LO4: Evidence of Photograph editing with Analysis

Final 5 Piece - Passage of Time

Photo 1

Photo 2

- I added several layers of gradients to try and bring out the colour more.

- I added the second bridge to create the effect that it seems like it is merged together.

- An exposure layer is done so that it adds a slight contrast and more lighting to the photo.

Photo 3

 

- The photo is repeatedly added because I used to create an effect which caused the lighting of the building to be more apparent.

- I added several black and white gradients to accentuate the lighting of one side to the other.

- I created a gradient map so that the colouring on the windows would change. 

Photo 4

Photo 5

 

- I added the building to other side with a skewed feature so that it would simulate the effect of being another side of the original photo.

- There is a gradient map so that it changes the lighting to make it seem like it is in the same place.

- I also added a layer that would change the colouring of the reflection on the windows to make it seem like it is reflecting the building on the right side.

LO2: Task 7 - Call Sheets

LO5: Final 5 Pieces

 

Moving Forward

The photo is meant to represent the fact that ever since technology has further improved over the years, vehicular modes of transport has become a very important part of our lives travelling from one place to another. The photo displays a building as to which represents how are technology has improved and serves to be an example of a location that people tend to travel to. The wall that the building is displayed in is what has a hold on the vehicles we use travel, which has a considerably aged look due to how long the service has been made available and in turn reflects how long we have relied on such services for.

Connection

This photo represents how time is still the deciding factor as to what happens to architecture. Both bridges display considerable age but only one has displays more physical breakdown the other. This photo was put together so that whoever is viewing, they will subconsciously start comparing how one architecture is different to the other. This effect is enforced further because of the fact that the bridge from the left is seems like it is blending on the bridge on the right. Time is reflected through how corroded and blackened the bridges are. Despite the fact that one bridge is clearly older than the other, the bridge on the left has shown considerable damage. It just means that the form of technology and architecture style at the time was unable to keep up with the time.

Overtime

The photo was made to look like this because it is to reflect how styles of architecture has improved over time. The photo was made to go from left to right concerning the lighthing. This was to ensure that people viewing this photo would automatically pan across the image left to right, noticing the increase in lighting the more they veer towards the right. The light is meant to represent how buildings have been made to reflect people's status and how it may seem that their lives are prosperous in some way. However, I made the colours of the windows to be similar due to the fact that no matter the situation of any person at the time, everyone still has the same sky to look up to. I decided to use the pipe on the building from the left to seemingly cut the buildings apart and display the different in designs even further. The windows are different but that doesn't change the fact that if anyone looks outside of these windows, they will always see the same sky as everyone else.

Generations

The building that are displayed in this photo are the representations of 3 different generations of architecture. I simulated a seamless effect in which the 3 buildings look like as if they are just purely one building but in different styles. With the way I created the image, I try to evoke a very similar emotion in which the person will notice that the windows reflect the very same sky that everyone will see. The emotion I'm trying to convey is empathy. Another effect I created is the seperate colours of the windows compared to the rest of the photo. People's eyes will be naturally drawn towards where there are colour, to which the left side displays a rather abundant amount of colour whereas towards the left, there is but one single noticeable colour. This is to reflect that over several generations of architecture, the buildings may have improved in aesthetics but it has lost it's colour due to being the same as any other building;  it is just another form of itself.

Vice Versa

The way I have edited this photograph is to emulate a face-to-face building to create a comparison between the 2 buildings I have decided to edit. This photo is meant to represent the way that the 2 seperate buildings could become either one. For instance, the building on the left, if left unnattended could become broken down just like the building on the left. However, the same can be said in the opposite for the building on the right: it could become a building like the one on the left if given proper reformation and consideration. I tried to reflect the building style of the left one onto the windows on the left just to create a sense of authenticity. The lighting was also to add to that effect and I added a gradient style colouring to make it seem like both buildings are in the same location. 

Display Options
My photos will most likely be displayed on canvas with sizes of 20" by 50". This is compensate for the original size being too large and create a smaller area of focus. The reason I would feature the photos in smaller size because of the fact that each photo covers quite wide areas and I want the viewer to be able to see the entirety without having to look around as much.

