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Experimentation

TODD HIDO/HAMISH FULTON INSPIRED EXPERIMENTATION

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I created more images with the second photo shoot featuring Ryan. I found the composition and minimal features would be useful to use with text. The dark tones would also make the font stand out more. I used the font Perpetua Titling MT Bold because of its classic style. I started by using a small text over the image to create a more subtle impression. I liked the classical style it evoked. I picked a simple phrase with small words that evoked the notion of being nocturnal and night life. I wanted it to be simple yet full of impact.

I then tried using a larger font that would take up a large amount of space on the image. I positioned it so the mirror and reflection was still visible. I made two, the first where the text was in the centre and the second where the image is placed to the right.

I then returned to the word nocturnal which I had used in previous images. I then used borders to add with the text. I then moved onto using filters using the colour layer feature. The second one was not just a single colour but a mix of pinks and oranges, creating a warm, dreamy ambiance.

The above image was created with the bright green layer set to luminosity creating the grey tones. I also used the previous pink layer from before to give it the warm tones. I wanted to pick words that would evoke the sense of ambiguity but still create a feeling of narrative. I plan on exploring more images using text and other graphic design features in my work.

 

Inspiration

Film

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Why Use Film?

Recently I have begun to use film to take photographs with. I did not use it in my coursework but I do plan to use it for my exam to a degree. Film does not have a huge number of advantages over digital for the purposes of an A-Level course but I feel that it is important to understand where photography has come from if we are to use it properly today. Film also increases the challenges with photography, not being able to see the image straight after it has been taken makes it hard to be sure that your focus is set correctly or that the image is not under/overexposed. One of the biggest hurdles that I have encountered is the set ISO of the roll, this effect makes it difficult to use a roll for more than one shoot, and the ISO needed must be assumed before it is loaded into the camera. The set number of exposures that can be taken on a roll can also be a challenge, often it would be alright if one roll is completely used to load another roll of the same film and continue shooting but with my project being about water and one of cameras being an underwater camera this roll cannot be changed while still around the water. This factor limits me to 24-36 exposures per in water shoot. In doing so I am forced to think a lot more about each image, the framing and composition of each image is much more important because I cannot simply delete the image and take another, what you have taken is what you get. Another major drawback is the price, buying film is expensive (£5-£8 for a roll) and getting it developed, scanned and/or printed is even more expensive unless you learn to do it yourself (the cost really makes you value each exposure that you take). All of these reasons combined make film a difficult thing to shoot with and it makes me glad that I have access to excellent digital photography equipment for relatively low prices.

Even with all of the downsides of film it is still  a lot of fun to shoot. The grain of film is sometimes seen as a downside of film over digital but I like the effect that it gives to the images. They have a certain softness present that can be achieved in after editing of digital photos but will never be quite right. The way that the individual crystals will change under the different light is recognised as an organic process, they do not change to specific values. This is something that favours film over digital, with digital the information for each pixel is defined, there is a certain point that a colour can reach before it becomes another colour, this change is a gradual change and not a one-or-the-other change. The smoother transition through colour ranges or from black to white is the biggest visual advantage of film over digital.

Orangina – Ilford FP4 Plus 125

The image above is one that I took on a recent skiing trip. The gradient of light in the clouds at the top of the image is fantastic, to get this kind of flow of from black to white would be harder to achieve with a digital camera.

I also recently bought a fully manual 35mm film camera from a local charity shop. Only costing me £10 including the lens this camera only needed a little fixing and a clean up before it was ready to use. The camera is fully manual, the only aid on it is a light meter and the focusing meter. All of the individual settings (aperture, shutter speed,  focus  and ISO) have to be set separately for the images. Although doing this for each photo can be tedious at times the result is that I have spent more time learning about what settings all of the different scenes will need, getting used to balancing the aperture and shutter speed to fit the ISO has really helped me when I am using my digital Nikon for different shoots.

