Woodland Photoshoot 2

The plan for this photoshoot is here: LINK

This is the second photoshoot I took within a woodland area. It is an within the area close to the first woodland photoshoot but in a different location, which will give me more variety in my images. I decided to take this photoshoot slightly earlier in the day, which gave the images much harsher lighting and bolder shadows in comparison to the first woodland shoot.


Contact Sheets


Editing

To start my image selection process, I use the flagging (or ‘Pick’ and ‘Reject’) tool to select the images I think could be the stronger images from the shoot.

Next, I applied a star rating to each images to discern which images are the strongest in this selection. Below are images 4-star and higher:

Lastly, for the selection process, I applied a colour to each image to show which images I will use as final images, those I might use and those I will not. Below are images in yellow (will not use) and green (will/might use):


Comparison to Lebas’ work

This shoot took the aesthetic of the sublime as opposed to the danger proposed by Lebas’ work, however there are a few similarities between some of my images and her work, such as the feeling of being trapped within a dense woodland (can be seen in my image on the right), which give them a sense of danger. However, this sense of danger is largely lost due to the warm tone of the image, as well as the bright lighting. My images from this shoot are very warm in their tone, which appeals to my interpretation of the sublime, unlike Lebas’ colder-toned images which offer another form of the sublime that I hope to capture in a future shoot. A lot of images from this shoot focus on one smaller part of the landscape, whereas Lebas’ images (due to their composition as well as her use of a wide-angle lens) focus on an entire scene.

This is a colder version of this image inspired by Lebas’ work. While it not as effective on images from this shoot, I would like to capture a cold tone in future shoots.

Best Images from this Shoot

These are the final images I ended up with after the selection process:

Edited versions:

Black and white versions:


Evaluation

I think this was a successful shoot; the images turned out close to what I had imagined in the plan and I was able to gather objects for the object shoot(s). I think the images match with characteristics of my interpretation of the sublime in nature, specifically the harsh lighting, which provides colour and contrast to the landscape. While I did not take this photoshoot during the golden hour, meaning some of the images may have had less colour or contrast. These images will fit in with the previous woodland images which will help in the creation of my photobook.

What went well:

The I like the colours in some of the images, particularly the warm yellows and oranges which give the scenes a more grandiose appearance. I think the harsh shadows give the images greater contrast by complementing the bright colours of the leaves and sky. The black and white versions of my final images also work well, giving them a style that resembles the sublime work of Ansel Adams and other photographers of that time.

How I can improve:

I think some of the images during this shoot came out too muddy and cluttered, especially as I got deeper into the woodland, as the trees and bushes merge into clumps. As I took these images earlier in the day, the lighting and colour in some of the images are plain.

exam guidance

Mon 24 April, Thurs 27 April and Fri 28 April
Class 13C + 13D
15 hours controlled test
Photography classroom + Photography studio

DEADLINE: LAST DAY OF YOUR EXAM
FINAL PRINTS > PHOTOBOOK > BLOG POSTS

IN PREPARATION FOR YOUR EXAM MAKE SURE THE FOLLOWING IS READY BY THE END OF THIS WEEK:

  1. Complete and upload new photoshoots and begin to edit in Lightroom – make sure to produce blog posts showing selection process and experimentation of images.
  2. A draft layout of your photobook using BLURB templates in Lightroom – exam time is used to fine tune design with teacher’s approval
  3. Review Checklist on blog for overview of work that must be completed – improve, complete and publish missing blogposts.

Structure your 3 day Exam as follows:

DAY 1:
PRINTS: Complete editing photoshoots, select and prepare final prints. Make sure you have produced blogposts for each photoshoot with a clear progression of selection and editing.

BLOG: Produce blog post showing presentation ideas and create mock-up in Photoshop. Consider appropriate sizes and ways of presenting images as singles, diptych, triptych, multiple grids/ collages/ combinations in window mounts or foamboard etc.

You must save final images (see guidelines below) in print folder here by end of the day:
M:\Radio\Departments\Photography\Students\Image Transfer\Yr 13 Exam

DAY 2:
Photobook: Experiment with photobook design using BLURB in Lightroom – show variation of layouts and creativity.

