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My final layout for component 2. I chose this layout as the lightest images were at the top and the darker were at the bottom which I found made the images look more fitting. Also by doing this a gradient of tone was created which makes the photos flow better together as a single piece.

Here is another way I may mount my images. Although this arrangement still leaves the darker ones at the top which makes it look top heavy. In future I may place them at the bottom to make the photo easier on the eyes.

jaychima

This is one way I may arrange my final 6 images.

However, I dislike the separation between The pairs of images. This is because the darker images are at the top which I may change in future arrangements.

I will do this because it may look more aesthetically pleasing if the lighter ones are at the top.

Here are my six final images for my exam.

I like the top photo as I believe that it fits into my theme of minimalistic very well; it also links to transformation as the photo was taken in a busy urban setting next to a main road and an area of heavy footfall. However, by using specific angles I created a viewpoint which allows the viewer to perceive the photo as being set in a peaceful environment. In addition to this I used the “Mc Donalds” sign as its well known for being situated in busy cities and having a monopoly in the food sector internationally, Therefore by using it in a setting which is far different from this juxtaposes the symbolism of the brand. For this reason I also placed the sign slightly off centre so that the viewer can more clearly see the setting of the photo which further emphasises the isolation of the sign. There is also a colour contrast between the blue sky and the red/yellow sign as orange and blue are opposite on the colour wheel regarding primary colours which makes the sign more distinct.

The second to top photo was chosen/taken as the viewpoint created a natural gradient as the top proportion of the sky is a darker tone of blue compared to the bottom which is lighter. This gives the photo depth as it gives the viewer a sense of depth in composition regarding foreground, mid ground and back ground. I also shot this image off centre with the lamp post as I believe it makes the photo more interesting. Not only this but I also like the photo because the light reflecting off the lens makes the bulbs and their glass appear black which makes the photo more abstract as the colour is very different to that of the rest of the photo.

The third image is very heavily focused on the use of geometrical shapes in architecture and the urban environment in general. I tried to create a frame in the image which is surrounded by solid lines to make it appear like a hallway wen in fact its a relatively open area. The glass to the left of the image reflects the horizontal lines in the centre of the image extending them which gives the illusion of them going through the glass. Also the white area on the right of the image with the sign on contrasts between the dark colour of the background.

The fourth image is quite interesting as their is a clear contrast where the white panels meet the blue of the main part of the image. Not only this but the photo is composed mainly of two geometrical shapes which overlay in the composition making the photo have more depth. I also like the black shadow lining the roof of the first building as it gives the photo more depth. The camera and light remained black as I thought that it would make them more prominent and make the photo less flat. Although the shadow at the top adds depth the lower and middle section of the photo could otherwise look flat.

In the fifth image I tried to focus on a diagonal line going across the image to divide the photo. Compared to my other photos this image has limited contrast as I would try to attempt to blend the image into a softer looking one where the colours are all very similar. By doing so I sacrifice contrast which could make the photo look immediately more dramatic but harder on the eyes. I like the reflection of the clouds in the window as the texture created by the clouds looks soft in comparison to the hard concrete of the building.

The last image is almost second off into squares due to the shape created by the scaffolding. Not only this but the viewpoint puts the building off centre as the building was on a hill; this makes the photo more interesting as the angle manipulates the way in which the poles connect and are ranged it first in the viewers eyes. This therefore makes the viewer feel slightly uneasy which makes them spend a longer amount of time viewing the image.

I took these photos as they include very simple geometrical shapes which are the garage doors. These allow for the possibility of editing these photos in a way that emphasises these shapes through block colours ect. By doing this I could create work that reflects the work of other photograhers I have looked in my own style.

My favourite of these images is number 2457 as the far away shot allows the viewer to see the surroundings of the garages which are the main subject in the photo in the mid ground. Also the edge of the building is almost directly in the centre of the image which makes the photo almost symetrical. The photo being symetrical emphasises the simplicty of the compostion which is something I aim to achieve throughout all my work. Therefore, because of this on reflection I would of placed the buildings corner more in the centre of the frame.

My least favourite photo is number 2460 as the leading line is not as prominent as it is in photo 2455 for example as you can not see where the end of the white strip is above the garages. Because of this I feel like it blends into the background too much rendering it ineffective. Although it is organised into distinct thirds I believe that these thirds all lack elements that would otherwise make them stand out. This therefore makes the photo unbalanced and lop sided which makes it unapealling.

Here is a photo shoot from the larger contact sheet I uploaded. I did this particular shoot inspired by Matthias Heiderich who edits his photos using vibrant colours and modified contrasts as a way of creating colourful work. For this reason I took photos from various angles; although they may look very similar they all have slightly different balancing regarding their building foreground and background ratio.

2648 is my favourite photo as the foreground is not obstructed by the tree which is to the left of the image.

Here are some photos I took yesterday when it was sunny. I took these photos in a particular style in order to create work in a similar style to the photographers I have researched. I plan on doing this by using photoshop to change the colours in the photo but making them more vibrant and by adding streaks of colour.

One of my favourite photos is number 2679 as the sign which is the focal point of the image is off centre slightly which places emphasis on the environment that its in. Not only this but the yellow sign contrast which the blue sky significantly as blue and yellow are almost opposites on the colour wheel.

2684 is one of my least favourite photos as although it uses a leading line to lacks focus as the shot was taken too far away which means theta the viewer is confused on where to focus. This makes the overall photo lack effect and presence.

