Category Archives: AO3 Record Ideas

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my initial ideas

I am interested at exploring the and taking photos at the airport. I think there would be a lot of opportunities to take interesting urban landscapes  and areas which you would not notice at a glance, for example the old aircraft hanger and rows of cars in the car park.

I will also walk around urban areas areas near where I live which I have never looked at in detail before and take photos of what I come across. This will be interesting to discover new things in an area that I though I was familiar with.

I am interested in presenting my journey practically for example as a collage or  scrapbook. I have looked into other photographers who do a similar thing and I found work by Nicola Hilditch. it was called ‘Scrapbooking The City…Psychogeography Experiment!’ She walked around her city with no particular destination in mind, collecting interesting objects and taking photographs to create a representation of the city in the form of a scrap book.

Photo shoot plan:

Concept:  After researching the area i want to explore and looking at work from other photographers, I am going to take inspiration from the style of their work and apply it to my own photos but also adapt it to my own journey in the shoot.

Location: I am going to take photos around a warehouse and behind shops in my local area. The area has a main roar running through it which means people see it on a daily basis but never look at it in detail.

Lighting: I will use natural lighting to take these photos and I will take them in the afternoon to avoid over exposed images with light flares.

Camera settings: I will take the photos using the manual  expose setting and experiment with long shutter speed and the waves.

Final ideas of urban landscapes and psycho-geography

For my ideas I want to cpature  three main aspects within my urban landscape and psycho-geogrohy shoot.

Firstly I want to capture the slow development of urbanism and the contrast of black and white historical photos compared to that of the society now, this will done by visiting areas in which had a strong historical significance and taking the photos it the same place and creating a comparison of works.

Secondly I also want to show the Morden aspects of lines ands stature wihtin the world and how it has slowly changed. this is inspired by Edward burtnasky,this could be done by going to the dump or even just going to area sin which shows such large industrial sites that it shows a strong connotations to the impact on the society.

lastly I want to capture  more generalising urban landscpses form around towns want to show interposing dynamic shots and be able to edit them in an array of methods.And perhaps even take more romanticised landscape shots in order to use later on during the project.

Contact sheet

Original images

I ended up capturing many images to show architectural  ideas o urban photography and then also large landscapes in which I had a wide view and so all to dit in an interesting manner. From these few images I wanted to show a diverse range from colour to atmosphere and the way in which the images were taken themselves.

 

My photos edited

I decided this image was very suiting in black as it enhanced the overall atmosphere of the images and also allowed an indebted tonal sense of different textures and creates an interesting rundown sense off environment in which I was in.I then added on a slow light exposure image in order to show a larger sense of freedom and abstract sense within urban photography. The mirror repetition with the light exposure creates an interesting divide and perhaps is meant to signifier the divide between the land in which we live from light Morden buildings to run down ones such as this. 

Within this image it is was much more psycho-geography street based, as I was walking down the street in town I wanted to capture a normal photo of a realistic atmosphere in which many people travel through,I then further wanted to experiment within how each area of the image was so different and contrasted with a different aspect of architecture and also  a different theme as to what urban photography is. Because of this I tried to re-create the image moving the area but still in such a way the lines work together and create an interesting sense of structure and also light. 

Within This image I wanted to capture a strong overall night time sense of a city,I then was inspired by my altered realities feel to the piece so wanted to flip and separate the image but in such a way you are still able to see what the landscape looks like. 

Here is a similar image to the one above, I wanted to use a wide lens in order to capture the whole atmosphere of the piece,I then again additionally added on the slow shutter speed light and did this in such a way in separates the images and creates a new abstract feel overall. 

This image is Alot more experimental,for the background I have a slow shutter speed image capturing the lines of red light from the light  and also the blue of the sea,I moved my camera left and right in order to have the lines segmented movement throughout, furthermore I then did the same as previous and edited on an image but this time in the place of position if was originally, this creates a random image overall but effective for experimentation. 

This is the image of the decaying house,wihtin this image I wanted to exaggerate the colours and shows an over exaggerated feel of colour to the piece,I did not do any further editing due to me having already done this before.

Lastly this piece was a lot more collage based,I wanted to show how lines can be used structurally to add additional buildings and create dimensions that are not possible but do structurally work in the image,Also this is the same building in different angles and lightings which creates an interesting contrasting dynamic to the image. Also the large window to the right is from a 3rd separate image but again shows a different structure to the image.

The New Topographic Inspired Shoot

within this shoot on the topic of New Topographics, I will be focusing on the contrast between the urban landscape surrounded by forms of nature allowing imagery to give way to unromanticized views of stark industrial and urban areas to which these everyday scenes would not be given a second glance about.  Photographers that have inspired this shoot for me consist of Robert Adams, Stephen Shore and Henry Wessel.

