For my photoshoot for Paul Rieffer, I took images of sunsets at multiple different times, trying to get the most colour outcomes very time to make it easier for when it comes to editing my final images.
Contact sheets:
Final images:
Final images:
I chose these final images because I believe they relate most to the photographer I am influenced by. They are interesting pictures of sunsets and include clouds and sky which can be manipulated and edited to look like Rieffer’s colourful work. All I would have to do is create multiple layers on top of each image and add colours such as purple, blue and yellow to patches where I think they would look the best, and then reduce the opacity until I get the desired outcome i’m looking for.
For my final images I have decided on the following layout:
This layout remains the same throughout this photo-shoot. The following are the images I will use in each of these panels, along with the final layouts:
These final images are created to represent the process of the object, from its original state to its final state, after being exposed to different factors, such as fire, heat and time. By taking inspiration from both vanitas art and the use of triptychs, I have produced a way to show the process (journey) of the objects through these stages, ultimately showing the fragility of perfection, and how easily it can be destroyed.
Below I have analysed a selection of images from my final choices in order to give a better understanding of the thought process behind choosing them, why I edited them, and what I will use them to represent in my final display:
I have chosen the above image as one of my final images, as I feel it is one of the more successful finals from the editing process. I have edited the saturation and contrast of the image, in order to create a slightly unrealistic and bold colour scheme for the image, which I feel helps to show the contrast between all of the shapes in the background, creating a more cartoon like, unrealistic appearance. I feel that by creating this effect, the viewer can see the subject as falling through a completely different scene, which is made more realistic and possible by the concept that the scene may be fictional and not real. Therefore, the image seems more likely to the viewer, and therefore they are able to concentrate on the image more easily. As well as the background saturation and contrast being edited, I added a white outline to the subject and a “hole” below the subject. The white outline is used in order to separate the subject from the background, and to create the effect that the subject is a sticker, which has been added to the incorrect background. I decided that this was more effective than using a ripped paper effect, as it is cleaner and sharper, and more easily differentiates between the subjects outline and the background while still maintaining the shape of the subject, and unlike the ripped paper effect, this outline does not create a large amount of white space, which distracts from image itself. In total, I have used this image to create the effect that the subject is falling through the image, into the hole blow. I have made it as obvious as possible that the subject does not belong in the image, by creating a “sticker” effect, and heightening the contrast in colour between the subject and the background. This way, the message that the subject has been placed on the “Wrong Journey” or “Wrong Path” is made clear, and follows with the exam title “Journeys & Pathways”.
The above 2 images are additions to the first, and will be displayed with the first image as they follow the same concept and appearance, but using different backgrounds and subject poses. I have decided to display these 3 images, as i feel that they give a wide variation of the different backgrounds and subjects, which will help to emphasize the different journeys and pathways that the subject has been placed in that are incorrect and wrong (thus continuity is shown through the different images, much like a story-board).
I have chosen the above image as a final image, as I feel that it is one of the best outcomes from the photo-shoot involving the use of 3 panels, and the representation of a decaying flower, with each panel representing a different stage in the decay. To create the above image, I made use of the editing process, and either lowered of heightened the saturation and contrast in order to give the effect that the flower was loosing its colour, and therefore the decline of the flower can also be emphasized not only through its physical appearance in terms of shape, but also the different colors between the panels. By editing the background so that all backgrounds present as the same shade of black, I am able to draw all of the viewers attention to the foreground containing the subject, and in addition, when displaying the work the 3 frames backgrounds will merge into 1, showing the connection between the 3 panels (as they all represent the same flowers 1 lifetime) while also separating the panels in order to show different stages of the same life. In total, this image is used to represent the journey of a fragile object (a flower) through its life, representing each stage of its decline through a single image (which help to emphasize the shortness and fragility of life and health) from the beginning of the flowers life (its healthiest) to the end (as it dies). This concept follows the Journeys & Pathways title, as it follows the objects journey through life, health and death.