LO2: Task 3 - Evidence of Sketches

Equipment/Style Consideration:
- In all of the photographs I am planning to take, I will be less likely to use any other lense apart from the standard kit lense.
- I will not be using a tripod for my style of photography. This is because a tripod may restrict me from getting certain photos.
- Since I will only be using one type of lense, I will have to take photographs of different angles of subjects to create variety.
- The style of photography will most likely be low angles and wide shots to get as much of the building I am taking a photograph of.

Feedback Sheet and Improvements (1/6/2015)

Feedback Evaluation - June 1st 2015

LO1 - Not as much concern as the rest but I have improved the way I have set out each of the headings for each famous photographer. 

LO2 - I am currently missing my Call Sheet, Risk Assessment and my Sketches. All 3 are already ready for uploading and publishing, I am just required to do it.

LO3 - I have already done the work but have just not published it until today. I have analysed at least 10 images that I will be able to use for my 5 pieces.

LO4 - I am currently missing evidence of me editing my photographs and describing how each of the type of editing I have done has created what meaning.

LO5 - Before I am able to upload my 5 completed photo's, I am required to finish off the previous tasks.

The improvements I have made are in the following:
LO3 - http://09abrinakunit31.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/treatment-for-photography-unit-31-work.html

Current concerns/need to be done:
LO2 - Consent Forms(?), Risk Assessments, call sheets and sketches have to uploaded on to posts.
LO4 - Create evidence that I have edited my photos together. This would through the use of video and screenshots.

LO3: Photographs and Evaluation - Photo Analysis through Adobe Bridge

1. Photo Analysis through Adobe Bridge:

The Moor - Building Remnant - Photo 2

This photo shows the age of the building and the fact that the area below it used to be a building and the marks left on it give it a different identity to it's current one. It clearly shows that there was another building attached to it and it used to have another purpose.

The photograph is a landscape/wide shot which displays the entirety of the building. A shallow depth of field was used as there are no other focus apart from the subject itself i.e. the building. The Aperture size was 8.0 because at the time of taking the photograph, there was a rather large cloud blocking some of the light in the area. To compensate for the high aperture, the shutter speed was set at a average-high shutter speed (1/160th) to prevent overexposure. The main focus of the photo is from the centre of the photograph displaying all the features of the building, both are in balance as it shows the current building and the marking of old building. There are several shapes from when the building used to be on that area and it distinctly shows what it was. An example of it could be the shape on the left hand side which may show what may have been a set of stairs it is very apparent that it is almost surreal. I have framed the photo to show the 2 different sides of the building: The building remnant and the current standing building. Both are main focuses of the photograph as it displays the age of both the buildings. Both can be considered old but the one that was taken down is clearly more aged. The photo was taken from a low angle as to enforce the effect that the building had a strong presence in its area.

Blonk Street - Two Sides - Photo 25

The two sides of the building displays two different designs: one shows a more flat form of design (On the right) whereas the one on the left shows a dynamic form of design with the different shades and coloured bricks.

The area I took the photograph in was rather dark as I was underneath another building, taking the photograph. The building I was stood under also blocked some of the light facing towards the side of the building I was taking a photograph of. This was a almost-close up shot as I tried to find an angle that displayed both sides of the building and I had to get quite close to it. The aperture size was 5.0 as there was not enough light at the time. However it did balance out the light reflecting from the windows. It connotes the sense of time, when the sun passes over from one side to another, it shows 2 different perspectives for the two sides; one side will see the light first before the other but both have different aspects of time. The shutter speed was 1/60th of a second because as aforementioned, there was not enough light. However, it did produce an effect of a blue to white gradient on the left side building. I framed the photo using the building itself. The two are split by a bar in the centre which further connotes the transition from one time to another. The ISO was set at 125 to compensate for the low aperture and the slow shutter speed to prevent it from being overexposed.

  Blonk Street - Continous - Photo 26

The photo displays a light gradient from light to dark. This is very apparent as the light passes through the across the building rather evenly. Quite a dynamic photo because of the gradual lighting and the brick colours. 

