At A2 I have decided to base my coursework around documentary photography which is further explained in my dissertation/ personal study essay. All my research linked to the work from my first project is displayed in 'U3 Personal Study'. My work on this current page will respond to and adapt that of my reasearch and reflect on ideas and aims that I hope to create.
Past Events Documented - Street Party
I took the oportuinty of the Royal Wedding in April of this year to Document the celebration that took place in my streewith all my neighbours and lots of music, food and drink.
Aims: Capture the atmosphere as part of a community celebrates a nation wide event.
Process: No flash needed, all taken in daylight. Different angles used where I had to stand on pillars to get a wider shot of the party. People coming together and their actions aswell as the Union Jack and bunting were the main focuss where zoom was used to capture it all.
Critique: Maybe could have captured abit more of the action rather than wide, far away shots of people sitting down. Close ups of people could have been captured, of faces to capture more emotion from the event and day as a whole.
Further Development: Document people's faces and reactions towards others. Get Closer to the action and not always stand so far away, these shots are still good yet a range would collate the day as a whole. When editing do not over saturate photos and make colours appear too fake and over exposed.
Process: No flash needed, all taken in daylight. Different angles used where I had to stand on pillars to get a wider shot of the party. People coming together and their actions aswell as the Union Jack and bunting were the main focuss where zoom was used to capture it all.
Critique: Maybe could have captured abit more of the action rather than wide, far away shots of people sitting down. Close ups of people could have been captured, of faces to capture more emotion from the event and day as a whole.
Further Development: Document people's faces and reactions towards others. Get Closer to the action and not always stand so far away, these shots are still good yet a range would collate the day as a whole. When editing do not over saturate photos and make colours appear too fake and over exposed.
Set One: Experimenting Documenting The Absent
For my first repsonse to Documenting the Absent I got my first initial ideas from Akraam Zaatari's work and decided to use my own room as a way to display and express myself.
Aims: Photograph who I am, through furniture and objects in the room, and how I position and move things around expressing who I am without me actually being there.
Process: The shutter speed set very low because the room could become quite dark, later in the evening aswell as me never opening my blinds the camera needed as much light to come in as possible. I attatached my camera to my banister on one side of my room focuss on objects that would be never be in one consistent place or shape such as my duvet cover, clothes or chest of drawers. Having the banister on the banister made it easy to quickly capture shots every time you would leave the room after having left your trace in it.
Critique: Photos taken in too much darkness needed the shadows being reduced and therefore came out a bit blurry than the rest. In some photos the camera moved position slightly so photos don't blend together, into eachother as well.
Further Development: Use a tripod to ensure camera does not move, allow more light into the room so photos don't become too dark and need alot of shadows reduced. Display through a slideshow that is more fluid with transtions that enables photos to fade into one another so they are not so jump cut one after the other.
Aims: Photograph who I am, through furniture and objects in the room, and how I position and move things around expressing who I am without me actually being there.
Process: The shutter speed set very low because the room could become quite dark, later in the evening aswell as me never opening my blinds the camera needed as much light to come in as possible. I attatached my camera to my banister on one side of my room focuss on objects that would be never be in one consistent place or shape such as my duvet cover, clothes or chest of drawers. Having the banister on the banister made it easy to quickly capture shots every time you would leave the room after having left your trace in it.
Critique: Photos taken in too much darkness needed the shadows being reduced and therefore came out a bit blurry than the rest. In some photos the camera moved position slightly so photos don't blend together, into eachother as well.
Further Development: Use a tripod to ensure camera does not move, allow more light into the room so photos don't become too dark and need alot of shadows reduced. Display through a slideshow that is more fluid with transtions that enables photos to fade into one another so they are not so jump cut one after the other.
Like Akraam Zarati I also carried out a short series to follow of objects found in my room. Put into catergories amoungst similiar objects helps to display the kind of person I am and what matters the most to me shown through what things are found, or appear more times than others. I think I will develop this spin off of documentary in project 2 and focus more on the absent people.
Documenting People
Expressions, Emotions, Identity
Expressions, Emotions, Identity
For my first project I will aim to capture people and their emotions, ways of life and even photograph them from different viewpoints and angles. In doing so I will photograph people in a range of ways such as shoot the public on the go, documentary portraits, following people I know etc.
Set Two: Shooting From the Hip
I wanted to capture and document London from a different point of view. I went to the center of town and shot from the hip for the afternoon capturing the city and the people from lower view point creating lines and perspective.
Aim: To take photos from a different viewpoint being low, using different angles as well as shooting without being able to see what you're looking at. Process: On the undergroud the shutter speed had to be a bit longer than what it was overground as it became a bit dark in some places. Though shutter speed was kept fairly quick throughout the day as I was continously moving with the camera at my hip and snapped at any opportunity. Critique: Some things out of focus, lighting is quite dingy, SS not fast enough. Further Development: Make SS alot faster, snap only when there is 1m space infront of camera, focus on deeper perspectives. |
Set Three: Street Photography - the people
I wanted to document people walking around the city just going about their daily lives creating simple yet effective shots. Capturing people in the right space and moment whether they saw me or not.
Aims: To capture people in the streets going about their everyday lives displaying a range of different poeople through age, being in groups, from behind.
Process: Walk along a fairly busy street photographing people in action as they walk, talk drink using a fairly quick shutter speed and high ISO. Shot in the day to make use of the natural light.
Critique: Some photos appear to be grainy and blurry due to a slow shutter speed being used as the scene became darker with a low ISO still in use. This also makes the pictures quite dark.
Further Delevopment: Look out for a certain group of people, age range, gender, couples etc. Take photos at miday when the light is at it's brightest ensuring that I could take photos at a fast speed unabling them to be blurred or grainy as actions would be sharp and clear.
Process: Walk along a fairly busy street photographing people in action as they walk, talk drink using a fairly quick shutter speed and high ISO. Shot in the day to make use of the natural light.
Critique: Some photos appear to be grainy and blurry due to a slow shutter speed being used as the scene became darker with a low ISO still in use. This also makes the pictures quite dark.
Further Delevopment: Look out for a certain group of people, age range, gender, couples etc. Take photos at miday when the light is at it's brightest ensuring that I could take photos at a fast speed unabling them to be blurred or grainy as actions would be sharp and clear.
Set Four: Documentary Portraits
Spotaineous portrait shots of people going about their everyday lives.
Aims: Document people alone and photograph portraits of them spontaniously.
Process: Shots were candid and of the moment using a short focul range to capture expression and fast shutter speed to display little movement.
Critique: The better photos from the set are the ones where people are not looking straight into the camera and are doing their own thing and are not so far away.
Further Delevopment: Try and capture people unaware so they are not looking into the camera wihich gives the photos a different atmosphere and are more observational. Also ake into consideration facial expressions and feelings and frame more of the face then shots from far away.
Process: Shots were candid and of the moment using a short focul range to capture expression and fast shutter speed to display little movement.
Critique: The better photos from the set are the ones where people are not looking straight into the camera and are doing their own thing and are not so far away.
Further Delevopment: Try and capture people unaware so they are not looking into the camera wihich gives the photos a different atmosphere and are more observational. Also ake into consideration facial expressions and feelings and frame more of the face then shots from far away.
