Monthly Archives: May 2017

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Shoot 2 experimenting:

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All of my images were shot in standard non-filter fashion. To make the strongest image I experimented with the images that I have taken to see what looks the best. From the shoot as a whole it is clear to see that the black and white filter on the images makes it much stronger and tells more of a story to it’s audience. In my opinion the topic of environment is very black and white as a conceptual idea, this is because environment can be seen in 2 different ways, man made or natural. In this case man represents black and the nature represents white. This is because the white shows hope in the image but the black dominates and absorbs the focus of the image. Below are comparisons of the best images from the shoot compared to that of the standard colour version. Standard below, best top.

EXAMPLE 1:

In my opinion the black and white version of the images in the shoot stand out much more in general, besides how they present more conceptual meaning than the colour version. Apart from the image in colour being more vibrant the b&w creates a stronger environmental portrait. I also chose the black and white images since the focuses on my chosen environmental artist references use the black and white, so I have created my own version of someone who has inspired me to do so. Lastly the subject stands out in the image a lot more in the black and white version since the contrast between the blacks of the suit and the white flowers is strong.

EXAMPLE 2:

The theme between the images is continued through both comparisons in the ssame way, below will be more examples of the standard version and the edited version of the images.

EXAMPLE 3:

EXAMPLE 4:

In the case of example 4 it is clear that in the top image, before editing there was an interruption to the frame from a dog. However once the image is put into black and white the dog head is not visible and the image becomes much stronger, with the center focus of the subject in the middle of the gates.

 

 

 

Analysis, Recording

Shoot Two

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This shoot was much more successful than the last as i am able to draw finals from this shoot however i did not adjust the ISO which means that nearly all of the images will be pixelated but not to the extent of the images before. This shoot was done in St Catherine’s with two models. My first model was wearing a bright purple jumper with black jeans and my second mode was wearing a red checkered shirt with black jeans. However, after this shoot i decided that all my images from this point will be put into a consistent black and white filter which is very bright and reduced the pixelation in the images.

My male model was very good with body language and produced very powerful images which made my project much more dramatic which has worked really well. The first few images i took were very normal but i used an opening in the trees which created a frame for these photos. I wanted to experiment with this shoot to make it more interesting than the last and give me something to use in my photobook.

This photo is really interesting as it looks like he is suffering which is create symbolism for the levels of pollution which are rising. Pollution can cause many different breathing problems as this could symbolize the suffering asthmatics go through because of pollution as they are the worst affected. The trees have create a frame for my model which draws your attention to him and the fact that his pose is unusual means that it sticks out from the forest. The black and white works really well for this image as it makes it very dramatic and interesting, this is why i have chosen to make this the consistent filter on all the images i am going to take as it will make the layout of my book much more consistent and using black and white makes it much more serious than in colour.

This pose is very sinister as it almost seems possessed which is why i like this image because it is interesting and even though he partially blends into the background, he is still very obvious and your eyes are drawn onto him. This image does not have any hidden symbols but it is a very dramatic but simple images and it works. His hands are the one part of him which stick out the most and i think this is what first draws your eyes to him but then the focus moves towards the gas mask then the image as a whole.

This image is very interesting because the model chose to crouch down and it’s a very anonymous photo as we cannot really see his eyes so the image has tension as the viewer cannot tell who is underneath. The crouching pose could symbolize a child having to wear the gas mask, it symbolizes vulnerability. Many humans think they are invincible until something so “small” as pollution damages them. We will never see pollution as a problem until it becomes a law that a child has to carry a gas mask to protect them from the toxins in the air. Children have the ability to influence adults and soon as they are affected the world will change.

One image which i took which i like very much, is of my male model behind a tree which a branch covering his eyes. It creates a lot of tension in the image and makes it interesting as the viewers do not know what kind of emotion he is feeling as we can often tell by our eyes.