Blog: Evidence of photobook process
1. Research and deconstruct photobook used as inspiration. Comment on different design element such as: feel of the book, paper, binding, format, size, cover, title, design, narrative (if appropriate), editing, sequencing, image and text.

2. Write a book specification and describe in detail what your book will be about in terms of narrative, concept and design with reference to the same elements of bookmaking as above.

3. Produce a blog post showing your layout and design process in Lightroom using a combination of print screens + annotation.

4. Final layout of every spread and write an evaluation.

5. Upload book design in Lightroom to Blurb and order your book via Blurb account. Once uploaded produce an hyperlink to book browser – see below for more details.

6. Once you have received book in the post bring into school.

Those who are not making a photobook can begin to mount up final prints and follow instruction below for Day 3.

DAY 3
PRESENTATION: Begin to mount your final prints as per your mock-up plans. Each final outcome must be labelled and velcro attached too. Make sure all your final images are presented in a folder with your name.

BLOG: Produce a virtual gallery and write a final evaluation of the exam module and your final outcome. Consider the following:

– How successful was your final outcomes?
– Did you realise your intentions?
– What references did you make to artists references – comment on technical, visual, contextual, conceptual?
– Is there anything you would do differently/ change etc?

FINAL CHECK: Finish and publish any missing blog posts as per Checklist/ Go4School Tracking sheet and comments from teachers.

No students is allowed to leave until an authentication form is signed and teacher has signed off too.

PHOTOBOOK
Make sure you have a made a blog post that charts your design decisions, including prints screens of layout with annotation and write an ongoing evaluation. Final book design must be checked and signed off by teacher.

BLURB – ORDER BOOK
Inside Lightroom upload book design to BLURB, log onto your account on their website, pay and order the book.

Consider spending a few extra pounds on choosing better paper, such as Premium Lustre or Premium Matte in check-out, change colour on end paper or choose different cloth/ linen if needed.

LINK TO ONLINE BLURB BOOK

Your final blog post should be an online link to you BLURB book with an evaluation. If you have already written an evaluation as part of another blog post on your book design then add the online link to that blog post and change the date to make sure it sits at the top.

Log into your blurb account and click on Sell my book

Click on Privacy & Sharing

Copy link circled in red above.

Make a new blog post: MY PHOTOBOOK and copy in link from Blurb into the title of your book using Link button above.

FINAL PRINTS
Select your final prints (5-10) from various photoshoots or photobook and make a blog post showing ideas about how to present them.

In photoshop produce a mock display (create new document size A1: 594 x 841mm) using different image sizes, for example: A3 x 2, A4 x 2, A5 x 3

PREPARE AND SAVE IMAGES FOR PRINTING:

  • Add your images to the print folder here…M:\Radio\Departments\Photography\Students\Image Transfer\Yr 13 Exam
  • Complete any unfinished work from last term if you have time, For example check your coursework portfolio and mount up any prints from previous projects.

File Handling and printing...

  • Remember when EXPORTING from Lightroom you must adjust the file size to 1000 pixels on the Short edge for “blog-friendly” images (JPEGS)
  • BUT…for editing and printing when EXPORTING from Lightroom you must adjust the file size to Short edge for “high resolution” images (JPEGS) like this…
  • A5 Short Edge = 14.8 cm
  • A4 Short Edge = 21.0 cm
  • A3 Short Edge =29.7 cm

This will ensure you have the correct ASPECT RATIO

Ensure you label and save your file in you M :Drive and then copy across to the PRINT FOLDER / IMAGE TRANSFER

For a combination of images, or square format images you use the ADOBE PHOTOSHOP NEW DOCUMENT + PRINT PRESETS on to help arrange images on the correct size page (A3, A4, A5)

You can do this using Photoshop, Set up the page sizes as templates and import images into each template, then you can see for themselves how well they fit… but remember to add an extra 6mm for bleed (3mm on each side of the page) to the original templates. i.e. A4 = 297mm x 210 but the template size for this would be 303mm x 216mm.

Making a Virtual Gallery in Photoshop

Download an empty gallery file…then insert your images and palce them on the walls. Adjust the persepctive, size and shape using CTRL T (free transform) You can also add things like a drop shadow to make the image look more realistic…

The Photographers' Gallery - Gallery - visitlondon.com

…or using online software

How I did it:

Step 1: Go to www.artsteps.com

Step 2: Sign in / up.

