Unit 2: The Externally Set Task
*W.W.W= WHAT WENT WELL
*E.B.I= EVEN BETTER IF
*E.B.I= EVEN BETTER IF
My Starting Point: EDGES
As a starting point for my externally set task I am going to look at 'Edges'. I have not come across any of the photographers linked with edges such as Laura Letinsky and Jan Groover. But I plan to research them and develop my knowledge on different interpretations of edges and experimenting with scales and sizes. I will use skills and techniques I have learned by doing my abstraction page and link them to the theme. My Initial Plan:
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EDGES PINTEREST: tallisarts
Photo shoot #1: School
EVALUATION
*W.W.W These are the first images I took based on the theme edges. I took these using an Ipod, I like these images particularly because I have focused on cropping them all so the largest/ main subject is the edge and there is nothing else unrelated in the photo.
*E.B.I I think these images would be even better if I had a plan before I went out, I could have added more reflections and different textures.
SUB-THEME IDEAS:
*W.W.W These are the first images I took based on the theme edges. I took these using an Ipod, I like these images particularly because I have focused on cropping them all so the largest/ main subject is the edge and there is nothing else unrelated in the photo.
*E.B.I I think these images would be even better if I had a plan before I went out, I could have added more reflections and different textures.
SUB-THEME IDEAS:
- Cropping
- Low shots/ high shots
- Shadows
- Textures
- Edges of pavements/ roads
Photo shoot #2: Nature
*W.W.W I like this set of images as they are all very different and use a range of colours. Some edges are more obvious than others and I like using one edge near the front and the background is quite busy so it's a nice contrast.
*E.B.I One thing I would do differently when taking these images is try and zoom in and/ or crop the image so it's more detailed or shows an edge closer up, this would have made it unclear and more inviting , as you may not know what it is.
*E.B.I One thing I would do differently when taking these images is try and zoom in and/ or crop the image so it's more detailed or shows an edge closer up, this would have made it unclear and more inviting , as you may not know what it is.
Popplet: EDGES
Click on the image to go to my popplet, which links lots of different photographers together who take photos of edges with different 'sub' themes such as shadows/reflections.
Laura Letinsky
Laura Letinsky is a Canadian contemporary photographer, best known for her still lifes. Much of Letinsky's work alludes to human presence, without including any actual figures. She does this because her images feature simple, everyday objects that people would use (usually after a meal). Mainly on tables against walls, her photographs are very minimal but interesting and focus strongly on the theme 'edges'. A lot of the everyday images such as oranges, plants, mugs, contrast with the colours of the background
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Laura Letinsky: Inspiration |
Laura Letinsky images
My favourite Laura Letinsky image
This is my favourite image of Laura Letinsky's, I like the vivid colours (reds ,greens and yellows) against the plain white cloth and white plates. These colours make the edges look very emphasised. I like this image because it creates shapes that look very symmetrical such as circles, ovals, diamonds etc... I like the way that you can interpret the image however you like. Even though Letinsky it sticking with the theme of 'how the table looks at the end of a meal', I would imagine this to be taken during summer because of the fruit and bright colours.
This is my favourite image of Laura Letinsky's, I like the vivid colours (reds ,greens and yellows) against the plain white cloth and white plates. These colours make the edges look very emphasised. I like this image because it creates shapes that look very symmetrical such as circles, ovals, diamonds etc... I like the way that you can interpret the image however you like. Even though Letinsky it sticking with the theme of 'how the table looks at the end of a meal', I would imagine this to be taken during summer because of the fruit and bright colours.
Photo Shoot #3: Laura Letinsky inspired images
Evaluation
*W.W.W I like these images because I feel they look very similar to Laura Letinskys. I like the minimal aspect of them with the white background and table. Each photo represents how the table would look after you have eaten a meal but in a slightly abstract way. I like how the plain background emphasises the edges more.
*E.B.I I feel that some of the images look slightly forced, I think if I was to do them again I would have made them look more messy and realistic, as if people had actually left the table. I also would have tried to get more actual food.
*W.W.W I like these images because I feel they look very similar to Laura Letinskys. I like the minimal aspect of them with the white background and table. Each photo represents how the table would look after you have eaten a meal but in a slightly abstract way. I like how the plain background emphasises the edges more.
*E.B.I I feel that some of the images look slightly forced, I think if I was to do them again I would have made them look more messy and realistic, as if people had actually left the table. I also would have tried to get more actual food.
Editing Process
I felt as if many of my Laura Letinsky images were very yellow and needed cropping so I went on photoshop and screenshot my editing process. Also I used the rule of thirds to analyse each section of the image. This helped improve the balance and the proportions of the image.
I started with the original image which looked very yellow and needed cropping.
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I then went onto image: adjustments: levels to edit the different tones in the image
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I then used the white, grey and black tools to click on the darkest and lightest parts of the image which changes the colour level.
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This is what the photos looked like after I completed this editing process on all of them that had a yellow/ brown colour:
EVALUATION OF EDITING PROCESS
I feel by editing these images it has not only made them clearer but made the edges more prominent. It also shows where the shadows are and the contrast between the wall and the table, something Laura Letinsky shows in most of her images. Overall I feel I have successfully done my Laura Letinsky inspired images as I have not copied her but interpreted her images and done my own version.