My model blends in with the background yet you can still very much distinguish him. The fact that his face is covered by the mask and that the branch hides his identity creating tension as the viewer will create an image of the model in their head of what he looks like which makes the photo much more interesting. This image represents that we are part of nature and that we are entangled in our ways and we cannot get out of them so we just keep destroying the world to make way for new people. This photo is one of my favorites because it is a form of abstract photography, within tableaux photography within nature photography. The black and white makes the image very strong and powerful and it represents my project of Our Future really well.

This is my female model who has very strong eyes which is why i have used her for this project as in the gas mask, the eyes are the only think visible which is why they need to be powerful. I used the hanging vines to create a frame for my model. This image has no hidden symbolism but it is an interesting image. Her eyes are very powerful as the white of her eyes  stands out due to the black and white filter, it is not one of my favourites but her crouching could represent trying to hide away from the pollution problems but because she is wearing a mask it means she can’t escape.

As i had two models available i wanted to try create some double images of them both in mouth masks as i though they would be powerful and interesting and a different form of portraiture.

In this image, you can clearly see the strong points of each model such as the male is good at body language as he is drooping down and look very drained whereas the female model is very stiff but her eyes are much more dramatic and show a lot of emotion, she looks scared. This image has no symbol but it is very powerful is showing how two types of people will cope with the rise of pollution. It represents togetherness and that this is something that we can change together. One person cannot change the pollution levels of the world but many people can. The composition of this image is fairly good as the focus is very much on the two models as they are in the center of the image which is where the eyes focus. This is a combination of Tableaux and portraiture, it combines both more than the others as i directed the models wear to sit and whether to face me or not. The poses they did i left up to them to make the photo seem less forced and it worked really well as the male model is much more dramatic compared to the female one which allows for an equal balance of both bold eyes and dramatic body language.

I attempted to photograph my male model in a semi cave to create dramatic photos, it worked very well as when you first look at the photo you can only see his head which adds for a lot of tension and drama.

This photo is a lot different from the others as it is very dramatic and the background isn’t visible which adds a lot of tension as the viewer will not know what is behind him. This allows imagination to take hold and makes the photo ambiguous. His pose also makes the photo really interesting as his body language isn’t stiff and he looks drained almost posed which works well for my project. The toxins of the pollution are hurting him, the darkness behind him represents the end. The light on him represents hope but the darkness is taking over, the hope is diminishing. The fact that the light is primarily on his skin draws the eyes towards him which is what i wanted from my images as my models are the main focus of this project. They represent Humanity. They represent Our Future. They represent Our Children’s Future. They represent the Loss Of Hope. This is one of my favourite images of this shoot and i will most likely use it in my book.

As i was in a forest, i wanted to use the branches and trees as much as possible to create frames around my models so that the viewer would focus on the model. I think this image has the best frame as the trees joined together to make a complete frame and it worked really well.

This image is very sinister as he looks possessed and looks like he is stalking someone. That someone is us, he is a reminded of what we are doing, he is warning people of what could happen if they do not protect the planet. Soldiers did not die to protect this earth and us for us to destroy it again. The trees worked really well to frame my model and it really makes the eye focus on him and what he could represent. Many of these images are ambiguous as they could mean lots of different things to different people but the main point of it is pollution as that is not ambiguous. One thing which is very powerful about this image is that we cannot see his eyes. this is very powerful as it hides his identity and makes the viewer create an idea of what he could look like. Some people would see him with scars all over his faces and others may see him as smiling.

Overall, this was a successful shoot as i am planning on using many of the images i have created from this shoot in my book as they have lots of hidden means and they are interesting images to look at. I tried very hard to think of composition and i think i did really well with framing my models using trees and it has allowed for some interesting and unique images to be made. I think the only thing i would improve is that the ISO was still set on 6400 maximum sensitivity which has made them pixelated but it is not majorly noticeable like the images from the first shoot but the black and white helps to reduce this as well. Another thing which i would of changed is command my female model more as her body language was quite poor is many photos and i think it let some of them down like this image:

As you can see, my female model did not pose very well which partially ruined the photo and i wished i had told her what to stand instead of let her choose as it really did not work for these sets of images. This image is not in black and white as i do not intend of using it for my book because of the poor composition and it is also more pixelated than the others.