One of the other aspects of shooting film is the chance for it to become corrupted in different ways. The four images a bove were from the same roll as the other black and white image above but have suffered a light-leak (someone opened the back of my camera), this is where unintended light somehow or other gets onto the film and exposes it. This causes the film to become discoloured if it is colour film or to become completely white like the images above for example. Although technically ruining the image, the effect of this can sometimes make the images much more interesting than they already were. Film can also be corrupted by going out of date, the image below is one that had been sitting in a camera of my mum’s for about 15 years, this has changed the film’s colours quite a lot giving the image the super funky blues and the heavy grain. Again while technically ruined I really love the image, the colours again making the image more interesting that if it was just as it was means to be. it is not something that would be used for a documentary style of image but using exposed film for artistic purposes is perfectly legitimate.

All of these things have convinced me to pursue film photography as an aid for this project. Mainly I will be using my digital camera but there is definitely still a place for film in my project.

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Garden den – Night

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This photo shoot was actually the first night one which i did. I had to however repeat the shoot and learn from trial and error. The first time i used a car’s headlight. As you can see below the light was very yellow and i also wasn’t able to move the light around much to position it where i wanted it. I did manage to get some interesting photographs but i then repeated the shoot with my portable light as the light in these images is a white light and therefore looks less artificial. 

In these images as i had to use such a low shutter speed to capture the images many of them have the blurr of the movement of blankets. The dens i had photographed before this were sturdy and didn’t have hanging material which could move in the wind. For some of the photographs this movement works really well in conveying an eerie impression of the den but i would have liked to have been able to take some photographs in which  there was no blurr. This was pretty much impossible however as the slightest movement caused a blurr. 

Overall i think my other night time den shoots have gone better, i think this den is defiantly the least impressive of all my others in both photo shoots.

I do quite like this images even though the light is fairly yellow. I particularly like the images above and below which focus on the branches and trees in front of the den which become like silhouettes with the light shinning directly onto them. The yellowness of the light in these images actually make the images appear more creepy as they contrast better with the darkness of the background. 

 

The below images are the second shoot i did in which i used the white light. The difference in the images is instantly noticeable as the lights are such different colours. The white light also appears more powerful and far reaching and so more of the den is illuminated in the below images. I do like certain images from both shoots, even though they are completely contrasting due to the light. 

The above images and below images very interestingly play with the blur of the blankets in the wind. The impression of the photographs is that as the light is behind the blurred blanket, that it is rushing forward towards the camera and has a presence as the light suggests life. The light in both photographs is intense and shines from directly behind the blanket  in a circle. The rest of the image is slightly illuminated, the tree and some plants but the background is an intense black which only exaggerates the whiteness of the blanket further. The blanket is also just blurred enough to suggest a fast pace of movement but without being too fast to become transparent. The image is composed to consider angles, the blanket covering most of the frame but its straight lines being complimented by the straight lines of the tree also. 

The below image is slightly different as it shows more of the den, having the tree flanked on both sides by different blankets. The image is also illuminated slightly differently so that it included the light shinning onto the plants and also the light shines onto both blankets. 

The above image interestingly plays with having elements of the frame in black darkness and then having other elements of the frame in bright light. The light source in this image comes from the left hand side of the frame, an intense bright white light that illuminates the plants closest too it and casts enough light to also illuminate the blanket. The blanket in this image is a complete blur, the pattern just about distinguishable.  The direction of the blur suggests that it is blowing away from the  light source. The whole image is taken at a slight angle . The darkest part of the image is actually the foreground where the plant becomes a shadow from the lack of light. 

The above image plays with the light casting shadows. I placed the light behind the blanket like in so many of my other shoots and in this image it worked really well as it cast shadows. The light leaks out from underneath the blanket, spilling into the foreground. The image is composed according to the rule of thirds, the light to the right hand side of the frame, the left hand side of the frame almost in complete black darkness from the lack of light. I quite like how only a very small portion of the image is lit up and the rest is in darkness. The plants become silhouetted against the bright white light. 

 

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Wood den -Night

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Of all my dens as this was my favourite day time den i really wanted to capture this den looking beautiful and eerie at nigh too. I already found some of the day pictures to suggest the den as quite a creepy location with a lack of people but i find that these night time photographs have actually turned the den into more of a magical looking place. For the majority of the photographs i put the light inside the den and the way the light radiates out from inside the structure is very suggestive of life inside the den. We often associate light with life and i find in these photographs it is suggestive of a presence inside the den. 