The above images are also examples of images that I have chosen as my final outcomes. The concept behind this photo-shoot was to recreate archival images using the same subjects and locations in order to show the development of the subject and the environment over the course of time between the 2 images. I feel like the above images are the best examples of recreating the original images, as I feel that the subject and the environment are posed correctly to mimic the original image, and the editing process I went through in order to make the new image seem slightly more worn (and similar to the original) has allowed for the similarities between the images to be seen not only in the subject and environment, but also in the colour and style of the photograph. I feel like this image is a good example of showing the journey of life, from beginning through to the present, as it displays the similarities and differences between the 2 time periods effectively, and through the use of only 2 images, allowing the viewer to get an inside look in on the subjects life, while still only being restricted to 2 images, leaving questions unanswered such as the identity of the subject, along with what event led up to their present life, and how their journey has effected who they are as a person in the present.
When editing the images in light room I converted them first to black and white then changed the exposure, shadows, contrast etc. until I had an image that had the desired level of contrast and made sure that I was using Adams’ work as a reference the whole time. My aim wasn’t and isn’t to make images that could be his but to use his methods and his themes to try and show the landscapes that I know and love as they are changing and when I saw the way that Adams did it felt that that it was a good way to do it felt that that it was a good way to do it. In the edit I decided to add a gradient filter to the top of some of the images to draw attention away from the sky as it is dead space in these images so the filter brings it back down to the actual landscape, the filter does this without completely removing the sky from the image.
To respond to Luke Fowler’s photography work, I have exposed two images on one frame. I have them side by side to explore the relationship between two juxtaposed images. The images that I paired will seem unrelated in terms of subject and viewpoint, but there is a link that connects them together. I also included a black frame that surrounds the two images to replicate his two-frame films. Like Luke Fowler, I wanted to create a story between two still images so viewers can explore the visual dialogue between them.
I went to Plémont Beach to capture images that link to my theme journeys and pathways. Once I had taken several images on my camera, I downloaded them onto my phone so I could edit them with VSCO. I used this editing app to create a film effect on my images to replicate Luke Fowler’s photography style. I did this by altering the exposure, contrast, saturation and grain as well as applying the same filter to each pair. Once all the images had been edited, I joined the pairs on Photoshop with a black background which created a frame around the images.
Contact Sheet
My Response
This pair shows juxtaposition through calm vs dramatic. The image to the left depicts a calm scenery since the cave at low tide has a pool of still water. A cave is an enclosed area and creates a sense of security. However, the image to the right shows a view facing outwards towards the sea where you can see the dramatic waves crashing against the coastline.
These two images depict a bridge. However, the bridge on the left is natural since it has been made by cobbles whereas the bridge on the right is man made and resistant. The image on the left captured the bridge from above making it seems small and insignificant unlike the bridge on the right which has been captured facing upwards, emphasising the fact that it is more powerful.
This pair of images show the difference between natural and manmade pathways. The pathway on the left has been formed by people damaging the vegetation so water can erode the soil and create a rough footpath. The pathway on the right image has been constructed by man. They link together since they are both pathways but created in different ways. Both pathways are steep, heading upwards in the same direction and have been captured in a similar composition.
I decided to do another photo shoot where I capture pictures every hour, throughout the day, in the same location. I took pictures from a balcony in a villa adjacent to the beach. From this location I was able to obtain a clear view overlooking the mountains located behind the village of Mojacar. Before I began the photo shoot, I had to choose a position on the balcony so I knew where I would need take pictures from every hour. This allowed me to maintain the same view of the landscape throughout the photo shoot.
I have decided on the following 4 images for my finals for this photo-shoot:
I have decided on these images as I believe that they are the clearest and best produced, and the position of the subject matches with the background, and the size and shape of the subject looks as natural as possible alongside the background.
I have chosen the below images as my finals for this photo-shoot, as I feel they best represent the initial brief, as they represent 2 different times in the same subjects life, showing the journey that they subject has been on between the 2 images, in 2 still-frames, leaving the viewer to wonder how the subject came to look/be the way they are today.
