Work Record 8

Shoot 8

Plan for the shoot

The plan for this shoot is to use mirrors in order to distort and change the photos. I think that it would be really interesting to see how different and confusing the mirror can be. As well as this I'm going to do a small experiment in Photoshop with some normal non mirrored photos to see if I can create a distorted effect with them.

Location: The City

I choose to go back to the city because I can use the tall buildings. This will allow me to have many reflective surfaces as well as provide some interesting contrast photos. This is due to the new skyscrapers and the old brick buildings.

Resources

- tripod

- Nikon D3100, 18 - 55mm camera

- mirror

Techniques

- RAW shooting

Research influence

David Gutierrez and his series IMITATION.

(https://www.davidgutierrez.co.uk/london-photographer--architecture--reflections.html). 

This series was the inspiration for this piece of work as there was a lot of reflective surfaces. However he used water and puddles where as I am going to adapt this idea to using a mirror instead as it will reflect other things in it as well as merge buildings.

(From the series IMITATION, 'Trafalgar Square, 2011, London, UK' )
In this photo he used a puddle of still water to reflect the building and its lights with in it. The water also blurs the reflection in the corners and as a result it interesting to see how this affects the overall image.

(From the series IMITATION, 'Canary Wharf London, UK' )

In this photo the buildings in Canary Wharf are reflected in a large pool of water. However this one is really interesting because the only way you can tell that the bottom is the reflected image is because its reflecting the window lights of another buildings as well.

(From the series IMITATION, ' "Southbank Puddle" London, UK' )

For this last image on Southbank the viewer is able to tell that the puddle used was rather small due to the angle and the fact the picture was taken very low down. The puddle was also really shallow as you can make out the pavement underneath.

David Gutierrez - series 'VERTICAL' 

This photo is of somewhere in 'The City' of London, UK and has been manipulated in order to create the collage of these different buildings. The building on the bottom left i do know as the Loyds building when they put all the infrastructure on the outside of the building in order to use all the floor space. There lines within the photo they are vertical lines which do make you feel tiny as you can follow the building into the middle of the photo. The building in the middle at the bottom is the tallest an does seem to the on looker to go on forever.  

Image Bank 

This is another example of using a puddle of water to reflect the image however in this photo they have use Photoshop to create the lighting effect. 

This is a good example of using the glass on the building themselves in order to get the reflection. However I think this would be really difficult and i also want to not have a ton of repeats of the same object.

This image is like the first as it uses a puddle. This photo however has also been manipulated in Photoshop to enhance the blue tinge to the photo. I think I may try something like this on my photos.

This photo is interesting as it uses the River under Tower bridge in order to reflect the image. I really like this however this would have to be taken on a sunny and clear day with minimal wind otherwise the reflection would be to dark or to distorted. 

Contact Sheet(s)

Best Photos

Mirrored photos

In the first photo i really like how by using the mirror i was able to create a really juxtaposing photo between the old buildings and the new skyscrapers. This shows the changing face of London as it ages.

For the second photo I stood on a corner in order to get the busses coming from different directions. I really like how I was able to get the front of a bus in the mirror and the side profile in the shot. I also like how it doesn't show the whole side profile of the bus making the viewer interested on what is after the bus. This reminds me of the IMITATION series however instead of having an exact copy its the same object just from a different angle.

In this photo I used the vertical line of the building in order to line up the mirror in which I got the front of the bus within. The different lighting from the darker mirrored image creates a contrast with the lighter sky and grey buildings.

For this photo I took the mirror and held it so I was able to get the whole bus within the frame as well as to break up the photo more. This makes the viewer wonder what the other side is due to the coverage. 

In this photo I used the side of the building as the vertical line on which i placed the mirror. Having the gherkin in the reflection reconfirms that the photo was taken in London as its a well know figure. It also gives a hint to the VERTICAL series by the right hand building.

The last photo was highly inspired by the This reminds me of the IMITATION series where by reflecting it i am using the same building and causing it to almost fold in on itself. With in the photo it also was inspired by the VERTICAL series as well. This is shown in the building and angle that I took it at in order to increase its height. 

