Luaras/Kristen (Photography)

What is a Photograph Essay?

A photography essay is a series of photographs that tells a story (beginning, middle and end), which explores a theme. This can include: people, places, objects, details and atmosphere. 'Where I'm from?' This does not have to mean the subject's/photographer's house, town or a literal map. However, it could be used to mean a routine, using a photography composition of repetition, a community, a feeling, a cultural identity, a space you spend time in, or a space you want to escape to. 

'Where I'm from?' - Curtis Longmire (REFLECTION)

When taking the photographs, I wanted to show the isolation my area comes with. I wanted to show the isolation I feel inside myself from time to time. I wanted to show my thoughts and the beauty of what my brain is like and what it aspires to be. Showcasing the places I find aesthetic. For the first photograph, I wanted to start off showing a small glimpse of where I grew up. I framed the first photograph by showcasing the side of an abandoned house near me (well, almost abandoned). This was to show my viewers how empty life can get, especially with low self-esteem. This is why I shot in black and white on my Canon 250d. I wanted to show that there are two sides to every story, rather than everything being in colour and perfect. I wanted to draw focus into my photographs using leading lines in all three photographs (roads and along a brick wall). This was to help with my vision of freedom, being driven by self-esteem and wanting to change is on me, not someone else. I feel these photographs worked best, as they portrayed my story outcome well, compared to the colour ones or the photographs of just the abandoned house. If I were to do this again/similar project in the future, I would use my initial idea of the bus to follow the leading lines out of the village, at the end array of photographs to show my viewers that isolation can end, if you let your mind go. These photographs create a picture of my life, but only a picture, as you can't capture what's happening in your mind perfectly. If I were to recreate this and make these photographs better, I would take photographs of my room and link it to nature.

(FINAL PHOTOGRAPHS)

(REFLECTION)

When taking the photographs, I used two LED lights (red/blue) to add to the mood of drama, brightening the reflections on the windows. I used a high ISO and slow shutter speed to try to contrast the lights and darks for the LED lighting. I found that darker rooms worked well for capturing the reflections. I would go further by increasing the contrast and minimising the brightness to enhance the reflection of the subject. I also increased the brightness in two of the photographs of the same subject, as the room was very bright, where I planned to take the photographs. When composing the first photograph, I wanted to capture the full body, lining up with the camera angle, which is why I used a Dutch tilt. For the 'blue' photograph, I used the rule of thirds and balance to create a visual drama feel. I did this by positioning the camera to the right of the subject to capture the reflection on the right, rather than one or the other. Looking forward, I would use my own camera (Canon 250d), rather than using the 'Sony A7', as I couldn't change the f-stop or focus, which made some of the photographs go out of focus even though it was in auto focus. However, if I were to use the Sony consistently, I would get better at remembering the different placement of buttons/features. I would want to add narrative photographs, rather than random photographs placed together.

(INVESTIGATING VISUAL PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY)

Analysing the Brief:

"During this task, you will create a photo essay based on the theme ‘Where I’m from'. This is an opportunity to let your personality shine through your photography. Over the course of the project, you will experiment with alternative forms of portraiture, documentary and still life, taking inspiration from a range of photographers working within the same umbrella. Your work will be exhibited as part of a college exhibition of the same name. You must problem-solve and create a zine to present alongside your work, including an artist statement and biography."

When reviewing the brief, I found that the main purpose of this project is to create an array of photographs that tell a narrative to be presented at a college exhibition within a zine, alongside an artist's statement and biography, further explaining the vision behind the selected photographs. The outcomes must include creating a zine-type format to display at the college exhibition, discussing the narrative. When creating the photographs, I had to apply three different creative/technical skills to complete this unit. I would have to use an array of forms of portraiture, documentary and still life to let personality shine through the photograph without needing to explain why you took the photographs. I will also have to demonstrate a clear understanding of the project by researching a select number of photographers to gain an insight into different compositions and techniques. After reading the brief, I've found that I am good at creating a narrative through a select array of photographs. However, I feel I need to work on my camera knowledge, using different compositions, instead of using the same compositions of each project. This can be worked on by researching different photographers to generate a mood board and highlight different compositions they use within different settings. 

