Impossible photography | Erik Johansson

Translator: Bruce Ding Reviewer: Yipeng Xie

I'm here to share my photography.

我喺哩度同大家分享我嘅攝影作品

Or is it photography?

但係哩張都算係攝影咩？

Because, of course, this is a photograph

雖然佢係一張相

that you can't take with your camera.

但係你冇辦法用相機影出來

Yet, my interest in photography started

我對攝影嘅興趣始於我十五歲嗰時

as I got my first digital camera

at the age of 15.

得到嘅第一部數碼相機

It mixed with my earlier passion for drawing,

我對攝影嘅熱愛混雜著 我早期對畫畫嘅熱愛

but it was a bit different,

但攝影又唔同畫畫

because using the camera,

因為攝影指嘅係拍攝前嘅計劃

the process was in the planning instead.

And when you take a photograph with a camera,

當你用相機㩒快門嘅一刻

the process ends when you press the trigger.

攝影就會完咗

So to me it felt like photography was more about

所以，對於我來講，攝影更加在於

being at the right place and the right time.

喺啱嘅時間喺啱嘅地方影

I felt like anyone could do that.

我覺得每個人都可以做到哩一點

So I wanted to create something different,

所以我就想做啲唔同嘅嘢

something where the process starts

我想令攝影變成

when you press the trigger.

一樣由㩒快門一刻先至開始嘅嘢

Photos like this:

好似哩幅相咁：

construction going on along a busy road.

一條繁忙嘅街道進行緊施工

But it has an unexpected twist.

但係佢有個位係意想不到嘅扭曲咗

And despite that,

除此之外

it retains a level of realism.

佢保持咗一定程度嘅真實感

Or photos like these --

又或者好似咁樣嘅相咁——

both dark and colorful,

無論係灰暗定係鮮豔

but all with a common goal

啲相都有一個共通點︰

of retaining the level of realism.

就係保持一定程度嘅真實感

When I say realism,

當我講真實感嘅時候

I mean photo-realism.

我嘅意思係相片嘅真實感

Because, of course,

因為相中嘅影像 並唔係嗰啲你可以真正捕捉到嘅嘢

it's not something you can capture really,

but I always want it to look like it could have been captured somehow

但我總係想令啲影像望落去 好似真係可以被相機真正捕捉咁樣

as a photograph.

Photos where you will need a brief moment to think

我想令到啲人睇相嗰陣

會花時間搵出當中嘅有違常理嘅地方

to figure out the trick.

So it's more about capturing an idea

所以，哩啲相嘅功能 更多嘅係傳遞一種想法

than about capturing a moment really.

而唔係捕捉一個時刻

But what's the trick

但係係咩方法令到佢望落去咁真呢？

that makes it look realistic?

Is it something about the details

係因為細節嗎？

or the colors?

定係因為顏色？

Is it something about the light?

係因為光線？

What creates the illusion?

係乜嘢造成錯覺？

Sometimes the perspective is the illusion.

有時，視角就係錯覺

But in the end, it comes down to how we interpret the world

但講到底，錯覺 同我哋點樣解讀世界有關

and how it can be realized on a two-dimensional surface.

同埋世界係點樣喺二維平面上面重現

It's not really what is realistic,

乜嘢係真實並唔重要

it's what we think looks realistic really.

重要嘅係我哋望落去覺得乜嘢係真實

So I think the basics

所以，我認為道理好簡單

are quite simple.

I just see it as a puzzle of reality

我就將每一張相當成係 一幅現實生活嘅拼圖

where you can take different pieces of reality and put it together

你可以利用生活中唔同嘅事物

to create alternate reality.

去合成出一幅假嘅圖片

And let me show you a simple example.

等我舉一個簡單嘅例子

Here we have three perfectly imaginable physical objects,

哩度有三個完全可以想像得到嘅物體

something we all can relate to living in a three-dimensional world.

亦即係我哋嘅三維世界入面 可以搵得到嘅嘢

But combined in a certain way,

但用一種特定嘅方式將佢哋組合

they can create something that still looks three-dimensional,

就可以創造出一啲睇上去 仍然係三維同真實嘅嘢

like it could exist.

But at the same time, we know it can't.

但同時，我哋知道佢哋冇可能存在

So we trick our brains,

所以我哋呃咗我哋嘅大腦

because our brain simply doesn't accept the fact

因為我哋大腦只會接受合常理嘅嘢

that it doesn't really make sense.

And I see the same process

同樣欺騙大腦嘅過程 發生喺合成嘅相裏面

with combining photographs.