Normal non mirrored photos

(possibly edit to make a distorted photo or used Photoshop to duplicate)

With in this photo I used inspiration from the VERTICAL series in order to look at the correct angle for the photo. This creates a visual look where by there is no end to the buildings. Making the viewer highly interested in what is at the top of the buildings. As well as this the double buildings looks like the IMITATION series where its reflected in a similar way.

In this photo the main buildings are being hit by the Sun, I really like how the Sun is reflected in the glass. As well as this I really like how the leading line of the road then goes up the vertical building.

In the last photo it was inspired by the VERTICAL series by using the tall buildings and the angle at which it was taken. The buildings really lean in this photo and this can cause the viewer to feel intimidated. 

Needs improvement

This photo needed improvement as it was really overexposed. The sun was so bright on this building that it turned the sky white. I had to turn down the exposure make the shutter speed shorter. I learnt that I needed to pay attention to where the Sun was and how bright it was against the building.

I liked the idea of this where the building was in the wall however I couldn't get the effect I was looking for as the mirror was to small in if i was any further away I would have been in the photo with the camera and i didn't want that.

In this photo I was trying to cut out the path however the only way I could do this was at a tilt. I didn't like how the tilt was I wanted to have the only change to the normal be the reflection in the mirror.

For the last photo I was looking to try and merge to buildings which I what I manged in the end (DSC1208.NEF). This attempt was trying to use the line on the building as the point on where to cut the building as I through that would be interesting to see as it would be seamless. However the wind was the biggest problem and was continuously moving the camera.

AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress

For all of this shoot I was battling the wind. It was extremely windy this means that I really struggled against this in order to get clear photos. The wind was also gusting causing the mirror i was using to move as I clicked the camera to take the photo and therefore it was slightly different. I really had to rely or timing and a lot of patience. 

Best Photos

Mirrored photos
In the first photo i really like how by using the mirror i was able to create a really juxtaposing photo between the old buildings and the new skyscrapers. This shows the changing face of London as it ages.

For the second photo I stood on a corner in order to get the busses coming from different directions. I really like how I was able to get the front of a bus in the mirror and the side profile in the shot. I also like how it doesn't show the whole side profile of the bus making the viewer interested on what is after the bus. This reminds me of the IMITATION series however instead of having an exact copy its the same object just from a different angle.

In this photo I used the vertical line of the building in order to line up the mirror in which I got the front of the bus within. The different lighting from the darker mirrored image creates a contrast with the lighter sky and grey buildings.

For this photo I took the mirror and held it so I was able to get the whole bus within the frame as well as to break up the photo more. This makes the viewer wonder what the other side is due to the coverage.

In this photo I used the side of the building as the vertical line on which i placed the mirror. Having the gherkin in the reflection reconfirms that the photo was taken in London as its a well know figure. It also gives a hint to the VERTICAL series by the right hand building.
The last photo was highly inspired by the This reminds me of the IMITATION series where by reflecting it i am using the same building and causing it to almost fold in on itself. With in the photo it also was inspired by the VERTICAL series as well. This is shown in the building and angle that I took it at in order to increase its height. 

Normal non mirrored photos

(possibly edit to make a distorted photo or used Photoshop to duplicate)

With in this photo I used inspiration from the VERTICAL series in order to look at the correct angle for the photo. This creates a visual look where by there is no end to the buildings. Making the viewer highly interested in what is at the top of the buildings. As well as this the double buildings looks like the IMITATION series where its reflected in a similar way.

In this photo the main buildings are being hit by the Sun, I really like how the Sun is reflected in the glass. As well as this I really like how the leading line of the road then goes up the vertical building.

In the last photo it was inspired by the VERTICAL series by using the tall buildings and the angle at which it was taken. The buildings really lean in this photo and this can cause the viewer to feel intimidated. 

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

The settings i used:
ISO 100
F stop 8
Shutter Speed 1/160
Manual and Manual Focus.

AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other source, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding

For the mirrored photos I plan on doing little to them as I really like the styling however there needs to have some adjustment. However on the non mirrored ones I want to try and manipulate them so there are multiples of them and to see how that would look.

Photoshop

Mirrored photos
For the mirrored photos I did some basic Photoshop work using the main tools like: brightness and contrast, exposure, vibrancy and cropping for some. This was because I didn't want to over power the photo by doing something crazy and chaotic to them. This is because from the use of the mirror I already have obtained this effect.

