Digital Imaging

Sam Melbourne's module blog

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Digital Imaging module contents

Proposal - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/109424976756/still-moving-image-proposal-ideas

Final Images - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/119113235131/final-images

http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/119114897586/final-images

http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/120012275506/final-images

Bibliography - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/118525439881/bibliography

Evaluation - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/120095646936/evaluation

Software & Post-production

Screen calibrating - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/118779911916/calibrating-monitor-mac

ICC for exhibition - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/118781598711/exhibition

Lightroom - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/118780530106/lightroom

Exhibition - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/118781598711/exhibition

Workflow - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/118853998006/workflow

Retouching - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/118943473386/retouching-photographs

Shoots

Street Shoot 1 - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/109455435806/street-shooting

http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/113329414061/shoot-1-contact-sheets

Street Shoot 2 - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/110258256176/street-shoot-2

Street Shoot 3 - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/111859395826/shoot-3

Street Shoot 4 - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/113430954561/shoot-4

Street Shoot 5 - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/117512301136/shoot-5

http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/117512462356/an-edited-photograph-from-my-recent-shoot-a-large

http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/117514891126/a-selection-from-the-most-recent-shoot-collection

http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/117515248101/the-first-image-is-my-own-the-second-was-taken-by

Research

William Christenberry - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/109489058411/research-william-christenberry

The Reconfigured Eye - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/111855517621/visual-truth-in-the-post-photographic-era

Simas Lin - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/112505951266/research-simas-lin

Michael Wolf - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/111945783571/research-michael-wolf

Stephen Gill - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/115034366346/research-stephen-gill

Moving Image

Pan Practice - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/109442860071/one-little-practice-pan-shot-can-tell-i-need-some

Moving Image first shoot/edit - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/118697188731/moving-image

Final video - http://dismm.tumblr.com/post/119358593146/my-final-one-minute-video-piece-for-digital

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Evaluation

The aims of this module were the coming to terms with; capture and storage of digital images; the application of digital technologies to photography; colour management; and how to prepare work for a range of outputs.

The first section of this module was ‘still and moving image‘, which required us to produce a series of 3 professionally finished images and a one minute related video piece (using considered sound).

To begin the first section I had to first decide which genre to work within. At first I was stuck between a narrative piece and street photography. The idea of a narrative was driven by the video; I had vivid ideas of a shining-inspired video, particularly the hotel was filmed to employ the idea it was possessed. I decided against this course, not sure what I would photograph to accompany a narrative video. I knew that I was more likely to come up with a video idea by shooting street photography.

Research into other photographers intrigued me as to how they link their photographs and the locations featured. Christenberry tells wonderful stories and Stephen Gill buried prints in the places they were taken. I have followed Christenberry’s example by returning to locations to re shoot and have been considering ways of further connecting my work to locations as a next step.

My subject was quite architecturally focused during this module, how I photograph naturally. I feel there was a continuation in this module from the film-based module in semester 1 in which I focused on surfaces and 2 dimensional subjects. This module I have got more to grips with that element of playing with perspective in my imagery and perfecting my composition skills. Working digitally has allowed me to experiment more in this respect and produce some more interesting images.

The video idea came to me whilst out shooting in Bristol as I had hoped. I saw the reflections from the sun on the river warping along the dockside and decided it was a good subject for moving image and allowed me to find and focus on a location where it occurred. I found a spot where I could get down to water level and film the underside of the walkway. I made the mistake of not using a tripod on the first shoot, so needed to return better equipped for a second shoot. While filming I ran into the safety wardens on their river patrol, who gave me some safety advice and informed me of a family of Otters living in the area. For the sound to the video I used a microphone to record the echoed sound of the waves and dripping beneath the walkway. The recording of sound required a third trip to the location; in future I will plan out my shoots more thoroughly.

Also during this module, I have been using various post-production software to edit and learn ways of organizing my images. Lightroom, Photoshop, iMovie have all been useful in the editing of my work to allow for more efficient workflow & sharing. I have topped up knowledge of the tool in these pieces of software and how to use them (e.g. retouching, editing RAW files). How to calibrate a screen is very important; I ran through this using the built-in tools on my laptop, but have plans to buy a proper screen calibration tool. This sort of knowledge will be vital when working professionally and possibly independently as a photographer in future.

I found that this module made me much more aware of the technical and digital side of photography. When shooting I begun to think ahead more to the post-production stage and change my composition, file format, or camera settings accordingly to make the whole process of producing work more efficient. Shooting a video really challenged me creatively, my photographs for this module had little focus on motion so I had to think differently when approaching the video.

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Final Images

Here are my three final images for the Digital Imaging module

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My final one minute video piece for digital imaging.

My photographs have focused on street photography. I have been shooting ambiguous sights, close-ups, surfaces, and visual tricks; stemming, I think, from the fact I do not know my way around Bristol and am often partially lost when shooting. This video follows on from this theme.

I found a location by the docks in Bristol beneath the waterside walkway where interesting reflections from the water were hitting the concrete structure. 

For the sound, I used a microphone and returned to the location to record the water lapping against the docks.

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Final Images

I have narrowed down my selection to these six, but I am having doubts about the third. It is a good image, but doesn’t have the same bold colours as the rest. Equally, I don’t feel the first is such a strong image, but the colours work well with the other pictures in the set. The colours in the sixth are also of slightly different palette to the rest, so that may be stricken off.

I will probably pick 3 or 4 images from these six as a final set.

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Final Images

I have narrowed down 14 possible final images for this module. These are my favourite photographs of the module for various reasons. I now need to pick 3-5 images that work visually together as a set.