'Where I'm From?' (PROPOSAL)

Theme: (ISOLATION)

When capturing for this project, I want to focus on the idea of 'Loneliness'. This will be conveyed by black and white imagery, as colour photographs has conntataions of being positive with happy emotions. I also want to plan with the idea of people driving past the village, not knowing the village exists. This will be shown through an array of 10 photographs, where each photograph will be captured in the morning and night to add to the theme of loneliness being recurring. I will achieve this by using the Apple Store cafe in 'Scorton' to capture an old, rustic swing, swinging by itself to show the movement of the wind, which foreshadows the world moving constantly, with no intentions of slowing down with everyday jobs. This will be captured in the day using a fast shutter speed and a slower shutter speed at night to show how nights are longer and lonelier. I will then capture the theme through the forest, where the cafe is located, by facing the camera up to the sky, framing the sky with the ends of trees. This will represent my theme, as it shows the people driving past on the motorway, the beauty they are missing. "Bosh!" - Luara

Photographs (FORMAT): 

• (Scorton) Bridge

• Villages are doing shopping, showing empty carparks.

• (Apple Store Cafe) Empty parks, a picture of a swing, swinging on its own. Night: Slow Shutter Speed - Day: Fast Shutter Speed

• (Nicky Nook) Forest footpath, looking up into the trees.

(IDENTIFYING PARAMETERS AND CONSTRAINTS)

When analysing the parameters and constraints, I should consider my time as a constraint, as I have a deadline to meet, which gives me 4 weeks to plan, research, shoot and edit the zine and photographs. In addition to my time management, I should also consider my access to the necessary equipment. Upon analysing my equipment list for the shoot, I realised that I need to borrow a tripod, as I do not own one myself. The time frame to borrow said tripod is 2 days max, meaning I would have to plan accordingly by planning with the weather, through the MET Office weather app, for accurate readings. Luckily, with this project, a budget is not needed, as I own my own camera and get to use Lightroom for free at home, which creates a sense of freedom and my own time frame for editing my array of photographs. When representing my identity, where I come from, I had to consider if the area I am shooting in is classed as the same area I live in. I did this by researching the postcodes, where my house is situated and the place I plan to shoot at. When it comes to legal constraints, I have to consider if I am allowed to take photographs of a specific building, like the supermarket car park. After researching this, I have found that I do not need permission. However, if they ask me to leave and not capture pictures of the building, I would have to comply with their request. 

EVALUATION (FINAL)

When planning this project, I found my initial idea evolved through two different ideas, when planning to the day of production for shooting the planned photographs. I initially wanted to create the idea of loneliness by using the members of the public in my photographs, being secluded from the rest of the world in their own little bubble (village). I wanted to achieve this by using empty-looking carparks with a couple of shoppers commuting. However, when gathering the photographs, I came into a complication with one member of the public, coming up to me and revoking access for me to use the photographs with her. After this complication, I decided to rethink my narrative and settled on my dog, only knowing the area he was born and not knowing the rest of the world, where terrible things happen. For the alternative shots, I decided to go on a walk with my dog at the 'Apple Store Cafe', where I initially was going to get my photographs from, but had complications with a member of the public. When shooting, I used the 'Dutch tilt', which was used to follow the angle of the sign of the hiking trail. I wanted to use this as a falling signpost, which can be interpreted as a ramp, which can create a narrative of freedom, where the individual finds a guide to the world, as it also uses leading lines. I also used the rule of thirds to balance my photographs as an overall composition to create a seamless transition to the next photograph in the narrative. Storyboarding influenced my shooting process, as it helped me pick and choose the route I wanted my end product to be, without overshooting, which helped me speed up my editing process. I also found that storyboarding helped me try different photography compositions, as it gave me a kick to make my photographs different in their own way, without breaking the narrative. When gathering feedback, I found that the feedback I gathered did not help me develop the production, as they were single-worded answered questions. If I were to redo and gather more feedback in the future, I would branch out further from my class and gather feedback from multiple classes and edit the survey to be multiple choice, so that they do not have to write their answers out. A lot of the research I have conducted connects with my final product, as photographers, like Luigi Ghirri and Stephen Shore uses framing, leading lines and the rule of thirds to create a place of stillness in their work. I also found that Alex Soth influenced my final product by the black and white photographs he creates, and also matches this tone with reflections, which influenced my final photograph in the narrative. The technical experiments that were unsuccessful, was photographing the public, If I was to do this again or had more time, I would bring a release form with me, since I the area is easily counted and I would also use a zoom lens to capture buildings from a far to avoid complications with any random member of the public, who don't work in the store. When improving my technical skills during this project, I improved my public speaking by de-escalating the situation with the lady at the store. I have also improved my ability to change my camera settings quickly to match the lighting, as the day got darker, by using the buttons on the camera, over the screen. If I had more time for the project, I would spend more time gathering feedback from a larger group of people from different courses, rather than receiving feedback from one course. I would borrow a zoom lens to capture further, like in the photograph of the motorway in the distance, as I wanted to show the people passing by on the motorway, not knowing about this place, where I am from.   

