A - Level Photography�The Grammar School & Sixth Form Centre�
Contents:
WHY STUDY PHOTOGRAPHY?
Studying Photography
PERSONALISED TEACHING AND LEARNING
GENERAL TIPS
Tips for New Photographers:
What to do for shoots
>Make sure you have enough time to do a shoot.
>Take more photographs than you need because you most likely will only get a couple that you will actually enjoy.
> 50 Photographs should be the minimum for each shoot.
>Pick a location before going out.
> Vary the locations so you’re not going to the same place and producing the same material all the time.
> Consider reshoots in some similar locations of the images you produced are not what you wanted.
> Prepare and check all the equipment you need for the shoot is there before going out. This means you won’t get to the location of your shoot and realise you cannot produce the image. Always double check the equipment.
> Make a list of the specific things you need to take, the main subject and the little side subjects.
> Take note of your camera settings. For example if taking light exposure check which settings are going to be needed before going out to take the photographs. It will also help you to keep note of the setting for when you come to evaluate your work.
> If you are stuck on a particular shoot for example you don’t know where to go or what to take for the subject you are studying. Seek advice from your teacher or your peers.
> Always do a shoot plan before a shoot.
> Keep on top of your shoots and take extra shoots if need be. The more work you have the easier it will be to choose finals and therefore easier to get higher marks.
> Choose an appropriate artist to study for each shoot.
NARRATIVE BUILDING
Whether your images tell a story or show who someone is.
What you want to express through your images.
Adding sub meanings to your images.
How to structure the story
You can structure your project or shoots in any order that is personal to you or to your subject. This is an example of how you may choose to do so-
The way you structure your shoots will vary, dependant on who or what your subject is. You can also include shots such as the background, other people involved and influences.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE ART OF MOTION PICTURE PHOTOGRAPHY
Cinematography: The Grand Budapest Hotel
The cinematography in films is very important, and an interesting thing to study. The use of colour as you can tell from the screenshots is a big part of cinematography. Another important that you can see in the screenshots from this
National Geographic Live! : The Life of a Photographer
Veteran National Geographic photographer Sam Abell offers a look inside the heart and mind of a master photographer.
W. Eugene Smith – Photography Made Difficult
About the famous WWII photographer.
The Best Cinematography in Films for Photography
These are some of the top ten films with cinematography: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSlJDaqKYsE
Emmanuel Lubezki
Roger Deakins
László Kovács
Sven Nykvist
Harris Savides
Conrad Lafcadio Hall was an American cinematographer from Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia. He was best known for photographing films such as In Cold Blood, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, American Beauty, and Road to Perdition. For his work he garnered a number of awards, including three Academy Awards and BAFTA Awards. Below is the link to a video by Conrad Hall on being a cinematographer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UFDvV6jjd8
The clip below from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a good example of cinematography. It focuses on special effects and different angles and perspectives of the camera. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFH6lXJ6c4k
This is a video clip on basic tips on how to get good cinematography within a film. Also watch how much cinematography makes a difference within the image and how it helps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSo_bMFT5YI
SUGGESTED FILMS/ DOCUMENTARIES
WHAT ARE THE BEST FILMS TO WATCH AS A PHOTOGRAPHY/ ART STUDENT?
“THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY”-2013
Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller), an employee at Life magazine, spends day after monotonous day developing photos for the publication. To escape the tedium, Walter inhabits a world of exciting daydreams in which he is the undeniable hero. Walter fancies a fellow employee named Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) and would love to date her, but he feels unworthy. However, he gets a chance to have a real adventure when Life's new owners send him on a mission to obtain the perfect photo for the final print issue.
‘The story of a photograph’.
‘THE FALL’ - 2006
A visual masterpiece - each image is a work of art.
‘LIFE IN A DAY’ - 2011
Hundreds of people submit their home videos from one particular day. This amazing film combines those results a great journey from dawn to dusk.
Quite simply fantastic.
Free on Youtube.
‘HOME’ - 2009
This film highlights climate change and it’s devastating results on our planet. The narrative is set against the images of Yann Arthus Bertrand - renowned aerial photographer.
A must watch for all landscape photographers.
Free on Youtube.
