Final Pieces

Final Evaluation

When we started our photography A level we focused on the topic of the 10 formal elements; Line, Colour, Pattern, Depth, Texture, Tone, Form, Movement, Shape and Reflection. We looked at this because if we can focus on one particular element within a photograph it will help the way we photograph an image and also when evaluating an image. Towards the beginning of the topic I struggled to see what would consist of the formal elements however after a few lessons and further explanation from the teacher it gradually became easier and now towards the end of the topic I find it much easier to focus on them. I think the formal elements were a very good topic to start with because they helped to expand our knowledge and understanding of photography and the skills I have gained from this topic will help me in our next units.

I found it very difficult to photograph some topics such as depth however once I had done one shoot and gotten the teachers opinion and advice I felt that if I was to go and photograph the same topic again I would not struggle as much as the first time. My favourite formal element throughout the formal elements was probably movement because this was the most fun however also creative element. I would like to focus on movement again because I felt that this formal element was quite time consuming and because of this I could not take too many images.

After looking at all of the formal elements we began to look a little into using the studio and initially we used the studio for form so it would link to our formal elements topic. I was able to photograph studio form twice because I had some extra time one lesson and I found this very beneficial because it meant that I could use the skills that I had learnt from the first shoot within my second shoot. I like my studio form images very much because I think they are very creative and I liked trying out all of the different backdrops and lights. We also photographed back of heads, contrast and a Mapplethorpe style shoot in the studio and I liked all of these because I find them very interesting and I enjoy using the studio.  At first I struggled to photograph studio contrast because I could not think how to show contrast by using people and so in my first shoot I did take any photos that I felt clearly showed contrast. I then used the studio a further two times and managed to come out of these with a few images, although I did not have many images from these shoots however I think the few images I did manage to take showed contrast very well. For me, studio contrast would have been the hardest to photograph because I found it very difficult to understand how to show contrast within the studio.

After looking at studio contrast we then began to look at contrast more generally. We completed a mind map of all what contrast consists of and how we could show this and then we completed two location shoots. I found location contrast one of the easiest topics to photograph because contrast can be a variety of different things and are very easy to find. I also found this quite creative because you had to be able to recognise the contrast and then photograph it in a way that would show the contrast effectively, for example one of my images showed the contrast between the moss in the pavement and the stones on top of the pavement, to show the contrast of this I took a very low angled macro shot, focusing on both the stones and the moss.

Overall I have enjoyed this unit because it has expanded my skills and taught me a lot of things which will be good to use when I start my own topic, for example, what may count as a good photo, what photos work for me and how to edit them to the best of their worth. This unit has also helped me to understand the formal elements and how they are very important for photography and evaluating work. From this I have decided that I would like to use a mix of the studio and location in my next unit as I like and feel comfortable photographing in both however I would not like to focus on one particularly because I feel that this would get repetitive and become boring whereas if I used a mixture of location and studio I would have some variety.

20 Best Photographs

Connecting Essay

This is an image that I have taken and then used photoshop to add soft focus. I think this is effective because it covers up all of the imperfections, on my image I have left the opacity quite high so her face contrasts very strongly with her eyes and lips. Her skin looks very airbrushed and I think this is good because it makes her skin look clear and without imperfections. Her eyes and lips stand out very well because they are the only things in the image which are not blurred. I think this image is very effective because the background is very dark which means that you cannot see how this is blurred. 

This is a soft focus image that I found on the internet, this would have been produced on photoshop to cover up the imperfections of the women's face. The blur on this image is very weak which means the features do not stand out very well however there is a slight blur. The fact that the women's eyes are naturally very dark from her make-up also makes this image look very effective. This image was taken against a black background however there is a light area on the background near the women which makes her stand out and her skin appear very vibrant.

These two images are very similar because they are both showing soft focus and they are both also photographed against a black background, the difference between the backgrounds is that I have kept my image very dark however in the internet image it is slightly lighter with a more grey tone directly behind the model. The soft focus in my image is also much stronger than in the internet image as this is a very weak soft focus. In my image Ellie also has a very serious expression and seems slightly sincere however in the internet image the model appears to be pulling a pose and also smiling. The model in the  internet image also has blonde hair and in my opinion this makes her skin look a very bright colour as it of a similar tone however Ellie's hair contrasts with her skin because it is dark. 

Connecting Essay

This is my photo joiner image, to produce this I took lots of close-up, detailed images and then used a blank canvas on photoshop to overlap and merge the images. I like this image because it is slightly similar to his face as most of the images line up quite well however it does not fit together perfectly. I think this image looks very good as a photo joiner as although his face is very similar and almost fits together, the bricks in the background do not match up and I think this looks better. I have taken all of these image front on however if I was to produce this again I would maybe take some different images from different angles to vary it a little. The formal elements which are in this image are line because of the bricks in the background and also pattern as the bricks make up a pattern. 

This is David Hockney's  photo joiner of a face, he has produced this in the same method I used to complete mine. I like this image because he has used multiple viewpoints and constructed the image using the varied viewpoints. I think the use of the different viewpoints and angles is effective because it helps us imagine how the object would look as a 3D object. 

