Shooting in black and white can have may advantages and disadvantages, the lighting can have a massive effect on your photos, sometimes good and/or bad. when I did my monochromatic shoot, The sun was shining really bright, this didn't effect my photos too much which I am thankful about. For this shoot I used a DSLR camera with a standard kit lens with settings on monochromatic (black and white vision). For this shoot i used many different settings and shutter speeds, I was mainly experimenting, it was a case of trial and error. |
I feel this photograph is one of my most successful this is because the level of detail is immaculate and the photograph isn't over exposed nor under exposed, I really like the way some strands of the plant are blurred and some are really clear which creates a nice effect. For this photograph I changed the exposure ever so slightly (darker) which made the grass strands stand out a lot more which I really like the look of. After this I then slightly changed the warmth of the photo to add a small bit of colour but trying to keep it with black and white theme. This photo is definitely my most successful and my favorite and I really like the quality of this image.
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This photograph is one of my successful images, this is because it really fits in with my 'abstract nature' topic and is neither under exposed or over exposed. For this photograph I edited the exposure just slightly to make the image a tiny bit darker, I did this because the image was slightly over exposed and I needed to make it a bit darker. I then used 2 tools called 'levels' and 'curves' which change the look of the photo by tinting it or brightening and darkening it. All together I really like how the final image looks and the only thing I would change about it is get more focus and possibly make the image slightly brighter as I now think its possibly too dark.
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I feel this image is successful because it fits in with abstract nature topic. There is some motion blur and some focus which really creates the look for this image. For this image I edited it by changing the contrast levels and the heugh levels and also the noise level which created this, finally I changed the warmth of the image to create the final look. One thing I would change about this image is the exposure, this is because I feel this image is under exposed in the bottom left corner. To fix this problem I could crop the image so there is less of the under exposure.
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For this photograph I messed with the contrast and the heugh in order to get the look I wanted. I feel this image successful because there is a balance of exposure. I really like how the final image looks however one thing I would change is the focus as it is slightly out of focus. Other than that I like how it looks as it is abstract and fits in with my 'abstract Nature' topic.
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the idea behind intentional camera movement or ICM photography is to add the illusion of movement to a still image. long exposure is crucial for this technique sine it creates a lot of motion blur. For this shoot I used a DLSR camera, what I did to create this effect was I put the shutter speed on the slowest setting and I took a photo, just before the camera took the phot i moved the camera around which then had this effect on the images. |
Anything that excites me for any reason, I will photograph; not searching for unusual subject matter, but making the commonplace unusual.”
This video is inspirational to me because I can see what old imagery looked like in his day and age and I can see how old video cameras were used. Below are 10 images from Weston that are inspirational to me..... |
To begin abstract nature artist investigations I will initially study the work of Edward Weston because he was born in the time period of old cameras and his photos were very detailed.
Edward Weston was born on 24th of march in 1886. Weston is most known for his photography. Over the course of his 40-year career Weston photographed an increasingly expansive set of subjects, including landscapes, still-life, nudes, portraits, genre scenes and even fruits and veg. I chose this inspirational quote because it sums up the work of Weston because it says a lot about how he feels about his work and why he chose to photograph that specific thing, for example he doesn't just hunt for a photographic opportunity. Edward Weston saying "anything that excites me for any reason I will photograph" is like him saying he wants the viewers of him work to feel the same way he did when he took the photograph. |
Subject
The photographer of the image is called Edward Western who was born on the 24th march in 1886. The name of this photograph is 'Pepper Number 30 and was taken in 1930. The genre of this photograph is portraiture. The props I can see that were used in this pho is a wonky pepper. Elements The composition of the photo shows the pepper is placed in the center forefront of the image. Edward Western has used the rule of thirds to create balance in the photo. The perspective the photo has been taken at is eye level. From looking at the photograph I can see that the image has dramatic low exposure. Media This photo has been taken from a short distance however the whole pepper has been shown in the photo, so it will have only been the background that was cropped. The pepper has been placed in the forefront of the image using the line of thirds. Intent Weston's intention of pepper number 30 was to change up photography by moving on to wonky vegetable portraiture. Due t this image being called 'pepper number 30' suggests the Edward had many attempts at photographing this pepper. Pepper number 30 has many strengths which are the movement of the form and depth of tone providing its 3-dimensional look. |
This shoot was inspired by Edward Weston. The shoot will be taken at approximately the middle of the day. The lighting that will occur will all be artificial and no natural light shall be shown. The set up I will have is 2 pieces of white card stood up to create an 'L' shape. On the base there will be black paper set out. Finally to finish off the artificial light will have been plugged in and set shining on to the white card, after this the set up will be complete and ready to photograph our vegetables.
