A2 Foundation Stage
After gaining a good understanding of both film and digital photography at AS the second foundation stage at A2 involves refining some of those key skills aswell as learning more advanced techniques to improve my photography.
Starting points: Interesting Photographers to researh
Photographing a Subject
The subject that I have decided to photograpgh is Media Studies. The reason for this choice is because I have studied Media at school for nearly 4 years now and it is one of my favourite subjects as I am so interested in film, tv, music and magazines.
I feel that in the Media classrooms in school there is a lack of presenting the whole breadth of the media industry. For example the only images displayed in any rooms if any, are film posters. Film plays a big as[ect in the media industry but there is also alot more to be explored and looked at when you study Media or just the media industry in general.
Things that might be displayed in a media classroom could be photos of cinemas, magazines, album artwork to cameras,pop corn or premieres.
Over the next few weeks I will think about how I may only focuss all the dfferent areas and figure out how to capture each in one shot.
I feel that in the Media classrooms in school there is a lack of presenting the whole breadth of the media industry. For example the only images displayed in any rooms if any, are film posters. Film plays a big as[ect in the media industry but there is also alot more to be explored and looked at when you study Media or just the media industry in general.
Things that might be displayed in a media classroom could be photos of cinemas, magazines, album artwork to cameras,pop corn or premieres.
Over the next few weeks I will think about how I may only focuss all the dfferent areas and figure out how to capture each in one shot.
Research Object and Still Life Photography
For still life you should photograph an object or series of objects using the studio, rostrum or photograph outdoors in daylight, whilst thinking what constitutes a still life composition. It gives the photographer more leeway in the arrangement of design elements within a composition.Still life photography is where the photographer is expected to be able to form their work with a refined sense of lighting, coupled with compositional skills.
Irving Penn
Irving Penn
Penn photographed still life objects and found objects in unusual arrangements with great detail and clarity. His still life compositions are skillfully arranged assemblages of food or objects; at once spare and highly organized, the objects articulate the abstract interplay of line and volume.
Set 1: Stills
Aims: Take photos of still life objects and create interesting composition with objects you come across
Process: Set up different objects together on plain backgrounds in bright light so object is clear but not over exposed.
Critique: Too many shadows within objects making them too dark and not visible enough, Bulb/fisheye effect too close to objects need to stand futher back and zoom in, Saturation with almost too much colour could become fake looking or tacky.
Further Development: Take photos standing much further back then zoom in, use reflectors to make light bounce back onto the object so that all is visible and don't over edit with too much saturation.
Process: Set up different objects together on plain backgrounds in bright light so object is clear but not over exposed.
Critique: Too many shadows within objects making them too dark and not visible enough, Bulb/fisheye effect too close to objects need to stand futher back and zoom in, Saturation with almost too much colour could become fake looking or tacky.
Further Development: Take photos standing much further back then zoom in, use reflectors to make light bounce back onto the object so that all is visible and don't over edit with too much saturation.
Set 2: Documentary
On the 28th and 29th I attended one of Swedish House Mafia's (a house music group) gig in Alexandra Palace. I was able to stand in front of the crowd and right at the side of the stage which meant I could get some great shots of all the fans and action on both nights. I decided to document this event as one of my genres to tell the story of the night.
Aims: Photograph the audience's movement, lights, special effects and band members in action.
Process: Shutter speed set very high as the room was quite dark, needed as much light to come in as possible. Found it hard to capture still shots of people in the audience if shutter speed was too slow. Flash was not used to capture shots of people as the were too far away.
Critique: Some photos are quite grainy and blured as shots were taken in the dark so when reducing the shadows they appeared to be of a poorer quality than those that had more light in them originaly whether the light projected over the crowd or part of the set.
Further Development: Use a tripod to get less blury shots and capture movement more effectively. Use a large appature number to get large crowds in focuss and low ISO to make sure photos are less grainy and more fluid.
Process: Shutter speed set very high as the room was quite dark, needed as much light to come in as possible. Found it hard to capture still shots of people in the audience if shutter speed was too slow. Flash was not used to capture shots of people as the were too far away.
Critique: Some photos are quite grainy and blured as shots were taken in the dark so when reducing the shadows they appeared to be of a poorer quality than those that had more light in them originaly whether the light projected over the crowd or part of the set.
Further Development: Use a tripod to get less blury shots and capture movement more effectively. Use a large appature number to get large crowds in focuss and low ISO to make sure photos are less grainy and more fluid.
Stop Frame Animation: People
Stop-frame animation involves taking a number of single photographs of a scene and editing them together in a program like iMovie or iStop Motion to create an animated sequence.
To start off and get to grips with stop frame animation I looked at a video called Tony vs Paul where two guys created a really great stop animation film, with clever ideas and movements across a very long period of time. ^^^
I then decided to try out the effect and start to become familiar with frames per second and slow movement etc.
I then decided to try out the effect and start to become familiar with frames per second and slow movement etc.