Most of the these pictures have strong colours, with which I could create a theme through a set of images. I also want to have a balance of landscape vs portrait images.

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Retouching Photographs

This is an image I took of a white comma butterfly. The focus was tough to get right with aperture available so this one of the few that turned out ok from the shoot.

The only issue is the blurs at the bottom from the plastic base of the tub. I can use photoshop to correct this.

I started by creating a duplicate layer. I then selected the patch tool and highlighted one of the blurred areas.

I dragged this highlighted area to a part of the image I wanted to replicate in that corner. This has to be repeated as the change is gradual so the process is slow.

I then repeated the process for the other blur, with a new layer for the other corner.

before

After

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Workflow

A vital part of the working process in photography is workflow. Workflow is the way in which files are organised, and determines how efficiently work can be produced. 

Also important, is to make sure there is a backup somewhere of these files. Some people use cloud, personally I worry about security in mass online storage so I choose to store files on two external Hard drives. One is transportable, and one I keep at home. I also keep important and recent files on my laptop, so that they are thrice accounted for.

Here is a screen shot of how I organise my current files. A file for University work, then a file for each semester, within that each module of the semester. Within those files are organised accordingly, with shoots numbered, and broken into folders for; jpegs, raw files, edits, and images yet to be edited. Each module folder has different folders for different sections of the module; research, lighting diagrams, final prints are examples.

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Exhibition

Before printing for the exhibition it’s important to make sure the icc profile is set correctly. It was also important during the editing process to ensure it was the correct size for the printer, 58 cm on it’s longest edge, allowing 2cm wide border.

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Lightroom

1. Importing Images

2. Setting the filename and copyright

3. Under the develop tab, contrast, hue and other tools such as greyscale and spot removal are available.

4. Under the print tab, the photograph can be exported in the chosen ICC profile. Adobe RGB or SRGB

5.Finally under the web tab the pictures can prepared for internet sharing, the website can be typed in and watermarks added.

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Calibrating Monitor (mac)

Screenshots of the calibration process on a mac, fairly simple if the instructions are followed.

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Moving Image

My digital imaging project so far as been street photography. I have been revisiting and re-shooting particular locations, trying to pay attention to the natural light and composition.

While walking along the dockside in Bristol I found a point where I could access the underside of the walkway. Here I discovered some interesting light patterns which I have filmed some preliminary shots of (tripodless!) and will return to shoot again soon.

For some reason the video itself will not upload to tumblr. Here are some screenshots instead:

Stabilizing the videos, since I didn’t have a tripod at the time of filming.

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Bibliography

 Berger, J. and al,  et (1973) Ways of seeing based on the BBC television series. New York: British Broadcasting Corporation [u.a.] 

Christenberry, W. and Woodward, R. B. (2010) William Christenberry: Kodachromes. New York, NY: D.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers [distributor] 

J, M., William (1992) The reconfigured eye: visual truth in the post-photographic era. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press

Jeffrey, I. (ed.) (1997) The Photobook. New York, NY: Phaidon

John Berger ; edited and introduced by Geoff Dyer. (2013) Understanding a photograph. Edited by Geoff Dyer. New York, NY: Aperture  

The Shining (1980) Directed by Stanley Kubrick 

Lab, I. V. (2015) PHOTOBOOK BRISTOL 2014. STEPHEN GILL. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ4ozRG-uXY (Accessed: 15 March 2015)

Lin, S. (no date) MODERN CITYSCAPES. Available at: http://www.simaslin.com/ (Accessed: 2 March 2015) 

Modrak, R. and Anthes, B. (2010) Reframing photography: theory and practice. Edited by Ofelia Garcia. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis 

Sontag, S. (2001) On Photography. New York: St Martin’s Press 

Weston, B. (1992) Voyage of the Eye: An Aperture Monograph. New York, NY: Aperture Foundation 

Wolf, M. (no date) MICHAEL WOLF PHOTOGRAPHY. Available at: http://photomichaelwolf.com/# (Accessed: 24 February 2015) 

tw1975 (2012) John Berger / Ways of Seeing , Episode 1 (1972). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pDE4VX_9Kk (Accessed: 14 April 2015)

Berger, J (2009) Why Look At Animals? London, Penguin.

Smithsonian (2011) Artist William Christenberry presents to the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTxrSgb7DuI (Accessed:29 January 2015)

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The first image is my own, the second was taken by Corinne Silva as part of Garden State.

I feel my image, of the CCTV camera with an elongated shadow, is partly inspired by a recent exhibition I visited.

Garden State by Corinne Silva is a project which draws parallels to man’s dominance over nature in the form of gardening and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the middle east. Silva explores the conflict and occupation in the middle-east by photographing the gardening of the area, observing ways in which one plant can grow over another or form a sort of barrier, the exhibition serves as a subtle commentary on the conflict.

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A selection from the most recent shoot/collection from around Bristol and Bath.

Although there is no solid coherent theme, I feel the composition in these images is an improvement over what I was producing at the beginning of the module.

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An edited photograph from my recent shoot, a large image of one of Bath’s newly built flats behind a broken fence.

This image has a surreal feel to it, I would like feedback on it from someone not initially aware of the building being an advert. They would undoubtedly see it differently to me.

Having now reshot this image, I am happier with  the second, the shadow cast across the fence and background image cast doubt over whether it is a real building. Also there is more darkness in the gaps in the fence adding depth to the photograph.

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Shoot 5

Not really a single shoot so much as it is just a collection of my 100 most recent photographs for this module.

I am continuing with a focus on colour, light and composition.

Tricks of perspective have started to appear as well, unintentionally, in my work. If I can produce enough examples, it could make for a strong final set of images.