I feel by editing these images it has not only made them clearer but made the edges more prominent. It also shows where the shadows are and the contrast between the wall and the table, something Laura Letinsky shows in most of her images. Overall I feel I have successfully done my Laura Letinsky inspired images as I have not copied her but interpreted her images and done my own version.
Rule of thirds
Once I had edited the colour of the image, I used the rule of thirds to analyse sections of the image so it would look balanced and symmetrical.
My favourite image
This is my favourite of Jan Groover's images as I like that it's cropped/ zoomed in so you can only really see the reflection on the knife. I like that the main subject of the image is reflected so it's showing what is behind the camera.
I also like that the colours and tone in the image are very calm and I feel that it's very peaceful. The fact that groover uses stainless steel to reflect a pattern is much more interesting and creative than if it was just a plant.
The background in the image is blurry and the cutlery is in focus in front, creating very sharp, clear edges in the image.
I also like that the colours and tone in the image are very calm and I feel that it's very peaceful. The fact that groover uses stainless steel to reflect a pattern is much more interesting and creative than if it was just a plant.
The background in the image is blurry and the cutlery is in focus in front, creating very sharp, clear edges in the image.
Photo shoot #4: Jan Groover Response
I really liked and was inspired Jan Groover's photography so I decided to take some photographs of my own based on some of Jan Groovers images, I used the effect 'Noir' (Black & white)
EVALUATION
*W.W.W I like that all of the images are very close up so you can't see objects around it. I also like the fact that the background is plain white, not only making the edges more prominent but so you can see the shadows of the objects (mainly forks). I like that you can see lots of different shapes in the images, with round, spiky, smooth and jagged edges.
*E.B.I I think these images would be even better if I used different objects (other than cutlery) Maybe objects such as fruit or plants, this would have added an element of colour if I changed the effect and would have made a different shape.
*W.W.W I like that all of the images are very close up so you can't see objects around it. I also like the fact that the background is plain white, not only making the edges more prominent but so you can see the shadows of the objects (mainly forks). I like that you can see lots of different shapes in the images, with round, spiky, smooth and jagged edges.
*E.B.I I think these images would be even better if I used different objects (other than cutlery) Maybe objects such as fruit or plants, this would have added an element of colour if I changed the effect and would have made a different shape.
Photo shoot #5: More Jan Groover inspired images
I took a second set of Jan Groover inspired images but I made them in colour, and added other objects rather than just cutlery, so they were a bit different from the first set.
3RD JAN GROOVER RESPONSE: REFLECTIONS
I felt that my other set of images did not show enough reflections, so I found some reflective objects (Spoons & christmas decorations) and I reflected them with some colourful flowers.
*W.W.W I like this set of images as unlike my other Jan Groover response, they are in colour so you can see some reflections and the shine of the cutlery. It is also nice with the flowers as they add a splash of colour to quite simple images, I also like the way focus has worked on some images as they are really sharp and clear.
*E.B.I I think it would be even better if I made sure the focus was sharp on all the pictures to show a clear edge. I also could have done more reflections, a it would look good on stainless steel.
*E.B.I I think it would be even better if I made sure the focus was sharp on all the pictures to show a clear edge. I also could have done more reflections, a it would look good on stainless steel.
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy
Photo shoot #6: Laszlo Moholy-Nagy Response
I took these photos on a canon DSLR, I put the effect in Black & White on iPhoto.
*W.W.W I feel the black & white works really well on these images as it emphasises the edges, particularly around the windows. I also like the angles the pictures are taken from as they make the photos look more symmetrical.
*E.B.I I feel these pictures could be even better if there was more detail, or different shapes (maybe people) I also feel they were quite restricted because I took them at school, so I could improve by using different building (maybe pone with a balcony).
*E.B.I I feel these pictures could be even better if there was more detail, or different shapes (maybe people) I also feel they were quite restricted because I took them at school, so I could improve by using different building (maybe pone with a balcony).
Final piece #1
Evaluation
I took these images as a response to the photographer Jan Groover, who takes a lot of images using stainless steel (cutlery) and reflecting them with other objects. I went with this idea but used all kinds of reflective surfaces like christmas decorations and serving spoons. I decided to use flowers and greenery as I feel they added colour to the picture and contrasted well with the white background. I displayed the pictures like this by halving the images in photoshop and printing them A3 so when put together they would make A2. I then mounted them on plain white card. I think these images work well with each other as the purple and pink colours go together, there is also a lot of negative space in the image which not only makes the edges more prominent (from the leaves) but doesn't overpower the image. |
Final piece #2
Evaluation
I took two different images as I put the pictures in two different orders. I like the way the first one looks as the darker, more orange colours are together and they link to the brighter coloured images. However I also like the second image as it's much more compact and looks very defined (linking to edges). I created each image by printing out pictures of my flowers reflected on different objects, and then over the top printed the black and white images of cutlery. I feel it worked really well as you can clearly see both images but the dark sharp edges from the knifes and forks contrast with the soft pink and green colours from the flowers. There are also strong, defined edges in all the photos. |
FINAL EVALUATION
I chose the theme edges because I felt there were such a broad range of objects I could use to represent this. I also like the architectural aspect of photography (using buildings) which is perfect for this theme. I also feel because most things have an edge, you can be very creative with this theme and rotate or flip the image to change the way or where the edge is.
