I have always found home and ‘the everyday’ interesting photography work. It is things that are normally overlooked, especially in your own home. Nigel Shafran documents around his home making everyday objects look so much more aesthetic.
His sink and the washing up around it features quite a few times in his work. His photos allow you to see things differently, most will see piles of washing as ugly but somehow Shafran has made it look pleasant. In the second photo in particular, the use of light has been effective. The warm light has created soft shadows on the wall. The low light has also created soft tones which is more pleasing to look at.
To Shafran, these are objects he sees most of the time and might not think much about them. But to us as the viewer, they give small insights into his life. This is what I want to portray in my work, to document items that show more about how we are currently living. When looking at his work I am intrigued by all the objects and automatically start assuming about who he is.
Shafran has managed to capture beauty in the mundane. The use of light creates soft shadows and tones which make the images aesthetically pleasing. This is done through natural light, probably from a window. I am going to make sure in my own work to only use the light available to create the same affects. His work is really inspiring as normally people take photos of family, events or special occasions. How many people focus on the mess within their homes? I can imagine he would look back at these photos in a few years and they bring back other memories. Even after this pandemic, I would like to document more of the things in my house that make it my home.
Lucy Davis 