Above is the best photograph that i took of the den as a whole radiating light. This image was taken in the blue hours after the sun has set which you can slightly see by the sky in patches through the leaves in the background. With this photo shoot as the photographs were taken underneath the trees, the den being built in the woods, the background is made up of the dark shadows of the trees rather then the sky like my previous shoot. I composed this photograph according to the rule of thirds with the den itself more over to the right side of the frame. I also positioned the light inside the den more to the right side of the frame and so the image is fairly weighted on that side of the composition.  This contrasts quite well with having the bright blinding light of the den to the right and then in the sky the patches of light from the blue sky are on the opposite side of the frame, balancing the image.  I took the photograph from a slight angle, not photographing the den straight on so you can see directly into the den but more from the side so the inside of the den remains more mysterious. By putting the light within the den you are able to see clearly how the structure of the den is made up of branches and leaves intertwined together and the light then shines through these gaps.  The light quite literally radiates out from the points at which it escapes the inside of the den to create an interesting pattern of lines from the center of the den outwards. I think the effect is further emphasized by the light making the leaves it shines through a more vivid green, these bright green then contrasting with the red of the blanket.

The above image is taken in a completely different style, this image showing the light shinnign directly onto the structure of the den. I don’t dislike the images i took in this style, it just appears as if i have turned on the flash and taken the image with a bright flash. There is still an element of mystery to the den by having the background where the light cant reach as fairly dark but overall the image doesn’t have the same effect. The image i guess does have more of an impression of being abandoned as there is no light source inside the den which suggests a form of life. The red blanket in this image helps to draw out the dens structure as it becomes slightly lost like the day den images.

The above pictures i took trying to create soem creepy images which focused on branches like the day time pictures i took. By shinning the light upwards inside the den i could create a really eerie impression of the den as the branches were only illuminated in certain places so acted as silhouettes. This is further enhanced by having areas which were lit by the blue sky and having areas which were darker black colours from other branches blocking the light.

The above and below pictures are more images which play on the idea of having light shinning through the dens structure. I like the image below in particular as i used the rule of thirds to have the red blanket from the den across the right hand side of the image, one of the branches sweeping across the frame. The image works quite well in having the darkness of the night sky and lack of light being on the left hand side of the frame, this then becoming lighter as you move across the frame to the right. The light is right in the center of the image but mainly spreads out to the right due to the white patches of the blanket reflecting the light. The light greens again compliment the reds of the blanket.

These pictures are again taken with the light shinning onto the den rather then through it. I really like this effect in the above photograph as it allows the winding nature of all the branches weaved together to be really noticeable. The branches are a bright white which stand out vividly and the background is filled with shadows and darkness that again create a skeletal nature to the branches.

Evaluation, Presentation, Recording

Documentary: Ocean Pollution: results

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After researching and finding inspiration from the brilliant artists Goussin and Hortense, Kim Preston and Steven Hirsch I was ready to complete my ocean pollution shoot. Originally this idea was simply inspired by the massive problem of waste disposal in our ocean’s ecosystem. My aim for this shoot was to use a number of different documentary and abstract techniques to truly capture this issue as well as intrigue my viewers. These finals below will most likely be split up into my documentary and symbolism categories that I am using to fully explore each environmental subject throughout my project.

When finding the sources of pollution to capture from the water, I found that it was all washed up on the beach, to be later swept out to sea again at high tide. Because of this, I decided to use the category of conservation photography known as ‘The carefully crafted image’. By doing this I was able to pick up evidence of ocean pollution from the beach and capture it in a dramatic and powerful way floating on the water’s surface. The message I am hoping to portray with my final results is the reality of this issue, and how it affects every corner of the world.  Because of the pollution I found and used in this shoot, the results below will go really nicely with my plastic pollution symbolism shots as well as my connected beach clean ups. The location I decided to use was one of my favourite small beaches near Faldouet because of is interesting and diverse background/surrounds. To complete this shoot was not as easy as I had planned and I ended up running into some equipment problems, having to improvise with what I had. Unfortunately, just before I went out, my iPhone broke down, this meant my underwater phone case could not be used. Luckily for me, I was able to borrow my mother’s iPhone 7 and her waterproof case, but unfortunately, I could not actually capture anything when the phone was fully submerged. However, I still went forward with my plan of using the rubbish accumulated at the location to create interesting photographs using natural light and my phone above the surface. Below is a visual description of what I was planning to use to complete this shoot compared to what I ended up with…This contact sheet above shows all of my favourite clear and interesting above water shots. As you can see I did manage to take a few photographs underwater although it would only work 1/10 times and the quality is very poor. When editing these images I cropped them down massively to only include the most important and interesting features. Below are my 8 documentary/abstract finals for looking at ocean pollution…

