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Environmental Portraiture Homework

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Arnold Newman

Image result for Arnold Newman

 

Image result for Arnold Newman

Arnold Newman was born in 1918 and is acknowledged as the pioneer of the environmental portrait, he is also known for his still life and abstract photography. The reason I was intrigued  by Newman’s images is because not only does he show people in their natural workplaces like the typical environmental portrait photos, but he also captures images which further communicate a lifestyle choice chosen by the person in the photo in a more in-depth sense than just their workplace. I feel that this approach creates a stronger connection between the person in the photo and the audience because it allows them to feel as if they know the person being photographed. He released many books throughout his life and is an important contributor of portraits to publications such as life and vanity fair.

Photo Analysis

Image result for Arnold Newman

I am inspired by this photo and visually appreciate it due to the simplicity yet great effect it has. The simplicity comes through the use of only three real colours, thus being white, black and grey which strongly contrast each other. This strong contrast helps the viewer identify the key elements to the photo which is the piano and the pianist. This photo comes under the category of environmental portraiture due to the fact that we can understand something about the mans life due to what is shown in the photograph. In this case we know he is a piano player and perhaps lives a simple life due to the way in which the photo has very little detail.

Planning

Task – Take 150-250 formal portrait photos that show an understanding of environmental portraits.

Location – Sporting locations such as football pitch and skate park.

Subjects – My friends with their sporting equipment on in the related location.

Camera settings – 1/250 sec, f/4, ISO 100 (most likely will be adjusted slightly up and downwards)

Props – Model, football boots, football, helmet, bike/skateboard.

Lighting – Natural lighting, artificial for the night shots.

Concept – To photograph images in the style of Arnold Newman

Photoshoot

My Response

 

Analysis, AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Homework Assignment, Uncategorized

Environmental Portraits

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In this shoot I focused on environmental portraits. I wanted to capture the calmness of a person's facial expression, in order to make an impact within the picture itself. When taking the shoot I tried to make sure that the subjects facial expression was expressionless, so that it could make the viewer interpret more about the person's personality themselves. I used a variety of subjects to really explore the different expression of different people, and which ones would impact the most from them all.
Once I had completed the shoot, I decided to try to limit the images down into my top ten photographs, from there it would allow me to decide which picture I found the most effective from the overall shoot. I chose the image that I thought had the biggest impact of all, so took into account the rule of thirds, symmetry and lighting. These were my results:
Once again I then decided to limit my top ten photographs into a top five. From these it would make it easier for me to figure out what I thought was the best image out of the entire shoot, by using software like Adobe Lightroom to edit my pictures and make each one stand out against the rest. These were my final results:

I chose this image because I loved how the subject was exactly on the middle line of the road. From this it created a look of symmetry within the picture, and with the trees and paths in the backdrop with the same composition, it to me made the picture aesthetically pleasing. What I also liked about the image was how the blue house in the background, in a way neutralized the image, and to me made it easy to look upon.
I chose this picture because I liked the expressionless face of the subject against a white plain backdrop. This to me created effect within, as the backdrop broke up to a messy brick wall on the right hand side, allows for more focus on the subject rather than what is around them, due to how the contrast on their face stands out from the exposed wall.
The reason I chose this image was because I loved the contrast between the overly exposed background and the darkness of the subjects clothes. This creates a dramatic effect, whilst highlighting the points I wished for the viewer to look upon, like the head up. I found that the character being centered slightly to the middle of the picture made it an overall aesthetically pleasing piece.
Finally I chose this image because I found that it captured the calmness and thoughtfulness, of the subjects face at a significant time in their life. This makes the image aesthetically pleasing because of how there is symmetry between the subjects face, and that of the birthday balloon, which cancel each other out making the picture very balanced. 
The reason I chose this image was because I really liked the contrast between the darkness of the backdrop of a bush, and the brightly colored outfit of the subject. This instantly draws the viewer's eye to the subject due to the clear definition between her clothes and the bush, whilst making it visually pleasing to the eye as the pattern of the bush behind is broken up.

