Final Project Evaluation

As I reach the end of this project, I can see how I have made extreme progress from the time that I started. When I began I had no idea what to really expect from this course as I hadn't ever done anything like it before. As a result of this I had minimal experience with photoshop and immediately struggled with getting to grips with everything that was required. Blogger was a strange new tool that I had to use frequently that took some time to fully understand. My biggest struggle was with the work load when I first began. I would spend the majority of each day trying to keep up while I was still trying to understand Blogger and photoshop. Due to the work load it allowed me to learn how to use the programmes that were required and as the project continued I began to feel comfortable with the work that was needed to be done. 

When photographing, my initial thoughts towards the picture was just to capture what I wanted. The work that has been put into formal elements has allowed me to approach my images in a more thoughtful way, considering composition and other elements. As the year progressed the quality of my images became more consistent and was able to be at a level that I was happy with. Due to the increasing consistency within my work, I was able to take more pictures with more variation amongst each image. Out of all of the topics that we looked at, my favourite were tone and Robert Mapplethorpe. This is largely because the topics are fairly open and I can experiment with the composition and state of the images in interesting ways.

As I progressed through the year I came across a few problems that I needed to solve. My first problems were with the quality and quantity of the images that I was taking. To fix this I began to focus on the subject that I was photographing for and give myself a rough idea of what I should include within my images. I also had problems with the composition of my images. This was fixed by the focus on Robert Mapplethorpe, as it allowed me to seriously consider the different ways that I could compose my pictures. As we finished the formal elements, the work load began to slow down slightly. This extra time allowed me to focus on the quality of my work and i was able to devote more time to individual subjects.

Final Top Twenty Pieces

Connecting Essay 5

This image shows an example of movement that I found on the internet. This image shows one person's face moving over a duration of time, showing the audience where his head has moved over the course of the picture being taken. Black and white has been used as a main feature in order to further highlight the range of movement to its fullest extent. The filter also causes the image to appear more striking to the audience, it also causes the face to appear almost ghost-like as it leaves behind a trail of movement behind it. The use of the range of movement allows the image to seem as if there are two people within the same frame.

This image is my own example of movement. This image shows a range of movement from someone looking down and up directly at the camera. The way that the image shows the full range of movement of the person causes the image to immediately attract the audiences attention. The bright colours in the image are used to show the full movement arc of the person's head.  The use of the slow shutter speed gives the effect that there are two people in the image and we can see where they both connect and run into the next pose.

Both images show examples of movement through the use of a slow shutter speed. The following effect features the full range of movement that has occurred within the  time that the picture was being taken. Colour is used in different ways in order to show these range of movements. My image uses enhanced colours that reflect the full range of movement in different poses, while the other uses a black and white filter that causes the image to appear ghostly to audiences. Both images use these in order to give the image an effect of motion that can engage audiences better than a still image could.

Connecting Essay 4

This is an example of selective colour that I found on the internet. We can see that selective colour has been used in a way that attracts the audiences eye towards the centre of the picture. The colourful tones of the beach act in contrast with the black and white background of the image. This causes the image to appear more striking and it causes the audience to focus on the main area of the image while ignoring all of the pointless detail within the background. The use of selective colour also causes the image to become more interesting as a result. Clashes in colour are used to transform an everyday backdrop into something that catches the audiences eye and sets it apart from other images.

This is my own example of selective colour. An everyday location of a toilet is transformed into something that engages the audience in a different way. The black and white filters act in contrast with the other colours in the image and as a result enhances the focus of the person within the image. We are also able to see an interesting use of reflection that allows the audience to see multiple aspects of the person. The image appears striking as a result and draws the audience's eyes towards the different themes.

Both pictures show examples of selective colour that link together in multiple ways. Both images show a contrast within colours that cause the images to appear more striking and interesting as a result. While my image focuses on enhancing the individual's appearance against a dull background, the other uses the black and white tones to direct the audiences attention to a specific point within a colourful background. Both images also find interesting ways of composing the image. The images are able to accomplish this by enhancing certain points within the photos while the rest is used to simply fill the frame.

Connecting Essay 3

This image shows my example of multiple imagery. I wanted to show multiple imagery in a number of ways so I thought about the different ways in which I could show it. I used the same person multiple times within the image but I tried to reflect the contrast in expressions. I did this by making the person change the emotions of his face. In order to add more variation to the image I also looked at having him look to different directions in order to show all aspects of the face. Directions and expressions of the face are used in an effort to reflect a pattern within the multiple imagery. The use of pattern with the vibrant colours allow for the image to appear energetic and entertaining to look at.

This is an example of multiple imagery that I found on the internet. This example shows an example of the same person being photographed in a number of ways. Different camera angles and distances have been used to change the ways in which we perceive the individual's face. The order of the images have been mixed and cause overall picture to be composed in a interesting way. The different angles allow for the audience to focus on certain areas that lead us to become aware of the emotion that the person is feeling. This emotion within the picture is also complimented by the use of a black and white filter that enhances the moody themes within the image.

Both of these examples of multiple imagery show similarities within them. Both pictures focus on multiple imagery of an individual person. This allows both pictures to use emotion in a way that engages the audience and causes the overall image to become more interesting. While my image explores the use of facial expression to promote a happier tone in the picture, while the other uses emotion in the images to show a more moody tone. Different aspects of the face are highlighted within both images through the use of different camera angles and poses. This allows the image to have more depth as it allows us to get a greater idea of all the aspects of the individual within the image.

