CL - Abstract Nature - Candidate Number 3079 - 46725 - PGHS by missmorrispghs

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abstract nature - CHARLIE LYGO / GCSE PHOTOGRAPHY

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CHARLIE LYGO / GCSE PHOTOGRAPHY PERSONAL PROJECTS: ABSTRACT NATURE

CONTACT SHEET

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACTION Abstraction is, using a raw or morphed image, which has detail, but little defined shape. The examples which have used, include line, light and tone, with form used more sparingly. These images all focus particularly on texture and colour. There is little contrast within the images, which helps blend and distort the images further. For example, the tree trunk is completely monotone, but there is plenty of line and texture. These elements work together to create an interesting, pleasing photograph. Abstract photography focuses in on one section of an object, It focuses more on the elements. Abstract photography is non-objective, meaning the image does not focus on an object, but rather the elements within the object.

INVESTIGATION OF ELEMENTS / PHOTOGRAPHY SHOOT (line/pattern/tone) In my shoot, I used a compact camera, with a 3.3 aperture. the weather was cloudy, and it had just recently stopped raining. this created a bad quality of lighting, because some of the areas I shot, were overexposed, and others underexposed. I prefer to get close up to the subject, it helps to blur the background. I used a low vantage point for most of the images, to capture more of the subject than the surrounding buds and leaves. I learned what lighting works best, and that I need more practice, with shooting in colour. I learned this from my second shoot, which was done in black and white. This shoot turned out well, with around five successful images, while the coloured shoot only had one.

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Artist investigation/ Edward Weston

“This then: to photograph a rock, have it look like a rock, but be more than a rock.” – Edward Weston

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Why this artist? to begin my abstract nature investigations, I will initially study the work of Edward Weston because his art is monotone, and uses low key lighting. Who are they? Edward Weston was born on the 24th of March 1886, and is know for his stunning photography, done with an analogue camera. Why this quote? I chose this quote because it mentions rocks, which are included in nature, and it also mentions mak89ig a rock look like something else, which is abstract. Abstract nature. Why this video? It contains many beautiful images, in many different genres.

Below are a selection of 10 Weston images, that are inspirational to me because they all different, but have something ion common with one another. for example, they are all plants, but some are fruit, some vegetables, and a single flower.

SEMI Analysis/ Edward Weston The Photographer of this image is called Edward Weston.

The title of this

Photograph is Pepper No. 30 dating back to the 1930's. The genre of this photograph is still life. The props I can see in this picture are a pepper, and a scratched plant pot. The composition of the photo shows a pepper, placed inside of a plant pot. the background is completely black, and the foreground is shadowed. The rule of thirds has been used well, as the pepper is sat evenly in the middle of the frame. The viewer’s eye is lead around the photo because of the composition & perspective Weston has used. The perspective that Weston has taken the photo from is at eye level. This perspective is effective because it draws the viewer's eyes to the subject of the photograph. The Photographer employs a range of visual elements in his work. The most striking elements are tone, shape, and form. Shape and form both make the subject look like what it isn't. it brings abstraction to the image. the pepper looks almost like a boxer, or a bell. The photo has been taken from a short distance so that the plant pot isn't shown, only the shadows and darkness it creates. This is so the pepper is the main focal point of the image. The subject has been placed in the foreground. By doing this the viewer’s eyes are lead onto the subject. The photo has been taken using a studio, using lamps and artificial light from a soft box. POWERED BY https://charliegcsephotographypghs.weebly.com/abstract-nature.html

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The light source is placed above which is highlighting the curves and dips of the

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plant. Also, it crates shadow on the lower portion of the pepper. This creates an atmosphere because of the shadows interacting with the smooth surface of the pepper, creating shadows, reflections, and contrast. To emulate this photograph myself, I would use the same camera settings as Weston, but different equipment, such as cameras and tripods. my shoot would be indoors, as I do not have access to a studio. Additionally I would also need to research what Weston used to create strong shadows, and a sense of depth. I feel the photo coveys a message of mystery and strength. It does this by keeping the background blacked out, and the shape of the subject looks like a wrestler or boxer. This is relevant to our theme because abstract nature is seen within the photograph.