Uncategorized

Shoot 2: Finals

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In reference to my blog post “shoot 2 ideas”, I have stuck to the focus of one of my AS level shoots. In my previous year in AS level photography we were given the task to present images based on 100 years of history in Jersey through a teenagers eyes. My focus on this topic was to create a scenario of  a young gambler. This is something that I would like to continue in my A level photography, however this time the images will be taken in the outside environment showing the islands natural beauty. The use of wearing typical gambling suits and black and white attire is to present the concept that our gambling has an effect on the nature around us. This links to larger problems of global warming and how we are causing this problem as man. My plan was to take the images for my second shoot around the lanes of St Lawrence, a relatively un photographed area of natural beauty in the island. St Lawrence is filled with small country lanes and fields that present the opportunity for me to place my subject into the environment. I will be using black and white filter to present the images to make the subject stand out in the environment, also it follows the images created by artist I have made references to previously.

The images that I captured from the shoot use the natural beauty of the fields. Looking around St Lawrence for a suitable location I decided that one field stood out a lot more than any of the other fields. This was because the entire field was filled with daffodils from top to bottom. This made the images more sublime in natural beauty. However the use of the man makes the image more mysterious and interesting since a plain field of flowers does not catch my attention. I think the use of the props in the image, such as the hat and suit make the image create the feeling of wonder. The images have the concept of gambling with our environment as we develop on our land as said above.

The field was filled with daffodils from top to bottom, all white on the head. This gave a great contrast between the colours of the suit that the subject was wearing and the flowers below him. I have set the subject looking up to the sun to create the effect of him looking at what the world has to offer and how the natural beauty should not be changed. I have set up the subject in the middle of the image to ensure that he is the focus of the image with his surroundings filling the rest of the frame.   This is my favorite image from the shoot. I think this because I like how the image is dead pan with the subject looking directly at the camera. Again the contrast of the flowers to the subjects suit and props makes the image stronger with the black and white filter. I have decided to place the subject further away from the camera to show the size of the field and how he is only a small part of the nature in this moment of time. The second reason I like this image is that the use of landscape shows the separation of the rule of three in a better way. The rule includes the ground, the tree line in the middle of the image and the sky. The subject’s head is just above the tree line which makes the frame more sublime.

Similar to the image above this image gives the same effect but from a lower angel on the flower height. I have blurred the flower to gain more focus on the subject which is the main component of the image. 

The images above and below are the same image at a different level. After experimenting on both of the images I have decided that the top image is of better quality as more of the landscape can be seen. I think this image is a strong environmental portrait because it is a close up of the subject which allows us as viewers of the image to again interpret the scale of the nature.

To give more meaning to the shoot I have used an image of the subject on a large driveway entrance. This image has the concept of how the subject has built upon the natural beauty to create something so unnecessary, destroying the countryside.  

Development, Recording

Photoshop Skills

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// S T AM P   D E S I G N //

To finish my post card creations I wanted to create a series of stamps using the home shoot images which can be added to the back of the outdoor images after they’re printed as the card sets. To do this, I worked in Adobe Photoshop to create a series of stamps based around a free template I found online. The original image of a blank postage stamp is shown below and comes from ‘backgroundsy’ which is a shutter-stock style site where vector images can be downloaded. I filtered through a number of these template blanks to find a design which would be suitable for what I was looking to create. I selected the image on the right hand side below as i was happiest with the edging format. Loading this into photoshop, I added my own images as a second layer on top of the original template. These were scaled to size and adjusted to fit the frame. The next step was to create a clipping mask and mask the images to the shape layer forming the stamp image.

