Four Compositions
In todays task I was required to take 20 images of four different compositions.
The Four Different Types Of Composition
Triangle
Rule Of Thirds
Layers
Balance
My Response
Best Edits
Homework Response - 4 Compositions
Add your best edits- they may not be exactly like your collages but you could still label your best rule of thirds image etc.
Best Edits - Collage
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: The subject I chose to photograph suited the theme as it looked similar towards my collage.
EBI: My focus improved on my images and improved my contrast.
EBI: My focus improved on my images and improved my contrast.
Framing
Using Mirrors
In this task I was required to take an images with a mirror using pairs of opposites, for example natural or manmade.
Best Edits
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: I found multiple opposites which contrasts nicely with the composition and the reflection in the mirror for example, the sky and the ground.
EBI: One thing that was difficult while taking these images was my focus and angling the mirror a certain way so I would not be seen in the frame.
EBI: One thing that was difficult while taking these images was my focus and angling the mirror a certain way so I would not be seen in the frame.
How Did I Adapt To The Task?
To achieve a good outcome for my composition I had to use opposites to create these appealing images for example, inside or outside. I also had to be aware and cautious that I was not in the reflection of the mirror to not distract my viewer from the main subject of my image.
Finger Framing
In this task I was required to use three different apertures by using depth of field and frame an interesting object with fingers.
Best Edits
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: I was able to take 3 different types of depth of fields.
EBI: One thing that was difficult was controlling the ISO as the camera would appear dim or very bright.
EBI: One thing that was difficult was controlling the ISO as the camera would appear dim or very bright.
Framing Details
In this task I was required to frame interesting objects or subjects.
Best Edits
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: I was able to adapt my composition to create an interesting an appealing image.
EBI: One thing that was difficult was controlling my focus and finding interesting subjects to take.
EBI: One thing that was difficult was controlling my focus and finding interesting subjects to take.
Windows - Homework
In this task I was required to take images of windows contrasting the outside world and inside.
The way I interpreted this task was I explored the idea of contrasting the view of public versus private, the view of the outside world and using a window frame to frame a narrative throughout the composition, giving the image a meaning.
The way I interpreted this task was I explored the idea of contrasting the view of public versus private, the view of the outside world and using a window frame to frame a narrative throughout the composition, giving the image a meaning.
Best Edits
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: I was able to achieve my intentions of comparing public versus private through reflections of the window.
EBI: I used the window frame to form a narrative throughout my images.
EBI: I used the window frame to form a narrative throughout my images.
Formal Elements
Formal Elements = The language of picture making.
In this task I was required to take seven images which were an example of formal elements. The seven formal elements I focussed on was, tone, line, texture, colour, pattern, contrast and form.
In this task I was required to take seven images which were an example of formal elements. The seven formal elements I focussed on was, tone, line, texture, colour, pattern, contrast and form.
Best Edits
Contrast
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: I found all the seven examples of formal elements and I was able to adapt to my compositions to transform simple subjects into appealing compositions by using the seven examples of formal elements.
EBI: Many of my images had more than one formal element which made it difficult to emphasise the most important aspect of my composition.
EBI: Many of my images had more than one formal element which made it difficult to emphasise the most important aspect of my composition.
Work Shop 1
Flipping And Mirroring
My thoughts on this technique is that it creates an abstract attribute, creating a futuristic composition. I might use this process for future projects to demonstrate an abstract form to my images.
I think I was very successful in creating this image, as there are many compositions you can create by using the mirroring technique.
I think I was very successful in creating this image, as there are many compositions you can create by using the mirroring technique.
Workshop 2
Editing Process
Best Edits
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: One thing that went well was changing the blending mode to overlay to make it transparent to my main subject.
EBI: Transforming the scale so it would fit the subjects body.
EBI: Transforming the scale so it would fit the subjects body.
Independent Development
Rodney Graham
What Were The Photographers Intentions? Rodney Graham intended to indulge the viewer inside the nature of the camera. He has done this by capturing the tree in a larger-scale, presenting the tree as it would be seen in the camera and creating a relationship between the viewer and the image. Graham wanted the audience to re-consider the nature- subject (the tree).
What Wider Context Is The Photographer Addressing?Graham is considering to create a familiarity or relation of the main subject in this piece of work. This shown by capturing the tree in a larger-scale and creating contrast between the background and the tree, illuminating the tree, implying that it is the main subject of the composition. Rodney wanted to explore the disembodiment of the world that is presented in the image.
