Thursday, 7 May 2015

Final images



For my final images I decided to shoot buildings in a certain location in Preston town, the main focal point being the Harris Museum. When out shooting these images, using the Harris museum as the main focal point I photographed different angles of this building, and then photographed different aspects of the town around the museum, things such as different buildings around it, the guild hall etc. From developing my shoots further from my experimental shoots I have shot a successful set of images within photographing for my final images. As it wasn't complete daylight whilst shooting this images I had to use a wide aperture and an ISO of about 400, as well as capturing some moving objects within the images which meant I have to use fairly fast shutter speeds to capture them still and not capture the movement. 
What I will do with these images is present them as an installation. My plan for this is to print them out and remove some parts of the images, which may include just leaving certain things within the images, cutting out the sky or some buildings so there are certain aspects that stand out. With this I will create a joiner style piece but as an installation but only choosing a certain amount of images from this shoot. As some of the images will over lap with some aspects of them I will place them in a good position to make it look as though to show them the same thing has been photographed from different distances and angles and I will also show the harris museum from different angles as well as this being the main focal point of the piece and the rest around it showing this building and all the interesting things around it. I feel that this idea will work out as a successful final image and will be presented well and interestingly. 



Shoot 2


For my second experimental shoot I went to Manchester to shoot images of more buildings. Moving on from my first experimental shoot I feel I have developed on further in photographing different buildings working towards creating images for my final piece. Throughout this body of work I have photographed many successful images. I feel I used good composition whilst taking these images. I had to use a wide aperture and a high ISO whilst shooting most of these as it started to get dark therefore the camera settings I had for the first few images would not of worked and would of produced very dark images, therefore I used these settings to create the correct exposure. Doing this shoot has given me a bigger body of work and more experience and experimental work towards creating my final images.



Wednesday, 6 May 2015

Digital media


Digital media is used in photography in many ways, for example within this magazine cover photoshop has been used within it, by being used to edit the model as well as to help create the magazine cover by adding in the text etc. Using photoshop within this kind of advertisement has its advantages such as using the tools to edit the celebrity within the image, tools such as airbrush will be used, which works to an advantage because it will help to create a better look and sell the magazine, but on the other hand is sending out a bad message as its not all true. Photoshop is also used as an advantage within this advertising purpose because within it we can do suff such as make the title look as if it is behind the person on the cover, which makes it look more realistic and professional.





Another example I have found is this McDonalds advertisement where photoshop is used massively to help advertise one of their burgers. Within this advertisement photoshop has been used to turn the fish bowl into the shape of a burger, but with the water and the fish still inside it to represent the 'Filet-O-Fish' burger, this has been used to a good effect because it will bring in an audience, its something that is out of the ordinary and photoshop has contributed towards this, by creating something that could never be created by hand but only by digital media.




Tuesday, 14 April 2015

Black and White Film Grain

When creating a black and white film grain image in photoshop, the first thing you need to do is open up the image in photoshop, change it to black and white using the adjustment bar and not an adjustment layer, unless it is already black and white. Then add a new layer and name it film grain.


After










-open up image





-new layer
-rename film grain
-edit, fill, 50%gray
-change opacity to overlay
-filter, noise, add noise, tick monochromatic, change amount

Monday, 6 April 2015

Text overlay





The aim of this task was to create a set of text overlay images using low key lighting. First off I needed to create the low key lighting images, which I did by going into the studio, using a background and only one light. I moved the light to different positions, which created different amounts of light and shadow on her face. I made sure I had a good small set of images before leaving the studio and going to use photoshop. In photoshop I edited the image black and white, I then found text from a song of the classmates choice. I took this text and brought it into word, made it a size I felt would help to create a better image. Whilst correcting the text throughout these 3 processes, I chose two different typefaces. Once I had the text how I wanted it I took a screen shot of it and dragged it into photoshop on top of the portrait. I positioned it over the portrait, then changed the blending mode to 'multiply'. I then erased the text from where I didn't want it to be. 

I have created three different images using text overlay, using different photographs, different typefaces and positioning them differently. I feel that the third one is the most successful, as the text typeface fits in well with the image and creates a good style. Although these images are successful on the what they intend to do I don't like the images as a whole, I felt that I could of got better portraits and her facial expressions don't match up with the style of the images. I also would change the way i added the text to make it more of a style that I like.



