Relationships Urban and Rural Candidate - 1154 Unit 2 - Exam
Contents Statement of Intent Mind Map Mind Map Shoot Plan/Evaluation Mind Map Contact Sheets Photographers Analysis Photographers Interpretation Interpretation Shoot Plan/Evaluation Interpretation Contact Sheets Colour and Texture Photoshoot Colour/Texture Shoot PLan/Evaluation Colour/Texture Contact Sheets Urban and Rural Photoshoot Urban and Rural Shoot Plan/Evaluation Urban and Rural Contact Sheets So Far Reshoots Reshoots Shoot Plan/Evaluation Reshoots Contact Sheets Techniques Possible Ideas Evaluation
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1 2-3 4 5 6-11 12-14 15 16-17 18-19 20 21-22 23-26 27 28-29 30-31 32-36 37 38-39 40-45 46-47 48-50
Statement of Intent
My chosen theme is ‘Relationships’. Within this theme I am particularly interested in ‘the natural world’ photographing things such as plantlife amongst modern environments, the weather/ results of the weather and the human impact on the natural world, for example. I intend to research into different photographers and artists that portray the same theme as me to try and gain inspiration for my own work. I will also be researching into different ways and techniques to take and edit my photographs and how they can display my chosen theme clearer. I will be producing several different photoshoots under the theme of ‘Relationships’ including photoshoots on: Mind map, artists interpretation, urban and rural, colour and texture and urban and rural reshoots. I will be researching into artists and photographers such as Joel Sternfeld, Hans-Christian Schink and the Boyle Family because some of their examples of work relate to the same theme as me. This will allow me to adapt on ideas that I have by relating it back to their work. I would like to use camera techniques such as shutter speed, aperture, macro settings and different angles within my work to show a variety of different ways of taking my photos to make them portray the theme. I would like to use software like Photoshop, using filters and Camera Raw to add more depth to my photographs. In this project I hope to learn how to use InDesign Software, how to make a website and publish it and also how to display my photographs so that they look the most effective and relate to the theme. I can see my final outcome as being 3D and including multiple different photos within it. Meaning that the viewer can look at it from different angles giving a different look to it.
Joel Sternfeld
Joel Sternfeld
The Boyle Family Joel Sternfeld
Boyle Family
The Boyle Family
Monet
Monet
Joel Sternfeld
Joel Sternfeld
Hans-Christian Schink
The Boyle Family The Boyle Family Joel Sternfeld The Boyle Family The Boyle Family
The Boyle Family
Mind Rural
Hans-Christian Schink
Boyle Family
In, relating to, or characteristic of the David Spero countryside rather than the town. “remote rural areas”
Boyle Family
Urban In, relating to, or char-
Joel Sternfeld
acteristic of a town or city. “the urban population”
Hans-Christian Schink
The Boyle Family
Joel Sternfeld The Boyle Family
David Spero
Joel Sternfeld
Hans-Christian Schink
Richard Billingham
Map
Relationships The way in which two or more people or things are connected, or
the state of being connected. “the study will assess the relationship between unemployment and political attitudes�
Main aim of photo shoot My aim in this shoot was to experiment with different ways of relating photos to the theme ‘Relationships’ using different camera techniques and different subjects.
Date of photo shoot 07/02/15 - 08/02/15
Shutter speed range (secs) 0.3s - 3.0s
Light source Room light/ Camera Flash
Aperture range(f numbers) f3.0 - f8.3
ISO 100 - 400
Photo shoot ideas My ideas for this shoot were to mess around with how I could relate different objects to the theme relationships by using camera techniques, angles and focusses.
Photo shoot evaluation I think this shoot was successful because I created a shoot that portrayed initial ideas of ‘Relationships’ however, I only focussed on two different subjects so this shoot does not show a wide range of ‘Relationships’ witin different objects.
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Photographers Analysis: Joel Sternfeld A Railroad Artifact, 30th Street, May 2000
Joel Sternfeld is a fine-art colour photographer, born in 1944. He began using colour in his photographs in 1970, which has continued to be a large part of his work today. In a lot of his photographs he has mixed two themes together; “urban and rural” this involves showing both urban objects, such as buildings and factories and rural objects like landscapes and plant life. The photograph to the right is a great example of this. The photo shows an overgrown railway track leading through a city. It shows the theme rural in the plants taking over the railway line, making it look as if it hasn’t been used in years. The urban aspect of the photo is shown in the city buildings to the sides of the railway line. I believe that Sternfeld wanted people to focus on the centre of the photo and how the railway line leads into the distance and appears to go on forever without stopping. I like how Sternfeld has presented the rail track as being ‘taken over’ by the plants because it generates a link between the urban themes of the city landscape and rural themes of the wildlife overgrowing the track. I also like this photo because it supplies me with a lot to interpret by mixing urban and rural themes together showing the modern world with essences of natural wildlife within it. This photo relates to my sub-theme within relationships of ‘urban and rural’ because Sternfeld has shown both urban and rural subjects in the photo.