FINAL IMAGE 

I chose this image as my final photograph, because I loved the look of thought upon the subjects face, and found that it told a lot about their past and personality. I found that the balloon and the subject's face being on either side of the image, in a way cancelled each other out, making the overall piece aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The fact that the subject was not centered in the middle of the screen, and made more way to the backdrop behind her, allowed the viewer a bit more of an insight into the life of the subject as a whole. Finally what I thought made the image most effective was that the birthday balloon allows a bit of an view into what the subject may be thinking about in their previous years, and everything they have seen, creating a perspective which is joyful, yet saddens the viewer.

 

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Homework Assignment

Homework Assignment – Street Photography

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Planning

Task – Take 100-250 photos in an urban environment with people as the focus.

 Models/Props – A group of friends.

Camera Settings – I will use a quick shutter speed of about 1/100-1/500 depending on how fast the subjects are moving as I plan on photographing them whilst they naturally move around. I will use a low ISO as the area I will take photos in will be well lit with street lighting.

Lighting – Mostly my lighting will be natural daylight but in some images I will use the flash to light up the features of the subjects.

Location – In random streets and back-lanes.

Context – I will be photographing a group of friends as they casually do what they would be doing normally in order to capture natural looking images.

Concept – To capture street photographs in the style of Vivian Maier and Robert Frank.

Vivian Maier

Image result for vivian maier

 

Image result for vivian maier

Vivian Maier (1926-2009) was an American street photographer born in New York City. A her work was unknown and unpublished during her lifetime. In 2007,  collectors found some of her prints and negatives in boxes. Her images were first published on the internet in 2008. Her work has now been exhibited in North America, Europe, Asia and South America. A lot of details about Maier’s life remains unknown.

Vivian Maier Favourite Photo

Image result for vivian maier

In this photograph it appears that natural daylight was used to capture it as the tones in the subjects face and clothing look natural and not over-exposed to light. It appears that a low aperture/shallow depth of field was used for this image as the subject in the foreground is in focus whilst the corners of the image in the background are blurred in almost a vignette style.  A quick shutter speed of 1/60 – 1/200 appears to have been used as the image is sharp and not accidentally blurred. A low ISO also appears to have been used as the image does not have much noise in it. The black and white filter provides a cold colour cast over the image.

There is a lack of colour as the image is black and white and the subject has a sad facial expression – this contrasts with the idea that clowns are meant to be colourful and happy all of the time. There is a mostly dark colour range in the image to match the mood of the subject – the tone doesn’t get any lighter than the white makeup on his lips. There is a slight 3D effect in the image as the subject is clearly closer to the camera than the truck behind him – this is further supported by the blurred effect in the background. The image has not been composed to follow the rule of thirds but the subject has been placed slightly off the centre of the image – this could be to show that something is slightly off with the subjects life.

The image actually shows a man called Emmett Kelly as the clown figure “Weary Willie”. Kelly was an American circus performer who created the clown figure based on the hobos of the depression era. At the time, Kelly’s routine was revolutionary as it wasn’t the clown that people expected to see. Maier took this photo out of context as not everybody will know who Weary Willie is.

The fact that Maier took this photo out of context leaves the image open for people to see what they want. Some people will see the famous clown ‘Weary Willie’ whilst others will see a street performer struggling to get by. This makes the image much more interesting as it is left up to the viewer to decide what it is trying to show.

Robert Frank

Image result for robert frank

Image result for robert frank

Robert Frank was a Swiss-American photographer and documentary filmmaker. His most famous work is his book “The Americans” in which he shows an outsiders view of American society in the 1950’s. His book consisted of 83 photographs.

