Work Record 7; Olympic Park

Work Record 7; Olympic Park

Plans for Shoot;
In this shoot I am planning to relate it more to the shoot that I carried out at Vauxhall because both the locations are in London. In my previous shoots I have focused on roads and natural land uses so I need to experiment more with my locations and think about the images I am taking to relate it more to land use which I can use in my future portfolio. Within this location there are stadiums and sport areas which I can photograph to shows how land is used for this reason, this will also link back to the shoot I carried out in Arsenal.

Research Influence;
The photographer that I am influenced by in this shoot is Eric De Mare. A lot of his shots include a canal, there is a canal present in the Olympic Park so my images will relate to his work.

In this image we can see a structure which looks like a telephone pylon because of the wires running from the structure to the ground. This is different to the majority of the images that he has taken because this is a modern structure, this image shows how modern structures have progressed but also how modern technology has progressed with the telephone pylons. It can also be taken from this image that the natural land uses have been taken over by man-made land uses because it is located in the middle of nowhere due to the lack of people and the fields/water. This can also be interpreted because of the darker tones used within the image.

Contact Sheet:

Below are the images that I took within this shoot represented in a contact sheet...

Best Images:

This image was taken from  a bridge over the road and the train track, I chose to take this image in this way because there are many features within this that are related to land use. The photographers that I have researched show how land is used with regards to transport which is a feature in this image. There is a road and a train track present in this image which show how land is used for access to transport and travel. As well as this I have chosen to include the building work in the right hand side of the image because it shows how the buildings are using land and how they are constantly changing all the time. To improve this image I could've waited for a train or car to drive past to show the land in use. 

I also took this image from a bridge over the canal, the main focus in this image was for me to capture all the main aspects of the view in front of me. The fair in the left of the image shows how land is used for entertainment, the canal in the right shows how land is used for transport/storage due to the boats located on the rive and the buildings in the background show how land is used for living and working space. There are different elements all existing in this image which shows how I am linking my work to the exam title at all times. To improve this image further I could've included it in a panoramic shot with other images I would've taken in the area.

This image is similar to the first image that I included in this section, it was also taken from a bridge and shows the other side of the road and the train track. This links to the previous images because they all express how land is used for transportations. Also present in this image is the buildings in the background which relate to land use and show the types of buildings that are found in London. The lack of natural land uses in these images shows how man-made uses are taking over, the natural elements in the left of the image look destroyed and neglected proving this idea.

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

Within this shoot I think I have created a successful bank of images that are related to the exam title land use. The main idea in this shoot was to show how land uses are used in central London which I believe that I have done successfully. In my previous shoots I have explored both man-made and natural land uses but in this shoot I was planning on only photographing the man-made land uses which I have done but there are some natural land uses existing in the images. I think the images I have taken all relate to the photographer I have looked at, Eric Dr Mare because he focuses a lot on transportation and canals which are all present in my images. To link to his work and more and other photographers I am going to put the images into Photoshop and make them black and white like De Mare, Davies and Adams images.

With regards to my best images...

All of these images are very similar and they express the same meanings of the transportation aspect of land uses. I also wanted to include the buildings in this area because they show how modern this area which can be compared to some of the areas I have photographed in, the glass buildings can be compared to the brick buildings that I have found in other areas. To progress the idea that I have been looking at I need to take similar images in areas that includes more man-made elements and areas that contain natural elements so they can be compared in my work records.

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

To take these images I used a Nikon D3300 with a tripod. With regards to camera settings I wanted to capture landscape images so I needed to set my camera to settings that would work with this feature. I shot these images with a high f stop of f/20 and a shutter speed of 1/20, the ISO stayed the same at 100. These settings helped me achieve the images above the only difference I would've made to these settings was to have the shutter speed a bit quicker to snap the shots as I saw them. 

Next I took some of the images in Photoshop...

To edit this image I carried out the levels and curves steps where I slightly darkened the image to bring some features in bolder. After this I made the picture black and white, by doing this I created different tones within the image, the darker tones are on the train tracks and the lighter tones are elsewhere. This makes the train track stand out because it is the main focus in the image. It links to how man-made land uses have a negative effect on the natural land uses. This also links back to Ansel Adams and Eric De Mare because of the use of the tones and the idea behind my work.