I started by going outside (with a DSLR cannon camera) without an idea and taking pictures of things I noticed have an edge, such as the pavement line, the edge of a building, a bin and more. Then I started to research some photographers (all named in my website) so I could get an idea of some different types of photo ideas. I created my response to different photos linking it to certain 'sub-themes' like reflection, light and shadow. I also used photo shop on many images to put them in an effect (such as black & white) so they would have the same feel as the original photographers image. An idea I have developed linked with my chosen theme: edges is using reflections. So using objects that have an edge, mainly cutlery as they have very defined, sharp shapes and reflect colours well. I got the reflection idea from the photographer Jan Groover.
The first set of images I took in response to another photographer was ‘how the dinner table looks after a meal’. I was inspired by Laura Letinsky to take these. As she uses plain white tables and white backgrounds, I used the studio to create this and the soft boxes to give a soft light to the images. As the photos had slight orange colour to them, I wanted to balance the colours to make them plain white (like Letinsky). I used the colour correction tool on photo shop to balance the colours, I did this by using the tear drop tools to click on the darkest and lightest parts of the image.
I also used photo shop with my response to Jan Groover: ‘using cutlery’ (as it has so many sharp shapes). I used photo shop to add a black and white effect on my first set to emphasise the shadows and edges, it also made it my own (being inspired by the photographer rather than copying her).
I have used a variety of different techniques on my website and different weebly features such as photo gallery, slideshows, double columns, texts hyperlinks and embedded videos and pictures. This has not only made it easier for the person viewing the site but the layout is much neater. I also used other sites such as popplet to organise my work and put the information I had gathered into a mind map and find links.
I have made two final pieces overall, the first one was using two photographs in response to Jan Groover, this was reflecting flowers on metal objects. I printed the photos out in two A3 pictures and stuck them together using 'photo mount' to make an A2 picture. For my second final image I used the same Jan Groover response (reflecting flowers on metal objects) and printed the Black and white flowers over the top which really emphasised the edges in the photo and had a nice contrast of dark and light colours. All the photos were A4 and I pinned them to the white wall in two different ways to see which I preferred. I evaluated both of my images, and have done a 'what went well' and 'even better if' on all of my responses (photos) to see how I can improve.
I am really happy with the progress I have made in Unit 2, I have improved and made new sets of images based on my 'what went well' and 'even better if' but overall I am very pleased with all my photographs and both final pieces.
I started by going outside (with a DSLR cannon camera) without an idea and taking pictures of things I noticed have an edge, such as the pavement line, the edge of a building, a bin and more. Then I started to research some photographers (all named in my website) so I could get an idea of some different types of photo ideas. I created my response to different photos linking it to certain 'sub-themes' like reflection, light and shadow. I also used photo shop on many images to put them in an effect (such as black & white) so they would have the same feel as the original photographers image. An idea I have developed linked with my chosen theme: edges is using reflections. So using objects that have an edge, mainly cutlery as they have very defined, sharp shapes and reflect colours well. I got the reflection idea from the photographer Jan Groover.
The first set of images I took in response to another photographer was ‘how the dinner table looks after a meal’. I was inspired by Laura Letinsky to take these. As she uses plain white tables and white backgrounds, I used the studio to create this and the soft boxes to give a soft light to the images. As the photos had slight orange colour to them, I wanted to balance the colours to make them plain white (like Letinsky). I used the colour correction tool on photo shop to balance the colours, I did this by using the tear drop tools to click on the darkest and lightest parts of the image.
I also used photo shop with my response to Jan Groover: ‘using cutlery’ (as it has so many sharp shapes). I used photo shop to add a black and white effect on my first set to emphasise the shadows and edges, it also made it my own (being inspired by the photographer rather than copying her).
I have used a variety of different techniques on my website and different weebly features such as photo gallery, slideshows, double columns, texts hyperlinks and embedded videos and pictures. This has not only made it easier for the person viewing the site but the layout is much neater. I also used other sites such as popplet to organise my work and put the information I had gathered into a mind map and find links.
I have made two final pieces overall, the first one was using two photographs in response to Jan Groover, this was reflecting flowers on metal objects. I printed the photos out in two A3 pictures and stuck them together using 'photo mount' to make an A2 picture. For my second final image I used the same Jan Groover response (reflecting flowers on metal objects) and printed the Black and white flowers over the top which really emphasised the edges in the photo and had a nice contrast of dark and light colours. All the photos were A4 and I pinned them to the white wall in two different ways to see which I preferred. I evaluated both of my images, and have done a 'what went well' and 'even better if' on all of my responses (photos) to see how I can improve.
I am really happy with the progress I have made in Unit 2, I have improved and made new sets of images based on my 'what went well' and 'even better if' but overall I am very pleased with all my photographs and both final pieces.