Tag: visual development

Conkers – VISUAL DEVELOPMENT – Everyday Geometry

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The Everyday Geometry assignment seems like a challenging assignment. Starting from the beginning and to experiment with the camera and my ideas, I found some conkers on an autumnal walk and decided to photograph them arranged in different geometric shapes. The conkers themselves are shaped closely like circles or spheres, with each one being unique as no conker is formed the same. Arranging a handful of these conkers into other geometric shapes further communicates the intention of the assignment. Also, conkers can be nostalgic as they bring back memories of conker picking and battles as a child, which most people can relate to, therefore adding another meaning to the image.

Here are my results:

Screen Shot 2018-10-29 at 18.11.04

Hanley Photoshoot – VISUAL DEVELOPMENT – Light and Shadow & Everyday Geometry

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On 25/09/18 I ventured into Hanley town centre with one of my fellow students to embark on our first photoshoot for these assignments. The main purpose of this trip was to experiment and get used to our cameras, look for some initial ideas and create some initial images. It was very sunny on this day which was particularly perfect for the Light and Shadow assignment. We began our photographic journey at the old abandoned bus station; this area had a mysterious ‘urban’ atmosphere which intrigued me, and the buildings and railings casted many shadows that attracted my photographic eye. Some of the graffiti was also very eye-catching and I enjoyed experimenting and capturing this artwork with my camera. Next, we walked around the town centre and captured more interesting shadows; I also spotted many different geometric shapes that inspired me for the Everyday Geometry assignment, and so I took the opportunity to photograph these for some initial ideas. I was surprised how many geometric shapes and patterns can be found in everyday places and situations (e.g. the brick road in ‘Hanley_31.jpg’ and the windows on the office building in ‘Hanley_42.jpg.’ I feel that this has really opened my eyes to the possibilities for this assignment.

Below is a slideshow of the contact sheets I produced for this photoshoot:

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UPDATE: 25/10/18

After completing a computer workshop with Mark, I decided to put the editing techniques I had learnt into practice. I chose my favourite images from this shoot, and opened them up in Camera Raw to adjust them. This can be done by altering the Histogram in the top right corner, which gives you a visual indication of the Highlights, Mid-tones and Shadows in the image. I also adjusted the sliders on the right hand side to adjust elements of the images such as Temperature, Tint, Exposure and Contrast. I chose to change the Treatment to Black and White for most of the images, as I feel that this effectively brings out the areas of light and shadow and draws the viewer’s attention to these areas, which is important for the Light and Shadow assignment.

Camera Raw
Histogram
Sliders

 

Below is a contact sheet of the final edited images from this shoot:

(Light and Shadow assignment)

Screen Shot 2018-10-29 at 17.40.48

Assignment 1: Initial Thoughts

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This assignment excites me because I am free to be as creative as possible; the subject matter is completely open, meaning the possibilities are endless and I can interpret each subject in any way I like. However, this can also be daunting because it can be hard to decide where to start, or which ideas to take forwards. Furthermore, I think this assignment will help further develop my photographic eye by encouraging me to explore how light affects and changes the things around me, and how this can communicate different things to the viewer.

Part A: Light and Shadow

This subject excites me the most because it is so broad and I feel like it allows the most freedom and creativity. I would like my images for this subject to have depth and evoke feelings and emotions from the viewer. Shadows are effective in creating a certain mood or atmosphere, possibly with a sinister feel; whereas bright, white lighting is associated with more positive, happy feelings. I plan to experiment with different variations of lighting to see what kind of emotions these evoke, and how lighting affects the shadows. I can also use light and shadow to create visually pleasing images, as not all photography must have a particular idea or concept behind it; spontaneous shots can be just as effective!

Part B: Everyday Geometry

The first thing that comes to mind about this subject is food photography. The assignment states that the objects used to create the geometric compositions must be relatively flat and no higher than 2cm; food can be sliced and cut into thin pieces to meet this criteria. Many foods are also already shaped geometrically: donuts, sweets, biscuits, lemons, limes, oranges and berries, to name a few. Many of these items are colourful and therefore I can create some strange and interesting compositions by contrasting them against the background. However, I won’t limit myself to only using foods and will experiment with other everyday objects too. Geometric patterns are often aesthetically pleasing for the viewer, but I may also be able to create some evocative images by experimenting with the light and shadow.

Part C: Who’s Who?

This is another subject that interests and excites me because I am a very open minded person, and I can already imagine lots of different ideas to create evocative images by challenging the way we perceive people, simply by judging their outward appearance. I am required to take pictures of people that I don’t know, which is something very far out of my comfort zone, however I plan to embrace this and I think it will be interesting to learn about new people who maybe I wouldn’t usually speak to. Furthermore, I think it would be really interesting to challenge stereotypes in this part of the assignment; I could juxtapose a photograph showing the image we create of people from the way they dress or look, alongside an image portraying the “real” person and their true personality, which may be the complete opposite of the initial assumption of the person. Another idea would be to take a natural photo of people in the street, and ask them for an interesting or unusual fact about themselves that nobody else would know. This may also create a juxtaposition and get the viewer thinking about how the image we create about someone based on their appearance isn’t necessarily who they truly are.

Next, I plan to create some Pinterest boards to find some examples similar to the ideas I already have, and also find some inspiration for other ideas I could pursue. I will also research into some artists and photographers who inspire my work and work in similar ways themselves, and begin my visual development by undertaking practice shoots to experiment with my ideas.