Connecting Essay Five

This is my image from my sixth shoot, I really like how this turned out, the shadows are all pointing in the same direction and I like the birds eye view that I used in the shoot. I think it is a bit more childish than some of my other shoots because I used toys for it, however I think this relates to a lot of the research that I have done so I wanted to try it out. 

I like the colours in this photograph because it is a lot of bright primary colours. I used a white balance to make the colours a little bit more faded as I thought that this would give it a bit more of a retro effect, as well as reversing the orange tones of the photographs before.

This image by Andre Kertesz is of Volkswagen cars, they are all set up next to each other quite randomly, they aren't put there depending on colour or anything.

This image uses leading lines well, the cars are in a straight line which leads your eye up the row to the corner of the image. 

The two images are similar because they both have objects set up in lines and organised well, the difference between the two is that the cars are in black and white whereas my image is in colour. I also used shadows in my image, whilst Kertesz didn't really use shadows at all, he used natural lighting for his photography so he had less choice over the shadowing.

Connecting Essay Four

This is my image, I am not very happy with how this turned out, however it was my first shoot so it was something that I could progress from. So I am happy that I did this shoot because it taught me what works and what doesn't. I like how I laid this shoot out, although it looks more like an eBay advert than a photography piece. I wanted to try out lying out the objects that all related so that you could see them all, however it works better when the objects are more similar, for example, all controllers, or all discs, rather than things based around something like this was.

This is a photograph by Jim Golden. I love this image because of how much time and effort has gone into laying them out, it must've taken a long time as the photograph is very big so there are obviously a lot of cameras there. Golden has also used not many shadows for this image, which looks really good because the image looks clean and you can tell what every single object is and you can look at them properly. 

I love all of the colours that he has used in this image, he could've changed the photograph to black and white for emphasis between the dark colour of the cameras and the white background.

To compare the two, I would say that the photograph by Jim Golden is obviously technically better, my image was taken in my house and the lighting isn't very good because I used a lamp, I should've tried the shoot with natural sunlight instead to see if it improved how it looked. Or done it in the shoot in the studio where I could control it.

Computer Experiments

 

Black and white

White balance

This makes my photograph look a bit more retro as the colours are lighter and more faded, I think the white balance makes it a bit more like it was taken using a polaroid. 

Tilt-Shift focus

This is my image, I used tilt shift so that you could read some of the text on the book.

Contrast

For this image, I reduced the contrast as I wanted the cigarettes to look a bit less defined.

portfolio

Shoot Seven - Work Record

Plans for the shoot & what I hope to achieve:

For this shoot, I intend to take a photograph of a book, I would like to try and do more of an abstract photograph, with the pages splayed out so that the shadows go in many different directions. I hope to achieve a good final shoot before the exam that will give me more ideas about what to do for the shoots.

What I actually achieved:

I ended up with a good shoot that worked really well, the shadows were very visible despite the pages being slim, I also took other pictures of the pages without any shadows.

ISO: 100

F/3.5

Shutter Speed: 1/10

This image is of the book pages spread out a lot, the shadows look quite pretty I think so I'm very happy with the picture, but I think that you can still definitely tell what this is.

The image didn't turn out as good as I hoped because the shadows weren't as long as they were meant to be.

ISO: 200

F/5.6

Shutter Speed: 1/10

This image is also of a book, I took it straight on so I could see the pages in front of me. I don't think that you can tell what this photograph is straight away so it's a little bit different from the rest of the photographs in the shoot.

What I'm going to do next:

I liked this shoot a lot, however I don't think I like it as much as some of my previous shoots so I probably won't use it in my exam. I think that it looks a little bit rushed and many of the images I took didn't turn out that good. Further, I think that some of the images are quite dark compared to the others as the pages are darker than the table, you can definitely see this from the difference between the first and the second.

Connecting Essay Three

This image is by Jim Golden, I really like what he has done in this photograph because he has laid all of the locks out so that they are all visible, he has also made them fit into a square which could be quite difficult as the objects are not very square. He has used a lot of different coloured objects which makes the photo a lot more interesting than if it was just silver locks. In addition, the shapes are all different which means that rather than just glazing over the image, you are more inclined to focus on it to look at all the different locks.