Step 3: Create.

Step 4: Create your own location or choose a template.

Step 5: Upload your images, put them in your exhibition, name it and give it a description.

Step 6: Present / view your Exhibition.

Always ensure you have enough evidence of…

  1. moodboards (use influential images)
  2. mindmap of ideas and links
  3. case studies (artist references-show your knowledge and understanding)
  4. photo-shoot action plans / specifications (what, why, how, who, when , where)
  5. photo-shoots + contact sheets (annotated)
  6. appropriate image selection and editing techniques
  7. presentation of final ideas and personal responses
  8. analysis and evaluation of process
  9. compare and contrast to a key photographer
  10. critique / review / reflection of your outcomes

Statement of intent

What you want to explore?

For my exam project I want to explore the relationship between growing up in Jersey (mostly teenage life) and the way we value friendships. I chose this as a way to present the theme of simple or complex as some people believe that friendships are simple things that are easy and require little effort, but as many people know it is the complete opposite. I also wanted to connect this to being a teenager as adults sometimes think that we have simple lives but in reality we can sometimes feel that we are put in the most complex situations for our age. Friendships in teenage years can have a great effect on individuals especially when they enter young adulthood, i wanted to portray this in my project nad photo book as i have found great comfort in my friends.

Why it matters to you?

I wanted to base my project around friendships as I have found that as a teenager they have become some very important people in my life, I wanted to portray the need for companionship in this stage of life in my photobook by using questionnaires and portraiture. I believe that in mid to late teen years we develop very stable friendships that we rely on to get through most situations that we are put in, we have new experiences and feelings with them and they helps us understand different sides to every story. Teenage friendships are also valued a lot more as we that they are the only ones that truly understand us.

How you wish to develop your project?

I will be using images of myself and three of my closest friends in my exam project, i chose to only include three of my friends as i wanted to focus more into how females and males tend to have different dynamics in their friendships and as I cannot cater for the male perspective i will be using the female perspective on friendships. I will include individual portraits of our faces and different part of our bodies as well as clothing and shoes. There will also be duo photographs and group images to try and break up the individual photographs. I want to experiment with both naturalistic portraits where the subjects will not be posing and just caught in their natural state but I will also use posed portraiture in the studio to get a more professional look to some of my images.

When and where you intend to begin your project?

I will being my project by getting each of my subject to wear their favorite outfits as it relates to one of the questions that I will be including in my questionnaire. I want some of my images to connect specifically with the questions, I will do this in the photography studio in school as I want and clean and neutral background for this specific photoshoot. I will also be trying to find different places around Jersey where I will be able to create interesting photographs but that also I will be able to match with the studio images. I want to try and get images down in St Ouens, possibly with the sunset as i want to try and recreate an image inspired by Kayla Varley, when you can see the silhouette of her subjects with a saturated gradient in the sky.

Photoshoot 2: Contact Sheets

For this photoshoot, I had chosen a few scenarios/professions that I wanted to imitate and photograph, mainly focusing on male dominated professions in order to contrast the femininity of my first shoot whilst still leaning into certain themes – such as nurture – to poke fun at some stereotypes/behaviours. I decided to focus on 3 professions: boxers, mechanics and rockstars as they all differ from one another and I thought I could use different props and expressions to create interesting photographs around the topic of gender stereotypes.

Contact Sheets:

Throughout this photoshoot, I was focusing more on embracing each profession and using makeup & props to help me look the part rather than exaggerating like I did in my previous shoot. I did this in order to get a more natural set of images, trying to reference how there are many stereotypes that make it difficult for women/feminine presenting people to succeed in male dominated professions without dealing with prejudices. I tried using composition to get this point across, often getting my face either not in frame or cut off to show how often women can get ignored or cast aside within certain professions despite having the correct skills.

As I went through the shoot, I found myself being the most inspired by the mechanic portion of the shoot, finding different props which I feel helped to elevate my photos to look the best they could compared to the boxer and rockstar set of images where I felt limited in what I could do. I feel as though I will need to revisit parts of this photoshoot in order to improve upon some of these images in terms of lighting and composition – possibly going back to the idea of using bold makeup to exaggerate/elevate the poses to ensure I get the most out of my ideas.