Selection tool to highlight the mirror section and then inverse this, as i didn't want this section to be altered.

Brightness and Contrast tool used on the tall building to lower the impact to make it a little easier on the eye.

The exposure tool used on the sky as that was really over exposed after the brightness and contrasting took place.

Normal non mirrored photos

I selected the part of the photo that I am going to use and then create a pattern out of it to then use.

Then I created the background in a New page with the dimensions changed to 2500 width and length

I then added in the pattern which I had created.

Lastly I then looked at all the scales and moved them to the appropriate places

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

Mirrored photos

Normal non mirrored photos

Progression

If i get the time to do another shoot I may do more experimenting in Photoshop with the technique I used for the Non-mirrored photos. This is because i think the effect is really interesting and really reminds me of how complicated and confusing London is. As its easy to get lost and walking in circles. The technique also reminds me of how busy and Chaotic London is and I think this would be a good idea to have a shoot designated to this if I have the time.

Work Record 7

Shoot 7

Plan for the shoot

For this shoot I have decided to do a day and night shoot in one. This will allow a higher range of photos and could cause interesting edits. I am planning on doing some computer edits as i want to keep adding to my knowledge of how to edit and manipulate photos. I am going to take some still photos and use overlaying techniques to create a drastic effect. However, I also plan on using the colour splash from work record 6 as i liked the effect. As well as this it focused the viewer on the part of the image i wanted them to focus on.  

Location: 'Covent Garden + Seven Dials'

I re-chose this location because due to the time of year there is still so much to see and find on the streets of London. The amount of lights around the West-end which is in this location could make for some interesting edits. As a result I think that using the colours and building angles I can create some good edits where i can mix and match up photos and different techniques.

Resources

- tripod

- Nikon D3100, 18 - 55mm camera

Techniques

- RAW shooting

Research influence

Steven Irwin

This photo influenced my idea for over lapping photos to create a chaotic effect however it still brings movement to the image as the viewers eyes dance around the page as they what to take everything thing in and not miss parts. This reminds me of the technique double exposure and I think that using the the lights in the West-end would create a similar effect.

In my edits i like the idea that i can take a image and colour splash one section and this image created that idea. This is due to the use of the colours to pull the eyes to that part and that leads the viewer to move through the image.

Alexey Titarenko

This photo is part of my influence as it allowed me to look at the movement with in the photo and creates a different version of chaos with the motion blur. As well as this the photo show me how things will most likely look it black and white. Resulting in a better understanding of what my photos may look like.

Like the image above the fact the image is black and white allows me to understand how certain things may come out when a filter is added. The blur is also interesting as i what to create my own version of the chaos seen.

Image Bank 

All the images below are examples of colour splash, red being the main colour to draw in the eyes. This technique shown also pulls the eye to the more important part of the photo or to the part that allows the eyes to travel through the image from that point.

In the image the buses are colour splashed pull the viewers eyes down the road to the UK flags then through to the sky.

The bus again focuses the eye on the centre of the photo and as the viewer pulls out from that point they can see the large expanse of the building behind.

In this last photo the underground logo is the focus that pulls in the eyes. However due to the angle the eye then follows the sign as it reads.This leads to the eyes seeing the Elizabeth Tower and all the detail shown in black and white.

Contact sheets 

Best Photos

I split my photos into day and night as I want to use a different technique on each. For the day I want to use the colour splash idea shown above. Where as for the night i wanted to use double exposure to highlight and really bring out the colours of the lights.

Daytime.

The reason why this photo was taken is because there are many colours that could be picked for the colour splash. However I also think that the addition of the trees colour make the part difficult to edit. Although I think the addition of the trees creates an interesting texture and also breaks up the harsh block colour.

The dramatic angle of this photo was the reason why i picked it. It really shows how an effective way for the eyes to be pulled up a photo. I also thought that having this photo like the last photo in my image bank could create a good contrast.

This scene reminds me of the first photo in the image bank where the colour splash can led the eye down a path way. I think the angle of this already does this well however i think by colour splashing a part it could enhance the effect.