The National Portrait Gallery
From taking a visit to the National Portrait Gallery I realised just how much I love portrait photography. Whether it be spontaneous documentary shots or set up profiles the gallery displays a ray of some of the best portraits such as Man Ray (right below) and award winning Taylor Wessing prize winners with images of people from different places and cultures all over the world. Portraits portray an image depicting only the face or head and shoulders.It a representation or impression of someone or something in language or on film. Portraits are very iconic in the photography and many photographers use it as their fortay today. Portraits have been carried out for centries and were once only painting form. Now taking a picture of someone's profile, or someone in their usual surroundings or a formal portrait is very popular and common in today's photography and society. We see these images everywhere in the papers in adverts on resemes etc.However I want to turn the main aim of a portrait on it's head. The person's head and main facial features of a portrait are crucial and are the main focus. Their facial expression is key along with the fact that you can see clearly who they are. In my future sets I want to focus on capturing people in photos without featuring their whole face and features. Without featuring their identity and what makes them who they are, their image will be hidden or aspects of it at least. The mystery of not knowing who someone is or figuring them out yet you can see their eyes is a great challenge which I wish to carry out in future photos. Observing the observer yet hiding their identity.
Set Five: Concealed Identity
I wanted to take a small turn on portrait photography which is all about facial expressions, identity and emotions which are usually clearly portrayed, seen and are the main focus and point of the photo. I want to document people who are there but their faces or identities can not be clearly regarded.
Aims: Portraits of people fairly close up but blurred to try and diffuse their face try and conceal some of their identity.
Process: Use manual focuss and purposly have the lens blurred and out of focuss to capture people's faces quite close to insure that only the outlines of facial features can be seen through blocks of colour under artificial light.
Critique: Some appear more grainy than others e.g the firsdas they were taken under dark artificial lighting not creating nice lighter merging blocks of colour that some of the others have.
Further Delevopment: Take portraits under brighter light maybe even natural light outdoors to capture nicer colours and bacgrounds. Could possibly photograph every person from the same angle or sat in the same position like a passport photo, straight on but out of focuss.
Aims: Portraits of people fairly close up but blurred to try and diffuse their face try and conceal some of their identity.
Process: Use manual focuss and purposly have the lens blurred and out of focuss to capture people's faces quite close to insure that only the outlines of facial features can be seen through blocks of colour under artificial light.
Critique: Some appear more grainy than others e.g the firsdas they were taken under dark artificial lighting not creating nice lighter merging blocks of colour that some of the others have.
Further Delevopment: Take portraits under brighter light maybe even natural light outdoors to capture nicer colours and bacgrounds. Could possibly photograph every person from the same angle or sat in the same position like a passport photo, straight on but out of focuss.
Set Seven: Observing the Observer and Concealed Identity
Aims: In this set I decided to take a step further, still photographing people in the streets, doing what they want to do however most of the time they did not notice or see me capturing them in the shot. This is because they are mostly all turned away and observing something else. Either way the subjects identity is concealed and you unable to see their faces capturing most of them unaware.
I think this shows just how much our identites mean to us and how important they are whether you wish to show or hide them. I love the idea of the subject observing something as though they are in their own little world beacause to me they aren't as I am able to capture them unaware, in what they think is their moment but is really mine, as the photographer aswell.
I think this shows just how much our identites mean to us and how important they are whether you wish to show or hide them. I love the idea of the subject observing something as though they are in their own little world beacause to me they aren't as I am able to capture them unaware, in what they think is their moment but is really mine, as the photographer aswell.
Process: Observe people observing other things. Wait for a moment when they are capturing, reading or watching something else, so that they are unaware of you shooting them as well as their face being kept unseen or hidden.
Critique: Some of the photos where the subject is not focussed on photographing something or reading something are not as strong as those who are. They don't seem to carry the same element of observation or concealing identity as the others do whilst they observe other things.
Further Delevopment: Only focuss of photographing people who are reading, photographing or observing others, not people who are just walking by wuth their backs facing you. Maybe also look out for other objects that could obscure the view of the face such as, books, newspapers, lamp postsinstead of just cameras.
Critique: Some of the photos where the subject is not focussed on photographing something or reading something are not as strong as those who are. They don't seem to carry the same element of observation or concealing identity as the others do whilst they observe other things.
Further Delevopment: Only focuss of photographing people who are reading, photographing or observing others, not people who are just walking by wuth their backs facing you. Maybe also look out for other objects that could obscure the view of the face such as, books, newspapers, lamp postsinstead of just cameras.
Chosen Prints & Final Framed Work
I have chosen these five photos to frame and display as I think they all cover the three things I wanted to achieve in my first project. They portray candid documentary photography, concealed identity and lines and perspectives. I will present the one below bigger than all the rest as it plays with perspective really well and will act good as a center point, plus it is portrait in contrast to all the rest. The four smaller photos again play with lines, focal points and depth. I really like each photo as each indentity is hidden and unknown. However three of them are more like silhouettes, taken from far away but I did not intend this to be a must have when choosing my final prints. You could argue that they make my 4th photo taken of a girl quite close from behind, seem out of place yet I still like the effect of this photo very much, how it carries out my three aims together and is quite mysterious and ghostly.
Here are my 5 orginal final prints unedited:
Here are my 5 orginal final prints unedited:
EDITED:
Firstly when editing the main larger one I wanted it to show how big the space was compared to the subject. To do so I cloned out all of the people around him to make the space more powerful and daughting when you're alone along with added highlights amongst the grey modal colours. For the four smaller photos I really wanted to bring out some more colour as they felt abit bland. I did so but by keeping colours not too loud and overpowering but again to hightlight the peoples silvery, shining surroundings where the light hits. I adjusted the levels to make areas more darker and sharp, also creating figures to have more of a silhouette.
Firstly when editing the main larger one I wanted it to show how big the space was compared to the subject. To do so I cloned out all of the people around him to make the space more powerful and daughting when you're alone along with added highlights amongst the grey modal colours. For the four smaller photos I really wanted to bring out some more colour as they felt abit bland. I did so but by keeping colours not too loud and overpowering but again to hightlight the peoples silvery, shining surroundings where the light hits. I adjusted the levels to make areas more darker and sharp, also creating figures to have more of a silhouette.
Observing the Observer: Hidden Identity
I would like to develop and improve my previous final outcome as I feel I need to refine my final pictures as a final piece and focus more on a specific aspect of documenting people and hiding their identity. I want to aim to shoot my subject from behind or from a distance so the face is obscured or cannot be seen.
As well as this when in the process of photographing my images I will aim to play with symmetry and vantage points i.e. high up looking down and vice versa. I could also eventually then start experimenting with shadow play and silhouettes within the shots.
DISTORTION VANISHING POINTS PERSPECTIVE LINES IDENTITY FEATURES HIDDEN
WARP CHARACTER CLOSE UP PINPOINT BEHIND IMAGE COVERED DISTANT
As well as this when in the process of photographing my images I will aim to play with symmetry and vantage points i.e. high up looking down and vice versa. I could also eventually then start experimenting with shadow play and silhouettes within the shots.
DISTORTION VANISHING POINTS PERSPECTIVE LINES IDENTITY FEATURES HIDDEN
WARP CHARACTER CLOSE UP PINPOINT BEHIND IMAGE COVERED DISTANT
Lee Friedlander
Lee Friedlander is an American photographer who in the 1960s and 70s, worked primarily with 35mm cameras and black and white film, Friedlander evolved an influential and often imitated visual language of urban "social landscape," with many of the photographs including fragments of store-front reflections, structures framed by fences, posters and street-signs.
I am very much interested in his photos as he has photographed people, still giving an idea of the subjects identity but from behind. By photographing the subject from the back, you still can capture a sense of who they are and what they may look like even though you are not capturing any of their facial features and only have their hair to go by for any source of identity. You can also guess this from the type of clothes that they are wearing and the surroundings or situation that they are in. I like the fact that they are unaware that they are being photographed, and we are observing them completely whilst they observe something else. Still they are the main subject and centre of the photo.
Friedlander likes to photograph in black and white with high contrasts. I think when photographing my own photos I will also use high contrasts playing with highlights and shadows in light and dark areas. However I want to shoot my photos in colour but still edit them to be very cool or very warm in terms of colour and tones.