Some contact sheets:

Best Shots:

Overall, I think most of this photoshoot was successful as I managed to create a set of images that I feel add onto my first photoshoot and topic.

Reflecting back on this photoshoot, I feel as though I could retake some of the images in order to make some more interesting/more relevant to my topic as I think I started moving away from my topic/aim towards the end of the shoot. Despite that, I really like the final images from this shoot as they all have different compositions, stopping them from looking too similar from one another regardless of the focus being the same subject.

Comparing my Work to Claude Cahun’s:

I feel as though my images have some similarities to some of Claude Cahun’s work due to the posing and overall aesthetic of my images. I was inspired by Cahun’s more casual work for this shoot, trying to achieve the same laid-back atmosphere that they created within their work. I feel as though I managed to use a nonchalant pose that mimics the mood that’s portrayed in some of their work, making the masculine nature of the posing/clothing seem more unisex. I turned my image black and white – not only to match Cahun’s work – but to enhance the different tones within the image, helping the different parts of my image come together as one rather than having colour as a distracting factor.

However, my work does differ from Cahun’s in certain aspects such as the composition. Their image is taken from a distance, using their surroundings as a way to accentuate their image [i.e: using the mirrors reflection] whereas I decided to keep my image close to eliminate any distracting factors, trying to focus on my face and the expression which changes how the image is being viewed as the eye is being guided to my face with no room to look at anything else.

Surrealist Photographer Claude Cahun is Born | Jewish Women's Archive
Claude Cahun’s Work
My Work

Photobook- Planning

For my final project I decided that I would like to make a photobook alongside prints of my final images. I felt like a photobook would allow me take more inspiration from Kawauchi’s work, and that placing my images in a book would give them a new unique way to be interpreted based on their order and placement.

Kawauchi places complimentary images together without any written explanation, leaving their meaning up to the viewer’s interpretation. She often chooses images with similar colours and shapes, but with contrasting subject matter, making memorable page spreads.

I tried to keep this in mind when selecting my images for the book, trying to focus on using images with interesting colours and light, taking inspiration from my artist references throughout the project.

For example, unlike in Kawauchi’s, Eggleston’s photobook uses a variety of image sizes and shapes, giving some more variety.

He also has many single image spreads, allowing the viewer to focus on the single image without it juxtaposing something on the page next to it.

Both of my inspiration books are relatively large, to show all of the detail within each image, so I kept this in mind when designing my own photobook. Neither had a focus on a clear narrative, instead focusing on showcasing an array of abstract images, leaving it to the viewer to interpret the meaning of them.

I decided to use Lightroom’s image selection process to mark my images as different colours, based off of what I felt were the main colours within each individual image. I also decided to use the star rating system to decide which images I wanted to use the most so I knew what I wanted to focus on in my photobook.

Before starting to assemble my book, I decided on the specifications I wanted to use, including size and paper type.

I decided to use a large square book like I did for the last exam, I liked the size and general feel as I felt it could show my images very well. I also picked to have a hardcover image wrap instead of a dust jacket as I just generally prefer the look, and it is the style used for Kawauchi and Eggleston’s books.

I decided that when I started assembling my photobook that I should make multiple draft versions with differing compositions, allowing me to find the best possible layout.

photoshoot 1 – fort regent

The first photoshoot I carried out was located up at Fort Regent. I took these photos during midday at around 1:30pm hence why most images involve a blue sky and bright sun. I chose to travel to Fort Regent because it contains many simple structures as well as a view of all buildings throughout St Helier. Since this was my first photoshoot for my project, I didn’t collect too many images as I still wasn’t sure if I wanted to follow through with my idea, however after photographing up at Fort Regent I decided I want to carry on with my idea. I gathered a total of 120 photographs spanning from simple close ups of Fort Regent, to distant shots of the buildings of St Helier.

