My First Roll of Film

In previous assignments I finished all the research before I started to take images after I had finished all the research so this time I am starting to take images very early and do artist researches alongside.

I feel that the circled images are the best computationally so I may consider using them.

  

This image shows how nature is around us and how it is constantly trying to be in our lives even though we live an urban lifestyle, represented by the large amount of grey. I really like how the brightness of the green really stands out. It seems to attract you to the image and towards that area specifically. This is kind of like nature is trying to get the audiences attention.

  

This image uses the rule of thirds to separate the image into two halves and it uses similar colours; which are man made and natural together to in essence hold the two worlds together. One world of bricks and the other of metal.

  

I feel that this image used colour very effectively because the main colours are both warm and the wall behind the grit bin has green fungi growing up it. This contrasts with the warm colours and makes them stand out even more. Maybe I could also use this image to enhance other images as well making both images stronger.

 

I find that the angle I have used in this image quite strange because we don't usually look at cars like this, usually it is more of a flat angle. This gives the viewer a new perspective looking at their own cars as well as this image. The hand prints also create a pattern which might lead the viewer through the image. The fact that this car was so dirty also sparks the viewers imagination about the owner of the vehicle; adding humour to the image because I always imagine him/her walking away from the car with black hands.

 

I took this image because of the contrasting colour bands on the beer containers. however I feel that the entrance of the stairs is more interesting. This is because as you follow it up the angle changes so your perspective changes. The containers then create a texture behind it making a new depth to the image.

I found these shoes just lying in the position here however they look as if they have been placed there. They look almost delicate because of the angle they are at. They seem to be positioned as if they would be in a magazine however they were here in a back alley; making this image surreal.

 

This image shows the decay of the world around us and how things change but are never forgotten. The maroon shade is abviously the original colour and damp has gotten under the paint, peeling it away.

  

I have used this image because of the individual colour against the dull browns and greys surrounding the pink. I also chose this angle so that I could capture the reflection of the tree in the water which would add more texture to the image.

  

I feel like the two walls are fighting each other because of their different patterns. They seam like they are protecting there territory and the blue pipe is the boundry line. The containers are quite timid and stay away from the old brickwork who seams more agressive and leans over at it.

 

This image uses lines and colours as its main attraction. Unlike my other images based on colour this one is a little desaturated. This allows you to focus on the lines and the patterns that is created by the chipping wood and paint.

Martin Parr

Parr was born in England, 1952. His grandfather inspired him in his teens to take up photography and studied it in university. He has created a worldwide reputation with his social documentation. His images create a sense of humour because he creates images that reflect a strange reality that we can relate to and in essence put ourselves in the image. Travelling all around the world to photograph has allowed him to experience all different cultures and see how cultures have mixed together to create familiar situations. In 1994; Parr became a full member of Magnum Photos.


This image was taken in Ramsgate, England 1996 and it is called New British. Parr has used very saturated colours which make it very garish. The brightness is overpowering however he has used this to make the structure of the image. All the areas of red creates a triangle which places the main subject (the doughnut) in the middle of the image. The blue of the coat takes up a large portion of the background and contrasts the red; enhancing the garishness and definition. I think that this image combines natural light and superficial light from the camera. The shadow along the blue coat in the upper left corner indicates that there is intense light shining down from behind an object and onto the model. However this would create a lot of shadows behind the arms and create a larger contrast across the red. This is why I believe that a frontal flash has been used and balanced the shadow and intensified the exposure on the foreground. This image feels very familiar because when families go out to leisure locations like the beach you often see children eating junk food and getting it all over themselves. Often Parents photograph this moment because it is funny and a memory that they want to capture. Parr on the other hand has only taken a picture of the food which leaves the image of the mess to our imagination to think about and come up with.

This image was taken in United Arab Emirates, Dubai at the DIFC Gulf Art Fair, 2007. It looks like this image was taken in a gallery because of how clean the white walls are and the information plates to either side on the artwork. The model is centrally positioned in the frame admiring the work. Based on the clothing I would guess that he was a fan of the artists or another similar to them. All the lighting that has been used is superficial. A gallery would have very good safe lighting for the artwork so that the audience can view the artwork properly. This would have been positioned from above; this is supported by the shadow under the right arm. However I can also see a shadow behind the models hair suggesting that Parr has used flash from the camera again. This would explain the lack of contrast from ripples in the shirt and why the models hair looks like it it shining. The fact that the models clothing matches the art work it makes me feel like this is trying to show the living embodiment of the work. As if it has come to life and walked out of the painting. This image reminds me of positions where I have been at events and very enthusiastic fan have dressed up and stand out. I am sure that this character would have stood out amongst the crowd.