Wednesday, 18 March 2015

Photoshop techniques

Polaroid
To create a polaroid style image in photoshop you start off by opening up the image in photoshop and using the crop button, crop the image to square on the part of the image you want to use. Then create a new layer, then using the gradient tool, select colours you want to use that will work best to create a polaroid effect. Then apply the gradient by dragging it across the image in the direction you want it to flow. Bring down the opacity so that both the image and the gradient colours are visible. Next is to add a border, which is done by selecting image, canvas size, and add on 5cm to the original size, then proceeding to add another 10cm to the bottom by repeating the same steps, but where the small graph is at the bottom, click the top arrows to cancel them out and only adding 10cm to the height. Once all these steps are followed you can then add text using the text tool, which results in a polaroid style photograph.







Vignette
To create a vignette open up your photograph into photoshop and select the elliptical marque tool, using this drag the shape around the image from the corner. Once you have this shape in the position you would like it to be, go to select and inverse, then select again, modify and feather. Choose the pixels and select ok, make sure your colour is on black (or the colour you want to use), press cmd and backspace on the keyboard and then change the opacity to what suits your image.
































Cyanotype
To create an cyanotype effect image simple change the image to black and white(unless it is already), add a new layer, fill with solid blue and change the opacity. This creates an image with a nice blue effect.


Old fashion/sepia
To create an old fashioned image using background layers and the sepia effect, you must have the image you want to edit, and an image of a crumpled piece of paper or anything you feel would work well with this. Open up the main photograph in photoshop then place the paper image over the top and change the blending mode and opacity on this layer so that the paper image blends in nicely with the main photograph. Too add the sepia effect select image, adjustments, photo filter which will bring up a box, choose the sepia filter and change the colour density to suit how you want it. 











Tuesday, 24 February 2015

Experimental images



For my first set of experimental images I went out into the college and shot as many different buildings as I could find, at different angles to experiment and see what kind of buildings I would like to shoot for my final images. I feel that this shoot was successful and I got a good amount of experimental images. I explored as much as possible using a range of different buildings as well as shooting techniques. After this experimental shoot around college it will help me to move forward and continue to shoot experimental images and develop into creating my final images. 

Sunday, 22 February 2015

Multiple exposures














For this experiment I created multiple exposures using the camera instead of photoshop. To do this we used the studio, turning off all the lights and just using a flash, once we had our cameras ready and focused the person controlling the flash would turn out all the lights and using a slow shutter speed we pressed out shutters then whilst the flash was pressed several times during the exposure as the model moved about to create the multiple exposure as the camera would of captured the position of the person each time there was light, which was each time the flash was set off. Although this was difficult to get right and was a bit of a struggle at first, working as a team and taking it in turns to work the flash and be in front of the camera, I managed to create a good body of work using these techniques. Using different methods for the person to move around in front of the camera and thinking up different poses that are interesting, the one I find most interesting that we thought up was to do the 'hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil' poses, which I think working out successfully.

Solarisation









Using the old and new images I had previously shot in black and white I created a few solarisation images using photoshop. To do this I opened up the image in photoshop, created a background layer and inverted the image, which I then played around with by changing the opacity to bring down the invert slightly to a point where I felt the image looked better. Doing this helped me to experiment in this different way of editing an image and present it, and gave me the experience of using this technique to possibly use within experimenting throughout this project.


Old and new


For this experiment of photographing old and new I photographed objects that I felt was old and new in the same frame whilst photographing in black and white. Around the college I photographed objects together in one frame I felt represented this, things such as old and new buildings, paths etc. Out of these images I feel that the paths one works well because there is part of an old and a newly laid path/road. This helped me to experiment with different ways and processes of representing the theme of old and new and get an idea of a way to photograph old and new by capturing two object that represent the theme in the same frame. I feel that I was successful in experimenting with this, I captured both old and new in the same frame to represent the theme and have experimented with this technique which will help me as I move along with this project.

Monday, 9 February 2015

Evaluation excercise


I feel I have achieved my original intentions very well, I photographed using the intention of the old and new effect and feel I have been successful in doing so. The old and new effect is shown in this photograph by the road and the markings, on the right is old where the markings are fading away and the road is looking new, and on the right where the pavement has been newly laid and new road markings have been placed. This image has been correctly exposed and is straight. I could maybe of made the two sides of the images even so there is the same amount of each of the aspects shown. I have used some cropping by cropping out some of the road markings, but don't feel that it has given a bad effect on the image.