The stamps I created using the process above in photoshop had sections of pure white which didn’t show up clearly against the background on this blog. To add clarity, I added an artificial drop shadow – again in Photoshop – which will not be printed with the final image and is purely for presentation purposes. The plan for these stamps is to have them printed on sticky-back paper (likely 85gsm) and attach them manually to the back of my cards rather than having them printed as part of the designs. This manual method will produce a hand-made finish to the final piece which should still look professional if printed correctly. I will have the stamp series printed privately as I need full control over the weight and finish of the paper and prints. Below are the first two stamps I designed which feature full frame images taken from the home shoots. Though plain, they are effective but overall very basic. To expand and develop on this idea, I intend to experiment with a series of images from across all shoots to create a selection of alternative ideas which may focus more on abstraction.

Working with images from the shoots that explored subjects further than a typical front-facing portrait, the next step was to experiment with a series of stamps that utilised my knowledge of both photoshop and graphic design. The first of these experiments was a simple double exposure image featuring photos from both the home and external environments. I focused on a closer portrait for the base image and overlaid a photo of the landscape the model chose which happened to feature a vertically focused display of trees with some elements of water in the background. Rather than using a dodge tool, I used a simple eraser and blending sliders to have complete control over the format of the images and the way they connected together. This process used fewer layers and resulted in a double-exposed final stamp image. Below is also a slide showing my photoshop layout complete with the layers used in this section of the project. 

Linking to some of the more abstract orientated stamps I researched as part of the inspiration for this project section, the stamp below was created by layering several images over each other in a block-colour format. The image in the background needed to be relatively calm with a central focus which in this case is Maya. On the left and right of her are two more abstract photos which feature small sections of landscapes we crossed through on the journey to create the final images. The plants were taken outside her house which she identified as not being a physical home for her in any sense other than the place she sleeps. On the right of the image is a small section of sky which fades out towards the bottom of the stamp. This image actually shows Maya too up at St Ouens bay but for this experiment I cropped it to show just the blues of the sky.The next experiment was a simple image rotation technique which runs back to the work we completed earlier in the year on Idris Khan and the double exposure methods which rely on multiplying images. Further research on this experimentation can be found here in a previous post, “Multiply“. The method is simple but worked well with the relatively plain portraits I shot of Jack against a natural, green background. The second layer image is actually a different photo but is almost identical other than slight changes in the facial expression. Though still relatively simplistic, this image is arguably one of the more successful as the uncluttered design draws the eye but won’t distract from the rest of the piece.Going a bit mad with design ideas now, I created a bizzare and colourful stamp using a base image from Emily’s shoot on the beach. The slide below shows the original image, though adjusted and faded slightly, clipped to the stamp design but otherwise natural.
Using a variety of photoshop options such as posterise, colourise, colour burn, dodge, full saturation and other editing methods – I created  the alien looking landscape below. The image features rich colours that draw out tiny details with the mad colourings (such as seaweed in the bottom right). Though odd looking, there is something pleasing about the unnatural edits of this image and the way they are presented here. Taking this further, I blended a selection of stock images and patters to create further distortions in the image. Below are a selection of slides from photoshop showing the layers used for this part of the project as well as the blended stock images used . 

The final outcome has an off-world feel and is more science fiction than anything natural or human. The colours are unsettling and focus heavily on saturation, hue and contrast to form the final image. The next step of experimentation here will focus on possible additions to the postcard backs such as letter stamps, wording and placements. Another possible addition could be layering the stamps as if each image had ben posted more than once? Just something to think about and possibly explore later on in the project.

Analysis, Recording

First Shoot

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This shoot was conducted in St Helier, in the area of Le Frigate and People’s Park. This shoot was unsuccessful as the ISO Sensitivity was on 6400 which meant all the photos which i took, which was over 200 turned out to be pixelated.