I am very much interested in his photos as he has photographed people, still giving an idea of the subjects identity but from behind. By photographing the subject from the back, you still can capture a sense of who they are and what they may look like even though you are not capturing any of their facial features and only have their hair to go by for any source of identity. You can also guess this from the type of clothes that they are wearing and the surroundings or situation that they are in. I like the fact that they are unaware that they are being photographed, and we are observing them completely whilst they observe something else. Still they are the main subject and centre of the photo.
Friedlander likes to photograph in black and white with high contrasts. I think when photographing my own photos I will also use high contrasts playing with highlights and shadows in light and dark areas. However I want to shoot my photos in colour but still edit them to be very cool or very warm in terms of colour and tones.
Lee Friedlander has also photographed many vanishing points again in black and white. He focuses on capturing long, narrow spaces which feature roads, paths and walls out in big open spaces. Being out in the open gives a greater sense of depth and larger focal range.
For example on the left he has simply used a concrete path accompanied by two walls which make a very bold vanishing point even with breaks in the walls between. The area is surrounded beauty by the messy draping of the trees on the left and right and above. This takes away from the bold statement lines in the image and gives an enchanting balance. His image on the right is also mystical. With the big outdoors and wide roads the vanishing point seems never ending, again broken by the black house placed just off the center. The road marks split the road giving it two separate vanishing paths. I like how the mountains act a separation with the ground and sky and the floating clouds adds to the extent of the wide, open, silent space.
For example on the left he has simply used a concrete path accompanied by two walls which make a very bold vanishing point even with breaks in the walls between. The area is surrounded beauty by the messy draping of the trees on the left and right and above. This takes away from the bold statement lines in the image and gives an enchanting balance. His image on the right is also mystical. With the big outdoors and wide roads the vanishing point seems never ending, again broken by the black house placed just off the center. The road marks split the road giving it two separate vanishing paths. I like how the mountains act a separation with the ground and sky and the floating clouds adds to the extent of the wide, open, silent space.
Set Eight: Vanishing Point images from Berlin
Lines of perspective withing the Memorial
Hidden Identity
Observing the observer
Unguarded moments
Hidden Identity
Observing the observer
Unguarded moments
Whilst in Berlin I had the perfect opportunity to capture people's hidden identity amongst vantage points. With the memorial being made up of hundreds of narrow runways accompanied by extremely high walls and dark areas it was the easy to create drastic vanishing points with a range of different textures as well as highlights and shadows. I really enjoyed photographing our group amongst the high concrete walls and playing around with shooting heights. I found that shooting from the ground worked best as you captured a nice clear vanishing point including never ending lines, gritty textures and enlarging the outside area to the max as though you were a small creature.
I used a fairly slow shutter speed to allow the light to highlight the ground whilst also using a large focal range to increase the focus for as much as possible in the long vanishing point. When editing I faded out most colours leaving a cool blue/grey tinge leaving the pictures a cold effect. I really like the uneven floor in the images and how the shows from the tall blocks are cast against others creating contrasting shadows and light. Its also a great to spy, hide and creep up on people unaware. Observing the observer. This is what i want to aim to capture in my new final piece images.
These are my two favourite images from the set. I really like them as I think they turned out very well in terms of their colour, focus point, focal range and extreme perspective. The lines running along the ground against the horizontal lines of the memorial wall really add to their distortion and angles creating intriguing vanishing points. I think the colours in both the landscape and portrait photos add to the cold hidden mystery of the main subject's faces or identities. I think that the bright contrast from the sky against the grey gives out the idea of what's above and beyond, where could they be and what surrounds their surroundings.
Keeping their identity hidden is what I was aiming for and have done so by taking one from behind which was easier than the second one where the photo becomes slightly over exposed and distance acts as a barrier at hiding and distorting Nathan's face as he also looks down. I am very pleased with this image and in future sets aim to capture images similar to this with lots of angled lines creating a impressive vanishing point maybe next time not in the center of the image. It's aperture catches detail close by and tears away once reaching the main focus point of the shot, the person which I will again try to incorporate in my next sets.
I used a fairly slow shutter speed to allow the light to highlight the ground whilst also using a large focal range to increase the focus for as much as possible in the long vanishing point. When editing I faded out most colours leaving a cool blue/grey tinge leaving the pictures a cold effect. I really like the uneven floor in the images and how the shows from the tall blocks are cast against others creating contrasting shadows and light. Its also a great to spy, hide and creep up on people unaware. Observing the observer. This is what i want to aim to capture in my new final piece images.
These are my two favourite images from the set. I really like them as I think they turned out very well in terms of their colour, focus point, focal range and extreme perspective. The lines running along the ground against the horizontal lines of the memorial wall really add to their distortion and angles creating intriguing vanishing points. I think the colours in both the landscape and portrait photos add to the cold hidden mystery of the main subject's faces or identities. I think that the bright contrast from the sky against the grey gives out the idea of what's above and beyond, where could they be and what surrounds their surroundings.
Keeping their identity hidden is what I was aiming for and have done so by taking one from behind which was easier than the second one where the photo becomes slightly over exposed and distance acts as a barrier at hiding and distorting Nathan's face as he also looks down. I am very pleased with this image and in future sets aim to capture images similar to this with lots of angled lines creating a impressive vanishing point maybe next time not in the center of the image. It's aperture catches detail close by and tears away once reaching the main focus point of the shot, the person which I will again try to incorporate in my next sets.
EXTREME PERSPECTIVES & HIDDEN IDENTITY
Alex Pragger
Form: This photo taken by Pragger is of a young lady center left of the image, with her back towards the camera but her head turned to the right looking back over her shoulder towards the camera. She is surrounded by an open green space with a wide beige path running from the bottom left corner along to the top center of the photo. There is also a thinner path running from left to right just before her above the center of the photo. As the image is taken from above it captures her in white trousers and black top grasping two suitcases, one of which on her right is flung open with a number of different coloured dolls and teddies spilling out of it. As she looks back her dark shirt hair just covers her face and features as she looks in annoyance and frustration.
Process: This photo has seemed to be taken using a fairly fast shutter speed outdoors in the natural light. Taken from above, Pragger would have had to be up high in a building or have used a crane of some sort to get the high angle of looking down at the girl. The colours in the image are very bold and bright so the saturation in the image would have surely been increased to give the image a burst of colour and memory of childhood. The image also would have been taken at this angle to create the interesting shapes and lines the path and grass form.
Content: I really like this image as I like the angle that it has been captured from making the angles lines and stripes running not only across the image but up and down it too. I like the bright use of primary colours and the distant of which she is standing is just enough not to make out her facial features and identity fully. The light is slightly reflected from the wet craft back up n to the lens giving it a shimmer shine. I am engaged with how her hair naturally yet slyly covers her face and how she observes if anyone has witness what has happened. I will encounter the distance at which she is standing into my own photos to create this subtle hidden identity of my own subject. I will also like to play around with different heights with my own photos to create opposing lines when looking across all of my images.
Process: This photo has seemed to be taken using a fairly fast shutter speed outdoors in the natural light. Taken from above, Pragger would have had to be up high in a building or have used a crane of some sort to get the high angle of looking down at the girl. The colours in the image are very bold and bright so the saturation in the image would have surely been increased to give the image a burst of colour and memory of childhood. The image also would have been taken at this angle to create the interesting shapes and lines the path and grass form.
Content: I really like this image as I like the angle that it has been captured from making the angles lines and stripes running not only across the image but up and down it too. I like the bright use of primary colours and the distant of which she is standing is just enough not to make out her facial features and identity fully. The light is slightly reflected from the wet craft back up n to the lens giving it a shimmer shine. I am engaged with how her hair naturally yet slyly covers her face and how she observes if anyone has witness what has happened. I will encounter the distance at which she is standing into my own photos to create this subtle hidden identity of my own subject. I will also like to play around with different heights with my own photos to create opposing lines when looking across all of my images.