This first final is a documentary style photograph depicting the waste I found on Faldouet beach that would later be washed into the sea at high tide. To capture this image I carefully gathered the biggest examples of pollution together and let them float on the surface as an example of public pollution reaching the sea. I chose this as a final outcome for this shoot because of the images high-quality (for and iPhone), interesting subject composition and amazing natural colours. With this photograph, I hope to get across the message that this problem is real, effects all areas, and is rapidly getting worse. I like the calm sense you get from the flat and clear sea as it strongly contradicts the travesty of the plastic floating on top. Compared to other historical evidence of ocean pollution this image is very tame, however, because of is centred subject and beautiful scenery I think it can get across a very clear warning that we are destroying this ecosystem.

These next two finals are my other documentary style edits that I believe can clearly get across my message. By using straight photography techniques I have created a sense of this harsh reality and given my viewer a way to clearly analyse the subject matter and better understand this collection. The first image on the left depicts a plastic bag spread out and floating on top of/underneath the surface. I love the effect making this image black and white has, as it creates this sense of dread and makes the subject appear more ominous. I chose this image out of my 300 or so originals because of the way the bag is spread out at this one specific moment, making it unmistakable for anything else. The next photograph on the right shows to plastic bottles floating in front of a pier. I really like the symmetry and parallel composition of the subjects and the way they have reflected the natural light. Again I think this image is much more effective in black and white as it gives it a very dark and gloomy overtone, perfect for getting across the depressing meaning behind the photograph.

For my first abstract final of ocean pollution presented above, I have captured a close-up image of a plastic bottle floating on top of the water. This final, as well as the ones below, are all inspired by the beautiful work of Steven Hirsch and his take on capturing the surface and pollution of water. I decided to take this image when noticing the inside of the bottle start to steam up and create an array of interesting colours. This effect, mixed with my adjustments made in post production is what has created this vibrant and intriguing piece. The meaning behind this image is to draw the viewer’s attention with its surreal beauty.  I think this is an important technique to include in my pollution project as not everyone reacts well to straightforward portrayals of the truth. I also like the subtle definition of this piece as I believe it is possible to work out what the subject is from the indents of the rings around the bottle as well as the many emphasised water droplets on the side.

These three finals above are a mixture of colour and black and white abstract pieces intended to capture the viewer’s interest and make them think about the context themselves. The meaning behind the photographs is to show something that has devastating repercussions in a beautiful way, thus subtly informing the public of one of modern society’s biggest environmental problems. In this context the pictures may be considered as fine art photography, meaning that my message may be able to get across to people who would have no interest in conservation photography. The first colour final on the left is a low angle shot of a plastic bottle and its reflection on the ripples of the water’s surface. I like the confusing and abstract look of the bottle that was created by using a very shallow depth of field. The next outcome in the middle shows the bottom of the bottle, seemingly melting down onto the calm black ocean surface. Lastly, the photograph on the right is a cropped close-up of all three pollution subjects I used in the shoot. I like these items together and their proximity along with the water in between says a lot about this issue.

My last final displayed above is an abstract piece that was heavily inspired by one of Steven Hirsch’s beautiful examples of water pollution.  The smaller image on the right shows the piece from his project capturing the pollution in Brooklyn’s canal that I used as an inspiration when planning this shoot. My final is a recreation of this image created with a plastic bag placed just beneath the ocean’s surface. These types of photographs are also very much influenced by today’s modern consumer culture and the ever-growing problem of human waste. Like with Hirsch’s project and my previous abstracted outcomes, the meaning behind this image is to intrigue all types of viewers and subtly remind/inform them of this issue. I love the way I have captured the same kinds of ‘surface ripple’ effects as my inspiration but have done so in my own abstracted style. I also love how the natural light is intensified and distorted through the water’s surface,  as well as the blue writing on the plastic bag creating a very interesting and twisted pattern.