This shoot was done in direct sunlight as it was a clear sunny day which made it very difficult to get the photos to be quite dark which is what i was aiming for. The sun also made it difficult to find areas to photograph in without strange light patterns, this was very frustrating as it was my first shoot and i wanted to get it right for the next shoots. As you can see, these photos are pixelated and the light on the grass ruins the composition of the image:

The light is the background created a split in the image and the composition of the image is completely wrong. My idea for these images was to use the trees on either side of my model which you cannot see as a frame. However when i started photographing, the trees were to far apart and the light behind my model ruined each image as well as the fact that they are pixelated. I was very cautious to not photograph with the light behind my model but this did not work in this situation as the light was coming from the side. Also these images in general are bland and boring, they aren’t adventurous or interesting. I wanted to create images which are ordinary but with a hint of unusual to them as that will make my project much more interesting. However, i discovered that i wanted to do this after this shoot as i realized how boring they were.

The outfit of my model was completely wrong as she was wearing green and there was green is many of my photos which meant she blended in a lot. For this shoot, i did not think about my model’s appearance because i have never had to but i realized when doing this shoot that it is really important even down to the finest details of makeup.

The first images i took on this shoot were in between some bushes which created a fairly nice light pattern, however the light was far too bright which meant i played with the settings and got them completely wrong and i did not notice. These photos are very dull as i wanted to try reduce the brightness but that also reduced the colour, it also did not help that my model was wearing a green jumper.

These images are very dull and the pose of my model is very poor as she is hunched over which makes the photos very poor. These are my least favourite images as i think they were rushed as i did not want to take to long. The bush was not high enough so it cut off half way which meant that the image was split which ruined the composition of the image. The light patterned which the bushes created was only visible on half of her body which also ruined the image. The images may not seem pixelated from afar but when zoomed in, it is very clear that they are which isn’t good for printing the images which is why i won’t be using any of the images from this shoot in my book.

The images i do like and wish that weren’t pixelated were taken near the guns of People’s Park, i think this had create symbolism of war and the fight against pollution. The soldiers fought a completely different war to the one we are fighting today, yet somehow, this fight could end up being much more deadly than WW1/2.

The only problem i have with these images is that there is a bush which is pink in the background which is really frustrating as it ruins the composition and consistency of the images. It draws your attention away from the main focus of the image which is my model in either a mouth mask or full face gas mask. These images symbolize a hidden war which normal people wouldn’t see unless they read the pollution levels of the world and how E-waste and lots of rubbish is building up over the world and we cannot get rid of it quickly enough. The ocean floors are lined with rubbish but only the fish and deep sea divers know as the news wouldn’t cover this sort of “boring” news. The steps up to the guns represent the climb of pollution, my model is sat at the top because the pollution is at it’s highest and it’s a losing battle as not enough people are fighting this war as their lives are “too busy”.

This image represents a combination of nature and man made structures. It represents how humanity is over taking the earth’s natural environment and contaminating it with pollution.

My model sitting on a high rock and me shooting from a lower angle represents the power humans have over nature and how we can control what happens to it but yet we are destroying it with our cars and buildings and we do not care. Yet we will adopt a leopard for 3 pounds a month but won’t cycle or take the bus to work to reduce their carbon footprint. We humans sit on our high horse, thinking we’ve concurred the world and we are at the peak of technology but animals are disappearing, so are trees and so it our oxygen, yet we can’t tell cause we are sat so high on our horse that we can’t even see the ground, mostly because it’s covered in tarmac to make roads for NEW CARS! Even though this images represents a lot, the composition of it is very poor mostly because of the pixelation. I think if this image was not pixelated, i may of used it in my photobook as it has high symbolism and could represent a lot to many people.

I did a set of images on Victoria Avenue and they were very poor mostly because my model partially blends into the sea wall and also her pose does not work well, i should of told her to do a certain pose but i let her choose which i think ruined the images as the pose does not represent the severity and seriousness of pollution and how high the risk of wearing a gas mask is for parts of the world like China.