William Eggleston
William Eggleston, is an American photographer. He is widely credited with increasing recognition for color photography as a legitimate artistic medium to display in art galleries and I have taken great interest into his photos due to how he manages to hide the faces as well as make them not visibly clear of the people he is photographing. This is whether it be close up or from a distance, he also taken into account some vanishing points, lines and perspective.
The top two images of the two women are so bold yet the main subject's faces are hidden and cannot be seen. I love them. I love his use of colour and how clever he has been with choosing where to shoot from. The first image allows the girls glossy ginger hair to just about cover most of her facial features as it looks as if she's standing at a food stand outdoors, observing a menu or person, so casual and unaware. I also like his choice of capture as the light peaks through and casts shadows and the long bar is elongated and creates a large angled shape owning the left of the shot. The other of woman shot from behind. A she sits in a booth at a restaurant smoking sat opposite a man. You can tell the sort of classy woman she is. Wealthy and maybe even stuck up just from the way her hair is styled, the clothes and pearls she wears and the way she sits smoking. I really like it's effect even though it literally is just a shot of the back of her head.
His other two images I like as they feature the subject standing quite far away from the camera however he still manages to hide their identity and break the image up simply with lines. The image on the left features a woman in a uniform looking to her right observing something. This woman is just standing far enough so you are unable to tell who she is from her facial features. You can however get an idea of the kind of lady she may be due to her uniform. The image is separated by a number of horizontal lines and different stripes of colour. The dotted line coming in diagonally from the bottom left leaves some angel of perspective as well as the image being taken from quit close to the ground. I will take on these aspects into my own images.
His final image is one I really enjoy as it contains an energy of colour. Taken in a wide open space beside a road, again a woman stands, this time alone. As she stands to the left of a long, wide road it takes over the right side of the image creating a huge defining vanishing point meeting with the blue sky towards 'the back' of the photo. The vantage point also met by the grass and earth is so vast that I am able to use this term 'the back of the image' as it stretches behind the woman accompanied by masts repeatedly decreasing in size.
The top two images of the two women are so bold yet the main subject's faces are hidden and cannot be seen. I love them. I love his use of colour and how clever he has been with choosing where to shoot from. The first image allows the girls glossy ginger hair to just about cover most of her facial features as it looks as if she's standing at a food stand outdoors, observing a menu or person, so casual and unaware. I also like his choice of capture as the light peaks through and casts shadows and the long bar is elongated and creates a large angled shape owning the left of the shot. The other of woman shot from behind. A she sits in a booth at a restaurant smoking sat opposite a man. You can tell the sort of classy woman she is. Wealthy and maybe even stuck up just from the way her hair is styled, the clothes and pearls she wears and the way she sits smoking. I really like it's effect even though it literally is just a shot of the back of her head.
His other two images I like as they feature the subject standing quite far away from the camera however he still manages to hide their identity and break the image up simply with lines. The image on the left features a woman in a uniform looking to her right observing something. This woman is just standing far enough so you are unable to tell who she is from her facial features. You can however get an idea of the kind of lady she may be due to her uniform. The image is separated by a number of horizontal lines and different stripes of colour. The dotted line coming in diagonally from the bottom left leaves some angel of perspective as well as the image being taken from quit close to the ground. I will take on these aspects into my own images.
His final image is one I really enjoy as it contains an energy of colour. Taken in a wide open space beside a road, again a woman stands, this time alone. As she stands to the left of a long, wide road it takes over the right side of the image creating a huge defining vanishing point meeting with the blue sky towards 'the back' of the photo. The vantage point also met by the grass and earth is so vast that I am able to use this term 'the back of the image' as it stretches behind the woman accompanied by masts repeatedly decreasing in size.
Martin Parr
Form: This image has been taken by Martin Parr and is of a person with bleached short hair listening to bright yellow headphones and a multi coloured scarf and white top. It is hard to tell the sex of the subject as it could well be a girl. Taken outside in a busy street the shot has been captured by Parr from right behind the person. It's literally a head shot from the shoulders up, except they're facing completely the wrong way, looking as the hustle and bussle and people in the street. The image is very bright and bold filled with lots of light making things very clear and detailed, like the har for example.
Process: I think the image would have been taken a quick shutter speed and small apature as everything before the subject is JUST out of focus. I think an extra flash would have been used to help created the striking bright light cast on the back of this person as there could be both natural and artificial light being used in this photo and maybe even with a tripod to ensure a symmetrical, center shot.
Content: I think what Parr was trying toa achieve was to capture a person living in the city. Someone who is bold and strong and to perceive how the world revolves around them even in their own, cut off zone, this happens to all of us. The use of the small focal range makes the person the main center and focus of the image with everyone and everything else a bit blurred as if they dont matter in that exact moment and as if the world is their oyster. I will try to imitate this short apature range whilst capturing as much detail from the person as I can just from the back of their head and the things they are wearing or the way their hair is that day.
Process: I think the image would have been taken a quick shutter speed and small apature as everything before the subject is JUST out of focus. I think an extra flash would have been used to help created the striking bright light cast on the back of this person as there could be both natural and artificial light being used in this photo and maybe even with a tripod to ensure a symmetrical, center shot.
Content: I think what Parr was trying toa achieve was to capture a person living in the city. Someone who is bold and strong and to perceive how the world revolves around them even in their own, cut off zone, this happens to all of us. The use of the small focal range makes the person the main center and focus of the image with everyone and everything else a bit blurred as if they dont matter in that exact moment and as if the world is their oyster. I will try to imitate this short apature range whilst capturing as much detail from the person as I can just from the back of their head and the things they are wearing or the way their hair is that day.
Set Nine: Responses to Alex Pragger, William Eggleston and Martin Parr
I wanted to respond to the three previous photographers I had researched into who related to my work. I went on two trips, one around Muswell Hill with a friend and the other with my younger sister on The Underground. On these trips I aimed to take images of the two individually in their surroundings and used a number of different locations such as the street, the supermarket, on an escalator, in a tunnel etc. Whilst doing so I had to take into account lines of perspective and vanishing points but also making the sure they were still the main focus in the image. I chose Ganesha and my sister as they are both different heights and I wanted to get a range of viewpoints when shooting from their viewpoint right behind them.
I took most of the photos of Ganesha in the day light using a fairly fast shutter speed however in the supermarket harsh artificial lighting was used so I decreased the speed to absorb all tunstel light and bright colours from packaging down the isles. Most of the photos of my sister were also taken under artificial light on the tube giving them a dingy feel.
Below are my six shots which I think work the best due to their colours and extreme lines in the frame. Much like William Eggleston I had both my subjects stand at a distance from the camera at times facing towards me, sometimes away in the center of the shot. I made them not look into the camera but be interested in other things elsewhere to complete my idea of observing the observer which I will continue to do in my next sets. Having them look elsewhere also added to hiding their identity as they looked away. I think this worked well in subtly hiding their identity without them having to turn their back.
I focused on capturing them in pathways and runways where lines of perspective were clear in the lens when captured also concentrating on any other diagonal lines spontaneously in the surroundings and including them within the frame.
In addition to this the other type of images I took in relation to Martin Parr with my subject standing directly in front of the lens with the back of their head towards me. This is where I got a wide perspective of their own viewpoint and detail of the back of their head which you don't usually see in photography a lot which I must make sure to capture in future shots. The images put into perspective the persons surroundings living in the city and the sort of things any average person will view in one day. Every scene is so different with such variety of colour and noise all in one place it can be alot to take in. It would be interesting to capture different types of viewpoints from different types of people of different ages, occupations and lifestyles. A viewpoint photo every hour possibly.