To edit this image I also carried out the curves and levels steps to darken the image. I then used the quick selection tool to negatively select the areas of the buses to make sure they didn't turn black and white when I made the image black and white. Whilst changing the colour of the image I made the image as a whole darker to avoid focus on the other elements, the main focus of the image is the two buses. Although the exam title is land use I have focused on symbolism elements in this image by giving significance to the buses. They show land use as well because it shows how the roads are actually used.

To edit this image I used the same steps as before with the levels and curves to make the images darker and then I changed the image to black and white. The darker tones went into the buildings and the roads/train tracks to add negative effects onto these man-made land uses. After this I used the photo filter to add a sepia effect onto the image, I increased the density of the image but didn't have the filter in full effect because this would've ruined the image and made it too orange. I chose to add a sepia effect onto the image because it shows how I am refining and developing my images by using experiments.

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

I have chosen to use all three images that I have edited in my response to the exam title because they are the best images that I have created and they work well with land use. The black and white effects relate back to the photographers that I am looking at, Ansel Adams works with the zone system which creates tones within images which I have created in my images. The ideas behind my images relate to Eric De Mare because he focuses on the difference in modern structures and the difference between man-made and natural land uses. These images can exist in my portfolio because they relate to a lot of the other images that I have produced in previous shoots. 

Progression:

To progress my ideas on I need to focus on what I am going to do for my exam shoots. I want to carry on with taking images to show the difference between the land uses in London compared to the land uses in areas like Waltham Abbey but I also I want to create night shots that show light trails the way I have expressed them in a previous shoot. When photographing I think I have linked to all of the photographers well I just need to create images that link together to produce a body of work that links to land use.

Work Record 6; Waltham Abbey

Work Record 6; Waltham Abbey

Plans for Shoot;
In this shoot I plan to document the nature land uses in Waltham Abbey. In my previous shoots I have looked at the man-made land uses but I need to develop my shoots further by looking at different types of land uses. Also, in my previous shoots I have looked at the double exposure effect which I need to develop further by experimenting with different locations. In Waltham Abbey there is a forest tucked away, this is where I plan to take images. By completing this shoot this will further my response to the land use exam title. 

Research Influence;
In this shoot I have been influenced by Ansel Adams because of his use of tones in natural landscapes. In this shoot I am going to be looking at natural landscapes and editing them to link back to Ansel Adams which is why I have included him in my research influence.

In this image we can see a landscape image of some mountains, the main feature is the tree in the centre of the image. The tones that are used in this image portray both negative and positive atmospheres, the sky contains lighter tones and the trees contain darker tones. The message portrayed in this image is negative because of the way the tree is drooping links to a depressing atmosphere. All the other elements in the image are of lighter tones which makes the tree stand out more because it is darker than the other features. This image influences the approach that I am going to take in my shoot because I need to find areas to photograph that send messages similar to this image. The main aspect I am looking at in Ansel Adams work is his use of the zone system to create different effects on the images. 

Contact Sheet:

The images that I took during this shoot are all presented in the contact sheet below...

Best Images:

This is one of my best images because I think it shows the main features of this landscape. The main focus of the image is the tree in the centre of the image but our attention is also drawn to the other elements around the tree such as the logs on the floor. I think after editing this image it can relate closely to Ansel Adams if I use his idea of the zone system to create different tones in this image. This image is a response to land use because it shows the natural elements of land uses which can be compared to the man-made land uses I have presented in my other shoots. 

My main focus in this shoot was to capture these images at a wider angle because the previous natural land use images I was taking didn't relate to the man-made images. I think this image is one of my best images because it shows the natural landscape at a wider angle which I can use when completing the double exposure techniques that I have been previously carrying out. A lot of the other images I took were not in focus which resulted in this being one of the best images, I can progress this image further by going back to this area and photographing deeper into the landscape.

This image shows a natural landscape like the two previous images but this one is different because it includes a person within the image which none of my other shoots do. I chose to include a person within this image because it gives the landscape a natural and man-made effect. Although we are in a completely natural landscape there are still features of human work wherever we go. I think this is one of my best images because of the message it gives and because of the small details that also tell a story. The rubbish at the front of the tree can relate to the message that this image sends, man-made objects ruin the natural land uses.

