Definition & Theory
- Landscape - derived from the dutch word landscape meaning 'region, tract of land'.
- Definition - all the visible features of an area of land, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.
It was first used in 1598 as a painters term when artists were pioneering the landscape genre. Then used in the artistic sense by the English to describe ' a picture depicting scenery on land ' .
Image Bank
Dan Holdsworth
He is a British photographer who makes large scale photographs and digital art, through the use of traditional techniques. An example of this is when he uses unusually long expose times.
Some of his earliest series is called A Machine For Living ( 1999 - 2000 ) and Megalith ( 2002 ). Both use common places eg. a car park or broadcasting towers. His work is focused on using artificial light at night in urban areas this has made the landscape seem to be unnatural colours.
( AO:1)
Contact Sheets
My Best Photos
Images that need Improvement
These photos have been chosen because they didn't turn out how they where intended. For the first photo i didn't check my camera settings after i zoomed in, as a result the picture turned out completely out of focus. As a result i focused my camera and took the picture again, photo DSC 1502. JPG.
In the next photo i was trying to get the sun so it looked like a halo around the tree. However it set to quickly for me to line up the shot. This is because i was in a reasonably restricted space and couldn't get the right angle before the sun set. The second problem was that by this point i think the sun had set to far. As a result if i was to try and take this picture again i would have to wait for the sun to set and time the picture as best as i can. Also i may have to change the shutter speed to allow more light through onto the film.
In this photo i was inspired by Dan Holdsworth and his use of light in his photos especially in his series of Machines for Living. With the sun i was trying to create a shadowing effect on the building so you could only see the outline or only one side of the building. As well as this i liked the way he is able to capture the light where it has a effect making it look like a star. I was able to capture the starlike effect with the sun, which i absolutely love as it has the same effect as the lights in Dan Holdsworth's photo, Untitled ( A machine for Living ) 2000. This effect happens when you have a small aperture and a long exposure because it allows the light to defract. As a result intense light sources form these blade like features creating this effect. However my shutter speed was to short because it didn't let in enough light to capture the outline of the buildings or any lights that where on. As a result i retook the picture, DSC 1572 and i really like the result. What i did was that i changed the shutter speed and adjusted the aperture and as a result got the photo i was looking for.
The last photo was one of my worst because i really over exposed the photo, because of this you can't see most of the picture. The long exposure also washed out the colour and makes a effect where it looks like it is foggy however that on how i wanted the photo to come out. Another problem is that my picture isn't framed correctly and i have the part of a car in the photo as well as the bar in the bottom left hand corner. If i was to retake this image i would make sure i frame the photo so i don't get the car and bar in the final photo. I would also make the shutter speed shorter so i don't get as much natural light in the image.
( AO:3 ) - Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress
As i was creating an idea for what type of landscape i wanted to take photos of i was inspired by Dan Holdsworth. The idea of photographing the more urban skylines came from seeing his collection called A Machine for Living. However he normally shoot at night in order to get the artificial lights coming front the cars and buildings, this is what gave me the idea of trying to use the sun in the same way. This got me to start shooting at different times of the day facing towards the sun, so i had to wear the protective glasses i had at home when shooting so not to harm my eyes. The way i wanted to use the sun was to try and create the same star like effect that Dan Holdsworth creates in his images as well as tell a story of the different stages of the sun through the day. Dan Holdsworth's inspiration took me down the route of using the Sun for different effects in urban areas and using more traditional methods.
I am very pleased with how the photos turned out as i got a lot of different effects using the Sun. However i need to check that i have framed the pictures well.
With reference to my Best Photos ...
What i tried to do with this series was the cycle of the Sun, and the different effects that can be seen. They where all inspired by Dan Holdsworth and his work and i kept my photos reasonably dark to create a link between my photos and his.
My first image was taken in late evening, and i was inspired by Dan Holdsworth. It was shot so to frame the traffic lights and Sun, this kept the use of artificial light in my photo but also incorporated the use of natural from the Sun. This allowed a contrast to be created between the silhouette landscape and the coloured light given off by the Sun and traffic lights. What i also really like is that there is a cloud that looks like it is about to ingulf the Sun, implying that the earth is going to plunge into darkness without the use of artificial lights.
The sunsetting photo was inspired by the second image of Dan Holdsworth in my research as it has a large amount of negative space at the bottom of the photo. As a result i used the sun to almost create this halo effect around the trees and buildings forming a silhouette which allows for a lot of negative space to form at the bottom of the photo. I love how the only colours in the whole photo was black and orange as it creates a really interesting contrast and is different from black and white. This photo was taken on the highest ISO number as it was really dark out and the only light i had to work with was coming from the setting sun. It was really hard to focus however using a tripod helped me frame the shot easier.
The rising sun was also inspired by the second image shown in my research by Dan Holdworth as i looks like the sun is about to come up. So i used the sun to light up the sides of buildings and show the roof tops in Harlow. The use of a tripod helped my frame the photo and like Dan Holdsworth i used a long exposure time to create the star like effect using the Sun.