This is my image, I really like this because you can't tell what it is from first glance, you have to focus on it a bit to work it out. I stood the screws on their heads so that the pointy bit was sticking up, I then took photographs from above, this was so that we could see the shadows, I also wanted to be able to see the different sizes from a new viewpoint. 

I turned this image black and white because I wanted it to be simplified slightly, it previously looked a bit too busy as it had so many colours in it, and this with the shadowing, didn't work very well.

To compare, I think that the two images are both good, however, personally, I prefer my image, I think that Jim Golden's photograph is much larger scale than mine, which could work, however with my limited time scale in the exam, I don't want to risk it not working well.

Both of the images are technically very good, I think that Jim Golden wanted people to know what his image was of exactly, whereas I wanted it to be more abstract.

Interim Evaluation

My research has helped me decide what I like and what I dislike, for example, I really like the photographs by Jim Golden where he takes photographs of a lot of similar objects like locks and keys. I wanted to do something like this, rather than something like much more simple like some of the other photographs I looked at. I really liked his images, but I also liked Andre Kertesz images, where he works with shadows a lot. So I decided that I could combine the two techniques. I tried this out with spoons as I thought that I could try and recreate the image of the fork leaning on the bowl by Kertesz.

This is the photograph that I am referencing, I wanted to create an image similar to this for one of my shoots as I really like how this looks, however I started playing around with the lighting to see how I could change the shadows.

The shadows in this image are a bit warped which is what I wanted in my image, I think that it gives it quite a cool effect that I really like. I also turned it black and white and changed the colours around so that it was a bit darker, as when I took it, the shadows were a bit lighter and not as defined.

From doing these preparatory shoots, I have learnt that I like doing more studio based shoots with preparation, rather than just going out and taking photographs randomly, as usually I will get a better result if I take the time to organise lighting and set up. However, all of my preparatory shoots were taken at home so the lighting isn't perfect, I intend to use the studio for my exam shoots as I think it will improve the final images a lot. 

My aesthetic has also improved in my images, as we can see from my first shoot to my second. In the first shoot, I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do for all my shoots, however, as I looked at other photographers work in the research log and the photographers research, I had some more ideas, and looking at the photograph by Jim Golden with the locks and keys helped me come up with the idea for my third shoot.

The left is my image inspired by Jim Golden's photography, he uses lots of different types of the same thing, I used screws for my shoot. I really like this image because it has had a lot of care put into it and it took a long time to set up. Like Jim Golden's image must've as well.

In the last three exam shoots, I intend to use the shadows of everyday objects like I have in many of my previous 7 shoots, I think it will work really well as it has so far. It adds another layer to the images, rather than them just being plain photographs. I would like to re-do the screw shoot for the first shoot in the exam, as I think that it would work, I did well on the shoot at home, although I think that in the studio it would probably be even better as I would have a lot more control over the light position.

Shoot Seven - Straight Images

Connecting Essay Two

This is a photograph by Andre Kertesz, Kertesz has used cutlery to make a shadow on the table beneath it, I like how this looks as the light source is directly above the fork, meaning that the shadow is very sharp and is the exact shape of the fork, rather than being slightly warped or anything. I also like how plain the image is, it isn't cluttered with lots of different objects that make it look too busy, whereas my image is slightly more warped.

I really like how Kertesz has used the bowl in this image, most of the shadowing from the fork is identical to the normal shape. However where it's leant up against the bowl. the shadow on the bowl is slightly warped, which makes the image a bit more interesting than it would be.

This is my image, I did this on a table in my house and I used a normal light, although, despite this, I think that these images are technically quite good. I was very happy with how they all turned out from this shoot, although at times the lighting was quite harsh.

In this photo, rather than putting the light directly above the spoons so that the shadows show less, I directed it to the side of the spoons, this meant that the shadows were warped to the left quite a bit. I think that this looked really good and made the photograph much more interesting as I think that it might've been quite boring before.

I think that both of these images are good and I am happy with the quality of my images. I edited my images to make them black and white as I thought that this would make it easier to see the shadows. However I couldn't get my image to the quality of Kertesz image, as the shadow looks a lot darker, I think that he must've used a brighter light which mean that the contrast was heavier.

Task list - component 2

Required by 24^th April

Mindmap – with 3 levels of detail

Create TWO mind-maps on two topics from the paper.  Generate ideas for the assignment topic….

The detailed mind map relates to the exam topic that you wish to explore, the three levels of detail relates to the primary, secondary and tertiary (branches) ideas generated within the mind map. Annotate your thoughts and opinions associated with the exam question (one paragraph length) identifying the most likely ideas that you wish to pursue as part of the exam topic.

Discussion– of exam paper (chosen topic) including artist research complete and illustrated. (Add One or two image examples from each photographer within the topic and discuss how their work relates to the exam topic) Definition -  a breakdown of the exam paper with definitions relevant to the exam and how you wish to explore the paper, also add 4 visual examples that relate to the definitions post with annotations.

Illustrated Discussion, this should include your possible approaches- .you want to explore and examples of work on the photographers within the paper

Image Bank - complete with 30 images you can use this to record pictures that inspire you or that you want to use the ideas  (this can be done throughout the period and can be updated/renewed, if the direction of your work changes). YOU SHOULD BE ANNOTATING some of the images, discussing why the images were chosen  & how they might contribute to the project.

Research Log Here you need to post 20 photographs from different photographers, adding the URL address, and critically analyzing the images (through use of denotation, connotation and context).  Briefly state information about the photographer (context) if available, what is the name of the series/concept, when was it made, how does this relate to your project? (the exam board encourages a diverse range of photographers therefore where possible include be non American or non European) (remember connotation, denotation and context)

Photographer Research (connotation, denotation and context)

   No1 why picked..... 4 photos......evaluations....... influence....sum.....

   No2 why picked..... 4 photos..... evaluations....... influence....sum.....

   No3 why picked..... 4 photos..... evaluations....... influence....sum.....

NB The next two should be non American or European

   No4 why picked..... 4 photos..... evaluations....... influence....sum.....

   No5 why picked..... 4 photos..... evaluations....... influence....sum.....

This is a more detailed level of research  (than the research log) where you need to look at 5 photographers (No1, No2, etc.).  For each photographer, you are required to evaluate each photograph, the evaluations will require a critical analysis of the photograph (denotation, connotation and context) and some contextual information on the photographer.  If they are a known photographer (e.g. Henri Cartier Bresson, Robert Frank), you can start with an intro with contextual information about them.

The influence and summary section should only be completed once you have completed your shoots and will require you to explain how the photographer research influenced the way you executed your project.   You should include an example of your own work to show visually how your work relates to theirs.  This could relate to e.g. the way you used similar lighting, composition, etc.

·       the influence can relate to the visual approach of the photographer or technical /conceptual approach.

·       technical approaches e.g. lighting, composition, camera settings, etc.

·       conceptual approach e.g. follow similar ideas.

Work Records - Shoot No 1…. Shoot No 2….  Shoot No 3….  Shoot No 4….  Shoot No 5….  Shoot No 6….  Shoot No 7….  Shoot No 8….  Shoot No 9….  Shoot No 10…. 

This is similar to the work diary component 1 but will contain sections titled

Plans for the shoot, What you hope to achieve. NB (those first two sections should be written before the shoot in order to help you clarify your ideas and to ensure you have all that you need).  This is followed up by

What I actually achieved (with two evaluated pictures - equivalent to the evaluation section of a work diary) In this section you must record how you took the photograph in terms of camera settings and the visual outcome (did you achieve the type of photographs you wanted, what are the denotations and possible connotations associated with the images)

What I am doing to do next (this might mean something that occurred whilst doing that shoot that you want to develop or maybe even a change in direction, etc).

This is an important section, where most of your marks will be gained as you will demonstrate your ability to analyse and refine your work.  

The use of screenprints, lighting diagrams with annotations is essential.  The analysis of more than one good image is encouraged particularly where you had a good shoot and the images produced have different meanings.

