I found through research some techniques that I thought may be helpful in capturing movement as patterns. I used that research I found to influence my tests for this week. The techniques I focused on this week were Light Painting, Motion Photography and Chronophotography.
Chronophotography is taking multiple sequence of images and compiling them into one photo showing each "stage" of that movement. With this I will be able to capture the different poses that are part of an overall movement or action so I can see each part separately. Then the different poses can be compiled together into one image to create a pattern outlining where I was and how I moved.
Experiment:
To start off with, I decided to take continuous/burst shots using my phone to capture myself walking (as shown in the post "Motion Photography"). I then used these images and attempted to compile them into one image. I wanted to see if I could show all the movement in one image and see if a pattern formed in some way. I also wanted to test if this was a good way of representing habitual behaviour as I think it could show the repetition of habits quite well.
These tests are rough edits as I just wanted to see if it would work. Later tests will done more polished.
Test One:
My first test was aimed at trying to compile the different shots into a single image.
Reflection:
I discovered that using each shot taking from the burst sequence made it hard to see the different poses clearly and it seemed too crowded.
It did create a type of pattern however, mainly just with the arms and hands where you can see a line going across the photo. I may need try something like this again if I need to create a line look, but otherwise I think it would be good to see more of the poses of the action.
Test Two:
Since the previous test I found that using every shot seemed too crowded, this time I tried using every fourth shot and put all these together.
Reflection:
I discovered that by using every fourth shot from the burst sequence I could see more variety in the poses I made when recording this action. It also shows the repetition of the action quite well. This could be improved with clearer images however, and maybe selecting specific poses from the sequence that show drastic difference or key poses. There is also still a hint of the line pattern in the arms and hands which I like, but it is not as obvious as the previous test.
Test Three:
For this test I tried to use another sequence of me walking down the stairs to see if the result would be similar from a front facing view. Here I am still using using every fourth or fifth shot.
Reflection:
Unfortunately I discovered that compiling images all with a front facing view did not work. You can't see all the different poses throughout the action since I am always in the middle of the frame and each new layer blocked the previous shot. You can only distinctly see my shoulders moving down the photo. The shoulders create a hint of a pattern but as much as I would like as it doesn't clearly represent the movement.
Conclusion:
I think trying to create chronophotographs again will be useful as it seems like it has potential to show poses of the action, it shows movement across the frame, it represents the repetition behind habitual behaviour, and there is possibility to create a slight line pattern in some cases. I will use my knowledge from these sets in my next tests to be able to get the best results, such as compiling a smaller amount of photos from the series.
I will next try this technique using a better camera in the hopes that my movement won't be so blurry. This should also help with compiling the images and making each pose more understandable. If that works I will try other habitual behaviours other than walking.
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