This photo really uses the idea of the intimidating vertical, however the darkness of the tree distracts from the base. I think by highlighting the bow or the container it could really pull the eyes there first to increase the this towering effect. This links to my first artist as his first image gave me the idea for the towering effect shown.

I chose this photo because i really like the lights and i liked how there was the doors and then another set further in creating this tunnel like effect. This however isn't as strong as i want it but this makes a good image to see how the colour splash may help improve it.

Night time.

The next photos are group into twos and the analysis of both are underneath. These groups are because they are the two photos that I have decided that I am going to use the double expose on together. If the photos do not work however I will look at and add in the editing the photo that I changed to and explain why.

For the first photo I really liked the dynamic look and the high contrast created by the dark roof and the 'fancy holiday hotel' look. I really like how the lights are pointed upwards creating sharp shadows and highlight that area. The photo that I am going to pair with it has amber lights and is much softer and relaxing compared to the harsh light. I like the angle on the photo as well and i think that this could provide an interesting edit as the photos are rather different.  

The next two start with the little cafe I really like how in this photo the middle of the photo where the sign is has the most light and that the eyes are brought down to the chairs. This creates a carming feeling and the amber lights add to this effect as they are known to be carming. The second photo again I wanted a high contrast photo with a more harsh light to contrast the amber, carm light. The way the blue light highlights and brings out the windows and forms the building shape is really interesting as it draws in the viewer.

For the next photo the massive vertical columns cause a really intimidating effect and also due to them being dark it adds to the effect. The idea was taken from Steven Irwin and his first photo inspired the idea of using vertical parts with in the photo and then double exposing them. I will adjust the angle though as the building is leaning slightly backwards. I really like the back lighting from the inner lighting on the building. The connecting photo I really like as the circle of lights around the post as it makes the viewers eyes move around the whole photo. I also like the movement of people around it but still keeping the main focus the lights.

For the last set of photos, the first has really strong angular features which is really emphasised by the placed lighting. This lighting impacts the features as I used the camera to under exposure the photo as well. A result is the very sharp lines of the building being highlighted. The second photo is also a little underexposed however the lights also created the same effect as the other photo. The lights in this photo are amber instead of white creating the carming feeling.  

Needs improvement

This photo isn't still and the angle is also rather odd due to it being to low and also tilted. Also there is no leading or way to move in the photo. A result of this is a very stagnant photo and does not fit with my work.

In this photo it is to dull and slightly blue due to the time of day and the sky reflecting on the buildings. The alleyway being lit up by the lams is really cool however the mystery effect I was planing on going for but there was a white light at the bottom ruining the effect.

The skyline photo was a good idea however wasn't executed well. My tripod was knocked a lot so i was using the edge of the bridge in order to stabilise the frame. However due to how far away i was i didn't known the camera lens that could zoom in the enough. 

The last photo didn't work out as it was poorly timed. This i because as I took the photo a bus came into frame and blocked the view of what I was trying to capture.

AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress

Best Photos

I split my photos into day and night as I want to use a different technique on each. For the day I want to use the colour splash idea shown above. Where as for the night i wanted to use double exposure to highlight and really bring out the colours of the lights.

Daytime

(1+2) The reason why this photo was taken is because there are many colours that could be picked for the colour splash. However I also think that the addition of the trees colour make the part difficult to edit. Although I think the addition of the trees creates an interesting texture and also breaks up the harsh block colour.
The dramatic angle of this photo was the reason why i picked it. It really shows how an effective way for the eyes to be pulled up a photo. I also thought that having this photo like the last photo in my image bank could create a good contrast.

(3+4) This scene reminds me of the first photo in the image bank where the colour splash can led the eye down a path way. I think the angle of this already does this well however i think by colour splashing a part it could enhance the effect.This links to my first artist as his first image gave me the idea for the towering effect shown.

I chose this photo because i really like the lights and i liked how there was the doors and then another set further in creating this tunnel like effect. This however isn't as strong as i want it but this makes a good image to see how the colour splash may help improve it.
(5+6) 

Night time

For the first photo I really liked the dynamic look and the high contrast created by the dark roof and the 'fancy holiday hotel' look. I really like how the lights are pointed upwards creating sharp shadows and highlight that area. The photo that I am going to pair with it has amber lights and is much softer and relaxing compared to the harsh light. I like the angle on the photo as well and i think that this could provide an interesting edit as the photos are rather different.
The next two start with the little cafe I really like how in this photo the middle of the photo where the sign is has the most light and that the eyes are brought down to the chairs. This creates a carming feeling and the amber lights add to this effect as they are known to be carming. The second photo again I wanted a high contrast photo with a more harsh light to contrast the amber, carm light. The way the blue light highlights and brings out the windows and forms the building shape is really interesting as it draws in the viewer.
For the next photo the massive vertical columns cause a really intimidating effect and also due to them being dark it adds to the effect. The idea was taken from Steven Irwin and his first photo inspired the idea of using vertical parts with in the photo and then double exposing them. I will adjust the angle though as the building is leaning slightly backwards. I really like the back lighting from the inner lighting on the building. The connecting photo I really like as the circle of lights around the post as it makes the viewers eyes move around the whole photo. I also like the movement of people around it but still keeping the main focus the lights.
For the last set of photos, the first has really strong angular features which is really emphasised by the placed lighting. This lighting impacts the features as I used the camera to under exposure the photo as well. A result is the very sharp lines of the building being highlighted. The second photo is also a little underexposed however the lights also created the same effect as the other photo. The lights in this photo are amber instead of white creating the carming feeling. 

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

All techniques where done in Manual and Manual Focus.

Colour splash.

The settings i used for the daytime:
ISO 100
F stop 8
Shutter Speed 1/125

Double Exposure

The settings i used for the night time:
ISO 800
F stop 5
Shutter Speed 1/30

AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other source, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding

When editing I had decided to edit the Daytime photos differently to how I edited the Night time ones. For this I used colour splash computer experiment to highlight a certain section of the photo in order to attract the viewers eyes to that part first. This will allow the eyes to follow a set path as well as extenuate certain elements of the photo. How I did this is shown below:

Photoshop - Daytime, colour splash

The fist thing I did was to crop anything that I didn't want with in the photo. For example above I removed the tops in the road works that were taking place.

Afterwards I used the Lens Correction tool in order to correct the angles and the tilts on any of the photo.

Lastly I used the selection tool to surround the part of the photo that I want to remain in colour. I then right clicked and selected the inverse, adding a black and white filter. This created the effect shown above. In the example I choose the tree in order to pull the eyes of the viewer down to the tree and then past it. Therefore giving the photo a direction and therefore movement.

Photoshop - Night time, double exposure

I used this computer experiment on the night time photos in order to get the biggest effect out of the lights in the photos as well as the different angles I took them at. I also think that they will create really interesting photos. How I did this is shown below:

Firstly I edited the photos using different tools in Photoshop in order to have them how I wanted them before starting the editing. I used tools like the exposure, contrast, highlights and shadows.

I then put them one on top of the other with having the background one photo and Layer 1 being the photo that I wanted to use with it.

I then used the opacity tool to merge the two photos together creating a different amount of the effect. I also used the tool next to it as it had different options of how the photos where merged together. On top of that I also did any other editing on top, for example in this edit I played a little more with the Brightness and Contrast tool.

In some other photos I also looked at cutting out sections in order to revile the photo below. I used this as and example as it clearly shows where i changed the background to revile the underneath. I also used this along with the other part of the technique shown above.

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

Daytime - colour splash

Night time - double exposure

Progression

I really like how in this shoot I did a lot of computer manipulation and i'm really happy with how the photos came out. I really like the chaotic vibe coming from the photos and I want to continue this idea of manipulating and distorting in my next shoot.

For the Daytime photos I am really glad how they came out and they also go really well with my previous work. The use of the colour splash really helped the emphasis of the direction of the movement as it allowed me to almost direct the eye of the viewer.

The Night time photos I prefer more as they embody the idea of movement in terms of chaotic movement as the views eyes don't know where to look. I think they are definitely the most chaotic photos I have done however I think this is a good thing because London is a very busy and chaotic city. Shown as even during the night the city is still clearly alive and buzzing with energy and I think this really helped capture it.

What i am looking for:
- movement
- maybe some distortion work