Monthly Archives: April 2019

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Analysis, Contextual Studies, Evaluating, Planning, Recording, Research

Abstract Pattern Shoot #2

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Regarding this shoot I wanted to respond to the works of Edward Weston due to his focus being mainly around the idea of capturing texture and pattern present within natural forms of the landscape. Overall what I found to be particularly interesting was his photographs surrounding trees and rock formations which use high aestheticism as the main form of attraction and the intricate beauty each resembles. This as a result has inspired me to go onto produce a shoot looking at the natural formations regarding textures of the landscape in the North of Jersey. From this I hope to achieve a new style of photography I can later go onto use to portray the environment in a new way and possibly go onto include them in my final prints and photo-book. Using Weston as my main source of inspiration I decided to have a look at some of his particular works that I thought reflected my mind-set of the shoot the most:

After I had looked over some of his works that inspired me the most I then decided to move onto creating a mind-map for my shoot. By doing this it would allow me to jot my ideas down for future reference whilst reducing the time wasted on the shoot. Not only would creating a mind-map prevent me from wasting time but it would also allow me to direct my intentions immediately during the shoot, instantly understanding what it was that I intended to achieve by the end of it and what I could focus on to get the results I wanted. Here are some of my ideas:

After looking at my initial ideas I decided upon going to the area of Le Dolmen du Couperon . I chose this location because of its wider range of different areas such as woodland and beaches, allowing for the perfect area to photograph my intended areas of focus. What drew my initial interest was how some of the woodland had been cut down and would have left behind stumps and ruined trees which would be great to photograph regarding the idea of bark and grain texture. Here is a map of the intended area to photograph:

Here are the results of my shoot:

Once I had finished the shoot I then went on to whittling the selection down to only ten images, by doing so this would allow me to decide and make easier which image best reflected my overall intentions and goal of the shoot. Here are my ten best images:

After I had done this I then decided to go onto further and whittle the selection down to only five images this time. By doing this it would allow me to analyze the images in more depth looking at the visual, technical and conceptual aspects of each. These are my choices for the five best images:

What I loved about this image was how the low exposure allowed for the over emphasis of the contrast between each piece of seaweed. For me the inclusion of highlights inbetween the pattern allowed for greater emphasis of the overdefined overlapping pieces as the monochrome filter perfectly captures this. Personally I found that the darker border around the pieces added to the overall affect, this is because of how it boxes the seaweed in and creates a great contrast which increases the aestheticism of the photo. Overall I thought the outcome was very effective as it captured exactly the subject as I wanted whilst providing the viewer with one of natures patterns.

I selected this image because I loves how the dead tree branches out from the bottom of the composition with varying dead ivy producing from its side which provides a stark contrast to the overcast backdrop. By taking the image against a overcast backdrop for me it added extra definition to the subject as it over exaggerates the features whilst isolating the subject from its surrounding environment and limiting the viewers perspective of what it is. Personally I found this this piece came out really well as it provided me with the patterns desired from the outreaching ivy whilst also being close to my goal within my pattern mind-map stated above.

The reason I chose this was mainly due to its link to the previous pattern shoot which highlighted the mane of a horse instead. I selected this because I loves the huge contrast within the photo with the individual hair of the pig being highlighted by the limited amount of natural lighting from the sun. For me this adds a huge amount of character to the image as by limiting and abstracting the rest of the pig from view it makes you really look into the piece to further explore what could be hidden in the darkness. As a result of this I found this piece worked well and would be well suited to work with the other picture in the previous shoot which could be further used in a composition.

What made me choose this image was the pattern created from the sea going out and leaving behind the bumpy pattern that leads outwards for miles. By using a higher exposure I found that I was able to highlight certaom parts of the bumps leaving the rest of it in an exaggerated shadow which as a result creates the impression of a sort of sandy sea with various bumps overlapping or breaking up others. For me I really liked the result as it carries a sort of natural aestheticism where it makes the bumps seems too artificial to be true, therefore creating an almost surreal landscape as if from a birds eye perspective.

