Shay I. Photography

------------------------------------------HND Photography student at City of Glasgow College------------------------------------------

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Photoshoot 4 Contact Sheet

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Photoshoot 3 Contact Sheet

This is just the selected files as my hard drive malfunctioned

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Photoshoot 2 Contact Sheet

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Graded Unit Photoshoot 1 Contact Sheet

The selected photos are named selection.

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Photoshoot 1 Delay

Due to the weather being terrible, I had to postpone photoshoot one today. I have rescheduled it for this Thursday the 28th of April.

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Personal Project Photoshoot 2 Plan

Time: 1p.m.

Date: Tuesday, 26th of April 2022

Location: Queen's Park Recreational Grounds

Models: Zan Phee

Style: Light and flowy, dark and grungy

Gear:

Panasonic Lumix G9 Body

25mm 1.8 lens

45mm 1.8 lens

75mm 1.8 lens

Canon R6 Body

Canon 70-200 2.8 lens

2x 128GB SD cards

Reflector

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Personal Project Shoot 1 Plan

Time: 1p.m.

Date: Monday, 25th of April 2022

Location: Queen's Park Recreational Grounds

Models: Lou and Max

Style: Light and flowy, dark and grungy(for both)

Gear:

Panasonic Lumix G9 Body

25mm 1.8 lens

45mm 1.8 lens

75mm 1.8 lens

Canon R6 Body

Canon 70-200 2.8 lens

2x 128GB SD cards

Reflector

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Research Task 1 - Part 3, Composition

Focal Length

Different focal lengths are used to achieve different effects. As we have already studied, the focal length of a lens affects the distortion and compression in an image.

A wide angle lens is usually used for its distortion, providing a dynamic look to the scene and blending the character with the background, making them feel like a part of the environment. It's usually used for action shots where a lot of movement is involved as that way the camera needs to move less to show more of the frame.

Standard angle focal lengths are used to convey a natural look to things, being the closest to natural human vision. They're usually used to make the viewer feel immersed and a part of the scene, and/or to make the perspective relatable. It also has the least effect on how people look, giving them the least distorted or compressed look.

Long lenses are typically used for their compression and separation of subject and background. They provide an almost dream-like feel to the film, making the viewer feel like they are both close and distant to what is happening in the scene.

Action

Subject movement between scenes is very important. Continuity is very important when transitioning between scenes, so the placement of the subject at the beginning and ending of the scene is key to the smooth transitions.

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Research Task 1 - Part 2, Camera Movements

Tilt

Tilting is a camera technique in which the camera stays fixed in one spot but rotates up/down. It is very effective when showing a new subject or introducing a scene with a lot of tall objects. It is also a very good transitional shot.

Tracking

Tracking shots are used when following a subject or showing a focal point of a scene. It is a technique in which the camera moves up/down or left/right and stays a relative distance to the subject in frame. Usually, a stabilised gimbal or a camera attached to the subject is used in order to achieve a smooth shot.

Pull Focus/Rack Focus

The pull focus technique is a shot where the lenses' focus changes mid-scene in order to shift the viewer's attention to a different area/part of the scene. For this, usually a very shallow depth of field is used in order to have big foreground/background separation. The camera does not move during this shot.

Camera movements is a filmmaking technique that results a change in frame or perspective through the movement of the camera.

Panning

Pan is a fundamental camera movement. You move your camera horizontally, (left to right or vice versa, while its base is fixated on a certain point. You are not moving the position of the camera itself, just the direction it faces.

Zoom

Zoom is used most commonly when something fast-paced is happening or you need to focus in on a subject quickly. Example of this are found in news reports, sports, horse/car racing,

Dolly

This technique involves moving a camera forwards or backwards, usually along motorised wheels, resulting in a very smooth flowing shot. When you “dolly in,” the camera moves toward the subject, whereas when you “dolly out,” the camera moves backward and away from the subject.

