srt101fan

Thank you for this topic. Comments regarding the relationship of photography and art, and "artistic photography", pop up frequently on UHH. I think these are fascinating examples of what an artist can do with a camera.

Some info on how Alex Prager gets her images: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-pulling-curtain-alex-pragers-mysterious-cinematic-imagery

Cudgel Loc: Hickory, NC USA

Quote below from the Artist Bio on the same website. These are real people who are perhaps overly made up and choreographed (staged).

"Prager cultivates the surreal in her photographs and films, creating moments that feel like a fabricated memory or dream." p.s. Alex Prager is a woman. p.s.s. I love this photo!

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Read the New Yorker Magazine article...

Images are mostly NOT Photoshopped. At least not extensively.

SHE (yes, Alex is a "she") collects vintage clothing and props, dresses up extras, poses them carefully and then takes the photo. In the first example cited, with the diverse crowd outside the cafe, she was high up in a cherry picker crane to take the image.

It's sort of like capturing "performance art" on film.

She works in California and the most recent series is a visual commentary on the state, as a whole, and especially the LA area where she was born and lives today.

Obviously some of the images are composites or have elements added with Photoshop. For example, the same airplane appears in a couple images.... one by itself, another in a shot of several people she apparently shot while lying on the ground, shooting straight upward. It would have been a real miracle for the same airplane to fly over at exactly that moment.... not to mention a challenge to both get it in sharp focus, as well as the people standing within a few feet.

I'm pretty certain the "car accident" is a composite. Do you think they bought a $250,000 Ferrari (ala Magnum, P.I.) just to stand it on it's nose between two other cars? Not to mention, the physics of that setup. The car would be impossible to balance upright like that.

There's a lot of attention to lighting... plus the extreme depth of field in several images. I can't imagine trying to pose 50 people! Hats off to her!

P.S. The other link to somewhat similar but actual scenes taken at a BLM protest in DC, are actual shots by a photojournalist. Wide angle lens, small lens aperture... maybe even a tilt shift or perspective control lens, though it's hard to say without seeing a larger version.

smiller999 Loc: Corpus Christi

To me they look almost like 3D rendered images (CGI in the movies). Some are more realistic than others. But reading that they are apparently part of a film, I suppose they are just overly processed. Not my cup of tea, anyway.

Doc Barry Loc: Huntsville, Alabama USA

Tom,
The shadows are not all at the proper angle.

10MPlayer Loc: California

I saw a display of her work a the Getty a few years ago when I was in LA. Weird people shot in black and white. Lots of circus people and gay images back in the day before openly gay people were not as well accepted.

The images by Alex are interesting, at least to me. I had to look at the one with the car that apparently went over the cliff. The fence is broken in the wrong direction, the people on the road above are looking in the wrong direction and the car is a toy. Odd. All of her work is eye catching and makes you think. I like it. I wish I had that kind of imagination. Alex must be doing pretty well to be able to hire all those extras and stage them. Not to mention hiring a cherry picker to take the images from. Only an artist who is selling her work for a lot of money can do that.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

It is not meant to be realistic, more classified as photographic art created using a darkroom or computer.

Nigel7 Loc: Worcestershire. UK.

It is all art, not photography. Photographers capture an image whilst artists create one. The two genres are starting to overlap too much for my liking. These pictures lack realism too so are not my choice of art but it takes all sorts and I'm sure there are many out there who will appreciate it.

Roe Cole

If you’re not aware, Photoshop has settings that can create exactly what you’re speaking of. Not sure if this is the answer but my guess.

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

It is not new it happened in the film days with darkroom techniques as well.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

It's an aesthetic - interesting but gets a bit old pretty quickly.

It is reminiscent of a photographer by the name of Dave Hill who was one of the early guys that did unusual composites.

https://www.davehillphoto.com/work/15768/composites

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

They are all manipulated images.

I posted about doing realistic composites a while back ( https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-657996-1.html ) and if you would apply my list of principles in his photos, you will see where she left tell tale signs (or mistakes) showing those were composited images .

1. Perspective - the viewing plane should be consistent, sharing the same vanishing point.
2. Proportion - the logical size of the element with regards to its surrounding.
3. Depth of field - it should have the same sharpness as the part of the image plane it is located.
4. Color balance - all elements needs to be at least near the same color gamut.
5. Image quality - mixing different quality images should be avoided
6. Pixel density - after resizing/adjustments, the final pixel density of each element should be similar.
7. Light source - the effect of the light on each element should be the same. Add fx if needed
8. Shadow - As with the light source, the shadows should all agree.
9. Reflection - Should be there if it should be there & missing if there is another element in front of it.
10. Composition - is the overall relation of each element and is entirely dependent on the users skill & taste.

mbaggs Loc: Daphne, AL

Read her bio, she is doing quite well. Seven movies, one won an Emmy. Likewise the images are interesting to me also. I used a cherry picker once to get an image the client wanted and most times have a six foot ladder with me to get a "high" shot. Just 3 or 4 feet in additional height sometimes makes a world of difference.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

I do not buy into artists whose approach & styles need explanation. Not only that its all fake, having to write all that bull to justify it as an art means it is not art.

Ecurb is correct, a hell of a salesperson. Could probably sell the London Bridge.

mbaggs Loc: Daphne, AL

Well Crap!!! I didn't know there was a list of rules. Dang it. I thought you created an image and either you liked it or didn't and the people that saw it either liked it or they didn't. Silly me! Either way I'd never post comments about someones work like some I've seen on this thread today. Open your mind up to new ideas and quit acting like you're 80 years old even if you are...