Finally I chose this image because I really liked the contrast between the dark and lighter aspects of the woods surface. When looking over the image I found that the clear contrast between the darker right side of the wood and the lighter left side added a much needed definition through how it induces a sense of mystery by removing most of what would be seen of the log. I also liked how the hole in the log adds a sense of depth through it removing the continuous grain present on the surface of the wood, instead breaking it up and becoming the main focal point of the image. As a result of this I was really pleased with this outcome as it reflected my intentions for the shoot whilst linking itself back to the topic of abstract patterns.

Once I had analysed each image I then decided it was time to move onto selected the best image that represented my overall aims and intentions of the shoot. This was my choice:

For me the image of the overly contrasted seaweed represented my aims for the shoot the most, this was because of how the overlapping pattern created when the tide goes out became really aesthetically pleasing for me due to the gaps of darkness inbetween highlighting the various shapes of the seaweed as it progressed along the composition of the photograph. Looking over the image for me it is clear that the small air sacks of seaweed add a very much needed aspect to the entire photograph, this is mainly due to how they tend to be a lighter shade from that particular area inflating and stretching the surface area as a result, whilst presenting them as more light and eye-catching to the rest of the piled seaweed.

Research

THEO GOSSELIN

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Gosselin’s photography reveals friends in the act of escaping from their regular lives into newly enticing and perilous modes of existence, ever in search of the persistent though elusive idea of freedom.

Gosselin was born near Le Havre in Normandy in 1990. Enthusiastic about drawing, music, and cinema, he chose a path through the art school, and graduated in 2012 as a graphic designer in Amiens. He started photography around 2007, and it Became a passion of his. He loves to capture the simple life, love, good and bad moments, his friends and his adventures. The subjects in Théo Gosselin’s images are friends rather than models, and the situations are not mythic constructions but glimpses of an underground lifestyle in a post-9/11 world in which social media has blurred the boundaries between public and private, and between being documented and simply being. 

I chose to focus on Theo Gosselin as I saw that his work had significant relations towards my idea due to the fact that Theo’s work is taken in a documentary style way however, the images also focus on the lifestyle of the subjects throughout. The concept behind his images I believe linked towards my idea strongly too as a lot of Theo’s images are of drugs, alcohol and various other things that could easily be seen within a skateboard lifestyle. Furthermore, Theo’s image have a very raw feeling to them which gives me thorough inspiration towards the photos I want to capture as I believe having raw, gritty images have a stronger effect on the audience.

Analysis, Contextual Studies, Developing, Planning, Research

Artist Reference – Edward Weston

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Who is he?

Edward Henry Weston was born March 24th, 1886, dying January 1st 1958. Weston grew up in Chicago and moved to California when he was 21, from a young age he knew he wanted to be a photographer and initially his work became viewed as a typically soft focus on pictorialism which was a popular theme at the time. Within a few years of photography he abandoned his original style and went on to use one of the now regarded as most highly detailed photographic images. However in 1947 he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and he stopped photographing soon after which led to his remaining ten years of his life overseeing the printing of more than 1,000 of his most famous images.

Currently Weston is known as one of the most innovative and influential American photographers, being regarded as a master photographer of the 20th century. Over his career he range of subjects to photograph had widened, photographing things like landscapes, nudes, still life, portraits and genre scene even including parodies. Weston today can be seen as creating what is quintessentially seen as American, especially Californian approach to photography, this is due to his focus on the people and places of the American West where in 1937 Weston became the first photographer to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship. Because of this he went on to produce up to 1,400 negatives using an 8 x 10 view camera which many of his famous photographs being taken of trees and rocks around the area of Point Lobos, California where he lived for many years. Some examples of his photograph can be seen below:

After looking over some of his images I decided to analyse one of them that I thought related best to my overall topic of variation regarding abstraction through different presentations. The image is called Point Lobos named after where it was taken where he photographed different rock formations using different compositions each time. By analyzing the image I can look into three sections, technical, visual and contextual, these will give me a greater understanding of how the image is taken and the underlying thought process beneath it.

Visual:

Visually the piece is extremely aesthetic due to its symmetry and use of different tones. What drew me to it originally was how the rocks mostly grey surface was complimented by the boarder of black waters and edges, for me this brought the photo together as it boxed in what Weston wanted to focus on, the texture of the surface. By using the divide between the two sides of the rock and composing it in the center of the image I found that it stopped the formation from becoming too overpowering and prevented it from becoming too bland and generic. For me this area of rock is effective because of how the darkened cracks all face the same direction whilst using the dark water as a gradient to eventually fade in and create an eerie result.