Grafton, West Virginia, February 1983
Abandoned Freighter, Homer, Alaska, July 1984
Looking South towards Chelsea Markets, December 2000
These three photos show a different theme as well as urban and rural. They show derelict objects like the factory and the boat. Using objects that appear to have been abandoned give the photos a story which the person looking at the photo tries to unravel and reveal as they look deeper and deeper into the photograph. Sternfeld took the first photo on the far left in West Virginia in 1983. The subject of this photo is an abandoned factory within a snowy landscape. This piece shows the link between urban and rural themes in the factory being urban and representing more modern life and the snowy landscape presenting the rural theme. I like how Sternfeld has focussed on the different textures of the factory in this composition as they add depth to the picture and allow the viewer to create their own story in their heads about how it has ended up abandoned.
The second picture on the top right presents a derelict boat on the shore of Alaska. This photo presents more rural themes than urban because the only urban object in the picture is the boat in the distance. I like how Sternfeld has positioned the boat in the centre of the photo with the natural environment surrounding it because it focusses the viewers attention on the boat but because it is in the distance their attention is also focused on the environment around the boat. This photo gives me lots of ideas to interpret by mixing derelict or old objects with the natural environment. The final picture on the bottom right is similar of the photo on the previous page in that Sternfeld has mixed the two urban and rural themes and has focussed on a railway track. This photo, unlike the last was taken in the later months of the year so the plants and wildlife present a very different vibe to the photo. The last photo was taken in May so the plants were green and lively whereas in this photo the plants are brown and dying making the photo feel more eery. I like these examples of Sternfelds work because they allow different people looking at it have a different insight into it as they create their own stories in their heads about why the subjects of the photos have ended up being abandoned. His work relates to the theme ‘Relationships’ because of the use of two different themes and also relates to my sub-theme ‘urban and rural’ because he has mixed urban objects, the buildings and railway, with rural objects, the plant life.
Photographers Analysis: The Boyle Family The Boyle Family are a group of artists that focus their work mostly on studies of the earth. The group consists of Mark Boyle, Joan Hills and their children Sebastian and Georgia. In a lot of their photographs they have chosen things in the road such as road markings and manhole covers as the subject in the photo. This is shown in these two photos taken by the bole family. Each of the photos represents the connection between the road and the subject in the photo. For example in the first photo, of the manhole cover, the theme ‘Relationships’ is portrayed through the cover and the road because they are both connected or joined together, I like how the Boyle Family have positioned the camera so that the manhole cover is more clearly noticeable in the picture and focusses their attention towards that. This piece shows many different shades of grey and brown with the outline concrete of the manhole cover being the brightest shade emphasising the cover further. I could interpret this for my own work by photographing different textures put together, or by photographing different objects in the road or by the road to adapt on the ideas the Boyle Family had. The second picture of the double yellow road really interests me because I like how the bright, vibrant yellow of the road markings stand out on the grey bricks of the road making the viewers attention go towards the lines. This photo connects to the theme of relationships because you can see in the photo how the painted lines of the road markings take the shape of the bricks on the road itself which shows the relationship between the markings and the road. I could interpret this photo by taking pictures of different road markings. This photo relates to my sub-theme ‘urban and rural’ because they have included the urban theme in the roads and markings and rural themes in the plant life at the side of the road and in between some of the bricks of the road.
This photo to the left a picture taken by the Boyle family and shows their connection with the more natural world. The photograph features the barren ground showing its cracks from a lack of water. Through the side of the picture there is tire track running through the ground. I like this picture because of the definition and depth the crack and tracks give to the ground. This example relates to my sub-theme in ‘Relationships’ of ‘urban and rural’ because the photo is of a natural subject, and the tire tracks running through the picture show the urban side.
This final example of the Boyle Families work shows the brick work underneath the tarmac of a road. It appears as if the road is revealing what is actually underneath. I like how the Boyle Family have connection between the tarmac and the bricks underneath where it separates with a darker line, I also like how they have shown the theme ‘Relationships’ By focussing on the connection between each of the bricks in the road.