Robert Frank Favourite Photo

Image result for robert frank the americans trolley

In this image, Robert Frank uses different techniques to create the photo that he wants. A fast shutter speed seems to be used due to the sharpness of the possibly moving trolley. Frank also uses a low ISO to create a darker image. The natural lighting of the sun also helps to create a natural looking image that captures Americas society in the middle of their day. A deep depth of field is used as well to keep the image sharp and focused. This image has lots of different settings working well together but the image is cleverly structured by Frank to use the rule of thirds. The bottom and top of the window run along the horizontal lines whilst the old lady and the coloured man are placed at the vertical lines. This makes the image seem instantly appealing and interesting to the human eye.

In the photograph a high contrast is used in the black and white image to create a more dramatic image. The contrast comes from the white bars which cleverly break up the image into different sections because of the natural frames. This influences the viewer to view the photograph in more detail. The wide variety of tones between the black man and the white people adds even more contrast and drama in the image.

This photograph was taken in the 1950’s in New Orleans. It shows how the American society travels and the slight division of the whites and the blacks. As you can see, the white people are sat at the front and the black people are sat at the back, at this point in time the blacks did not have as equal rights as they do today so this documents the slow changes that have happened throughout history.

Racial segregation is shown in Frank’s photograph. There appears to be a social hierarchy from left to right. The white frames in the image segregate old people, white people, children and black people. On the left of the image you can see a white man partially hidden by a window; his separation and cover from the photograph represents how the whites were protected by society but the blacks weren’t.

My Response

My Edits

My Favourite Photo

In this photograph flash was used to emphasise the shadows in the image and to create contrast along with the sun in the background adding exposure to the photo. A short field of depth was used to create a 3D effect and to blur out the background so that the focus was purely on the subject. A shutter speed of 1/200 was used to capture a sharp image as the subject was moving when I captured this photograph of him off-guard. An ISO of 400 was used as there was plenty of light in the area and to produce the minimum amount of noise in the photo.

I reduced the colour in this image to create a slightly washed tone to go with the background. There is not a major tonal range in this image as it only ranges from the black of the subjects jacket to the grey of the background. A rough texture has been created in this image by the worn background. The image has a 3D effect due to the shadows created by the flash and the blurred background. There is no pattern or repetition in this image to reflect that this was not a planned photograph. The subject is placed along the third vertical line of the rule of thirds to create an appealing photograph.

This image was taken in a back alley where the sun was directly in front of the camera and was flooding the camera with light. I used this to my advantage and created a washed tone whilst managing to catch the subject off-guard and not camera ready. This resulted in this image which I like due to the fact it was not staged like it was supposed to be.

For this set of photographs I tried to take inspiration from Vivian Maier and Robert Frank by taking photos of subjects mostly aware that the camera was there. I tried to capture how someone would behave whilst they are trying to pose for a camera and whilst they are not ready for the camera. This photograph shows that I was successful with this.

AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Homework Assignment

Homework 1- Environmental

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For this homework I photographed 4 different environments and displayed them in a contact sheet where I have identified key features which helped me make selections for the images i want to use and edit.

For this photo shoot i visited my dad at his work and photographed him doing what he would normally do. I chose this image as one of my final images as the environment clearly portrays him as a carpenter. The wooden poles, the ladder and the way he is dressed also indicate this. I also like the higher angle I took the photo at as it gives another perspective of the environment. I turned the photo black and white to emphasise the shadows gradually getting darker towards the corner of the room. It shows a varied range of tones, the lightest point being the window and the darkest being the floor and shadows that are created.

For this photo shoot I chose my Grandad to photograph and selected this image as my final image for that shoot. I think it clearly shows his face using natural light which is better compared to the other photos I took indoors with artificial lighting. Although the environment he is surrounded by does not clearly represent him as a person I like the bold, strong lines which I think represent his character and what it was like being born in 1939, the year in which World War II began and what it was like growing up.

I also chose this photograph as one of my final images as i like the angle and the natural lighting that is used. This photo does not display the environment as effectively as the other photographs as although she is standing outside her house, the surroundings do not indicate much about her character. I experimented with this photo adjusting the colours to try and make the photograph more effective.

I have selected these 4 images to represent this homework as I think they show the varied environments which I photographed as they are all completely different.