Technical:

When looking at the image its fair to say that a relatively lower exposure was used to create the darkened effect of the water and corners of the piece, allowing as a results for the areas where the sun hits to pop out against the rest of the composition. A regular shutter speed has been used as when looking at the water there is some slight movement blur which indicates that the photo was taken intentionally to capture its crashing against the rocks surface and as a result produce a greater transition between rock and water. It is clear when viewing the image that the composition has been greatly taken into consideration due to the placement of the dividing crack and the portion of the image taken up by the water.

Contextual:

During the late 1940s when this image was taken, Weston’s photography was becoming increasingly personal. He began to capture private picnics, trips in his car, and his family and friends—all of which were subjects he avoided in his earlier years. The beauty in this image derives from Weston’s overpowering sense of place at Point Lobos, the sharp lens focus, the flawlessness of a natural form, and the thorough attention to detail in his printing. This image, among many, illustrates how Weston often renounced the use of manipulation in his photographs in order to depict the realities of the world. This style of photography is referred to as “Pure and Straight Photography,” a term coined in the late 1800s when photographers began to create photographic prints that were not manipulated in any way. Weston will always be recognized for the simple, yet emotionally charged, clarity of his pictures. In viewing this photograph we find that Weston’s main goal was not to manipulate but rather merely to capture the beauty of Point Lobos.

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Structure and Form Photographer research/Photo-shoot Plan

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In order to balance out the aesthetic of my photo montages, I believe that it would be a good idea for me to produce some images which focus on structure and form in a minimal manner. Producing minimal images with this simple focus will also give me a way of including conceptual and contextual elements to my work as I can photograph subjects which relate to trade and industries in Jersey which link us with the rest of the world. I feel like it would be appropriate for me to do some brief research on a couple of abstract photographers who’s photographs focus on form and structure as well as other elements, so here are two short pieces of research on two relevant photographers.

Based on this here is a simple plan for a photo shoot which I will do…

Brief: Produce photography which focus of structure and form in a minimal and abstract manner

Subjects: Buildings, Windows, Machinery, Industrial Structures, Boxes, Signs etc…

Location: Town (St. Helier), Harbour, La Collette, Rue De Pres trading estate

Light source: Natural outdoor day light

Lens: 18-55mm

Analysis, Contextual Studies, Developing, Recording, Research

Aesthetics in Art – Contextual Studies

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Aesthetic comes under a branch of photography which examines the nature of art and our own personal experience with it. The term originally emerged during the 18th century in Europe, soon developing in England as philosophers grouped together images into fields of poetry, sculpture, music and dance. As a result of this they became all classified in art as one category which was called les beaux arts, or fine arts. From this philosophers have began to reason that no description could define or explain beauty. They argued that there were only some rational properties of it such as order, symmetry and proportion, however it is mainly regarded as an experience from an individuals perspective rather than a reason alone.

It is clear for us to say that through our understanding of intuition and experience with human feeling and emotion, aesthetic experience could include a mixture of feelings such as pleasure, rage, grief, suffering and joy. One particular philosopher named Immanuel Kant interpreted aesthetics as a field which gave priority to form over function, with him stating that beauty was independent of any particular figure which it was attached to. Today many historians and philosophers have argued that there is no such thing as aesthetics in art but rather there only being artists. Some of the earlier examples of aestheticism from different generations and cultures can be seen below:

The first use of the term aesthetics in something like its modern sense is commonly attributed to Alexander Baumgarten in 1735 with Francis Hutcheson marking the first systematic inquiries into aesthetics in the sense of them being a distinct branch of philosophy. Undoubtedly the 18th century saw the flourishing of inquiries into beauty, taste, the sublime, and genius, but few would be content to start a history of aesthetics in that century. For many centuries earlier, going back to ancient Greece, there had been philosophical reflection, even if only in a piecemeal fashion, on poetry, painting, music, and the beautiful, and these reflections had an enormous influence on later philosophizing. What is noticeable, though, is that prior to the 18th century it is not always clear where the boundary lies between aesthetics, as such, conceived as a distinctively philosophical inquiry into judgments of taste and the foundations of the arts and more general theorizing about art, including, for example, treatises on the arts often aimed at practitioners themselves.