I took most of the photos of Ganesha in the day light using a fairly fast shutter speed however in the supermarket harsh artificial lighting was used so I decreased the speed to absorb all tunstel light and bright colours from packaging down the isles. Most of the photos of my sister were also taken under artificial light on the tube giving them a dingy feel.
Below are my six shots which I think work the best due to their colours and extreme lines in the frame. Much like William Eggleston I had both my subjects stand at a distance from the camera at times facing towards me, sometimes away in the center of the shot. I made them not look into the camera but be interested in other things elsewhere to complete my idea of observing the observer which I will continue to do in my next sets. Having them look elsewhere also added to hiding their identity as they looked away. I think this worked well in subtly hiding their identity without them having to turn their back.
I focused on capturing them in pathways and runways where lines of perspective were clear in the lens when captured also concentrating on any other diagonal lines spontaneously in the surroundings and including them within the frame.
In addition to this the other type of images I took in relation to Martin Parr with my subject standing directly in front of the lens with the back of their head towards me. This is where I got a wide perspective of their own viewpoint and detail of the back of their head which you don't usually see in photography a lot which I must make sure to capture in future shots. The images put into perspective the persons surroundings living in the city and the sort of things any average person will view in one day. Every scene is so different with such variety of colour and noise all in one place it can be alot to take in. It would be interesting to capture different types of viewpoints from different types of people of different ages, occupations and lifestyles. A viewpoint photo every hour possibly.
Final Images : Response to William Eggleston
Vantage Points - Hidden Identity
When shooting, choosing and editing my final images I was certain to encounter hidden identity, vantage points and observing the observer from afar and up close, behind. I went out around London on three separate occasions with three different friends with different identities.
When choosing my choice of place I made sure I had a good range of different areas outside and in. Also choosing different height points to shoot from. I also adjusted colours and saturation when editing to make each one seem more warm or cold. I wanted the subject to be unaware I was shooting them as if i were spying or following them however completely not interfering and leaving them completely unaware.
My first image is of my friend Ganesha taken in Sainsburys taken from a very low angle and from a far. As he is in an isle in a supermarket it creates the perfect, busy vantage point full of colour, imperative signs and artificial lights along the ceiling. Again this, along with the floor, create more bold lines and linear angles and makes the space more enlarged as though you are viewing it from a mouse's point of view. I really like the focal range in the bottom left of the picture as the aperture tries to grab as much as the floor texture into it as it can. It slowly creeps in and out of range as the camera gets further away. I decided to fade the colours of this image to create a green/minty effect which really helps to enhance the artificial lighting in the room as well as blend in with Gan's coat. Unaware he stands at the end of the isle observing the shelves.
When choosing my choice of place I made sure I had a good range of different areas outside and in. Also choosing different height points to shoot from. I also adjusted colours and saturation when editing to make each one seem more warm or cold. I wanted the subject to be unaware I was shooting them as if i were spying or following them however completely not interfering and leaving them completely unaware.
My first image is of my friend Ganesha taken in Sainsburys taken from a very low angle and from a far. As he is in an isle in a supermarket it creates the perfect, busy vantage point full of colour, imperative signs and artificial lights along the ceiling. Again this, along with the floor, create more bold lines and linear angles and makes the space more enlarged as though you are viewing it from a mouse's point of view. I really like the focal range in the bottom left of the picture as the aperture tries to grab as much as the floor texture into it as it can. It slowly creeps in and out of range as the camera gets further away. I decided to fade the colours of this image to create a green/minty effect which really helps to enhance the artificial lighting in the room as well as blend in with Gan's coat. Unaware he stands at the end of the isle observing the shelves.
My second image is of my sister standing in an empty Northern Line tube train and imitates that of William Eggleston. I decided to capture my sister standing right behind her and not afar as she is fairly short and shooting her this way gives more of a distortion to the image making the city seem much bigger than it actually is to someone of her age especially when lines of perspective are featured and even though it's just one fairly long train carriage. I chose a tube train as they are very iconic in our city and we are so used to seeing them packed full of commuters or party goers. I chose a more warmer feel for this image with a shorter aperture only reaching up to her head capturing her hair and cardigan in clear detail. The empty of this image makes it eery and lonesome and the fact we are observing her so close is as if you're about to creep up behind her to scare her. The anticipation and silence of standing so close is present in the image and you can feel the silence but are warmed with dozens of vertical yellow lines.
My third image is my favorite, taken from my set in Berlin, walking around the amazing and intriguing memorial. Taken from far away, just like William Eggleston, I chose to crouch on the ground and look up towards him from afar capturing the cold dark areas closer to the ground and allowing light to creep in from the center back and diffuse down the grey walls either side. The narrow and bumpy pathways created great lines of perspective and along with the squares in the ground. The massive blocks on either side also add to the parallel lines and act and a contrast creating opposing, vertical lines. I like how the light is so bright and contrasted coming from behind Nathan and just about highlighting the texture in the ground. As he observes his camera his identity is unclear as his face is out of focal range where as the ground's stretches quite far and into a vanishing point. I think the detail in this image comes through really well and its cool colours and grey tones does it justice as he stands alone.
My next image is again of my sister and like Martin Parr's, is taken from right behind her as she looks down an underground tunnel at London Bridge station. Again the focal range only stretches so far to her self, that anything past her is out of focus. The big circular shapes created and repeated down the tunnel really increase it's distortion and center point. The lines and big blue and thin yellow stripes add to the vanishing point and question what could be at the end of the tunnel. Again the line of artificial lights dots going down the tunnel give the image a mesmerizing feel as even though the tunnel is literally empty it seems quite busy and full of pattern. The image feels very daunting and puts her into perspective as you wonder what she could be thinking. As we observe her observing and anticipating what's down at the end of the tunnel or what could come around the corner the tunnel's blue colours give the photo a mysterious feel with a small, deflated yellow balloon just to the left just bursting through abit of colour.
My 5th and final image is of Gan again, this time outdoors and surrounded by nature. The high contrasting sky helps to break between the angles of perspective and separate from the patches of green completely swarming the left and right of the image. Taken from far away it puts Gan in perspective as he could be anywhere. The clarity in the focal ranges stretches quite far and captures most of the rubble and earth on the ground. As he observes something over the wall his identity his hidden due to how far away he is. The colours are again cool and green with different greys to compliment. As Gan is so far away you can not see his face as he turns his head away but only make out his ear against his dark hair. It puts into aspect the size of things in our world and the people in it.
Final Presentation Idea
When presenting my final images I have thought about how i could incorporate 'observing the observer' and 'hidden identity'. I thought about using a kind of light box which still lights up my images one by one but in a black box. The only way to look at my images and to see what they are would be to spy and observe through tiny little holes as though they are key holes 'observing the observer. I like the mystery of how the viewer has no idea what could be on the other side. The light source will bring out the colours and help to enhance the highlights and shadows in the photos from the natural light in the photos but also with the artificial light in others.
This way looking through a small hole to view the images adds to the distortion, the bends, twists and lines and makes each image more warped. I would present each indivisualy in their own black box and could even experiment with using different viewing ellements such as real key holes and door peepholes to exagerate the perspective of the photos even more.
This way looking through a small hole to view the images adds to the distortion, the bends, twists and lines and makes each image more warped. I would present each indivisualy in their own black box and could even experiment with using different viewing ellements such as real key holes and door peepholes to exagerate the perspective of the photos even more.