These two images are similar because they are both photojoiner's of people faces. Within both of these photos it includes the head and neck however in Hockney's image we can also see the woman's shoulders. I think it looks better with the shoulders because you can show all the different viewpoints in this image. These images are different because in my photo joiner I have taken all of the images from directly in front of him however David Hockney has has taken his from different angles and viewpoints. Hockney may also have taken these images from different distances from the model. 

Connecting Essay

 

This is an image of a drain cover which I found on the internet, this image shows texture very well because we can see exactly how this drain cover would feel. This image is not very good because it was taken directly above the drain so we cannot see the depth within the image. This also isn't very good because the image is not very good quality as there is no variation in the colour. If this image was taken at a different angle it may improve the image because we would see shadows and a variety of colours slightly better. I think this image would also be much better if it was slightly closer up as this is very zoomed out. The entire composition is full in this image because the whole composition is taken up by the drain however as this was taken quite far away, the shapes are too small and this makes the composition less effective. 

This is my own image of a drain cover, I took this whilst looking at texture and think this portrays texture very well because I have taken this so that you can see the depth of the raised areas. This also shows texture because we can see the shadows on the different shapes. I like this image because I have taken it from an unusual angle and I have also taken this very close up which makes the image look better. I also think this picture is very effective because it is blurred in some areas however clear in others. I like how in this image the composition is full and this makes the picture more effective. 

These images are slightly similar because they are both taken of the same object however there are some differences between the two images. The internet image was taken from directly above the drain however I took my image from a low angle and in my opinion my photo is slightly better as it shows texture easier due to being able to see all of the shadows and also the difference between the colours. My image was also taken much closer to the drain and this means that my image has more depth because the shapes re bigger within the image. These are also similar however because in both of the images the whole composition is full. 

Pre-Completion Evaluation

We are close to finishing the first unit of photography, I think this unit has gone rather well. I think this because I have completed all of the work and feel that I have completed it to the best standard I can. I have also really enjoyed this topic as we have gone into more depth within our photographs, we have done this by focusing on separate formal elements as these are very important to look at whilst taking photographs. By focusing on separate formal elements it has made it easier for me to evaluate any photographs because I now realise that you need to focus individually on each element.

Whilst photographing the formal elements my favourite to photograph was still movement as I found this the most challenging of them all. To photograph movement we had to change the settings on the camera which meant I had to understand how to use my camera fully. We also had to try and find objects which moved which was not too difficult. I generally liked photographing the formal elements however because I felt that it meant I could use a variety of different areas whereas once I have chosen my own topic in the next unit I will always focus on this for example if I choose to do certain subjects I may often have to use the studio. Whilst I love using the studio it mixes it up a bit to go out and photograph on location. I really enjoyed photographing studio form as it meant that we had to turn the lights off and experiment with the lighting to create shading. It was more interesting to photograph if people were pulling silly faces because these created unusual shadows within the photographs.

I also really liked photographing on the walks and focusing on autumn colours as I felt I could create some very interesting compositions. I  like focusing on really close up, detailed images which are photographed using the macro setting. I find this very creative and these would be my favourite type of photo. I took some very effective macro photos of leaves, I felt that using the macro setting brought the colours out and made them look very bright and vibrant.

In conclusion I think this unit has gone very well however I do think that the next topic would be better because throughout this unit I have been learning how to use the different cameras, how to adjust the studio and also how to use photoshop however I feel I am comfortable using them now so the next unit will be much easier to do. I will also have a better understanding of what makes a good image meaning that out of the images I take, more of them will be picked to be edited.

David Hockney

David Hockney is an English painter, draughtsmen, printmaker, stage designer and photographer born on the 9th July 1937. He is an important figure within the pop art movement of the 1960's and he is considered one of the most influential British artist of the 20th century. In the early 1980's, Hockney began prodding photo collages which we now call photo joiners. Using polaroid or photolab-prints of a single subject and then arranging them in a patchwork fashion to make a different composition. Because the separate images are taken from slightly different angles and different perspectives, his work  relates to cubism. 

I chose to look at Hockney's work because I think his photo joiners are very complex and they are put together very well.  

This is one of David Hockney's photo joiner, this photo joiner was taken of a street with two trees. This image is composed of many separate small images and Hockney has put them back together to recreate the street. I think this images very effective because although the smaller images do not match up perfectly they still fit together well to create a larger image.

This is another of Hockney's photo joiners, in this image he has taken images from a few different angles so this image does not look true to the object. I like this image because it is very abstract and different to the original object and I think Hockney has put the images together very well. 

This is one of Hockney's photo joiners of a road. This photo joiner is made of many small images however he has taken so many that he has been able to put them together to make this very true to how the road would look. Although we can see that this is a photo joiner, it is put together very well so that we can imagine exactly how the landscape looked from Hockney's point of view.

This is a photo joiner with Hockney created of an elderly woman's face, this photo joiner is very different because he has taken the images from different angles and also from different distanced so that  some of her facial features are different sizes in different areas of the image. I like this because it is taken of a face so we know exactly how it should look however because he has taken the images in such an abstract form that we cannot see her face very easily. 