Photographers Analysis: Hans-Christian Schink Hans-Christian Schink is a German Photographer born in 1961. I will be focussing on his work that he has done relating the photo to the theme ‘Urban and Rural’. He has taken a lot of photos relating to this theme by including both urban and rural subjects within the same photo. A lot of his work uses dull colours or black and white this is in order to add more emotion to his photos and so that the viewers eyes are not distracted by bright colours.
Photographers Analysis: Hans-Christian Schink The two examples of Schink’s photography on the previous page both show the same meaning. He has photographed modern-looking bridges running through countryside landscapes. This shows a link from Schink’s work to my own because we have focussed on the same theme. These photos also has a deeper meaning, showing the results of modernisation, being that modern or ‘Urban’ objects and structures are taking over the natural or ‘Rural’ world.
Aside from photographing urban subjects mixed with rural subjects, Schink has also created a series of photos including a glowing black line in the background of a photo of a rural landscape. The line in the background of the photo was created by setting his camera up looking towards the sun and setting it on a 1 hour long exposure time. The black line shows the path the sun took along that hour long time period. Schink has shown this series in black and white to make them appear mysterious and surreal. The first photo is of a large naturally occurring rock in the middle of the sea with the suns path in the background. I like this photo because of the different shades shown within it, the left side of the photo shows light shades of grey and white and progresses darker and darker as you look across from the left to the right. The second photo from this series shows four trees in the foreground of the photo and the suns one hour path in the background behind the branches of the trees. I like this photo because of the mist shown in the bottom of it. The fog gives the photo a mysterious vibe.
Photographers Interpretation: The Boyle Family The photo below is the picture by the Boyle Family that I have chosen to interpret by basing a photoshoot around the ideas and techniques shown in the photo. For my shoot I decided to focus on textures and objects around the street but I positioned the camera so that one of the focuses of the photo cut the picture into two or more pieces as shown in the photograph above with the tire tracks and cracks breaking up the photo into sections.
In my first interpretation, I focused on a crack in the concrete of a driveway that has weeds and plant life growing out of it. I positioned the camera in front of the crack so that it went directly through the left side of the picture, separating it in two. This is how it relates to the Boyle Families photo. This interpretation presents my sub-theme within ‘Relationships’ of ‘urban and rural’ because it shows the plant life being able to grow through and on top of the ground ignoring the concrete that is there. I used Camera Raw to edit the photo in order to emphasise the crack in the ground and make it stand out more so that the viewers attention was drawn towards it. I used manual camera settings when taking this photo and used a slower shutter speed in order to give the picture more light so that the subject could be seen easily because there wasn’t sufficient light naturally so I had to create some in order for everything to be seen.
In my next Interpretation the subject of my photo was the curb at the side of the road, next to a path. I positioned the camera so that the curb travelled all the way through the picture cutting it into two segments as in the Boyle Families photo. This also relates to my chosen picture to interpret because it shows a lot of ‘urban and rural’ within it through the weeds growing in the cracks in the curb and dead leaves at the side of the curb and the urban objects being the road, path and curb. I really like this photo because it shows a lot of detail and definition in the texture of the curb, road and plant life, because of the macro setting I used on the camera. The use of the curb to split the photo into parts helps the viewer to take in everything in the photo, rather than being overwhelmed with detail they can concentrate on one part of the photo at a time allowing them to be able to look deeper into the thoughts and ideas behind the photo. I used Camera Raw editing software in order to add more depth to the photo by changing the colour and shading values of the picture which adds more emotion to the photo. I used a faster shutter speed in this photo because the natural light of the sun lit up the subject well enough that I didn’t need to make it any brighter.
Whilst taking this photo I wanted to represent the effects of the weather, so I decided to make the puddle of rain water in the road the subject of the photo, relating the photo to the sub-theme ‘urban and rural’ showing the rural side. I used a curb, like in the other photo, to split the photo in two giving a representation of the Boyle Families photo I decided to interpret. To edit this photo I used Camera Raw to add depth to the photo and make it appear sharper so that the details like the texture of the road are clearer. I also lowered the warmth of the photo to make it seem bluer which I believe increases the emotion in the picture, I then used InDesign to layer another of the same photo on top, before lowering its opacity so that you could see through the picture on top onto the photo below, making it seem as if there are two curbs running side by side. This photograph relates to the theme ‘Relationships’ because it shows the connection between the section of the path that has been worn down and the people that have walked over it leading to its current condition.
