Thursday, 29 January 2015

Work Diary - Walk 3

Evaluation

I really enjoyed walk 3. I took these pictures at home so they consisted of a lot of nature as i live in the countryside. I produced a lot of pictures in a short time in a short time because there was a lot of nature around me to take pictures of. I took these pictures when the sun was beginning to set so the lighting in them was different to a lot of images I had taken before, but i really liked the effect this gave the pictures and the country feel it added to them. I tried to take a lot of pictures of the same things but using different camera angles so that I was able to pick my favourite from the lot. this benefitted my work. I tried to focus on making the backgrounds of my pictures blurry in order to show depth, and control which part of the photo was the main focus, and this worked really effectively. I experimented with different and unusual angles such as pointing the camera up at something to emphasise the length or depth of it, rather than just taking the picture from straight on. I am very happy with the images produced from this shoot, and i think that some of these pictures are my best so far.

The only negative of this shoot was that sometimes it was too dark so the quality of the pictures were effective, and the detail and tones were not clear enough. To overcome this I tried to shoot in the brightest areas which really improved the result of the images.




progression

I feel like I have made quite a lot of improvement since the last walk, as I have tried to be more experimental with my camera angles

Straight Images - walk 3







Thursday, 15 January 2015

Lesson plan for Monday

- Finish adding details to work diaries   complete
- Take more images for lines   complete
- Take pictures for 2 more multiple images  

Monday, 12 January 2015

Lesson plan

- re-do connecting essays    complete
- add detail to work diaries   complete
- write more for image banks

Monday, 5 January 2015

Improvement

- Add more detail to work diaries
- write more about photographers
- a few more multiple images
- Add more to connecting essays
- Add more to Mapplethorpe notes
- Another lines shoot



Thursday, 11 December 2014

Straight Images - Location Contrast 1











Work Diary - Location Contrast 1

Evaluation

I found the location contrast shoot quite difficult. Although I could see many different contrasting colours, I found it difficult to think of things other than colours to photograph. Because of this I ended up with lots of images that were very similar. Most of the photos that I had taken of things that were not colours did not show contrast clearly enough.

Despite this being quite a difficult shoot for me, I did take some quite good photos for contrasting colours which I am happy about. I tried to be creative and composed my own images rather than just taking pictures of objects where they were. For example I found a bright leaf and thought this would be a good example of contrast if I could find a dull surface to put it on.


This image I had taken was supposed to show the contrast between different textures, but because of the dull lighting the difference between the two textures is not that obvious. Also the line separating the two different textures is not clear enough so it is hard to see that they are separate and their is not much contrast between them. I feel that this photo would be a more effective contrast image if the colours of the two different textures were not so similar.


I like this image I had taken during the location contrast shoot, as it shows two types of contrast. We can see the clear contrast between the sizes of the leaves, but there is also contrast between the bright colour of the leaves against the dull colour of the wall. The smaller leaf contains yellow, orange, red and green tones which all contrast against each other as they are all bright colours. Lines are also visible in the form of the leaf veins and the lines between the bricks.


Progression

If I was to go and shoot location contrast again I would make sure to go on a bright day because I found that with this shoot the dull lighting reduced the quality of the photos and made the contrast less clear in the images. Taking pictures in the sun will make the tones clearer and therefore enhancing the contrast. I would use my creativity more and move objects around to make a contrasting image rather than just taking a picture of what is in front of me. I would also try to produce a larger variety of images rather than images that only contrast by colour, and would shoot in a larger variation of locations for more varied images.

This picture below is one I found on the internet. It shows contrast in a very creative way. This is the kind of approach I would like to attempt, and create my own image rather than just taking a picture of what is already there. I like the way this image is so unique and abstract but at the same time the contrast is the part of the image that you notice first. The plain background is effective as there is no distraction from the woman's face. I would defiantly like to try and photograph more creative examples of contrast in the future as this image has inspired me.

Work Diary - Multiple Imagery

Evaluation

This was the first time I had tried multiple imagery and I quite enjoyed taking the images and creating the multiple image. I tried to make all of the images I used in my multiple image quite similar in terms of content and composition so that when they were put together the full result will look very effective and this benefitted my work. I liked how I was able to rearrange the images in the order that I preferred and was able to edit the images all together rather than separately so that they would all look even. I am happy with the result of my multiple Image and think that it is some of my best photography so far.

If I had to point out a negative of this task I would say that sometimes it was hard to make all of the images similar in composition, and sometimes It was difficult to think of a large variation of images to take, but despite this I enjoyed the task.


