The Photograph - Graham Clarke.

The Photograph - Graham Clarke - Oxford University Press - 1997

Since beginning The Art of Photography I have been trying to read one of our set texts, The Photograph by Graham Clarke. I have to say that I have read other things during this time and have had to keep coming back to this book. I did wonder whether to give up altogether, after all what is the point in reading something for the sake of it. I felt like I should not be defeated and that maybe it was so difficult to get into because it was a worthwhile read.

I found the style it is written in quite hard to get to grips with so I found myself having to re read some sections as I felt I was taking it in but not fully understanding it. I had to realise that I was not reading a novel and therefore should be approaching it in a different way.

On the positive side the book is divided into manageable chapters so the book was easy to breakdown into sections I could tackle. These included chapters on things such as ‘What is a photograph?’ and ‘How to read a photograph?’ and then goes on to talk about the various genres in photography like Landscape, The City, The Portrait and The body in Photography.

I am glad I persevered with this book as whilst it can only be described as heavy going and you must really concentrate to understand it (my low attention span was probably half the problem) I did find myself starting to agree with some of the points that Clarke was making. To be honest there is still quite a bit of the book which I feel went over my head to a certain degree, but I also think that I have got something out of reading it and so my efforts were not in vain. Maybe I will tackle it again in the future and the second time around I may find it easier to understand.

Exercise: Juxtaposition.

"For this exercise choose either the still life approach or a larger scale shot. If the former, take any book you like and make a suitable cover illustration using two or three relevant elements. If the latter, photograph someone with a possession, or the results of their work or hobby."

I have chosen to make a cover illustration of 'Handle with care' by Jodi Picoult.

Synopsis taken from http://www.jodipicoult.com/handle-with-care.html

When Charlotte and Sean O’Keefe’s daughter, Willow, is born with severe osteogenesis imperfecta, they are devastated – she will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, a lifetime of pain.

To show how fragile 'Willow's' bones are I created the cover below.

1/320 f4.8 ISO 2500 42mm -1.0

I am really happy with how this came out and think that it links to the book well. I have to say that I did my usual in keeping the camera on the last ISO setting I had used. I had got much better at checking everything before hand but obviously this time I have slipped back into old habits. I think that it is my eagerness to get cracking on a project that distracts me from concentrating properly on what I should be doing. There is no real excuse for it at this stage in the course though!

Exercise: Symbols.

Find symbols for a number of concepts. List more than one symbol for the following subjects, adding notes on how you might use them in a photograph.

Growth.

1. Plant growing from a seed.

2. A building half built.

3. Economic growth - A pile of money.

4. A graph to show a growth in profits.

Excess.

1. A woman dressed head to foot in designer clothing and expensive jewellery.

2. Fast food like burgers and chips with someone vastly over weight - obesity.

3. Large garage full of top of the range vehicles.



 

 

4. Champagne lifestyle - Yacht, bottle of champagne, well dressed attractive people.

 

 

 

Crime.

 

 

1. Burglary - broken window to a house, person in a 'hoodie' inside.

 

 

2. Handcuffs.

 

 

3. Graffiti in a 'rough' area.

 

 

4. Drug use - needles, powder etc.

 

 

 

Silence.

 

 

1. Tape over a persons mouth.

 

 

2. Picturesque landscape.

 

 

3. Finger over lips - well recognised.

 

 

4. Hearing aid left on a table.

 

 

 

Poverty.

 

 

1. Beggar in a shop doorway.

 

 

2. Starving child.

 

 

3. Coins of low denomination in a begging bowl.

 

 

4. Shanty town - poor housing, no clean running water etc.

 

 

 

Exercise: Evidence of action.

Produce one photograph in which it can be seen that something has happened.

1/200 f5 ISO 2500 28mm -1.0 WB Auto

I decided to use my breakfast for this shot, mainly as my day revolves around food. I wanted it to look like something had happened causing the diner to leave before having finished. Ideally I wanted to show steam coming off the cup of tea but this turned out to be pretty impossible to get a good enough shot that showed the steam as well as the whole set up. Originally I had just the plate, toast, knife and mug in the shot but decided most people read the newspaper while having breakfast. By adding the paper in, having not been read front to back implies that someone left before finishing.