‘BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK’ - 2011
SILVER AND LIGHT
This short documentary tells the story of Ian Ruhter an photographer who travels around America photographing people and places full of natural beauty. Ruhter invested his life savings into living out his dream and creating large wet plate images by turning his van into a giant camera. He literally drives his camera around America! He hopes one day to be able to photograph the President. Ruhter’s photography is unique and his story is inspiring because he has committed so much money, effort and time into creating his images and connecting American people through the lens of his camera. Below is a link to the documentary which is on vimeo-
https://vimeo.com/39578584
SUGGESTED READING
WHAT ARE THE BEST BOOKS TO GET YOUR HANDS ON BEFORE THE START OF THE COURSE?
A REALLY FUN BOOK FILLED WITH GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY EXERCISES.
THE PHOTOBOOK
A GREAT PHOTO BOOK FILLED WITH THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHERS THROUGHOUT HISTORY.
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY NOW
A SUMMARY OF THE BEST STREET PHOTOGRAPHERS WORKING TODAY.
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES
WHAT ARE THE BEST WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT AS A PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENT?
A great Art and Photography website showcasing the best contemporary work out there.
IGNANT
A great Art/ Photography/ Film website showcasing the best of contemporary work.
According to co-founder Henri Cartier-Bresson, "Magnum is a community of thought, a shared human quality, a curiosity about what is going on in the world, a respect for what is going on and a desire to transcribe it visually."
Magnum Photos is an international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices in New York, Paris, London and Tokyo.
A POPULAR WEBSITE TO UPLOAD AND SHARE IMAGES.
Humans of New York
This began in the summer of 2010. Brandon (the man behind it all) set out to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers. Along the way he began to interview each person he photographed. Therefore alongside their portrait he would include quotes and short stories about their lives.
Brandon created a facebook page where he uploads many of the New Yorkers portraits with their short stories as well as sharing them on the twitter page to make it more accessible for the public.
‘like’ Humans of New York on Facebook.
and/or
‘follow’ @humansofny on Twitter and Instagram.
There is a website which contains more information and imagery:
And if you prefer paper based information there is also a book:
Humans of New York
Book and social media
Humans of Guernsey and Jersey
These began during 2014 after the Humans of New York became more popular around the world. It documents the lives of people in Guernsey and Jersey in the same way in which Brandon did in the Humans of New York idea. For Guernsey and Jersey it is only based on Facebook, currently.
They are both very popular pages within the islands.
They also show the small story of each person which is in the image.
This allows the idea to become close and personal to the island.
Youtube Channels
WHAT ARE THE BEST YOUTUBE CHANNELS FOR PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENTS?
Good youtube channels for photography
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caKcktLQFW8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TbWgwBz2EI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH0NVgwUwHI&index=1&list=WL - Good for Hockney inspired work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZijSBjOVCBo - Good for explaining the history of photography.
This channel on youtube gives you some cool tips of how to get different effects when taking photographs. When doing photography it's all about experimentation and this website gives you some good tips and ideas on different ways to create cool and interesting images with a different edge and vibe. The website gives you different tips which can link in with a topic such as creative use of light. It shows you how to make different lights and how to take images using different lights within it.
GALLERIES
WHICH ARE THE BEST GALLERIES TO VISIT?
PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVALS/ COMPETITIONS
WHICH ARE THE BEST FESTIVALS/ COMPETITIONS THAT TAKE PLACE?
THE HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
History Of Photography
It is useful to know where photography came from and how it got to the stage it is at today.
To the left there is a short video explaining the history of photography.
http://photodoto.com/camera-history-timeline/
http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/Photography.htm
You may prefer to read these two articles on the right which explain the same things just in slightly more depth.
History of Photography
History of Photography
History of Photography
CHECK OUT THIS DEMONSTRATION OF AN OLD PROCESS OF PHOTOGRAPHY - WET PLATE PHOTOGRAPHY. SIMILAR TO THE HISTORICAL GREAT, EADWEARD MUYBRIDGE - IAN RUHTER AIMS TO CAPTURE MOVEMENT, IN PARTICULAR THE MOVEMENT OF SKATEBOARDERS.
PHOTOGRAPHY
RULES
WHAT ARE THE KEY RULES OF PHOTOGRAPHY?
RULES OF PHOTOGRAPHY
This is argued to be one of the main rules in photography. Images are divided into sectors. This can be done imagined or on some cameras there is a setting for ‘grid on’. when you next take an image try placing the main point into one of the thirds.
The Rule of Thirds!
Filling The Frame!
Filling the Frame adds an instant impact to an image. You don’t necessarily have to take the image like this, instead you can simply crop in to it when editing. Doing this crops out and unnecessary background clutter and can make the image feel more dynamic.
Balance!
