shoot 2

plans for shoot

for this shoot, i am going to take photos in the style of Karl Blossfeldt. 
Research influence



Contact sheet




Image bank (containing 5 images)


My Best images (target 4 - 6), Images that require improvement.

q

AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.


AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.


AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.


AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements. 


Progression: you must refer to what you will do next to improve on either the shoot you have done or how you will develop your project in the next shoot.  

photographers research

photographers research

imogen cunningham

imogen cunningham is an american photographer born in 1883 and died in 1976. she is known for her flower photography. where she photographs flowers and plants, such as succulents and thistles. these photos are clear and sharp, and focus mostly on the main bloom of the flower (similar to the famous artist Georgia O' Keefe) and shows the texture/contours. she started her photography after graduating from college, and going to work with Edward S.Collins in his studio. Here she learnt about practical photography. She experimented with portraiture and surreal photography. she eventually became part of the F/64 club and created sharp and detailed botanical photographers.

this photo shows a tulip. tulips usually have connotations of love and forgiveness. in this photo, the tulip is lit from the back, possibly using a torch or a lamp. this brings out soft tones, and gives the image more of a feminine aesthetic. as the light shines through the petals, it makes them appear as if they are glowing. this brings out the texture and shadows, and brings the viewers focus to the centre of the flower. this could be why the photographer has chosen to place the petals in the centre of the photo.

this image shows an orchid. it looks as though the photographer has used harsh light from the front to illuminate the flower. this means only one of the flowers has been lit properly. orchids usually have connotations of love, luxury and beauty.  

this photo is of a white magnolia flower. the angle of this photo draws the viewers focus to the stigma of the flower, with the petals surrounding it. the light looks as though it is coming from the top right, which allows it to shine through the petals and light the centre of the flower. the type of lighting looks diffuse, which means the shadows are much softer than if a harsh light was used. white magnolia flowers are usually associated with dignity, nobility, and womanly beauty/gentleness. this is reflected through soft lighting and the subtle yellow hue of the image.




this photo shows a 

karl blossfeldt

this image is of a clematis flower. these flowers are usually blue, and grow on vines. this photo shows the underside of the flower, and the grooves on each of the petals. the way that the photo has been taken with the flower in the centre, shows the how nature can produce perfectly symmetrical flowers and plants, which mankind has had to develop machines to do the same. the flower looks as though it is being lit from the top right, which really brings out the form of the flower, and the ridges on each of the petals.

work record template

plans for shoot



Research influence



Contact sheet



Image bank (containing 5 images)


My Best images (target 4 - 6), Images that require improvement.




AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.


AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.


AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.


AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements. 


Progression: you must refer to what you will do next to improve on either the shoot you have done or how you will develop your project in the next shoot.  

shoot 1

Shoot 1

plans for shoot

for this shoot, i am going to be using a macro lens to take photos of plants. i would like to get close enough to the flower to capture the detail in the petals/leaves. i am going to do this by setting up two pieces of card, which will be used as a background. for the lighting, i am going to use a completely dark room, and a lamp to illuminate the subject. as i will be shooting in the dark, i will need a low shutter speed and therefore will be using a tripod. i aim to take around 30-40 images, which i will then select a few from to edit.

the lenses i have chosen to use are a combination of vintage lenses that are over 60 years old, and a 90 mm macro lens. the vintage lenses are not registered by the camera, which means the settings will have to be adjusted manually on the lens. this includes the aperture and the focus. this means i will be able to see how the photo will look before i have taken it and i have more control over the outcome.

Research influence

Imogen Cunningham

imogen cunningham is an american photographer born in 1883 and died in 1976. she is known for her flower photography. where she photographs flowers and plants, such as succulents and thistles. these photos are clear and sharp, and focus mostly on the main bloom of the flower (similar to the famous artist Georgia O' Keefe) and shows the texture/contours. she started her photography after graduating from college, and going to work with Edward S.Collins in his studio. Here she learnt about practical photography. She experimented with portraiture and surreal photography. she eventually became part of the F/64 club and created sharp and detailed botanical photographers.



this photo shows two calla lilys, which have been photographed from an angle looking into the flower. this perspective gives you a clear view of the different parts of them, and shows what we could potentially miss when looking at them from the front. the light in this picture looks as though it is coming from directly above the flower. this is effective as it illuminates the outer petals, and gives them a bigger sense of depth, as the centers are quite dark. the light also brings out the contours and smooth textures of the petals. the use of a dark background draws the viewer's attention to the flowers. white calla lilys usually represent purity and innocence. this photo reflects that in the way the lilys look almost flawless and perfectly white.

this image shows an orchid. it looks as though the photographer has used harsh light from the front to illuminate the flower. this means only one of the flowers has been lit properly. this could be to draw the viewers attention to a specific part if the subject, this being the central bloom on the flower. orchids usually have connotations of love, luxury and beauty.  

Contact sheet





Image bank (containing 5 images)

 


 



My Best images (target 4 - 6),














 Images that require improvement

AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.


AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.


AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.


AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements. 












Progression: you must refer to what you will do next to improve on either the shoot you have done or how you will develop your project in the next shoot.  

i would like to do this shoot again, but change a couple of things. for example id keep the same set up, but use a remote release as it should eliminate the camera shake. id also like to use some different plants with more interesting shapes and textures such as thistles and roses. i could experiment more with different lenses, as the vintage ones that were used in this shoot gave the photos a hazy and dreamlike glow which i liked. id like to get closer to the flowers and really see the texture. 

illustrated dicussion of exam paper

Illustrated Discussion Of Exam Paper

plants 
Indoor and outdoor plants can provide a stimulus for interesting photographic observations. In her series The Rose Garden, Sarah Jones use flash photography to record the colours of flowers in a local park. Karl Blossfeldt produced close-up images of plant forms and textures of the trees, flowers and shrubs photographed in his garden. Imogen Cunningham produced black and white photographs that exaggerate the forms and patterns seen in plants. Investigate appropriate sources and and produce your own response to plants.