Set Ten: Further Public Transport
During my trip to Sydney one of the modes of transport that I used the most was the Subway. Like the images I previously took in London with my model on the London Underground I wanted to expand this further and oresent other modes of public transport across the world. Much of their underground was overground and fairly new and modern. All of the trains were double decker and spacious so this is where I decided to shoot Matilda. Many areas were empty so it was here that I shot her alone in the carriage with the bright artificial light and scenery out of the window. Here I was beginning to focus on capturing each aspect that I wanted to feature in my images as I go on throughout this project. I was regarding the observer, hiding her identity by not shooting her face and creating lines of perspective with all of the interior designs on the inside structure of the train as well as the long narrow carriage that we were in.
I used a large appature and a 1/125 shutter speed to ensure the view outside the window was not blurred. My four favourite images are the ones below. They are fairly similar to the ones I took of my little sister from one of my previous set except I think these are taken with a better quality and I like the low blue tones and pastel colours.
I took the first one just as the doors to the train were about to open. I like how the reflection is not quite clear and maybe doubled over itself therefore diffusing Mati's image and identity. I like how other people feature in the image but that you can tell that Mati is the one who is the main focus of the image and is almost being watched. The yellow door frames actually help to frame the picture and add colour and warning of someone watching.
In my second image I really like the clarity of the photo. You can see clearly out of the window and the texture from the blue chairs is really enhanced. The artificial light stretches thickly across the image giving everything in the shot a washed out glow. As Mati stares at her phone she is entranced and I can only capture her from the side as her hair falls over the side of her face.
The third image is taken from the same position as the first just this time the camrea focusses down the platform as Mati looks in the same direction too. Her identity hidden. The coloured lines along the platform create vanisihing points and other parts of the station create green, grey and pink shapes and frames against the long curved train which is also creating lines of perspective down the platform.
The fourth image is much like the second but has more parallel lines and shapes featured in it again from the lights and structure of the train and also the windows and rows of chairs. From this particular angle all these lines seem to make more of an extreme perspective just from the interior design. They all draw to the left of the picture and really create a deeper layers and dimensions. The mix of natural light coming in from the window and the over exposed artificial light from the train gives a really smooth and crisp detail to the image and enhances the atmosphere in the carriage. Mati is the focus, she is in the spotlight and yet the viewer cannot see her face. These four images could be portrayed to be taken with Mati unaware as though someone is spying on her and observing her journey but she is doing a good job of hiding her face. People will wonder and want to know who she is.
I used a large appature and a 1/125 shutter speed to ensure the view outside the window was not blurred. My four favourite images are the ones below. They are fairly similar to the ones I took of my little sister from one of my previous set except I think these are taken with a better quality and I like the low blue tones and pastel colours.
I took the first one just as the doors to the train were about to open. I like how the reflection is not quite clear and maybe doubled over itself therefore diffusing Mati's image and identity. I like how other people feature in the image but that you can tell that Mati is the one who is the main focus of the image and is almost being watched. The yellow door frames actually help to frame the picture and add colour and warning of someone watching.
In my second image I really like the clarity of the photo. You can see clearly out of the window and the texture from the blue chairs is really enhanced. The artificial light stretches thickly across the image giving everything in the shot a washed out glow. As Mati stares at her phone she is entranced and I can only capture her from the side as her hair falls over the side of her face.
The third image is taken from the same position as the first just this time the camrea focusses down the platform as Mati looks in the same direction too. Her identity hidden. The coloured lines along the platform create vanisihing points and other parts of the station create green, grey and pink shapes and frames against the long curved train which is also creating lines of perspective down the platform.
The fourth image is much like the second but has more parallel lines and shapes featured in it again from the lights and structure of the train and also the windows and rows of chairs. From this particular angle all these lines seem to make more of an extreme perspective just from the interior design. They all draw to the left of the picture and really create a deeper layers and dimensions. The mix of natural light coming in from the window and the over exposed artificial light from the train gives a really smooth and crisp detail to the image and enhances the atmosphere in the carriage. Mati is the focus, she is in the spotlight and yet the viewer cannot see her face. These four images could be portrayed to be taken with Mati unaware as though someone is spying on her and observing her journey but she is doing a good job of hiding her face. People will wonder and want to know who she is.
Ansel Adams National Marmite Exhibition
Ansel Adams: Photography from the Mountains to the Sea
Ansel Easton Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist, best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West, especially in Yosemite National Park. Adams primarily used large-format cameras because of the high resolution that helped ensure sharpness in his images.
Being one of the most popular photographers in American history he is famous for capturing dramatic and evocative landscapes of American nature. He takes pictures of the forests, mountains and coastlines of the US creating the most powerful and striking pictures of water in all its forms, from awe-inspiring images. I love how he shoots from such interesting angles creating the most fascinating views and extreme pespectives. Much of his work features vanishing points as the main focus in each shot, much of which is captured on the road just as I would like to do too. The format and presentation ranged from tiny structures to work over 3 meters tall. I enjoyed this as the dynamics and dominance changed yet there was still great quality and detail in the smaller prints. Having shot in black and white the images carry great contrast which is something that I will carry across to my own images especially in black and white. The winding roads and cloudy skies add to the depth and vast scenery in extreme exteriors like these. In my own images I will aim to photograph like Adams has in the car directly on the road looking in front and also from behind however I will be capturing Australia and its beautiful nature along the gold coast.
Key words: America - Large-format - Contrast - Landscape - Wilderness
Set Eleven: Extreme Exteriors, Response to Ansel Adams
I have just come back from Australia and whilst I was there I was lucky enough to visit the beautiful White Haven Beach. Here I took the opportunity to capture it's vast surroundings of white sands and blue seas and sky with my friend Matilda as my subject including hidden identity and following and observing the observer whilst also taking into consideration Adams' extreme shots . As I captured shots in the natural daylight in the wide open space I played with appature ranges and detail in the sand and the clouds in the sky. I aimed to shoot Matilda alone in most cases against the open backdrop divided into sand, sea, mountains and sky. Following her around from behind on the beach I shot from different heights to gain all perspectives of this huge space.
Having lines perfectly horizontal in the shot such as the one of myself for example with my arms in the air really add to the length of the area and almost make it seem longer and wider as if it could go on for miles. Cropping the image to a 16:9 ratio also make my surroundings seem enlarged and almost give a 360 perspective. I also photographed moments on our jungle trek with a long sandy path running all the way down the images into a vanishing point completely surrounded by burnt trees. I also tried out silhouettes in the sun with her facing towards me. I think i definitely prefer shots displaying extreme perspectives when they include vanishing points and angled lines in terms of being more distorting with aspects of illusion like the one of Matilda on the wooden bridge. Where you are complete drawn to one point with tunnel vision and feel as though you could reach into the picture. I like this factor and think it works well and so in my future sets will incorporate angled lines and vanishing points with certain surroundings such as roads for example.
Having lines perfectly horizontal in the shot such as the one of myself for example with my arms in the air really add to the length of the area and almost make it seem longer and wider as if it could go on for miles. Cropping the image to a 16:9 ratio also make my surroundings seem enlarged and almost give a 360 perspective. I also photographed moments on our jungle trek with a long sandy path running all the way down the images into a vanishing point completely surrounded by burnt trees. I also tried out silhouettes in the sun with her facing towards me. I think i definitely prefer shots displaying extreme perspectives when they include vanishing points and angled lines in terms of being more distorting with aspects of illusion like the one of Matilda on the wooden bridge. Where you are complete drawn to one point with tunnel vision and feel as though you could reach into the picture. I like this factor and think it works well and so in my future sets will incorporate angled lines and vanishing points with certain surroundings such as roads for example.
Alice Hargrave
Key words: Home - Memory - Time - Record - Nostalgia - History - Travel - America - 8mm
I came across this photographer who's images I love and completely relate to the kind of images I am aiming to capture. Hargrave has taken images across America on a film camera which represent the cliché subjects that people often use photography to capture. Leisure, travel, the american road trip, photos or film footage shot from the window of the moving car are all topics that the work references. I really like the vignette effect around the edges of the images and also the texture that the images are left with. Their colours are all quite bright and pastel with some images even out of focus along with obstacles to play with in the foreground and background of images such as the wire fence and pool shot.