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photo 1: I think this photo is on of the best photos from the shoot. This photo has balanced exposure and the atmosphere that is created from the darkness/brightness has worked well with the image. I think that one thing that could be adjusted or made differently is the shadowing. I think the shadows on the bottom of the image are possibly too dark. i could maybe change this by editing the levels and darkness/ brightness of the image. Overall this photo is my favourite from the shoot and other than the few faults it has I think it looks better than I thought it would have. photo 2: I think this photo is good in the way the lighting has been created. The light creates a good balance with has affected the image. the shadowing has worked well as it is darker towards the back where there isn't much detail to be seen and the main light focus is at the front where the detail occurs with the water droplets. I think that a few things which could be changed is the light appearing the back of the plant pot, I feel the speckles of light which are shown at the back take the main eye focus off the aubergine which I think has a negative impact on the photo. overall I don't think the photo is too bad and it has still worked in the way I wanted it too other than the few faults this photo has I do like this photo and the way it looks. however I would most likely redo it if I got the chance. photo 3: The contrast between the light and dark works well with this image. I really like the texture and the level of detail. The contrast of this image is balanced and highlights the level of detail shown on the pineapple. This image could be improved by possibly brightening the image up slightly. just enough to be able to see some more detail and help with drawing the human eyes to the pineapple. photo 4: This image has a very detailed texture and the blend of the contrast is very good. The main focus of the photo is the broccoli. The broccoli is in the mid centre of the photo which makes it stand out to the viewers. To improve this photo i think next time i will look at the shadows and the contrast and focus on making it brighter. |
Who was Anna Atkins ?
Anna Atkins was a influential English photographer and Botanist. Anna was the first female to create a photograph. Anna was born in 1799 and passed away in 1871. Anna Atkins is known for her cyanotypes where she used natural items such as flowers and leaves to produce natural themed art onto blue prints using coated paper and light. |
What are cyanotypes?
Cyanotype is a 170 year old photographic printing process that produces prints in a distinctive dark greenish-blue. The word cyan comes from the Greek, meaning “dark blue substance.” To make a cyanotype, the paper is simply washed in plain water. The areas exposed to light become blue shadows and middle tones; the excess, unexposed iron salts are washed away, creating highlights. |
What are the advantages/disadvantages of Cyanotypes?
some advantages of Cyanotypes are that it is easy and relatively cheap. A wide range of surfaces can be coated with the mixture of chemicals and you don't need a darkroom or any complicated equipment. A few disadvantages is the sensitizer is often not well absorbed by the paper and some tends to lie on the surface being hygroscopic, it causes a tackiness witch can wreck your negative. |
Annotation:
This is my final presentation for my Cyanotypes. My favourite sample is the negative, (acetate) I like this sample in particular because I like the shadowing it has created. I think the way in which the negative works is very fascinating due to the way it reflects light. One thing I would change about this presentation is some of the samples, this is because some of them haven't worked out exactly the way I would have wanted them to. I think that some of the samples have gone too splotchy or the item (leaves) have moved therefore affecting the look of the cyanotypes. I like the final presentation because the layout has ended up being neat and tidy. Some of my samples are really nice and turned out exactly how I was hoping they would. Overall I really enjoyed doing these cyanotypes and negatives and I would definitely do them again. For this project we had to paint our water colour paper in some ink |
advantages of photograms
Though there are a lot of advantages to photograms , there are also disadvantages to them like how it is much harder to get the level of detail you want. And that many genres of photography cannot be done using this style. As well, the process involves many chemicals and a dark room that people might not have access to |
Who was Man Ray?
Man Ray was born on August 27th 1890 and he died on November 18th 1976. Man Ray was a portrait photographer. Man Ray was also noted for his work with photograms. what are photograms? photograms are photographic images made on paper without using a camera and it is made by placing some objects between light sensitive paper and a light source. disadvantages of photograms Though there are a lot of advantages to photograms , there are also disadvantages to them like how it is much harder to get the level of detail you want. And that many genres of photography cannot be done using this style. As well, the process involves many chemicals and a dark room that people might not have access to. |
What is High Key photography ?
High key photography is a genre involving a pure white brightly lit background with a soft lighting plus a detailed (but not over exposed) subject. It is produced by using a background that is far brighter than the subject itself. A high-Key photo consists primarily of light tones, without dark shadows. |
Why this video ??