In this photo, unlike in the others, I wanted to focus more on the natural world than the modern world, so I photographed a section of grass, which is how the photo relates to my sub-theme, next to a line of bricks. This meant that there was still an aspect of the Boyle Families work in the photo because the photo is being split in two by the bricks. I used Camera Raw to reduce the amount of colour in the picture and add to the shadows and highlights in order to increase the amount definition in the photo. I used a faster shutter speed when taking this picture because the sun naturally lit up the subject of the photo so I didn’t need to make it any brighter because the viewer would not be able to see what was in the photo and the colours would have looked wrong.
Main aim of photo shoot To create a shoot, of at least 30 photos, based on a photograph by the Boyle Family, and interpreting the photo in different ways.
Date of photo shoot 01/03/15
Shutter speed range (secs) 1/13s - 1/1000s
Light source Natural sunlight Flash on camera
Aperture range(f numbers) f/6.2 - f/7.4
ISO 100
Photo shoot ideas My ideas were to photograph things in the street the split the photo into two parts, like in one of the Boyle Families photos. E.g. using curbs, cracks in the road, plant life.
Photo shoot evaluation I believe that this shoot was successful because I managed to photograoh a wide range of different objects that split the photo in two parts, making them relate to the Boyle Families work and also ‘Urban and Rural’
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Colour & Texture Shoot
In this shoot my aim was to focus completely on photographing subjects which represented the theme texture. To achieve this I used settings on the camera such as the macro settings in order to capture the subject of the photo with the most detail, before using editing software like Camera Raw and Photoshop to bring out the theme further. I used natural light when I was outside in order to light up the subject in order for all the details to be seen. In the photo of the paint in the top left of the last page I wanted the viewers eyes to be drawn towards the bright colour of the paint. So, using Camera Raw I increased the vibrancy of the photo to make the paint stand out more against the table. I also reduced the saturation of the photo which made the colour of the table go duller in order to make the paint seem even brighter. This photo is an example of showing the theme ‘colour’. In my photo to the far right of the last page I wanted to focus on ‘texture’ I found this lock on a container which had lost some of its paint to reveal the raw metal underneath and also had moss growing around it. I used the macro camera setting and focussed the camera on the joint between the lock and the container. Before I took the photo I also changed the aperture settings on the camera to make the floor underneath the subject become blurred so that only the lock was in focus to stop the viewers eyes from being distracted, taking their eyes away from the purpose of the photo. I used Camera Raw to add more depth to the photo and to emphasise the textures of the lock and container. The next photo is of two tins of watercolour paints stacked on top of each other. I wanted to show both aspects of the theme in this photo so I focussed the camera on the underneath tin, in which the paints were more worn down which portrays the ‘texture’ theme because it shows the texture of the paints. I edited the photo, again, using Camera Raw and used the vibrancy slider to bring out the colour of the paints and make the viewers eye become drawn towards them because of their brightness. The photo of the moss growing on a tree shows the theme ‘texture’. I positioned the camera so that the moss was in the centre of the photo’s frame in order for the moss to hold the whole of the viewers attention. I used low aperture settings in order to bring the moss out in clear detail and blur the tree to emphasise the texture of the moss. I then used Camera Raw to add more shadows and depth to the photo making it appear sharper and focusses the viewers eyes on the texture of the moss instead of the bark of the tree. My final photo is of the same container as before, however in this photo I focus on the green paint peeling off the side of it. This photo shows both ‘colour’ and ‘texture’ in terms of themes. ‘Colour’ is shown in the bright green paint that covers the majority of the photo and ‘texture’ is portrayed in the paint peeling off in the foreground of the photo. Like in my other photos I used Camera Raw to emphasise the details of the photo by changing the intensity of the colours and shadows.
Main aim of photo shoot To display both colour and texture in my photos by using camera settings and editing techniques.
Date of photo shoot 17/03/15
Shutter speed range (secs) 1/40s 1/500s
Light source Sunlight Artifical room light
Aperture range(f numbers) f4.5 - f5.6
ISO 200 - 720
Photo shoot ideas My ideas for this shoot was to use macro settings on the camera to photograph objects that displayed colour and texture such as moss on a tree or watercolour paints in a tin.
Photo shoot evaluation I believe that this photoshoot was successful because I portrayed vibrant colours and textures within my photos by using the settings on the camera and also different techniques like camera angles and positioning of the sun/ light source.
