with and without wearing my spectacles. I think this would be an effective way to convey the experience of being short-sighted to viewers in an image. I will create a composite image using both a blurred and sharply in focus landscape scene and use the frame from my spectacles to illustrate how they change how I perceive the world.






https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2645

This close-up image shows an eye that has a cataract in it that is impairing the woman's sight, this is shown as the clouding or loss of transparency of the lens of the eye due to tissue breakdown or protein aggregation. When I look at this image and see the clouded lens causing the obstruction I can perceive how her vision will be impaired and how her sensory experience will be diminished as she looks through the cataract. This is something I have seen in my 12-year-old Cocker Spaniel dog's eyes as he also has cataracts. By capturing close up images of my dog's eyes I can convey how cataracts affect vision.





http://thescienceexplorer.com/nature/why-do-snakes-have-forked-tongues
http://www.asergeev.com/pictures/archives/compress/2012/1073/16.htm
http://snakes-2013.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/snakes-tongue.html

In these images, the snake is flicking its forked tongue out to taste its environment. Its tongue has no receptors on it but it transfers the chemicals into its mouth to receptors located there. The two forks on the tongue deposit into different regions in the mouth and this allows the snake to create a gradient of smell to allow it to follow the scent of prey from the trails they leave behind. This is an amazing way to experience the world by tasting the air and ground and the images capture this in action, with the snake's tongue flicking up and down.  I particularly like the way the last image uses a narrow depth of field to focus attention on the snake's tongue by blurring other parts of the frame, and this is a technique I plan on using to focus attention to where I want it to be in my images.

Research: Sir Simon Marsden

Sir Simon Marsden

http://www.simonmarsden.co.uk/intro.htm

http://www.marsdenarchive.com/

http://joefaraceblogs.com/the-wood-effect-in-infrared-photography/

On his 21^st birthday Simon Marsden was given a gift of a Leica IIIg 35mm camera by his father and so began his lifelong passion with photography. After studying photography and printing in London he travelled the world capturing images and developing his own personal style. On returning to Britain he focused on capturing images of places of historical significance developing a speciality in this. His images include those of churches, graveyards, gargoyles, ruins and landscapes of often haunted locations. He had a fascination with the supernatural and would travel throughout Europe to find his locations. His images had a haunted spooky atmosphere and this was partially achieved through his use of infrared film. This film was unusual at the time but gave his images their other worldly quality. His work has been widely exhibited and he has published his images in a number of books including ‘The Haunted Realm,’ ‘Venice’, ‘This Spectred Isle’ and ‘City of Haunting Dreams.’ And was also the subject of a documentary ‘The Twilight Hour’, He passed away aged 63 in 2012 but his images taken over the last 40 years have been collected into ‘The Marsden Archive’ and form a unique collection of beautiful ethereal black and white images.

This image is from The Marsden Archive from the ‘Eerie lakes and cruel seas’ category and was taken in an unknown location in Belgium. The image is of a calm lake and the foliage that surrounds it, including tall trees in the background and the water lilies floating on the water at its edges. The lake is reflecting the surrounding scenery on its still dark surface and the sky has a dramatic appearance and this all adds to the images eerie atmosphere. The image was taken with infrared film and this turns the location into a place of other worldly beauty. Where surreal effects can be seen such as vegetation appearing white, water and skies take on a black and dramatic appearance. By surfaces reflecting the infrared light in unique and interesting ways this produces an image with fantastic contrast between surfaces and creates great clarity in the image. You would not be able to be see this image with our naked eye as we can only detect visible light and infrared is beyond this (700-1200 nanometers).  Cameras however can detect near-infrared and so can turn an invisible part of the light spectrum visible to us and create stunning landscapes with unique stark distinctions that we have never seen before.

This image is from The Marsden Archive from the ‘Gnarled Trees & Forbidding Woods’ category and was taken at the The Icknield Way, Oxfordshire , England. It is an image taken looking along a path in a dense area of hedges, trees and shrubs.  It captures the sunlight breaking through the foliage and casting shadows along the path. The image has been taken to allow the perspective of the path to lead the viewer into the centre of the image and so create perspective depth in it. Then a vanishing point has been included where the path disappears into the horizon. This feature creates drama as well as interest in the image adding to its ethereal feel. What I particularly like about this image is the way the vegetation, the leaves and grasses are white or near white and so much lighter than the surfaces of the tree trunks and branches which are considerably darker. This effect is called the ‘Wood Effect’ after the American physicist who discovered it and is considered the father of infrared and ultraviolet photography by many.  The effect gives foliage a dream like winter wonderland look caused by the way infrared light is reflected off the foliage.