Regarding a more modern approach to aesthetics it can still be seen as the basis for much of our societies development through our architecture to our art. Various examples can be seen below:

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TYPOLOGY

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TYPOLOGY:

  • A classification according to general type, especially in archaeology, psychology, or the social sciences. (Oxford Dictionary)
  • Study or analysis using a classification according to a general type.(Oxford Dictionary)

Bernd and Hilla Becher

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Bernd and Hilla Becher were German conceptual artists and photographers working as a collaborative duo. They are best known for their extensive series of photographic images, or typologies, of industrial buildings and structures, often organised in grids. Also well known as the founders of what has come to be known as the ‘Becher school’ influencing generations of documentary photographers and artists. The Couple met as students at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in 1957 and first collaborated on photographing and documenting the disappearing German industrial architecture in 1959. Bernd Becher studied painting at the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart from 1953 to 1956, then typography under Karl Rössing at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf from 1959 to 1961. Hilla Becher also studied photography at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf from 1958 to 1961 but prior to this she had completed an apprenticeship as a photographer where she lived in Potsdam. After their education they both began working as freelance photographers for the Troost Advertising Agency in Düsseldorf, concentrating on product photography.

This contact sheet of photographs by the Becher’s shows typology
photographs which document the similarities between the different
industrial structures. The photographs compare the similarities to the
point where they almost appear as though they are almost photographing
the same structure in each photo as each photo is taken exactly the same
way with the same angle and distance. Also the time of day and weather
must have been taken into account as the sky colour is the same in all of
the photographs.

For my work on Consumerism this would be interesting as i could produce work in a typological format that would represent how all of the products are similar but also to highlight the details of the everyday items. Although this type of documentary photography is of the landscape i would want to produce it in a studio shot photoshoot which would become much more focused on the products themselves.

Analysis, Contextual Studies, Developing, Experimenting, Extension, Recording, Research

Style EXPERIMENTATION – Bokeh

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What is it?

Named after the Japanese word for “blur” or “haze”, bokeh is an optical phenomenon that stamps the character of the lens on each photo in the way that bright out-of-focus elements are rendered. When out of focus, bright pinpoints become attractive, ghostly circles of light. Or at least they are circles with the right lens.Out-of-focus elements can be just as important to finishing the composition and can dramatically change the viewer’s perception of the piece. The key to using bokeh in a shot is to use a wide aperture on a close focused subject so that elements in front and behind the point of focus blur readily. If the lens has curved aperture blades, these will be reflected in the shape of the bokeh.

By tradition, bokeh hunters prize these circular shapes more. But straight aperture blades can create different shapes, such as hexagons if the lens has six blades and is used at a larger f-stop, such as f/8. These can be just as effective creatively. A more obvious way in which lens construction has influenced photographic trends comes with the zoom lens. The zoom-burst effect provides a way to guide the eye to the centre of the shot by turning the surrounding field into a blur of movement. The effect is easy to create although mastery takes a little longer.

The key is to focus on the centre of the image and during the shot quickly turn the zoom ring. It helps to have the camera on a tripod as this will minimise shake during the relatively long exposures needed to give you enough time to turn the zoom ring. Similar to creative use of bokeh, zoom bursts often work best with bright, colourful elements in the out-of-focus area. Although it needs a steady hand to pull off well, you can bring swirls into zoom-burst shots by holding the zoom ring and turning the camera instead. Here are some examples:

To ensure a clear image in the centre, photographers often combine the zoom burst with flash, using slow sync flash to fire extra light at the beginning or end of the exposure to freeze the subject. This can work extremely well in night-time city shots when you have streetlights to help emphasise the zoom effect. At the other end of the scale, zooming can be used to create extreme focus effects, particularly for macro shots. Even at high f-stops, it is difficult to capture a depth of field of more than a few centimetres of in close-up images. Here I wanted to explore a few ways in which I could experiment with the way I could take future shoots and so found walking around town at night was one of the best ways to do so. These were my outcomes:

Once I’d experimented a little with the technique I decided to have a go at photographing the lights in tunnels and on car as they seemed to produce the best outcomes regarding variety of composition and brightness. When taking the images I really enjoyed taking into consideration a new style of composition not previously used where block lights could be overlapped or on their own. Here are three of my favourite outcomes from the experimental shoot:

What I liked about this image was the use of the mainly blue lighting fading out as it progressed through the photo. For me this effect created a great sense of aestheticism as it highlighted the dirt of the window it was taken from, this for me added extra texture to the image whilst also making use of the negative space so that it would not be predominantly black and leave the product as a bit of an eye sore. The shades of blue present within I found to cast an ambient light throughout, with the primary light source becoming the main focal point for viewers due to the sequence of other lights deriving from it.

Here I particularly liked the variety of different colours present which make use of the black backdrop which separates each light so that they become a sort of structured shape. Looking at the blues, whites and greys they all compliment each other so that they do not become overpowering, with the occasional different colour such as red or orange breaking up the pattern and adding more depth to the overall outcome. For me the blackness of the top right corner brings together the whole image due to how it adds a space and stops the continuous lights from overpowering the entire piece.

Finally what drew me to this image was the appearance of murky greens, reds and yellows which add a sense of eeriness to the photograph. These darker colours are complimented by the surrounding black which envelops each light merging them into the next whilst the sequence snakes off image. I particularly found the implementation of the reds and oranges to be of great effect due to how the prevent the mainly greens and yellows from taking over and making the image overall quite dull.

Overall for me this experimentation was useful as it broadened my stance regarding photography and the styles and techniques that could be used to take new and original perspectives of my surrounding environment. For a future reference I could combine certain bokeh images together to form a more abstract result combining patterns from both so that they merge and create something almost alien like.

Analysis, Recording

Photoshoot 5

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For my fifth photoshoot I planned to visit and explore a natural area photographing both plants and flowers and well as water and it’s surroundings. I wanted to focus on drawing inspiration from different artists and photographers I’ve explored, i.e. Wassily Kandinsky’s theories on colour and shape, Rinko Kawauchi’s photography who I explored at the start of the project and my concept of connection between nature and spirituality together as I come towards the end of my project.

I narrowed down my shoot’s image to ones I thought could be considered as final outcomes for this shoot and displayed them in two separate sections as I think they have different qualities to them. The first half I think focus ore on nature, plants and botany emphasising the light and the ranging of warm and cool tones in the landscape. The second half looks at water in more depth and aspects within it i.e koi fish and plants on top and near water.

I chose these two images as some of the final outcomes for this shoot as I like the close up, macro angle they both have. I also like the different textures in both the images that contrast from one another. I chose the plant in the first image to photograph as I like the warm red tones, which links to my focus on warm and cool colours in my project. I also like how the leaves come towards the lens because of the angle they taken at, going out of focus the closer they get, which I think this makes the image seem more personal and spiritual. The way the light shines is emphasised on some of the leaves, and around the outside of the frame is effective. The colours in this image range from green/yellow in the centre of the plant to different tones of red, which i think further emphasises the spirituality of this image as the centre is light.

The second image I took with a close up angle as I was interested in emphasising the intricate pattern made by the individual parts of the plant. I chose to crop the original image so the pattern filled up most of the frame and to create a even closer perspective. I also think that this plant represents something that is ephemeral which links to my previous work in this project exploring Rinko Kawauchi who enjoys beauty, joy, and the ephemeral existence of the lives in nature. I also think that this image goes well paired with the first image as I think the colours complement each other, the white in this image linking to the parts of the first image where the light is emphasised.

I like the first image of this pair through the intricate patterns and also because of its conceptual meaning. To me, this image represents connections of nature, through the many different lines and branches reaching to fill the entire frame. I also think it reflects some of the ideologies of Wassily Kandinsky through the curved lines going in different directions, reflecting his theories on geometric shapes about how shapes have different energies. In this image the main aspect is the larger trunk and branches coming off the tree, but i also like how them smaller branches have grown off the side and are growing downwards. This is then all complemented by the brown and yellow tones of the image that make the overall appearance ore soft and mystical.