William Eggleston

Born 1939 in Memphis; he has attended many high schools and often started university courses but never finished them. His interest in photography was desultory until he was given a book of Henri Cartier-Bresson's work, Eggleston became inspired. Since the 60's most of his work has been in colour and has won many awards since.

This image is titled Downtown Morton, Mississippi. I think that this image was taken as the sun was setting and used a long exposure to capture the light as it was setting over the edge of the building. Since as the light is behind the building a silhouette occurs. The light from the lamp illuminates the front of the building which looks like an official building. The green tone radiating from the lamp contrasts withe the orange of the clouds however the purple of the sky is a cold colour contrasting with the orange and green. The top of the buildings create a block line alternating in height which splits the image in half. Power lines interupt the image by running across the sky adding texture to the bright sky.

Titled Memphis; the background to this image is left quite broad. Looking at this image it makes me feel quite sad. I think that this is because of the grey sky and the contrast it has to the black. It looks like this image was taken with the camera sitting on the ground, giving the impression that the tricycle is larger than the houses. The houses presence in the image is nulled by the intensity of the structure formed by the tricycle. The clear circular shapes formed by the wheels lie on the rule of thirds and the central column connects them to each other; which helps the viewer through the image. It creates a path for the audience’s eyes to look through the image. The colour of the tricycle in this image looks blue however I have seen a print of this image which shows that the true colour is actually green. Which contrasts with the red and orange of the handles and rust. The contact points between the wheels and the ground are very small creating the illusion that it’s floating or that it has been placed there specifically. However I know that Eggleston wouldn't have staged it because he simply documents his surroundings.  The tricycle is evidence that there would have children here however the lack of people says otherwise
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Henri Cartier-Bresson

Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer born 1908 and died 2004. Into his 20's and 30's he was an artist; painter and sketcher. This was until he found his passion of photography with the help of a Leica. After escaping from a prisoner of war camp in WW2 he photographed the liberation of Paris with other photographers and co founded Magnum Photos after the war.

 This image is titled FRANCE, Paris, The Quai St Bernard, near the Gare d'Austerlitz railway station, 1932. This image is a clear documentation of the time and place and Cartier-Bresson's distinct style is visible. He always exercises his skill to capture the specific moment where a subject is doing something that he may not be able to photograph again so easily. This man leaning over the edge to see something may have only been possible to capture for a split second which Cartier-Bresson has achieved effortlessly. The central wall is the wall of a rail line and it has been placed in the middle of the frame which separates the image by the style of the landscape. the right side is pedestrianised and the left looks like a loading or storing facility. On the left if looks like it has been snowing however this is not evidenced on the right. Subjects in the image are wearing trench coats and hats which would emphasise that it was cold. Usually at the time of year where it snows cloud cover is very dense which has affected the tones and contrast that was achievable. 

This is an image of Martine's Legs taken in 1967. I think that this is an amazing piece of documentary photography because this might be the way that she sits every time that she reads. It is documenting part of the subjects character. Its part of her and how it defines who she is because this position is so peculiar. Her legs look so delicate how the one is completely intertwined around the other and only the edge of the shoe is visible over the edge of the other leg. However because it is so peculiar you start to question who she is and what she does. The luxurious furniture and the fashionable dress would suggest that she is upper class. This indicates that she may have the time and space to be able to do this by herself. The light is quite intense from the left behind the furniture and I would guess that the source is from a window. The direction of the light creates a very soft contrast across the legs which also support and emphasises how delicate the positioning is.

Proposal

I have recently taken an interest in William Eggleston's work and his method of taking images. I find it very interesting how he plans out every shot extensively in his head beforehand however when it comes to taking the image he makes it look effortless and smooth. He works extensively with colour because he was one of the first practitioners to use it as a professional form. I find that I struggle to use colour especially on film which he does.

Eggleston looks at the banal things in life. Some things that we may take for granted and just accept that it's normal. However the angles that he uses and the printing style make angles, lines and subject colours stand out and make it look spectacular. This will allow me to look at the practitioners that influenced him and which he has also influenced.