Part 5 : Narrative and Illustration - Exercise: A narrative picture essay.

I thought for this project I would try and photograph the Olympic torch coming through my town. I wanted to capture the torch and the athmosphere as a whole by trying to show a variety of images.

I researched the time the torch would be coming through the town, the best place to park as I expected the town to be very busy, as well as the best place I felt I could get my shots.

I have to say that it did not quite go to plan. For a start I underestimated the sheer volume of people who would be lining the streets. The original place I had picked turned out not to be the best place to take my photos from because of so many people. I then moved location slightly which did make my view a little better but what I didnt factor in was my height in comparison to a lot of people. Ideally I should of got there even earlier and been right at the front or found a higher point.

1/1250 f5.6 ISO 250 50mm

First hint that the torch is on its way.

1/320 f5.6 ISO 250 50mm

Advertising obviously plays a big part.

1/320 f5.6 ISO 250 48mm

Getting everyone in the party mood.

 

1/250 f5.6 ISO 250 45mm

The lengths people go to to get a good view.

1/200 f5.6 ISO 250 48mm

Observers from every vantage point.

1/160 f5.6 ISO 250 45mm

At last a glimpse of the torch.

 

1/400 f5.6 ISO 250 105mm

Onlookers as it goes past.

Some of the pictures are a bit samey, particularly with the first few. I wanted to show the lengths people had gone to to get a good look which is why I have a shot of people on top of the bus stop (wish I had got there first!) and leabing out of the windows of the building. With that image I would of ideally liked to of been able to stand square on with the lamp post central to the image. I am really irritated that my image of the torch is no where near as good as I would of liked. I was not fast enough in getting ready for it and the composition needed to be much better.

In a way I have found this exercise more beneficial with the fact that so many things went wrong. This has given me more to work on and learn from so that I can be better prepared in the future. I really understand just how difficult photographing an event can be and realise a lot of improvements can be made here.

Assignment 4 - Applying Lighting Techniques - Rejects

I took many photos for this assignment, as I usually do as I tend to have a specific idea in mind of how I want the image to come out. A couple of the shots I have submitted have been accidental and have turned out to look better than the image I was aiming for. Here are a few of the images that didn't quite make the cut for various reasons.

1/40 f5 ISO 1250 45mm -1.0 WB Auto

This image was for the texture quality of the assignment. I was hoping to show the bristly quality of the hair more successfully. I like the unbalanced composition of the image but I do not like the level of reflection off the wooden floor of that the heel appears wonky. I also do not think that the image was strong enough as the hair needs to appear clearer and the overall shot must be sharper to illustrate the point in a better way.

1/40 f5 ISO 2000 48mm -1.0 WB Auto.

I think that for this texture shot the ISO was probably too high. I was hoping that having the lamp highlight the heel would show off the hair texture better as it caught the light but instead it just caused a distraction as it was just way to bright even with the diffuser fitted.

1/40 f5.6 ISO 2000 98mm -1.0 WB Auto

An attempt at colour this time. I wanted a way to show the main colour of the leopard print toe, but also the black of the heel. I rejected this image because it actually looks like I have photoshopped two images and stuck them together. I also think that in a way I am photographing too literally and more thought could go into composition.

1/40 f5.6 ISO 2000 105mm -1.0 WB Auto

Another colour shot. I liked the overall composition of this attempt but there is way too much of the inside of the shoe and not enough leopard print which to me does not fit the criteria well enough and therefore is not show the quality as well as it could.

Colour again here. in a way I enjoyed shooting this the most as I seemed to be able to experiment more easily with ideas. With shoe of the other qualities such as shape, I knew in my head the kind of image I wanted to produce. This is why there are not any shape rejects as they all were 'worse' images of what I submitted. I like this shot but I wanted it to appear more symmetrical and seeing as the shoes are not completely identical it was impossible to achieve.

1/40 f5.6 ISO 2000 105mm -1.0 WB Auto

Playing around with the colour composition again, here I was trying to create a larger surface of leopard print so that it made a stronger impact. Aside from the fact the the toe of the shoes is out of focus, photographing the inside of the shoe still showed too much reflection here.


