#laura mccormack

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An inspiration for Laura McCormack's Low Season

As this is a blog, we wanted to attempt to introduce our visitors to some inspiration, that people may not be wholly aware of, that each class member found during long searches in reference of the work we created for our graduate exhibition. 

Laura writes:

I was extremely inspired by the work of Erasmus Schroter, especially his Bunker series in which he photographs derelict army bunkers from World War II. He uses dramatic theatre lighting to illuminate the ruins. He also photographed a number of abandoned summer houses using similar lighting techniques. "Schröter celebrates things existing on the periphery, in darkness – left to disappear." 

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A certain aspect of Laura McCormack's work

Laura writes:

My images were shot in a location that is very close to my heart. I have so many fond memories of Ballybunion in summer when I was younger and when I started going out with my friends and could drive back there, I began to experience Ballybunion in the winter months as well. I noticed how different the atmosphere was in winter, there are less tourists, the beach is silent, only a few locals walking their dogs. At first I was saddened by the emptiness of this town I was so attached to but I noticed that when all the tourists and holidaymakers had gone home, what was left was a community that made the most of the quiet months together before the dog days rolled back round again. Of course the town suffers in winter; sand gathers and fills the boardwalk, mobile home parks are closed up and beach shops are secured but left for the paint to chip away. This is when I situate myself in the dark of night and in the silence, I feel the emptiness and temporary abandonment of the place and I attempt to bring life back to it by lighting it in a way the is reminiscent of summer days and nights. Then, when April arrives; the sand is cleared away, the holiday homes are re-inhabited, the paint is refreshed and lights come back on.

Click here to see the rest of Laura's posts

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Laura McCormack's Process

Laura writes:

I guess you could say that my process is equally as important as the subject I am photographing. To create a certain mood in my images means sticking to a very detailed process. Every shot has to be done with a mental checklist that is almost never ending, check that camera is on bulb setting and set to be triggered by remote, have an assistant (usually a member of my family but I find calling them an assistant makes me sound more important) go into the scene with a torch so that I can focus efficiently, prepare the flash and choose which gels will be used, after the first shot adjust how many flashes each gel needs. The list goes on. I think the fact that there is so much involvement in creating the images is what makes them so powerful. At any one point in the minute long exposure, there could be three people running about within the scene, lighting or chasing after me with a number of gels, changing them as I go. This performance with lights and colours is what generates the images, it is certainly one of the most important factors in my work.

Click here to see the rest of Laura's posts