This image is from The Marsden Archive from the ‘Fantastic follies’ category and was taken at The Temple of The Winds, The Neale, County Mayo, Ireland . It is a landscape image with the trunk of a large tree on the left foreground and a freestanding folly set on a brick mount positioned further back in the image. The leaves of the tree hang downwards at the top of the frame and encircle the temple on all sides. This creates a frame for it to direct viewer’s attention towards it.  The infrared light makes the foliage near white and so makes the frame high lit against the dark background of that part of the sky. The image produced is one of strong contrasts between light and dark making it very dramatic.

This image is of the Topiary, at Burton Agnes Hall in Yorkshire, England which is from The Marsden Archive’s ‘Secret gardens’ category. The image shows a view of the gardens of a large stately home. Positioned prominently in view are several sculpted bushes and the manor house can be seen in the backgrounds. But the most eye catching feature is the four geese in the foreground that are walking towards the photographer. The perspective of the camera has been taken from a low down position relatively close to the bushes so that they appear to be very large, in comparison to the manor house in the distance. What I find fascinating about this image is how the technique of infrared film is used to make the geese so prominent in the image and immediately draw my eye to them. This is due to the Wood effect and the way it makes the foliage and grass near white compared with the dark geese who reflect the light differently. The juxtaposition of this sharp contrast makes the geese stand out clearly in a dramatic way.

  This image is from The Marsden Archive from the ‘Crumbling castle’ category and is of Lowther Castle in Westmoreland, England. The image taken using infrared film shows a once impressive castle that is now in a state of disrepair. The walls are still intact but there appears to be no windows or roof. The sunlight can therefore shine directly through the window spaces giving the castle a rather eerie look as if someone has switched on all the lights. This gives the impression that the castle is haunted. The vivid contrasts in the sky add to the dramatic feel of the image. The overgrown vegetation covering much of the steps leading up to the castle are white, due to the Wood Effect and this gives the image a spooky supernatural atmosphere.

Influence and Summary

 I have found Marsden’s work with infrared photography particularly interesting as in my project I have been researching the extreme sensory experiences that particular animals have that allow them to experience the world in different ways compared to others. Geckos are a group of small reptiles that are active at dawn and dusk and have evolved from lizards. However as they moved into nocturnal niches they developed night vision to help them hunt and find mates but only their cone cells in their eyes evolved and not the rod cells. This allowed them to have cells that were much more light sensitive and let them see infrared light. Their extreme night vision therefore allows them to see clearly in colour under conditions of darkness where humans could not see anything and infrared photography allows us to share in the gecko’s sensory experience.

I have therefore been inspired by the unusual beauty and uniqueness of Marsden's infrared images to try this technique myself to capture landscape images in infrared. One of the images I have taken is shown below, I have adapted it in photoshop to black and white to remove the red tint. As I am using an infrared filter rather than a converted camera I had to use a long exposure of 30 seconds and this prevents me from capturing animals in my image as they will not stay still for such a length of time. I have captured a landscape image of the trees in my garden with the sky behind them. The unique and unusual way the foliage and sky appear using this technique is amazing, quite different from the way it appears in visible light. The foliage on the trees is white and much more intense and dramatic as it contrasts with the dark wooden parts of the branches, due to the different way this material reflects infrared light. The sky too also looks much darker than would be seen with visible light and this adds mood and atmosphere to the image. This image reveals a landscape that is normally invisible to us and shows us how animals like the gecko that can see near infrared light view their world.

Research: Nadine Greeff

Nadine Greeff

http://www.nadinegreeff.com/

Nadine Greeff is a professional food photographer and food stylist who is based in Cape Town South Africa. She has captured wonderful food photographs for local and international clients and is responsible for taking images for 12 cookbooks. Her work is influenced by the chiaroscuro style of the Dutch Masters as she uses the dramatic contrast between light and dark to guide the eye around her images leading them to a specific area. She uses natural indirect light and the dramatic contrast between light and shadow to create mood and atmosphere in her images. She combines this with her love of colours and natural textures as well as foliage which comes from her former experience as a floral designer, and in doing this creates dramatic engaging images of delicious food. Her collections include ‘NOIR’ and ‘Weekend’.

In this image from her ‘NOIR’ series Greeff has stacked the pancakes high to create compositional depth in the image and used a plain coloured background to not detract focus from the food. The berries add interesting shapes as well as the perception of their tangy flavours and the natural side lighting creates contrast between the shadowed and hi-lit areas. This adds mood to the image and focuses the eye around the image to rest on the syrup being dribbled onto the top pancake in the stack. This evokes memories of the sweet taste and the anticipation of eating the food. A small number of berries have been placed randomly around the plate as though they have fallen off and this creates further interest in the image and also emphasises the fruity taste as well as creating a more casual relaxed feel to the image so it is associated with previous happy experiences. When I look at these pancakes I can't wait for the syrup to stop being poured so that I can eat the whole lot, they look really delicious and I can almost feel the blueberries bursting in my mouth.

In this image, Greeff has lined up the cupcakes to create depth using perspective to draw the eye into the image. However, a narrow depth of field has been used and placed around the middle cupcake in the centre of the image. This is the only one in sharp focus so the eye is naturally drawn to it. The image is from her ‘NOIR’ series where she uses the contrast between light and shadow to lead the eye around the image and rest it where she wants it. In this image, the central cupcake has been placed in a small light coloured plate which acts as a high-lit frame for the cake and further draws attention to it. The unusual lilac colour of the cream cheese frosting on the cakes makes them very eye catching and highlights the texture of the swirling pattern of piping. The tiny flowers and foliage add an attractive aspect to the beautiful display and creating a visually pleasing image that is captivating and mouthwatering.  

This is another of Greeff’s food images where she has styled a scene showing cups of frothy cappuccino coffees or hot chocolate, and a plate of biscuits, laid out on a table as if about to be drank. White plain coloured crockery and dark background have been chosen for the image to keep the focus of attention on the hot drink and the broken biscuit at the front of the frame. The depth of field has also been set to focus on this plate and keep in in sharp focus compared to the rest of the frame. The textures in the image create the anticipation of the taste and feel of the food, The crumbly texture of the biscuit is accentuated by it being broken in two and having a bit missing from it as though it has been eaten. Also, the texture of the bubbly froth floating on the hot drink evokes memories of how it will stick to your top lip as you drink it so that you have to lick it off. This image evokes the sensations of enjoying the taste and smell of a warm and delicious drink and a sweet crumbly biscuit. Even the handle of the cup has been placed towards the viewer as if inviting them to take the cup and sip from it.  

In this image, Nadine has captured a bowl of hearty beef stew and vegetables. The perspective this image has been taken at is slightly more overhead looking down on the food, rather than at the level of the food like the previous images above. This can sometimes make the image very flat looking but the way the stew is piled up in the middle of the bowl adds the perception of height to the image. A plain coloured background has been chosen to focus attention on the meal and a napkin made of a hard wearing working man's material like denim has been added to create the perception of a meal that will fill a hungry person up. The chunks of beef and veg in the stew add texture to the image and create the anticipation of how it will feel to chew. The addition of a spoon placed into the stew also adds to the perception of it being eaten and encourages the viewer to feel they could just lift that spoon and taste the stew. The only thing I feel would have liked to have been added to enhance the anticipation of its taste would be the perception of heat, a little steam rising from it would have really added to the anticipation of tasting the warm flavours. This would have been easy to add in digitally afterwards and as the background is dark this would have made it easier.

 

I liked this image because it is a bit different from the others.  It still focuses on something edible, a single glass jar of fruit jam which is sitting on a table. However, it is not particularly pleasing to look at as the jam is a bit messy and stuck in splodges and smears in various places to the glass jar. There is also a spoon stuck in the jar as though someone has been using it and has just left it carelessly on the table after dribbling some of the sticky substance onto the table. However I like this image as it looks and feels real, it is messy and not perfect like the other images, it's more like real life. This is how a jar of jam ends up looking after it has been used many times. From the amount of jam that has been used people must love its taste. I also like the way the table looks well worn with scores and scuffs on its surface as if many people have sat and ate at it over the years. The simplicity of the image, with no other food or plates to suggest where the jam is going to be used such as on scones or bread. This is left to the viewer's imagination and their preferences so they can picture spreading it with the spoon onto their choice of food surface, and in this way makes the experience it evokes more individually personal.

Influence and Summary

Greeff has used a number of techniques in her photography and has used her ability as a food stylist to present her food to make it look delicious and appealing. I have taken inspiration from her images and the techniques she uses to incorporate a number of them into my own images to firstly focus attention on the food, then add the perception of depth to the image, convey the texture of the food, and finally add interest to the image. I have summarised how the various techniques I have been inspired by Greeff's images to use have impacted my compositions.