The shutter speed was 1/60th because it had to detect as much as possible and it was done to create the gradient lighting. The aperture was set at 5.0 because of the amount of light there was at the time. This photo had one or two obstructions so I took the photo from a rather close shot and a low angle. This was to add more to 'gradual' effect. The lighting reflects the state of the buildings windows and it applies to its identity of time. The windows at the bottom are more likely to have their windows open because they are likely to want more light compared to those who are in the light already and they prefer having slightly less light. The framing is done with the lines that seem to connect the building sides together which creates an allusion of different sets of building.

 Castle Gate - Mirror - Photo 11

The photo displays the age through its brickwork underneath each of the windows. The photo shows the wall may originally not have windows and had them added, which means the building had a different purpose until it was changed to have windows. What may have been unviewable before from inside the building is now clearly shown. This is a connotation of progress in some way.

The photograph was taken with a larger aperture size and average-fast shutter speed as the area was quite exposed to light and the windows would have reflected too much light if I had a slower shutter speed. The details of the window, both the brickworks holding it up and the reflection of the sky are both captured well because of the fast shutter speed. The photo has a deep depth of field because it focuses on the greater details of the building and it was able to capture the reflection of the sky on the windows; this is to create an allusion of the original architects of the building wanting to reach farther into the sky but the inability of our technology disallowed them from doing so. This is further connoted because of the fact that I have framed the building to create the effect that building is constantly growing upwards. This photo was taken from a low angle to connote the common style of buildings being built towards the sky consistently.

Castle Gate - Reform - Photo 14

The building was originally an older building but has had improvements to its building work. However, a section is left untouched and features the buildings original state which create a contrast and in turn, create the its identity of time.

This photo has an average sized aperture because a rather large cloud had covered most of the sunlight at the time of taking the photograph but the reflection of sky did appear on the windows of the building. The photo is quite sharp which means it has a deep depth of field and it also helps the rules of third because it shows the old part of the building rather clearly and it goes along two focal points which means people who look at the photo will most likely get drawn towards the top of the photo. This photograph was taken with an eye-line angle to create a canvas for a photo to be edited on top of it as a foreground. The lighting at the time of taking the photograph was slightly dim so the aperture size as set to 5.6 to capture as much light as possible whilst still preventing it from taking too much in. Whilst doing so, it captured a very flat lighting on the building which helps define its age and brick colouration. 

Arundel Gate - Travel - Photo 7

Over time, travel has become a part of everyday life. The building shows its age and in turn shows how long it has been a necessity. The angle the photo was taken with and lighting help to define the aging.

I took the photograph with quite a fast shutter speed with a 7.1 aperture size to capture a flat lighting of where I was stood from. I did this because if I had a gradual lighting from anywhere, it would mean that people who are looking at the photograph will be more drawn towards that instead of looking at certain focal points around the edges and towards the centre. The rule of thirds has been distributed so that the main focal points are directly on the small corner of the building side and towards the small aged vent on the top right corner. Each of these features displays age in some way and I made it more distinguished. 

Lady's Bridge - Connection - Photo 13

A man made connection between two points. This form of architecture was made so that people can travel across with ease. Used both as a road and as a path, it shows it's age through its brick works. The bridge is framed between the two small pillar like features the bridge has. 

The photo was taken with a 1/100th shutter speed, with an aperture size of 6.3 and with an ISO Value of 100. This was due to the lightning being sufficient for the type of shot I was taking. I framed the bridge with the small pillar like features to make sure the main focus of the photograph was the bridge and the way it has aged. I have considered what I will be using in the photo and it will most likely just the bridge and leaving out the background. 

Lady's Bridge Area (Blonk Street) - Set Link - Photo 21

Another man made feature the same as above but with a different style. This bridge displays far more history than that of the Lady's Bridge due to the fact that the bricks are more apparent. I took the photo in consideration of what I am going to be editing it with and took the photo to make it appear like it is missing the rest of the bridge.

I took the photo with a 1/60th shutter speed and with an aperture size of 5.6 to compensate for how much light there was present. The slow shutter speed was used so that it would take a reflection of the water more vibrantly as it will add to the effect when the photo is edited together with the other bridge photograph. The main reason I took this photo was for the editing process in which I will create an almost seamless transition from this bridge to the other, to connote the meaning of time changing the style of architecture. 