These four little shots really grabbed my attention as one features the back of someones head as the look across a green open space, very similar to what I have been photographing in my ongoing sets. The pinkish one taken of the rear of an old car is my favourite. I like it so much because of its boarder and the spill of colours across the top half of the image all crossing over one another. I particular like the tinges of pink in the image and how you can tell it has been taken from inside the car from the drivers seat. It features the dashboard and a glimpse of the front wheel which is exactly the sort of thing I want to feature in my own images in upcoming sets shooting from the passenger seat in camper van whilst travelling in Australia. These unusual rear angles and shots taken from positions most have on a day to day basis and can be so familiar yet so unusual as you can see so much from one seat. I will aim to shoot images like Hargraves including elements of the interior of the car, only certain features of people in my shots, tinges of pastel colours and the nature along my travels whilst in a moving car. I can't plan whats to come in my shots whilst driving along the highway and that spontaneity is what I find most effective and interesting about shots like these.
These four little shots really grabbed my attention as one features the back of someones head as the look across a green open space, very similar to what I have been photographing in my ongoing sets. The pinkish one taken of the rear of an old car is my favourite. I like it so much because of its boarder and the spill of colours across the top half of the image all crossing over one another. I particular like the tinges of pink in the image and how you can tell it has been taken from inside the car from the drivers seat. It features the dashboard and a glimpse of the front wheel which is exactly the sort of thing I want to feature in my own images in upcoming sets shooting from the passenger seat in camper van whilst travelling in Australia. These unusual rear angles and shots taken from positions most have on a day to day basis and can be so familiar yet so unusual as you can see so much from one seat. I will aim to shoot images like Hargraves including elements of the interior of the car, only certain features of people in my shots, tinges of pastel colours and the nature along my travels whilst in a moving car. I can't plan whats to come in my shots whilst driving along the highway and that spontaneity is what I find most effective and interesting about shots like these.
Set Twelve: Boat Exterior
As we stayed on a boat for two nights on the Great Barrier Reef, I took the opportunity to capture a different type of exterior and surroundings whilst using a different mode of transport.
I photographed the sea and the sky together also at times with the land. But I also wanted to capture all of this along with features of the boat such as the crew, sails, rings, wheel and more displaying the relaxing life of living on a boat. Whilst capturing sunsets and horizons I also managed to get a few silhouettes from shooting at certain times of the day and even manage to catch a massive bird, a smaller eagle type from below as it spread its wings against the sun rays behind it, as they threw meat up to it and it swooped down right by the boat to catch it. The sights were amazing and complete bliss and when editing with lots of rich colour and horizontal lines. I brought out the shades of blue and highlighted the reflection bouncing off the water and in one shot even used tilt shift to put a scale on the vast green land.
I photographed the sea and the sky together also at times with the land. But I also wanted to capture all of this along with features of the boat such as the crew, sails, rings, wheel and more displaying the relaxing life of living on a boat. Whilst capturing sunsets and horizons I also managed to get a few silhouettes from shooting at certain times of the day and even manage to catch a massive bird, a smaller eagle type from below as it spread its wings against the sun rays behind it, as they threw meat up to it and it swooped down right by the boat to catch it. The sights were amazing and complete bliss and when editing with lots of rich colour and horizontal lines. I brought out the shades of blue and highlighted the reflection bouncing off the water and in one shot even used tilt shift to put a scale on the vast green land.
Final Idea
Set Thirteen: Car Exterior, Alice Hargrave Response
Whilst researching and looking at photography relating to interior and exterior of a vehicle on the road, such as Hargrave's work, I wanted to simply capture the exterior of the van whilst on the road and not incorporate the inside frame of the car. I wanted to shoot the ever changing scenery as we drove down the highway for hours. The scenes differentiated from one another with forests, mountains, trees and lakes with green surroundings and deep blue skies. I took position in the passenger seat but also shot from the wide rear window with a very fast shutter speed to capture the image i intended to as quickly as possible. In most I like how the clouds are very much cartoon like and create amazing detail in the sky. I did feature some parts of the interior such as the rear view mirror and the numbers and reflection from the back window so you can tell that you're looking out through glass onto the surrounding land.
I was really happy to capture such a range of shots displaying nature along side the road. I am also happy how with the front and back shots the roads look winding and long due to the angled lines creating lines of perspective. The shots out of the sides of the cars also created lots of diagonal lines going right across from the left to the right of each image. When editing my pictures I boosted the colour and saturation to really bring out the earthy colours of blue and green bringing out many neutral tones. I managed to photograph some road signs which I really enjoyed such as 'Rest or RIP', as they became more of a center focus adding text as well as humor to the image.
I was really happy to capture such a range of shots displaying nature along side the road. I am also happy how with the front and back shots the roads look winding and long due to the angled lines creating lines of perspective. The shots out of the sides of the cars also created lots of diagonal lines going right across from the left to the right of each image. When editing my pictures I boosted the colour and saturation to really bring out the earthy colours of blue and green bringing out many neutral tones. I managed to photograph some road signs which I really enjoyed such as 'Rest or RIP', as they became more of a center focus adding text as well as humor to the image.
Lee Friedlander: America by Car
I came across a set that I really found interesting and could apply to my aims. Lee Friedlander's America by Car.
Unlike most photographers he chose to shoot it through his windscreen, producing a set of strange and powerful images of the varied US landscape whilst sitting in his car. He worked through the 1960s and 70s, working primarily with 35mm cameras and black and white film he focused on the social landscape in much of his photographing featuring street signs, store fronts and street structures in his shots.
In these particular shots he has included very much of the car's interior including the steering wheel, wing mirror air vents etc. I like that these elements are very much a main part of the images as the surrounding exteriors are. They are literally taken from his point of view, on the road across a wide range of places. I really enjoy how the scenery is completely different in every shot showing how vast America really is.The floating car and signs with text add extra humor or novelty to the pictures and make them more unique and inviting. I will include shots like his of the long road ahead and behind with shots including lines creating extreme perspectives on the road.
The fact that the images are in black and white creates a high contrast and still reveals a range in tones and exposure shot in the natural light.
I am going to create my own response to these images whilst driving along the golden coast from my passenger seat and out of the rear window. However I am going to feature my main idea of hidden identity and observing the observer. Like Friedlander has done I will capture myself in the wing mirror but will also aim to observe Mati as she is driving from behind and also capture her in the rear view mirror.
Unlike most photographers he chose to shoot it through his windscreen, producing a set of strange and powerful images of the varied US landscape whilst sitting in his car. He worked through the 1960s and 70s, working primarily with 35mm cameras and black and white film he focused on the social landscape in much of his photographing featuring street signs, store fronts and street structures in his shots.
In these particular shots he has included very much of the car's interior including the steering wheel, wing mirror air vents etc. I like that these elements are very much a main part of the images as the surrounding exteriors are. They are literally taken from his point of view, on the road across a wide range of places. I really enjoy how the scenery is completely different in every shot showing how vast America really is.The floating car and signs with text add extra humor or novelty to the pictures and make them more unique and inviting. I will include shots like his of the long road ahead and behind with shots including lines creating extreme perspectives on the road.
The fact that the images are in black and white creates a high contrast and still reveals a range in tones and exposure shot in the natural light.
I am going to create my own response to these images whilst driving along the golden coast from my passenger seat and out of the rear window. However I am going to feature my main idea of hidden identity and observing the observer. Like Friedlander has done I will capture myself in the wing mirror but will also aim to observe Mati as she is driving from behind and also capture her in the rear view mirror.