I then contrasted the first image by placing it next the image of bright green leaves and plants. I chose to take this image, filling up the entire frame with the green pattern, as I like how only the cool colour is shown, which I can then contrast this to other warm colour images. It contrasts particularly to the first image of this pair as the leaves in the tree have a more yellow/ green tones, which links to the bright green of the smaller plants in the second image. One difference between the images are that the first is more of a landscape image, whereas the second is a more macro angle which creates a variation of angles.

I like these two images displayed together as they are images of the same plants (lily pads) in the same area of water, but because of the surrounding nature, that isn’t shown in the images, the colours displayed in the reflections are completely different. In the first image, was taken next to the image was a Malus floribunda a common name Japanese flowering crabapple, which is why the reflection on the water is different tones of pink. I think that it reflects concept of abstract art more, through the distracted lines in the water and different sections of bright colours from pink,white and brown. What makes this image more interesting is the lily pads on top of the water the break up the patterns created by the ripples in the water, but are still a light colour, so complement the other tones in the landscape.

The second image is a more close up angle I took with a long lens to focus on the shapes of the lily pads and plants, rather than the water. I edited this image to emphasise the blue/green tones which I think is effective and contrasts to the other image well and emphasises the cool colour, rather than the warm ones that were more present before editing. I like the different colour lily pads, that are circular shapes, reflecting Kandinsky’s theories of geometrical shapes having energy, which contrasts the the curved line shape of the branch to the right. This together makes an interesting composition of different natural patterns and geometrical shapes.

I chose the first image to display as an outcome for this shoot as I like how the bright yellow colour, contrasts with the green behind. This is the first image in this shoot that noticeable contains both warm and cool colours, but because there are yellow undertones the grass behind the plants in the foreground, the colours go together well. I also like in this image how some parts of the plants in the foreground are in focus, but the further away from the camera, the more out of focus the landscape gets. This allows for the main focus of the image to be the plant, but the colour in the background to still be noticeable.

The second image of this pair reminds me of the work by Susan degrees, even though she used light sensitive paper to create her images of plant and water, I think that the shadows of the surrounding plants as a reflection creates a similar effect. The image was taken next to Malus floribunda tree which is why the pink petals are floating on the water. I think this contrasts well to the black reflection on the water and the reflection of the sky which has a pink tone because I edited it to have a warmer appearance. Another reason this image reminds me of Susan Derges work is through the defined shapes of the plants which are reflected on the water. This is similar to Derges as she includes the intricate shapes of the plants and flowers she prints in water on light sensitive paper.

Examples of Susan Derges Work

This section of the photoshoot i focused on water aspects of the landscape and what is found in and around the water. I think this is interesting as a different style of image was produced in the second half of this shoot, even though they are from the same area. I displayed below the images I thought were the most effective.

These two images are some of my favourite from this shoot, I displayed them together as I liked how the calmness of the first image contrasts with the the detailed patterns in the second. The first image is of a koi fish which I saw in a pond and decided to photograph this as I knew that symbolises many different things, and has a long history in Chinese and Japanese culture. . Koi Fish meaning in Japan is good fortune or luck they also are associated with perseverance in adversity and strength of purpose. I like the composition of this image is as it’s vey simplisticand only shows two aspects of nature. I think that the lily pad next the fish makes the image and composition more interesting, the full circular shape reflecting some of Kandinsky’s theories of geometrical shapes and circles. The gold/orange colour of the fish is effective and complements the colour of the lily pads they are both warm colours. The black appearance of the water further emphasises the warm colours and also the calm and peaceful atmosphere as there are no waves in thewater distracting from the plant and fish. There are several species of Koi, each with their own defining colors and markings. Accordingly, each type has its own spiritual overtones and meanings. A black fish, called Kumonryu, is named after the Japanese dragon of transformation and is said to signify upcoming life changes. The gold fish, Yamabuki, fittingly symbolises gold, wealth, and good fortune.

