My first set of images for my HND portfolio were chosen for their dramatic appeal, atmospheric, moody and tranquil quality. They were effective in that they caught your eye and took on a different appearance than the actual image was meant to. For example, one of my images is of a seascape in Malaig, however, one of my fellow students thought the image had been shot from an aerial view when in actual fact it had been shot straight on. I made this particular image stand out more by adjusting the contrast. In doing this, it brought out the blues which added to the atmosphere of the image. With the other images, it was basic changes I made such as adjusting the contrast, clarity, exposure, white balance, shadows, temperature and the colour. In order for the correct adjustments to be made, a classmate advised, along with my lecturer on the best way to go. By making all of these adjustments, basic as they are, they allow for the image to take on a new life. I tend not to or try not to retouch too much as it could take away the purity of the image. As much as possible I strive to get it right in camera and then only slight adjustments are required.
For my second set of images, I decided to explore styles of photography that was not in my HND portfolio. These included,
These styles were enjoyable to explore, and I have experimented with these in the past but wanted to do more of. Out of the six, I was pleased with the end product of macro, abstract, photo merge and architectural. Again, retouching was minimal, however, for the macro (which was a close up of an eye) I adjusted exposure, contrast and the clarity which enabled more texture and detail to be made visible. My street photography image was taken with a film camera, very minimal changes were made, mainly to exposure and contrast. With this set of images, there is not much in the way of atmosphere but rather an alternative way of viewing situations, objects.
When presenting my images there were placed in a A3 template via photoshop before taking to Deadly Digital for print. I had previously gone there before to explore the print paper options and had decided to go for Permajet oyster paper. This type of paper gave an indulgent look which I was quite impressed with, I felt the glossy paper was too shiny and the matte made images look bland and dull. I was impressed with my images and how professional they looked. When it was time to present them in order, I put what I felt was my strongest image at the front and finished with another strong image at the back. By presenting the images in this way the audience will more than likely remember these images more than the rest.
Overall, if I were to improve on any of the steps I have taken throughout the photographic journey with regards to retouching, I’m not sure that I would as I believe that you can run the risk of optimizing too much which would then completely take away the originality of the image; it is being stripped of its purity. It could also be the fact I am still not fully confident in the vast array of tools that can be used to improve an image. But then famous photographers from the past such as Ansel Adams who used film cameras did not require software manipulation. With regards to printing I would consider the use of different paper types; would certain images have a better impact on one paper over another. If I were to show a portfolio in the future I would like to use a portfolio book rather than box. It looks more professional and the prints can easily be removed from the ring binder.