Recording

Jack’s Home Environment

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// J A C K //

The second person being photographed in this project is Jack who is leaving for university this summer (August ’17). Jack’s parents are separated so I gave him the choice of which home he wanted to use for the first of the two shoots. His Mum’s house features a lot of throws collected from various trips, posters and prints cover a lot of the walls and there are chilis planted across the windows. The natural light comes from the window on the left hand side of the room and there is a central light hanging above on the right which adds a yellow-toned luminance to the room. I was keen to mirror a soft kind of aesthetic similar to Sian Davey’s images from her ‘first love’ series for this project. Working both digitally and on 35mm film, I started in the house by setting up the initial image. This first photo is a front facing portrait with the model sat facing forwards towards the camera. On my Canon 5D, I used a relatively high shutter speed to capture a crisp and clean image with the ISO set accordingly. My instructions to the model were to face me and remain as neutral as possible. The point of these first home images are to stay as blank and neutral as each character can. The external environmental shoots will be the characterised ones with light and life in them reflecting the energy of each area.

Rather than add an entire contact sheet below, I have chosen six photos which ultimately came up as the strongest images in terms of both colour, lighting and composition. All of these images have been edited in photoshop in order to adjust the colourings and white balance in particular. Because I typically shoot in RAW on my Canon, the level of post-shoot editing I can do is much greater than if I was working with a standard JPEG image. I have used adobe Bridge and Camera RAW to edit the images below gently increasing the temperature of the room and the shadows.

The final image I select from this shoot will depend more so on the second set of images for this character. I don’t want to decide on a photo now that may not work with its sister image.

Analysis, Research

Goussin and Hortense / Kim Preston – Ocean Pollution inspirations

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Hortense Le Calvez & Mathieu Goussin:

Goussin and Hortense are a french duo working together to create their own freelance photography business known as the ‘Forlane 6 Studio’. Hortense Le Calvez was born in 1988, she studied at the Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam and graduated in 2010 from Wimbledon College of Art in London. Mathieu Goussin was born in 1985, he studied at the National School of Merchant Navy in Marseille and often works on large ships as a mechanical engineer. Together their practice explores themes of ‘environmental dystopia’, ‘eco-anxiety’ and terrible human influences. Their water-based works depict irrational aquatic fictions in the form of sculptural installations. Currently, the pair live in Greece and work on their sailing boat turned home studio, Forlane 6. They have been exhibited in France and abroad, were shortlisted for the Coal prize Art and Environment and participated to several artist residencies with a strong link to the sea.

I chose to explore scuba diving artists, Goussin and Hortense, as inspiration for my own underwater shoot because of one of their collections in particular. This series concentrates on using underwater sculptors to perfectly portray our oceanic trash problem. These resultant images address this issue beautifully, using plastic streamers, garden furniture, old clothing, and bottles as well as highly controlled lighting. Submerged, the objects lose their lifeless plastic appearance and make a transformation into what look like living organic creatures. As they put it, “this weightless and slow aesthetic contradicts the usual way objects are consumed and disposed of in an inconsiderate speed.” Finding that strange space between reality and fantasy is very much part of the work, says Le Calvez. “We want to have an ambiguous image that maybe doesn’t read as underwater at first glance,” she explains. “We do find a lot of inspiration in existing sea creatures, from the bioluminescent plankton to the small fish mastering the art of camouflage.” Although each is unique, the duo says they’re always going for the same “post-catastrophic” aesthetic, “imagining the future of objects wandering in the sea, trapped in the plastic soup.” Below I have chosen two of my favourite images from this collection to analysis…