Lady's Bridge Area - Modern Mirror - Photo 19

A modern building with a certain style of design. The way the windows have been designed seemingly create a image that both room on each side of the buildings are one whole room. The style that has been done to create this building reflect the sense of the type of architecture people are designing in the present time.

This photo was taken with a fast shutter speed of 1/100th and with an aperture size of 7.1 because of the amount of the light being reflected off the windows. Another reason for taking the photo with these settings is to create a gradual lighting effect from left to right. A wide shot is used to capture as much the building as possible without compromising the quality of the lighting. This is photo is good for creating a double exposure effect bu putting it on another building with a different style/design to create a contrast between the two architectures.

LO2 - Task 4 - Production Plan

LO2 - Task 6 - Recce Forms and Risk Assessment

 

Recce Form for Blonk Street/Lady's Bridge Area.

However, these risks also involve the area in Arundel Gate. 

LO2 - Task 5 - Production Schedule

Starter Task - Progress Report

Using your LO2 Assignment Brief:
1. What tasks are uploaded on your blog?
2. Which task do you have to complete by the end of todays lesson?
3. Is your media pitch slides, questionnaire links and results uploaded and evaluated on your blog?

1. Tasks that have been uploaded on my blog:
- Task 1
- Task 2
- Task 4
- Task 5

2. I need to finish off these tasks:
- Task 3
- Task 6
- Task 7
- Task 8(?)

3. I have uploaded my pitch slides, questionnaire links and results and I have evaluated each point I have been given, writing down my strengths and improvements.

LO2: Task 3 - Sketches - Photo Idea/Example - Analysis

  

First Sketch Idea - 'On Time'

Idea Description:

Travel has been relied on, time and time again.

A. Subject -
The subject is a the Bus Station and a Sheffield Hallam building.

B. Composition -
The foreground can be considered the wall I am using to frame the photograph in the background. The brick work helped with setting up the rule of thirds and the windows are centered onto 2 focal points which aligns people eyes to towards the main subject.

C. Shot Type and Angles -
The foreground photograph has a baseline angle which helps create the illusion of a building with the background photograph. The photograph in the background is shot from a low angle to connote the importance of the building as to why it is a part of our time.

I decided on these subjects with this shot type and angle because it is to connote the fact that we use vehicles to travel almost everyday of our lives and how we almost rely on it to get to our locations. This is compared to the time that when vehicles was used more and more as time went forward.

D. Equipment -
I will most likely use a standard kit lens considering how close I took the photographs at and a standard DSLR camera with or without a tripod will work with the style of photography I am doing.

E. Location –
Sheffield Bus Station and a Sheffield Hallam Building nearby. These locations have been chosen because of how accessible they are, as both photos used in the edited photo 

F. Models –
If anything, there are no models but the subjects are two different buildings.

G. Settings -
The settings I will be using will most likely be 1/100th shutter speed, with an aperture size of 5.7 and an ISO value of 100.

Original Photos used:

The photograph that is in the background; Sheffield Hallam building near the bus station.
This building allows me to represent the future that we reached. Not only that, it also represent further futures to be created.

The foreground photograph which is the bus station back wall. This is the connotation of how we have come from a long age of constant travel and how far back we used transportation at the time. The brickwork shows the age of the photograph and the angle I have took the photo shows the age.

LO2 - Pitch Evaluation

Presentation Slides:

Questionnaire link:
 https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KCCSQJM

Evaluating and reviewing the Analysis:
2 Strengths -
+ A general(?) idea that works
+ Style of photography chosen fits the theme of identity I am planning to do

3 Improvements -
*To be able to correctly choose what photography techniques would best suit the concept.
***Think about the locations I will be using.
**I need to be able to create the correct connotations and representations of time to fit my theme of identity.

Next steps based on improvements -

- Find out what locations I will be using.

- Plan the way my photos will appear in terms of what elements will be involved.

- Find a series of buildings that contrast each other in terms of time and how it appears.

- Choose which form of architecture I will be focusing on in terms of what type of building I will be using. An example of two contrasting building would be: a high-rise to a bungalow.