Shoot plan / Edward Weston This shoot was inspired by Edward Weston because his artwork is very interesting, and contains many of the elements of art. his piece, Pepper no.30,contains many shapes and shades, but can be easily emulated. The shoot will take place in the afternoon, indoors because this way, I can control the lighting. The prop used will be an apple, because they have plenty of detail and texture, and can be easily manipulated to have a different shape.The lighting conditions will require are high brightness, as I need to capture every detail. I will experiment using low key because that is what the inspiring artist uses. My subject will be side lit. The lighting will be artificial light and natural light I intend to shoot with a compact camera because they are light and easy to use I intend to use a small aperture f/22 for a large depth of field I intent to use a fast shutter speed because it will create a darker, sharper image.

Edward Weston shoot

Shoot plan/ Edward Weston My shoot was inspired by Edward Weston's work on natural forms. my shoot was done outdoors, as I did not have any interesting vegetables to capture, but I still stuck to the natural idea. I did not use any props, but a wall to lean on. The lighting was all natural, and was done in the early morning. I shot the images on my compact camera, because I have no other option at the moment. I used a a fast shutter speed in an attempt to reduce light.

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Edward Weston / Contact Sheet

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Edward Weston / Best Images

I like this image because of the small depth of field, and the

I like this image because of the amount of detail and focus it

stripe of white down the middle of the image.

contains. I like how the focus is all concentrated to once side of the image.

I like the shadows ion this image, and the line coming from the shape of the plant pot. it creates a leading line towards the

I like how dark this image is, and how well it is focussed. the intensity of the background blur works very well with the

onion, the subject.

amount of detail.

Edward Wetson / Best Edited Image This image went well. During edited I altered the exposure, brightness, lightness, and added a slight red tint to the image. This aged the image, and made it look more similar to Weston's work, in my opinion. I also used the heal took to fix some spots in the background, and unwanted highlights on the plant pot. It could be improved by getting rid of the dark triangle on the right hand side, which was created by the border between the paper background and the black lamp stand. Also, the edge of the onion is slightly unfocused, I would change this.

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Abstraction through Cyanotypes nna Atkins was a botanist and photographer, born in 1799. A Advantages of cyanotypes-cyanotypes are relatively cheap, and easy to do, and there is no darkroom needed. Disadvantages of cyanotypes- cyanotypes can take days to develop, if the levels of UV light are low.

Here are my cyanotypes which I made in lesson. I enjoyed the process of making these, as it was interesting, and new. we used a photo sensitive material, and masked parts of it with paper. this created a very abstract piece.

Horst P. Horst/ The unfamiliar and abstracted Fashion photographer Horst P. Horst used rotational symmetry to create new patterns. His book, Patterns from Nature (1946), has inspired me to create my own series of rotational symmetry patterns using my work so far. Here are some of my examples:

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Rotational Symmetry Examples / Horst P. Horst

I like this image the best, top left, because of the combination of greens and blues, against the white shapes. The forms of this piece are curved and more gentle than the others. I like the top right image because of the darker blue background than the other images, this make the white, unbalanced, shapes stand out more. I like the bottom left image the least because it looks almost underexposed and too bright, although I do like the shapes and forms within it. I like the bottom right image because of the flowing shapes, and darker blue patches. It could be improved by adding in some green, like the top and bottom left.

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Artist investegation/ Karl Blossfeldt I chose this quote because we are studying nature, and it's beauty. Also, we need to capture this unexplainable beauty, and

Nature

educates

into

beauty

and

inwardness and is a source of the most noble pleasure.

take fun out of it.

Why this artist?

I chose this video because it is informative, and

After studying the work of Edward Weston, Anna Atkins and Horst P. Horst, I will now further my research into abstract nature by looking at the work pf Karl Blossfeldt. His artwork has a restful composition, with the plain background,

shows great examples of Blossfeldt's work. Below are 10 examples of Blossfeldt's work.

and focused subject. The element of line is used dramatically, where the background separates itself cleanly with the subject. The images use low key lighting, which Who is he? Karl Blossfeldt was born in mid 1865, and died late 1932. He is most famous for his rotational symmetry work, as shown earlier.