Influence 

David Hockney's work influenced me because he was the biggest photo joiner photographer. He is also the only photo-joiner photographer I have looked at therefore his work was the best standard I had looked at. His work is also influential because he uses different styles within his photo-joiners, for example in some of his photo joiners he makes it very realistic however in some others he uses different angles which makes the, less realistic.

This is one example of my photo joiners, this image was influenced by David Hockney's photo joiner of the street. I would have liked to have replicated it more closely by photographing a street also however, I could not do this within college and I think my photo joiner of this building is quite similar. I have made mine slightly different to Hockney's due to using bigger images whereas Hockney's are very close up and detailed in comparison.

Summary

When I originally looked at Hockney's work I did not like it very much as I thought that they didn't fit together very well however once i'd learnt more about photo-joiners I understood his images slightly better. I also like how he uses different styles within his work. 

Work Diary

During this lesson we also went in the studio to photograph in Mapplethorpe’s style. I found this slightly easier than photographing on location as the background was plain and simple and also because Mapplethorpe tended to photograph in a studio so our studio photographs were closer to his style. I found this very interesting as we could use the different backgrounds however I found that my favourite background was the black because this was closer to his style. I also had the idea of using some props in the studio and the only reason we didn’t get around to this was because we ran out of time.

This is one of my Mapplethorpe studio images, I like this image because I think it shows lots of emotion and is also very similar to Mapplethorpes images. To produce this I photographed in the studio however I turnt off one light to create the shadow on his face. I think this is effective because it shows more form and also makes it more similar to Mapplethorpe's work. 

This is another of my studio Mapplethorpe images, I like this image because Ellie is looking off to the distance and this makes her look very dramatic, I also like how I have zoomed out slightly for this so that she fits directly in the middle of the composition. To improve this I think I could have changed the editing for the black and white effect as I think her face looks very dull where I could have made it slightly brighter as this would be closer to Mapplethorpe's style. 

Progress

If I was to photograph in Mapplethorpe’s style using the studio again I would like to have more time in there as I felt I had more ideas however ran out of time, more time would also mean that I could have experimented with different backdrops as I was only able to use the black backdrop however Mapplethorpe sometimes used a white backdrop. I would also like to use a few props as Mapplethorpe occasionally used props within his work such as weapons or chairs. 

Work Diary

During this session we were tasked to photograph in Mapplethorpes style whilst on location, at first I found this very difficult because I was unsure what Mapplethorpes style was however after looking through some of his images and making an image bank I found that I understood how he liked to photograph people. When we went out to photograph we were in small groups and this made it easy for us to complete this task as there was a few people I could use within my images. Towards the beginning I was struggling to focus on the face of the person so the background was blurred however after a few attempts we realised that the model must be standing away from the background and this would let the camera focus easier on the face of the model. I liked photographing in this style and found that I was able to produce quite a few images in Mapplethorpe’s style.

This is one of my Location Mapplethorpe images, I like this because I have captured similar emotions to what Mapplethorpe tends to photograph and the composition is also different to other images that I took. To improve this image I could have taken the photo against a different background as the lines are not straight however if i straighten them then George would not be straight.

This is another of my location Mapplethorpe images, I like this image because in my opinion, this background is much more suitable as it it simple however I do not like this image very much as Josh is not looking towards the camera and I prefer Mapplethorpe's images where the model is looking directly at the camera. I could have also taken this image slightly closer to Josh as I feel that I took this image too far away and included more of his body. 

Progress

If I was to go out and photograph Mapplethorpe’s style images on location again I would focus on the backgrounds a little more as I felt my backgrounds made it slightly difficult for me to edit as quite often I used a background with lines and sometimes these were not straight however if I straightened them, the model would then be slanted. Therefore if I was to repeat this lesson I would try and find some plainer background to photograph against as I felt the pink and orange backgrounds were very effective.

Work Diary

During this lesson we photographed studio contrast again, I found this slightly easier than last time as we photographed in a particular order which meant I knew which images were my own this time and we also had a better understanding on how we could show studio contrast. I felt like my ideas this time were much better than my ideas in the last shoot and I am much happier with the images. From this session however I do not have too many images as we ran out of time in the studio.

This is one of my studio contrast images, this image shows contrast because George (left) appears to be happy and Josh (right) appears to be sad. I like this image because I think the composition is good as there is very little wasted space and I also like the meaning under the contrast. To improve this image I could have used a different backdrop as Josh is wearing all black so it is difficult to see his clothes. 

This is another of my studio contrast images, this shows contrast because not only are they different sex's but Ellie is facing forward and George is facing backwards so they are looking in different directions, I like this image because all the tones within the image are very similar for example George and Ellie are both wearing Greys and Blacks, their hairs are both dark and the back drop is also black. 

Progress

I will need to photograph studio contrast again due to the fact that I have no straight images from the first time we photographed studio contrast however before I do this I would like to write a list of ways I can show contrast whilst in the studio as I find that once I am in the studio I have forgotten all of my ideas. I will also hope to have longer in the studio as I feel that I do not end up with a wide enough variety of images as I would like to use a few different coloured backdrops however this does not always happen as very often we run out of time.