Treatment for Photography (Unit 31)

Treatment for Photography – Unit 31

Passage of Time

The Brief:
You have been commissioned by The Workstation to create a photographic collection and promotional poster for an exhibition on the theme 'identity'. Each collection is to contain five final pieces of original photographs. For this unit you will take photographs using a range of photography techniques, manipulate them to create your final five pieces based on the theme.
By completing this unit you will understand the use of professional photographs in media products. You will understand how to plan for a photographic shoot and take and edit a rand of photographs for a specific media product (Promotional poster for the exhibition).

 
Concept Idea:
Landscape Photography - This will be mostly shots with consideration of natural light which will mean I will have to plan out what times I should take the photographs at and during what weather. I will have to consider the placement of the buildings and where to distribute the subject on the rule of thirds. The photos will most likely be in quite a lot of light, which means a small aperture, and an average to fast shutter speed may be used (<f5.6 Aperture and 1/60th Shutter Speed or higher). However, I could also consider a slow shutter speed and take a photograph of the same position where the foreground will have moving element to connote time. Each building will be super-imposed with a double exposure effect, each with different themes/subjects and in different styles. 
Each of the photos will have different uses of depth of field to provide a sense of having a single focus on the photograph. Another photo will also use a slow shutter speed on a static location to capture movement outside of the main subject of focus to create the sense of time. 

Each of the photographs will feature different photography styles. 
- Shallow depth of field to create a main focal point. 


Target Audience:
Considering the photos will be a connotation of time, it will most likely create less interest in the younger audience, however I will still be aiming it an age group which will be 16 and above. The photographic genre will be quite general and it doesn’t have a focus on a certain trend or stereotype, which means both genders are able to understand the photographs. The demographic isn’t as quite important because of the fact that I am taking photos to represent time which means it will have influences from several cultures. More specifically, people who may want to look back into the past can emulate that through the photographs. The majority of people who will be viewing my photographs will most likely be people from the ABC1 demographic as the photographs will be featured in an exhibit.

 
Key Milestones:
1. Planning - 17/4/2015
2. Taking Photographs - 20/4/2015
3. Editing Photographs - 4/5/2015
4. Launch Date - A week in June

 
Equipment:

-          DSLR Camera with a standard lens
-          External Lighting – Artificial Lighting – This is to counter natural lighting, as it cannot be controlled
-          Tripod – To keep the camera steady for static shots
-          Photoshop – This will be the program that I will be using to edit the photographs that I have taken

 
Props and Models:
I will take photographs of buildings, which mean I will be less likely to use props. The subject (the buildings) is technically the given prop in the landscape photography I will be taking. However, if I will be doing my contingency, I will most likely require models that are able to do candid photography. This will mean that I will be required to acquire their permission.

 
Health and Safety Consideration:
Gaining permissions: I will be using a Release form to ask for permission for people who are willing to model for me. The importance of this is to prevent breaching their privacy.
Recce Forms: These are forms that are used to assess a location to see if it provides the necessary and/or relevant subjects to my photographs.

Risk Assessment: This is to assess possible risks and hazards that may happen outside during photo sessions and other activities involving us. These are important because they are going to provide evidence of what we have to be careful of and how we are going to act accordingly if one of the listed risks were to happen. 

Legal and Ethical Consideration

Copyright:
Copyright is the right given to a creator of an original work. They are given exclusive permission to distribute their original work. Breaching copyright will create legal consequences i.e. getting sued. You have to acquire permission to be able to use someone’s intellectual property. This is important because it will mean that we will able to use other assets.

This applies to our photographs because we have to be careful of taking photos with copyrighted work such as logos and branded items. When we take our photographs, we have a technical copyright over that photograph which is the same as saying "We own the visual for this photograph."

The copyright pertaining to my style of photography will mostly concern logos and private property. I will have to ask for permission if I will be planning on using locations, buildings and and form of media not owned by me.