I am going to use his style to adapt my own and create my own specific style. This involves using similar equipment and methods. I am going to use 35mm colour film and a film camera with interchangeable lens'. This stays true to not only Egglestons methods but also other practitioners like Henri Cartier-Bresson who used his effortless methods to capture distinct moments and simplify complex scenes with his compositional skills.

I can see that the images I am aiming to produce would be shown in galleries or in a photography book. I am going to treat this body of work more as a series of art documenting the world around us that we don't necessarily see rather than a piece of documented fact that would be in a newspaper.

The materials and locations that I will need are easily accessible from online shops and the environment around me. However I would like to travel to different and new areas to capture things that I have never seen before. This will not only expand my own knowledge but might increase the effectiveness of my images.

I already know the type of photographers I am going to research and who influence me already. I have decided to briefly look at images that influence me and start shooting images as soon as possible. This will give me a chance to re-shoot if necessary and means that I will have definite images by the deadline date. After taking initial images I will spend more time on expanding my research and practise possible experimentation on location.

I have been considering displaying my work on an online gallery where all images will be accessible by my audience and I will also be able to collect their views and opinions. However if I am to consider this work as a body of work then I feel that I have to consider having them published in a book. This is something I may have to weigh up, decide on one or both.

The truth behind the lies - floating images

I am going to experiment with fast shutter speeds to create an image that will tell a lie to my audience. A fast shutter speed will allow me to make a subject float in mid air inside the image, giving the impression that this is a natural thing.

Zhao Huasen is a chinese born photographer who made a series of images called floating. In this body of work he photographed hundreds of people going about their daily routine on bicycles and motorbikes. He would then digitally remove the body of the transport; leaving only the shadows.

 

I feel that these images are quite humourous. If the mode of transport was present then the subjects body positioning would look very natural however they look very odd and misplaced because they seem to be sitting on thin air. Huasen has very carefully used editing software to completly repair everything that was covered by the mode of transport to make it look smooth and 'normal.' This would have taken a lot of time, patients and skill. The only area that looks unusual is the contact areas between the wheels and the ground. They are a lot darker than the rest of the shadow, showing that there must be a point of contact there. However this may have been done on purpose to enhance the idea that there should be something there that they are meant to be sitting on.

A fast shutter speed has been used to make these images and it looks like the apperture was quite small as well because the focus is similar throughout the distances in this image. The shadow clearly show that these settings would have been possible unlike England at this time of year. I will probably be forced to use a high ISO to allow me to use fast shutter speeds.

If I were Huasen I would have tried to make images with more than just one subject. I would like to see what it would be like with several people floating all in one frame. Maybe when they pull up to traffic lights and they all line up on invisible transport.

I have used this as an influence to create my own piece of work.               

I have done many things to this image to give it a specific look. I have used a car as the transport that has disappeared so I thought that I could make it look similar to the sort of style that they use for the popular british show Top Gear. When they take a car down country roads they often desaturate the image and add a vignette so that is what I have done. The crop I have placed on it is also a widescreen crop (16:9); continuing the Top Gear look. The contrast in this image is strong and makes the subject stand out against the red of the car. The light on the model is also the same as the setting making it look more realistic and smooth with the surroundings.

To make this image I started with a plain image of the setting.

 I then placed an image of myself over the top sitting on a stool. Using a layer mask I was able to erase the stool leaving myself hanging in air without a car.

I then adjusted the saturation and added a filter layer to give it a blue tint similar to that of the Top Gear show.

I flattened the image into one layer and used the brush tool with a light opacity, coloured black to create a vignette around the image.

If I was to do this task again I would make grooves in the rubble to show the tyres of an invisible car. I might have also edited in a light shadow for how big the car was. 

Introduction

This brief is a live brief in corrolation with an exhibition being held at the QUAD Derby by the Format International Photography Festival. Format have given their exhibitors the word 'evidence' to base their work on. They are looking for photographers to study and produce work that may strengthen or weaken the known saying "the camera never lies."

Manipulated images often question the truth of this quote by create unseen subjects or subjects of myth. However some photographers use their skills and equipment to practice this as documentative photography. This is truth of that phrase to its fullest. 

We take pictures constantly to document our lives and they are very personal to us; however others won't understand it the way that we do. This is a form of evidence of our lives.

To pass this unit I will have to describe and explain location photographies characteristics. Then practice what I have researched and reflect on how effective this was to my research and to the brief. Finally I will have to review all of my work critically to improve my own practice and results.