Final Evaluation
My work has developed through my shoots from how I have learnt how to use my camera to how I learnt to use photoshop. The shoots have really helped as they have allowed me to really get to understand how my camera works and learn all the different things it can do.
My research has had a large influence on the photos I have ended up taking. Peter Keetman was the first person I did some research on and ended up really liking his series called " a week at the factory". His impact came down to the fine detail within photos and how each component would work together. The lines used and how they pull you into a photo and made you follow them was really interesting for me and through most of my work I looked for ways I could draw in and engage the viewer of my photos. Imogen Cunningham was the next influence as this is the point were I really started to like and work with Black and White photos. In the post form I really learnt and engaged with the idea of black and white photography. As you look through my work you can see how I carry on and improve on my black and white work. I really liked working with photoshop to improve on this as it allowed me to learn and work on how to see what a photo would look like in black and white. This allowed me to understand in my head how to do a colour change with what I am looking and working with. When I did research for Tone I learnt about the zone system, shadows and highlights. This really helped me with my black and white work, and from the inspiration from Peter Keetman I looked at black and white fine detail work. This made my Form photos some of my favourites. They were hard to shoot as I had an idea of what to look for and what I liked and when I got the photos I was looking for I loved the idea more. Working with black and white even went in to my latest photos on my portraiture independent shoot where I used fine detail and my knowledge build from my other shoots. Annie Leibovitz was probably the last big influence from my research as it really got me to realize that you can put emotions and thoughts into the photo through someone. This really inspired me to look into it and try to bring emotions and thought into a photo. This had a big impact in my last independent shoot as the second shoot was all about emotion and personality through black and white photography.
I had no technical skill when I started this course. I had no idea about how my camera worked, what photoshop was and all the tools used in a studio. The first set of skills i learnt was how to use my camera. This included were all my setting were located on my camera and what each setting does. This made a large impact on my work as i was learning with every photo i took. All of this was learnt during my first post Line. Another thing in Line i learnt about was photoshop and how to use a couple of the basic tools. E.g. Brightness and Contrast tool and a how to apply a black and white filter.
This had a effect on my work as i was learning how to edit my photos to show there relation to the artists.
During Tone and also Form i developed on my camera knowledge. I started working with studio lighting and natural light. In the studio i used a cone cover on a light to make directed light in Tone and learnt how that form highlights and shadows. This also developed as i learnt in a controlled environment the shutter speed and aperture differences. As a result when i started working with continuously changing sunlight i was able to adjust the camera setting fast and according to how much light and quality of light there was. I also learnt in form how to shoot in black and white from my camera. My photoshop skills also developed as i started looking at curves and levels in order to edit and develop my photos further.
I learnt how to shoot at different times of day in landscape where i developed a better understanding of colour and the effects of light. This developed my work as i could then shoot in different lights and the changing light during the day didn't bother me as i knew how to counter act it. I also developed my photoshop skills really looking at how to use hue and saturation as an example due to not fully understanding from colour.
Lastly I challenged myself in portraiture and the independent shoots. In the first independent shoot i looked back at colour and took a different approach by looking a coloured glass and the shadows they form using sun light. This really developed my camera technique as i had to work fast with the sun and i had to frame the pictures just right in so i really had to look back at the rule of thirds and composition technique posts. In portraiture and the other independent shoot i changed how i used a background so in the studio i learnt look to set up the box lights and how to make them flash at the same time as i took the photo. I also looked at backgrounds so in the studio i learnt about the different colours but then i went one step further developing the idea by using textured backgrounds in the independent shoot. I also developed my photoshop skills as i learnt new tools like the healing brush and spot brush. Which i used to develop my photos in the independent shoots on portraiture along with the other technics.
All this has massively impacted my work as i developed an eye for taking photos and also being able to imagine how it would look in black and white. As well as this learning all the new skill means i can take photos outside as well as in a studio, and allowing me to be flexible a work with what i have. Photoshop plays a small part in how i can edit a photo slightly and now i'm able to correct / put a different interpretation into the photo.
The way i take a photo has changed through the course as i have developed and grown a liking to black and white photography. Before the course i just picked up a camera and took a photo and didn't think about what it would look like or even put much thought about what i was photographing. Now i have changed how i look for a photo i have improved by looking at the everyday and how i can interpret it differently. This came from my artists that i researched, e.g Imogen Cunningham, where she took something that is everyday and showed the flower in a different light and angle, bring out the beauty you would otherwise not see.
Some physical experiments i did was working with different backgrounds. I experimented with different coloured backgrounds as well as different textured background / unconditional backgrounds which some people may say are ' ugly'. Other experiments include working in black and white instead of colour, with the first post of this experiment being in form. As well as this in the post landscapes I also worked at dusk and night.
My computer experiments have been demonstrated as I have learnt to use Photoshop throughout the course. The first thing I demonstrated is that I could change the colour via black and white filters, contrasting and highlight using curves. I developed and learnt new skills in my post colour. This is because I was working with coloured photos, resulting in me learning how to use the colour balance tool. From this posts I used the curves, levels, black and white filter, hue saturation and colour balance in order to improve my photos and also improve this skills on the computer. The next big experiment was composite image making. During this I learnt to layer items and then transform them, or blend them in to another photo. I then demonstrated these new skills on the post with two more composite images. Lastly I learnt and demonstrated how to use the healing brush as well as develop my other skills. This aloud me to put out in my opinion some really great photos that are much more developed than they where. Improvement is really emphasised after I've experimented.
