Restrictions in photography do not always have to be seen as an obstacle; they can be used like a preset.
Technical limitations as an aesthetic element
Instead of exploring technically feasible perfection, it is possible to work with the limitations of each camera. For example, a very high ISO value in digital cameras produces image noise, which is similar to the grain of analogue films and gives the images a rough, textured quality. But of course it’s not grain. It is something digital – an attempt to give form to the unrecognisable. Digital artefacts are created that attempt to conceal flaws in the imaging performance. This imperfection is part of the imaging process and therefore an unintentional or intentional stylistic device.
High ISO as a form of aesthetic expression
The deliberate decision not to use a tripod in low-light situations and the resulting use of very high ISO values can be utilised as an artistic means to achieve a specific image effect. The resulting graininess (OOC) gives the images a rough, organic texture that is reminiscent of analogue film aesthetics and reinforces the impression of fleetingness and immediacy. This graininess is not independent in its appearance but a reflection of specific decisions made by the engineers of the respective sensor and camera manufacturer. In prints, this aesthetic manifests itself as tactilely perceptible noise that explores the boundaries between detail and abstraction. At the same time, the image noise helps to emphasise subtle tonal values of residual light and darkness, whereby light becomes a form-giving force. The induced graininess not only creates a visual intensity, but also evokes a sense of intimacy and closeness that recalls the atmospheric density of the perception of darkness. Through this type of photography details are digitally abstracted, creating a rather subjective view of scenes with little light.
Residual light and the limits of the visible
Residual light – that faint, often unnoticed light that lingers in the darkness and yet makes structures, movements and atmospheres visible. Residual light stands metaphorically for the invisible that is nevertheless present, for the fragments that move on the threshold between perception and oblivion. In black and white prints, this is revealed through contrasts, subtly emerging details and the graininess of the image noise, which acts as a visual metaphor for the gaps in our perception. Areas that are completely immersed in darkness contrast with overexposed light sources, forcing the eye to navigate between visible and implied levels. This results in images that not only show the scenery, but also the attempt to allow for technical and human limits of visibility. The human eye is a marvel, but it is dependent on the amount of light available. Camera technology can overcome these limits, which also has its own appeal. Leaving the invisible in the dark can bring a human dimension back into photography.
At the edges of the possible
Art often moves at the edges of what is possible. It is about exploring boundaries. In photography, constantly improving camera technology suggests the possibility of an objective depiction of the world. However, the World-in-itself only exists as an idea. Perception and representation of the world is always limited and connoted. All reference values cannot be captured. Limitations are inherent to perception. People are constantly making choices. Art lives through and with boundaries. Art needs limitation as a motor and a source of meaning. Deliberate manipulation and self-imposed limitations can help to explore other paths where the everyday seems too normal and the normal hides the unspoken.