Computer experiments - image within image.... image and text........ duotone....overlay....selective colour....repetition.....montage... framing......

Select AT LEAST… 5 computer experiments that you wish to show. The experiments selected should in some way be relevant to your project and add “narrative”.  Computer experiments will demonstrate your ability to experiment with the medium of digital photography… This is an important aspect of the AQA assessment criteria.  You will need to label each time you make a computer experiment and explain the process used.   You can do this either visually with screen prints and text or just use text only. You should evidence the photograph before and after the computer experimentation.

 Ensure that the computer experiments are appropriately labeled in the blogger with some annotation of the working process and what the images convey the critical analysis (connotation, denotation). STUDENTS LOOKING FOR HIGHER GRADES SHOULD CHOOSE TO DO MORE THAN 5, BUT ENSURE THE WORK IS ANNOTATED AND RELEVANT.

Physical experiments - one...two...three....four....five

Select at least 5 physical experiments e.g.  scratching, painting, etc..  PRODUCE AT LEAST 5 physical images, similarly with the computer experiments; the experiments produced should in some way be relevant to your project and add “narrative”.   Ensure that the physical experiments are appropriately labeled in the blogger with some annotation of the working process and how the visual narrative of the image has changed through tcritical analysis (connotation, denotation). STUDENTS LOOKING FOR HIGHER GRADES SHOULD CHOOSE TO DO MORE THAN 5, BUT ENSURE THE WORK IS ANNOTATED AND RELEVANT.  Physical experiments SHOULD be recorded by scanning in the transformed print.  

Connecting your work to others - one.. two... three.. four....five...

Follow the same three paragraph format as the component 1 checklist… 

Contacts prep shoots- Shoot No 1…. Shoot No 2….  Shoot No 3….  Shoot No 4….  Shoot No 5….  Shoot No 6….  Shoot No 7….  Shoot No 8….  Shoot No 9….  Shoot No 10…. 

Straight images-  Shoot No 1…. Shoot No 2….  Shoot No 3….  Shoot No 4….  Shoot No 5….  Shoot No 6….  Shoot No 7….  Shoot No 8….  Shoot No 9….  Shoot No 10…. 

As with component 1 select your best images from each shoot.

Electronic portfolio (Powerpoint on blog)........... 

Select your best 30 images and then working with your tutor cut this down to your best 20.   Present the best images as a Power Point presentation.

Final pieces  In addition to your electronic portfolio students should CREATE A PRINT PORTFOLIO 1..2..3..4...5...6...7..8...9...10.... 11...12...13...14....15..... 16.....17...... 18....19....20.....  Use the recognized print conventions 300 dpi and try to maintain a consistent orientation.  You can add to this portfolio with final prints from the exam.

Preparatory shoots Straight prints - From your shoots select at least THIRTY of your best prints   ...............

Interim Evaluation.........

Here you will evaluate your progression for the preparatory shoots.

·       How has your research influenced the final series of images that you have created?

·       What new insights have you gained as a result of the project, this can be:

o    technical (learning new techniques in camera operation, shooting)

o   aesthetic (new ways of presenting work)?

·       Progression: what do you intend to take forward in the remaining 3 shoots.

·       You will also need to have a plan in place for your exam.  

YOUR BLOGGER for the preparatory shoots MUST BE COMPLETED  BEFORE THE START OF THE EXAM moderated shoots. On the 24-APRIL.  You will be asked to lock your blogger and pass on administration rights to your tutor at this point.

FOR THE MODERATED EXAM TIME. Students MUST within the available time conduct THREE SHOOTS, have a written evaluation, work records, etc. and conduct a final evaluation.    You will receive an additional sheet for how to lay-out this part of your work.  

Overall project Evaluation.........  This will be completed at the end of the exam.

Here you will need to summarise how your work has developed as a result of the shoots that you have undertaken.

·       How has your research influenced the final series of images that you have created?

·       What new insights have you gained as a result of the project, this can be:

o    technical (learning new techniques in camera operation, shooting)

o   aesthetic (new ways of presenting work)?

·       A critique overview of how successful you were in responding to the exam paper identifying areas where your work is strong and areas where you might want to improve your work further.