These photos are just so boring and dull, they have no symbolism and i am not sure why i photographed on the beach, mostly because people think that it is a beautiful place but it was not. The sand was dull, the sun was too bright for my model, her clothes were dull and do not stand out and the rocks are scattered everywhere ruining the composition. These are the worst composed out of all my photos, i tried different angles and i used different distances away from the model and i also used a tripod, yet the images are poor. I would never use these images in my book and in some of them it is very clear that they are pixelated. I could of seen the pixelation working for my project to represent the blurred vision of most of the people in the world but the images would of have to have met up to the standard and meaning of that symbol. None of these photos do.

Overall, this shoot was very poor mostly because i did not notice that my ISO sensitivity was on 6400 which caused the pixelation and also that my model wearing the completely wrong clothing and her makeup was all wrong but i did not consider this before i did the shoot. However, some of the images like the ones with the guns and the one on the rocks have high symbolism but i would prefer them to be clear as they would work better for my project as i do not like any photos being blurry. Next time i do a shoot, i will make sure that my model is wearing appropriate clothing such as a bright jumper and i also want her to have dark makeup to bring out her blue eyes as they are very powerful.

I am also planning on using a second model as she is not very good with posing but her eyes are so bold and they could add a lot of drama and tension to the images. My second model, will be much better at posing and will add much needed body language to the images to create a variety of different perspective and ideas to my project. However, i am going to pay attention to my ISO settings and male sure that my models are wearing appropriate clothing.

Development, Planning, Presentation

Documentary: Final Prints – Layouts & Designs

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Before designing my photo book I first wanted to plan out how I will be presenting my final outcomes that I have chosen in my previous ‘selections’ post. To do this I have first split my results into documentary and symbolism presentations and separated them into two posts. Below are mock-up versions and experimentations of my documentary outcomes and how I want the final printed versions to appear by the end of the exam. To create these displays I will be using a mixture of gloss paper A4 and A5 images as well as A3 matt pieces and the materials provided by the school. The red cross shown over the top of my designs below indicates that I will definitely not be using this version to physically recreate in the exam whereas the question mark means I am still unsure. To create these examples I simply used layering techniques in Photoshop to make black and white backgrounds give off the illusion of window mounts and storyboards…

Documentary – Final Prints – Presentations :

This collection of computer generated displays above depicts how I am intending to display my results on the problem of ‘plasticulture’ in Jersey. For these pieces, I am planning on creating my most difficult presentations to emphasise my A3 images using a double window mounting and diptych technique. To do this I will first be creating a white window mount for all three of my pieces and then a larger black window-mount to go on top. The reason I have separated my outcomes into two pieces is because the black and white abstract image is very dark and dramatic compared and looks much better as a single display. As well as this I have chosen to create a diptych because the two colour images work together to tell a frightening story about where this plastic ends up. Because the two documentary images are not the same size, after testing it out, I have decided they look much better as a vertical display with one on top of the other.

The next design above shows how I am planning to lay out and put together my many final outcomes taken to explore the methods of Jersey’s common waste disposal. To do this I will be using my previously researched picture story technique, my 6 – 8 professionally printed photographs, and two pieces of large white foam board. The reason I will need two pieces of foam board is to separately mount each photograph, giving them a lot more visual weight and emphasis,  before sticking them all down together as a final collection. As I am unsure how big of a board I will be able to use I will be printing two extra A5 images as well as an A3 and A4 version of the same piece. This is so that when it comes to actually laying these out, in the set sizes that they are produced, I will be able to make my best judgments on the day. This piece will be my largest presentation for my project as I love the overall tone of the shoot and the fact it is an insider’s view on where all of Jersey’s pollution ends up.Lastly, for my documentary final outcome presentations, I will be showing a much smaller display of A5 images that will later pair up with the abstract finals from the same shoot. These two photographs depicting ocean pollution will be made as a simple black window mount presenting a diptych technique. Although I could possibly crop them down (using the frame) to exactly the same dimensions, I feel as though they would work better as a vertical presentation rather than as the crossed out horizontal one I have displayed above. This is mainly because of the lengthy way I have presented the surreal versions from this shoot in my next post as well as it mirroring my plastic documentary diptych above.  The reason I am printing these images so small is because they were originally taken using an iPhone and an underwater phone case and therefore are not the highest of quality.