This is a technique that is very important in some photography. It balances the images visual ‘weight’. However balancing images doesn’t mean they have to be the same on each side, there could also be a focus point in the middle as well as at the sides.
Horizontal Lines!
Portray elements of peace and rest especially in landscape. They can also be used as a dividing point in images. Other things it can establish are direction or location. This is also good to use in still life photography.
Vertical Lines!
These lines have the ability to convey different mediums ranging from power and growth. These can be better portrayed by holding your camera vertically/portrait lengthening the height of the photograph therefore enhancing it.
Diagonal Lines!
Out of the lines, diagonal lines are the most dynamic. They can be used to create a sense of depth and placing the lines in different ways will affect the mood of the final image. They also work well as leading lines.
This are all videos explaining the techniques that you will need to use throughout the photography course.
The top left video is about ‘Filling the Frame’. The top right hand video is about rule of thirds.
The Rules of Photography
Adorama - Videos on lighting, exposure etc - https://www.youtube.com/user/adoramaTV/featured
Composition techniques with COOPH - https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCooph
SLR Lounge - https://www.youtube.com/user/SLRlounge/videos
This video mentions basic photography techniques which will help to improve your photos. Some areas which the video looks at are filling the frame, the rule of thirds, creating depth and using light.
General introduction to certain rules within Photography
A Good Video About Light
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZajtzLoD3nxn2G9ripCjPg
Karl Taylor is a professional photographer who makes YouTube videos showing how he creates his images. The video above is about light.
The link to his channel is on the right.
The Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is a fundamental rule of photography, specifically the composure of an image, it is argued by many that a photograph in which the main subject is centred in the middle of the frame is uninspiring and lacks interest, rather an image looks better when the subject is skewed slightly to the left or right of the image. In order for beginner and casual photographers to make full use of this rule a simple grid make up of nine equal rectangles was formed. As visible in the image below the puffin has been placed in the right two thirds of the frame, this does not unbalance the frame however, but rather improves the composure of the image making it look a lot less generic that had the puffin been centred in the image.
PHOTOGRAPHY
TECHNIQUES
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN WORK?
What techniques might help you provide a greater range your work on this course?
It’s always good to have a wide range of work with a lot of different techniques to show off your abilities and to try and broadened your range and style of work. By experimenting with your work further it helps to improve the quality and the standard of your work and will give you an overall clearer view of what type of methods or techniques suit you and your style of photography. There are many different ways that you can change your work and there are so many different techniques that can be used in order to range the work you can produce. These could include:
WORKING IN THE DARKROOM
The Darkroom >> Pinhole photography
Light sensitive paper
Tiny hole
Inside
Outside
Light
Light
Light
Pinhole Photography
To use your pinhole camera you must load the light sensitive paper into your camera (this must be done in a darkroom) then you should make sure that the electrical tape is covering the tiny hole, that acts as your shutter so that the camera is completely light proof before you leave the darkroom.
Pinhole camera’s can work indoors and outdoor so choose a location that will look interesting (baring in mind that the image will come out distorted) place your camera on a flat surface, and make sure it doesn't move or when you develop your image it will come out blurry. Peal away the electrical tape to expose the light through the hole, it will depend on the lighting how long you leave the camera exposed, for example if you leave it indoors then there will be less light so you may have to leave it for anything from 1-10minutes but it really depends, in really dark places you could have to leave it for longer. If you have placed your camera outdoors and it’s a bright day then you shouldn’t have to leave it exposed for very long, say 15-50 seconds.
When you develop your image, if it is too white then you should try leaving the camera expose for a longer amount of time and if the image comes out too dark then try leaving it for a shorter amount of time. You will have to experiment with different times to get the image just right but the image always looks better once it has been inverted anyway.
You develop pinhole images in the exact same way as you would for a photogram, using the five steps: develop, stop, fix, wash and dry.
This image illustrates that the rays of light that enter the camera through the tiny hole cross over to flip the image upside down so you can take a photo of big things that are quite far away and still capture the full image, because the rays of light enter the camera one at a time your camera will capture any slight movement while the shutter is open.
Pinhole Camera
The Darkroom >> My pinhole photo’s
My pinhole photo’s
Before edited:
I left my pinhole camera in some different toilets to see how the lighting would affect the image because there were no windows in these toilets and so I left the camera exposed for a bit over 6 minutes and when I first developed it I was quite disappointed because the image didn’t show as much detail as my other image but then I edited it and now I am a lot happier with it.