The meaning behind these images is to portray our oceanic trash problem by creating sculptures that look like living organic creatures. This, therefore, creates the sense of a bleak future for oceans and represents how we are ‘replacing’ marine life with deadly pollution. These pieces are clearly influenced by humanities modern consumer culture, and although beautiful, illustrate a very ominous subject. The first image on the left depicts a metal sculpture portraying a ‘jellyfish-like’ creature captured from just below the ocean’s surface. I chose this piece as an example as the reflections of light bouncing from the strands of metal create an amazing sense of movement. I also love the deep ocean blue tone of this image and the ripples on the surface really bring the scene to life. The next photograph on the right is a much lighter and softer version of the same kind of creature, this time made from thin strands of blue plastic without the surface of the water in sight. I love the soft tones and colours of this photograph along with the calming rays of sunlight streaming through the composition.

Kim Preston:

Kim Preston is an Australian based photographer with a background in fine art and experience in the working life of a digital art director. Preston covers a range of subjects with her work from small illustrations to help engage children, to a high-quality photographic series on the perils of plastics accumulation in our ocean. Regardless of the medium or the platform, her aim is always the same; to create unique content which clearly and effectively communicates with the viewer, educating and inspiring them. Kim Preston’s current work is a variety of fashion, beauty and commercial Photography, using high contrast and unsaturated colours. She enjoys capturing honest emotions and tries to avoid true centring when framing her images. Growing up in Pasadena, CA Preston attended Cal State Northridge where she received her BA in Photography.  In 2009 she was published in Cosmo Hong Kong and Sure magazine Korea. In 2010 through 2012 she has been in 5 shows in Los Angeles, San Bernadino, and New York.

The reason I have chosen to use her as an inspiration for my next shoot is because of her beautiful and appropriately named photography project, ‘Plastic Pacific’. This series explores the devastating impact of plastics accumulation in our oceans by transforming everyday household objects into the sea creatures choking to death in the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’. Surprisingly this collection was actually made by Preston as part of a school assignment that expressed her concern about the ‘trash vortex’ of the North Pacific Ocean. In 2012 it won the  ACMP Student Photographer of the Year (Advertising) award and was immediately picked up by several online publications, both of photographic and environmental interest. Because her images are so eerie and strangely beautiful, she states that her hope “that they will engage viewers who would otherwise be turned off, or even somewhat immune, to the more obviously depressing reality.” Preston feels that art is the perfect medium by which to inspire independent thought and give the viewer pause to reflect and question what they think they already know. Below are two of my favourites from this amazing collection…

Much like with the work of Goussin and Hortense these images represent a bleak future for our oceans by creating seemingly living organic creatures from common household pollution. Again these pieces were influenced by humanities modern consumer culture, as well as being particularly inspired by the catastrophe of the ‘trash vortex’ in the North Pacific Ocean. The first image on the left shows basic shower caps floating together like a perfectly framed swarm of jellyfish in the vast blue ocean. I love the simplicity of the subject matter in this as, although it is obvious what they are, the shower caps are brought to life by their perspective, depth, and shape. The next image is of a plastic bag tied at the bottom to create the shape of a fish. I love the perspective of ‘the fish’ swimming away and the gradient of dark to light blue in the background, much like you would see in the ocean. I believe these types of photographs will be great pieces of historical evidence in the future, either to state our acknowledgement of the changing world or how we managed to save it before it’s too late.

Other Inspirations – Steven Hirsch:

As well as these amazing artists above, I will also be looking back at the work of a previously researched photographer, Steven Hirsch, for inspiration in my next shoot. This is because of his influential project, “Gowanus: Off The Water’s Surface”, and its perfect representation of depicting interesting and alluring water pollution through photography.

I love the way Hirsch has taken something so horrible and turned it into something beautiful, thus subtly informing the public of their society’s environmental problems. I hope to use this technique for my next shoot, representing pollution in our oceans as something intriguing and beautiful that will catch the viewer’s attention. Although I know I will not see any toxic waste (like there is in Brooklyn’s Canals) in Jersey’s seas, I hope to create these same kinds of beautifully abstracted pieces, of this very unpleasant ocean pollution subject. Below I have chosen to present again, four of Steven Hirsch’s images as a reminder and inspiration for my next underwater shoot.