I think that my work is developing in black and white photography as I believe that this was one of my most successful areas. As well as that I think that I have a good eye for different framing and angles for photos. I also liked working up close to my subject like in my form posts, as well as working with someone in my portraiture and independent shoot photo genres. This are the areas of my work that i believe are successful.
I think the areas i was least successful in were documentary as i didn't really connect with the topic and it wasn't the most enjoyable posts. I also struggled with colour as i didn't understand what i was doing or how to make a link. This wasnt helped that i had no ideas. However in the independent shoots formal elements i took another look at colour and i really developed in that post.
I had no technical skill when I started this course. I had no idea about how my camera worked, what photoshop was and all the tools used in a studio. The first set of skills i learnt was how to use my camera. This included were all my setting were located on my camera and what each setting does. This made a large impact on my work as i was learning with every photo i took. All of this was learnt during my first post Line. Another thing in Line i learnt about was photoshop and how to use a couple of the basic tools. E.g. Brightness and Contrast tool and a how to apply a black and white filter.
This had a effect on my work as i was learning how to edit my photos to show there relation to the artists.
During Tone and also Form i developed on my camera knowledge. I started working with studio lighting and natural light. In the studio i used a cone cover on a light to make directed light in Tone and learnt how that form highlights and shadows. This also developed as i learnt in a controlled environment the shutter speed and aperture differences. As a result when i started working with continuously changing sunlight i was able to adjust the camera setting fast and according to how much light and quality of light there was. I also learnt in form how to shoot in black and white from my camera. My photoshop skills also developed as i started looking at curves and levels in order to edit and develop my photos further.
I learnt how to shoot at different times of day in landscape where i developed a better understanding of colour and the effects of light. This developed my work as i could then shoot in different lights and the changing light during the day didn't bother me as i knew how to counter act it. I also developed my photoshop skills really looking at how to use hue and saturation as an example due to not fully understanding from colour.
Lastly I challenged myself in portraiture and the independent shoots. In the first independent shoot i looked back at colour and took a different approach by looking a coloured glass and the shadows they form using sun light. This really developed my camera technique as i had to work fast with the sun and i had to frame the pictures just right in so i really had to look back at the rule of thirds and composition technique posts. In portraiture and the other independent shoot i changed how i used a background so in the studio i learnt look to set up the box lights and how to make them flash at the same time as i took the photo. I also looked at backgrounds so in the studio i learnt about the different colours but then i went one step further developing the idea by using textured backgrounds in the independent shoot. I also developed my photoshop skills as i learnt new tools like the healing brush and spot brush. Which i used to develop my photos in the independent shoots on portraiture along with the other technics.
All this has massively impacted my work as i developed an eye for taking photos and also being able to imagine how it would look in black and white. As well as this learning all the new skill means i can take photos outside as well as in a studio, and allowing me to be flexible a work with what i have. Photoshop plays a small part in how i can edit a photo slightly and now i'm able to correct / put a different interpretation into the photo.
The way i take a photo has changed through the course as i have developed and grown a liking to black and white photography. Before the course i just picked up a camera and took a photo and didn't think about what it would look like or even put much thought about what i was photographing. Now i have changed how i look for a photo i have improved by looking at the everyday and how i can interpret it differently. This came from my artists that i researched, e.g Imogen Cunningham, where she took something that is everyday and showed the flower in a different light and angle, bring out the beauty you would otherwise not see.
Some physical experiments i did was working with different backgrounds. I experimented with different coloured backgrounds as well as different textured background / unconditional backgrounds which some people may say are ' ugly'. Other experiments include working in black and white instead of colour, with the first post of this experiment being in form. As well as this in the post landscapes I also worked at dusk and night.
My computer experiments have been demonstrated as I have learnt to use Photoshop throughout the course. The first thing I demonstrated is that I could change the colour via black and white filters, contrasting and highlight using curves. I developed and learnt new skills in my post colour. This is because I was working with coloured photos, resulting in me learning how to use the colour balance tool. From this posts I used the curves, levels, black and white filter, hue saturation and colour balance in order to improve my photos and also improve this skills on the computer. The next big experiment was composite image making. During this I learnt to layer items and then transform them, or blend them in to another photo. I then demonstrated these new skills on the post with two more composite images. Lastly I learnt and demonstrated how to use the healing brush as well as develop my other skills. This aloud me to put out in my opinion some really great photos that are much more developed than they where. Improvement is really emphasised after I've experimented.
I think that my work is developing in black and white photography as I believe that this was one of my most successful areas. As well as that I think that I have a good eye for different framing and angles for photos. I also liked working up close to my subject like in my form posts, as well as working with someone in my portraiture and independent shoot photo genres. This are the areas of my work that i believe are successful.
I think the areas i was least successful in were documentary as i didn't really connect with the topic and it wasn't the most enjoyable posts. I also struggled with colour as i didn't understand what i was doing or how to make a link. This wasnt helped that i had no ideas. However in the independent shoots formal elements i took another look at colour and i really developed in that post.
