Interim Evaluation

Interim Evaluation

I carried out research by looking at different photographers who investigated land use and documented it in the way I wanted to document my work. The main photographers who I have investigated with regards to the composition of their images are John Davies and Eric De Mare, their images are very similar and they both document black and white images. The main ideas behind their images are to show how the man-made land uses destroy the natural ones which is what I have displayed in my work, my focus on the roads and buildings can be compared to my work focused on forests and natural elements. Ansel Adams also had great influence on my work as well because of his use of the zone system, he produced black and white images with different tones to create different atmospheres within his work, I used this idea in my work. As well as these photographers I have also researched others who didn't have as much of an effect on my work, one photographer who was slightly significant was Ian Egner because I admired his use of the light trail effects on his images, although he isn't a very famous photographer he still inspired me in my work. These few photographers helped extremely when shooting and producing final images for this exam topic. Below I have presented some of the final pieces I have produced next to some images that these photographers have produced. 

   
                       Ian Egner

To create this image I used a similar idea to Ian Egner by using a longer exposure time to capture the light trial effects. The settings I used to capture this image was a 30 second shutter speed, f/13 and ISO 100. By using these settings it enabled me to capture the light trails visible in the image. 

  
                         Ansel Adams

To capture this image I used the settings 1/80 seconds, f/18 and ISO 200. I wanted to capture a landscape image similar to Ansel Adams which I believe I have achieved here. This also isn't the original image, I edited it in this way to correspond with the zone system that Adams explores. 

There are a few new insights that I have gained when carrying out these shoots, both technical and aesthetic. With regards to the technical approach I have used high exposure methods throughout these shoots to capture the light trails in some of my images which turned out successful. Before carrying out these shoots I understood how to capture a light trail by leaving the shutter open for a longer amount of time but I had never actually put it into practice so this is an insight I have gained when carrying out these shoots. I have also mastered how to capture images in the dark by changing the camera settings to allow more light through so the nigh time shot is captured, I had to work at a high ISO for these images to be captured because of the lack of light in the location. With regards to gaining insights to an aesthetic approach I have begun to experiment with the water colour effect that I used in my component 1 which adds a better effect to the images compared to the photo filters used in Photoshop. There are also various different ways that you can present an aesthetic approach to the image, with regards to physical experiments I have used the water colour effect and also experimented with cutting and sticking the images in a different way. There are also various computer experiments that you can use when presenting an aesthetic approach, in my work I have used black and white images, photo filter effects and used the layers to merge images together. Computer and physical experiments work well within my work because it explores a wider view of the image and sometimes creates a different atmosphere compared to the original image. These technical and aesthetic approaches show how I am refining and developing my work as it opens up a wider view of land use and explores a deeper meaning. Below I have presented an example of the water colour physical experiment I carried out and the photo filter computer experiment.

This image was created in Photoshop, I created a blue watercolour wash that I scanned into Photoshop and then layered it over this image. 

To edit this image I used Photoshop to edit this image by adding a sepia photo filter over the top of the image. 

With these shoots that I have carried out the main aspects I am going to take with me into the exam is the locations I have used for these shoots. The main idea behind my shoot are to compare the rural and urban landscapes, the locations I have used show how there is a difference between these two landscapes which I am planning on continuing in my exam shoots. The main places I am going to explore is Waltham Abbey and the Olympic Park/Stratford because these are the locations that I have used more frequently in my preparatory shoots as they prove to be the best. As well as continuing with the locations I am also going to be continuing with the physical and computer experiments, I think these experiments work well with the images that I have taken because it explores the deeper meaning regarding the images and land use. In the exam shoots I also want to be able to experiment with computer experiments such as panoramic images and 360 degree images of urban and rural landscapes. It will be the first time I am experimenting with the 360 images so I am not sure it will turn out right but it will show how I am refining and developing my work with the time I have been given. As well as experimenting with the 360 images I am also going to be experimenting with different water colour effects to overlay on some of the images I am planning on using. As well as taking images during the day I am also going to continue with taking images at night because I am happy with the outcomes of the night images presented in my shoot at Stratford. The main idea behind my exam shoots will be to show the difference between rural and urban landscapes. 

Computer Experiments

Computer Experiments

Presented within this post is a few of the computer experiments that I have created within Photoshop with the images that I have presented within my shoots. 

This is from one of my first shoots, I chose to create a double exposure image with two images that I took within this shoot. My main idea was to incorporate a man-made use and a natural use in the same image which I have done above. By bringing and image of a road and a field it shows how man-made an natural land uses come together to make up the world. To create this image I took both the black and white versions of the images into Photoshop and made them into layers, the road image was the top layer and within the mask layer I used the black paintbrush tool to gradually bring the images together. In the screen shot image the mask layer is visible and shows how much I painted onto the mask to bring the images together gradually. I was simply just experimenting with this technique but I made it work with all of my shoots.