The last photo i took during the day as i wanted to bring out the builds to show the harsh line between the almost concrete like jungle of buildings and the open sky. I also looked to try and make the star like effect of the sun bigger almost as if it had exploded and i love how it engulfs the tops of buildings. I believe if i can edit it to show a higher contrast it can work well with the rest of the series.
( AO:2 ) - Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work development
I had to use my Nikon DS3100 camera set to manual, to take the photos shows as it has a wide range of setting allowing me to create extremely long exposure times of my photos. During the shoots i had to change my ISO number a lot due to the fact i was shooting at different times in the day so i had to use the whole range from 200 - 1600 on my camera. However i think in some photos i should have used a slightly different f stop as most of my pictures are quite dark. Although it does allow them to link but with my research better.
To improve my photos i am going to import them into photoshop and use the different tools to edit my photos. So if i am going to show my photos with a different contrast i am going to use the Brightness and Contrast tool. However i may lighten some of the photos so i may look at the adjustments to the brightness and the different layers of colour. The information about how i did this is shown below using an example from my work.
This images where take by using screen grab ( Ctrl, Shift, 4 ). The screenshots show how i edited my images by using the different tools in photoshop. An example is that i used the Brightness and contrast tool the most to create the different and desired levels and then couple that with the curves tool and to create the contrast.
( AO:1 ) - Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding
My research really helped to focus on a service that tells a story that happens everyday. The research on Dan Holdsworth was the most helpful as it helped me to come up with the idea of the suns cycle while using the urban landscape to show it. This helped me understand that landscape doesn't always mean the natural landscape and that humans have created there own type of landscape. This really helped as then i released i could use Harlow as a urban landscape, Dan Holdsworths work really showed me this. Allowing me to use his style with my ideas to create a series of photos making me release that urban landscape is just a beautiful in its own way compered to the natural landscape.
( AO:4 ) - Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements
I believe that this is a strong series of images inspired by my research and also showing a story creating a meaning behind them and a link to my research. Looking at different views and compositions of the landscape helped me to focus on the one idea. As a result the final images produced were refined in photoshop by developing the contrasts and adjusting the colours.
He is a British photographer who makes large scale photographs and digital art, through the use of traditional techniques. An example of this is when he uses unusually long expose times.
Some of his earliest series is called A Machine For Living ( 1999 - 2000 ) and Megalith ( 2002 ). Both use common places eg. a car park or broadcasting towers. His work is focused on using artificial light at night in urban areas this has made the landscape seem to be unnatural colours.
The first two images are from his collection called A Machine for Living and the last is from Megalith.
He used a abnormally long exposure time to be able to create a toxic, eerie glow from the artificial lights in and around the buildings, making them stand out. All the scenes are completely empty of people and with there saturated colour creates the feeling of loneliness implies how baron and uneasy these places are at night. The way he frames his images and the way the artificial light is reflected and defracted almost makes the image show off the whole architectural side of the building as if it was a model.
From this i gained inspiration so instead of using artificial light i am going to try and use the sun to create different effects that complement the landscape.
( AO:1)
Contact Sheets
My Best Photos
Images that need Improvement
These photos have been chosen because they didn't turn out how they where intended. For the first photo i didn't check my camera settings after i zoomed in, as a result the picture turned out completely out of focus. As a result i focused my camera and took the picture again, photo DSC 1502. JPG.
In the next photo i was trying to get the sun so it looked like a halo around the tree. However it set to quickly for me to line up the shot. This is because i was in a reasonably restricted space and couldn't get the right angle before the sun set. The second problem was that by this point i think the sun had set to far. As a result if i was to try and take this picture again i would have to wait for the sun to set and time the picture as best as i can. Also i may have to change the shutter speed to allow more light through onto the film.
In this photo i was inspired by Dan Holdsworth and his use of light in his photos especially in his series of Machines for Living. With the sun i was trying to create a shadowing effect on the building so you could only see the outline or only one side of the building. As well as this i liked the way he is able to capture the light where it has a effect making it look like a star. I was able to capture the starlike effect with the sun, which i absolutely love as it has the same effect as the lights in Dan Holdsworth's photo, Untitled ( A machine for Living ) 2000. This effect happens when you have a small aperture and a long exposure because it allows the light to defract. As a result intense light sources form these blade like features creating this effect. However my shutter speed was to short because it didn't let in enough light to capture the outline of the buildings or any lights that where on. As a result i retook the picture, DSC 1572 and i really like the result. What i did was that i changed the shutter speed and adjusted the aperture and as a result got the photo i was looking for.
The last photo was one of my worst because i really over exposed the photo, because of this you can't see most of the picture. The long exposure also washed out the colour and makes a effect where it looks like it is foggy however that on how i wanted the photo to come out. Another problem is that my picture isn't framed correctly and i have the part of a car in the photo as well as the bar in the bottom left hand corner. If i was to retake this image i would make sure i frame the photo so i don't get the car and bar in the final photo. I would also make the shutter speed shorter so i don't get as much natural light in the image.
