Task 5- Planning and test photographs

For this task, I produced 15 pages of planning work in my sketchbook. This has been documented in the below photographs and can be viewed in lesson. I have shown various evidence of planning and pre work production in this work.

Task 6- Final images.

These are my Final images for the core project. They contain five images, two which are countryside and three urban landscapes. To create these images, I shot at night, using a shutter speed of between 20-30 seconds. This created the bright purple and orange tones in the images. I chose to do this as it was a much more interesting way of creating a landscape.

I tried to not use editing as much as possible, so I only used levels and curves to bring out the natural tones of the images.

If I could change anything about these images, I would have borrowed a better camera from college which could achieve a longer shutter speed. This could have been helpful in the urban shots with street lights, as a longer shutter speed would ensure the light to not go in a spiral motion.

I am happy with how my images turned out as I think they worked exactly how I had planned in terms of the colours and tones.

Task 4. How visual language communicates ideas and meaning.

This task is about comparing and describing the different ways which photographers express ideas through image technique in various types of photography. Although photography is often seen as one singular art form, the many forms of the art convey very different ideas.
Landscape- Fine art
Dan Holdsworth
Holdsworth has always has a fascination with space and the unknown planets, which is clearly communicated in his night shots or 'blackouts'. He uses traditional photographic techniques to create eerie scenes of textures and colours with a familiarity to an apocalyptic world. His shots of the Northern lights , photographed with long exposures up to four hours, have a supernatural glow, making the surrounding mountains and rivers appear alien and atomic. I think with these images, Holsworth was trying to communicate a secret and unknown world that the night can create, comparing it to space whilst giving the viewer a sense of escapism, and letting them realize at the same time that the world they live in is as fascinating as other planets.

Untitled 8 (Hyperbolae)

Another example of his work using night and similar concepts is the image entitled Videmanette 01. Looking at the image, almost two-thirds of the image is covered in deep dark sky, and by contrast, running across the bottom of the image is a bright yellow. This appears to be illuminated by artificial light, behind the camera. This forms an idea of something that is about the happen or has happened, which in my interpretation could be and artificial sunset/rise, recreated in a new artificial world which is a recreation of our own. This relates back to the alien idea of the before image. I think that the alien and space idea is a recurring theme in his images and the meaning he is trying to communicate is that the fascination of space was created on earth by humans and their curiosity. 

Ansel Adams

Adams images are famous for there sharpness, clarity and wide depth of field. He was a strong believer that photographs should capture real life, things that other art forms often could not. The underlying message he tried to convey was the 'intimate secrets of nature have been presented as they really are.' This means that the photographs capture real life nature, such as raindrops on grass and real life sharpness and depth of field. He was also well known for cleverly using filters, lenses and film, for his ability to extract 11 tones of gray from reality. 

The image below is from a collection of images of a nature reserve in America. The image has an intensity that comes from the mountains in the background and curved river coming into the foreground, with makes the image seem hard but also gives it a journey and a path. The image is unusual, as it shows soft tones in the background. The composition is very well planned and balanced, the exposure is perfect. I think with this image and many of his others, the artist was trying to portray the freeness and open space of nature, were there are no paths or walkways to guide you. I think he was trying to show how the river looks like a road, and how roads have taken the place of landscapes such as this.

Portrait-commercial

Robbie cooper.

Cooper's most famous images are those of people distracted, such as the series he did of children playing video games. As well as images, he uses moving image to capture responses from the viewer, as the camera may be viewed as too distracting.

His images are extremely high quality, he also uses studio lights and a studio backdrop. I think while using the high quality he was trying to create a recurring theme with the video games, connecting the camera quality to the quality of the graphics in the video games.

I think that he most wanted to capture the faces of concentration created by the children, sometimes viewed as anger or frustration. 

He used an Errol Morris technique of filming that allowed to subject to stare straight into the camera's lens wile being distracted by the video game.

Bill Brandt

Brandt was most famous for creating abstracts out of the human form using high quality, well lit and sharp images in grainy black and white.

The image shown below glows with sudden contrasts of gleaming light and rich blacks and grays. In the nude portrait images, his subjects are blank faced, and the images have asymmetrical compositions and a mixture of solid objects and spooky emptiness. I think these images express Brandt's personal feelings, he was often described as a quiet man, who was always paranoid and suspicious. I think his photographs was a way of releasing feelings of loneliness that he felt through-out his life.

Journalistic

James Nachtwey

Using grainy, black and white images, Nachtwey produces some of the most influencial and discturbing war photographs ever. He uses personal connections to make the viewer sympathize with the particular case. His goal is to bear witness, because somebody must, and his pictures, devised to infuriate and move people to action, are about us and our concern or lack of it. 

His main idea is to not show an unrealistic amount of suffering or to make the viewer feel uncomfortable, but to make them see reality.