How Does The Photographer's Style Of Photography And Process Support Their Intentions?Rodney Graham has used tone in creating this work. This creates an ominous effect towards the viewer, illustrating the sense of weight throughout the contrasting tones. This helps support Grahams point about the re-consideration of nature, as presenting the tree in a majestic way, creates a dramatic effect on the beauty of the tree, expressing every detail of the branches. Moreover, the dark-contrasting tones illustrates a disturbing view of nature, creating a sense of weight and the composition which disembodies nature which the viewer is invited to dwell in.
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Welsh Oaks, 1998
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Guy Tal |
Psychotropic Sandstone
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What Were The Photographers Intentions?Guy Tal intended to show the perception beauty in nature and showing his 'love of the wild', he once stated. He did this by taking close up images and capturing close and small details of the of canyons texture and the multiple different colours mixed with each other of the subject to create an intimate relationship between the image and the viewer. Tal wanted the audience to experience the rugged American west from his imagination.
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What Wider Context Is The Photographer Addressing?
Guy Tal was considering to create extraordinary images with anonymous areas and let the viewer experience nature through his images. This is shown by the bright colours blended and mixed with each other and used formal elements to take the rough and smooth surfaces of the canyon rock. Tal wanted to explore colour, shapes, lines and contrast to contribute to how the viewer feels when they see the image.
How Does The Photographer's Style Of Photography And Process Support Their Intentions?
Guy Tal has used colour and texture in creating this work. This helps create an intimate relation between the viewer and the image, as the colours express the mood of the image. For example, in Psychotropic Sandstone, many could interpret that the mood of the image is happy, in my opinion, due to the saturated, bright pink colours. This helps to supports point the beauty of nature, as the images illustrate the vast different colours and shapes that is produced by nature, giving the viewer an insight of incredible nature is by Tal depicting the closer and vibrant details of it.
Ansel Adams
What Were The Photographers Intentions?
Ansel Adams intended to create surreal images. He did this by using an aperture of f/64 to capture the wide range of textures and wide range shots of the landscape . For example, in the image, we can see by using an aperture of f/64, we the viewer can depict the the rough texture of the mountains in the background. Adams wanted us as the viewer to see his visionary to the monuments of nature creating these wide, black and white shots of the landscape.
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The Tentons And The Snake River, 1942
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What Wider Context Is The Photographer Addressing?
Ansel Adams is considering to express the monument of nature in this piece of work. This shown by the use of creating the images black and white, to express the emotion in the image rather than the viewer interpreting the image as a scenery. He wanted his audience to feel a relation towards the image and themselves and sense meaning or emotion through the composition. Adams wanted to explore a way to make his viewers close to nature due to the urbanised we live in we cannot see or feel the peaceful momentums of nature.
How Does The Photographer's Style Of Photography And Process Support Their Intentions?
Ansel Adams has used dodging and burning in the darkroom to manipulate his image. This creates a cordial effect, as the use and black and white conveys a deeper of meaning on how nature is presented, sometimes nature can be presented as peaceful or quite, which is demonstrated by the wide shot of the landscape, but nature can also be presented as dangerous or unknown as we haven't explored much of it due to the world beginning to be very urbanised. This helps to support Adams point about admiring nature as the image illustrates many emotions that only us the viewers can interpret when we look at the image.
Favourite Photographer - Rodney Graham
My favourite photographer out of my three photographers is Rodney Graham, because his images created emotion throughout the image by creating the composition black and white, elaborating meaning throughout the image. Moreover, I like Graham placing the tree as the main subject by making it more darker, to suggest to the viewer that it's the main subject. Furthermore, I would like to experiment the use of tones.
I will be taking these images outside and find different types of trees with many branches to illustrate a dramatic composition. Moreover, I will be also expierminting with tone and contrast which employ similar techniques taken by Rodney Graham.
I will be taking these images outside and find different types of trees with many branches to illustrate a dramatic composition. Moreover, I will be also expierminting with tone and contrast which employ similar techniques taken by Rodney Graham.
My Response - Rodney Graham
Best Edits - Independent Development
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: To practice and experiment with the formal element of tone.
EBI: If the background was only the sky, so the composition can highlight the tree as the main subject.
EBI: If the background was only the sky, so the composition can highlight the tree as the main subject.
Next Development
Richard Mosse
Richard Mosses demonstrates his documentation of war by twisting it to real and into the imaginary. He illustrates this by using a coloured infrared film called Kodak Aerochrome. The infrared camera renders the green landscape into vivid hues of lavender, crimson and hot pink, which is illustrated by the vast hills in the image, employing a surreal or imaginary effect towards his audience.