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Urban and Rural Photoshoot In my first assignment 4 photo I decided to focus on a group of leaves growing on a chain-link fence. This photo presents the theme ‘Relationships’ through how the plant relies on the fence in order to grow and maintain its shape. I have shown my sub-theme within ‘Relationships’ in this photo through using both urban and rural objects to focus on. The urban theme is shown in the chain link fence which makes up the background of the photo. The rural themes are shown in the leaves that I have positioned in the centre of the photo drawing the viewers eyes towards it also because it is one of the only parts of the photo that is in focus. When taking the photo I used manual settings that allowed me to change the aperture settings on the camera to focus specifically on one part of the picture, in this case the leaves growing through the fence. I edited this photo using Camera Raw to add more shadows to the dark areas of the photo and add more light to the lighter areas of the photo to emphasise the lighter parts of the photo to draw the users eyes towards it, I then used the cropping technique within InDesign in order to make the leaves in the centre of the photo bigger to emphasise the themes of the photo.
In this photo I continued to focus on the same chain link fence as in the last photo. I focus on a section of the fence that combined old rusty parts of the fence with new parts of it. I focussed the camera onto the area in which the two different parts of the fence come together, making the rest of the photo further down become blurred forcing the viewers attention to the link of the two fences. This photo presents my sub-theme ‘urban and rural’ because I have shown both urban and rural subjects within the photo. The urban theme is shown in the chain-link fence and the rural theme is shown within the background behind the fence. After taking the photo I used Camera Raw to emphasise the fence by adding more shadows and changing the vibrancy of the photo to emphasise the fence. I then cropped the image so that only a section of it could be seen and to make the photo more focussed on the actual link between the fences. After Cropping the photo I rotated the image on the centre line to make it appear as if it has been mirrored down the middle. Doing this makes the photo look more abstract.
In my next photo I continued to focus on the leaves growing along the chainlink fence. In this photo I positioned the camera looking up at leaves attached to the concrete pillar supporting the fence. I used low aperture settings in order to make the fence in the foreground of the picture show clearly and the woodlands in the background appear blurred. This ensures that the viewers attention is not distracted from the theme of the photo which is ‘urban and rural’ This photo relates to this theme because I have mixed leaves, which shows the ‘rural’ theme because the leaves are natural vegetation and have grown without the help of people, and the support of the fence which shows the ‘urban’ theme because it is man-made and does not occur naturally. I used Camera Raw to increase the vibrancy of the leaves and decrease the vibrancy of the background to make the leaves stand out more against a dull background. Following this I cropped the image so that the viewers would be less distracted by the negative space in the photo and would focus more on how it relates to my theme.
In this photo I photographed a run-down metal fence running along a bridge. I positioned the camera next to the fence so that you could see it all the way down the bridge. I also used low aperture settings to focus only on the fence in the foreground of the picture. Think made the vegetation behind the fence blurred and harder to see and also the rest of the fence further down. It relates to ‘urban and rural’ because the fence is an urban object and the forest behind the fence is a rural scene. I used Camera Raw to make this photo brighter, so that the photo could be seen, and also to define the fence more and make it look more crisp against the natural background.
Main aim of photo shoot To create a photoshoot based wholely on the theme ‘Relationships’ and also my sub-theme ‘urban and rural’
Date of photo shoot 07/03/15 - 08/03/15
Shutter speed range (secs)
Light source Natural sunlight
1/8s - 1/2000s
Aperture range(f numbers) f3.0 - f8.3
ISO 100 - 140
Photo shoot ideas My ideas for this shoot were to focus on subjects that mixed both urban and rural objects together so that the theme could be shown throughout the photos easily.
Photo shoot evaluation I would consider this shoot successful because I think I displayed my theme within the photos effectively and also showed a range of different techniques when taking the photos.
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SO FAR... Choosing a theme:
Our main theme is ‘Relationships’ and I have chosen the sub-theme of ‘Urban and Rural’ this is because I believe there are a lot of different ways I can present this in my work for example I could focus on mixing both urban and rural objects togetehr within one photo, such as rivers, plants and wildlife, along side fences, buildings and sign posts. I have explored the theme by taking multiple photoshoots that shows a link to the theme within the photos. I have also explored further into my theme by completing research based on photographers who also relate their work to the same theme. For example, Joel Sternfeld and the Boyle Family. From research I learnt that when taking my photos they don’t have to 100% focussed on the theme, as long as there is some representation of ‘Urban and Rural’
Photographers Research
I have researched into several different photographers and artists. I created two A3 pages in InDesign on the photographers Joel Sternfeld and the Boyle Family, analysing several examples of their work. I have also analysed one example of their work on my website. I analysed Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas, Henri Cartier Bresson, Chris Steele-Perkins, Jim Goldberg, Tina Barney, Roger Ballen and Gillian Wearing. Researching into these artists helped me develop my work because it showed me different ways of present the theme within my work allowing me to interpret their techniques in my own work. I have used photographers work to develop my ideas by adapting on ideas shown in their photos. This is shown in the two pictures in the bottom right on the page, the first picture was taken and edited by me and the second by the Boyle Family. I have interpreted this photo by using the subject of a photo to separate the photo into different sections. Using the curb at the side of the road whereas in the Boyle Families photo they have used tire tracks and cracks in the ground.