Some of their works can be seen below to provide a general idea to the overview of New Topographics:

I decided however to plan the shoot before I went ahead and did it. This would allow me to have a general idea before hand of what I wanted, and needed to achieve to produce an effective overall image regarding the topic of New Topographics. These are my ideas:

Once this was complete I decided it was time to move on to the shoot itself, and so decided to use the areas regarding the idea sheet of town, Grouville and St Brelades. These were my outcomes:

Once the shoot was complete I narrowed the images down to only ten of my favourite pictures. By doing so it would make it easier for me to select the final image that I believe to be the most relevent and successful overall. These were my choices on the ten best images:

From this selection I whittled the ten images down into five, this would allow to select the best photo from the batch which I deemed most appropriate for the catagory ‘New Topographic’. These were my choices:

I chose this image because of how I loved the clear contrast between nature and the taking over of it by man, seen by the run down sign surrounded by overgrown grass. I found this to be aesthetically pleasing created by the use of a depth of field, by doing so it blurs our the foreground and the background allowing only really the sign to be noticed properly which is where the eye is drawn. I found the slanted composition to be especially interesting by how it gives the impression of an overgrown and ruined world.

I selected this image due to once again the use of the depth of field that blurs the backdrop, this along with the use of the composition allowed for maximum effect, giving the impression of a world that eventually succumbs to nature. I found that the way that the fence was composition allowed for a sense of distance to the photo, with the use of neutral space on the right being filled with industrial buildings bringing the viewer into perspective of the area it was taken in.What I loved about this image was the clear contrast and clear colors used to create an aesthetically pleasing outcome. This is done through contrasting colours blue and white which highlight features of the building, allow for such things as the door and bolts top pop out and draw the viewer’s attention. The composition I found also was aesthetically pleasing due to how the entire image is symmetrical which in consequence created a much cleaner and pleasing look.Within this image I found that there was obvious difference between nature and man-made structures. This is once again done through the use of a depth of field to which allows for the appearance of us peering through nature to find the man-made structures that surround everything, whilst showing how where ever nature is human activity is not far behind. I found that the gloomy colours within the image emphasised the destruction caused to the landscape by these structures and how nature and civilisation lives side by side. Finally I chose this image as I loved the reflection of cranes created by the aftermath of rain fall. This was partially down to how I thought it highlighted a clear contrast between nature and society, with the looming structures left behind, whilst at the same time creating a deserted and desolate feel to the overall piece. I found that the composition of the piece complimented the photo as it filled most of the negative space made by bricks, with various beams fading out of the image.

Once completed I thought it was time to decide on a final image from the shoot that I thought emphasised the topic ‘New Topographic’ and was most effective in response to it. This was favourite image as an outcome to the shoot:

What made me choose this photo as my final image was because how to me it summed up the clear contrast between human activity and nature. This was done by the composition of the grass creating the impression of it growing around the sign as if taking back the land seized by man, to which there is a clear difference in surrounding of the backdrop consisting of machinery and metallic structures that create contrast in not only surroundings but color. The use of depth of field creates a clear definition around the sign allowing for the eye to be drawn to it immediately with both the foreground and background complimenting it due to the drastic difference in colors and blur. To me this was the image that related the most to the topic of ‘New topographic’, which not only created a feel of the contrast between man and nature, but also of the deserted spaces that surround us in our everyday lives.

 

 

Altered Landscapes

For this post I wanted to explore the use of altered landscapes. To do this I would need to research specific photographers that use this technique to produce the artificial designs and attempt to copy the idea using my own imagery and Photoshop. A photographer I found particularly interesting is Krista Svalbonas, Svalbonas uses images she has taken of buildings to then create part of a structure by stitching together parts of the buildings wanted. Here are some examples of her work:I found that Svalbonas used a calm colored backdrop to her creations to balance the entire piece and really make the design pop out. In response to this I looked through previous photo-shoots picking out images of buildings that I had taken recently. Once found I proceeded onto Photoshop to cut out and stick the parts of these buildings together creating a structure similar to that of Svalbonas, to which I would continue to add a colored matt backdrop that in my opinion balanced the image out. This was my process:

Firstly I created a mood board of the images I wanted to stick together that I thought worked well composition and color wise.From here I cut out the buildings individually and proceeded to join them together experimenting with what fitted well.To do this I used the lasso tool to accurately outline the object wanted so that I could then paste onto the design and move it around until satisfied with its placement.Once the design had been finished I experimented with a series of colors that I thought were neutral and would not overpower the overall piece. To do this I used the shape tool to cover the backdrop with a large square where I could then change the colors of it.