As soon as I inverted I saw a huge difference and I was a lot happier because it brought out a lot more detail. I really wanted to get that curved look so I am really happy with how it captured and distorted the toilet cubicles.
The Darkroom >> My Photogram’s
Photogram’s
I drew a silhouette of a girl onto a plastic wallet with black permanent marker to get a white silhouette effect on my photogram, I also used buttons, mini pegs and a key to fill the image. I wanted the image to be completely black in the background rather than a grey colour so I used the bucket fill tool to make the background darker, I also did this for the white areas because you could see all the pen marks on the silhouette of the girl but I wanted to keep some of that detail on the dress. Also to get a smoother edge I used the brush tool to go over the silhouette to make it look really perfect.
I decided to experiment with inverting my photogram’s because I think when I get onto pinhole photography I will be using the invert filter a lot. I really like the black silhouettes as well as the white ones but I do prefer the photogram’s with black backgrounds and white silhouettes because I think it looks very different to my normal style of photography because I tend to prefer light and bright things.
STUDIO WORK
Creative Light >> Studio Shoot >> Edited
Edited
Before edited:
How I edited:
I really wanted to get a close up image like this because the two artists I studied had images like this. I especially like how clear the eyes are they look really good with the light reflecting off them. The main focal point of the image is defiantly the eyes because they contrast with her very white face.
STUDIO-PORTRAITURE
COLOURFUL
BRIGHT
SHADOW
PATTERN
ROUNDNESS
CENTRAL
LOW VANTAGE POINT
STILL-LIFE
PHOTOSHOP MANIPULATION
Experimentation
Another image, that I have decided to take upon to do experimentation on, has been purely inspired by Trent Parke. For this image I have decided to create a multiple image effect. Although the image is black and white, it has not got the massive difference in contrast wise. The image expresses movement, busy, action. In my opinion the image tells us more when it layered because the viewer can see and analyse from different angles.
To develop the image further, I have used the mirror effect, to create some abstract patterns with it. Because of the road being capture from a certain angle, when images are added together it creates interesting shapes. Image then becomes very abstract, as the viewer starts to lose the sense of understanding what the original image actually is. On the other hand, it creates different scenery and perception of the image.
LIGHT DRAWING
The basics for light drawing by Michael Bosanko
Shoot 8 Experimentation
I felt that this was the strongest image from the shoot as the frame was filled and the tunnel was so perfect, however I think the line in the foreground, ruins the whole image.
Here the close part of the tunnel is strong and fills the frame quite well.
In this image the reflection and the end part of the tunnel are strong.
Editing out the line in the first image would have been close to impossible, so what I have done is combined the two bottom images using Photoshop. To do this I put one image on top of the other and set the blending mode to lighten. This meant I got all the sparks from both images which meant the frame was filled. Also the tunnel was a lot better as it was longer and the closer part was clearer, this meant the leading line into the centre was stronger. I will definitely use this as a final image. Ideally I would go back and do the shoot again to get the perfect image but I don't have time to do this.
How to create light orbs
SCANOGRAPHY
PROJECTION PHOTOGRAPHY
LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
Shoot 4 Plan
The first shoot didn't go to plan because it was quite under exposed, so I want to do the next shoot earlier in the day. This time I will use a filter so to me its still light but using the filter still dark enough for me to get a long exposure. I think the reason why my images were so dark last time was that my eyes had adjusted in the dark so the screen seemed to be lighter than it was. When I put them onto my computer they were all underexposed, which was a massive disappointment as the sunset was amazing.
For this shoot I will be going to Vazon, I want to use the groynes as the focal point and leading line. They should work nicely with the misty effect as the wall should create white water. This around the groynes should work well as they are vertical so should have a long fade away section.
The equipment I will use will be an old tripod, if it's old the it doesn't matter if I get sea water on it, as I don't care if it rusts or sand gets inside the mechanism. Having a tripod is a must because I'm using a long exposure, if I used my hands I would wobble the camera over the time it's taking the image and the image would be blurred.
The camera settings will vary over the shoot as I'm planning to go down before sunset the light will start to fade, early on I will use my filters so I can use a shutter speed of at least 5 seconds. When it gets darker I shall take these of and probably be able to use a shutter speed of up to a couple of minutes. The ISO will be kept at 100 and aperture no lower than f10 as I want the whole image in focus.
Stretch of groynes.
The ones near the top are all in a single line, the ones further down are in rows going out to sea. There are six rows, three of them face one way the other face another way, this means I can go from both angles and still get the leading line, I can experiment with the different groynes and different angles from the wall, although this depends on the state of tide as the wall gets lower as you go along it.
