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AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, Externally Set Assignment AS

Secrets, Codes and Conventions – Second Shoot

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Planning

Task – Take 150-200 photos exploring the theme of exploration under the key work ‘secrets’

Props – I will be using the natural environment including the trees and plants that I come across as props and possibly people in some of the photographs.

Camera Settings – Due to deciding to do the shoot in the dark will have to use flash in most of my photographs in order to illuminate the subjects enough. I will be using this with an ISO of 800 and a shutter speed of 1/40.

Lighting – I will be using strong torches or flash from the camera in order to capture these photographs.

Location – St. Catherines Woods

Context – I am looking at the theme of exploration for my AS level externally set assignment.

Concept – I hope to take photographs of the woods in ways that would not be usually seen and to show the secrets that the dark can contain whilst taking inspiration from Emmanuel Tecles.

My Response

Contact Sheets

 

My Top 5 / Edits
My Favourite Photograph

This photograph was taken using flash as the area was dark with no light in the area. This allowed me to illuminate the subjects of my choice and create contrast between the background and foreground. I used a shutter speed of 1/40 with an ISO of 800 in order to make sure the picture was bright enough to be seen – this helped to further emphasise the gap between foreground and background.

The colours within this photograph provide more contrast with the background – the bright vibrant colour of the pondweeds contrasts with the dull colour of the tree and the surroundings to create an interesting photograph. There is a wide tonal range in this photograph ranging from the highlights in the tree and pondweed to the purely black background, this helps to focus on the subjects of the photograph. There is a  3D effect in this photograph as you can clearly see the plants upfront as the background fades into darkness. I positioned the tree in line of one of the vertical lines of the rule of thirds in order to create a more interesting photograph.

This photograph was taken at night in St. Catherines Woods. It shows contrast between living plants and dead plants in an eery environment. The concept of this photograph is that it may be something that many people will see and walk past every day but when the subject is illuminated at night it shows another side of the view – almost its secret. It shows off the different branches of the dead tree individually and brings out the colour in the pondweeds to create a different environment.

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, Externally Set Assignment AS

Secrets, Codes and Conventions – First Shoot

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Planning

Task – Take 150-200 photos exploring the theme of tunnels/caves under the key work ‘secrets’

Props – I will mainly be using only the tunnel/cave and its contents as the subjects but there may be people that feature in the photographs.

Camera Settings – Due to the extremely dark nature of the tunnel I will have to use flash in most of my photographs in order to illuminate the subjects enough. I will be using this with an ISO of 100 and a shutter speed of 1/40.

Lighting – I will be using strong torches, flash from the camera or natural daylight in order to capture my photographs.

Location – Jersey War Tunnels

Context – I am looking at the theme of exploration which includes caves and tunnels for my AS level externally set assignment.

Concept – I hope to take photographs of secrets within these tunnels that would not usually be seen whilst taking inspiration from both Robbie Shone and Gregory Berg.

My Response

Contact Sheet

My Edits/Top 5

My Favourite Photograph

In this photograph I used flash lighting in order to illuminate the dark tunnel. The use of flash helped to bring out the highlights in the photograph but also create contrasting shadows within the photograph. A deep depth of field was used to capture this photograph as the whole of the photograph is in focus even the subjects in the far background. A shutter speed of 1/40 was used along with an ISO of 100 which allowed the photograph to best the best quality that it possibly could be.

I used a black and white filter for this photograph as I felt that it brought out the shadows and contrast within the photograph more. It is also more suitable for the theme of mystery and exploration. There is a very wide tonal range within this photograph which creates a more dramatic and interesting image. The texture of the dirt and rust on the subjects can be seen which makes the photograph seem more contextual and shows how forgotten the subjects are. It is quite a 3D photograph and there is a clear distinction between subjects in the foreground and the background.

This photograph was taken inside one of the tunnels that was made by the Nazi’s during the occupation of Jersey. This particular tunnel was intended to be used as a munitions storage and never reached the finished stage. This photograph shows the ruined state that the tunnel was left in and the railway system that they would use to transport materials.