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Homework Assignment – Environmental Portratis

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Planning

Task – Take 150-250 formal portrait photos that show an understanding of environmental portraits.

Location – My dad’s workshop, music room

Subjects – My dad at work, Alfie playing guitar.

Camera settings – For images in workshop: shutter speed  1/100-1/200, ISO 800-1600, white balance – shade preset, flash used. For images of Alfie: shutter speed – 1/60, ISO 400, white balance – shade present.

Concept – To capture formal portraits in the style of August Sander and Arnold Newman.

August Sanders

Image result for august sanders

Image result for august sanders

August Sanders (1876-1964) was a German portrait and documentary photographer. He was once described as ‘the most important German portrait photographer of the early twentieth century’.

Sanders’ work includes landscape, nature, architecture and street photography but he is mostly known for his portrait work. He tried to take pictures of the workers in Germany in their natural workplace to show the cross-section of society during the Weimar republic. He released a book series from this called ‘People of the 20th Century’.

August Sanders Favourite Photo:

Image result for august sanders

In this photograph it appears that natural daylight has been used to capture the environmental portrait, which is suitable as the photo should be in the subjects natural environment. The subjects appear to have been positioned close together as if they’re cramped into the photo – this could reflect their living conditions and style. There is not a massive tonal range throughout the photo; there is vary dark but rarely is there a bright white. The subjects have been positioned so that they contrast with the dark background (excluding the black man on the right) this makes the image more dramatic. It appears that a deep field of depth has been used along with a quick shutter speed as the image is not blurred and everything appears static. A medium ISO appears to be used as the image has a slight bit of noise in it. There is a grey overtone to this image.

Due to it being an old photo there is an old-fashioned texture to the photo which makes it seem more rustic and mysterious. The photograph appears 3D in places as the subjects have been positioned at different levels and distances. There are no patterns in this photograph which matches the lifestyle of the people in the environment – they play it by ear and they take each day as it comes.

The photograph is taken from his photographic series, ‘People of the Twentieth Century’. The series aimed to portray the differences in life styles among the German people. This particular image shows circus workers in their natural environment, as you can see it is quite messy and nothing is organised, just like the photo. It helps to show what life was like for these circus workers.

Sanders was known to not be judgmental and was never shy when taking photographs of people. What he wanted to show was how people live their lives in extremely different ways but they’re also happy doing so. Sanders tried to exploit the cross-section during the Weimar republic and opened Germany’s eyes to each others differences.

Arnold Newman

Image result for arnold newman

Image result for arnold newman

Arnold Newman, born 1918 is acknowledged as the pioneer of the environmental portrait, he is also known for his still life and abstract photography. His images show people in their natural workplaces in the style of formal environmental portraits. He released many books such throughout his life and is an important contributor of portraits to publications such as life and vanity fair.

Arnold Newman Favourite Photo:

Image result for arnold newman

In this image it appears that natural lighting was used as the image is dark at the front where it is hidden from daylight and brighter at the back where it is exposed to daylight. The subject has been positioned in the centre of the image to create an intense and sinister image. There is also a wide tonal range in this image, ranging from the darkness of the foreground to the brightness of the background. It is also a very contrasting image which makes the photograph appear even more sinister and mysterious. It appears that a deep depth of field was used along with a quick shutter speed as everything in the image is static and in focus. A low ISO also appears to have been used as it is a clear but dark image.

It is quite a 3D image as the subject is clearly very close to the camera with the trains running along with the roof in the background making the image appear to stretch backwards. There is lots of symmetry in the image as at a glance it appears that it is almost perfectly symmetrical with the line of symmetry being vertically straight down the image.

The image shows armaments manufacturer Alfred Krupp who supposedly used slave labour to make weapons for the Nazis. In 1963 Krupp contacted Newman for a portrait photograph. After this, Krupp found out that Newman was a Jew he refused to let him take the photograph. Newman then asked Krupp to look at his works before settling on a final decision and he changed his mind and allowed him to take the photographs. Newman then went to one of Krupp’s factories and tried to make Krupp appear as evil as possible in the photographs that he took. Krupp was obviously not happy with the photographs at all.