Techniques and Processes:
So far I have completed the following photoshoots: Mind Map; Photographers Interpretation and Relationships shoot. The mind map shoot relates to the theme because I photographed objects which link together, for example, chains, so the relationship was shown between the subject with itself. The photographers interpretation shoot portrayed relationships because it showed a connection with the two halves of the photo and also a connection with the photographers work. The relationships shoot represented the theme because I focussed the shoot on a mix of both natural and urban objects, such as, a chain link fence with leaves growing through it. In all of my shoots I used manual camera settings so that I could adapt the shutter speed and aperture by hand. By doing this I could show the subject in either more or less light, also, I could change the depth of field of the photo, depending on how focussed I wanted the viewer to be on the subject. I have used Camera Raw and Photoshop in order to edit my photos. I used Camera Raw to adapt the colour values of the photo to add more depth and emphasise the subject more, and I have used Photoshop in order to change some pictures to black and white, adding more emotion to the photo. I used these techniques to relate the photos better to the theme by emphasising particular parts of the photo to make the theme stand out clearer to the viewer. I would like to use Photoshop to edit my photos more, by combining two photos together, because at the moment I think I have only used the most basic editing techniques, so I would like to expand the ways I edit the pictures to show a greater variety of techniques in my work.
Planning for the final outcome:
I would like to take the ideas I had with focussing on the natural world mixed with the urban world further, this is because I think there is a lot to adapt, and portray my theme, within this. And it will also allow me to show a wider variety of editing techniques, rather than just changing the depth of my photographs. I can use my photographers research in order to develop my work by looking at different ways in which different artists and photographers have used techniques and camera settings in order to relate their work to the theme ‘Relationships’ and then I can use their techniques for my own work to show that I have adapted my work in order to portray the theme further. I think I need to develop my assignment 4 photoshoot more because I have not shown a variety of editing techniques within it so I think that I could easily develop my ideas by researching into more ways of editing my photos. I would like my final piece to represent the theme of ‘Urban and Rural’ I would also like it to be a 3D piece so that different viewers of it will be able to see it in different ways having their own outlook on it.
Urban and Rural Reshoot In my re-shoot of my initial ‘Urban and Rural’ photoshoot I adapted my ideas from focussing on natural plant life mixed with urban objects such as metal fences and roads. In this re-shoot I decided to show different techniques of showing this theme within my photos, to do this I used a scanner to scan different leaves onto the computer. I then based a photoshoot on urban objects such as chain-link fences, sign-posts and lamp posts. In all of my re-shoot photos I used the magnetic lasso tool in order to remove the shape of one of the leaves. This allowed me to place a photo of urban objects behind it making the photo take the shape of the leaf. I like how in my edits the photo that has replaced the leaf appears like almost a 3D objects as it looks like it is coming off the page because of the shadow created by the leaf when it was scanned. These photos can be related to Hans-Christian Schink’s work by using both urban and rural objects and also having mirrored versions of the photos. In my first re-shoot edit I began by photographing a sign post at the side of the road that was dirty and vandalised with graffiti, I photographed this because I thought it portrayed the theme ‘Urban’ well because of its links to the more modern world. I positioned the camera below the sign to make it seem greater, making it seem more important so that the viewers eyes were drawn towards it. I used Camera Raw to edit the photos making the colours of the sign brighter and more bold. I then positioned the photo behind the scan of the leaves which made it take the shape of the larger leaf. This relates to ‘Urban and Rural’ because the photo is of an urban object but it takes the shape of a rural object.