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Memorable Videos From My Childhood

Trying to look for ads didn't work, so I am going with these music videos that have stuck in my head since I was very young.

The first one is Angels by Morandi. The reason why this video stuck with me was the stunning visuals, storytelling and how well the music works with it. The main point of it is definitely the plot, as it's very emotionally investing and tells an amazing story which goes along very well with the song. The camera movements are slow and pan around a lot, with the shots concentrating on the characters' faces. This is very effective in evoking emotion. The whole clip then going in reverse really makes one think about the meaning behind the story being told.

The second one is All The Right Moves by OneRepublic. What is memorable about it is the setting, the dynamic camera movements perfectly syncing the dancers with the song. It is dynamic, flashy, the colour grading works amazingly with the nostalgic feeling of both the song and the costumes the actors are wearing. It also has amazing storytelling which works amazingly with the song.

What mainly stuck in my head was definitely the golden colour that engrosses most of the shots and puts an accent on the singers. The masks that the dancers wear are also gold, and with the right colour grading and good composition, the focal points of each shot are clear and easy to find.

The third music video that has stuck with me literally since it came out when I was 11 is the video to Wonderful Life by Hurts. While the song is amazing, the video makes an absolutely amazing job at pulling the viewer in and with the combination of a gloomy colour grading, minimalistic shots and not much camera movement it deepens the meaning of the song and really elevates the feeling of loneliness and despair.

Each and every shot from this music video can be a separate photograph and has a very, very deep meaning. I love the static camera throughout, always very far away from the characters, to show alienation and loneliness. In a song about suicide, one would think the lyrics would be the most meaningful, but the music video does an amazing job at telling the story.

The pattern I am noticing between the videos that stick with me is a very good combination between the music and camera shots, with a lot of panning and good rhythm between the scenes; and definitely a deep meaning and symbolism. The colour grading also plays a huge role in it, with accent colours being the main source of memory.

I think the reason why it has mainly been music videos sticking in my memory is because I have always had a very good sound memory and music has meant a lot to me throughout my life. Different music symbolises different stages of my life and these songs definitely meant a lot to me, and for the videos to also stay engrained in my memory means that they're very well shot and tell an amazing story.

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Moving Image Start

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Lost and Found - Evaluation

Lost and found was my favourite project from folio 2. I enjoyed all of it, from the planning, to shooting, to post production. I feel it really pushed me to think out of the box as I like to think my speciality is portraiture, not object and landscape photography. I do think I managed quite well with the shots themselves, and then doing the post production also made my gears going as instead of doing it quickly and in one go, I took my time and and went over it over a couple of days so my eyes can rest from the image. This proved to be a good tactic for me as I kept noticing small details which I wouldn't have noticed otherwise.

The brief really taught me patience and to really pre-plan my shoots, in which case I won't waste time getting shots I don't need.

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Graded Unit Current Ideas

For now, I have an idea of making two sets of images, 4 with Angels in a serene, outdoors environment, and 4 with Demons in a dark, abandoned warehouse. The idea is to also take 2 photos with both Angels and Demons and end up with 5 printed and 5 digital images.

The Angels will be based on Vivienne Mok's work, while for the Demons I'm taking inspiration from Stefan Gessel.

Currently I'm in the process of talking to models and organising when the shoots would potentially happen, and also scouting locations for the Angels.

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Recycle - Evaluation

I really enjoyed the recycle project, but found it difficult.

Gathering the props and planning my piece was my favourite part and I found that very enjoyable, but I really struggled with the production part itself.

After several trials at my home setup I ended up deciding that doing it in college would be perfect, and that was the best choice. Doing it in the college allowed me to get feedback on the spot to fix any mistakes I was making and the end result I'm very happy with.

If I could do it again, I would've spent more time trialing out shooting and creating more optimisation for my flashlight.

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Lost and Found - Final

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Highland Spring Edit

Layers:

[shayivanova-hnd1]

Lost and Found - Current Photoshop Progress