I think that by making Krupp appear evil in this image, it was his way of getting a small bit of revenge on him for his evil doings and showing the world how evil Krupp really is. This small piece of revenge wasn’t done just for Newman, he did it for all the enemies of the Nazi’s and all of the people that have suffered from them. It did not do much but the notion and small victory was there.

My Response

My Edited Images

My Favourite Images

 

In the above image, a flash was used to deal with the dark atmosphere of the workshop that I was working with. The flash allowed the industrial items in the background to be brought into the image. A medium/shallow depth of field was used for this image so that the focus would be on the model whilst the background was still present but less prominent. A shutter speed of 1/200 was used to create a sharp image whilst the model was moving around as he worked. An ISO of 800 was used to make sure the image was bright enough with the minimal amount of noise.

I chose a black and white colour style for this image as it helped to introduce more contrast into the image and separate the model from the background more, I took inspiration for this from Sally Mann’s work. There is a wide tonal range in this image – going from the black of the background to the white of the machine in the foreground. The image has a slight 3D effect as the model is clearly in the front with the machines further behind him. There are no patterns or symmetry in this photograph as in the building industry, the focus is on getting work done quickly and efficiently, not spending time making the workshop look pretty. I have positioned the model along a vertical line of the rule of thirds to make the image appear more appealing, this helps to bring more attention to the model and what he is wearing.

 

In this image, I used the dim lighting from the workshop to create an authentic, natural look of my dad in his workshop and to add contrast. A shallow/medium depth of field was used to create a blurred effect towards the background of the image and to keep focus of the model. A shutter speed of 1/200 was used to capture the photo whilst the model was still moving around. An ISO of 1600 was used as the setting was very dark, this allowed me to capture this under-exposed style photograph.

There isn’t a lot of colour in this image because of the settings I used, this helps to create a dark and industrial look in the photograph. There is a wide range of tones throughout the image from the white light and door to the background and the shadows. There is an almost dirty texture to this image as it it dark and you can see the dust/dirt of the wall in the background. It is quite a 3D image as the models hands come forwards towards the camera with his body set further behind. There is repetition in the window frame that he is working on that expands towards the background of the image. I set up the image so that my dad was along the vertical line of the rule of thirds to create a more appealing image.

 

The two photographs above were set up and taken in my Dad’s workshop, where he works each day and runs his business as a carpenter. He spends lots of time here each day so it is his typical workplace and environment. I simply asked him to do what he does and to look at the camera every so often. To me, my dad and his workshop was the perfect set up for the images as the dark lighting and unusual setting allowed me to create interesting images such as the one shown above

When the task was set to take environmental portraits, my dads work was the first thing that I thought of as it gave me a chance to take advantage of the dark and industrial environment that is my dads workshop. These images show my dads day-to-day life and show authentic hard work instead of someone just modelling for a photo.

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Week 9 | Mon 6th Nov – Fri 10th Nov | Street Photography | Candid Portraits

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Street photography is photography conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places.

Street Photography is a sub-genre of photojournalism…

Street photography does not necessitate the presence of a street or even the urban environment. The concept of the “flaneur” or people watcher is often referred to…as is the candid portrait.
Henri Cartier-Bresson

Blog Post 1 : Define, describe and explain street photography.

And what is a candid photograph?