Final Idea
Set Fourteen: Interior Lee Friedlander Response; Golden Coast by Car
In this set I was trying to incorporate all of the elements I have been carrying throughout this project. Like Lee Friedlander my set is shot from inside the car from my viewpoint in the passenger seat and from behind Mati;s view in the drivers seat. I took many different photos, some landscape, some portrait using the natural light and a shutter speed at 1/125 to make sure I had no motion blur in my shots. I captured scenes moving on the road, parked on the side and lights etc. When capturing my own reflection I used the wing mirror outside of the car or the vanity mirror above my head only featuring my eyes or a doubled over reflection so that my identity is hard to vision. When capturing Mati I would only try and include her arms or hands or shoulders or her eyes in the rear view mirror to not give away too much of her identity.
The interior of the car makes up for half of the images with its dark grey and black colour. I included the dashboard, the air vents, the sound system, our food and drink but the most bold aspect is the inside of the roof. It was covered in black ink by every couple who ave ever sat in that van. Writing and doodles absolutely everywhere make the image more interesting like the text in Friedlander's does and add humour. The image becomes more eye catching and it acts as a good backdrop. The exterior of the car forever changes with colour and scenery. The blue sky and green grass and trees pop in every shot and show how vast the land can be in Australia. The hot weather is also displayed through the warmness and exposure in my pictures. On the road I did manage to grasp vanishing points from the narrowing roads and their lines creating extreme perspectives in many shots. I am happy with how my images turned out and how all my elements tie together. In such a small space a vast one is captured and seen through layers of foreground and background, interior and exterior leading to perspectives and levels of dimensions. Invading someones personal space and seeing from their viewpoint without knowing who they are, only the colour of their hair.
The interior of the car makes up for half of the images with its dark grey and black colour. I included the dashboard, the air vents, the sound system, our food and drink but the most bold aspect is the inside of the roof. It was covered in black ink by every couple who ave ever sat in that van. Writing and doodles absolutely everywhere make the image more interesting like the text in Friedlander's does and add humour. The image becomes more eye catching and it acts as a good backdrop. The exterior of the car forever changes with colour and scenery. The blue sky and green grass and trees pop in every shot and show how vast the land can be in Australia. The hot weather is also displayed through the warmness and exposure in my pictures. On the road I did manage to grasp vanishing points from the narrowing roads and their lines creating extreme perspectives in many shots. I am happy with how my images turned out and how all my elements tie together. In such a small space a vast one is captured and seen through layers of foreground and background, interior and exterior leading to perspectives and levels of dimensions. Invading someones personal space and seeing from their viewpoint without knowing who they are, only the colour of their hair.
When it came to editing my pictures I wanted the main focus to be Matilda amongst the busy surroundings. With this in mind I put a higher contrast on the writing on the ceiling to make the top of the images brighter and crisper. I also made the exterior more saturated and bright increasing the ambiance. The inside of the car, such as the dashboard, I made darker and less bright as a contrast compared to the top and center of my photos. I increased the green colours and blue colours of the sky and over exposed white sky to make the images and surroundings more powerful and overwhelming. Focusing on Mati I enhanced her reflection, skin tone and hair colour to highlight her being and awareness but not enough to giver her away to the viewer. With her in the mirror I made her features very crisp, clear and bright as if she is glowing even though she's being shadowed from the sunlight by the car.
Responding to Freidlander's work with The Golden Coast by Car I cropped four of the best photos into squares and converted them into black and white keeping the high contrast like he does. I do think this set looks effective in both edits however can be made more of a set when done in this way on a multiple scale with loads of images like this presented together. The high contrast, brightness and ambiance of the black and white photos make the set more clear and vibrant just like Lee Freidlander's and I think the writing stands out better and more bold. Reflections and highlights in the car and in the sky are really enhanced and made more surreal with with aspect of distortion and disorientation adding to all of their extreme perspective and mystery of hidden identity.
Responding to Freidlander's work with The Golden Coast by Car I cropped four of the best photos into squares and converted them into black and white keeping the high contrast like he does. I do think this set looks effective in both edits however can be made more of a set when done in this way on a multiple scale with loads of images like this presented together. The high contrast, brightness and ambiance of the black and white photos make the set more clear and vibrant just like Lee Freidlander's and I think the writing stands out better and more bold. Reflections and highlights in the car and in the sky are really enhanced and made more surreal with with aspect of distortion and disorientation adding to all of their extreme perspective and mystery of hidden identity.
Final Piece Presentation Idea
For my final piece I want to incorporate my two response sets for Lee Freidlander and Anna Hargraves into one presentation and display them in a way similar to the set up above. I like the combination of square black and white photos with rectangular coloured images and think they compliment each other well as the colours are kept to warm pastel tones and are not harsh or contrasting against the black and white images.
I was thinking about putting the black and white ones in the center as these images are taken of the interior along with hidden identity and elements of vanishing points making them the center focus. The images around the outside present the exterior of my travels and what I was constantly surrounded by whilst in the campervan driving along the golden coast of Australia. They feature more of the outside extreme perspectives, sky mountains, trees and grass just like Ansel Adams and other vehicles on the road like Anna Hargraves.
I hope to present them like the layout above however would like to also be a bit more ambitious in doing so and make it more of a 3D presentation not just a flat card mount. I will experiment with playing around with depth and possibly bringing images more into the foreground of background, again keeping with the idea of perspectives, angles and dimensions.
I was thinking about putting the black and white ones in the center as these images are taken of the interior along with hidden identity and elements of vanishing points making them the center focus. The images around the outside present the exterior of my travels and what I was constantly surrounded by whilst in the campervan driving along the golden coast of Australia. They feature more of the outside extreme perspectives, sky mountains, trees and grass just like Ansel Adams and other vehicles on the road like Anna Hargraves.
I hope to present them like the layout above however would like to also be a bit more ambitious in doing so and make it more of a 3D presentation not just a flat card mount. I will experiment with playing around with depth and possibly bringing images more into the foreground of background, again keeping with the idea of perspectives, angles and dimensions.
Finished Outcome
When it came to creating my visualised piece I took into account, size and depth. I want my images to be presented on quite a large scale as they are of vast areas. I managed to get hold of a 1 meter squared MDF board which I then covered in white. I wanted it to be white to really compliment the soft, warm colours in the pictures and for them to really stand of their background without being physically raised. I had the exterior images of the car around the outside of the board measuring about 12 inches by 9 inches with 6 landscapes along the top and bottoms and 2 portraits fitting nicely along the two sides. Featuring their long roads and vanishing points they create a vast surrounding for the four images in the middle and display calming colours of nature, the sky and the trees.The centre focus of my piece are the images taken from the interior of the car which was very busy, small and worn. Measuring 8 inches by 8 inches I converted these to black and white to enhance their contrast like Friedlander's images focussing on the driver. Focussing on the car's inside interior and looking out the front wind screen the images also contain perspective of the vanishing points created by the view of the roads. Initially I wanted to raise these four images to further add to my idea of depth and perspective however found other materials.
Using 4 blocks of deep, square perspex I have created an effective view of perspective without actually raising the images . They look like they are deeper set into the piece also as though you're looking into the interior of the car through glass or effectively a car window. I think using perspex and setting them effectively deeper rather than raising them on bits of foam board give a greater and more slick effect and complete my idea of observing the observer and regarding a person through obstacles whilst also viewing their surroundings from the outside looking in and vice versa.
Using 4 blocks of deep, square perspex I have created an effective view of perspective without actually raising the images . They look like they are deeper set into the piece also as though you're looking into the interior of the car through glass or effectively a car window. I think using perspex and setting them effectively deeper rather than raising them on bits of foam board give a greater and more slick effect and complete my idea of observing the observer and regarding a person through obstacles whilst also viewing their surroundings from the outside looking in and vice versa.