Gaining Permission
Permission must be acquired for any models and locations that will be used for the photography. If the location is on private land, one must gain permission to be able to use the location. If I am going to take photographs of private locations, I will have to contact the people who own said locations and ask for permission to use the location as a part of my project. The same applies may apply to buildings but if I take photographs from a public area, it should be fine for me to use the photograph I have taken as a part of editing my photographs. The reason I would be gaining permission to use these subjects for my photograph would be the fact that I am trying to represent Sheffield and to create the meaning of time.

Permissions and Release Forms
1. Making sure to when taking the picture to frame it, to make sure to only capture the object within the photo, avoiding people in the process.
2. Certain times of day can help prevent people in the image. This is especially true for landmarks as people will be there but are not necessarily there all day.

 !!Avoid using telephoto lens during the daytime!! 

This creates suspicions because of the fact that it can capture close up shots without being known. This means a person is able to take a photo of a person without them being aware.

Try to avoid taking photographs of people generally and AVOID having children in photograph.

Legal and Ethical:
Representations to avoid:
- Offending cultures and religion
- Avoid stereotypes
- To avoid creating an idea/opinion about something/someone - out-of-context photos - Defamatory
- Abide to the wellbeing of the model you are planning to take photographs of. They may not necessarily like the way they are represented on a certain photograph.
- This may link in to the fact that photography should only be done on public places. This is also to prevent wrong contexts of the location you are taking photographs of since it may reflect that section of society.

Contingencies:
My current contingency is to use candid style photography to capture the natural emotions of people. This is to reflect what kind of identity the city has which is shown through the people who there. It will be done in different locations that will make the model almost blend in to the surroundings but will still somehow stand out regardless. This effect can be achieved through the use of Photoshop by creating a blurring the background to simulate an out of focus effect. This can be done naturally on a camera though but it can be used as a fail-safe if the original is out of focus and if does not look natural.

LO2 - Be able to plan a photographic shoot (Work in progress)

Task 1 - Initial Ideas:

A.) Title:
'The past never fades.' - 'Time' - Landscape Photo
'Passion and vocation.' - 'Zeal' - Candid Photo

B.) Genre:
Landscape Photography - Taking photographs of older buildings and super-imposing them onto the modern buildings to represent time which in a sense, creates a historical identity.

Candid Photography - Taking photographs of people in a natural surrounding i.e. in the city, charity workers, buskers etc. to denote the city and its people.

C.) Shot types/Angles/Composition/Framing/Shutter Speed/Aperture:
Landscape Photography - This will be mostly shots with consideration of natural light which will mean I will have to plan out what times I should take the photographs at and during what weather. I will have to consider the placement of the buildings and where to distribute the subject on the rule of thirds. The photos will most likely be in quite a lot of light which means a small aperture and a average to fast shutter speed may be used (<f5.6 Aperture and 1/60th Shutter Speed or higher). However, I could also consider a slow shutter speed and take a photograph of the same position where the foreground will have moving element to connote time. Each building will be super-imposed with different subjects and in different style such as mosaic or simplistic art.

Candid Photography - These photos will be a mix of solo and groups of people. An idea could be taking photographs of a subject(s) and then taking another photograph with a slower shutter speed than the original photo to create trails and it would create a motion blur and this would be added/edited in to the original photo which would make the original photo seem like time is passing by. With photos like these, I would have to consider multiple apertures and shutter speeds from a fast shutter speed to slow shutter speeds.

[LO2] Copyright, Permissions and Legal and Ethical

Copyright:
Copyright is the right given to a creator of an original work. They are given exclusive permission to distribute their original work. Breaching copyright will create legal consequences i.e. getting sued. You have to acquire permission to be able to use someones intellectual property. This is important because it will mean that we will able to use other assets.

This applies to our photographs because we have to be careful of taking photos with copyrighted work such as logos and branded items. When we take our photographs, we have a technical copyright over that photograph which is the same as saying "We own the visual for this photograph."

Intellectual Property - An idea that a person/group owns.

Copyright Infringement - Breaching a copyright of someones original work.

Gaining Permission
Permission must be acquired for any models and locations that will be used for the photography. If the location is on private land, one must gain permission to be able to use the location. 

