From Photographic Objects to Objects made of Photographs

I’m used to working with my hands. Painting chemicals onto paper in the bathroom, developing film in the kitchen. I don’t practice digital photographic work as much as I used to but was recently flung into the world of 3D Scanning. It's been an interesting month of learning so thought I would share what I’ve been up to!

I came across a job role a month or so ago, which specialized in Photogrammetry. I had briefly been introduced to this in my last Archive position as it is used in the GLAM sector*. Within this industry, historical objects are photographed and made into 3D models. They are left either left as digital objects or they are 3D Printed and this way, people can handle a copy of the object without fear of damage, thus investigating objects more thoroughly. Coincidentally, around the same time last year (give or take a month or two) I was writing a proposal for PHD Funding. The topic? 3D Pornography. So I applied.

And I got an interview. Well, more of a chat and an assignment. I was tasked with making a 3D Object, a digital surface and scouting locations/collections for possible 3D Scanning the in the future. Not gonna lie. I was shitting it. I had a week to complete the task and I went into full on learning mode. I followed a number of different tutorials, fucking up from time to time, shouting at my computer and having many baths to calm down a very full brain. I ended up with half finished succulent plants, failed attempts at scanning shiny film canisters but finally, two objects that I was happy with. It didn’t help that neither my laptop nor my partner’s gaming PC had the correct graphics cards to actually use the software properly but I was happy with what I produced! A 3D nutcracker and a 3D Soap Rose (the kind that melts in the bath).

3D Object making has been so far removed from what I normally do and so far out of my comfort zone that I was surprised as to how much it actually fitted in with my own interests.

I explore phenomenology and photography, how we experience photography and the materiality of photographic objects. 3D object making became an exploration into how photography can then be used in making objects. And how photography is used in the textural and material needs of achieving hyper realism in game play, and what that means in users experiencing games and photography. Kind of a full circle of interests?

I got another interview but unfortunately not the job. I did however receive some great feedback and to be honest, I had a really great time learning a new skill. I’ve gained more practical experience in 3D Photography, opening more doors and avenues to research, highlighting new questions for me to explore in phenomenology and experiencing digital, 3D photography.

*GLAM - Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums.