Best 40 photos.

Final project evaluation

In the last few weeks of the project we have started to write connecting essays, these essays compare our work to the work of other photographers. I found it difficult to do this as i struggled to find pictures similar to the ones i have taken. However, it did get slightly easier by the last essay as i was looking at smaller similarities, like tone and lines, things that i hadn't considered when writing the first four essays.

I have found that the physical experiments to be the most enjoyable part of the project as i liked seeing the photos, that i had taken, printed out and finding interesting ways to change the appearance of the photo. As well as the physical experiments, i found looking at Robert Mapplethorpes work to be interesting as i like how controversial his work was at the time. This made it more interesting when we tried to take photos that were inspired by Mapplethorpe as it made me realise how different people used to view subjects, such as homosexuality, in the 50's-80's compared to how people view it now.

Overall, i have found this project to be useful as it has helped me to understand the elements of a 'good' photograph so i can take and notice what photos are good and bad.

Connecting essay: 5

The photo below is a picture found on the internet that shows movement. In the photo the background is blurred as well as the people running in the foreground. Other than movement this photo is also an example of colour as all of the runners are wearing bright coloured clothing, as well as colour the photograph shows a contrast between the bright colours of the runners clothes and the dark green on the trees in the background.

The next photo is  photo that i and taken during the session of Movement. In the photo the background is blurred where i moved the camera as well as the person being blurred as he was running showing movement. In the photo a contrast is shown between his black coat and the lighter background, as well as colour, this shows contrast as the light background makes his coast stand out. A second contrast is shown on the grass, the grass is a lighter green compared to the green of the bushes so it stands out against the darker green on the bushes behind it.

The two photographs are similar as they both show movement. In both of the above photos a person is running through the centre of the shot and both the person in my photo and the people in the photo from the internet, are blurred and both of the backgrounds are blurred. Other than movement, both photos show colour and contrast in the background. However  difference between the two photos is that in the first photograph he background is dark and the colours are bright in the foreground, whereas in the bottom photograph the background is light and the darker colour of his coat contrasts against it in the foreground.

Connecting essay: 4

I found the photo below on the internet, in the photo we can see a small path going uphill in a forest.

The photo is a good example of depth as it shows a path getting thinner the further away it gets.

As well as this, the photo shows a contrast as the lines of the dark tree trunks and branches contrast the the bright green and light brown on the trees and floor. Other than tone and depth the photo is a good example of colour as in the photograph there is a variety of greens, browns, oranges and yellows.

The photo below is a photo that i had taken on the second walk. This photo shows a sense of journey, in the photo we can see depth is the main focus as the path looks as though it gets thinner and comes to a point as it gets further away. As well as journey, the photo shows Autumn colours as the leaves on the floor show a variety of browns, oranges and yellows. The photo also shows a different variation of line thickness and length as the branches all vary in size.

The two photographs are similar as they both show a path going through the centre of a forest. Both of the photos show depth, as they are taken by someone standing on the path and the path gets further away, so it looks like its getting thinner and coming to a point. As well as this the photos show colour as there is a variety of different colours in each one and different shades of the same colour, showing tone. However there is a difference in tone between the two photos as the path on the first picture is a lot lighter brown/yellow than the brown path in the bottom picture. A difference between the two photographs is that in the photo found on the internet, the colours are much more vibrant and bright, whereas in my photo the colours are much more dull.

Connecting essay: 3

The photograph below is a portrait taken by Robert Mapplethorpe.

In the photo it is apparent that Mapplethorpe has paid careful attention to the composition to ensure that there is no wasted space around the man. As well as this the photo is in black and white, but so his face stands out against the different shades of grey, the mans face is very well lit. I also like this photo as you can see the detail of his coat but you can't see any detail, such as wrinkles on his face because Mapplethorpe has used such a bright lighting on his face

The photo below is a photo i had taken during the Mapplethorpe studio session.
In the photo tried to make sure that there is not wasted space surrounding the boy in the photo, as well as this i made sure his face was well lit as i took inspiration for this photo from the photo above. However, in the photo i think that the background is too dark so his top seems to blend in to the dark background so there isn't a good contrast, like there is between the background and his face.

The two photos are similar in style as both the person in Mapplethorpe's photo and the person in my photo have well lit faces, so you can see some detail but not all, as well as making it stand out from the darker background. Another similarity is they are both wearing hat and are facing the camera side on, therefore their faces share a similar form and the shadows are in roughly the same places. However the background in my photo is much darker than Robert Mapplethorpes photo, so there isn't as good  contrast as there is in Mapplethorpes photographs.

Multiple imagery- work diary.

Evaluation of session;

I found the session of Multiple imagery to be interesting but slightly challenging. When we went out to take the photos i took numerous photos of my feet on different parts of the ground as well as some without my feet in. When we were putting the pictures together, it too me a while to get the hang of it and the get the border around each picture to be the right size.

This was my first attempt at Multiple imagery. This is my favourite one as i like how the photos in the middle cross are all taken on a brown and grey floor where as the picture sin the outer corner are all taken on the grass. However after looking back at the photo i think that the border is too big.
I also don't like how in the photo in the bottom right had corner my feet are not in the middle of the photo but off to the left slightly but in the rest of my photos my feet are in the middle of the shot.







The second picture i have chosen to write about is one that shows different shapes, colours and dies of drains that i had found. When making the photo into  multiple image i made sure to decrease the size of the border as i feel that I'm my first attempt at multiple imagery (the photo above) the white border is too large. I like this multiple image as it shows the shape of drains and how they are mostly square or rectangular.




Progression;
If we were to do multiple imagery again i would make the borders around the pictures are a bit smaller and i would take more photos of flowers and plants as opposed to people, location and objects. As well as this is want to try using the front of a persons face to show different emotions as in my multiple images i have used a persons face.

Multiple imagery- image bank

All of the above photos are examples of Multiple Imagery. Multiple imagery is a selection of photos, usually nine or twelve put together to create a larger image or to show different parts of the same thing. This differs from photo joiner as usually the photos are not touching. The example above show how multiple imagery can be of anything, be it people, buildings, plants, objects or landscapes. With multiple imagery all of the photos have to be the same size and the same distance apart from each other. In the first photograph we can see that it is a multiple image of a tree, this photograph is an example of how multiple imagery is used to show different parts of the same object. I like this multiple image as i like how even though the pictures do not connect like a photo joiner would we can still see that all of the photographs are of the same tree but from different angles.

Mapplethorpe studio- work diary

Evaluation of session;
When we went into the studio to shoot Mapplethorpe inspired i thought that it was going to be easier than it proved to be. When we were shooting there were often times that if forgot to pay attention to the lighting and the composition, so i has to reshoot it to ensure that my photos were of a similar style to Robert Mapplethorpes.

This photo is a portrait taken in the style of Mapplethorpe. I like this photograph as although there is space to the right of Keir it doesn't look wasted. As well as this i like how bright the ladder is in comparison to the darker background and the dark clothes he is wearing. That said however, i don't think i edited the photo enough as i think the person is too dark so they don't stand out as much as i would have liked.

In the second photo i have chosen, i like how the feather boa contrasts with her black jacket. I also like how although her jacket is black and the background is black, you can still see the texture of it as the ridges in the jacket doesn't catch the light as well as the higher parts of it.
This photo, although part of the Mapplethorpe shoot also has similarities to David Baileys portraits as there is a greater contrast between the person in the photo and the black background.





Progression;
If i were to reshoot Mapplethorpe in the studio, i would do more research and find more interesting portraits that Robert Mapplethorpe had taken to get more inspiration to take more photos. I also ant to take more photos using bigger props as most of the photos i had taken ether didn't use props of they were harpy noticeable.

Pre-completion evaluation

Since the mid-project evaluation my opinion hasn't changed much of photography. I still enjoy going out to shoot as well as shooting in the studio, i find the studio is more challenging for me as remaining inside makes it more difficult to come up with different and original ideas so i find that most of my photos taken in the study are similar, where as shooting outside presents a lot more opportunities to take a wider variety of photographs.
I still slightly struggle to complete all of my work in the session, but i think its mainly due to the amount of time it takes to create all of the contact sheets and print them out. I find the editing of the photos a lot easier now as i remember the steps to take which makes the process of completing the straight images a lot easier and faster.

Mapplethorpe location- work diary.

Evaluation of session;

I found the session to be easier than the Mapplethorpe studio shoot as i went out after the studio shoot which meant that i had time to practise and do more research into his work. That said, i still found it difficult to find simple backgrounds to use that would like slightly like the style Mapplethorpe would use

 I think this is the best photograph i had taken during this session as it is similar to some of Mapplethorpe's portraits of the side of a face. I like this photo as the red background is very simple and there is no part on the person in the photo that blends in with it.

The second photo i have chosen to write about is the one above that shows a person in the centre of the frame with a brick wall as the background. I like this photo as the position of the sun created a shadow around his eyes which makes the photo look more serious, like many of Mapplethorpe's were.






Progression;
If i were to go out and shoot Mapplethorpe Location again, i would try to take more photos that show the persons personality more, be it through body language or facial expressions as in all of my photos the facial expression remains the same. I would also like to try and use props as i didn't use props in Mapplethorpe location only in the studio.

Walk2- straight images.

Studio contrast2- straight images

Mapplethorpe location- straight images

Studio contrast1- work diary.