Fort Regent

Contact Sheets:

Best unedited images:

My photograph in comparison to Matthieu Venot image:

Here are 11 of my favourite unedited images I took during my first photoshoot in preparation for my exam project. I attempted to follow a similar style to the artist of Matthieu Venot with simple close ups backgrounded by a light blue sky, however the sky wasn’t clear enough to fully execute Matthieu’s style of photos. As you can see in my comparison of my image to my chosen artist, Matthieu image is displayed in a much brighter temperature with vibrant colours. My image compared is not edited so I feel as if I could make my image a lot more similar to Matthieu’s by changing features such as the exposure, temperature, tint and contrast. I want to attempt to create images and edit them to make them much more vibrant and eye catching to help me develop further into my recreation of some of Matthieu Venots images.

For my next photoshoots, I want to follow a similar style of my previous images with a simple close up on a bright sunny day. I am going to go to locations such as, Westmount apartments, Waterfront and also walk around town photographing any interesting and unique structures which I think would suit my idea.

Lightroom edits:

Evaluation

Overall, I believe I could’ve carried out a better photoshoot by making sure of the right camera setting as around 50% of my images came out either too bright or out of focus. However, with the images I did take I think they turned out well and had a good response towards my exam project. For one of my images I wanted to follow the style of Matthieu Venot which I think I did successfully however I didn’t carry on following this style as I think it wouldn’t have looked good for many other of my photos. Also, I think I could’ve taken more images of these buildings so I would have more to work with and edit for my project.

Photoshoot 2

What was photoshoot 2?

My second photoshoot consisted of taking photos of the objects which I had used in my initial photoshoot during the day, singularly or in groups, and introducing other objects such as different accessories/perfumes/etc. By carrying out this project during the day it made the background appear clear and bright due to it being white, creating a vibrant contrast between the colours of the different glassware and objects. Throughout this photoshoot I also tried to work within the style of Jaroslav Rossler and Paul Outerbridge due to the objects which I have chosen to use and how I want to further edit these photos in the future. I enjoyed this photoshoot to an extent because I was able to see the objects and their finer details/colours in more detail compared to using a spotlight within the night time and I was also able to experiment with different compositions of how I wanted them to appear in their layouts.


Most successful shots –

Above are the images which I chose to be my most successful shots, I did this on Adobe Lightroom by going through the images I had taken and selecting ‘P’ for pick to mark them as images which I wanted to analyse further. How I decided what images I wanted to choose as my most successful I went through a process of selecting ones; which were clear and had no shakiness, experienced with various angles such as from the side/centred/birds eye/etc, had an unusual formation due to the way that they were taken and how the objects worked with one another, how the images related to my artist references. Personally, I think that I chose a variety of images as my best shots that have a variety of potential on how I could use them in further ways to edit, I really liked the photos of the singular fork, the spoon and the fork, as well as the perfume and perfume boxes because I think that they work well in representing still life images too.

Colour coding and rating –

To further select a smaller amount of images which I can use I decided to begin a process of colour coding, this process which I had done before for my first photo shoot consisted of me putting images into two separate colours, green and yellow. I used green to recognise and sort the images which I felt 100% sure on using in my work to edit and yellow to organise images which I still was unsure of due to them not working well together or being repeats if images which I had chosen beforehand. This process made my selection process easier for me because I was able to think of different pros and cons of each image and this further helped me when it came to organising my images to be rated as a part of my selection process.

The rating process was used by myself within my work to organise my photos in to a final 8-10 images which I can use alongside other photos from my other photoshoots when editing. I decided to organise them in to two categories; 4 stars were used for images that I decided I did not want to work with as I felt as if they were too plain in how they appeared, and 5 stars which were images that I felt related well to my artists which I have chosen and had further potential with editing in different ways as well.

Evaluation of some images I chose to be my most successful –

Image 1:

  • I like how there is a dark band of colour around the edge of the image, creating a heavy contrast against the vibrant colour further within to the plain white background. This creates the idea of a barrier which is protecting others from what may be in the middle of the cup because the colour red can be seen as a sign of danger.
  • I like how the cup gets darker in the middle of the photograph, this adds depth in to the photograph.
  • As the photo is taken from a birds eye view this emphasises the fact that you are looking down in to the glass due to the effect of depth created from the darker colour in the middle.

Image 2:

  • I like thw simplicity of the image as it is a singular fork in solitide.
  • I liike how there is also a slight shadow underneath the fork as it starts off quite dark yet subtle and trails off.
  • I like the way that the fork curves within the photograph because the image is quite plain so this adds some difference and subtle variety in to the photograph.
  • In further editing of this photograph, I will experiment with different ways to crop the photo to enhance how it appears within being the main focus of the photo.