This video looks at the influences of Karl Blossfeldt and the context behind his growth as an artist. In this video we also get a look on some of the work Karl has created and how he created it. Karl Blossfeldt's videos may also be an inspiration. Why this quote ?? I chose this quote because it shows how enthusiastic Karl is by his work and by nature. Karl is also suggesting that nature links in with everyday work / every day life. |
Why Karl Blossfeldt ??
Karl's work links to our topic of abstract nature. He has had a large influence on modern photographers, and is considered by some 'a master of still life'. Karl Blossfeldt also uses a macro lens to take his photographs which we are using in this topic. Who is Karl Blossfeldt ?? Karl Blossfeldt is a German photographer and is best known for his precise photographs of plants however, he began his career as a sculptor, completing apprenticeships at the ironworks and foundry in Mägdesprung and the Kunstgewerbeschule (Institute of the royal arts museum) in Berlin from 1884 to 1890. "My botanical documents should contribute to restoring the link with nature. They should reawaken a sense of nature, point to its teeming richness of form, and prompt the viewer to observe for himself the surrounding plant world." |
Media
The main focal point of this image is the natural form/plant. This is because the plant is placed in the middle ground of the canvas and the background is plain which is seen as 'boring' so doesn't catch the viewers eye, another reason could be because the plant is the only object / subject in the view which makes it eye catching. I think the light is coming from the left hand side of the plant. I know this because of the shadows on the right hand side of the plant and the highlights on the left hand side . To emulate this photo for myself I would need to use the monochrome setting on my camera and then find an abstract plant. then would I wait until it was a sunny day to do a shoot with the plant. |
Subject.
Blossfeldt's work primarily features botanical structures, photographed against a plain background. The subjects used for Karl's photographs are 'findings from nature' this is things such as; flowers, vegetables. leaves etc. Element. The main visual elements in Karl Blossfeldt's work are tone, texture, space and line. In my opinion the most noticeable element out of them all is texture, this is because you can see the texture of the plants leaves very clearly. intent This plant makes my feel happy because it is so symmetrical and even. To recreate this atmosphere in one of my emulations I will find a plant that is as symmetrical as it can possibly be and place it center of the canvas to make it the main and only focus. |
Email Quote – Direct Artist Response |
why this artist ??
We have chosen the artist/photographer Dennis Wojtkiewicz because he links in with our topic of abstract nature. Dennis uses the same 7 elements as we have in previous emulations for the abstract nature topic. The 7 elements Dennis uses are; Texture, shape, space, colour, line, form which we have used previously. |
Why this video ??
We chose this video because it demonstrates the work of Dennis Wojtkiewicz and explains to us how he creates his work and the style he is aiming for. The video is also good in the way it presents Dennis' work because it gives us an idea on what we are aiming for, for our emulations. |
who is he ??
Dennis Wojtkiewicz (born 1956 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American Hyperrealist painter and draughtsman. Wojtkiewicz graduated from Southern Illinois University and is artist associated with the Hyperrealist movement. He is best known for his large scale renderings of sliced fruit and flowers. |
Why this quote ??
The quote is from a direct email response from Dennis Wojtkiewicz. From this email we can get a better emulation by using the same camera and lens as Dennis does and we can also use the same techniques as him. This way our emulations will look alot better and will look just as good as Dennis' work. |
why this backlighting ??
Backlighting is the process of illuminating the subject from behind, resulting in a glowing effect on the edges of the subject/object and even a completely white background if that's what your wanting. Backlit photography works with the level of detail your subject will project, such as the sharp highlighted edges and the exact shape and look of your subject. what do you need to create backlit images ??
In order to create a backlit image you need to use either a light box or a glass pane (with the light source underneath) to successfully backlight the subject. after this you will need a tripod with a shutter release cable to ensure there is no camera shake. |
step 1: first you need to slice the fruit, ensuring the slices area even and thin, so the colours will be bright but not over exposed.
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step 2: Secondly, you place your sliced fruit on the glass with the light source shining under the fruit.
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step 3: Then, you need to set up the camera and adjust the settings and the tripod. your tripod needs to be set up to shoot from an aerial angle (birds eye view).
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step 4: Lastly, you need to take your photo with the remote release cable, so that you aren't touching the camera causing unwanted movement and blurs.
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For this project I chose my fruit image then using the 'lasso' tool I drew around the lemon and selected it, then I deleted the image back background and replaced t with a plain white background using the 'fill' tool. After this I used the lasso tool again just to neaten up the edges as they were a bit rough and untidy.
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Thirdly I duplicate the lemon multiple times and then I placed them in a pattern that I liked the look of. Lastly I had a play around with the colours and the tones for the odd lemon, in this case, the pink ones, for the standard yellow lemons I boosted the colour and brightness to make them look more appealing.
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