Definitions
exaggerate-represent (something) as being larger, better, or worse than it really is. in this instance, this means to enhance the properties of the flowers such as the shape, shadows and form of the plants/flowers.

flash photography- photography involving the use of a camera attachment that produces a brief, very bright light, used in poor light.

form- the physical shape or configuration of something.

texture- the feel, appearance or consistency of a surface or substance.

Approaches and Techniques
for the theme of plants, i could use different techniques and environments for the images. i could use flash photography, which would be effective in bringing out the detail and contours of different flowers and plants. I would also like to experiment with softer lighting, for example a soft box or dull lamp. For the theme of plants, i can shoot in daylight outside, rather than being confined to the studio. I could also use photo manipulation such as Photoshop to create composite images of flowers and people for example. i would like to try and create an exploded diagram-style photo (or series of photos) where different parts of a portrait are erased or cut out to expose the photo beneath it. Id also like to try physical experiments to create different images, this could include collages of portraits and flowers that have been cut out and pasted together to create interesting effects. For this theme, id like to investigate combining portraits of people and flowers.



       



  

Mindmap





Moodboard




Artists From The Brief

Imogen Cunningham

This artists uses strongly contrasted images of flowers, where the detail and the structure are very clear and in focus. They have used black and white images to exaggerate the tone and shadows in the flowers. They chose to use flowers with unique structures and shapes, which are brought out more by the harsh lighting in the top photo. the image beneath looks as though more diffuse light has been used for the shoot. these are both lighting techniques that i can experiment with during my shoots.






Sarah Jones

This artist uses flash photography to freeze the images of flowers. They were taken outside in a flower garden, which means the flash would've been a good technique to use, as it helps to eliminate movement and freeze the flower. the use of a strong, bright light also allows means the background gets blacked out, and the light illuminates the flower on its own. this is a technique i would also consider using for my work if i choose to shoot outside, or a subject that could potentially move.






Karl Blossfeldt

This artist uses black and white images for their shoots. These images have a lighter background and strong shadows on the subject. the style resembles Ansel Adams, in the way that the photographer uses black and white images with strong hightlights and shadows. Blossfeldt may have used studio lights from one direction to create his images, as they look as though they have been lit from an angle that would exaggerate the texture and form of the flowers/plants. this is a technique id like to use in my second shoot, as well as using backgrounds of different shades of grey.










Montage
Selecting and piecing together photographs to produce new images is a technique used by a number of photographers and filmmakers. Christian Marclay joined carefully chosen scenes from television and film for his video Telephones. Grete Stern produced montage photographs to depict her dreams. In the series Golden Hour by KangHee Kim, the fictional depictions of inner-city landscapes were created by digitally combining photographs taken at different times of day. Lola Alavrez Bravo often used images of city buildings, cut out and glued together, for her photo montages. Investigate appropriate sources and produce your own response to montage.

Definitions

Montage- the technique of selecting, editing, and piecing together separate sections of film to form a continuous whole.

Depictions- the action of depicting something, especially in a work of art.

Combining-join or merge to form a single unit or substance.

Digitally-by means of digital or computer technology.

Approaches and Techniques
For this theme, id like to look at creating composite images in which i combine portraits and different objects. the idea of this would be to show what makes a human. for instance, i could use objects like wires or vines to show the connections in the human body. these images would be achieved through computer experiments, where images are layered together and different pieces are painted over to reveal the photo underneath. this would give the impression f peeling back a layer and exposing what the mechanics of a human could be. a similar way that this can be achieved is through physical experiments with photos. for example, i could start with a portrait, and cut a hole in different areas, which i could then stick over a photo of what i want to show being under the skin. this could be something like gears or flowers. 

Mindmap



Moodboard




artists from the brief

Grete Stern

I like this artist's work because the images look old fashioned and dreamlike. her work resembles collages in the way that different people have been pasted into the photos, and look out of place. This gives the impression of the being a representation of a dream in each image, which is what she had set out to portray in her work in this collection. this artist would be one that id look at for my physical experiments, and id try pasting different images together to create alternative narratives to what the photo was originally.





Christian Marclay

This artist has collated a series of images from films a television shows depicting people using a telephone. i like this technique because everyone in the photos has a different expression on their face. it shows the range of emotions that can be felt during a conversation through a phone call, and it makes the viewer think about what each person may be hearing or who they're speaking to. i find this interesting because it is a relatively simple technique, but is effective and has the ability to provoke thoughts from the viewer.









KanHee Kim

This artist uses the combination of two or more photos to create composite images. his images have a dreamlike/surreal style, some of which have subtle manipulations that take a minute for the viewer to notice that something's been changed. this is something id like to achieve in my images, but to create a narrative that can be interpreted in different ways depending on what the image means to the viewer.

Lola Alvarez Bravo 

These images are made up of photographs of buildings/architecture that have been cut out and pasted together, either with Photoshop or by cutting up the prints and sticking them together. this creates a feeling of claustrophobia, as the buildings look like they're towering over the viewer. this is an interesting effect and is something id like to experiment with in the future.

final decision 

For my theme, i have chosen to look at plants. i chose this topic because i am interested in how different plants have different meanings, for example roses can show love or friendship, and lily's can mean condolences. plants are quite a vague subject, which means it is very open to interpretation, which then gives me a chance to experiment with a lot of ideas and visuals.