In these re-shoot edits I used a scan of just one leaf against a white background. In the edit on the left I photographed a bus stop next to a road. I positioned the camera below the sign to make it appear more important to the viewer. I used slow shutter speeds when taking this photo because the sun was almost directly behind the subject of my photo, so in order to compensate for the light from the sun I needed to make the photo darker. I then used Camera Raw to add further depth to the photo by adding to the shadows and brightening the colours slightly. It also makes the stop appear more bold. I then positioned the photo behind the scan of the leaf and made sure that the pole was in the centre of the leaf. This meant that part of the sign was cut of my the leaf making it appear to take the shape of the leaf more. As in my last edit the photo relates to ‘Urban and Rural’ because the bus stop is a representation of an urban object and the shape it has taken is of a rural object. In the edit to the right I began by first editing the scanned leaf in Camera Raw too make the colours more vibrant. The photo behind the scan is of a chain-link fence, which creates a link to my original shoot. I positioned the camera next to the fence so that the viewer could see it going off into the distance. I used faster shutter speeds in this photo so that the subject was sufficiently lit up and it could be seen properly. I used Camera Raw to edit the photo, adding to its depth before using Photoshop to mirror the image down one of its edges. I used this technique in one of my photos in my previous shoot, which I believe worked well so I wanted to attempt it again. This created a pattern developing out from the middle of the image. I then
As in my last edit I began this edit by using Camera Raw to make the colours of the scanned leaves more vibrant, in doing so it appears more bold and isn’t lost within the other photo. The photo in this edit is of a number ‘15’ painted on the side of a lamp post. I positioned the camera so that the lamp post was at the side of the cameras boarder and the background filled up the majority of the space left. I focussed the camera on the number ‘15’ so that the background of the photo became more blurred concentrating the viewers attention to the urban object. Using Camera Raw I edited this photo to make it look more dull and almost black and white, this was so that when I placed it behind the scan a contrast was created between the brightly coloured leaf and the dull photo. This also added more emotion to the photo. I placed it behind the scan of the leaves so that the edge of the post ran down the centre of the leaf, splitting it into two parts, which could add a link to my artists interpretation work of the Boyle Family. I really like this edit because of the contrast that was made between the bright leaf and the darker photo.
I decided to try to use a different technique when editing this photo. Instead of just having one photo taken by me mixed with the scan of the leaves I cut out both of the leaves from the photo and placed photos behind them. The photo behind the larger leaf is of a street name post that I took positioning the camera to the side of the sign giving the photo an aspect of perspective to it. This photo represents the ‘Urban’ side of my subtheme. In the smaller leaf I decided to place a photo of a natural woodland environment behind it. This makes the edit relate to the other side of my theme ‘Rural’ I edited both photos using Camera Raw which added more depth to them, through adapting the depth of the shadows and the brightness of the whites within the photos.
Main aim of photo shoot The main aim of this shoot was to adapt on ideas I original urban and rural shoot.
Date of photo shoot 04/04/15 - 05/04/15
Shutter speed range (secs) 1/15s - 1/1250s
Light source Natural (sun light)
Aperture range(f numbers) f/3.0 - f/7.9
ISO 100 - 560
Photo shoot ideas My ideas of this shoot were to use multiple ways of taking photos, the first way was with a camera, photographing urban objects and rural objects on their own, and the second way was using a scanner to scan rural subjects, in this case leaves. I done this because I wanted to join the two photos together and I believed that it would work well
Photo shoot evaluation I think this photo shoot was very successful because I was able to show adaptations from my original shoot by using different ways of taking the photographs.
Main aim of re-shoot
Shutter speed range (secs)
Re-shoot evaluation
Date of re-shoot
Aperture range(f numbers)
ISO
Light source
Techniques
Cropping
Using the cropping technique focusses the attention of the viewer on a particular area of a photograph, which can be used in order to emphasise the theme within a photograph. My favourite crop is number four because I like how the leaves are in the foreground and then the chain-link fence leads off into the distance becoming out of focus. This crop focusses the viewers attention on the theme of ‘urban and rural’ because of the mix of urban and rural subjects.
Techniques
Rotating
Using the rotation technique the photo ends up looking as if it has been mirrored, making the photo look abstract. My favourite edit is my first one because I like the look of the star style shape it has created. Using this technique can emphasise the theme in a photo because it is shown multiple times.
Techniques
Repeating
The repetition technique makes the photo seem as if it is gradually fading off into the distance. My favourite example of this technique is the circular one because I think it makes my photo look like the ripples in water when something is dropped into it.
Techniques
Scanning
Scanning allows you to combine different objects into one photo in a confined location. In my scans I have combined leaves with photos from one of my photoshoots. You can also move any objects you use as the scan is taking place to that it appears warped, for example my scan in the bottom right.