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

By looking at the images that I have produced I believe that I have developed my response to land use and created several images that can be used in my editing process or my portfolio. My previous shoots of Waltham Abbey were good and they did contain images that I am going to use and that relate to land use but I didn't express the natural element in the shoots enough. In this shoot I have expressed the natural land uses the most, by looking at both of these land uses I can use all the images to produce comparisons between nature and buildings. The only element that I need to improve on in these shoots is the use of a tripod more often and for all of the images because this will achieve more images that are in focus as some of my images didn't come out in focus. After the editing process of these images they will relate to the photographer that I have researched more clearly. Ansel Adams produces all of his images in black and white which is how I am going to develop my work to relate to his. 

With regards to my best images...

Although I have only included three best images in this section I have still succeeded in this shoot because I have produced some images that I can use to relate to the natural land uses. These images were the best out of my shoot, as I said previously I needed to use a tripod more often in this shoot to create images that were completely in focus as some of them were slightly out of focus. To progress my work further I need to use these images to edit some of my other images that I have taken, for example carrying on with the double exposure edits I created.

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

To take these images I used a Nikon D3300 with a tripod. The settings I used stayed the same throughout this whole shoot because I needed to create all landscape images. I used a high f stop to achieve a wide depth of field so I shot at f/20, the shutter speed was at 1/6 and the ISO stayed the same at 100. These settings helped me achieve these images, I worked at landscape settings which helped make these images work.

Next I took some of these images into Photoshop...

To edit this image I carried out the curves and levels steps to brighten the image and bring the background into the image more. After this I made the image black and white to relate it back to Ansel Adams to show different tones within the image. The darker tones are displayed in the trees and the lighter tones are presented in the sky. I chose to create the darker tones in the middle ground because this is where the main focus of the image is. 

I used an image from this shoot and an image from the shoot I carried out at Vauxhall to create a double exposure effect like I have in the previous shoots. I chose to change the two images into black and white to merge the image better because of the different colours in both of the images. When putting both of the images into Photoshop I used the mask layer and the paintbrush tool to gradually bring the images together. I think that this image relates more to land use when they are combined because it shows how the natural and man-made land uses come together. 

As well as changing this image to black and white I also experimented with different colour settings. In the edited image above I used the orange filter to add effect to the image. I chose to edit it in this way because it creates a negative effect on the image as it gives an eerie atmosphere. The orange colour is bolder towards the background of the image which makes the sky stand out as wells as the trees in the foreground.

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

I have chosen to include these four images in my response to land use because they all show connections to land use. I have chosen to keep the images in black and white to link them back to the photographers I have looked at such as Ansel Adams. The first few images all contain different tones within the landscape which relate to Ansel Adams because of his use of the zone system. With regards to the double exposure effect I have created I think this works well because it shows how the natural and man-made land uses link together which is the main idea that I have expressed in my work. Finally, the image with the orange filter doesn't necessarily fit well with the other images but it shows how I am refining and developing my work to show different effects can be created in images. 

Progression:

To progress these images further I need to experiment with the computer and physical experiments more to create ideas related to land use which I can use in my future portfolio. Personally I believe that I need to create more images that are focused directly on land uses, to do this I need to visit the locations that I already have and take further pictures. With regards to camera settings and techniques I believe that I have worked with this well the main thing I need to look at is the focus of the images.  

Ian Egner Research

Ian Egner 

Context
This photographer isn't as famous as the previous photographers but he is one of the only photographers that I could find that used light trails within his work. He is a professional photographer with over 8 years experience, taking on my first commercial job aged just 15. My photos have been published in local and national newspapers, magazines, books and on many blogs and websites. He specialises in Commercial, Fashion, Travel and Landscapes. "My approach to photography is always centred around good communication between myself, the subject and the client. Whilst technique is important, and always evolving with new technology, I believe the key to good photographs is creativity. I always go the extra mile to get the perfect shot." 

Images

In this image we can see two road junctions with light trails on either side of them. The shutter speed of the images would've had to be a long time because of the scale of light trails he has produced in the image. This image can also relate to land use because it shows how roads are a main form of land use and everyone uses them due to the scale of light trails shown. There are different ways these images can be produced, he has chosen to include the sky within his image which gives it a good effect because the colours in the image are all similar. The main influence I am taking from this artist is his use of light trails as I believe this will show development within my work. 

In this image we can see two road junctions with light trails in them, similar to the last image. In this image there is a different atmosphere created because of the colour of the sky, it is much cooler than the previous image. This image was most likely taken earlier in the evening compared to the previous because the sky is less dark. There are also other elements in this image that can relate to land use, the existence of the pylons show how land is used alongside technology. The exposure times of this image were most likely high because of the scale of light trails produced. 