I like the second image as its of water, like the first image, but is completely different as I took it near a small water fall which is how the the bubbles were formed. I think it links well to the first image as the same dark tones of the water are also between the patterns in the water and have light areas that are emphasises by the darker parts. One difference is that in the second image I edited it to further emphasise the cool blue tones that could contrast to warm ones. I think that edited this image emphasising the cool colours was more effective than if i edited it to emphasise warm colours as water naturally has a cool tone. I also like how the shape of the bubbles are emphasised moresby the light reflecting off the curved edges, making the shape more noticeable. This is another reason I think these two images go well together as they both contain circular shapes, linking to Kandinsky’s theories on geometric shapes and circles.

I chose to take different angles of koi fish with different surrounding reflections on the water to see if a plain black background or a more detailed background was more effective. In the first of these three images I photographed the ripples created by the fish coming closer to the surface of the water which creates a more distorted appearance. This image shows more movement than the other image and more reflections of the water through the ripples, ranging from white, grey and black. This makes a more interesting pattern through the ranging colours and the shape that the fishes body is in. The second image is similar to the first image of a koi fish in this shoot as it had has a simplistic plain black background as well adding to the calm and tranquil appearance. The difference between the two is that the second image displays two fish swimming together creating a interesting shape of them overlapping. The ripples and the slight reflection in the top left corner of the image create more texture and pattern. In the third image I included flowers from the Malus floribunda tree in the right side of the image. I kept this part out of focus and kept the main focus on the fish, which I think creates an interesting composition. Out of the three images, the most is going on in this image, as well as the flowers, the reflections of the surrounding trees are shown on the water which shows another side of nature. I think that the brown and white colours of this are effective as the white continues over the fishes body and makes the pattern and scales distorted. I displayed these three images together as I thought it was interesting how photographs of the same subject can have completely different appearances.

Evaluation

I think this photoshoot was successful in capturing nature, taking inspiration from different artists and photographers I have explored in my project and combining some of their concepts. For example, many of the images in this shoot took inspiration fro Kandinsky’s theories on geometric shapes i.e circles and his thought on warm and cool colours having energies. Other images took inspiration from Susan Derges, where the shadows of the plants on water, reflect the appearance of lots on light sensitive paper. Some images took inspiration from Rinko Kawauchi who explores ephemeral existence in some of her images. I also tried to emphasise the spiritual quality of the nature which i think i did effectively through the colours I’ve emphasised and the intricate details i’ve focused on.

Experimentation

I then decided to experiment by editing these images different warm and cool colours to see which would create the best aesthetic. I think the black and white is effective in emphasising the range dark to light tones of grey in this image, and also highlights the brightness of the lily pads on top of the water. However, for this project I think that because I’ve focused on the different colour that bring people different emotions, that by displaying this image in black and white wouldn’t link as well to the concepts behind my project and to my other image. That is why i decided to also edit this photo different colours that are different from the original pink tones. When comparing these edits I still think that it’s better with the warm tones emphasised rather than changing them to cool colours because I think that what makes this photo interesting is the natural pink tones from the tree in the reflection. By changing the colour of this you cannot notice the natural effect of the tree in reflection.


I also experimented with cropping when editing these images to see if a closer angle would make a better composition. In the image of the koi fish, I think that by cropping the image to one section is not as effective as the real composition as it takes away from the simplistic appearance with the negative space surrounding the fish and the lilypad. With the second image of the close up angle of the plant, I found that I liked when I zoomed in one section the image and think that the closer angle focuses on aspects like patten and light even more than the original.

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Shoot 3:

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Contact sheet

Edited

I took it under natural light influence at around 2pm. The focal point of this image is the felled tree with the writing on the bottom. The composition of the image even with the root in the middle the grass on the foreground contrasting with the brown trunk the the trees in the mid-ground are the trees which add a natural touch to the image. Then the sky is in the background Creating a contrast between the the sky blue and the green in the trees, This is the most naturalistic colour and tone collation so i thought the stop wars trunk would add great context.

This is my favourite edit and image from my 3rd shoot, It shows a tree that has been cut down in hide park. On the bottom of the felled tree is some writing that stop wars. As soon as i saw this i had to capture it. My concept behind the image is that when you read it you look around you and see how amazing life is that there is no need for wars. Its also in a peaceful environment showing us what the world could look like everywhere if we stoped fighting.