I did actually take rather a lot of images, pushing 100, for this assignment. But like I said earlier quite a lot were versions of what I had chosen to include in the assignment, hence why I have not included them in the rejects. There were also many versions of the rejects shown, that I had taken while I was developing ideas and trying to create my final shot for each quality. There are also the shots that were too appalling to even feature in this section, some of which were promptly deleted as I was ashamed at the images I had created. Even then these terrible photos had their place in showing me where I was going wrong and then led me to improve. Every shot has its place in the creative and learning process, and without the photos I find very embarrassing to show anyone, at least I can see myself how far I have come.

Assignment 4 - Applying Lighting techniques.

 

In preparation for this assignment I looked back at my previous work since beginning the course to see how far I have come. I am still guilty of lacking in confidence and doing this has helped me, as I can see that I have improved since the start. I seemed to make a bit of a break through with the previous assignment as I finally started to photograph subjects that were more ‘me’. I am hoping that this will continue into assignment 4 and I can carry on the creativity. I feel I have found this set of projects the most challenging so far. I have had to improvise with setting up my lighting as I do not own much equipment, but I hope that this hasn’t held me back and I have had to be a bit more creative. Because I feel I still have a lot to learn in this area I have decided to treat this assignment as more of a learning process by using it to experiment and see what I can achieve, rather than panicking like I normally do that I can’t do it. I always think of the assignments as having to be a finished piece, rather than using them to ask questions on techniques for example. I also think that now is a good time to see how my new, and hopefully improved, naming system is working.

I began to think about the object I would photograph and toyed with many ideas. My first obvious choices were fruit or vegetables or some kind of ornament but I was rather reluctant to just pick any object randomly. I read through the qualities the subject should display via lighting to see if this would inspire me. I finally decided on a fabulous pair of shoes I bought myself for my birthday. They remind me of the brilliant night out I had with friends, so I want to show them at their best. Being a typical girl I am immediately drawn to shoes, so I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner.

Now that I have my subject I started to research how shoes have been photographed, mainly for advertisement purposes, out of curiosity to see how the professionals approach the subject. I came across this image of a Christian Louboutin shoe taken from http://yatzer.com/Christian-Louboutin-Unveiled and chose to include it in my assignment notes because I feel it displays some of the qualities I need to show with my subject. The first thing that strikes you is the colour. The shoe has been positioned to make the red sole the first thing that is noticed, this is particularly important as this is the trademark of Louboutins and makes them the most recognised shoes in the world.   The shape of the shoe has been replicated with the photographer having lit the set to create the perfect shadow. Texture is also shown really well with the shoe appearing particularly glossy with a high shine. The positioning has created depth within the scene to create more of a 3 dimensional image. I am hoping that I can shoot to draw together these different techniques to show the qualities of my subject.

I also came across this website from the OCA facebook page, www.theicebook.com , and felt that it was worth mentioning with this assignment. This is mainly because I would never have thought to have used lightning in this way. The creators combine a popup book of exquisite cut outs with lighting and back projecting characters on to the pop ups so that they appear to be moving around them, therefore creating the illusion of perspective. What they produced can only be described as beautiful, I felt completely mesmerised by it. The time and patience that has gone in to this work is unbelievable and I am amazed at what they have produced. I feel inspired to really do my best and photograph images that I feel really happy with.

Shape.

Photo – TAOPart4Assignment4Shape1

1/50 f13 ISO 3200 18mm WB Auto

To emphasise the shape of the shoe I photographed it with the light source behind it in the hope that it will contrast well with the background and I was aiming for a silhouette look. I also wanted there to be a minimum amount of detail shown so that the focus is the outline of the shoe. I have realised that setting up each shot is much more time consuming than I had previously anticipated, particularly with regards to where the light source should be positioned. Unfortunately the lamp has picked up all the detail in the sheet I was using as a background. It took a while to get the positioning right as if the light was too close to the scene then it became too harsh so I moved it away slightly. Fitting my greaseproof paper diffuser also helped, as did positioning the bulb so that it was hidden by the sole of the shoe. If I was shooting this again I would ideally use a soft box to diffuse the light more evenly and this would probably create more of the look I was hoping to achieve. Post production I have altered the exposure slightly as well as the vibrancy.