This image is similar to the experiment I carried out before, it uses the same natural image but the man-made land use is of a train track that I took in a different shoot. By incorporating images from different shoots it shows how I am linking all of my shoots together and creating images that can be used in my final outcomes. This experiment is another double exposure and it was created in the same way as the image before. I have chosen to use these images in black and white because I think the images flow better when they are like this as no colours are in the image to distract from the actual meaning. Both these images were put into Photoshop, I used the mask layer and black paintbrush tool to gradually merge the images together.

The image above is a panoramic shot of the Arsenal Stadium, I chose to create this shot to show the scale of the building and to use it to compare to older buildings like the old Arsenal Stadium located near this one. I wanted to show how modern this building is because of the use of glass windows and the amount of concrete used within it. As most of my images are documented in black and white I chose to make this image black and white, I think it looks better this way as it stands out more and the negative/positive atmospheres are expressed through the tones. To create this image I took three images of the stadium on a tripod, I put all three of these images into Photoshop and using the photo merge filter I merged all of these images together. After the panorama was created I then changed the image to black and white and the above image was the final outcome.

This is another example of the computer experiments that I have created, this one has more of an unrealistic, abstract atmosphere. I took the original image into Photoshop and adjusted the curved to make the image slightly darker so they only feature visible was the light trails that were created. After adjusting the curved layer I used the hue/saturation layer to increase the saturation and reduce the hue so that this colour was achieved. I chose to use this colour because it is bold and abstract, by editing this in this way it doesn't automatically strike to use that it is a road we are just focusing on the light trails and the colours. By creating an image in this way it shows how I am broadening my experiments and focusing on not just keeping the images black and white.

This another example of experimenting with the double exposure effect, I chose to use two different images of the same place from different shoots. By using images from different shoots it shows how I am developing my work and bringing the images together, the final outcomes of these images are important and this relies on how well my shoots relate to each other. In my shoots I have documented images on the M25 bridge, these two images are from the same place but one was taken in the dark and the other during the day. I chose to bring them together to show how the images contrast each other but also to show how they link to show the land uses of this place. 

Physical Experiments

Physical Experiments

To edit this image I printed the image out onto watercolour paper and dripped water down the page which resulted in the ink running in this way. I chose to carry out this physical experiment because I wanted to run the ink down the paper showing how the landscape was melting away. This opens up the ideas around land use, the main idea behind my shoots is to show how the natural landscapes are being ruined, this can be perceived from this effect placed on the image. I thought the water would do more running but there wasn't as much as I had hoped, I most likely will not use this idea in my exam. 

To edit these images I cut them into diagonal sections and stuck them onto paper in a different order merging the two images together. In the computer experiments section I merged these two images together using Photoshop so I wanted to do a similar effect using physical experiments. These two images work well when used together because it shows how there are natural and man-mad land uses that come together to make up the world, it can also show how the man-made uses have negative effects on the natural land uses. I think this physical experiment works well as it shows how the images link together. 

To edit this image I used watercolours on watercolour paper to produce a blue wash, I then scanned this onto the computer and layered it over the original black and white image that I took in Waltham Abbey, I layered the image using soft light to create this effect. I think this works well because it combines photography and painting together and it creates a different effect when compared to just using the normal photo filters. 

To edit this image I printed it out on watercolour paper and left it outside to see what happened. I left the picture overnight and the above was the results, it shows how the ink has run slightly because of the droplets on the image. I experimented with this image before on water colour paper by dropping water down the image but I think this worked better because it shows how natural forces changed the image. To take this image further I could've left it out for longer but I didn't want the rain to completely destroy the image. I think I am going to use this technique for my exam shoots. 

Work Record 8; Stratford

Work Record 8; Stratford

Plans for Shoot:
In this shoot I plan to progress the images that I created in the previous shoot, shoot 7. I am going back to Stratford, in the Olympic Park, to try and capture better images than before and also try to progress on with the light trails that I created on the M25. In the previous shoots I have taken I took the images during the day but I am planning on travelling when it is dark to capture a different atmosphere in the same locations. As well as taking images using the light trails I can also capture images in the dark that represent land use, in this area there are very modern buildings which I have also included in some of my previous shoots. 

Research Influence:
In this shoot I am going to be looking at some light trails so this relates back to my previous shoots of the M25 where I took pictures of the cars producing light trails. The photographer that relates to light trails is Ian Egner, he mainly looks at cars producing light trails but this can still link into the images that I am going to produce. 

In this image we can see that Egner has created a light trail with his camera. This image relates to land use because it shows how the man-made land use of a road is constantly used by people, this is shown by the extent of the light trail formed. I want to carry this technique on within my work because it adds an effect to the image that I am taking. This photographer doesn't necessarily focus on land use but he does show how land is used within his images. I chose to research him because I want to use his idea of the light trails. 