Image 3:

  • I like the placing of the spoon on top of the fork as it creates different lines, shapes and bends within the photograph and with further editing this can be manipulated through different effects e.g. filters/black and white/exposures in Lightroom and photoshop to transform how the photo turns out.
  • I like how there is a slight refection in the spoon of the surroundings and then how there is also a reflection in the fork of the spoon. This is a subtle effect of reflections which I wanted to include within my work.
  • I also like how the camera has captured the imperfections of the spoons and the forks, showing the wear on them and how they have come from a household that use them frequently which adds character and story to the image.

Image 4:

  • This photo reminds me of a photograph from Jaroslav Rossler which he also took but from a dofferent angle, which I wish that I experimented further with but could achioeve through editing in different ways.
  • I also like how the height of the perfume bottles work alongside one another as it adds dimension towards the photograph as if they were the same height they would look too uniformed.
  • In further editing I will make sure that the photograph is recentered as it is slightly wonky due to how it was taken, but this is not a big issue.

Least successful shots –

Above are the images which I chose to be my least successful shots which I had taken throughout my second photoshoot. I did this by selecting ‘X’ for images that I wanted to reject, the way in which I decided this was through; repeats of images, the framing of images, if the images were blurry, if they were too plain in how they appeared and if the objects which I had chosen to use did not work well together. Personally, I found it quite difficult to decide on images which I chose to be my most successful due to being my least successful throughout this photoshoot, this is because I did not enjoy how this photoshoot was done during the day instead of using a flashlight to create different shadows and reflections. If I were to do this photoshoot again, I would look into using a mirror, this would help with gaining different perspectives and reflections, or even a small spotlight to help with creating different shadows and manipulating where they fell on the background.

Evaluation of some shots I chose to be my least successful –

Image 1:

  • The image is off centred and wonky which I do not like as the object in the glass isn’t straight which also doesn’t help the glass to appear as if it is in an upright position.
  • The detailing at the front where it is slightly chipped is blurred, this doesn’t give the effect of it being as worn as I would like it to be as you are not able to see it.
  • I do think that the detailing on the glass is quite precise in how it appears, this means that you are mostly able to see it all clearly as it is quite different and unique.

Image 2:

  • Only the front half of the glass is in focus whereas the rest in the background is out of focus which I do not like even though it does create a depth of field within the photograph.
  • The colour of the glass isn’t that clear or as vibrant as I would like it to be and it becomes quite light at the back which makes it appear as if it is lost in the white background.
  • The image is too simple in its composition, there is nothing exciting or intriguing about the image and how it looks.
  • I do like how the natural light falls on the side of the glass and creates a subtle yet effective shadow which is varied in it’s colour as it is lighter in some places compared to others where it is darker.

Image 3:

  • I do not like the placement of the hair clips on the ladle as they look as if they are falling off and as if they have just been placed there randomly.
  • The ladle is not as shiny as I would like it to be in the light, appearing to be quite dull which makes the blue clip get lost within the photograph as well as it blends in.
  • There is no shadow or dimension in the photograph which could have been created by adding an extra spotlight or some sort of forced light which makes the object look as if it floating.

Image 4:

  • The ladle is tilted due to the way that it is being held, this makes the image seen as if it is quite off centred and as if the perfume bottle is falling off.
  • I do not like how I have placed the perfume bottle and the ladle together, personally I do not think that they work well alongside one another.
  • Due to the light colour of the perfume, as well as being in a clear bottle, it gets lost within the background of the photograph and you can’t see the logo on the bottle that says the name of the perfume.

Statement of Intent

My idea for this exam project is to capture unique angles of contrasting architecture throughout Jersey, focusing on the binary description of simple & complex. Inspired by photographers such as Gabrielli Basilico and Matthieu Venot, I will use techniques such as low angles or framing to capture a series of Images showing variety in architectural design.