In comparison to other black and white photographers such as Bill Brandt, Natchtwey uses a shallow depth of field and shadows to show reality in similar ways.

Task 3. Research.

The following research explores artists who work in different fields, such as painting, photography and print-making. The research will explore how they visually record there ideas, techniques used, examples of work and what materials they used to convey ideas and meaning.
Adam Burton.- Landscape photographer
Is one of the UK's leading landscape photographers. Adam favours the rich colours of dawn and dusk when natural light is at its most special. He uses equipment to enable him to capture magical moments authentically at the picture taking stage, rather than relying on computer enhancements afterwards.

Although he now shoots exclusively digitally, his beginnings in film photography engendered a strong desire to record the landscape at its natural best, and nothing more. As a result Adams photography captures authentic and natural 
moments in time, free from computer manipulation.
Evidence of how he visually records his ideas are not mentioned, however he does say In interviews that he creates test shots in different lights to achieve the best most realistic and interesting image. He spent months backpacking around Australia and New Zealand before he became interested in photography, and this has greatly inspired him to shoot natural landscape images. He mentions getting up at 3 am to achieve the best light that nature can offer and stresses continually that he does not digitally manipulate his images.
Techniques he uses to develop ideas include test shots, which are most important as a photography. This is important as light and weather can be unpredictable. He also mentions how other artists inspire him, and how they can inspire his work by doing research. 
He gets all his concepts ideas while witnessing nature. This is widely communicated in his work by the natural colours and lighting used, also the lack of digital manipulation. He also mentions finding places that are untouched by humans, this involves visiting places by boat or helicopter.   

This image shows the importance of planning and a strong idea. This is shown as the photographer has considered weather conditions and timing of this photograph, as there is no people in sight and the water is still and untouched. The strong idea is visually relevant as the mountains, water and boat are in the image, following the rule of three.

In this particular image, the strong refection matching the colours of the sky are evidence of a strong concept and perfect timing of the day. It has also been planned effectively as the settings on the camera to create this image as evidence of experience in photography. The three main colours are green, blue and white which is also evidence of the rule of three and are primary colours, referring to the nature theme of his work

This image shows the recurring theme of a wide depth of field. I think this is extremely helpful in influencing my own work while giving me techniques such as the depth of field to produce a successful landscape image. It also follows the recurring theme of the rule of three . This is so frequent in his images as it is key to a good composition and a well produced image.  As there are only two colors that are prominent, the image gives the same effect as black and white, as it is sharp.

Materials

• Canon 1dsMkIII 21mp DSLR
• Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 MkII L
• Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 L
• Canon 70-200mm f/4.0 L
• Gitzo 3541LS tripod
• Manfrotto 322 RC2 tripod head
• Lee Filters ND Grads and Polariser

Burton uses materials such as the lee filter












The rest of this task has been produced on word and printed out due to technical difficulties. 

Investigative Ideas for generating Techniques. Task 2

This task is about investigating different ways of generating ideas for the final core project. This involves researching work created by different artists and how they process there work. Some Idea-generating techniques include:

Mood boards. This is a type of poster design which may include images, texts and samples of objects relevant to the subject of the mood board. They are used to enable a person to illustrate visually the direction of style which they are pursuing. However, mood boards can also be used to visually explain a certain style of writing, or an imaginary setting for a story line. I chose to use this technique as I thought it would be a good way to express my ideas through images and text as I could involve lots of different ideas into one place. I created my mood board using the online program Picasa.

The next technique I wanted to experiment with was mind mapping. A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps have many applications in personal, family, educational, and business situations, including note taking, brainstorming (wherein ideas are inserted into the map radially around the center node, without the implicit prioritization that comes from hierarchy or sequential arrangements, and wherein grouping and organizing is reserved for later stages), summarizing, as a mnemonic technique, or to sort out a complicated idea. Mind maps are also promoted as a way to collaborate in color pen creativity sessions. I chose to use this method as I thought it was a professional and simple way of presenting ideas quickly and easily.

                                                                                           

The last Method I will be using is Word association. This is a common word game which involves saying various words that are associated together. It is used to find what our subconscious mind associates which words with which. It can help solve problems and create new ideas. I have chosen to use this as it is a fun way of create new ideas using the inspiration of my own mind.

I played the word association game by using www.wordassociation.org which proved to be very helpful in creating new ideas.

Sketches

I created a quick sketch of my main ideas and the concept I want to follow. It clearly shows my ideas as well as positioning and location. I liked using this idea as I could add many different ideas in a short space of time.

Other ways of investigating ideas are:

Thinking about past experiences and memories : This can generate ideas which can emote emotions from past experiences.

Researching other artists : Many artists use this as a successful way to learn about new techniques and this process is proven to be very useful.

Week six tom- Hidden Leeds.