From this set of photographs I am trying to look at the unexplored areas of Jersey that people would not usually see. This photograph contains old secrets of Jersey that have remained untouched and it shows that there are many of these secrets around the island that people are not aware of.

Analysis, AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, Externally Set Assignment AS

Secrets, Codes and Conventions – Emmanuel Tecles

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Image result for emmanuel tecles

Image result for emmanuel tecles

Emmanuel Tecles is a French self-taught photographer who has a taste for mysterious, enigmatic and dark atmospheres. Tecles looks at exploration and takes inspiration from the author Tim Burton. The exploration photography that Tecles does brings to the foreground aesthetic contrasts, shadows and their opposites. Tecles says that he has always been attracted by notions of traces, memories and it is by pushing doors of abandoned buildings that he discovered nostalgic atmospheres. The places that Tecles photographs link to history and architecture. The inspiration that I will take from Tecles work is the idea to look as exploration and the lost secrets that exploration can reveal, such as forgotten buildings/land.

My Favourite Photograph

Image result for emmanuel tecles

In this photograph it appears that Tecles used natural light from the derelict building in order to cast light upon the destroyed subject. This creates an unusual environment as there is plenty of light which has friendly connotations but it is shone upon a ruined building which has connotations with being unfriendly. A shutter speed of 1/30-1/60 will have been used to capture this photograph along with an ISO of 100-200, by using these settings it allowed Tecles to capture a high resolution image with minimum grain whilst allowing plenty of light to enter the lens.

There are lots of earthly tones being used in this photograph which reflects the idea that the building is slowly being reclaimed by nature and the land is being returned to its original state. There is quite a wide tonal range in this photograph which creates contrast between the lights and darks and nature and urban. There is a 3D effect to this photograph due to the positioning of the furniture and the use of light in the background.

This photograph is one of the many photographs in which Tecles looks at destruction of urban environments, exploration and architecture. Tecles will often look at creating nostalgic scenes from these abandoned buildings which creates an aesthetically pleasing but strange photograph as he attempts to bring the history that was once the architecture in the photograph into it. Tecles also hints at natural reclamation of land by nature as the photograph shows the building falling apart and the natural light eventually leaking into the room.

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, Case Study, Externally Set Assignment AS

Secrets, Codes and Conventions – Gregory Berg

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Gregory Berg

Image result for gregory berg

Image result for gregory berg photography

Gregory Berg is a New York-based photographer and urban explorer that photographs parts of the subway that most people never want to see. Throughout New York City there are dozens of closed stations and platforms, some of which are decaying very quickly. Berg says “I find abandoned subway stations of maps, jump into active platforms and walk the live tracks, avoiding the 3rd rail and moving trains” which shows just how dedicated his to his photography. Some of the photographs that Berg takes shows colours and textures that are almost of a dystopian underworld that no one ever sees.

I have chosen to look at Berg as I hope to take inspiration from his work when looking at exploration. I will show the urban exploration side of his work in my photographs and hope that my photographs convey the same secrets of explored areas as Berg’s work does.

My Favourite Photograph

Image result for gregory berg photography

This photograph is taken with the dim light leaking into the abandoned subway station, this creates an ominous environment and so creates mystery within the photograph. A shutter speed of 1/30 or less will have been used with an ISO of 200 or 400 as a low shutter speed would be needed to allow enough light to enter the lens from the dimly lit area. There is quite a cold tone to this photograph which emphasises the fact that the area is abandoned and ruined. There is a deep depth of field in this photograph which allows the whole of the photograph to be kept in focus so that the long pathway can be seen.

There is not much colour in this photograph – the only colour that really stands out is the blue light reflecting off of the walls. This pushes the ominous environment that the photograph portrays and at the same time creates contrast with the shadows. The photograph has quite a dark tone in it as there are not many light tones/highlights, this creates an uneasy feeling within the photograph. There is a 3D effect to this photograph as the pathway travels so far from the foreground to the background.