(High Key & Low Key Lighting)

(PROFESSIONAL) STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHERS

(PHOTOGRAPHY COLLAGE)

Inspired by David Hockney - Curtis Longmire

Matthieu Bourel (RESEARCH)

Matthieu Bourel is a French artist, born in Rennes, France in 1976, who uses photomontage and collages to break the traditional techniques with digital editing, digital animation and sometimes sound design. Bourel liked to watch every picture as a departure to a narrative of a story in a collage. Bourel began an obsession to create and collect images from books, old margarzines and other captured materials. When put together Bourel wanted the viewer to creates their own irony, tension and narrative inside the image with their own connotations. 

Matthieu Bourel (WORKS):

(FILM FESTIVAL) REFLECTION:

I chose these posters, as I liked the artistic choice of using photography to tease the target audience into the festival without being hand-drawn, which I am bad at. I want to take my knowledge of photography and create the film festival poster. I also liked the 'Z' method of the first poster, where it takes advantage of the way humans read and remember content. I will achieve my poster to effectively communicate my announcement, as I will use emotions of the subjects with the colour theme to help visual learners, which young creatives usually are; they like short and brief announcements, rather than adding a back of a books blurb to the poster about the event. I'm hoping to mimic the big lower-case font to convey the relaxed environment the event is, as multiple creatives have some sort of spectrum behaviours. I will also use bold colour to match the subject's emotion, as this helps to create a colour theme and stick in the viewer's head.

(STATMENT OF INTENT)

When choosing the genre from the poster, I chose a horror poster, as I want to grab my audience's attention. This will grab the viewer's attention, as using strong bold colours, like red, will set the scene as dramatic, almost like a blurb from the back of a book. After researching the posters further, I found that I will use/take inspiration from the strong emotions of the subject, covered by a simple shape to add questions and speculation, which will get viewers to talk and post about the film festival on their social media, which is free advertisement. I will also use bold colours to blend with the strong emotions to complement both techniques. When choosing the theme/genre for the poster, I want the target audience to feel a sense of curiosity and creativity, as 16-25 year olds are often still in the 'What am I doing with my life?' question. From this, my colour theme will act as a motif, as the colour theme will use red throughout the poster to spark the viewers' curiosity and attention from a distance. When designing my film festival poster, I will use the 'z' method, which will stand out from others posters, as from researching different posters, I have found limited to none posters, that use this method, which will make my poster look professional, as the viewers will have the company's name/logo in their head last, which sparks curiosity in the poster for the film festival.

(POSTERS I PLAN TO EMULATE):

(COMPARISON against other FILM FESTIVAL POSTERS)

When comparing my poster to another poster I have researched, I feel that my poster is more student-focused, as I have used a student in the poster, as my subject, which other students would recognise around campus. Whereas, the poster I have researched, blacked out the subject to help tell their genre for the festival. When it comes to titling the poster, I have used my client's company to stand out in the local area of the campus, using their name to add a recognisable name to the event. However, the poster I have researched used their own branding, where they call their poster the genre of the festival. When adding important information, I have used white to stand out, as my background uses red to blend with the black to add a separation layer to the characters on the poster. When pitching this to the client, we both agreed that the white font with a drop shadow would be added for the important information. This would make the text clear to read as it differentiates from the background and pulls the eyeline to the text, which paints the poster into a professional field. When designing the poster, I feel that I have found a clear identity for the festival. I have used students to act as characters from famous films, which demonstrates the idea of student films aspiring to be one of those films, knowing a character by their recognisable pose. I also feel that using white text with a drop shadow for important information differentiates from other posters I have researched, as they would always use a bright, bold, colourful text to grab the viewer's attention.