To me simple & complex simply means the physical/ visual appearance of something, whether it be an intricate finance building or a simple flat block blended into the sky to look like a painting. This is why I have chosen to focus my study on architecture as it can often be described as on either end of this scale. I do however believe that while a photo may be perceived as simple upon first looks, when given meaning &/or context something simple can also be complex. This could be things such as historical or cultural significance of the building, usually related to its history- for example Buckingham Palace is frequently photographed as it represents the wealth and status of the royal family, and England how ever it also represents the divide between the classes in England. I will be using this sort of association by creating pieces based on Jersey financial buildings + new high end apartments as they stand at the centre of Jersey inevitable gentrifiation.

I will be presenting my work in the form of framed prints, varying in size- some of which I will be framing next to each other in order to give contrast (eg simple candid shot of a wall next to a complex photo of a church) as well as pieces which appear as somewhat complex patterns art on first look. Alongside this I will be attempting to create a sort of collage of some of my prints . In order to further expand my project, I will be sampling the sounds I hear while I am taking these photos, and producing a sound track to play over a display of my images. I plan to use things such as bird noises, cars passing by, the echoing voices from children inside fort regent etc to give my photos some more depth and link to my previous idea on how context creates complexity.

Kayla Varley

“I don’t think women should be afraid of showing their true selves. When we have the space to be who we really are, and we are not afraid, we flourish. I hope that someday we can shape our society so that women don’t ever think twice about their appearance or behavior – we have the right to act however we please.”

Kayla Varley is an American fashion, lifestyle and beauty photographer and director who is currently based in Los Angeles after moving from Bakersfield where she was born. Varley started her photographic journey at the age of 13 when she was given a tiny camera which she used to document her teenage life. Varley worked to develop her style even though she was restricted in options for creative outlets in her small town. In 2010 she moved to LA where she attended an Art Center College of Design. This also became the place where she began her professional photography. Varley’s recent work focuses a lot on fashion, beauty, lifestyle and motion. Her work explores the intimacy and connection with other people and looking in on emotions through colour, expression and kinetic movement. Varley’s work focuses on finding the joy in the unexpected and the playfulness that people can sometimes lose in life.

Kayla Varley’s Work

Above are some of Kayla Varley’s images that I have taken the most inspiration so that I can incorporate similar images into my project. I feel that these images help to show and convey a similar message that I want to send and the same aesthetic I want to explore.

Photoshoot 1

What was photoshoot 1?

Photoshoot 1 consisted of me working within the style of Andre Kertesz, which can be seen in images which I have produced of still life objects such as spoons/forks/bowls/etc, and Jaroslav Rossler, consisting of reflections in different glassware/perfume bottles/etc. I really enjoyed this photoshoot as it was done during the night so I could use a spotlight to manipulate where I wanted the shadows to fall of my different objects, changing the composition of them entirely. I also like how I focussed on using one object as my main focus for this photoshoot, as it provided one main object for me to focus on which I found to be easier to work with, but for my other experimentation in different photoshoots I will also focus on using groups of objects as well.


Most successful shots –

Above are images which I selected on Lightroom to be my most successful shots, this is because I feel as if these images explore the theme of reflections within still life well as they create different types of patterns on the background which makes them stand out against one another in different ways due to the various refection patterns created, just like Jaroslav Rossler’s work as he also experiments on the photography of different reflections from various objects. I also think that the photographs of objects such as spoons, forks, egg bins, etc are a good representation of still life in the style of Andre Kertesz because the shadows which have been produced are bold and stand out well due to this. I have further selected 10 main images which I would like to experiment more with and focus on editing below through a selection process.

Colour coding and rating –

To begin my selection process, I began by organising my images into green (the images which I wanted to work further with as I thought they were potentially quite successful) and yellow (the images which I was still unsure of, potential wise and did not want to work with). This process made it easier for me to determine which photos I wanted to use for further experimentation, such as manipulating through photo editing, and what photo’s I didn’t want to use. I really liked the photos which had bold shadows which stood out well against the white background as this was the effect which I was wanting to create, showing influences of Andre Kertesz. I also liked some reflections of different glassware such as the large blue plate as it created a variety of different shadow formations to use, which I thought was really unique as they were unusual.