Include images, moodboards, hyperlinks to relevant articles and URLs and add a video or two on street photography…

Blog Post 2 :

Henri Cartier – Bresson and The Decisive Moment

Create a blog post / case study about Cartier-Bresson that includes…

  • Brief biography
  • Mood-board of key images
  • Select one image and apply Technical | Visual | Contextual | Conceptual analysis
  • His contribution to MAGNUM Photo Agency
  • Add any other relevant research / insights

Homework Due in Monday 13th Nov

  • Take 150-250 photos as a response to the STREET PHOtoGRAPHERS you have researched and analysed
  • Choose a small group of images to edit / enhance
  • Present as final outcomes, include evaluation and analysis

Then Compare and Contrast Cartier- Bresson to one (or more) of the following street photographers…

  • William Klein
  • Diane Arbus
  • Vivian Maier
  • Robert Frank
  • Bruce Gilden
  • Martin Parr
  • Saul Leiter
  • William Eggleston
  • Gordon Parks
  • John Bulmer
  • Trent Parke
  • Garry Winogrand
  • Raghubir Singh
  • Lee Friedlander
  • Joel Meyerowitz
  • Tony Ray-Jones
  • Bill Owens

Discuss in detail the differences / similarities / intentions / outcomes and of course the photographer’s technical and visual approach.

Bill Owens

Technique : Taking street photographs

  • Be more aggressive
  • Get more involved (talk to people)
  • Stay with the subject matter (be patient)
  • Take simpler pictures
  • See if everything in background relates to subject matter
  • Vary compositions and angles more
  • Be more aware of composition
  • Don’t take boring pictures!
  • Get in closer (use 50mm lens or less)
  • Watch camera shake (shoot 250 sec or above)
  • Don’t shoot too much!!!
  • Not all eye level
  • No middle distance
William Klein

Watch this clip about Bruce Gilden…

TOP TIP : ANNOTATE YOUR CONTACT SHEETS!

This technique helps you to identify key features in your contact sheets AND helps you make your selections for final outcomes. This is vital…producing the “killer image” or the decisive moment during an event / happening. William Klein was well know for his use of contact sheets as an essential, and visual, part of his process…
Annotated Contact Sheet 1
Annotated Contact Sheet 2

Extension Task

1. What Is Photojournalism?

Robert Capa D Day 1944

Photojournalism really started to take shape when photographers could easily transport cameras into war zones. The “Golden Age of Photojournalism” is often considered to be roughly the 1930s through the 1950s. It was made possible by the development of the compact commercial 35mm Leica camera in 1925, and the first flash bulbs between 1927 and 1930, which allowed the journalist true flexibility in taking pictures.

For the first time, ordinary citizens could see the impact of the fighting right there in their newspaper. It was a pivotal moment in photography and it became more and more real between the Civil War and World War II.

Yet photojournalism is not just about war or photographers working the beat for a local newspaper. It’s much more than that. Photojournalism tells a story and it often does so in a single photograph. They evoke a feeling, whether its astonishment, empathy, sadness, or joy.

That is the mark of photojournalism; to capture that single moment in time and give viewers the sense that they’re part of it.

Shell-Shocked U.S. Marine, Tet Offensive, Hue, Vietnam, 1968
© Don McCULLIN (CONTACT PRESS IMAGES)

2. The Story in a Single Shot

Eddie Adams Saigon Execution 1964

Put simply, photojournalism is about capturing verbs. This doesn’t mean simply taking an action photo. Communicating the verb is much more than that.

 Stories are captured in slices while photojournalism strives to convey what is happening in one shot.

Although it is great when it happens, photojournalism isn’t about the best composition, or the best technical details, or a pretty subject.

Photojournalism is about showing the world a story of something that really happened.

Photojournalism allows the world to see through the eyes of the photographer for just a moment.  When photojournalism is done right, that one moment conveys volumes of time.

Conveying the full story is part of environmental portraiture where the setting tells us as much about the subject as the subject themselves.

The emotion is often raw in photojournalism. The photographer is not directing the scene as a portrait or commercial photographer would. Instead, the best of them blend into the background and become a shadow figure (unlike the paparazzi). They are there to observe and capture, not become the story or interrupt it.

The photojournalist has a different attitude than other photographers and it’s necessary to capturing those memorable photos. And quite often, that single photo can become a call to action for the millions of people who see it.

3.The Picture Story / Essay

Picture Story | Magnum

3. Representation, Standards and Ethics in Photojournalism

Kevin Carter
Starving Child 1993

Another vitally important part of photojournalism is accuracy. This means that what is in the frame is what happened.

