A university student in Brisbane, Daniel Fisher first became interested in photography as it relates to design. Intending to pursue a degree in graphic design, he enrolled in a content production and curation class that required him to create a new body of work. “Students were to capture around fifty images of any overarching theme,” he explains. “However, the images were to be classified by sub-themes of the students choosing and furthermore curated in a cohesive and explorative way using an online platform.”
He chose to document the city’s architectural details and created a VSCO profile to display the series. “I was looking to capture Brisbane from a different perspective, a perspective dictated by my sub-thematic groups of texture, form, and colour.” By paying close attention to the form and function of objects and places he photographed, his interest shifted from graphic design to industrial design, changing his career focus.
Read more about what Daniel learned from this photo project, and with his advice, consider starting a themed series of your own.
How would you describe Brisbane's architecture?
As buildings from multiple design eras exist here, the architecture in Brisbane CBD (central business district) is quite interesting. Brutalist 60’s government buildings separate state-of-the-art corporate towers and mediums alternate from sandstone and brick to glass and metal in a single block.
What did you learn from this photo project?
I learned that there is exploring to do everywhere and anywhere with photography. From a bedroom to a city, it’s all about looking for something in the environment around you and exposing it.
The project altered my perspective on my surroundings in and out of the city. When you stop and seek certain elements in the world around you, you begin to notice the detail in the bigger picture, and it's quite surprising how much the mundane can impress you.
The project taught me a lot about carefully selecting multiple works to present as one, and I didn’t realize this until I analyzed all of the images after the shoot and nit-picked the details I had captured.
What instructions would you give to a photographer wanting to take on a similar project?
I would encourage them to set a limit for where they are going to complete the challenge, such as a bedroom, house, city, campus, etc. I would also encourage the photographer to complete the challenge within a few hours to a day and fully envelop themselves into the activity. Lastly, the challenge does not need to be based on architecture, texture, or structures. However, they should define three realms in which to explore, such as shadow, form, mass, colour, or anything they choose. Most importantly, they should make it their own.