Top Forty Pictures

Mapplethorpe Studio Straight Images

Multiple Imagery Work Diary

We were set with the task of capturing nine or more photos of an object or scene for multiple imagery. I was immediately faced with some issues due to the condition of the weather in the times that I wanted to go out to shoot it. In order to compensate for this issue I went into the studio and thought of different ways in which I could show multiple imagery. I was able to use the equipment within the studio in order to help me keep a very consistent image type throughout the time that I was taking pictures. I was able to feature formal elements such as depth and contrast within the image. I used these formal elements in a way that allowed me to create a more visually interesting example of multiple imagery.

For this image I wanted to focus on emotion coming from an individual person that would create an interesting result for multiple imagery. I wanted to try to use different angles in as well as expressions in order to create a result that would show a good amount of variation. There is a contrast featured within the image of black and white. This use of contrast causes the  person to stand out within each frame of the image. Another contrast featured is the contrast of emotion. This results in a visual representation of emotional range. 

For this image I wanted to try to use roughly the same technique but I also wanted to highlight the variation within number of ways. I was able to use props and different people in order to create this variation and I feel that the end result shows a more colourful and exciting example of multiple imagery. This image features examples of contrast of distance, emotion and clothing. Some formal elements such as depth can be seen by showing people at different angles and distances while comparing them.

Progression:

In this subject I wanted to try to get as much variation as I could within the capabilities of the studio. I feel that I could have achieved a better variation within the types of multiple imagery by photographing outside. I would use the environment in order to create an interesting example of multiple imagery that would highlight areas within the environment.

Multiple Imagery Image Bank

Both of these images use multiple imagery to create a disjointed representation of an object. Different images and angles are used in order to create different patterns while showing more of the subject that could be seen in a standard image.

Multiple imagery is an interesting style of presenting photographs. The process of multiple imagery features taking multiple pictures of the same object or scenery and putting them all together. This process allows the subject or scene within the image to be perceived in a way that it would not commonly be seen. The image can show different angles of the object at different distances or sixes in order to produce a number of varying results.

Pre-Completion Evaluation

As the project is coming close to ending I feel that I have managed to make extreme progress within the time spent doing this. When I first began the pic, I had very little understanding of the subject and everything that it features. I struggled to get used to using photoshop and blogger, which are both extreme parts of the course. It took me a couple of attempts to get to grips with the types of features that I would use more frequently as the course went on. The next hurdle for me was the work load. The amount of work was initially extremely difficult to manage with my time and was not assisted by my still underdeveloped knowledge of photoshop and blogger. After a few homework assignments I began to notice the routine tasks that were being set, and as a result I became able to complete the work set with a better understanding as I became accustomed to the layout and structure of work diaries and definition posts.

During the course, I found that the topics that I enjoyed most was tone and the Mapplethorpe images. I enjoyed these because I was more free to experiment with pictures and I was allowed to use more themes in my images due to the openness of the subjects. I also enjoyed going on the walks. This is mainly due to the fact that I had spent a lot of time within the same area photographing different topics. The change of scenery within the walks allowed me to experiment with the new locations and help look for interesting examples of the selected topics.

My understanding of taking pictures has also improved over the course of the project. When I started the project I didn't really have an understanding when it came to framing the photos. Thankfully, due to topics like Mapplethorpe and texture, I have been able to consider the different types of ways that I can improve my photography. I'm also a fan of the way that I was able to experiment with different techniques such as black and white filter with tone or a low shutter speed with movement. These different methods allow my pictures to have more depth and allow a wide range of variation within the different subjects.

In the forthcoming weeks I would like to represent all of the different things that I have learned in the topic within my images. I can do this by taking direct inspiration from photographers that I have researched such as Robert Mapplethorpe and reflecting their ideas within my own work. I also would like to dress any remaining issues that I have when it comes to taking pictures such as occasional issues with framing. In the end I hope that this results in an improved, consistent work standard within all of my images that I continue to take.

Back of Head Image Bank

Both of these images use back of head portraiture in a way that provides context to the image. The location is paired with the colours used within the image. This allows audiences to comprehend the tone of the image and understand some of the context of the image.

Back of heads are used in photography to offer some interesting ways of composing images. They can be used to highlight backdrops and also uses formal elements to produce extremely interesting results. Reflection is the most interesting technique as it allows you to see all aspects of the face.

Multiple Imagery

Mapplethorpe Location Work Diary

We were set with the task of capturing Robert Mapplethorpe inspired images within the environment. For this I wanted to focus on capturing interesting images while thinking about the composition. I was able to accomplish this by considering different angles in which I could compose the image and to consider how much of the frame I wanted to dedicate to the subject. I went out to shoot with a few reference images from Mapplethorpe in my head that I wanted to create around the environment. This would allow me to better understand his process and better apply his methods to the other images within the shoot.

This image is taking direct inspiration from one of Robert Mapplethorpe's pictures. I was a fan of how he used this pose to compose his image and I wanted to use this pose to replicate his technique. Formal elements can be seen within this image. The brickwork creates a large pattern which causes contrasts to be seen against the person to the right of the image. The light being cast across the photo show the contrasts in textures. The wall appears rough while the person appears smooth in comparison. Some obvious contrasts in the colour can be seen within the image. This is enhanced with the use of the black and white filter. The black and white colour of the t-shirt and the contrast of the dark wall against the pale skin tone form to cause the person to stand out from the background.

This image is interesting because eI have moved the camera in order to focus on filling the frame from the bottom of the image. This image was inspired from another one of Mpplethorpe's images in which he uses the same technique to fill the bottom of the frame. Clear contrasts are shown within the image. The flower within the image clashes with the dark colour of the hair. There are contrasts between her lighter colour clothing and the dark background which are enhanced by the black and white filter. Tone can be seen within the image which highlight details and the texture of the person's face and clothing.

Progression:

If I were to do this again I would look to show more variation within my images. I would do this by taking inspiration from Mapplethorpe's images and look for interesting ways of composing my pictures.