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.



       



  

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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.