This was my first attempt of multiple imagery. I took pictures standing in various different locations. This works so well because of the obvious contrast between each different type of floor. I enhanced the colours to make them more vibrant in order to improve the contrast. In some of the images contrast can be seen in a different way, as my dark shoes contrast against lighter backgrounds so the shape of my shoes can be clearly seen. Lines are visible in many of the individual image, in the form of floor tiles, benches of painted lines on the floor. I think this works quite effectively. The only negative of this image in my opinion is that it was hard to get my feet in the exact same position, so they look different in each picture. Although this is only a small detail of the whole picture, I feel that the image would have been improved if my feet were in the exact same position in each image.


Progression

I wanted to try some more multiple imagery as I found it quite enjoyable, and I wanted to try one with only 9 images in. I looked through my pictures from walk 3 and I thought that I could make quite a good multiple image out of them, which would give a sense of adventure and nature. I much prefer this image to the first one I had tried, mainly because these individual images are all taken at different angles and of various different places or objects, whereas the individual images in the first one are all taken at the same angle and have similar content. A lot of lines are visible in this image in the form of benches, and trees, and it also includes a lot of natural colours like greens and browns. This adds to the natural feel of the overall image, and I enhanced these colours for this reason. I am very happy with this image and think it is one of my best images overall.

image Bank - Back of Head





These images are all of back of head portraiture which I think it is an abstract and unique approach to a portrait. Usually it is the facial features and expression that are focused on in a portrait as this can tell us a bit about the person and change the feel of the image altogether, therefore I find that back of head photography sometimes creates a sense of mystery. In a lot of back of head photography I have seen, the head is very in focus while the background is blurred to allow depth to be seen, but also so that the focus of the image is remains on the back of head and not the surroundings. I quite like this take on portraiture as it is unusual and simple but can create a very good image against a range of interesting or contrasting backgrounds. 

Connecting Essay 5



This is an image I had found online. The first thing I noticed about it is the significant contrast between the dark bold staircase and the pale blue sky, so that a clear outline of the staircase and railings can be seen. Lines are also very clear in the railings of the stairs. Another aspect of contrast in this photo is between the sky and the cloud, which I think adds to the minimalistic image. Shadows and highlights in the image bring out different tones in the staircase and show form in the woman. The staircase and woman are central in the frame which I think works effectively as it allows us to see the plain sky under the staircase, which helps establish its height. The woman doesn't take up much frame space herself, and this emphasises the size of the area and creates a sense of loneliness. The image is an action shot as it looks as if the woman is unaware of the camera. The image overall creates a sense of journey, as we can see she is travelling somewhere. The simplicity of the image works effectively and allows us to focus on the main content without over-complicating the image. 


This is an image I had taken. It is very contrasting, as the staircase is dark and bold while she sky is very pale and plain. This contrasts allows us to see a very clear outline of the staircase and railings, which show lines. The image is taken from a low angle, which emphasises the hight of the staircase and also makes the image more unique. I like how the stairs do not take up the whole frame as it allows us to focus on the significant contrast. Highlights and shadows allow form to be seen in the metal. Something I noticed about this image is that it is split into light and dark, which i think is quite effective and appealing. The image crates a sort of sense of journey, but also a sense of mystery as we do not know where the stars lead to. We also cannot see anything else in the frame which adds to the mysterious feel. 

The content of both these images is quite similar, as they both show staircases. They also both show significant contrast between the staircase and the sky. Because of this contrast, the shape of both staircases is clearly established, and the shape of the lines in the railings. They both create a sense of journey. The image I had found does this by showing a woman on her journey up the stairs, and my image does this by using a low angle shot as if you are looking at the stairs and about to climb up them. Both images also successfully create a sense of mystery, as in both cases we cannot see where the staircase leads to, and there is nothing else in the frame that gives us clues about the location. 

These images also have a lot of differences, for example both images were taken from different angles. the image I had found was taken from the side, with the camera angles straight forward, while I had chosen to angle the camera upwards to show the staircase. I chose to do this in order to emphasise the hight of it, however as the other image shows empty space underneath the staircase, we can already establish from this the height of the stairs already, so this does not need to be shown through camera angles. Another difference between these two images is that one involves a person while the other doesn't. The involvement of a person strengthens the sense of journey in the image, and also adds something to the image without overcomplicating it. Colour is another difference. In the image I had found, the blue is quite bright which makes the image appealing, while in my image the colour of the sky is significantly faded, which increases the contrast between it and the staircase. I decided to take my image of the staircase quite close up to show it in more detail, and also create a sense of mystery as we cannot see anything else in the frame.

Connecting Essay 4




This is an image I had found online. The first the I notice about it is that the colour is bright and vivid. The bright white flower is very contrasting against the green grass, so that the outline of it is very clear and the shape can we easily seen. The stem of the flower also contrasts against the grass, so that we can see exactly where the flower is coming from. The flower itself only takes up a very small amount of the frame, but because of the significant contrast we still focus on it. Another aspect of the image which ensures we focus on the flower is the blurring. The top two thirds, and the very bottom of the frame is blurred, leaving only the flower and a thin line of grass below it is in focus. The significance of the blur means we cannot identify any of the surroundings, so that we entirely focus on the flower. The background of the photo is green grass at the bottom of the frame but dark at the top half of the frame, and because of the blurring these colours slightly blend which creates a nice, simple background. 