Print photographs onto a flexible surface and stretch or distort them, like Michal Macku.
Burn photographs, as in these examples by Lucas Simões
Sew or embroider photos, as in the stitched vintage photography of Maurizio Anzeri.
Stitch photographs together, like Lisa Kokin:
Create 3D photography collages, as in these works by Midori Harima.
Stain, smudge and erode photographs using water, like Matthew Brandt
Wrap torn plastic or other materials around the edge of your camera to create hazy edges, as in the photographs of Jesse David.
Use a hand-held glass lens or prism, to create blurred, abstract forms, like this photograph by Sam Hurd.
Photograph scenes through visible hand-held lenses, as in this A Level Photography work by Freya Dumasia.
Paint developer sporadically onto photo paper to expose only parts of the work, as in these portraits by Timothy Pakron.
Redraw part of a scene with paint, as in these works by Aliza Razell.
Paint directly onto photographs, as in these works by Gerhard Richter.
Place objects on top of a photograph and scan it, like this example by Rosanna Jones.
Put objects on top of photographs and rephotograph them, like these images by Arnaud Jarsaillon and Remy Poncet of Brest Brest.
Project images onto textured surfaces and rephotograph them, as in these experimental images by Pete Ashton.
Take unfocused shots and create semi-abstract photographs, like those by Bill Armstrong.
PHOTOGRAPHY
TECHNIQUES
KEEP GOING...
Create 360 degree 3D panoramic photography, as in this image by Nemo Nikt.
Use tilt-shift photography to make real things look miniature, as in this example by Nicolas.
Use a tilt-shift effect to make paintings or drawings appear real, as in these photographs of Vincent van Gogh artworks by Serena Malyon.
Photograph things with extreme macro lenses, like these photos of water drops by Andrew Osokin.
Photograph forms inside other forms, like Per Johansen.
Emphasise reflections, rather than the objects themselves, as in the urban landscape photography of Yafiq Yusman.
Capture the same scene at different times, as in this photography series by Clarisse d’Arcimoles.
Photograph things that are submerged in coloured liquid or milk bath, such as these shots by Rosanna Jones.
Digitally create patterns, as in this artwork by Misha Gordin.
Overlay multiple photos from slightly different angles, like these experimental photographs by Stephanie Jung.
Digitally draw over photographs, as in these portraits by May Xiong: -
Make sculptural installations and then photograph them, as in this A Level work by Kim Seymour.
Photograph objects through mottled or translucent screens, like this work by Matthew Tischler.
Photograph things pressed against transparent surfaces, as in these photograph details by Jenny Saville.
Cut through photographs to expose other layers of photographs below, as in these images by Lucas Simoes.
Make a photomontage, as in these examples by David Hockney.
Overlay tracing paper, obscuring parts of an image, like this photograph by Gemma Schiebe.
Make an photography collage using masking tape, like Iosif Kiraly.
To do a light trail you need a camera, and a tripod. You next need to find a road where there are cars or any moving lights, for example instead of cars you could use planes in the sky or boats sailing.
When your camera is set up in your desired location you set the shutter speed to anything from ten to thirty seconds and change the other camera settings as necessary, it's best to put the camera on a timer therefore you do not shake the camera when starting the shot which will lead to a blurry image. Once you have done all this you can edit it on photoshop to highlight the colours and potentially bring out the shadows. It is quite good to shoot light trails raw as you will have more potential in the image if the settings you choose are slightly out. You do have to be quite experimental with this techniques as the images take a while to shoot and do not always come out as planned.
Create sequence photography by combine multiple exposures, as in the high speed photography of Ray Demski.
Photograph slow moving objects over a long period of time, as in this photograph by Paul Schneggenburger.
Superimpose two different but related scenes over the top of each other, like in this photograph by Adam Goldberg.
Photograph moving subjects to create blurred, painterly forms, as in these examples by Mirjam Appelhof.
Take close-up, tightly cropped scenes, creating abstract photography from surfaces and pattern, like these works by Frank Hallam Day.
Digitally add abstract elements to an image, such as these architectural photographs by Nick Frank.
Take macro images and find pattern in subjects which are not as typically used in Photography to differentiate your work. Artists such as Mark Graf are good examples of this.
How to make a Photogram
A photogram is a process done entirely in a darkroom, it is the simplest and easiest process that is done in the darkroom however can produce some good looking results.