To further my selection process down to a small amount of photos to use, I also decided to use the rating system on Adobe Lightroom. This meant that I would go through the photos that I had chosen to be green and give them a rating of either 4 stars (this meant that I still was unsure of them) or 5 stars (photos which I thought were really successful and I wanted to experiment with). This was a relatively easy process as I was able to further analyse my photos for what they consisted off and how they were composed which led to me deciding on having around 10 or so images which I could work on further when editing.

Evaluation of some images I chose to be my most successful –

Image 1:

  • The colour of the glass plate is distinct and stands out well against the white backgorund.
  • The dark shadow around the plate acts as a framing tool for it.
  • The circular darker shadow around the plate which is seen on the white background draws your attention to the middle of the photograph.
  • The plate resembles an item that you might find from older times as it looks quite worn in some places, but is still in a good condition.
  • As the framing is done landscape you are able to see the whole plate, and with further editing on the sides there will only be the plate and no excess dark space which I like.

Image 2:

  • The framing makes the fork appear to be the main focus of the photograph as your eyes fall on to the shadow behind.
  • The shadow behind is bold and stands out well.
  • Due to the use of spotlight lighting, the shadow is able to be manipulated which makes it look distorted in comparison to the actual size of the fork.
  • For further editing, I will crop the photo more to make the fork centred within the frame as it is slightly wonky.

Image 3:

  • The reflection created on the left side of the photograph looks as if it is bursting out of the side of the glass, like an explosion, which I really like as it is quite unusual as the glass plate is quite plain.
  • The extra detailing of patterns within the middle of the glass is brought to life due to the use of the spotlight, making it look as if it would be found under the sea.
  • The heavy shadows on the right side of the glass create a good contrast with the left side, this is because I decided to have the spotlight fall more to the left side and this creates the darker shadow on the right side.

Image 4:

  • The spoon has become quite distorted in its figure due to the use of the infinity screen which I used to create the plain backgorund.
  • There is a clear contrast between the straight lines of the spoon and the bold, dark and curved lines of the shadow, I like this because it makes it seem quite unusual.
  • With further editing, I will make sure that the framing only focuses on the spoon being the centre main focus of the photo because at the moment there is a lot of empty space at either side due to the photo being taken at landscape.

Least successful shots –

Above are images which I have produced as a part of my first photoshoot as images which I consider to be my least successful shots which I have taken in the style of Jaroslav Rossler and Andre Kertesz. This is because:

  • Some of them were out of focus and appeared to be blurry, which wasn’t the effect I was going for as I wanted them to be clear and crisp.
  • The reflected shadows which were created didn’t turn out how I expected them too and they images may not have framed them well.
  • There were many repeats of the same photo but some framings of them could be slightly off or wonky, which I didn’t like.

In my next experimentation of this photoshoot which I did at night, I will focus on using different objects such as perfume bottles/different kitchenware/glasses/other accessories to see if they change the way that different shadows and reflections are created.

Evaluation of some shots I chose to be my least successful –

Image 1:

  • The lighting in the top left of the photograph floods the photograph as it makes this area appear to be quite overexposed.
  • The framinug of the photo is not centred anf the whole of the top part of the image has been cut off which I don’t like.
  • The dark ring around the bottom of the glass is not as dark as I would have liked it be to be to crate a strong contrast against the colours in the smaller inner red ring.
  • Instead of the background being a solid white, due to the over exposed light and where the spotlight was placed it makes it appear to be quite grey in composure which I don’t like as if it was white it would create a heavier contrast of shadows.

Image 2:

  • The detailing on the purple glass is blurred due to the camera not being able to focus well, I think that the photo would improve if it was in focus as the flowered detailing is very unique and different.
  • The light in the middle of the photograph overexposes the photograph which I do not like as it creates a really heavy contrast against the black background.

Image 3:

  • The camera angle does not showcase the different lines and shadow formations of the egg basket as it it taken from a birds eye view.
  • The shadows on the sides look as if they are quite messy and unorganised compared to other photographs.
  • The light which falls down the middle of the page is quite bright at the bottom of the photograph which I don’t like.

Image 4:

  • The “Kellogg’s” label in the backgorund isnnot in focus whihc I would have preferred it to be.
  • The formation of the shadow is clear and bold but looks as if it is a blob on the background.
  • The dark circle due to the use of the spotlight makes the border of the photograph look smaller and weird in how it appears as it is not centred.