Ian Egner isn't an extremely famous photographer but I am drawn to his photography because of the light trails that he focuses on. Within my shoots I want to photograph roads because this is a man-made land use that I want to show, his photography of roads can influence this path that I want to take. Regarding land use I think his images relate to this because he's showing roads as a form of land use, the light trails are just an added effect. I want to explore light trails within my work because it will establish the images further within my shoots. This photographer is very different from the ones that I have looked at previously because he isn't as famous but he uses a similar idea to the one I want to use which is why I have included him. 

This image is different compared to the other images that I have looked at by this photographer because it is in a very different location and shows other buildings and not just the light trails. I have chosen to include this image because it still shows the light trails but also includes buildings which I am also looking at in my work. It gives the image a wider response to land use because it shows how the man-made land uses are taking over due to the lack of nature in the image. This image shows how busy streets are and shows how land is used both for transport and for buildings. 

Influence and Summary
The main influence I am taking from this photographer is his technical approach to his photography, the main feature I like about this photographer is his use of the light trails. This photographer doesn't relate to the other photographers that I have looked at because he doesn't present his images in black and white like the other photographers. This is the idea that I can bring in from all my photographers, by using his idea of light trails and another photographers idea of the black and white effect I can create and image that links to all of them. My image below is my response to this photographer, I have used his idea of the light trails by taking images on the M25 bridge in Waltham Abbey using high shutter speeds.

 

Helene Binet Research

Helene Binet 

Context 
Hélène Binet was born in 1959 in Sorengo and is of both Swiss and French background.She studied photography at the Instituto Europeo di Design in Rome, where she grew up, and soon developed an interest in architetural photography.Over a period of twenty-five years Hélène Binet has photographed both contemporary and historical architecture. While following the work of contemporary architects – often from construction through completion – Hélène Binet has also photographed the works of past architects. More recently, Hélène Binet has started to direct her attention to landscape photography, wherein she transposes key concerns of her architectural photography. Hélène Binet’s work has been published in a wide range of books, and is shown in both national and international exhibitions. Hélène Binet is an advocate of analogue photography and therefore she exclusively works with film.


Images

In this image we can see a building which has been taken from an unusual angle which gives the image an abstract effect. Binet takes all her images from a low angle which wouldn't have been interpreted in this image because we are looking at a black sky which could've been made in Photoshop or because she has shot using filters. Her work also links to Ansel Adams because of her use of black and white photography, she uses both darker and lighter tones in her work to establish the different areas, lighter tones are used in the building and darker tones are used elsewhere. This also relates to land use because she shows how modern buildings use land. 

In this image we can see the roof of a building, a roof is interpreted because of the texture of the structures. As well as focusing on the abstractness of her photography the texture within her work can also be interpreted because she shows the texture of the roof and the clouds. She also shows the different tones in this image, there are both lighter and darker tones, the lighter tones are displayed in the sky and the darker tones are presented in the building which differs from her previous image I looked at. This image is also related to land use because of her ability to show how the modern buildings are using up the land.

This image was taken in the early 2000's of the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. At first glance you wouldn't initially assume that this is the memorial unless you have visited the place. In the image we can see tall black stands opposite each other creating a pathway to the light, the floor is checkered. Similar to the work of John Davies, Binet also documents here images in black and white. This image includes mainly darker tones which can relate to the location of the image, the tones create a depressing effect which is linked with the atmosphere of a memorial. This image relates to the positive effects of land use because it shows how land is used for memorials and grave yards to commemorate people that have died, it helps keep the memories of people alive. Although it is a positive use of land it still comes with depressing effects because of the circumstances of the Holocaust. Binet documents her images in an abstract way as she documents buildings from angles which we wouldn't normally see them, presenting abstractness within her images. All of her images are taken from a low angle which is visible within this image, I can take this idea and use it within my work when documenting modern and old buildings. 

This image is similar to the first image I looked at within her work, it shows a building taken from an abstract angle so we can only see a section of the building. The main focus of this building is the glass windows in the centre of the image. There is also an element of framing in this image because of the shape of the building we are looking through to look at the glass window. Also, another element that she has carried out throughout all of her images is the different tones she has used in the images, in this image darker tones and lighter tones have been used in all areas of the image giving it neither a negative or positive tone. This image is also taken from a low angle. 