Once I had put together the images I thought best suited each other I added a backdrop using a singular shape put beneath the layers, this allowed for the effect wanted whilst neatly finishing the piece. These were my results:

To create these images I mainly incorporated photos that I had based around the International Finance Center for my psycho-geography shoot and a few images from various other shoots. Whilst doing so I found that by duplicating the image and coloring it black while at the same time reducing the opacity, created a shadow like effect to the piece, this allowed for a 3d like effect that I wanted to put across on the piece and at the same time giving it a more graphic feel. Once done I added a green and a pink backdrop to each piece as I found that these colors drew the gaze to the piece rather than be sore from all the negative space surrounding it.

 

Panoramic

What is panoramic photography?

Panoramic photography is a technique within photography that uses specific equipment or software, to capture and horizontally elongate its fields of view to an image taken. The term however can be applied to photographs that are cropped to a relatively wide aspect ration, and in some cases is known as wide format photography.

There is no division between the terms “wide-angle” and “panoramic”, but rather that “wide-angle” usually refers to a certain type of lens which does not necessarily make the image a panorama. However an image taken approximately, or greater than the human eye, for example about 160°  by 75°  can be termed as panoramic. This usually means that the aspect ration of the image is 2:1 or larger, with the image being twice as wide as it is high resulting in a wide strip image. Some panoramic imagery covers 360 degrees, but both the aspect ration and coverage of field are both important factors in defining the term panoramic.

Some example of panoramic photography can be seen below:I decided to attempt at making a panoramic image by stitching together individual images I had taken of a landscape within Photoshop. To do this I overlapped picture upon picture to create a forged landscape of the area taken as seen below:

Once finished I proceeded to use this method to create a few more panoramas of the landscape in the area where I live, these were the results:This image of the bay consisted of twelve individual images that I had to crop and re-shape to allow for the smooth transition effect between each photo that creates the impression of a singular image. I took this image of the golf course across the road to me by cropping the overall piece due to how some of the images did not match the shape or size of the others taken. This removed any rough edges to the image allowing for the final result.This final image I found to be the most successful due to how the transition between each image looked the most natural with only slight lighting differences.

 

 

Psycho-Geography Shoot

For this shoot I will be focusing on the topic of psycho geography. For this shoot I think I will be mainly working around the areas of town such as Liberty Station and the International Finance Centers, to which through my photography I will need to explore how the place makes you feel and behave whilst exploring and navigating the urban environment around me to examine its architecture and spaces. Some of the photographers that I will be using to help guide me along to adapt to the style of psycho geography are the Boyle Family and Mishka Henner, the style of their work can be seen below:

From here I thought it would be appropriate to come up with a few ideas in order to help me along the shoot and guide me in what I should be doing. Here are my ideas:

Once I had gathered my ideas I decided it was time to move onto the shoot. Using this mind map to produce the imagery desired I covered the area of town that I had concluded that I would explore in the previous post. These are my results made into contact sheets:

Once all the pictures of the given area had been taken I decided that I should whittle the selection down to the top ten overall images. This would allow me to come to an easier conclusion on what I thought was the best image taken in the shoot. These were my selected images I thought had the best outcome from the shoot:

Once I had selected my favourite images from the shoot I decided to make it easier to select the final image by cutting the ten images into five. By doing this I could closely analyse the images in further detail and decide from there which is the best. These were my choices:

I selected this image because I loved the texture created by the shades of rust on a pole. I found that this allowed heavy but effective contrast between the overall piece as all the colors complemented each other making an almost molten scene.

In this image I found that I particularly liked the contrast between the silhouette of the statue and the dim-lit sky, with the composition of the pole and string balancing out the image as a whole creating a visually pleasing overall piece.

Once again I loved the use of the colors created by the rust to make an almost volcanic landscape with shades of red overlapping each other. I found the composition of the piece eye-capturing as the more rusted black areas looked like a mountain range captured from a bird’s eye view.

In this image I tried to capture the way certain streets were looked after within my given area. What I liked about this one was how it incorporated everyday objects as almost ruining and breaking up the pattern made by the pavement through the composition of the paper and cigarettes.

Finally I chose this picture because I loved the symmetry created by the textures of the floor surrounding the lights making an aesthetically pleasing image. This use of composition I found was most effective from how it drew the eye to the areas wanted through a clear contrast.

Once analysing the images I had decided which image I thought was the most effective out of the batch. This was my outcome for the final image:

I chose this particular image because of how I adored the pattern created by the overlapping colors of the rust. This clear contrast of the blacks against the reds allowed for an almost landscape look effect upon the photo, making it look almost as though it was taken from a plane. The composition I really liked through how the black snaked its way across the image as if it was molten whilst the reds and yellows covered the areas around it.

 

 

Developing Your Own Ideas | Planning for the Mock Exam | Landscape Photography

You now have 2 weeks + half term to complete this unit, and prepare for the Mock Exams : Mon 26 Feb 12A / Tues 27 Feb 12B / Wed 28 Feb 12 C / Thurs 1 Mar 12 D 2018.

