Unit 1 – Abstract Final Images

Approaching the end of the Abstract Unit, we are choosing our final images to sent off and printed professionally so that we can mount and display them ourselves. To choose my images I went through my most successful photos and selected the best. After this I edited them if they needed to be edited and also dividing/putting the images together. I also changed the image sizes and resolution so that my images would look the best they could. High Resolution JPEG files (4000 pixels on height).

1 x A3 print + 1 x A4 print + 1 x A5 print

A3

For my A3 print I wanted to do use an abstract photo of an orchid which I took as part of the aperture task. I edited the image in Photoshop to make it black and white and also zoomed in. I decided that just the image on its own was not enough so I divided it into 3  equal vertical sections.

This is my A3 Final Image.

A4

For the A4 image I wanted to use a photo from my summer task because I thought they were good. I used a zoomed in picture of a spill of coins with water droplets over them. I cropped the image and zoomed in a little bit more. I thought the image on its own was enough so I decided not to split it into sections or add more than one image.

This is my final A4 image.

A5

My A5 print is of a picture from the colour and texture homework. I wanted to include some colour in my final images so i used this one because the colours are very vibrant.  Also I think the contrast between the ripped cardboard and the smooth paint is interesting as they juxtapose each other.

This is my final A5 Image.

Aaron Siskind

Aaron Siskind (December 4, 1903 – February 8, 1991) was an American photographer. He is considered to be closely involved with, if not a part of, the abstract expressionist movement.

Siskind’s work focuses on the details of nature and architecture. He presents them as flat surfaces to create a new image which stands independent of the original subject. For some his work has been described as crossing the line between photography and painting, his photographs are works unique to photography.  Crusted and peeling paper/newspaper texture is often seen through Siskind’s work.

Response

As a response to Aaron Siskind’s work, I wanted to produce something that included both his peeling texture but also some elements of colour as well. I decided I wanted to use the very brash/rough texture of ripped cardboard with smooth and thick paint layered over the top so that the two would juxtapose eachother.

I noticed that most (if not all) of Siskind’s work is in black and white, therefore I edited some of my photos to be this way. However the task was also to include some elements of colour also so I edited the cardboard to be in black and white and the paint to stay mostly with its original colour. I did this using Photoshop to create a ‘splash’ effect. This can be seen in the video below.

Create An Easy Photoshop Color Splash Effect With No Selections Needed

This is a small contact sheet/gallery of my first photo shoot.

Here are the edited photos for this photoshoot.

There are a couple missed parts which I couldn’t get with the Magic Wand/ Quick Selection tool. However, I still enjoy the constrast between the bright colours and black and white.

2nd Photoshoot

I also did a second photoshoot that wasn’t inspired by Siskind. This is the gallery/contact sheet for this.

I wanted to capture the vivid colours in the oil pastels so I arranged them to all be leaning on one another. The ‘broken’ texture of the ends is rough and shows depth. I also cropped parts of some images to make it look more abstract and that you couldn’t tell exactly what is was. This is the edited close up version.

These are my final images on Colour+Texture.

In photography. The aperture stop of a photographic lens can be adjusted to control the amount of light reaching the film or image sensor. In combination with variation of shutter speed, the aperture size will regulate the film’s or image sensor’s degree of exposure to light. The higher the aperture the more you will be able to view everything in frame. A lower aperture will allow for more focus on a certain part of what is in focus.

I experimented using a 18-55 mm lens, a 75-300 mm lens and different aperture levels. Here are some examples of my experimentation,

These were taken using the 75-300 mm lens, with a high aperture.

The following were taken with a low aperture of 5.6 and the smaller lens. 

Keld Helmer-Petersen (August 23, 1920 – March 6, 2013), was a Danish photographer who became renowned for his abstract colour photography in the 1940s and 1950s. Petersen worked with photographer Erik Hansen, after which he established his own studio specializing in architecture and design photography, in 1956.

Over his career, Petersen’s focus shifted onto architecture and design, not only in his photographs but also as an artistic field of interest. In the following decades he worked as a photographer for his generation of architects and designers.

This is an example of Petersen’s architectural work. In this photo you can clearly see the great amount of white negative space which contrasts the heavy and solid black shapes.

Response

To create a response to Petersen’s work I used photographs I already had from my summer task. Then I edited them in Photoshop using the threshold adjustment, I just slid through the bar and selected how I wanted it. Image > Adjustments > Threshold.

After I had edited all 4 photos with different layers of Photoshop, I arranged them together on a blank page to create a collection.

Final Outcome

Below is my final outcome.