It's just really about combining different realities.

合成嘅相就係 組合現實生活中不同嘅事物

So the things that make a photograph look realistic,

為咗令張相望落去真實

I think it's the things that we don't even think about,

我哋需要放一啲我哋冇諗過嘅嘢落去

the things all around us in our daily lives.

又或者放我哋日常生活中 一定會見到嘅嘢落去

But when combining photographs,

但當相組合嘅時候

this is really important to consider,

仔細考慮就變得好重要

because otherwise it just looks wrong somehow.

因為如果唔仔細考慮構圖嘅話

睇上去就會怪怪地

So I would like to say that there are three simple rules to follow

所以我會話，要做到真實嘅效果

to achieve a realistic result.

需要遵守三個簡單嘅規則

As you can see, these images aren't really special.

正如你所見，哩啲圖片並非十分特別

But combined, they can create something like this.

但組合起嚟，佢哋可以做到咁樣嘅效果

So the first rule is that photos combined

所以，第一條規則係

should have the same perspective.

被組合嘅相片需要有同樣嘅拍攝視角

Secondly, photos combined

第二，組合嘅相片 需要有同樣類型嘅光線

should have the same type of light.

And these two images both fulfill these two requirements --

哩兩張圖片都滿足咗哩兩項要求——

shot at the same height and in the same type of light.

喺同樣嘅高度影嘅，有同樣嘅光線

The third one is about making it impossible to distinguish

第三項規則

在於設法使到兩張圖片 連接得天衣無縫、睇唔到分界

where the different images begin and end

by making it seamless.

Make it impossible to say

令到人哋講唔出張相係點樣合成

how the image actually was composed.

So by matching color, contrast and brightness

透過將兩張圖片喺交界處嘅 顏色、對比度同亮度整到一樣

in the borders between the different images,

adding photographic defects

再加上一啲圖像嘅缺陷

like depth of field,

譬如︰景深、不飽和顏色同雜訊

desaturated colors and noise,

we erase the borders between the different images

我哋消除咗圖像之間嘅邊界

and make it look like one single image,

令佢望落去好似一張相咁

despite the fact that one image

而每一張相可能含少包至過百層嘅圖片

can contain hundreds of layers basically.

So here's another example.

哩度係另一個例子

(Laughter)

One might think that this is just an image of a landscape

有啲人會認為佢係一幅風景照

and the lower part is what's manipulated.

只不過圖像嘅下半部係經過處理嘅

But this image is actually entirely composed

但係實際上哩幅相完全係 由唔同地方嘅相人工合成嘅

of photographs from different locations.

I personally think that it's easier to actually create a place

我個人認為創造一個地方 比搵到一個地方容易

than to find a place,

because then you don't need to compromise

因為你可以盡情將諗法表達出嚟 而唔使受地方限制

with the ideas in your head.

But it does require a lot of planning.

但係哩樣嘢確實需要好多計劃功夫

And getting this idea during winter,

我有哩個諗法嘅時候係冬天

I knew that I had several months to plan it,

所以我有幾個月嘅時間去計劃

to find the different locations

去搵到唔同嘅地點 做哩張相嘅材料

for the pieces of the puzzle basically.

So for example,

咁，舉例嚟講

哩條魚係喺一個釣魚嘅旅途中拍到嘅

the fish was captured on a fishing trip.

The shores are from a different location.

河嘅兩邊係兩笪地方

The underwater part was captured in a stone pit.

水面下嘅部分係喺一個採石場度拍嘅

And yeah, I even turned the house on top of the island red

係啊，我甚至將小島上嘅屋變成紅色

to make it look more Swedish.

畀佢望落去更加似喺瑞典

（笑聲）

So to achieve a realistic result,

我認為要塑造真實嘅感覺 關鍵在於計劃

I think it comes down to planning.

It always starts with a sketch, an idea.

佢總係由一幅草圖、一個諗法開始

Then it's about combining the different photographs.

然後由唔同嘅場景組合起嚟

And here every piece is very well planned.

哩度每幅相都係精心計劃過嘅

And if you do a good job capturing the photos,

如果你用心拍攝哩啲場景

the result can be quite beautiful

合成之後嘅相出嚟嘅效果 都會相當靚同埋真實

and also quite realistic.

So all the tools are out there,

所以話，成件事所有嘅工具都有齊嘞

and the only thing that limits us

爭嘅係大家嘅想像力

is our imagination.

Thank you.

多謝大家

(Applause)

（掌聲）