Final images must be in the print folder (M : drive) by 20th Feb at the latest…

In this time you must produce a range of carefully designed and thoroughly researched blog posts that tackle…

A01 : Develop Ideas

A02 : Explore Ideas

A03 : Record Ideas

AO4 : Present Ideas

In the exam you will be…

  • framing and mounting your final outcomes
  • completing any unfinished blog posts
  • adding any extra editing / experimental designs and images

You must look carefully at the following blogs…

  • pay attention to the layout, structure and content of each student’s approach
  • what did they do more of / less of?
  • how did they finalise their ideas and present their work?

Oliver Stockwell Landscape Photography AS (A grade)

Adam Seal Landscape Photography AS (A grade)

Charlotte Dance Landscape Photography AS (A grade)

Lauryn Sutcliffe Landscape Photography AS (A grade)

Maddie Lee Landscape Photography AS (A grade)

Alex Le Put Landscape Photography AS (A grade)

Joshua Twohig-Jones A2 Coursework 

Location For Psycho-geographies

My Location I Have Chosen

For my location of interest, I have picked to explore fort regent which will not only allow me to capture the historical factors of the buildings surroundings but shall allow a great view over the urbanised area of St Helier. Although built originally as a Napoleonic fortress, Fort regent has been transformed over the years from a defunct military parade ground and coal storage depot into a wet weather venue for tourists and local visitors to become the largest sports and leisure centre in the Island. Overlooking St Helier the site offers spectacular panoramic views of the south and east coasts as well as the urban area linking directly to the theme of Psychographics.

I think my main focus will be Elizabeth harbour and trying to convey how it has been developed over the years. Fort regent allows a great view over the marina which will help to give an accurate view of it rather than up close shots where you cannot see the most parts of it.  The best part of Elizebeth harbour is man made and would be interesting to try and compare today’s harbour with what it used to look like.

Related image

Related image

My Response

 

Planning the Psycho-Geography Shoot

The aim of psycho-geography is to be familiar with a certain area, and to essentially explore it. To do this I will be focusing on a small urban area within town, to which I will try to become more familial with its surroundings in order to take the photos needed. This is the area I have chosen:To add to my research of the area to be explored, I decided that it would be appropriate to take street view shots in order to have a bit of an insight before hand of the area.Part of the main area I am exploring is the car park, however now has been transformed into the International Finance Centers, with much of it still under construction. Other areas include Liberty Wharf, which was once known as a former abattoir that was restored and converted for the use of a shopping centre.

Some artists that have inspired me in the shoot consist of  Mishka Henner and The Boyle Family. Henner tended to focus on more satellite/birds eye view techniques of the landscape around the world to create vivid and mind-boggling imagery, to which in some cases he would distort them to create more abstract pictures. Some examples of their work can be seen below:As seen above Henner very much focuses on satellite imagery as his main source of art. One technique commonly seen in his work is shaped pixels, this can be done through selecting an area and finding the main color present in that space, to then convert it to just that singular color.

The Boyle Family however take a very different stance on psycho-geography, as seen below:They tend to focus on how the different textures of the floors can create the pattern to make aesthetically pleasing imagery. The images taken are of everyday generic objects that we take for granted and don’t see the patterns within them.

Typology Homework Assignment

Planning

Task: Take 100+ photos that explore the concept of typologies

Camera settings: I will be using an ISO of 100 with a shutter speed of 1/20 mainly in order to allow the image to be as high quality as possible but this may have to be adapted slightly for darker environments.

Lighting: I will be using daylight for the majority of my photographs but photographs taken inside the car park may be captured with flash or with the car park lights.

Location: Waterfront underground car park and Jacksons car centre.

Context: I will be taking photographs with the work of Typologists in mind.

My Photographs

My Edits

My Favourite Photograph

In this photograph I used the artificial lighting the waterfront underground car park. This lighting allowed the photograph to be contrasted with the correct amount of exposure. An aperture of f18 was used for this photograph to ensure that the whole of the photograph was in focus with a deep depth of field. I used a shutter speed of 1/20 along with an ISO of 200 to allow enough light to enter the lens whilst keeping the quality of the photograph as best as possible.

There is no colour in this photograph – only black and white. This creates a rustic/old-fashioned styled photograph. There is not a massively wide tonal range in the photograph but the contrasting tones are right next to eachother so it gives a more dramatic effect. It is quite a 2D photograph as it only has one close-up subject with no foreground or background.

This photograph is part of a collection of typology photographs that I took which include the fronts of cars up close in order to show the differences between similar structures on the Earth. I took inspiration for the style of photograph (rustic) from the Bechers’ but instead of photographing the same subjects as them I decided to choose my own typology whilst taking inspiration from their style.