Influence and Summary

The main idea I am taking from this photographer is her conceptual ideas, the idea of using darker tones and lighter tones in the images which can also be taken from Ansel Adams. I can also take ideas from her technical approach because of the angle she takes her images at to create an abstract effect on the images. I don't necessarily want to create an abstract effect on my images but the different angles that she takes her images at can be used in my work. In my image I have used her influence because I have taken an abstract image of a building and used different tones within the image. The darker tones are present in the building and the lighter tones are present in the sky. 

Eric De Mare Research

Eric De Mare

Context
Eric de Maré (1910 in London – 2002) was a British photographer and author, described as one of the greatest British architectural photographers. Canals and waterways feature significantly in de Maré’s work. In 1948, he boated a dozen of the English canals during a 600-mile tour, photographing the landscapes, buildings and people he encountered. In 1956, he was commissioned to travel throughout England to photograph early industrial sites and buildings.The functional tradition within architecture had received little attention from contemporary architects until this study, but the work coincided with and promoted an increased interest in the qualities of early industrial structures. His work in the 1960s reflected the other end of the industrial spectrum, focussing on modern power generation plants, to which his photographs frequently conferred a sculptural quality.

Images

In this image we can see an old brick bridge across a river, underneath and surrounded the bridge is grass and bushes, there are also houses on the other side. De Mare documented old industrial estates, this image shows this because it is made from brick whereas modern day structures are made from mainly glass. This image shows natural land use more than man-made land use because the main features in the image are the grass and the water. Eric De Mare can also relate to Ansel Adams and the one system because of his use of black and white images. The main influence I am taking from this image is his documentation of older structures which can be compared to the modern structures that are found around today. 

In this image we can see a building over a river which immediately looks like a prison because of the bars in the window and the lack of open windows as well. Similar to a lot of his other work De Mare documents buildings that are in the middle of nowhere which shows how the man-made land uses are taking over the natural land uses. There are some natural land uses existing in this image because of the trees and grass visible in the foreground. This image also includes darker tones giving the image a negative atmosphere which links back to the idea that this image is of a prison. 

In this image we can see a structure which looks like a telephone pylon because of the wires running from the structure to the ground. This is different to the majority of the images that he has taken because this is a modern structure, this image shows how modern structures have progressed but also how modern technology has progressed with the telephone pylons. It can also be taken from this image that the natural land uses have been taken over by man-made land uses because it is located in the middle of nowhere due to the lack of people and the fields/water. This can also be interpreted because of the darker tones used within the image.

In this image we can see a power station surrounded by ruined land and other buildings. The main thing standing out of this image is the state of the land around the buildings, it had been flattened and the grass is gone and there is just mud. There is also a negative atmosphere around this image because of the darker tones used, the buildings and the land are all darker tones. Similar to the photographers I have looked at before he also focuses on the idea of the man-made land uses becoming a threat to the natural land uses as they are being destroyed and taken over. Eric De Mare has taken images of power stations which have a big negative impact on natural land which shows what his main idea is of land uses. 

Eric De Mare takes a similar approach to the first photographer I looked at, John Davies. As well as linking him to this photographer he can also be linked to Ansel Adams, the use of the black and white effect relates to the zone system where darker and lighter tones can show the atmosphere of the image. In this image we get a negative atmosphere because of the negative land uses within the image, the power station in the background ruins the nature. This is the type of idea I want to express in my work, man-made land uses are often negative and ruin the natural land uses. His use of the black and white effect is also something I want to carry on within my work as it will establish a deeper atmosphere within the image and help focus on the land uses within the images. His work is mainly focused on the architectural side of land use and how it has been neglected, this is shown in this image because of the lack of care given to the church. I can also carry this technique within my work because it will show the difference between the new and old buildings.

Influence and Summary

I have chosen to take influence of the conceptual approach that Eric De Mare follows because his main idea is to document man-made land uses in a negative way by using darker tones which is similar to Ansel Adams, this idea is what I want to follow. His idea of documenting the old industrial estates can be incorporated into my idea because I have documented old and new estates. The main idea I am taking from him is to show how man-made land uses have taken away the nature elements in the world. The image below can relate to Eric De Mare because it shows a man-made land use in-between natural land uses which give the impression that the nature is being ruined, I have also used darker tones to give this interpretation.