Planning, Presentation, Research

Methods of Presentation – Research

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For my next step in moving towards finalising this exam project, I have researched a few of the ways I am planning to display my work. As I have explained and presented in my last post, I will be using a large number of my favourite outcomes from this project to enlarge and exhibit as well as include in a potential photo-book. Below is an introductory look at some techniques that I have previously attempted in my past projects as well as a few new styles I intend to experiment with. The first contact sheet below depicts a look at different styles of window mounts as well as photo collections and picture stories…

By mounting my chosen photographs and framing them with the available materials l am able to explore many different display options to enhance the overall look of the project. Using a well-designed combination of frames, mounting, and card mats I can form an important part of the visual expression displayed throughout my images, separating them from their surroundings and giving them more visual weight. One of the main mounting and framing techniques I will be using for my display will be window mounting; cutting out the centre of my material and using the frame that’s left to stick over the top of my uncropped photographs. This type of mountings is usually cut with a bevelled edge and because it covers the edges of each piece, window mounts can also be useful for cropping or levelling images. As well as this I will also be using this technique to explore the idea of combining my final images using triptych/ diptych displays. Diptychs and triptychs are a brilliant tool for photographic storytelling, by presenting two or three images from the same session or completely different scenes they are amazing for showing opposition as well as contrasting ideas.  The top row of the contact sheet below displays some examples of window mounting and the various techniques and styles in which it can be done…Apart from window mounting I will also be potentially creating a Picture Storyboard to present some of my larger collections such as my shoot from the La Collette ‘Energy from Waste’ facility. The definition of a picture story put simply is a visual representation of something produced on one surface in a creative medium. What I like most about this method is no picture story can ever be the same, even if the subject and photographs are identical. The way you deign your story and lay it out can give the overall outcome a very different look, showing individual styles in each version. On the bottom row of the contact sheet above I have added some examples of varied picture story layouts including one I made in Photoshop.

To get more ideas about the different compositions of photo books my next step was to find three personal inspirations that are presented on the publishing website I will be using, Blurb. Below are three very different examples presented and captioned in a contact sheet to clearly view their layouts. On the top row is an example that was put together by Mark Roberts, called ‘PDML Photo Annual 2017’, which presents a simple and classic photo book style.  The book is a Standard 10×8 inch landscape size and consists of 108 Pages. The layout is a common arrangement of each photograph taking up a single page with a white border and a blank page left between. Although I like this classic technique I am sure I will be wanting to do something a more creative for my end result to emphasise my images as well as my message.The next photo book, displayed in the middle row, is an interesting piece called ‘We The People’ by Daniel Levin which explores protests taking place in America. This book is only 50 pages long and is a nice 13×11 inch landscape size. I like the variety of layouts in this example including, however, I am mostly researching it for its straightforward set out of the title, second title, and then preface. Lastly is my favourite inspiration for my own photo book displayed out of the three below. This book by Michael Farnworth, simply named ‘Photographs by Michael Farnworth’ is a standard 10×8 inches landscape size and consists of a short 30 pages. The book portrays the author’s “first book of photographs” depicting the beautiful landscapes of Hampstead Heath. The inspiration I can take from this book is the beautiful way he presents multiple images on the same page, combines contrasting/complimenting images, and presents full-page bleeds…

Development, Experimentation, Exploring

The Addition of Text

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I experimented with handwritten and typed text for this image. To get the uneven lines of the handwritten text I used the 48 brush tool which has long angled bristles that are sensitive to how much pressure is applied and adjusts the thickness of the brush stroke as appropriate. For the typed text I selected simple font which I added over the top of the image in varying sizes. I chose to use the phrade “I’m only an angry feminist when you’re a sexist asshole” because it appeared on a poster on my initial angry feminist mood board. I also though that the phrase was sassy and fit with pose ad expression of the figure in the image.