Me and my friend experimented with moving, jumping, turning and interacting with one another.
Aims: To try out stop animation getting to grips with frames per minute, using a tripod a phottographing people.
Process: Photograph outdoors in the shadows so light isn't too harsh, capturing each tiny movement that they make at a time.
Critique: More frames could be shot to make animation more fluid therefore making the model move even less for each frame. This would require alot of patience aswell as being time consuming however would produce a better result.
Further Development: Be more ambitious and experimental with movement of models. Also work on moving locations within the video in able to make it more engaging and something.
Aims: To try out stop animation getting to grips with frames per minute, using a tripod a phottographing people.
Process: Photograph outdoors in the shadows so light isn't too harsh, capturing each tiny movement that they make at a time.
Critique: More frames could be shot to make animation more fluid therefore making the model move even less for each frame. This would require alot of patience aswell as being time consuming however would produce a better result.
Further Development: Be more ambitious and experimental with movement of models. Also work on moving locations within the video in able to make it more engaging and something.
Stop Frame Animation: Food
For my next attempt at stop frame animation I would like to use food or objects instead of people moving around and almost bring the objects to life. Obviously this is going to be more of a challenge with moving the food or getting it to vanish and may take a lot longer. I may have a go at having a cupcake and taking very tiny bites every so often son in the film it looks like its being eating or even eroded. This may take a very long and patience.
Sports Day
Yet again, at the end of July 2011 we had another school sports day where all the different years and forms competed agaisnt one another in a range of different sports from the 100m sprint to the discuss. Many other students aswell as teachers were there to watch and support and I tried to get a glimpse of all the action.
Aims: Photograph the action and atmosphere throughout the day and also the lack of actions from the spectators.
Process: I zoomed in on quite a few photos in able to get closer to people's reactions before and after events. It was quite a cloudy day so the shutter speed was fairly quick as everything was illuminated. The F stop number was high to make sure that all the people participating were in focuss once the race had began. In some cases the F stop was low as a couple of photos frame and focuss on one person and their actions and anticipation.
Critique: Some of the action shots after races had just began are pretty blurred meaning that the shutter speed was too slow to capture a clear crisp shot of someone in action. I also may have over edited a bit as photos seem washed out yet also very saturated where bright colours are featured.
Further Development: Ensure that photos are not over edited especially when taken in cloudy weather and adjust shutter speed for a faster shot when things like races begin to make sure that runners are sharp and still in the action they are doing.
Process: I zoomed in on quite a few photos in able to get closer to people's reactions before and after events. It was quite a cloudy day so the shutter speed was fairly quick as everything was illuminated. The F stop number was high to make sure that all the people participating were in focuss once the race had began. In some cases the F stop was low as a couple of photos frame and focuss on one person and their actions and anticipation.
Critique: Some of the action shots after races had just began are pretty blurred meaning that the shutter speed was too slow to capture a clear crisp shot of someone in action. I also may have over edited a bit as photos seem washed out yet also very saturated where bright colours are featured.
Further Development: Ensure that photos are not over edited especially when taken in cloudy weather and adjust shutter speed for a faster shot when things like races begin to make sure that runners are sharp and still in the action they are doing.
The People and their Environments; Motion Blur
On my visit to Berlin I liked capturing the city through all the different types of architecture, buildings and their structure. I would like to blend my two focus points the people and their environments and the everyday. I particularly like photographing the more modern and diverse buildings however overall I like bum, and how they all ranged in age and detail. For my 3rd project I will aim to capture the city and it's people. I think I should fixate more on the city as it is not always the focal point when it comes to documentary photography and the people could be blured in the foreground. The city itself is ground and static and will always be there where as city life is constantly moving and changing. In developing this project I will choose more certain and specific buildings along the way.
Here are some examples of the kind of images I will aim to create and adapt:
Here are some examples of the kind of images I will aim to create and adapt:
I could experiment with capturing the photos in the day and then at night in the same location to compare and contrast. I could break the steps down even more by first focussing on how to capture the city/buildings correctly, then how to achieve the best blurred images of moving people.
Set One: First Experiment with Movement in the studio
Set Two: Motion Blur St James Church
Buildings in Muswell Hill
ODEON ST JAMES CHURCH ART FOR ARTS SAKE MARKS AND SPENCERS 99P STORE
TOFFS SAINSBURYS THE BAKERY CARPHONE WAREHOUSE
These are some of the buildings I would like to photograph locally to get a feel and understanding of I what I need to do in order to take a good motion blur shot for when I move onto bigger and more well known structures in the city. These are some of the buildings that I think make up what Muswell Hill is and is known for.
TOFFS SAINSBURYS THE BAKERY CARPHONE WAREHOUSE
These are some of the buildings I would like to photograph locally to get a feel and understanding of I what I need to do in order to take a good motion blur shot for when I move onto bigger and more well known structures in the city. These are some of the buildings that I think make up what Muswell Hill is and is known for.