Practicing Editing
This is an image I was practicing on to recreate the editing style of Mosse.
My Response
Editing Process
Photographer and Me
In this edit, I was influenced by the vibrant colours that Mosse presents in his surreal images. In my final edit, I wanted to 'play-around' with the colour correction tool, but also incorporating a similar colour scheme that is presented by Richard. I also enjoyed the idea that Richard presents in this image, the contrast between the colour of the sky and the forest underneath, illustrates a surreal and the fanatical piece, which I wanted to create in this edit.
Best Edits
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: Trying to replicate the infrared style presented by Richard Mosse.
EBI: I experimented more with colour, creating a colourful image, which is illustrated by a few of Richard Mosses' images.
EBI: I experimented more with colour, creating a colourful image, which is illustrated by a few of Richard Mosses' images.
What's Next?
To improve my images, I would experiment more with composition.
Development 3
Pep Ventosa
Pep Ventosa is a photographer who uses a popular technique of combining all the shots he takes into a multi-layerd final piece. Ventosa takes around 100 images to create these images illusionist image, seeming as if the subject of the image is moving.
My Response
Editing Process
Photographer And Me
In this edit, I was influenced by Ventosa's idea of creating a illusions with multiple shots of the same subject, which I elaborated to my own image as well, decreasing each layers opacity to 50%. Moreover, I was inspired by the multiple and different colours presented by Pep's image, which made me experiment and develop the use of colour on my edit.
Best Edits
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: Experimenting with colour, and different methods to add multiple colours in an image to create the illusion created by Pep Ventosa.
EBI: I experimented more of Pep Ventonsa's idea of creating a blurry illusion.
EBI: I experimented more of Pep Ventonsa's idea of creating a blurry illusion.
What's Next?
To improve my images, next time I would look at more examples of Pep Ventosa's photos.
Development 4 - Developed response of Pep Ventonsa
In this developed version of Pep Ventonsa I would like to take 'close-up' images developing my ideas and techniques and bordering my techniques of photography. Furthermore I would also like to take my response while the subject is in motion, as a few of Ventosa's images demonstrates the subject being in motion. The examples below demonstrates my idea on how I would like to develop my response to Pep Ventosa.
My Response - Set 1
My Response - Set 2
Editing Process
Photographer And Me
In Pep Ventosa image, Durhamstown Castle, he illustrates motion through the image creating an extraordinary photographic image, deceiving it as a painting. I was inspired by the idea of movement presented by Pep Ventonsa, so in my final image I decided to elaborate this idea, making the petals in the flower seem like they are moving throughout the image. This is what makes Ventosa's photographs unique as he creates motion through multiple images without using techniques inputted in the camera, e.g. shutter speed.
Best Edits
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: The subject I chose to photograph suited the theme as it demonstrates the natural surroundings, which was also demonstrated by a few of Pep Ventonsa's photographs.
EBI: My images expressed my intentions, which was to create a composition which demonstrated the subject being 'in motion'
EBI: My images expressed my intentions, which was to create a composition which demonstrated the subject being 'in motion'
What's Next?
To improve my images I will experiment further with different compositions, such as highway roads which is used in few of Pep Ventosa's images.
The Photographers' Gallery: The Deutsche Borse Photography Foundation 2021
What was the exhibition about?
The Deutsche Borse photography foundation exhibition was a showcase of diverse sets of work: technology in China, development in Mexico, indigenous rights in India and migration in Europe were all the themes that were touched upon during the exhibition. The exhibition offered some insight into what the world has overcome to create a more equal and sustainable society throughout the years but the shortlisted projects also reflected upon issues we need to crucially face to carry on progressing in the idealised society we want to live in.
The Photographers
The exhibition showcased four photographers work:
- Poulomi Basu: An Indian artist, documentary photographer and activist. Much of her work addresses the normalisation against marginalised women. Basu's work also challenges the limitations of traditional documentary photography and advocates against political and social injustices.
- Alejandro Cartagena: A Dominican Republic-born Mexican photographer. Cartagena's work reflects environmental, urban and social issues. Mainly working in Mexico, Alejandro tackles issues arising from homogenous suburban sprawl and how the dysfunctional developments impact the communities who exist in and around them
- Cao Fei: A Chinese multimedia artist; her work includes video performance, digital media, and she examines the daily life of Chinese citizens born after the cultural revolution. Fie's work also explores the digital world as a utopian space. Her work considers the impact of automation, virtual realities and hyper-urbanisation on the human condition.