This photograph was taken as part of Berg’s exploration of underground exploration of Brooklyn in New York. To me, this photograph shows how wasteful humans are as they can have something as massive and intricate as this subway station and simply brush it to the side and then forget about it. Berg is trying to show that even if it is forgotten about and run down, it’s still an amazing place to visit.

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, Externally Set Assignment AS

Secrets, Codes and Conventions – Robbie Shone

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Image result for robbie shone

Image result for robbie shone

Robbie Shone is a cave explorer and visual storyteller. His work comes under the category of photo journalism which I will be taking inspiration from. He is recognised as one of the most accomplished cave photographers in the world and is based in the heart of the Alps in Austria. Shone has completed a BA in Fine Art and Photography – whilst doing this he developed a strong interest in caving and the challenges it has to offer. His work has been featured in national and international publications such as National Geographic. He has received several national and international awards.  Robbie Shone also has wildlife, travel and landscape images that have achieved finalist status in highly acclaimed international travel and wildlife competitions.

From looking at Robbie Shone i aim to have my photographs focused on exploration and unusual sites.

My Favourite Photograph

Image result for robbie shone

In this photograph, Shone used a strong torch to illuminate the photograph through the clouds in the cave to create a misty and ominous setting. It helped to create contrast between the shadows of the cave and the highlight of the torch. A deep depth of field appears to have been used as the whole of the photograph is in focus. Shone will have used a slow shutter speed along with a low ISO in order to allow plenty of light to enter the lens whilst keeping the quality of the photograph as high as possible.

The colours used in this photograph is a mix of dark greens and browns to contrast with the torch light. This helps to create an unsettling and dark environment. There are lots of different tones throughout the photograph due to the grooves and shapes in the caves. The distance that the light beam travels and the scale of the human against the size of the scale creates an almost intimidating photograph as it is not something we would normally get to see. Due to the beam of light shining light on the background, the photograph has a 3D effect which adds to the intimidating feeling to the photograph.

Shone is a very experienced cave explorer and photographer and this photograph shows just some of the things that he sees and explores as part of his life. This photograph is of Cloud Ladder Hall which is naturally formed and is so large that it has its own weather system. It is found in China and the whole cave is 42,139 metres long with a maximum depth of 441 metres.

I think that Shone is trying to spread awareness of how intricate and interesting the natural world is. In his photographs he shows subjects that most people would never get to see. He tries to show the scale of the subject against one of the largest naturally formed cave in the world to show how small we are compared to nature.

 

AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas

Mock Exam Final Piece

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For my mock exam final piece I will be using this photograph:

I plan to divide the photograph into 8 equal A5 sections and then use these 8 different photographs to create one big photograph as shown below. This will hopefully emphasise the size of the subject in the photograph and therefore create a more dramatic and impressive photograph.

Final Ideas/Presentation

In my final piece I started by taping all of the smaller photographs together to make the full photograph. I then started to experiment different ways to present the photograph in a 3D form by using the creases between the smaller photographs.

In the below ideas I have folded the photograph in different ways in order to find which would be most successful. I looked at making it into a sculpture image in which you would have to walk around to see the whole photograph.

 

I decided to present the photograph as below; the middle two quarters are flat and the first and fourth quarters are folded forward to be closer to the viewer. I stuck the photograph onto foam board using three different pieces to create the 3D photograph. If I was to repeat this project I would try to create the photograph on a larger scale by printing it off myself and then attempt to make a more intricate presentation.

AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas

Experimenting For The Mock Exam

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Below is one of my final images that I will be presenting for my final piece in the mock exam. In this post I look at how I could present the photograph in different ways to make it stand out more and be more creative.

Due to the size of the subject in this photograph, I want to present the photograph on a large scale to emphasise the presence and size of it. This creates a more intimidating effect because of the largeness of the subject. I have looked at keeping window-like borders between each section of photograph but decided that I will not follow through with that because I feel that it takes away the fact that it is one large photograph. I have also looked at moving around the panels in order to create a mixed  up image – I decided that this takes away from the nature of the photograph and isn’t in the direction that I want to be going. I came to the conclusion that my best option was to stick all the panels together in the correct order to create one large photograph.