Tuesday, 27 January 2015

Diptychs


This image is a piece using the style of Stephanie Rubiano. I attempted to create a piece in the style of work by her. I got an old photograph of me and a family member, which I then opened up in photoshop and started to edit this image in a way of this photographers style. The first thing I decided to do was use the paintbrush tool to go around the outside of the clothing, I chose the colors by choosing a similar colour to the clothing but slightly darker so the outline is visible, doing this made particular parts of the image stand out as well as giving it a cartoon like effect and made it look unusual and not like a typical photograph. I also used the gradient tool, using the rainbow pattern filling the whole image and lowering the opacity to fade it so it gives it the effect it should as well as making sure the image behind is still visible. To make the image less dull I used the eraser tool to bring back in the faces in the image which I feel has a big effect because otherwise everything would be behind the gradient and look dull. I think that using photoshop with this image has helped me to create an image in the style of Stephanie Rubiano and I have used techniques to create an interesting image and give a different effect than the original image.

I then used this same image to create a piece inspired by Jennifer Loeber. I used this image and an image of my scarf for this piece because the scarf was worn the last time I had seen this family member, which although it isn't an obvious relevance it works because in some way it relates. I enjoyed creating these pieces of work and feel that I have created a successful piece of working inspired by Jennifer Loeber. I have used the image edited in photoshop, using different tools and techniques to edit the image how I have, then used another image relevant in an un-obvious way to create this diptych.

Technique research

High speed photography

High speed photography is where a photograph is taken to appear to freeze the motion of objects, such as water balloons popping, to reduce motion blur. There are many things that this technique can be used with, from researching I have found images such as glass breaking, water splashing, pouring wine into a glass, eggs breaking etc. As well as the two examples I have shown. I think that this photographic technique is  a good way the capture images that show what happens when these things are done with all different objects, which are things we may do often but don't see happening because it all moves too quickly. It would take a lot of experimenting with to get the correct outcome, and could possibly require more than one person, but within this project I would like to experiment with trying out this photographic technique, trying out using different techniques.











Motion Blur

Motion blur is achieved by using slow shutter speeds, and is often used to show a sense of speed. As the shutter speed needs to be longer, it is suggested that the aperture is smaller, to ensure that their isn't too much light being let into the lens. It would also be better to use a tripod as longer shutter speeds need to be used, so that the camera is kept still. As you can see in these examples everything in the images that is not moving is focused, whereas the objects that are moving are blurred, which is the motion blur. It can be used with things such as cars, buses, people, as well as in sports etc. I like this photographic technique and how it shows the movement of an object or person, it shows where the object has moved to and from and catching the movement of objects, although it is blurred, often creates more successful images than capturing it still. It creates a nice blur and becomes the focal point of the image, it also helps still object in the image to stand out rather than blend in. This technique could possibly be used on things such as a CD cover, I think if it was used for this it would be very effective and attract the audience.







Tilt shift photography
Tilt shit photography creates images that make life sized objects appear to look like miniature scale models. This is done by manipulating the camera, often with a tilt shift lens. To get a good miniature effect are to be shot from a high angle, especially from the air. I think that this is a very clever technique and can confuse the mind and become interesting as it shows the image to appear as something is isn't, as when you first look at these images it looks as if they are shot with miniature scale models and is hard to make out that it is life size objects. I think that this is helped along a lot with the lens as it allowed the photographer to shoot so close to the image and still enables the objects to look so small.
















Flexography/Flexographic printing



 Flexographic printing is a printing process used to create an assortment of materials and technical capabillities such as pressure sensitive labels, shrink sleeves, metallic labels and much more. It is commonly printed on the non-porous substrates required for various types of food packaging, and is also used for printing large areas of solid colour. This printing process is used for many different food and drink packaging as well as labels etc.


















Offset printing





 Offset printing is a technique in which the ink image is transferred from a plate to a a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface. When this is used in combination with the lithographic process the offset technique employs a flat image carrier where the image to be printed obtains ink from ink rollers, while the non-printing area attracts a water based film keeping the non-printing areas ink free. I have shown examples of how this printing technique can be used, which includes things such as shopping bags, magazines, books etc.


















Carbon print


Carbon print is a photographic print which is an image consisting of pigmented gelatin. This process can produce very high quality images. In response to concerns about the fading of early types of silver based black and white prints, this process was developed in the mid-19th century. This process is helpful to stop the fading of images, which helps to keep the images clear and the all the colours bold, and is also a different form of a printing process.