Power lines should not be cloned out. More smoke must not be added to a fire scene. What was captured is how it should be. Sadly, the era of digital photography has made it easier than ever to manipulate reality.

The image should be a window into the event. At most, lighten the shadows a touch to see faces or sharpen the image a bit for clarity but do not change the essence of what you capture in the photo. If you do, you change the story.

4. What is meant by “The Camera As Witness”?

 

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Editing My Images For Final Piece

1 Comment

Edit 1 

I belive this edit is good and has a strong relationship with my inspirations work. There is a strong contrast emerging between the persons skin colour and clothing with the background. The composition is effective as the main subject is dead in the centre making the viewer view that straight away, and the background is plain therefore it is beneficial to have the main subject in the middle. I believe this edit portrays the idea of hidden identity which I intended to do however I am not pleased with the image as a whole due to the background. I believe if I change the background to have a street or wall it would be more effective in revealing a story and creating a more surreal feeling/look.

This is the final edit for photo 1. I believe that changing the background from plain to this sinister looking carpark roof image has completely changed how people may  interpret the image. The background has connotations of crime and badness as it is taken at night, which is when most crimes happen and the light on the left appears to hide part of the image relating to a person hiding their identity when causing a crime. However the over exposed light on the left can reflect goodness, contrasting with the darker side on the right relating to badness. This may reflect the person in the centre who has to decide his path to take, the good path or bad path. Due to the fact I have edited the person in such way to distort any facial expression it leaves the viewer to decide what the person’s identity is like and how the background may or may not relate to it.

Edit 2

Using the same method as the edit above I was able to achieve another successful surreal image. Firstly I chose to use the colour orange as it fits in with the motion blurs which were created when I originally took the photo. These motion blurs were created by taking a photo with a long shutter speed, around 2 seconds, and panning the camera to the side. I was able to get my model in focus by holding the camera still for the first second facing him and then panning for the other second. In my opinion these motion blurs create a sense of movement which fits in well with my edit as the slime is moving as suggested by the falling droplets.

Edit 3

I believe this is my strongest edit. Not only is the digital manipulation at a high standard but the meaning and feelings portrayed are also very strong. Again, to some extent I have incorporated the running theme of blank identity however slightly altered this image to produce some sort of facial expression. In my opinion the facial expression, mainly within the eyes and how they appear to be bruised, reflects upon the theme of child abuse again crime. I believe the underexposed background gives the image a sinister and almost haunting feeling. The dark background is strongly contrasted with the color of slime upon the models face which focuses the attention on the person.

Edit 4 

I like this photo due to the emotion and story it creates and tells us. I believe this photo has a sense of imprisonment as it appears the people are stuck in this enclosed area. The background within this photo is de-saturated to some extent which I think helps to add to the dark and depressing atmosphere. This photo uses the technique of leading lines within the structural features leading us away from the models deeper into the picture to view the rusty and old man made structures. The vibrant colors of the models create a strong contrast with the background relating to the opposition of light vs dark or good/bad.

Presenting My Work

After having reflected my images I have come to the decision that I will use only two of the original 4 images I intended on using. The edits I have selected to use are shown below. I have selected only these images as I think they are my strongest edits in representing abstract photography and telling a story. Also they pair well together as they are of similar colors and tones. These images link to abstract photography in the way it is a piece of art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but rather seeks to achieve its surreal effect by using shapes, colours, and textures. I think that the image with the motion blur lines relates directly to the photographer Ernst haas which was on of the photographers I researched as part of this abstract project. Ernst haas often includes motion blurs within his photographs to indicate a sense of movement and chaos which is what i have incorporated within my final piece. The motion blur lines not only work well with the dripping effect on the persons face but they add to the abstract effect in the way that it is not a usual and commonly seen thing.