Photo – TAOPPart4Assignment4Shape3

1/15 f3.8 ISO 400 24mm WB Auto.

To again show the shape I wanted to try and use rim lighting. This is an effect that is created when back lighting creates a rim of light around the subject in a ‘halo’ effect and therefore separates the subject from its surroundings. To try to achieve this I had two small lamps one behind but to either side of the shoe as having it directly behind made it visible through the heel. I love the effect created, it was exactly what I wanted, if I had to criticise it I would have to say that ideally I would have liked the light to go round more of the shoe to really make it stand out. When I had tried showing more of the heel, due to how shiny it is there was so much reflection that it became more of a distraction.

Form.

Form is another way of describing the shoe and demonstrating how 3 dimensional it looks. I have tried to show as much depth as possible in my images.

Photo – TAOPPart4Assignment4Form1.

1/3 f4 ISO 640 24mm -1.0 WB Auto

I have struggled the most shooting form out of all of the qualities I have needed to show. I think that I have found it difficult as I feel that I am trying to show a 3D object as 3D. This took me a while to get my head around as I just kept thinking “but it is already 3D”. Actually stopping and thinking about it I realised that I have viewed, and also shot, many images myself which whilst they have been of a 3D object they have come across as 2D and very flat looking. I had never really given this whole idea much thought before and now feel that it is very important to how we view and shoot ourselves. You need to be able to show an object in a way that truly represents it and that is what I have tried to do here. I do think that with this attempt I may not have got it quite right and have struggled to produce the image I have in my mind. I think that maybe the shadow is not quite right but to be honest I am a little unsure. I placed my lamp to the front left of the set up, with my diffuser in place. I also used tin foil as a reflector which was placed to the right of the set up as I wanted to reflect some of the light back onto the shoe. I wanted to use the shadow to help give a feeling of depth but I also felt I should be aware of the shadow and thought that it looked better and more 3D using the reflector to fill it in slightly. I wanted to include this less than perfect image in the assignment as, like I said at the beginning, I want to treat this one as a learning experience and hope that a greater understanding on where I am going wrong will make me a better photographer.

Photo – TAOPPart4Assignment4Form2.

1/40 f5 ISO 2000 42mm -1.0 WB Auto

This may possibly be my favourite image in the whole assignment (a close call with texture2) and I actually want to produce a large print of it for my wall. I feel that there are some similarities with the shot of the Louboutin and maybe that has inspired me. I have gone for a white background which is something I tend not to go for, much preferring black as I generally think it looks more attractive. I think that I have actually been proven wrong here and will be shooting with a white background again. The only light came from my tungsten lamp which was positioned to the right side of the shoe. This shot was actually to a certain extent quite accidental. I had set up the shoe and back ground of a piece of white card loosely curved, just to practice with what I could produce. For some reason everything seemed to come together well and I like how the shadow is almost like a second shoe, which to me emphasises the 3D nature of the ‘real’ shoe. Also having the toe of the shoe more out of focus that the heel gives greater perspective, again highlighting form.

Texture.

One of the reasons I chose this shoe is because of the texture of it. It has been made to look like pony skin and I wanted to pick up the detail in the hair.

Photo – TAOPPart4Assignment4Texture1.

1/40 f5 1250 52mm -1.0 WB Auto

I wanted to highlight the faux pony skin that covers the shoe in this image. I had originally wanted to fill the frame with the leopard print pattern but as soon as I zoomed in the whole image became blurry and out of focus regardless of what I tried. I think that this is down to my lens, which is the only one I own. To overcome this I have had to be a bit more creative with my set up. I decided to wet the hair on the shoe slightly to make it stand out from the shoe more. I also lit it from the front left hand side so that I could try and pick out the detail a bit more. I actually really like how this image has come out and feel that the shot is much more interesting than my previous idea would have been.

Photo – TAOPPart4Assignment4Texture2.