Evaluation, Presentation, Recording

Documentary: Beach Pollution – Results

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To create the images presented below I went to three different beaches, picking up and photographing the pollution present on each one. To chose my locations for these shoots I began by visiting some of Jersey’s popular beaches to determine wich will be the best to get across my message. Although popular places like St Ouen were the most obvious choice, I decided to look at much smaller beaches,  portraying how such a confined area can demonstrate so much waste. The locations of my results below include a small beach near Faldouet, Gorey beach and Bouley Bay. To capture my message about the scale of common beach pollution the idea of cleaning the beach and presenting what I find, collected together in one powerful photograph, has really worked well. By doing this I make the problem impossible to ignore and inherently obvious to the viewer. To complete this shoot all I needed was my camera, some trash bags, gloves and natural light from the sun. It was really interesting to see how much of this waste I found to support my point of this being a massive and overlooked pollution issue. Below is a small collection of some of my unedited images…To chose between these photographs, and produce a final collection, I was looking for a few certain aspects. To cut my shoot of around 50 images from each beach to these 7 originals above I was mainly concentrating on the quality of light and the perspective of my subject matter. My final results below show the photographs that most highlighted the subject matter, making it appear bigger against the location, and in result making my message more obvious. When editing these photographs the first things I did was crop them to make the pollution the first thing you notice. After that, I decided to keep all my results in colour because of the high contrast between the man-made objects against the colours of the natural locations…

The first two finals above are depictions of the result of my beach clean ups on two separate beaches. The image on the left depicts a mixture public waste and fishing pollution with rocks and the sea in the background at a small quiet beach near Faldoeut. To create this image, as with the other outcomes as well, I simply walked to the length of my chosen beach and clustered together everything I could find. The meaning behind this image is mostly based on the huge green fishing net trapping everything it comes in contact with.  This is a perfect example of the problem of fishing waste on marine life and the amount of it that is found in the sea.  I like the dark overtones of this image along with the interesting composition and arrangement of items.  The next photograph on the right is my least favourite outcome from this shoot, however, I still chose to include it in my blog as it clearly shows what was found on a well-known and recognisable beach, Gorey. I will not be featuring it in my final outcomes for this project as the subject matter of what I found is not very interesting.

These next two photographs are more abstracted examples of the pollution found on two separate beaches. The first image on the left was inspired by the amazing layering techniques used by Idris Khan and Stephanie Jung.  Although their work usually revolves around much bigger landscapes I like the effect this technique has on my close up shot, and it abstracts the image and hopefully intrigues the viewer. By doing this, I hope this photograph may help spread awareness in a more light-hearted and artistic way. The next image on the right shows a straightforward closeup of the many strands of discarded rope found at Bouley Bay. I chose this photograph as a second final, as although it is similar to the one on the right, it can emphasise the problem of fishing waste in much more un-manipulated and realistic way. I like the dark contrasts between the many colours of the rope and the shadows in between as it really makes the subject matter stand out and look very dramatic.

These last two photographs are from, what I consider to be, my most successful beach clean, completed at Bouley Bay. When putting together everything that I found I decided to loosely arrange it in categories of waste. By giving this rubbish pile some structure it allows the viewer to really easy to see and pick out nearly every single object that was there. The first image on the left is the classic scene of Bouley Bay with the interesting rock formation and tree behind my subject matter. I like the meaning behind this image as it is very clear to see, from this low angle perspective, the massive amount of waste on such a tiny little beach. I also love the composition of this subject matter, making it seem larger and emphasising its dramatic effect. The last photograph one the right is the same arrangement but taken from the other side. I like the context the Pier in the background gives this image, as it can tell us why this beach is often used and why it may have so much pollution. Overall I think these are the best images from this shoot because of the location, arranged subject matter and quality of light.

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The Secret Spot

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This shoot was to show, how they would find remote locations, and then give these locations a youthful and energetic ambiance by their presence. It was to capture living in the moment.

When organizing this shoot, I had to ask for permission to use this land, as it’s actually private land. Therefore I had to set up a time and day for the models to come with me, by looking at things such as the weather forecast in advance, just so I could make the owner aware. This location was special to me, as the swing makes it energetic and youthful but the remote location of the beach in the background, shows the adventurous side to the models.

