Final Piece

My digital landscape shots

I shot this photo using a tripod, aperture 22. shutter speed 1 second. 

I edited this buy creating my own brush out of text, using multiple layers and blending modes. I applied a gradient overlay which gave me the colours for the overall photo, this is were the edit was spoiled as i prefer the realistic colours that relate to the subject also I think the detail in the landscapes adds to the image. The colours just make this look immature and I know I can do better so i am going to have another go at this edit.

Using the same text as the previous image but changing the font size and keeping it all in one colour looks so much more effective. I changed the blending mode to soft light for the text to blend in more subtle with the image. I definitely prefer this. 

This is my favourite slow shutter speed shot. I exposed it for 1 second and the water seems so peaceful, the surroundings look silent and eery. It looks really ghostlike.

I photocopied rotated and re-photocopied the original print onto the same paper to create a multiple exposure without the use of photoshop. This was by far the simplest technique I have discovered to create a sandwich style print. It looks really mysterious and I would definitely consider using this technique again as it works well with landscapes especially as my original photo consists of the landscape and its reflection in the pond.  

To further develop I Inverted the colours of the previous picture which makes it appear very magical and surreal. The colours are soft and peaceful.

Digital Experiments

I like this but I do not think this is a strong enough image to present as a final piece. I want to do multiple exposures for my final piece but i think i should make them more detailed by adding layers of text or maybe adding an element of movement to them. I used a portrait that i took of my friend outside in the dark using flash as my source of light, the landscape you see as you look into her face is the exact point i stood to take the portrait of my friend.

This multiple exposure works better as the naked body form links with nature as they are both natural. I think this is still to simple to present as a final piece. I erased away some of the opacity of the background so you would focus more on the landscape through the body.

Darkroom Experiments

I added leaves to the photo to make it look like the leaves were coming out the top of the tree but i didn't find it effective. I thought 

I collected dead leaves and things from the scenery were I shot my film which was in the woods. I really like these as they add a splash of colour to the black and which prints and frames them really nicely.

Shooting Plan

This is an idea of what i will be shooting.  Half represents black and white film the second half represents digital.

7 Day Photo Challenge

day 1: a house

day 2: your shoes

day 3: from a high angle

day 4: from a low angle

day 5: something blue

day 6: time

day 7: people

Personal Project Mindmap

This is my mind map to show my initial ideas, I will experiment to see what I do and don't like. Travelling to different locations to gain a firm foundation of landscape pictures to work with. I can then enhance them in different ways until I find a style and technique that works best for my pictures.

Moodboard - initial ideas

1. Reflections
2. Reflections
3. Landscapes printed on clothes/material
4. Slow shutter speed giving the water a smooth effect
5. Found objects in the landscape
6. Found objects in the landscape
7. Photograms using found objects
8. Photograms using found objects
9. Mixed media Collage adding objects from the landscape in the photo on top of the print and various types of media
10. Sunsets
11. Night time
12. Black & White film
13. Multiple Exposure People x Landscape
14. Multiple Exposure Landscape x Landscape

Four personal project initial idea sheets

Personal Project

This is our last project brief and we can create our own route to go down relating to our personal theme. It is quite an open brief our limits are quite open, but we have to push our selves to create outcomes that are mature and also sophisticated. To gain a good grade in this project I need to stay on track with developing ideas in a broad range of ways which would be helped my using inspiration from Pintrest, researching various artists and experimenting with ideas to find what works for me. I need to record my experiments, research and evaluations using my blog and my sketchbook and at the end of the project be able to produce an outcome that reflects my development throughout the personal project. 

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.

This is a preview of my final piece which is to be displayed on a lightbox.

Project Evaluatioin

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.

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.

In Depth Analysis of Timothy Pakron

Timothy Pakron creates these breathtaking selectively developed prints by splashing developer on the prints and then letting the developer run down the paper in some prints. He also paints developer on points of interest such as the eyes and lips, this is a technique i think I would enjoy and would work well with my theme. The first image is called despair 2 and I think it's a very expressive print as the drips running down the page as the man is looking down gives the effect of tears. He uses realistic subject matter and distorts them to create a powerful statement with his portraits. I think the meaning of the work is to evoke emotions through the visible parts of the image. The second image is called chaos study, this is a perfect name as the developer has been applied creating a chaotic effect which reflects the look on her face as she may have been left looking so serious after being through a chaotic series of events. The look in her eye holds so much back and it makes me wonder what her secret is because she does not look happy.

The use of lines and splatters forms the image and they are high in contrast as u need to be able to read the sections of the image you can see well in order to visualise and understand what it is. I think every picture is perfect in its own way and i am left longing to see what the original looked like. I don't think the image could have been planned specifically, it was all down to experimentation as you can never know how the developer will land on the paper.

The artist has used lighting on set to add shadow to the work, then in the darkroom he used contrast filters to increase the contrast in the images.

This work makes me feel so stunned and I think it is such a creative approach and although you can see less of the image it gives it so much more emotion and makes it miles more astonishing to look at. I can relate to the moods portrayed in the portraits and I sense that Timothy Pakron was feeling depressed and lonely when creating this series of prints as that is the mood that the prints bleed. Timothy says "I am comfortable with my viewer ultimately feeling uncomfortable."  which I think are feelings that are evoked by these photos by many but all these feelings the work makes me feel makes me want to try this approach to developing with my own work. I am gong to apply this technique to my work as i think it would work well with landscapes.

