Research: liminal spaces photography:

After a one on one talk with my tutor, we spoke about surreal spaces and liminal spaces as a source for my primary research. While staying in a hotel a noticed the during the evening the hallways and stairwells become devoid of any people, and because of this I found these areas to have a surreal aspect to them. It felt odd to me to see spaces that were created for people no have people in them, it felt like a creepy contradiction. 

I decided to take this first image of the hotel room because I was struck by how odd the room and archway looked while there was no one there. The photo has been taken at and angle that attempts to showcase the doorways, archway and the wardrobe making it seem as if you are looking at the room in a diagonal line. I find that the colours within this room are very muted and the beige seems to almost overwhelm the room. I think that the wardrobe provides a nice contrast to the lighter tones of the walls and carpet and allows the image to have a focal point that draws immediate attention, When looking at the architecture of this room I believe that curved archway and small glass chandelier provide the image with an air of faded glory, as if it could have been something spectacular in its prime and the curving lines of the archway contrast the straight and rigid lines of the rest of the room. I believe that there is something sad about this photograph, the colours seem to be devoid of any life and the room of any people and this seems to invoke a feeling of loneliness. 

                                                           

I find these next three images the most interesting out of all of them. When I was walking through the hotel hallways I found that the red carpets and mirror lines walls made me feel a great sense of unease and I was reminded of horror movies like 'The Shining' and '1408'. The flickering lights reflecting of the mirrors were eerie and the blank, white, repeating walls seemed endless. When I look at these images the bright red carpeted floor seems to jump out at me, the bold colour demands attention and I believe that this also creates a harsh contrast of colour within the work. The red clashes with the white, and I believe that the red tones create this fiery almost angry feeling, and the muted pale white and cream comes in to placate this and calm the image down. When it comes to composition, I wasn't thinking to much about creating a nicely composed image rather than getting some good shots for primary research. These shots were taken quickly as I needed to make sure that there weren't any people walking through them and I think that this can be seen with the outcome of the images. I have managed to get a good variety of angles which showcase and focus on different aspects of the hallway, some focusing in on the doorways and some on the mirrors. However, I do enjoy this fist image that I have taken. One thing I love about this photograph is the way the entire hallway can be seen and I think that this gives the viewer a better idea of the environment and gives them the opportunity to immerse themselves. When looking at this image I notice that the light seems to dim out at the farthest part of the hallway causing a shadow to fall over the doorway. This not only creates a sense of depth and distance within the work but also invokes a feeling of unease, I believe that the unsettled and creepy atmosphere that is present within these images are further emphasised by this creating an effective piece of work that unsettles and puts people on edge. 

When I look at this image I believe that it has less of an eerie atmosphere and it seems more lonely. The chairs and tables have been set out as if expecting a gathering and there is no one there. This photograph has been taken in a way that also showcases not only the chairs but the doorway and empty hallway as well, emphasising the lack of people and this feeling that there is something missing. In terms of the colour scheme and tones within the image I think that there pale green of the wall pair nicely with the chairs and allow the room to feel coordinated and put together. The earthy brown of the floorboards ground the image even further and provide a connection to the brown reception desk outside as well a to the paintings on the walls which seem to use a mixture of beiges and browns within them which this the entire image together nicely. The lighting in the corner is warm with yellow undertones and the lamp seems to be old fashioned which I think provides this comforting aspect to the overall image, like when you go to visit your grandparents house and they've switched on their old lamps for some lighting. I think that the absence of people invokes a feeling of longing rather than one of unease, it's as if the viewer is sitting and waiting for someone that will never arrive. 

                                                           

I find that this last image is in complete contrast to the others when it comes to the colours scheme and tone. The colours in the other images have a boldness to them and seem to draw the eye, and I believe that the lighting seems warmer giving off a more yellow under tone throughout the photographs. However, the tones in this image are bland and bleak, a mixture of uninteresting white and grey with. splash of blue in the corner. I think that these colours make such a difference to the work, the image seems cold, uninviting and almost desolate compared to the others that were more creepy. With the composition I took the photo from a higher angle to capture the room as a whole and I think that it's created a fish eye aspect to the image. The windows at the top let in some brighter light which highlights certain points of the room and casts shadows across the floor creating some more depth within the image. I think that out of all of the photos that I have taken this is my least favourite and the eagle seems slightly messy and rushed but I really appreciate that the colours are in contrast with the there work.