Permissions and Release Forms
1. Making sure to when taking the picture to frame it, to make sure to only capture the object within the photo, avoiding people in the process.
2. Certain times of day can help prevent people in the image. This is especially true for landmarks as people will be there but are not necessarily there all day.

!!Avoid using telephoto lens during the daytime!!

This creates suspicions because of the fact that it can capture close up shots without being known. This means a person is able to take a photo of a person without them being aware.

Try to avoid taking photographs of people generally and AVOID having children in photograph.

Legal and Ethical
Representations to avoid:
- Offending cultures and religion
- Avoid stereotypes
- To avoid creating an idea/opinion about something/someone - out-of-context photos - Defamatory
 

Task 1 [Part 4] - Researching Famous Photographers (Ansel Adams)

Landscape photography (Ansel Adams)
Photographic Category:
Ansel Adams did landscape style photography, focusing on the conservation of the wilderness and nature in general. He also uses black-and-white when taking his landscape photographs. He used his photography to promote conservation of a particular park; 'Yosemite National Park'. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Adams)

He used his idea of previsualization, which meant that he would have anticipated the finished photograph moments before actually taking the photograph. This concept is similar to the modern day form of storyboards in terms of planning. (www.anseladams.com/)

Purpose:
As aforementioned, the main reason Adams took these photographs was to help preserve nature and the wilderness. Adams' work was in several mainstream exhibitions in the 1960's. He was successful with his first portfolio and soon thereafter, had continued his success through the effects he visualized. The photographs were used in several calendars, posters and books. These photographs have also been archived on the internet for others to see.

Image Analysis:
All these images are in black and white seems to create a middle ground so that one doesn't have to consider what colour looks better to represent in the photographs (Although, it was probably due to the time the photos were taken that they were not available in colour). The monochromatic photos just shows the attributes of the photo that is most the most important. Adams did work with colour before but he has mentioned that having colour is more distracting and he can get a better sense of colour through his idea of previsualizing.

Meaning:
His photographs are mostly landscape which meant that it captured mostly nature. It seems like the main meaning Adams is trying to connote is that nature itself is untouched and is devoid of human interaction. Adams is connoting the beauty of nature and how not even human hands can destroy that with buildings and the creation of urban settings. Nature itself grows naturally to become beautiful compared to that of of humans which must grow to adapt. Adams did work with colour before but he has mentioned that having colour is more distracting and he can get a better sense of colour through his idea of previsualizing. The rule of thirds for landscapes are quite different in terms of distribution: The foreground which is most likely the darkened trees, the river and the closer forest is distributed in the lower third towards the middle third and the background is distributed around the middle third towards the higher third. The photograph displays a meandering river and forestry. The background clearly shows the sky and a mountain range, which is well distributed along the rule of thirds because it appears larger than it should. It uses a shallow depth of field because everything seems to be in focus. The aperture size seems to be quite large because of the fact that it captures the entire photograph in the same sharpness. The lighting was natural lighting as the landscape would be difficult to light up with artificial lighting. The ISO would have been quite high (1600-3200) due to the light used i.e. moonlight.

ADAMS A. (2015) The Tetons and the Snake River (1942): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Adams_The_Tetons_and_the_Snake_River.jpg [Accessed 18/3/2015]

Photography Terms (LO1)

In today's lesson, we have learned about different photography techniques.

Task 1 [Part 3] - Researching Famous Photographer (Heather Angel)

Famous Photography - Macro Photography
Photographic Category:
Heather Angel takes photographs of nature and wildlife photography in a macro style of photography. Angels' photos have appeared in magazines and books worldwide and is widely known. Her photographs are also available online. Her photography has been featured in exhibition in London, India, China, Malaysia, and Egypt. (www.heatherangel.co.uk/)

Purpose:
The purpose of the photographs Heather Angel has taken was to document wildlife for a book she was writing up and an exhibition at the time called 'Wild Kew'. Angle has taken a series of photography from China to display the wild and wilder parts of China. These photos have been displayed in different countries and the photos have been used to write up Angels' 3 books regarding China.

