Shape

Shape 

Definition & Theory

• A shape is an area enclosed by a line. It could be just an outline or it could be shaded in.
• Shapes can be either geometric (circle, triangle and square) or irregular (where the sides and angles are not equal).
• When drawing shapes, you must consider the size and position as well as the shape of the area around it. The shapes created in the spaces between shapes are referred to as negative space. 
• Negative space is the area which surrounds the main subject in your photo

Task 1

Bill Brandt 

He has photographed a series of images based on the female form. Its form his early work based on documenting the fixed social contrasts of pre -World War 2 life in Britain.

Brandt uses tight composition cropping the image creates three individual negative spaces. He also is associated with representing the body as a landscape or an abstract geometric form. Even working often with the female form to create images was sexualised context as it makes others think what is not being shown. He does it in much the same way as a classical sculptor portrays a nude. 

Research

Jonathan Knowles is my chosen photographer who is based in London and specialises in graphic still life, liquid and beauty. Over the last fourteen years he has gained many commissions which include campaigns for well known brands e.g. coca cola. I also liked his work because it linked in with my idea of using ice however he has made it explode where as i was going to melt it.

His liquid work shows what the human eye can not retain, showing explosive moments captured in a way that brings the image alive. Even though there is an absence of noise which you would expect. The extent of the planning that goes into each photo means that he can capture a moment in time that couldn't be repeated. This is due to the fact that if the shutter was a fraction of a second earlier or later the result would have been different. 

Exploding Ice photographic series 

The exploding ice was created using a block of ice and a gun. The effect achieved shows the ice braking apart creating beautiful shapes with light and dark areas that are all in focus. Almost implying that anything can be broken apart no matter how solid it is. The first photograph has the area of action highlighted using a spot light and this creates contrast in how translucent the ice is. This allows the image to retain the detail and capture the beauty as the ice exposed making fragments big and small making it look 3D. Also reminding me of a bunch of flowers the bigger fragment larger flowers and the smaller pieces leaves or smaller flowers.

The second photo has the spot light also shining on the area of action but what i love is that your eyes are drawn to the remaining piece of ice that hasn't exploded yet. This is because the ice has almost a spider web fracture and then a still solid piece that has beautiful colours from where the water has frozen. 

For both photos he uses a spot light to highlight the acton and a high shutter speed to capture the explosion. 

Image Bank

Contact Sheet (s)

Shoot 1

Shoot 2

Best Photos 

Needs improvement

I selected these photos as they didn't turn out how i was imagining them. The first photo didn't quite turn out how i wanted as the shadow on the bark of the tree doesn't stand out enough. As well as this the background is to busy so the attention it taken away from the shape of the shadow. As a result i found a less busy background and used a concert path. ( DSC - 1914.JPG ) 
The second and third photo had the same problem as they were both had blur and where also slightly out of focus.If i was to re take i need to make sure that my camera is in focus and i would use a tri-pod to hopefully stop the shake blur. 
The next photo you can see me in the bottom right hand corner taking the photo. As a result i needed to check my framing. As a result when i retook the photo ( DSC - 0908.JPG ) i made sure not to have me in the photo. However where the sun was at that time of day made it very difficult to take the photo with out the object i was taking in the photo, but i still really like the out come.
In the last photo the card tower is more 3 dimensional and therefore would be in form, this isn't helped by how the light falls across the cards. As a result if i was to take i would make sure to make the tower look flat.    

( AO:3 ) - Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress

When coming up with the ideas for shape i found it really difficult however but using a mind map it helped getting any ideas i did have down on paper. Jonathan Knowles my research artist helped me come up with i idea of using paint. This is because when i looked at how he used the ice it reminded me of paint and lip stick marks where you can see the out line but also the definitions of the lips. This is because of the definition in the ice before and after explosion. My image back was really helpful with coming up with the idea of using the silhouettes of people and objects. As well as this the idea from the aftermath of the ice exploding made me think of the after effects of the sun, forming a shadow.

I am happy with how my photos turned out however i do need to pay attention to the amount of light as well as if there is any shake on the camera. 

With reference to my Best Photos...

The first photo of the lip mark came from how Jonathan Knowles used detail in his shoot on ice. His way of showing the detail with in the shape before and after the explosion reminded me of how a lip stick mark has the same effect. 

The yellow hand print was also inspired in the same way by Jonathan Knowles and his use of detail. As during the explosion its many smaller shapes used to form the main shape and that works with how a hand print works as not all of the hand is printed on the paper.

The next photo is of a metal rail guard and i didn't what the object in the photo and as a result i had a really hard time framing this photo however i am really happy how the photo turned out. What i like the most about the photo is that the angle the sun was compared to the gate it angled the shadow as well as a result making it slanted. 

I like the next photo of the bollard as you can see what the object is that created the shadow. This photo was really difficult to take as i couldn't just get the shadow as the object was to thin and i couldn't hide my own shadow. 

I love the photo of the silhouette of the bike. This was inspired by Jonathan Knowles and his use of detail ( the gears and complex frame ), as well as how he uses how the ice exploding ( how i used the sun to cast the shadow ). I'm going to edit the photo in photoshop by seeing if i would look better in black and white or with a higher contrast.  

The last photo is also another one that i like as you have what looks like just a random shape however you then relies that it is a collection of different shapes  to form the one large looking shape. This was inspired by how Jonathan Knowles does the same thing, will how the exploding ice is lots of little pieces of ice forming a larger overall shape. 

( AO:2 ) - Explore and select appropriate resource, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.

I used my Nikon D3100 camera set to manual to take my photos. They where taken with an aperture setting between f stop 5.6 and f stop 8. On ISO 100 with a shutter speed of 1/125 and 1/60. The reason for the difference in shutter speed and aperture is the continuous change in sun light.

To improve my photos I imported my best photos into photoshop and used it to change the contrast to bring out the main focus in my photo. As well as this i also changed them into black and white to make the contrast more effective and bring out the the subject.
The information on how I did this is shown by using screen grab ( Ctrl, Shift, 4 ).

( AO:1 ) - Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding

The research i did helped me to think of different ideas in order to show shape. The artist research helped me focus on the difference between shape and form. As i was finding it really difficult to determine how to make something that is 3D become 2D. Jonatan Knowles helped me notice paint and lip mark and helped come up with the idea of shadows. This is through his use of detail in his shoots and how he uses the little shapes from the exploding ice to form the one large shape. 

( AO:4 ) - Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements

I believe that i have a good series of images that was inspired by my research on shape. The portrayal of Jonathan's photos allowed me to focus in and on my ideas. The final images produced where developed and refined in photoshop.