Full Title: Photography as a Hybrid Discipline: Exploring ‘science’ and the scientific imperative within Photography, with a particular focus on the use of high-speed and macro techniques.

Excerpt…

Photography is, essentially, the process of ‘graphing’ light. The measuring and rendering of the wavelength and amplitude of electromagnetic radiation constitutes what we know as ‘taking and processing a photograph’. It seems strange that such a scientific approach is now considered an art-form; is it really any different to measuring one’s altitude or speed? The difference is that photography communicates directly with our sense of sight (as a painting might), just as music communicates with our hearing….

…Interviewing Dr. John Brackenbury provided a real insight into how the inextricably linked worlds of science and art (in the form of photography) interact and combine. This collision of worlds could be seen from his office, where a rack of amplifiers and conical flasks were juxtaposed with walls covered in photographic prints. Brackenbury’s interest in photography began with its use as a scientific tool, capturing insects in flight to look at “the minute structural changes” in their wings. This required the development of techniques which now characterise his work…

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Information…

Essay submitted for the 15 credit “Understanding the Work Sector” module, part of an FdA Professional Photography studied at the Cambridge School of Art. The essay achieved an overall mark of 74% (A), published here for reference only.