1/40 f5 ISO 1250 52mm -1.0 WB Auto

For this image I wanted it to look like the shoes had been casually abandoned after a night out, as mine normally are. I have blurred the background so that it is not in focus and that the viewer’s sole focus is just on the shoe. With this shot I wanted to emphasise the shiny quality of the heel. Using my tungsten lamp again with my greaseproof paper fitted to it, as well as natural lighting, I have tried to highlight this area. I realise that there is reflection of the shoe lying on the floor in the shoe standing up but I wanted this as I feel that it highlights the texture more strongly. For this particular quality I revisited Light, Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting as it has sections on reflection and glossy black surfaces for any helpful tips, but I also wanted to experiment with my own ideas. The book gave the impression that generally reflection can be a hindrance and unsightly in images but I think that it can add to a photo. This was also mentioned in Creative Lighting: Digital Photography tips & techniques where is says that “it should be a matter of aesthetic choice- if it adds to the photo, do it.” I agree with the statement and stand by my decision to show the reflection in the heel.

Colour.

Here I have tried to show the colour of the shoes as strongly as possible.

TAOPPart4Assignment4Colour1.

1/25 f4 ISO 640 22mm -1.0 WB Auto

I chose to photograph the shoe with a black background so that the focus would purely be on the colour of the shoe. I shot with the exposure slightly underexposed and worked hard to minimise the reflection off the back of my background of black card by using my diffuser. I placed my lamp next to the camera pointing directly at the shoe so that it would be illuminated well to show off its colour as much as possible. In Photoshop I adjusted the exposure again slightly as I felt a little reflection had come through on the card and it was slightly distracting.

TAOPPart4Assignment4Colour2.

1/40 f5.6 ISO 2000 92mm -1.0 WB Auto

For this example I chose to try and fill the frame with the colour. I did many attempts at shooting to demonstrate colour (which I will show in my ‘rejects’) but I personally prefer this one. I again photograph with the exposure slightly underexposed as I feel it brings out a deeper colour. In Photoshop I notice that there was a distracting blue area towards the top of the frame around the shoe that was laying on the floor so I adjusted the temperature slightly as well as the exposure. I wanted the colours in the photo to be as close to the real thing as possible which it very nearly was so I touch up the vibrancy slightly and now it is pretty much identical. Again I shot with the lamp at the front of my set up next to the camera to fully illuminate the shoes.

Conclusion.

I have generally found this assignment quite hard in terms of grasping techniques and using them to portray certain qualities but in some ways I have also found it easier. Approaching it as a way of learning has taken the pressure off feeling like I need to produce perfect images and I have been less angry with myself when things have not always turned out how I have hoped. This is also down to the fact that in some ways I think I am asking for advice on how to progress but also have taken the opportunity to extend the experimentation that the projects started.

I did not shoot the images in the order that is shown on the course material, choosing instead to photograph when an idea hit. I actually think that you can tell which pictures were produced last (shape, form, colour and then texture) as I have felt much more confident as the assignment progressed and I really started to get into the subject. I am generally happy with my images but do think that I need advice on form and maybe a better way to approach that quality.

This assignment has actually coincided with my manager asking me to shoot promotional images in our hydrotherapy centre. This was quite a challenge as the walls are covered with plastic splash backs that give a lot of reflection off. We also only have one tiny window and two small velux roof windows, instead relying on fluorescent lighting. The projects leading up to this assignment and the assignment itself have proved invaluable as I have been able to apply the techniques to ‘real life’ situations. The shoots went so well that the images have gone to be used for leaflets and posters and my manager is very pleased with my work. Unfortunately I have been unable to post them on my blog as many of the images use my client’s dogs and this requires separate permission for that purpose.

Working on this assignment has also made me consider investing in some more equipment such as a new lens for close up work and more lamps. It would be great to have a more professional set up too. I do think that the equipment is only as good as the photographer and without learning these techniques properly it could just end up being a waste of money.

Reference.

http://yatzer.com/Christian-Louboutin-Unveiled

www.theicebook.com

Creative Lighting: Digital Photography Tips and Techniques – Harold Davis – Wiley – 2011

Light Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting – Third edition – Fil hunter, Steven Biver, Paul Fuqua – Focal Press – 2007

My own blog – http://gemmadorlingphotography.blogspot.com