Shoot plan/ Karl Blossfeldt This shoot was inspired by Karl Blossfeldt because I have been looking at the way he creates abstracted forms from nature and I was keen to emulate his style. The shoot will take place in the classroom and at home for homework. I used the classroom because I can set up a Lightroom for high key photography, and at home I improvised by making a mini light studio. The props used will be natural forms such as seed heads and shells because these were commonly seen in Blossfeldt's work and provide good amounts of texture, line and form. I will shoot in high key for the majority of my images using a combination of soft boxes, LED lighting and also natural ambient light. I will control the lighting to avoid shadows and contrast. I will use the school camera, (DSLR 4000d / prime lens 50mm / tripod / UV filter) and my own camera which will be a DSLR. The high key camera setup will need an aperture of f/22 and a shutter speed of 1'' however on my own camera I will use these settings. manual aperture priority f/22 shutter speed 1''. I intend to use a small aperture f/22 for a large depth of field, and will shoot in sepia to give an aged look to the photographs.

Editing process / Karl Blossfeldt To edit my Karl Blossfeldt images I used the online editing software PIXLR. When editing my images I focussed on three key areas of cropping. adjusting the background and amending the levels of the image. Here are some screen shots of this editing proccess.

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1- cropping the image to the rule of thirds:

2- Using the magic wand tool to select and edit the background:

3- Adjusting the levels of the image for the correct range of tones and contrast:

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Karl Blossfeldt Emulation / 9 Best Images

My Edited Overlays/ Karl Blossfeldt

In PIXLR, we edited images, using the levels and vignette tools. we also added overlays onto the images, to add texture to the background of the image. I added the image as a layer, and changed the options around until it looked right. I used the 'overlay' option, as this suited the image best. The vignette I added, created a gentle vintage effect, to match the work of Karl Blossfeldt

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In school, I used a prime lens and a box light, while at home I used pure ambient lighting. I edited these images using Photofunia and PIXLR, and the tools such as crop, and selection, this helped to add overlays to the images, and to add a vintage style frame. The most successful work I did was the digital edits, because of the good lighting, that i was able to edit to fit the style of Blossfeldt's work. The exposure of the images worked well with the overlays, and created a strong contrast within the images.

I struggled with the animation, as I did not have enough time or knowledge to complete it to a proper standard. I would like to improve my artist research skills, and my photoshoots, as well as these animations. Blossfeldt's work portrays a sense of age, and intelligence, and i would like to recreate this in my future work.

Dennis Wojtkiewicz z. Wojtkiewicz's work is more colourful, and modern than Blossfeldt's, although both use limited colours. Blossfeldt's work is monotonal, but Wojtkiewicz's is in colour. each piece of his work uses very few colours, yellow being the most common among his work. His work has a strong balance, each piece's subject is situated in the middle of the frame, spreading equally out to the sides. The work shows no movement or noise, and does show pattern.

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Artist Investigation / Dennis Wojtkiewicz Email quote- direct artist response Miss G., I use a Canon EOS 90D camera with a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM fixed lens. The only reason I even know about the technology is because my colleague told me that's what I needed and would be the biggest bang for the buck. The rest of it is all by feel. I have absolutely no photo training. For me that suffices because I'm not hung up on technical stuff. Just looking for ways to capture information for my paintings. Why this artist? The final artist

the

abstract

nature

project

Dennis Wojtkiewicz. This artist differs from my other artists because his work is purely to paint from. Also, his work is the only one I have seen to have fruit, instead of flowers or vegetables. however, there are similarities in his use of natural forms, and detailed line. Who are they? Dennis Wojtkiewicz was born in Poland, and is best known for his "translucent" paintings. his website is http://www.wojtkiewiczart.com/ Why this quote? This is a quote from a direct email; response from Dennis w himself. from the email I was able to understand what equipment and techniques he uses such as a canon EOS 90D camera, and a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro USM fixed lens. Why this video? This video was inspirational to me because it showed many images o his, of varying colours, shapes, and tones. The images show complementary colours, and good back lighting.

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Photographic Techniques/ Macro Photography Macro photography is the art of photographing from close up, or small objects. it's benefits are getting a crisp, clean image of such a small subject. Some specialist equipment is, a tripod, macro lens, and a photo booth. If this equipment is not available, some hacks include putting a drop of water on a phone camera lens, using a reverse rings and using a magnifying glass.

Post editing/ Dennis Wojtkiewicz

Editing step 1- In this step, I used the adjustment tools to enhance the colour, saturation and contrast within the images.

