Ross Sonnenberg - Camera-less Photography with Fireworks

Photographer Ross Sonnenberg has created these amazing abstract photograms by exposing photographic paper to fireworks. He has been experimenting with camera-less photography for his project 'Color Bang'. 

I love this technique and have looked at many photographers exploring this process during my self directed study at uni. I went to a really interesting exhibition at the V&A called shadow catchers (see post here). My project was looking at how artists have challenged the assumption that a camera is necessary to make a photograph. 

Ross Sonnenberg's photographs definitely caught my eye because of the dramatic colours. The light from the fireworks have created these stunning colourful images which look like galaxies.  

I have always been fascinated by the planets and stars, looking through telescopes and wondering what these far off places might look like. With this series I have tried to create imaginary solar systems and super novas using different materials, and fireworks for my light source to make one-of-a-kind camera less images directly onto color and black and white photographic paper. Like the darkness in outer space, I work in the dark to create images that mimic the interstellar places that I always dreamed about going to as a kid.

You can see Ross Sonnenberg's series of photograms on his website.
http://rosssonnenberg.com/

 

V&A exhibition: Shadow Catchers

I went to the Shadow Catchers exhibition at the V&A with my mum yesterday. The exhibition features images by five contemporary artists who explore the process of camera-less photography. Floris Neususs, Pierre Cordier, Susan Derges, Gary Fabian Miller and Adam Fuss, explore different ways of creating imagery by casting shadows, blocking and exposing light, or chemically manipulating the surface of photographic paper. 

This exhibition is extremely relevant to my self directed study in graphics. I am in the process of writing my proposal on how artists have challenged the assumption that a camera is necessary to make a photograph. The exhibition is on from October 2010 till February 2011 and is only £5, if you get the chance go and check it out, there are some really stunning pieces of work. 

www.vam.ac.uk/shadowcatchers. 

You couldn't take photos in the exhibition so after I bought the shadow catchers book, its really nice to have a copy of the work. The bottom photo is another photo of the glass work in the main entrance of the V&A, I love it.