Image Analysis:
The images featured here are mainly nature based photography. These photographs have been taken with a macro lense which helps in creating the very extreme zoom on the subject being photographed such as the bee in the first photo. These images were taken most likely to reflect the beauty of nature in its very roots, sometimes quite literally; The photo is taken with a very strong magnification, so that even the smallest detail of the subject can be noticed. The rule of third used in this photo is mainly focusing on the bees gathering pollen from the plant but considering that this photo is a macro photo, it is clearly the main point of the photograph since it is the closest thing we are naturally drawn towards, apart from the rather outstanding colour of the flower in the photo. A deep depth of field is shown in the photo because everything seems to be in focus, which means a large aperture was used (<f5.6) and possibly an average ISO (400-800) to prevent the photo from being overexposed. The main subject of the photograph (most likely the bees) is being framed by the bright flower colour around the centre of the flower.

Meaning:
The meanings that Heather Angel wanted to denote in the photographs she has taken seems to quite linked to the fact why she took in the style of macro. She wants to show that one can see beauty in nature by itself but one must look closer to find the inner beauty. Having closely looked at the subjects allows the person looking at the photographs to understand that there are more things to be seen on one thing rather than just a small list of things.

 ANGEL. H (2015) Macro Photography available at: http://www.heatherangel.co.uk/#/Portfolio/Macro/31/thumbs [Accessed at 18/3/2015]

LO1: Photography Talk with David Chang

We will be having a talk with a famous photographer known as David Chang. He does a mix of genres: Wedding, Action, Landscape, Documentary, Candid, Music/Promotional and Travel. We have a series of questions that we will be asking him during the talk because it will be helping us in our planning and production of our photography projects. 

Questions to ask:

1.     What is your main genre of photography? (Or do you not have one focus)

2.     What genre(s) would help to focus on when taking pictures for theme of ‘Identity’?

3.     Would candid photography work for the theme of identity?

Post-write up:
David Chang does multiple genres of photography as he stated himself that just following one style is boring for a photographer. He uses a wide range of techniques such as taking pictures in landscape to capture a greater meaning to his photographs. Chang was a civil engineer prior to being a photographer which meant he had to learn his own style of photography over time and with photography switching over to the digital side of technology, he was able to publish his photography on a website and to find commissions and work from employers over the internet.

Chang does music, industry, wedding, fireworks, landscape and nature photography. He stated that technique isn't all that is needed when taking photography but is more of a afterthought, albeit still important. He said that when photographing, one must think about the shutter speed and the aperture first before any other form of photographic technique such as composition and rules of third etc. Photographers have to think one step ahead of what might happen, predicting moments and being able to capture them on time are two separate things according to Chang and for a photographer, they have to be able to both almost second nature. Another technique he said was that being in the perfect location means quite a lot in a photograph and being able to capture the entire moment. In his fireworks photography, David Chang said he found locations which showed almost the entire firework display which in turn allowed his pictures to connote the meaning of a great event and something to be remembered. He showed a photo which where the fireworks are almost symmetrical and it was for a CD cover. The reason he managed to capture that almost perfect moment was because he planned out what he was thinking what could happen and as he mentioned before, being able to predict a moment is one of the main things a photographer must consider.

Each of his work follows a certain theme, according to the type of photography he is doing: He tends to do candid style when he does weddings. As aforementioned, he captures moments that come naturally and being able to think ahead and to take photographs of those moments is what makes a photographer. As any other photographer, creativity is somewhat restricted when working on briefs as they are usually looking for something specific, however, that doesn't mean the specified photographs can't be creative on their own. An example of a photo he took was for Forge Masters; he took a picture with a low shutter speed where molten metal was jumping out from the cauldron and it created a trail effect which gave a sense of action and danger.

David Chang also mentioned how photography is done to tell a story and to create an atmosphere. He considered a photo to be successful depending on whether he can successfully create an almost physical atmosphere from the photo i.e. weddings are celebratory and having a candid style tends to connote that type of message and it will most likely give the people viewing the photograph to feel the same feeling the subjects are. Being able to tell a story is another main point as a photograph is a still image and only shows a single frame of an entire event. When a photographer takes a photo, one must aim to be able to tell a person viewing the photo what is happening, what happened before and what may happen after through a single picture. Chang mentioned how he creates his story in his photographs through natural moments.