City & Guild Level 2 Assignment 206 Principles Of Image Capture Statement of Intent My intentions / purpose of the photography to be undertaken To further my skills and knowledge in the photographic world. Push myself to another level in the art of taking good composed photos while roaming around different areas close to where I live. Visit photographic studios and galleries for inspiration for my chosen theme. Research famous photographers for inspiration using the internet, library and photographic magazines collating the information in my scrapbook/research folder. Put together a weekly journal of tutorials along with my own research. Plan my days out to take my shots. Take my photos in manual and RAW/JPEG. Process them in photo shop by adjusting the saturation levels to black and white. Then use the exposure, blacks, brightness and contrast sliders to improve the tones, crop the image 8x8 square to pull the image in closure. Evidence all the photos by putting them on a contact sheet. Process 10 themed images in photo shop and publish them and my statement of intent onto Issuu Take my images strongly with a sense of purpose and meaning. Archive any photos taken for future prosperity. To enjoy the photography course.
Reasons for selection of theme (including inspiration from the work of others My chosen theme is Are You Sitting Comfortably? My choice of theme came from being inspired by the work of others, following them on the social media. The photographer who inspired me the most was Vivien Maier a famous street photographer who took her photos walking the streets of America and around the world. I loved the way Vivien developed her own identity and personality, showing it in the images she took, the way she captured her images in black and white, creating texture, lines and contrast to make them more interesting, all the time shooting for herself and nobody else. I would like to think I could take great images like her, but I have only a short time scale for my assignment not like Vivien Maier who spent her life time walking the streets doing something she loved. Taking Photos of People……….. Here are some other favorite photographers who inspired me during my research.
Robert Capa known for his famous war photo Falling Soldier who said it was a lucky shot. David Bailey used famous celebrities like The Beatles for his images. His images were taken in black and white using high key lighting to bleach out the background. His work is similar to Rankin. Dorothy Lange portrayed black and white images of people in poverty from all over the world. She concentrated on their gaze. Walker Evans took images in black and white of family and people at work. Elliott Erwitt was fascinated by people doing different things with a comical look and humor in the streets of America. Steve McCurry A well-known photographer of today. Uses up to date processing PHOTSHOP to tweak the color. His work can be seen in the National Graphic magazine. Richard Billingham documented his father’s life showing sad images of him as an alcoholic and other misfortunate. Brassai A French photographer of lust and love in France. Famous for his images of street ladies of the night. They also portrayed romance and passion, simple, not overdone with good composition. Bill Brante used visual body parts to create images with shape and form. With great leading lines.
Henri Cartier Bresson between the 70’s and 80’s known as the father of journalism captured well composed images with emotion, leading you into the picture.
The photo imaging equipment and medium that will be used and why To capture my shots I am going to use my Canon digital single lens reflex camera. EOS 550D. I chose it because of its many functions and features for advanced shooting so I can get the best out of my photography. It has a choice of different mode settings to give me flexibility when taking my photos including manual mode which I will be using to take my photos. Shooting on manual will enable me to balance out the ISO, shutter speed and aperture depending on the lighting conditions to give me a well exposed photo. Its TTL metering which allows me to measure the light directly through the camera lens by shooting quickly will give me an instant picture. I will be using a standard 18 - 55mm lens, but have the advantage of using a macro, zoom or wide angle if I choose to depending on my subject. While out shooting I will take a spare memory card. I have recently bought it as I intend to take lots of shots. I am not sure about taking a tripod and camera case as I will be shooting in crowded places and don’t want anyone to trip over them or have the extra baggage to worry about. However the trip could come in useful if shooting under 1/60th shutter speed or for a long exposure so as not to give too much noise in the image. My clothing and foot ware will be appropriate to the weather conditions on the day. All my photos will be taken in RAW and JPEG. RAW because it’s an unprocessed file, larger than a JPEG and can be processed in photo shop, and a JPEG so I can see the images quickly. “The negative is the equivalent of the composes score, And the print the performance” Ansel Adams
Techniques that will be used and how they will help convey the visual message The content of the photograph - Do I like what I am taking? Is it acceptable? Is it appropriate? A good composition - I must take my time when choosing the composition. This is very important. My composition will hopefully include. Framing - To think of whom I am taking the photos of. View Point - To keep it simple. Rule of Thirds - The eye line should be 2/3rds up. Leading Lines - To lead the eye into the picture. Golden Section - Think of Jake Gairn’s photography where he captures the golden section. And finally balancing the elements where I want 75% of my frame filled with 30% space. I am aiming to include some of these elements in my 10 final images to achieve stunning photos. I will also consider the depth of field when taking my images. Do l want a shallow depth of field or do I want a broad depth of field?
How light quality can be used to help convey the visual message. I intend on taking most of my photos outside so will be relying on natural light. To get the best out of the natural lighting conditions I will try to plan my shoots when the days are sunny. Natural Light can completely change the look of a photograph; late afternoon winter sun can be very bright and glary however morning sun can look quite blue and cold. To get the perfect exposure I will set the ISO to the lighting conditions at the time. Also on my camera I have the advantage of changing the White Balance. This I can change according to the type of weather conditions. My camera’s white Balance will be set on Auto to start with especially if the weather is unsettled. My camera also has a metering system with 4 options to help me achieve consistent and accurate exposures depending on the subject and scene.
Safety considerations First I will look up the policies and procedures handout given to me by my tutor and read it carefully. Get permission to take photos if needed. Most importantly if I am going to take photos in a private place, train station, underground etc. Do a mental risk assessment and take any notes if need be.. Be aware of others when taking photos, respect them and their space. If they express concerns politely apologize and walk away. Be aware of taking images of children or teenagers. This can only be done by getting written permission from the children’s parents under the age of 16 or if over 16 get written permission from the young person. Make sure I dress correctly for the weather conditions, appropriate shoes and clothing. When shooting in the busy streets and coastal areas I will keep my equipment to a minimum, I don’t want to worry about extra baggage inhibiting me while I concentrate on taking my photos. For this reason I will only use my Canon 18 - 55mm lens and will not be using my tripod.
“Two’s Company”
“The South Lookout”
“Sharing A View”
“All Alone”
“A Friendly Chat”
“Getting Around”
“Back To Back”
“In A Snack Bar”
“Run Rabbit Run”
“Eating Al Fresco”