For this project, I chose a location around millennium square and chose three frames which I thought were unusual. The theme and style I decided to follow was the things you would not always notice about the square, such as marks on walls or things on the floor. I chose to do this as I thought it could relate to any location and I specifically went out to find things that could not be seen on purpose. I then edited my images using levels on Photoshop. I am happy with how my images turned out as they showed what I wanted to portray in a successful way.

Location techniques week 5

This project was to shoot two frames around Leeds City centre that show contrast. I wanted to show contrast using locations such as interior and exterior. I also wanted to show contrast using camera angles. I did this by on one image I was low down, which would connote vulnerability. This would also relate to a memory such as shopping with a family member of a child.
The next image was much more centered, which connotes a balanced life and calmness. The calmness of the water contrasts to busy colors and atmosphere of the shopping arcade.
The images do have some similarities, such as they are both landscape images and have similar colors used.

Core project proposal. Task 1

For the core project, I have decided to do a project based on Northern Landscape. This will have between 3-5 sets of photographs including one rural and one urban landscape. This project will be submitted for selection for Landscape North exhibition and also be entered into the Yorkshire business event.

•For the northern landscape project, I have chosen to feature the recurring theme of night photography. I have chosen to feature this as I have previously completed a project about night photography and evolved a passion for the subject. This would also be a good opportunity to improve on this subject. One way to improve is I now have access to a tripod, which previously I did not have. Another way to improve is in the last subject, my white balance was under exposed, and I now understand more about improving this to create a correctly balanced image.

•To the create the night photography, I will use a tripod and a Canon 1000D camera, with a  18-55mm Lens. I will not use flash, And instead will use a slow shutter speed of 20-30 seconds. I will also vary my shots between late afternoon with a small amount of light, night with minimal light and also night with street lights.

•Previous night photography work. Shot at swillington canal.

 

•Although I am doing a landscape subject, I also want to add a documentary approach to my images. This will feature a journey.

•My concept is, That a person has grown up in the country side surrounded by fields and empty landscapes. However, The person wants to move to the city were it is much busier and lively. However, after seeing the dirty grim streets and vastly populated living areas, they begin to miss the country side.

•

• Urban landscape- Luca Tommasi, A changing china. Country landscape-unknown. Using a decreased aperture To darken to image.

 

•My project is going to be presented as a projection and also as a short book. Also, It will feature in a exhibition which is mandatory. I have chosen these formats as I firstly think the projection will easily show details in the images due to the projections size and also will signify the vast size of the landscape.

•I chose to make a book as it is a quick way to view all images and can be carried around so it can be looked at and compared to others work. It is also a professional way to present the images and has been used by previous artists to present there work. I have also presented images using books in the past, including making a home made book to present by previous night photography Images. Although I would choose not be create a home made book in the future as it broke easily and looked amateur.

•When I have shot the images, I am going to edit them using Photoshop and primarily using curves and levels. I am using these edits as I think they look the most natural as I do not like to over edit images.

•Below are night photography shots edited using curves and levels on Photoshop. These images were part of my location techniques final piece. They were shot by a cliff in Skipsea.

•Urban landscapes- Mike Seaborne.

•A large industrial city like London presents a complex man-made landscape in which generations of social, domestic and industrial forces have shaped the environment, each leaving its mark and adding to the complex patina. London's particular complexity arises not only from its size but also from an absence of central planning and from an historically diverse economy. Like many other photographers he has thought how he might try to capture the essence of London in a few images only to realize that such an ambition is impossible to fulfill. Instead, we are compelled either to focus on a particular location or subject, or to generate coherence by imposing a particular representational style. He has attempted both these approaches in my work. He features some night photography in his work. Info taken from www.Urbanlandscape.org.uk.

•Countryside landscape- Adam Burton

•Adam Burton is one of the UKs leading landscape photographers and author of five books. Since 2008 he has been working as a full time professional landscape photographer, regularly supplying imagery and undertaking commissions for a wide range of business clients.

•He has photographed five of the seven continents and now specializes in the landscapes of the UK, particularly Southwest England.

•Info Taken from www.adamburtonphotography.com

Printed from a powerpoint presentation.

Location Techniques final.

These are my final shots for the project Location Techniques. The images were taken along-side the eroded cliff of Skipsea. Along the cliff there are abandoned buildings and houses, which feature in the images. The images were taken late evening with the use of a slow shutter speed and some featured flash. I also edited the images in photoshop primarily using 'curves' to lighten the images. The message I wanted to communicate with the images was the devastation that the eroding cliff has brought to the small town, effecting small tourist businesses and houses unexpectedly. I did this by making the images appear flat, soft and quite dark. This made them seem hazy and dream like, like what happened here cannot be real.

I am happy with how the images turned out as they successfully communicated the towns feeling towards the erosion and its declining tourist attractions.