( AO:3 ) - Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress
As i was creating an idea for what type of landscape i wanted to take photos of i was inspired by Dan Holdsworth. The idea of photographing the more urban skylines came from seeing his collection called A Machine for Living. However he normally shoot at night in order to get the artificial lights coming front the cars and buildings, this is what gave me the idea of trying to use the sun in the same way. This got me to start shooting at different times of the day facing towards the sun, so i had to wear the protective glasses i had at home when shooting so not to harm my eyes. The way i wanted to use the sun was to try and create the same star like effect that Dan Holdsworth creates in his images as well as tell a story of the different stages of the sun through the day. Dan Holdsworth's inspiration took me down the route of using the Sun for different effects in urban areas and using more traditional methods.
I am very pleased with how the photos turned out as i got a lot of different effects using the Sun. However i need to check that i have framed the pictures well.
With reference to my Best Photos ...
What i tried to do with this series was the cycle of the Sun, and the different effects that can be seen. They where all inspired by Dan Holdsworth and his work and i kept my photos reasonably dark to create a link between my photos and his.
My first image was taken in late evening, and i was inspired by Dan Holdsworth. It was shot so to frame the traffic lights and Sun, this kept the use of artificial light in my photo but also incorporated the use of natural from the Sun. This allowed a contrast to be created between the silhouette landscape and the coloured light given off by the Sun and traffic lights. What i also really like is that there is a cloud that looks like it is about to ingulf the Sun, implying that the earth is going to plunge into darkness without the use of artificial lights.
The sunsetting photo was inspired by the second image of Dan Holdsworth in my research as it has a large amount of negative space at the bottom of the photo. As a result i used the sun to almost create this halo effect around the trees and buildings forming a silhouette which allows for a lot of negative space to form at the bottom of the photo. I love how the only colours in the whole photo was black and orange as it creates a really interesting contrast and is different from black and white. This photo was taken on the highest ISO number as it was really dark out and the only light i had to work with was coming from the setting sun. It was really hard to focus however using a tripod helped me frame the shot easier.
The rising sun was also inspired by the second image shown in my research by Dan Holdworth as i looks like the sun is about to come up. So i used the sun to light up the sides of buildings and show the roof tops in Harlow. The use of a tripod helped my frame the photo and like Dan Holdsworth i used a long exposure time to create the star like effect using the Sun.
The last photo i took during the day as i wanted to bring out the builds to show the harsh line between the almost concrete like jungle of buildings and the open sky. I also looked to try and make the star like effect of the sun bigger almost as if it had exploded and i love how it engulfs the tops of buildings. I believe if i can edit it to show a higher contrast it can work well with the rest of the series.
( AO:2 ) - Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work development
I had to use my Nikon DS3100 camera set to manual, to take the photos shows as it has a wide range of setting allowing me to create extremely long exposure times of my photos. During the shoots i had to change my ISO number a lot due to the fact i was shooting at different times in the day so i had to use the whole range from 200 - 1600 on my camera. However i think in some photos i should have used a slightly different f stop as most of my pictures are quite dark. Although it does allow them to link but with my research better.
To improve my photos i am going to import them into photoshop and use the different tools to edit my photos. So if i am going to show my photos with a different contrast i am going to use the Brightness and Contrast tool. However i may lighten some of the photos so i may look at the adjustments to the brightness and the different layers of colour. The information about how i did this is shown below using an example from my work.
This images where take by using screen grab ( Ctrl, Shift, 4 ). The screenshots show how i edited my images by using the different tools in photoshop. An example is that i used the Brightness and contrast tool the most to create the different and desired levels and then couple that with the curves tool and to create the contrast.
( AO:1 ) - Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding
My research really helped to focus on a service that tells a story that happens everyday. The research on Dan Holdsworth was the most helpful as it helped me to come up with the idea of the suns cycle while using the urban landscape to show it. This helped me understand that landscape doesn't always mean the natural landscape and that humans have created there own type of landscape. This really helped as then i released i could use Harlow as a urban landscape, Dan Holdsworths work really showed me this. Allowing me to use his style with my ideas to create a series of photos making me release that urban landscape is just a beautiful in its own way compered to the natural landscape.
( AO:4 ) - Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements
I believe that this is a strong series of images inspired by my research and also showing a story creating a meaning behind them and a link to my research. Looking at different views and compositions of the landscape helped me to focus on the one idea. As a result the final images produced were refined in photoshop by developing the contrasts and adjusting the colours.
advice: please review the blogger structure and revise the content accordingly, there is a need for you to try to expand the tonal range (shadow detail) within the silhouette type images if this is not possible try shooting in camera RAW. There are other images on the contact sheet. which could be refined further (fog images on road daytime)... Please show edit changes and camera settings used as per the blogger example...
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