 

 

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The Research and Selected Photos for Final Piece

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My Research and Chosen Images For My Final piece 

The Research 

After having researched Pinterest I came across a selection Images under the hashtag ‘desolateputoface’ which really was intriguing in my opinion. I liked how the images portrayed a surreal and unrealistic approach yet still contained an understanding of what the image is. These Images present us with unreal representations of a persons face and they link to the idea of hidden identity. Below are a couple examples of the photos created by the anomonys photographer/graphic designer.

Image result for desolate puto face

Image result for desolate puto face

Analysing This Work

The thing which first inspired me to take a closer and more detailed look into this style of work was the vibrant colours used to create the surrealistic figure. Not only does this image look interesting and creative but it give’s an impression of hidden identity. It appears that the editor/photographer has purposely covered the person in slime to portray a sense of equality and that we are all humans no matter your skin colour, race or religion and therefore meaning we should be treated equally. A lot of the images appear to be males in the streets which may be referring to gang members and in this case the dripping slime relates to the fact that they are ruining and destroying their lives by doing bad. The part of the images that are not slime are fairly basic and unedited, contrasting with the slime.

Choosing my Images

At this point, I didn’t believe that many of my images from the several shoots i have collated were suitable for this theme/genre of photography. I decided it would be best to do a photoshoot to ensure that i could get the best possible images that could relate to this style of work and best portray a sense of surrealism and abstraction. The intention for this shoot was to capture portrait shots with an abstract background to further relate to the theme of the project. Thus in mind, i intend to take photos behind pier road carpark where there is some great structural features which hold the carpark together. Also I will collate images on streets to link to my inspirations images.

Photoshoot 

I believe this photoshoot was highly effective in achieving the aims I set out to do. Thus being getting some quality portraiture shots which could be further adapted to replicate a similar yet personalised image to my inspiration. I believe the natural lighting in the daylight photos was very helpful in allowing me capture the detail in my models face and the background too. The flash which was used in the nighttime and darker locations was effective in creating a focus on the model/models as the flash highlighted the foreground, being the model, and not the background.

Selecting My Images

In the process of selecting my images, I had to carefully go through this last photoshoot and start narrowing down my images to the best 50 then 25, 10 and then finally to arrive at the ones I intended on using. I wanted to select the images that showed a good understanding of using the camera for example using ISO and shutter speed and those that of course had the best lighting composition and were most appropriate to reflect a sense of abstraction whether it be in the editing process or the photo how it is.

Selected Images

 

Analysis, AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, History and Theory, Homework Assignment, Uncategorized

Tamara Lorenz Inspired Photoshoot

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Within this photo shoot I will be focusing on the effect of layering in an image when taking photographs. I will also explore the use of colors to create a more dramatic effect to these pictures and really pull the photo together as a whole.

One of the photographers that I have been inspired within this shoot are called Tamara Lorenz. German artist Tamara Lorenz creates various constructions which she then photographs to exploit their abstract properties. The addition of strong planes of color provide another source of contrast in addition to those of line, shape, tone and texture.

Rather than photographs of things, each image seems to create its own reality. Consequently, the viewer is unable to recognize a conventional subject and is occupied with the business of looking. As seen below:
Image result for tamara lorenz photography
I wanted to incorporate this effect into many of my photos taken, and do decided to do this through corners of color paintings and instruments to mimic this style.
I used this mind map as my basis for the shoot, where I would occasionally use this to find what I needed to focus on most importantly. From this these were my results in the shoot:
 From here I decided it would be best to cut the shoot down into ten images, through this it would make it easier for me to identify the photo I think is best in the shoot. These are my top ten images of the shoot:
From these images taken from corners of paper, I wanted to cut it down once again, to my top five images to single out the best one. These were the photos I selected:
I chose these images because of their composition, color balance and patterns. I thought that these images stood out against the rest and so finally decided to edit these down to my top image of the shoot. This was the image I chose:
I chose this image as my final photo, as I thought it best matched with the style of photography I wanted. Which incorporated an element of graphic design into the imagery, making it simple but visually pleasing to the eye.