Focus attention on the food

1. narrow depth of field
2. use plain colour backgrounds
3. guide eye to a high-lit area
4. use light coloured plates

Add the perception of depth to the image to make the food look 3D and real

1. good quality lighting
2. compositional depth by stacking up or arranging in a row

Convey the texture of the food to highlight how it feels

1. include different textures eg. rough biscuits
2. cut some of the fruit

Add interest to the image to make the food look appealing

1. use contrasting colour
2. use interesting shapes 

In this image, I have used some of the techniques above to focus attention on the cup-cakes and make them look appealing and delicious so that viewers can more easily anticipate their taste. The cakes are arranged in rows to add the perception of depth to the image and make the food look more 3D and realistic. I have used a narrow depth of field to allow the viewer to focus on the detail on a couple of the cakes and not be overwhelmed by the multiple copies of them. I have added interest by using bright colours patterns and shapes such as those from the red fruit. I have chosen bright red strawberries which I have cut in half, and which add an interesting pattern as they are covered in tiny seeds. I have also chosen shiny spherical cherries which I have left the stalks on, in this way I am inviting the viewer to feel as though they can just pick one up by the stalk and put it in their mouth. The fruit also adds another flavour and texture to the image, that of the sweet moist fruit. Finally, I have used lighting to guide the viewer to the flavours. The white cream topping  on the cakes draws the viewer's eye to these high-lit areas so focusing on the cakes. Then there eye will be directed to the sharply contrasting darker area of the fruit and the interesting shapes they are. In this way I guide them to the different flavours in turn. I have also used good quality lighting from a light box to reflect and surround the cake so that the food looks as realistic as possible.  

Research Elke Vogelsang

Elke Vogelsang

http://elkevogelsang.com/en/studio-dog-photographer/

Elke Vogelsang was born in Hildesheim in Germany in 1972 and is a photographer specialising in dog portraiture. She took up photography as a form of stress release during her husband Carsten’s recovery from an illness and developed a serious interest in it. She initially focused on photographing her three rescue dogs Noodles, Scout and Loli then as her work became well known she began photographing other people’s dogs and developed her own business. She has also published a collection of images of her dogs in a book ‘Nice Nosing You – for the love of life, dogs and photography’ 2015. Her images are warm and intimate as well as being captivating and often entertaining.

These images are from Vogelsang’s collection in her book ‘Nice Nosing You– for the love of life, dogs and photography’ 2015’, which were compiled over the course of two years as her husband recovered from a brain haemorrhage.  The photos are of Vogelsang’s own dog Scott whom she rescued from Spain. The images were taken in her studio with Scott sitting and staring up at the camera. She has positioned her camera at an unusual perspective with it set in very close proximity to Scott’s nose and has used the wide angle technique. This exaggerates this particular feature of the dog and makes it look out of proportion to the rest of its face and body.

The images produced make me smile when I look at them, and they are really captivating as I have not seen such beautifully detailed quality images planned in this way. Usually, when such images are taken they are by accident and of poor quality. By composing the images in this unusual way the photographer has captured the personality of the dog in a heart-warming way. Scott looks attentive and devoted to his owner. What I really find inspirational about these images is the way the perspective has exaggerated the size of the dog’s nose and made it the dominant focus of the image. This is aided by Vogelsang positioning the nose directly in the centre of the frame of the first image. Taking the image this way highlights the function of a dog’s nose, providing it with an extraordinary sense of smell. The second image additionally captures the wet texture of the dog’s nose which is known to be important in trapping scents. Compared to a human’s olfactory ability dog's is 10,000 times better, humans have 5 million smell receptors while dogs have up to 250 million.  They can detect chemicals diluted to 1 or 2 parts per trillion.  Also the part of a dog’s brain that controls smell is 40 times larger than the equivalent part in humans even though dog’s brains can be one-tenth the size of ours. Dog’s noses are fantastically designed, they have two different air passages, one for breathing and one for smelling, and their nostrils can smell independently to help them determine the direction of where scents come from. Dogs interpret their world through their nose, and can tell a lot about someone just from their scent such as if they are happy, sad, and pregnant or even if they have cancer. By focusing on the dog’s nose in the image and using the unusual perspective this distorts the size of the dog’s nose in comparison to the rest of its face, and highlights the dog’s extraordinary sense of smell. The size also parallels the importance of scent to a dog in revealing and experiencing their world around them.