Here is some more research from the photographer Matthias Heiderich who uses a large amount of white in his photos. I believe that this emphasises the weather as its a “hot” white colour. It also helps the highlighting colour which is blue and orange in these photos to contrast more from the rest of the image. I like his use of colour as it is almost block colour however he takes shadowns into considerstaion when adding these streaks of colour.

Particularly in these two photos he also uses a blue gradient as a means of changing the “rythem” of the photo from a soft gradual change to a hard white block. This combination creates an overall aesthetically pleasing photo in my opinion as the compostion is carfefully thought about as he balcnes the few elements he uses with great consideration for their effects on the overall effect of the photo and the meanings they will convey.

Here is a photo shoot I did in town which will be edited in the style of some of the photographers I have looked at. I will do this by using photoshop to manipulate the composition and colour balance. In preparation for this I took the photos at very specific angles including straight frontal shots and obscure vertical shots which showed the sides of buildings.

One of my favourite photos from this shoot was number 2477 which featured the colourful garages which I thought would work well with my theme of transformation at it changes something that used to be dull and lifeless to something colourful and exciting.

One of my least favourite photos is 2465 of the red bin as I feel like the photo is too far away so the viewer is unsure on what they should be focusing on. Although I may edit the photo to make the red of the bin stand out to catch the viewers attention.

For these photos I used an old SLR camera camera to give the photos an old retro effect. This is so the photos are in the style of the old photography associated with war and battles. This is shown by taking the photos at Coventry Cathedral; I like the top photo as although it was a test like the bottom photo it has great depth regarding tones. For example the top left part of the image in the corner is almost a deep black colour where as the floor is much lighter due to the natural lighting in the environment. However the resulting photo was too sharp for my liking which was a result of using a shutter speed that was too high; so to correct this mistake I used a higher shutter speed. The middle larger photo was my final photo which although the depth of tone was the same it was less evident as the shutter speed was slower meaning that the tones blended together more. By the photo being blurry I believe that the photo was more successful in conveying the old war torn theme I was aiming for.

The numbers on the photos represent the amount of time they were exposed for when developing under the light in the dark room. Therefore the bottom strip was produced to test different exposures. In the end I went with 30 seconds; although this was not featured on the test strip I felt it was necessary to make the photo better.

This is a photo taken by Horst Fischer; In addition to using miniature environments I also plan on taking photos in urban environments. I picked tis photo as the angle used to capture the street is something I hope to be able to replicate and incorporate into my work. The colours used also make the shot look very abstract which is emoting which I hope to develop in my own work.

I really like the work of Klaus Lenzen as his work is very minimalistic which reflects the miniature side of my work. Features such as the shopping cart and the light flesh tone wall above it together make an example of where he has thought carefully about the use of colours and contrast created. This use of block colours is something I am very interested into and hope to delve into in the near future using photoshop. Not only this but how he uses the frame is also very clever as he uses a mixture of elements to either balance the frame or set it off balance. The palm tree in the top photo for example sets the image off balance as the right side of the frame is left neglected where is the bottom image he places the lamppost slightly biased towards the right side of the frame as a means of compensating the balance without the addition of another element.

I also looked at the work of Harry Verschelden who was heavily focused on architecture and geometrical shapes in his work. His aims include capturing angles that display the structure of buildings and their intricate detail. I particularly like his work as not only does he use colours in a similar way to me in a sense that he uses them to highlight what he sees as key areas by he also contrasts the colours greatly from each other. I plan to capture similar photos and create the same effect using miniatures as this relates to my them of transformation. (transforming big environments to small scale compositions)

One particular theme that I am interested in for my exam is simplistic colourful work regarding transformation. The work above is that of Theo Luycx who sometimes uses objects in a way that makes them look out of scale (the wires through the door) and he also uses very restrictive colour palettes which I too use as a way of maintaing simplicity. The use of manipulating scale is another feature we both share as a lot of my work is miniature landscapes and settings. I find that by using miniature I am able to have greater control and flexibility over what I am doing.

I did this photo shoot to develop my skills using a camera and being able to adjust the manual settings as I felt like that a lot of the time I am limited to what I can do due to my experience. However, by doing exercises like these I naturally develop my skills rather than going about it in an artificial passive manor which would be me sitting and reading the instruction manual for the camera. By learning in a physical environment I can become accustom to the many variables that any photographer is likely to encounter such as lighting issues or composition ect.

Here are some contact sheets from my second miniature shoot, This photo shoot was meant to mimic nuclear war. This is represented by the mushroom in the mid ground which represents a mushroom cloud caused by nuclear bombs. In the foreground I created a small town using monopoly houses and a monopoly car, I used small stones, gravel and small plants to create the foreground and used the screen of my laptop for the fields backdrop.

I experimented with various lighting methods and angles; however my angles were limited as the “set” only gave this particular illusion at certain angles therefore I was confined to very few angles. I applied various filters to try and create realism in the photo and make the photo more atmospheric.

The black and white image at the bottom is one of my favourites as I believe that the black and white filter emphasises the gloom and darkness associated with war. On reflection I would have made the photo landscape rather than a square as it would emphases the realism of the fake environment I made.

The lowest three images are of the area where I shot the images, I used my laptop to create the backdrop. I also had access to a lamp which provided my lighting.

Here is a photo from a brief photo shoot I did using my phone and a paper fish for my miniature theme, I decided not to develop this photo into a photo shoot as I struggled to achieve the effect I wanted which was a simplistic clean photo. This is made evident where the back of the phone is out of focus despite having my aperture on 22. The lighting was also not quite as I would of hoped; I would have preferred to use a blue/white light which I did not have available at the time.

However, I do now have access to a blue/white light so I could repeat this photo shoot again however in a way that I would like more.

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