- Zineb Sedira: A Franco-Algerian feminist photographer and video artist, much of her work explores the human relationship to geography. Sedira practices spans photograph, film and installation to create immersive projects that tackle themes such as identity, culture, gender and the environment.
How was the work curated?
During the exhibition, I was independently guided by myself which allowed me to take my time to view the showcased images and also allowed me to form my opinion on which artist to vote for.
The exhibition was split into four rooms which showcased the four different artist's work. Some rooms had curtains which led to large cinema screens which presented films and documentaries that the artists have created to bring more context of their work to their audiences such as Cao Fei's 2019 film, Nova, Zineb Sedira record an introduction for her exhibition and Poulomi Basus presented a documentary she filmed - A Ritual of Exile. A few of the rooms were purposely dark which was to draw the viewer instantly to the large screens or to illustrate the atmosphere of their work. Other rooms also had interactive leaflets or booklets such as Alejandro Cartagena, these also presented the photographer's image but added more context behind the idea of their work. |
Why did you choose these particular pieces?
Image 1
Nova 1, 2019 - Cao Fie
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Cao Fie's concepts stood out for me; the idea of being trapped and isolated was beautifully portrayed in this image. The sunlight shining on the astronaut is highlighting that it's the compelling element in the photo, and the tidy edges in the image again luminates the astronaut. I think Cao Fie's intention in this image was to convey the idea of the modernising world of technology and illustrating the idea of how the virtual world continues to radically alter our perception of self and change the way we perceive reality. Fie always presents the slippage between physical and reality which she conveys in this image with the astronaut representing the virtual world and the beach symbolising the physical reality.
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Image 2
From Centralia, 2020 - Poulomi Basu
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I was intrigued by this image by Poulomi Basu. In this photo Basu presents an indigenous tribe in India, elaborating a dystopian style to the image, combining art and education into this piece. Basu's work always presents a story in her work, always taking images of raw voices of lives we are never exposed to in the media. Her images always peruse powerful stories of the livelihoods of tribes we are never exposed to in the news.
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Image 3
A Small Guide To Homeownership, 2020 - Alejandro Cartagena
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This image by Alejandro Cartagena struck me when I entered his designated room which showcased a series of his work. In this image, Cartagena uses the landscape to examine the environmental and social issues in Latin America. In this image, the audience can interpret the poignant issue that Alejandro Cartagena is exposing to his audience in this image - waste in urban areas. As the viewer, I can also explicate that Alejandro has used the formal element balance to distribute the visual weight in the composition. Alejandro Cartagena always shows the juxtaposition of the idealised world and real-life picture, which is why his work stood out for me.
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My Chosen Photographer: Cao Fei
What Were The Photographers Intentions?
Cao Fie creates a series of contemporary images. She does this by exploring virtual reality and how this reality completely alters our perception of the physical reality we are living in. Most of Fie's work demonstrates the slippage between physical reality and virtual reality which creates these outstanding, abstract, and contemporary images. Cao Fie wanted us to consider the impact of automation, virtual realities, and hyper-urbanisation on the human condition. In my opinion, she may be also considering how humans deceive the physical reality as a utopian world. The development of virtual reality in the future could make humans confused between the difference between what's physical and virtual.
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What Wider Context Is The Photographer Addressing?
Cao Fie is considering the impact of virtual realities on the human condition. Her work is particularly informed by the history, consumerism, and social structures in her country, China. In this image, she shows her intentions by representing the glass window as the boundary of the physical reality and virtual one. The astronaut may symbolise the future on how humans will be out of touch with the physical world and be stuck in a room of VR. The man on the other side of the window is symbolising life now, the astronaut may be reflecting on what his life was before virtual reality 'took over the world'. Fie was interested in this idea because she wanted to explore the digital world as a utopian space and explore the daily life of Chinese citizens born after the cultural revolution
What Technique Did The Photographer Take To Create Their Work?
Cao Fie uses applications of digital techniques to everyday lived experiences. This creates a futuristic effect, as the example image shows the man on the other side is a hologram as the opacity is quite low like a digital screen, which may have been created by using digital techniques. This helps to support Cao Fie's intentions as she wanted to explore the permeating estrangement in a changing China characterised by rapid development and urban growth.
Conclusion: What will I take from the exhibition?