Final Film Moodboard

This is a mood board i created to inspire me to create an interesting outcome towards my final piece. I find Amy Friends work really beautiful, she pays more attention to pinning holes in people but i would place holes in the landscape if i did use this as inspiration for my outcome. Timothy Pakron Selectively prints peoples portraits in the darkroom, I find it so interesting that only part of the photo is visible but can still see what it is, it adds a sense of mystery to the image but I can still get a lot from it, I can see the expressions on the peoples faces i think he has left out parts of the photo that are not are not very expressive. Curtis Man used bleach to deface his photos which I find is such a daring approach as you can never really no how it will effect the image until it is done, Also as they are colour prints the way the bleach erodes the ink in the photo leaves an effect of fire, this is one of my favourite enhancement ideas, this would work well with my theme of landscapes. Matthew Wardle uses trees as his subject matter and produces these beautiful black and white photos in the forest, I love the pictures he takes of trees from low angles, it gives the trees a sense of extra height. All these artists work have greatly inspired me and given me ideas for my outcomes.

Final Film Mindmap

Photoshop Multiple Exposure

I created this by opening to images i photographed, dragging one on top of the other in Adobe Photoshop then changing the blending mode of the top layer to screen, i then adjusted the brightness, i took it down and i brought up the contrast to make the pictures have more life, i also adjusted the levels to bring out the blacks in the photo which gave it more detail, i think it looks good and i would do it again. I would further develop by making an image that blends well together to create a visually pleasing and understandable image. The two original images were of 3 people i photographed sitting on deck chairs in Brighton and a steam boat on the River Thames. I used a black and white image and a colour image as I thought it would give the multiple expose more clarity.

Toning prints

I used photoshop to tone these prints by going to Image > Adjustments > Photo Filter. I preferred toning my prints on photoshop as you can increase/decrease the opacity of the layer to best suit the image. It was quite a simple process to create this piece of work, if used with a much more striking image I would definitely consider using this style of work for a final piece. I could develop these further by spot toning the image which is basically using the effect on part of my image.

In depth review of experimental work so far

 


In the AS-A2 project we explored different artists and there style of working. I learned a lot during that time , you can present an image in a variety of different ways such as cutting into it and popping it up in the style of Markus Kisson. This was a simple way of bringing your photo to life but the subject matter u decide to cut influences the end result of the image.

I was taken by an artist called Curtis Mann who bleaches coloured photographs using various techniques such as dipping the entire print into bleach then rinsing it under water, you see the image transform before your eyes as parts of it wash away and you are left with a surreal image with the effects of the bleach reminding you of fire and heat. I experimented in this style by bleaching prints but I first painted clear nail varnish over parts of the image i wanted to save & left it to dry. I then emerged the whole image into the bleach and the parts i hand covered with nail varnish remained whilst the rest dissolved off of the paper. I also dipped a cotton bud in bleach and used it to work into the image this gave me more control over my enhancement of the image. I really enjoyed this process and thought i would use it towards my final piece.

I experimented with pinning holes through images taking inspiration from Amy Friend and this is definitely a pathway I am going to go down to enhance my final piece. I found them so dreamlike and magical, not all of her images are her own some she bought or found but I really like a photo in particular which seemed to have been taken from a low angle. Definitely something i would consider using in my work.

Digital Manipulation on photoshop was one of my favourite experiments as you are not very limited as to what you can do, if you make a mistake you can undo it without having to start again from scratch. It is a very convenient way of working. I really liked how i was able to develop my own style from gaining inspiration from various tutorials and tweaking then to create my own way of working that i felt was suitable for my images.

Toning prints I experimented with using darkroom prints and food dye and also digital images and photoshop. I preferred the use of photoshop as I could easily change the opacity to suit my liking and also it wasn't such a messy job, when using the food dye it was sticky, dust dryer onto the food dye and left the darkroom prints looking messy which I did not like.

Handmade negatives wash an interesting angle to create prints from but I feel that it wouldn't go well with my theme unless i sandwich printed my handmade negative with a camera negative to create a something really interesting and different. I used sugar washing up liquid and food dye to create mine and i was surprised at how good they looked. Once putting the concoction into the negative carrier and enlarging it it reminded me of crystals and diamonds the sugar looked very nice.

Vignetting, Highlighting areas of Interest, Press Printing, Dodging

Original Print - Aperture 8, Exp. 5 Seconds

Vignetting

To vignette in the darkroom i simply cut out an oval shape in some paper and held it above the photographic paper, holding it still it gave a harsh edge to the oval shape. On my second attempt I moved the vignetting card around slowly and slightly to produce a soft edge which turned out to be my favourite. Using different shapes to create a vignette could be interesting, especially if they related to my work e.g. I could cut out londons horizon or something more simple like a cluster of trees which could make the photo more unusual and creative.

Original Print

For this print I used a dodging tool which I created using a piece of wire with black card taped to the end. I needed to dodge part of my photo to reduce the exposure time as the plant on the wall was coming up to dark, to create the desired effect throughout the exposure I slowly kept the dodge tool moving so the lighter part of the image was not a sudden effect which makes it look more realistic. 

Highlighting areas of interest

I exposed the paper for 3 seconds, put the coins on then exposed it for a further 4 seconds. I am not keen on this experiment, i like how key parts of the image show extra detail because they were exposed for a shorter time so the fact that i reigned in on the brickwork is more interesting but it isn't an experiment i enjoyed.

Press Printing

Using objects that relate to landscapes for press printing, I decided to use a brick as I have photographed a lot of urban landscapes so i decided it would be a good object to experiment with. I enjoyed press printing as you can decided more or less which part of your photo gets developed and it gives it an element of mystery as your left wandering what is missing. I would improve by using different methods of applying the developer.