Evaluation of session;

When we first went into the studio to shoot Studio contrast for the first time, i was unsure of what to take photos of as we were inside and there wasn't as many options as there was when we shot Location contrast. However further on in the session it became gradually easier to find different contrasts between the people that were in the studio with me.

 The first picture i have chosen to write about is the one above that shows the contrast of heights between the two people in the shot. I like this photograph as, as well as the height contrast there is a contrast between hair colours hair length and the colour contrast between the dark clothing of the people and the brighter red background.

The second photograph that i haven chosen to write about, doesn't have as many contrasts as the first one, but it still shows more that one. It shows the contrast between hair lengths, hair colour and contrast between their dark clothes and light blue/green background.







Progression;
If we were to shoot studio contrast again, i would aim to find more contrasts as i don't think that i had taken as many photographs as i could have done with more time. I would also like to look at more obvious contrasts like the contrast between gender/ sex as all of my photos for contrast were of two boys and no girls and the gender contrast is one that we see everyday.

Studio contrast1- straight images.

Mapplethorpe notes.

Robert Mapplethorpe.

- Robert Mapplethorpe was raised in a strict Catholic household in the suburbs, therefore he felt as though Catholicism had an important influence on his work.
- At age 16, Mapplethorpe moved to Brooklyn to attend training at an art school.
- He attended Pratt instate of Art
- Mapplethorpe was close friends with PattySmith and they used to live together
- His first ever portrait was of Patty Smith
- He usual used his friends as models as they were most comfortable around him
- Mapplethorpe was openly gay, which was shocking as he was raised to be Roman Catholic
- He we most known for his documentation of  Manhattan's gay community in the late 60's and 70's
- He mainly photographed black and white portraits and flowers (as in that time flower photographs were the best selling photos in the industry)
- Most of Mapplethorpes portraits were of gay couples and often contained nudity
- Mapplethorpe sold prints for $15,000
- A session with Mapplethorpe would cost $10,000
- His work was often used for album covers
- Mapplethorpe had his nipple pierced on video
- Mapplethorpe was accused of being selfish as it seemed as though his work set out to shock people, as in that time homosexuality was still a controversial topic
- Mapplethorpes work often raised issues such as sex, violence and race discrimination
-This meant that many of his exhibitions were closed down
- Mapplethorpes work was around in the 'Pre-digital age'
- He used simple, soft-lighting which meant that the details of faces were more obvious
-Mapplethorpe died at age 43 due to Aids.

David Bailey.

David Bailey.

I have chosen to look at the work of David Bailey. David Bailey mainly photographs people in the form of portraits. I like Baileys portraits as he pays a lot of attention to all of the formal elements, especially tone for and lines to create a lot of detail on the faces. Nearly all of his portraits are in black and white as it draws the focus to the persons far and not the different colours on the person or the backgrounds.

The first photograph on David Bailey's that i have chosen to write about is this black and white portrait. In this photograph we can see that he has looked closely at the way he has positioned the lighting behind him to create the shadows on his face, so emphasise the features. As wells this the lines on his face look very defined and the tone of them is darker , showing the dimensions of his face. By having half of the models face in a shadow,it helps to make the lines and details on the other side of the face more prominent and di

The second picture i have chosen is another black and white portrait, however this one differs a lot from the first picture as it has a lot lighter tones , this makes the women's skin look flawless. But we can still see the depth of the ridges in her jumper as they are darker, showing that her jumper has a bumpy texture. In this photograph the model is positioned so her eyes are in the centre of the shot, by doing this it draws the attention to her eyes rather than any where else in the shot.

The third photograph of Bailey's that i have chosen is this one that show a naked man hugging a naked women. In this photo there is no wasted space around the people and it a apparent that Bailey has payed a lot of attention to the form and shadow casted onto the two people in the shot. By using a lighter background and making the photo black and white is means that the models features stand out more as the tone of the background is a similar tone to the models skin.

The final picture i have chosen to write about is this black and white portrait of two of The Beatles members. I like this portrait as the suits are very dark in comparison to the white background  and paler faces of the people. This photograph shows a lot of attention has be payed to the form of their faces, as the shadows around their noses show that their faces are three dimensional.

Influence and summary:

Through looking at David Bailey's work i have started to look more closely at the form and tone of the photos i take in the studio. As well s this i have been influenced to look more closely at composition and making sure there is no wasted space in the frame.

David Baileys work is mainly of portraits and in black and white. Through them being black and white we can see that Bailey looks closely at tone and form,to ensure nothing on the person bends in with the background and that the facial fetters look three dimensional.

Although the photo below was taken as part of a Mapplethorpe inspired shoot as there is a bigger contrast between the person and the background in this photo, like many of Baileys portraits.