This, on the other hand, is an image I had taken. I quite like the variation of different colours visible in this image, and the way they establish autumn. I decided to enhance these colours by increasing the saturation in order to bring out the autumnal tones in it, such as reds, greens and yellows. The single flower stands out as it is bright white, and contrasts against the autumnal colours of the leaves, so that the outline is visible. Depth is shown clearly as the leaves get smaller the further away from the camera they are. They also become very out of focus, implying they are further away. I like how the flower is off centre, as it allows us to focus on the autumnal colours of the surrounding leaves. The highlights create a smooth texture of the leaves, which contrasts against the textured grass, which creates individual lines. I also like how only the ground is visible, as there is nothing else in the frame distracting us from the autumn scene. The flower itself only takes up a small amount of the frame, but it is still very visible due to the contrast. I had used a high angle shot, as this allows depth to be shown more clearly because the leaves that were really far from the camera were visible. 

Both these images have similar content as they both include an off centre flower, which only takes up a very small amount of the frame. In both cases, the flowers are still very visible due to the contrast between them and the backgrounds. Both images also shown depth very clearly, and both use blurring to do this. The colours in both photos are enhanced and made more vivid to emphasise that time of year. 

Despite these similarities, the two images also have a few differences. As well as blurring, my image shows depth because the leaves furthest away from the camera are very small, which implies they are further away. The image I had found online does not show this, but uses burring more significantly to show depth. Another difference between these two images is that colour is more significant in the image I had taken as vivid reds, yellows, oranges and greens are shown. On the other hand, the lack of colour in the other pictures background makes it even more contrasting as the white flower can really stand out against it. The photos have also both been taken in different formats. I didn't want to take my image as a landscape as I thought this would make the flower appear smaller in the frame, and therefore the eye would be distracted away from it. Despite this, the landscape format works well for the photograph I has found, as it emphasises the size of the area. 

Connecting Essay 3



This is an image I had found online. It is taken very low so that both the leaves and the trees in the distance are visible. Because of this low angle, the texture of the leaves can be seen clearly and so can the depth which I quite like about it. I also like how half of the frame is filled with leaves and the other half is filled with trees, and the contrast this creates between the orange leaves and green trees within the frame. Some of the leaves nearer the camera are blurred while the rest are focused, which creates a sense of depth, emphasising the size of the area. The tones in the image such as reds and yellows are enhanced so that we can tell this is an autumn scene. There are visible lines in the image in the form of tree trunks, which get smaller and thinner the further away they are, again creating depth. The image also creates a sense of both adventure because and mystery as we cannot see anything other than nature in the surroundings, and it seems a quiet secluded area.



This is an image I had taken during walk one. I had taken it from a low angle, as I wanted to emphasise the colours of the leaves, to establish this as an autumnal image. I increased the saturation of the leaves in order to bring out the orange tones in them. Depth is clearly shown as the leaves nearer the lens are a lot bigger then the ones further away, which are also blurred. The shape of the leaves nearest the camera can be seen clearly as the brown/orange tones in the leave significantly contrast against the dark concrete. The rough texture of the concrete is clearly shown, contrasting with the s,loth texture of the leaves. Another way the image shows depth is through the pillars, which get smaller the further into the distance they go. Also, the bushes in the background and quite out of focus, suggesting they are further away. The tree in the background creates a dark silhouette as it significantly contrasts against the plain white sky. 

Both images are quite similar in content as they both show an autumn nature scene. Both of the images are taken at a low angle in order to draw attention to the leaves on the ground, to reinforce the idea that this is an autumn image. This angle also allows the trees in the background of each image to be seen which implies the leaves are falling from them, re-establishing autumn. The images have both had their colours enhanced in order to bring out autumn tones for example orange, reds, greens and yellows. The images also both clearly show depth and texture. 

Although the images both show depth, they show it in different ways. The image I had found online shows depth as the trees in the background get smaller and thinner the further away from the camera they are. In the image I had taken on the other hand, depth is shown mostly through blurring. As well as being smaller the further away from the camera they get, the leaves in the background are also out of focus, reinforcing the sense of depth. The bushes in background are also very blurred. Another difference between these two images is that my image clearly shows the texture of the ground, due to from. The ground in the other image cannot be seen. Both images had also been taken in different formats, the image I had found as a landscape and mine as a portrait. The landscape option works effectively as more of the surroundings are visible, which held to emphasise the size of the area. The portrait option worked nicely in my image as the line of leaves fit nicely into the frame.