One thing that I would take from this exhibition was the themes used by Cao Fie and Alejandro Cartagena. For example, I was inspired by the idea of Cartagena using landscapes to explore the idea of social, environmental, and political issues, using the landscape to explore these ideas brings a new varied of techniques to show these ideas. Cao Fie's illustration of using the digital world to express love and sacrifice has stood out for me, and the colour depth demonstrated in her compositions brings out the futuristic theme she may have been exploring. I may elaborate the colour scheme used by Fei to my work, which may allow me to experiment with colour more in photography.
Development 5
In this task I was required to combine images of something that pollutes our environment and present an issue into this developed project.
My Response - Assets
Editing Process
Best Edit
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: The subject I chose to photograph suited the theme as it demonstrated the issue of our environment being littered by waste.
EBI: The image is underexposed.
EBI: The image is underexposed.
What's Next?
Next time I would look at similar photographers who created similar images to me. However, there were limited examples for me to take ideas from.
Development 6
Barbara Kruger
Barbara Kruger is a conceptual artist known for her combination of type and image that conveys a direct feminist cultural critique. Kruger's work examines stereotypes and the behaviours of consumerism with text layers over mass-media.
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Sammy Slabbinck
My Response
Editing Process
Photographer and Me
In this edit, I was influenced by the obscure idea of creating an illusion in this development, which is demonstrated by Sammy's work on the right-hand side. In this image, he presents a snowy, mountainous setting and a man hanging a picture of the sun. In this image, he is suggesting to his audience that the man fixed the sun which conveys his idea of presenting a juxtaposition of modern ideals with traditional states of mind. In my image, I present a similar ideology to Slabbick's work. In my piece, I wanted to convey an ordinary gallery trip turning into unexpected events - a painting walking into reality.
Best Edit
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: My images express my intentions which were to create a surreal collage
EBI: My images matched the colour/environment of my main background.
EBI: My images matched the colour/environment of my main background.
What's Next?
To improve my images I will experiment further with colour match.
Final Piece
Idea 1To develop my development six, I want to combine the idea of using double exposure, which is presented by Slanbbick's image on the left-hand side. In this image, Slanbbick uses double exposure to manipulate the image of a mountain to the dress of the model. He also creates this illusion by using a cardboard print of a cloud to match the similar pattern of the sky, which again creates these extraordinary surreal collages.
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My Response
Editing Process
Photograph and Me
In this edit, I was influenced by Slanbbick's idea of creating an illusion in a collage. In Sammy's image on the right-hand side, he presents a man sitting on a desk in an environment he is not supposed to be in, gazing at a monstrous mountain. His image may suggest to his audience how employees or generally anyone confined in a workspace concisely, dreams about being somewhere more extraordinary. In similar terms, I used the same idea of creating an illusion in a collage. My idea was to showcase someone bringing life to a deserted and dry land.
Best Edit
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: My images express my intentions which were to present the idea of landscape by demonstrating the theme in a surreal collage.
EBI: The model in the image was adequately lit.
EBI: The model in the image was adequately lit.
What's Next?
To improve my images I will experiment further with composition.
Final Outcome Development 2 - Sammy Slabbinck
In my next development, I would like to improve my final outcome. To do this I'm going to re-create a similar photo manipulation my previous outcome illustrated, but instead I will compromise my own photos to showcase this manipulation. In addition, I would also like to improve each tone of each individual image, so that each image would seem like they are apart. of the same setting. However, I would also like to still responsed to Sammy Slabbinck's, so I will create a low saturation for the final image, which Slabbinck portrays.
My Response
The Process
Best Edit Now vs Best Edit Before
In my new edit, I wanted to re-create photo manipulation, which also follows through Slanbbick's intentions of creating contemporary compositional collages. In my previous edit, I initially intended to create a story through the images of someone bringing "life" into a deserted area. However, the majority of photos were from the internet, as I did not have photos which would convey this idea. In addition, my previous final outcome, did not follow through the similar tone pattern, such as my model. In my new, final outcome, instead of finding photos on the internet, I collected photos that I had taken from the times I went outside, or on family holidays. In this outcome, I wanted to convey a glowing book, revealing a landscape towards the model. However, one issue that followed through this final outcome was glow radiating from the book. To improve this issue I had to use the gaussian blur tool to distribute the glowing light to make it seem as if it is reflecting off the wider landscape. Overall, I think that this was a good improvement from the previous outcome, as it illustrated a simpler and magical story.
Best Edit
What Went Well And Even Better If?
WWW: My images express my intentions which were to present an image of a landscape through contemporary compositional styles.
EBI: One issue I would improve is the tone of each image, as each image does not follow through the tone pattern.
EBI: One issue I would improve is the tone of each image, as each image does not follow through the tone pattern.