Project Evaluation

At the beginning of the term we were set the brief of creating enhanced images in which we were to experiment further with darkroom techniques, photoshop editorials and hand enhancement to images while keeping these experiments linked with our chosen personal study themes. I started off by creating a mind map to get my ideas onto paper, from that I expanded my ideas by online research, I created a mood board by gathering images of artists work I felt inspired me. I also created a pinterest account which i can use to re-pin inspirational photos and also to post my own images to give others ideas. From the start of the brief I took an interest in the season as it was autumn, i found inspiration in the colourful golden brown leaves. I thought it was a very representative part of the season and decided to photograph trees as when you look at the trees or the floor with fallen leaves you can tell the season and wanted to make the most out of what the landscape could give me.

A variety of experiments helped me to narrow down what I enjoyed and thought worked well with my idea. I didn't want to talk a bold approach to enhancement as I didn't feel it would compliment my photos well. The experiments I tried that I definitely new I wouldn't be using towards my final was using a screen to smear paint over my images in the style of Leslie David as I didn't feel it would add to my prints in a positive way, toning prints using food dye, bleaching my prints which i enjoyed but decided I wouldn't use this time round and also multiple exposures as I experimented with this but wasn't very successful. I researched various artists for ideas but i fell in love with Timothy Pakrons selective developing, the portraits he creates using this method are so powerful and I was inspired to apply this style to my theme as I thought it would compliment it very well. I also found the series by Amy Friend so beautiful that I decided to continue experimenting with this technique. It worked out to be a strong point for me as I placed the holes ever so carefully to bring a realistic essence of light to the photos, it gives the landscapes a touch of surreality by using a technique that is not so widespread as i usually find that photos taken with a slow shutter speed or multiple exposures seem to contain a touch of surrealness and beauty. 

For my final outcome I started by editing my digital images on Adobe photoshop taking inspiration from Amy friends old fashioned style images from her series 'Dare alla Luce' I was also influenced by the instagram nashville effect and the ultimate lomo effect tutorials i had followed so I developed my own style by using plenty of adjustment layers to bring up the contrast, change the brightness, the opacity and also blending modes until i had created my own style. I also brought down the saturation of a lot of the images as they were too colourful and I had to keep in mind that i would be pinning holes through the images which would have bleed light through them also, I think that would of made the images too overbearing. I created a series of black and white darkroom prints shot on a 35mm film camera of trees and spaces in my local woodlands. I developed each print twice to create a series, the 1st print i selectively developed and the 2nd one I developed the whole print as i was inspired by Timothy Pakron but I was also left wondering what the original photo looked like and I didn't want to create a feeling of wonder for my viewers so i answered the question with a second print before they had a chance to wonder. My digital Amy Friend style prints turned out to be my favourite outcome but i am really pleased with both of them.

I found the project very enjoyable, we were open to experimentation and I pushed my self in some areas to try new techniques. I would definitely like to continue enhancing images in the future as it gives them a new found element that would most likely not be created if i was using just a camera 

I think my final pieces were done at a good standard, but i could have improved my black and white prints further, I should of shot a much better quality role of film but i didn't leave myself enough time to improve. For my following project I want to include some of my personal interests such as fashion so i am interested in printing photos onto cloth or clothes and photographing someone in the landscape holding or wearing it. I think this is a strong starting point for me and would definitely like to experiment with this idea.