This image captures Vogelsang’s dog Loli with her head resting on a wooden table. The image has been taken from a position and perspective (wide angle) so that there is an emphasis on the dog’s ears and nose. Loli is on alert and seems to be concentrating on something in front of her. Her ears are upright and facing forward so that they are focused on hearing every detail, they act like radars to hone in on the sound. Dogs can do this as they have 18 muscles in their ears which allow them to voluntary move them towards the direction the sound is coming from. They can tilt them, rotate them, lay them flat or make them erect. Being placed on the top of their head and facing forward rather than at the side of the head like ours, contributes to the acute hearing they have. It is about four times better than ours, they can hear higher pitched sounds (40-60kHz) compared to a human (20-20kHz). They can also hear independently from each ear and have the ability to filter different sounds. The image therefore by focusing on the dog’s large alert radar-like ears emphasises its acutely sensitive hearing ability. 

Vogelsang has taken this image of her third rescue dog Noodles, who only has one eye. It has been taken in Vogelsang’s studio and Noodles is sitting and looking towards something in front of her. She is sticking out her pink tongue and it is curved upwards and wrapped around her nose. She is basically licking her lips and nose with her long tongue. This image is most unusual to see and by capturing it she focuses attention on the dog's long tongue and its sense of taste. In this humorous and endearing portrait of her dog, I can almost see the photographer holding out a dog treat to encourage Noodles to lick her lips. This image must have required a lot of patience from both the dog and the photographer to capture it. It reminds me of just how food oriented dogs can be and how this often shines through in their personality, as has been captured in the image.



I really love this image as it captures the bond between the dog and the owner. The dog is staring up devotedly at a point where its owner's eyes would be. However, the viewer can only see the owners hand and lower arm so it is left to their imagination to imagine what they look like and the expression on their face. In the person's hand, the dog has placed its paw, this is a common trick you teach them when they want something from you. However, in this image, it doesn’t seem as if the dog wants anything, other than to just be physically close to its owner and feel the physical touch of their hand. By placing the hand and the paw together in such a central and prominent position and by closely cropping the image this focuses the viewer's attention onto the act. This says to me they want to be physically near each other and that they are devoted to each other as man and dog. If I hold out my hand I can almost feel my own dog placing his paw in my hand. This image has strong memories associated with it for me to recall upon. 

This is a portrait image of Scout taken in Vogelsang’s studio. In the image, the dog's face and neck areas have been captured with the dog in the sit position and facing the camera. Also, the dog is wearing a grey knitted hood giving it a more human appearance as its ears cannot be seen. The image has an endearing and personal quality to it. This is achieved through Scouts attentive staring straight at you, as well as the fun aspect that he is wearing a knitted hood and the fact that he is sticking his tongue out at you.

Influence and Summary

I find Vogelsang's images of her dogs captivating and endearing. The concept of the approach she has taken is inspirational to me and I have been influenced to have a similar approach when photographing my own dogs, in order to highlight a particular sense feature such as their nose or ears. Her idea of using such an unusual perspective and the wide angle technique creates a distortion that exaggerates some of the dog's features and so makes it dominate the frame. By making the feature out of proportion to what you would expect to see this makes the image interesting and captivating and highlights and emphasises the function. and the sensory experience the dogs receives from it. 

I have used Vogelsang's approach using the technique of wide angle close up to capture images of my dog Hades nose. In the image, Hades nose is massive and occupies a large part of the frame, and this is a distortion in the size that would normally be expected. The size makes it dominate the frame and really draws the viewer's attention to it. I have cropped his ears from the image as they could have acted as a distraction as they are quite large too, and have used a narrow depth of field to slightly blur the rest of his head so that it does not act as a distraction from his nose. I also think the long line of his snout and the direction of his line of sight from his eyes further draws the viewer's attention towards his massively exaggerated nose. The moist patterned texture of the nose can be clearly seen and this acts as an interesting focal point in the image.

You would not normally see their nose in such close-up detail and this also makes the image captivating. The dog's nostrils look huge like massive hoovers that will gather all scents that are anywhere near them and suck them in to be analysed. This includes the scent of the photographer standing so close to the dog and emphasises that we have a unique smell to the dog. This is what Hades is smelling at the moment the image was taken, that and the scent of the cameras as it was so close to his nose to capture the image.  In this way, the technique visually emphasises the highly sensitive sensory experience that dogs have and which is so vital in enabling them to experience the world around them.