Techniques
Cut-Throughs
Using Photoshop or manually you can make any picture take the shape of any object. My examples include urban photos taking the shape of scanned leaves. I like this technique because it is unique and there are a wide variety of ways to manipulate the photos.
Possible Ideas
IDEA 1
This is my first possible idea for my final piece. This idea is a collage of all the edits I made, using scans of leaves with a photo of an urban object behind, for my reshoot E-Mag page. This idea would include a lot more leaves so that they cover almost the entirety of the frame. It shows ‘Urban and Rural’ through how the photos are of urban objects but they take the shape of a rural subject, in this case leaves. This would relate to the work I have been doing because I have been focussing on combining the two, contrasting, themes of ‘Urban and Rural’ This idea could be related to an artist such as Hans-Christian Schink who, in a lot of his work, focussed on the same theme to me of ‘Urban and Rural’ He photographed urban and rural subjects together, whereas I have shown the two sides of the theme edited together which shows an adaptation of his work.
IDEA 2 My second possible idea uses a frame to hang my edits off of. In the photos above I am showing the mock up of a final piece. I used thread to hang my edits of ‘urban and rural’ off, this is because I don’t want the thread to be seen easily so that the leaves look as if they are floating. If I use this idea for my final piece I will position my edits all the way around the frame so that the piece is given a more 3D look and will look different depending on the angle it is viewed at. I will also stick two photos together either side of foam board so that when they spin around a photo will still be seen instead of just white.
This idea can be related to the work of an artist such as Hans-Christian Schink or Joel Sternfeld because of how I have made urban objects take the shape of rural objects using editing software, therefore, making the piece relate to my sub-theme ‘urban and rural’ which both artists used in their work. I believe that I prefer this idea to the collage because it shows more editing techniques, and also because it portrays my theme further.
Evaluation For my final outcome I have produced a mobile made from a frame, including edits from my re-shoots photoshoot. The edits include photographs of urban objects that take the shape of leaves. This is how my piece relates to my sub theme within the project of ‘Urban and Rural’. The edits were hung using fishing wire to make it seem as if they were suspended in mid-air whilst they were falling. Alongside the edits I hung fake petals with them to make the piece relate further to the theme of ‘Urban and Rural’. My piece relates to the overall theme of the course, of ‘Relationships’ because the two themes I have used contrast each-other giving them a clear link between them both. My ideas developed over time through adapting from my possible idea being a mobile that hangs on one side including one sided photos to being a mobile that hands double sided photos the entire way round the frame giving it more depth and perspective. My most important influence for my exam was my chosen photographers, mainly Joel Sternfeld and Hans-Christian Schink. This is because throughout the exam I have been basing a lot of my work on adaptations of their work by relating what I have done to similar themes of them by using similar technique and ideas. My work reflects my interests as an artist and photographer because it shows my connection with both the ‘Urban’ and ‘Rural’ sides of the world. My ideas are relevant to my intentions because I have focussed on the same theme throughout and stuck with it. The theme being ‘Urban and Rural’ I have continued with this theme, developing it throughout the project to come to my final outcome, so it shows a link between my first ideas and final ideas. I have reflected on my progress within the project by creating a so far page that highlights where I believe I could improve or adapt further. Because of this I expanded the amount of editing I done from just editing the colour values of the photo to combining two photos together. I chose my final outcome after creating a mock up of it. This meant that I could see how it was going to look and allow me to make improvements to it before the exam. I have carried out experiments with a range of media from Photoshop and Camera Raw to manual techniques. An example of one of these technique is mirroring the photo down the middle using Photoshop. This can be related to Hans-Christian Schink’s work because of his ideas of symmetry in his work. This has helped me in my final piece through giving me a specific technique or idea to focus on. I began to explore my chosen question by experimenting with different way that I could relate my photos to ‘Relationships’ through objects and camera settings and techniques. My own ideas began to emerge after my photographers interpretation shoot because it gave me something to base my work off of and adapt from, slowly developing my work over time. I sustained and developed my investigation by continuously referring back to different photographers to take inspiration from them to expand the quality of my work. I have researched into several different artists, being; Joel Sternfeld, Hans-Christian Schink and The Boyle Family. I found this useful because I could see how different photographers had decided to take their photos so that I could take their ideas and develop from them. Studies of different artists were important to developing my work because it gave me an insight to how different artists have gone about taking their photos, which I could adapt from for my own work. I felt most influenced by Hans-Christian Schink because I was able to relate more to his work because of his use of both urban and rural subjects.