The form of the image below, is a girl playing on a swing whilst holding her little dog, and closing her eyes, smiling to herself. It looks as if she’s breathing in the salty air and taking in every single aspect of the remote location she has found. It’s about how she’s content, feeling completely relaxed in life, which is hard to do with modern day standards. However she’s escaped everyday reality in this moment and she’s embracing every single moment she has away from it. I think the image has worked well below as it is over exposed in the top right corner by the sun, which actually works well. The light brightens up the model and makes her stand out, lighting up the important characteristics of the photograph such as her smirking.

 

Even though the model’s looking directly at the camera, in the image below, it still looks natural. It’s as if she’s looking into someones eyes and not the lens. The way she’s looking into the lens, makes it feel more personal to the person viewing the photograph, and therefore captures the moment more from the viewers perspective.

The composition of this photograph works well, as in the foreground of the image  there is the tree and grass, in the middle ground the girl and in the the background the sea and the sand. However, by the use of the rope it works as a border making the model the main focus, also making her the main subject by using the rule of third.

 

I love the image below, as the contact between the two models creates a playful energy. It’s as if they’re completely oblivious to the camera pointing directly at them. They are the main subject of the photograph, and the background is slightly out of focus. The natural lighting has created a split lighting on the models face to the left, which is typically used in dramatic portraits,  I believe this works well in this image.

When taking my images I would approach the models directly making them aware the camera was in front of them, this is shown in the image below as one of the models is looking directly at the camera, when taking the images I felt the quote below by Juergen Teller was relevant to how I approach my shoots;

“I don’t like taking a sly picture on the side. I like the direct approach. I want to be as honest to myself and the subject as possible. And I’m depending on their humanness to come through.” Juergen Teller. 

The colors of the clothes and hammock, compliment one another, and look’s as if it was done on purpose. As if it’s in the style of a fashion shoot.

 

 

 

 

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Le Cœur de la Mer

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For this shoot, I wanted to represent the obscure places the friendship group would find, just from driving around with one another. This shoot was inspired by Ivan Troyanovsky and Theo Gosselin.

The image below reminds me of Theo Gosselins work as Theo tended to capture people in cars driving, as a way to represent the road trip that he’s on whilst taking his photographs. Therefore, I took a photo of the model driving to the location. This photograph worked well because we were driving up a hill, we were above sea-level and therefore one can see the sea out of the window, which shows the viewer we’re very close to the sea. The natural light coming through the window, adds a bit of light highlighting his silhouette which makes him stand out.

When taking this photograph, composition was key, as anyone can take a photo of someone standing on a beach. However,  understanding how to make it different from your stereotypical image was important. Therefore, to achieve this image I climbed up this wall so I could be a lot higher than the model, yet because it was high tide the model doesn’t appear to be too far away from the camera lens. This image represents how small we are, in the world that we live.

I love the colors of these two images, as the models hair and shoes are a very similar color to the seaweed, and the grey jumper matches the grey rocks surrounding him. Therefore they’re all the same colors just slightly different tones. In the image on the right as well if you look really closely the model has green eyes, and he’s holding up a piece of sea glass covering his eye, which is bright green

The image below reminded me of this quote from my artist research;

“When I photograph, I try to use my instincts as much as possible. It is when pictures are unconsidered and irrational that they come to life; that they evolve from showing to being.” Jacob Aue Sobol 

This quote links to the below image because if I was to stage a shoot, where I had the models to pose for me down at the beach, the outcome would be completely different, for example the body gestures would be perhaps more tense. As the viewer can see this is a moment which has been captured rather than set-up, it makes the viewer imagine the moment more, and therefore become more connected to the image.

  

I love this image, as it shows a lot of the landscape which is important. When looking at this image your eyes are immediately drawn to the wave which is crashing in the background ,therefore creating white wash surrounding the coast, and therefore your eyes follow from the left where the wave is crashing to the left where there is white wash and therefore one can see the person standing up on the rock.  I love the expression of the model, as he’s looking directly at the camera, it looks as if he’s implying ‘common lets go.’ yet there isn’t really anywhere else you can go.