For this image I also experimented with handwritten and typed text. As previously stated for the handwritten text I used the 48 brush tool, when using the computer mouse to write the letter I chose to write in block capitals as they are mainly composed of straight lines, these were more effective and easier to write. This can be seen by the strange appearance of the more rounded letters such as o and s. I think that the typed text works better for this image, the somewhat balanced nature of the word “feminine” and “feminist” at the top and bottom of the image makes the overall image visually pleasing. I chose the phrase “Feminine is not anti-feminist” because it is something that I feel very strongly about. Just because a woman dress in a traditionally feminine way and subscribes to particular female gender roles does not make her any less of a feminist or an empowered and free woman.

I also wanted to reference the idea of a 00’s high school it girl so I decided to include a sassy, bitchy comment. I chose the phrase “At least it’s only my hair that’s fake, bogus bitch” because of the snappy alliteration of the phrase “bogus bitch” but also because the fact that a woman decides to colour her hair does not reflect her personality or whether or not she is a genuine person.

I had fun experimenting with different words to place on top of this image. Before adding words to this image I edited out the finger of the blonde image because In felt that they were distracting as they were right in the centre of the image. I removed them by using the colour picker tool and the airbrush brush tool to paint over the top, I achieved a crisp edge at the divide by using the flat edge brush tool and holding down shift in order to paint a completely straight line. I knew that when choosing a phrase to accompany the image in wanted to draw attention to the split personality feel of the image. I experimented with the phrase “Step aside Jekyll and Hyde” as a reference to the book and film “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” which is about a man with a alter ego. I also tried the phrase “Beauty and the Bitch” as an obvious reference to the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast” with the word “beauty” having positive connotation and “beast” having negative connotations which is replaced with the word “bitch” which has similar connotations. Another interesting thing about this phrase is that the viewer is able to decide which side of the image is the “beauty” and which is the “beast” as both sides of the image could arguably be both.

I also experimented with coloured images and white text as well as monochrome images with coloured text. I struggles with the balancing of the text within the first image but I knew that I wanted the words “polite” and “violence” to be in the largest font size and I felt that these were the most significant. I managed to balance the text more successfully in the second without having to obstruct the face. I also made the decision to edit out the painted words on the torso in the second colour image because I felt that they would distract from the over layed text. I edited out the original words by using the spot healing tool and then the blur tool to try and smooth out the skin.

In this image I experimented with two different phrases “Vegetarian martyr with the leather Doc Martens” and “Her worst critic and yet her best advocate” I chose the first phrase because I felt that it tied in well with the art student stereotype but also a satirical stab at myself and my own values as I am both a strict vegetarian and an owner of leather shoes. I chose the second phrase because, again, it ties in with the art student stereotypes but it is also very personal to me and I can be both overly critical and overly confident about my own work.

I tried adding words to this image and although I like the words I selected i don’t feel that the aesthetic nature of the texts adds anything to the image. I actually feel that the texts causes the image to lose some of its intensity and drama. My thinking behind the words is an extension of the phrase used on one of the previous images. It is a little satirical and in my personal opinion, humorous. However, I don’t think that the text works visually with the image.

 

 

 

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Shoot 3 Contact sheet:

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Similar to the contact sheets of shoot 2 I have decided on which images are the best outcomes of the shoot. Once experimenting with the editing of the images it was clear that again the black and white images were the strongest. This factor has led me to flagging the black and white to being the best images.

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Shoot 2 Contact sheet:

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These two contact sheets from light room show the images that I selected to edit on from the shoot taken in St Lawrence. I have decided that the images will be in black and white to follow suit upon the images I have taken in AS. I have flagged the images that I like most to ensure that it is easy to tell the best images apart.