Contact Sheet:
All the images that I have taken on this shoot are presented below in a contact sheet:

Best Images:

In the image above we can see a funfair which is located in Stratford just outside Westfield. I chose to take the image in this way because of the bright lights in the location, it relates back to the images I took on the M25 bridge with the light trails. This image was taken at a quick shutter speed because there is no blur or light trails however, I did carry the light trail effect on further in the shoot with a slower shutter speed. This image related to land use because it shows a different approach to what I have already looked at where the land is used for fun rather than for industrial uses. This image can also be linked back to my photographers, Ian Egner photographs in the dark which is represented here and few other of the photographers such as Eric De Mare and John Davies compose their images similarly to the one I have produced above. 

This image is similar to the image above but it was taken at a different angle and with different settings to capture some light trails within the image. The carousel is moving so a light trail is created because of the long exposure time I used. This shows land use similarly to the last image as it shows how land is used for fun rather than the modern/industrial uses that I have documented in the previous shoots. It is related back to the photographers I have researched because it shows elements of Ian Egner's light trails and similar compositions to the photographers like Eric De Mare and John Davies. To further these images I can experiments with them in Photoshop by chaining the saturation of the images or the colours within the image but I can also produce images that are taken in the day time to show a comparison between these images. 

This image was taken in the same place as the two images above but on from the other side of the bridge, we can see a road and a train track which are surrounded by modern buildings. When comparing the images above to this one it shows how some parts of Central London are considered 'classier' than others. This image shows that the area is wealthy because of the buildings located. The fact that this image was taken in the dark gives it a different atmosphere compared to when it is taken in the day. This links to land use because it shows how land is used for transport and how it is used for modern/industrial buildings. The image can be related to the previous photographers that I have looked at such as John Davies and Eric De Mare because the composition of their images are similar to this one and they show effects of industrial 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 within this shoot I think that I have produced a successful bank of images which relate to the previous shoots I have carried out and that will also link to the exam shoots I am going to carry out. I chose to carry out this shoot in the dark because it opens up the experiments that I can carry out such as producing light trails, it also enables me to compare the nigh time shoots with the shoots I carried out during the day. I focused mainly on the light trails in this shoot, if I carry out this location in my exam shoots I am going to focus on the landscapes around the funfair as well as it too. The images I have produced all link to the various photographers that I have researched.

With regards to my best images...

These images that I have produced can all link back to the research that I have carried out. The first two images link to the photographer Ian Egner because they show light trails and images taken in the dark. All the images can be linked to John Davies and Eric De Mare because they all have similar compositions, they take landscape images which include features of land uses which I have produced above. All these images link to land use because it shows how land is used for fun as wells as for modern buildings, transport and industrial factors. To progress these images further I can create exam shoots which relate to this shoot.

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

To capture these images I used a Nikon D3300 camera with a tripod. When capturing the actual images the settings I used varied because I need a long exposure for the light trails that were created but also needed a quick shutter speed for the standard landscape images produced. The settings that were used for the standard landscape images were, 1/6s shutter speed, f/3.8 and ISO 3200, the ISO needed to be high because there was low light. The settings used for the light trail images were, 1.0s shutter speed, f/10 and ISO 100. Using both these settings helped achieve the images above. 

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

To edit this image I made it black and white and then put the warming photo filter on top of the black and white to create this outcome. This isn't necessarily the approach that I am going to take in the exam shoots but it was an experiment. This effect will not look good on all of my images but I think it works in a way with this image because it links to previous images from different times which were produced with this sepia effect, it relates to times when the camera first came about. The original image is bright and colourful so I wanted to create an opposite effect within the image which I think I have achieved. 

To edit this image I used the curve filter to make the image slightly darker, I also used the hue and saturation filter to desaturate the image. The outcome of this is presented above, I think by editing this image like this changed the atmosphere of the image because it is less colourful and not as bright. Like the image before this is just an experiment that I carried out so I most likely won't be carrying this onto my exam shoots but that descends on the images I produce there. 

To edit this image I used the curves filter to brighten the image slightly and then I layered the warming photo filter over the top of the image which produced the outcome above. I think the filter works well within the image because it makes the road stands out more as it becomes brighter. The main element within the edited picture that I like is the change of the sky because the purple effect gives a more eerie effect than the original dark blue sky. 

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

Below are the images that I believe are the best from this shoot. I have chosen to include the two first images as original pictures with no editing because they work well on their own without editing. The last image I included is the edited version of the image which works better than the original image as it presents the image in more of and eerie light with the purple sky. All of these images work well together because they show different insights of the location. I think I have represented land use well within these images because they show how land is used for fun elements but also for modern buildings, transport and industrial use. Also, within this shoot I have linked my outcomes with the photographers I have researched, the light trails that I have produced with the funfair relate to Ian Egner and the composition of the images that I have used relate to John Davies and Eric De Mare. 

Progression:

To progress further in my work I need to decide the exam shoots that I am going to carry out and how I am going to use experimentation within my exam. I also need to produce the preparatory shoots ready for the exam.