Editing step 2- I this step I changed the background of the image, using the Marquee tool.

This helped to amend my exposure and bring forth fine detail within the fruit,

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Editing step 3- in this step I further edited the fruit's hue and saturation. Editing step 4- In this step I duplicated and rotated the fruit to create a pattern.

Rotational designs/ Dennis Wojtkiewicz Using rotational symmetry and the work of Horst. P, Horst I have created a series of rotational designs using the abstract elements of shape, colour, form, tone, repetition and harmony. I will develop these further using PIXLR.

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Evaluation/ Abstract nature My work on Abstract Nature, the rotational symmetry, had good use of space and colour, although could be improved on my adding a better sense of form, and unity. I used backlighting, by placing the subject on a lightbox, and also using the ambient lighting in the room. It was an aerial photo, which was achieved by the use of a tripod, and laying the subject out flat on the lightbox. The original and final images are both very different, due to this overlay. There was good contrast within the image, achieved by editing, using Pixlr E. The composition was restful, and rather simple, due to the subject being only 3 kinds of fruit, set out randomly. it could have been more dynamic by laying the fruit over itself, or adding more kinds of fruit into the image, of different sizes, shapes and colours. the camera used was a DSLR, and a shutter release cable, a tripod was used to steady the camera, as things were changed within the image. I could improve the overall image by cropping the edges of the image, and possibly increasing the range of tones, to make the image slightly more dynamic, as the finished image was only 4 or 5 colours. On Pixlr E, I used overlays and filters to add a new colour the the image, and adding a whole new look and atmosphere to it. During this project I have learned the importance of angle and lighting, also the huge impact that texture has to an image. I learned this when creating my own portfolios, because having a smooth vs textured image, completely changed the look of the final image. throughout this project I have learned the importance of abstract photography by exploring the theme of nature.

Edward Weston During my work on Edward Weston, i felt inspired by the crisp, clean images that he created. initially i researched the work of Weston by looking at his work, and all of the different styles he used. In Weston's work, there was no use of colour, it was all shape, tone, and line. Balance also played a large part in his work, because his images were always even, and used the rule of thirds very well. Through studying this artist I was able to explore concepts of line, shape, and harmony, in my own photography examples. i emulated Weston's work by using the black and white setting on my camera, and using a plant pot to create the dark, rounded background found in his images. His work helped me to understand the theme of abstract nature by showing me good, simple examples, and how colour is not necessary to create a brilliant image.

Anna Atkins I researched the work of Anna Atkins, and was inspired by the use of old technique and cyanotypes. her work uses line, shape, pattern, and a little colour. through studying her art, I was able to incorporate these elements into my own work. Emulating her work was done by creating my own cyanotype, using leaves. I investigated the t6echnical process of cyanotypes. Her work helped my learn about abstract nature, because he showed how cameras are not needed for photography, and neither are multiple colours.

Horst P. Horst I researched the work of Horst P. Horst, and was inspired by the use of rotational symmetry. His work includes examples of balance, pattern, rhythm, and contrast, meaning that i am now able to use these elements in my own work. Inspired by Horst's work, i created by own rotational symmetry, using powerpoint. I investigated the technical process by looking how and where the original image was rotated and copied. His work helped the explore the theme of abstract nature, by looking how things can be added, morphed, and copied, to create an entirely new image.

Karl Blossfeldt By researching the work of Karl Blossfeldt, I was inspired by the use of old cameras, and limited colour. I emulated this by adding overlays and colour filters, to create an aged look to the image. The work uses shape, texture, form, and line. This meant i was able to use these in my own examples. I investigated the technical process by looking how the objects in his work I could have been held up, and what lighting was used, I used a lightbox and tripod in my emulation. This helped me to understand the themes of abstract nature by expressing that bright colour, nor clean imaging is needed to create photographs.

Dennis Wojtkiewicz Dennis W's work is of fruit, taken so that he can later paint the images. This means that it is always very clear, and clean. Through studying this artist I learned about the use of light and colour, and was later able to use this in my own work. I created a series of emulations by using a lightbox,which gave the effect of light pouring through the image, and making it almost glow. I investigated the technical process by looking at how the subject was held, and how light was projected through it. This helped me understand of abstract nature by showing that transparency is seen and used all throughout nature.

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Abstract Nature/ Hand Manipulation Sample Board

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