Step 1: You need to get a piece of photographic paper, You will than place this piece of paper shiny side up in the enlarger. And place the subject on top of the shiny side of the paper in the pattern you desire.
Step 2: You set the enlarger to the time you want to expose it for, for most situations 10 seconds will be fine, you then press the on button and weight for the time to play out.
You then Have to develop the photogram which I will detail in the next slide.
How to develop a piece of Photographic paper
Once you have exposed a piece of photographic paper your next step is to develop it, though a few steps are required it is a fairly simple process.
First remember to always use tongs to get the images out of the chemicals so to avoid any irritation that is quite common when you touch the developing chemicals.
Step 1: You put the image in the developer, this will darken the exposed part of the image, you will be able to see the image developing, and though a time around 3 minutes is generally a good time it's really up to you how long you leave it in for.
Step 2: You now put the image in the stopper, this will stop the developing process, you only need to leave the paper in the stopper for 30 seconds.
Step 3: You now put the image in the fixer, this is the final chemical needed to develop a photogram, you need to leave it in the fixer for 5 minutes.
Step 4: You place the paper in the water
this will wash any excess chemicals off
and removes the risk or irritation when
touch the photo, you leave the paper
in the water for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Finally it needs to dry, this can
either be done by putting it through a
dryer or you can simply let it dry on its
own accord.
After these steps you will have a piece of
fully developed photographic paper.
Landscape photography tips
ARTIST STUDIES
WHICH ARTISTS COULD BE INSPIRATIONAL TO MY OWN PRACTICE?
Artist Studies
David Gilliver
David Gilliver is predominantly a light drawing photographer, but he also experiments with miniature photography too. He is a Guernsey based photographer who runs many workshops and has an E-book.
David Bailey
David bailey is a portrait photographer natural talent and ability as a photographer to visually communicate the emotion and meaning of the model.
Klaus Kampert
Klaus Kampert is photographer who specialises in the body. He is a self-taught photographer who captures the bodies of ballet dancers in Germany. His main interest is the beauty of the body, nudes and dance.
Bill Wadam
Bill Wadman is an American portrait photographer living in Brooklyn, New York. His images have been seen on the covers and pages of major publications throughout the world.
Antonia Mora
Edith Bergfors
A london based photographer, Edith Bergfors, decided to take a modern fashion photography with a twist. The artist says they were looking at stock imagery and wanted to deconstruct it.
Antonio Mora is notoriously known for his portrait photographer. In this project he has merged two images (a landscape or object) to represent the model in a different way.
Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams is a great photographer to look at when doing landscapes. His style of black and white photography is very interesting, he captures some truly remarkable images.
Andreas Gursky
Andreas Gursky is a very interesting photographer to study, his work with patterns and colour in real life scenes is very interesting
Corey Arnold is a photographer and fisherman by trade. Influenced by his father’s photography, he has documented his life on fishing boats.
A local photographer Tim Harvey was brought up along the coast and has inspired him to capture images like these.
ANALYSING WORK
IMPROVING YOUR SKILL-BASE IN VISUAL LITERACY
Tips for analysing your work
DIGITAL EDITING
PHOTOSHOP
WHAT ARE THE MOST USEFUL TECHNIQUES YOU CAN LEARN ON PHOTOSHOP BEFORE THE START OF THE COURSE?
Turning images into Black & White
Select the ‘image’ tab on the toolbar menu and then go to ‘Adjustments’, ‘Black & White’.
Adobe Photoshop Black & White
After selecting ‘Adjustments’, ‘Black & White’, a customise menu will come up where you can adjust the different colours to change the outcome of the greyscale image.
To create different intensities of colours in the greyscale image, you can alter the levels by selecting the ‘image’ tab on the toolbar menu and then going to ‘Adjustments’, ‘Levels’ and adjusting the levels.
Adobe Photoshop Clone Stamp Tool
The clone stamp tool can be used to replicate select areas of the photo to alter or correct things, for instance in this example, we have removed the wrinkles from the left hand side of Harold’s face.
Adobe Photoshop Liquify
Liquify can be used to distort an image. The tool is found on the toolbar and once clicked on opens up a new window as seen below. From here you can distort the image using the tools on the left.
You can adjust the brush size, density and pressure using to menu on the left.
Adobe Photoshop Variations
You can alter the colours in the photograph by selecting the ‘image’ tab on the toolbar menu and then going to ‘Adjustments’, “Variations” where you will face the screen below and you can add different colours to the image, for example to create a sepia-style photo.
You can add multiple different colours to the same photograph, for instance adding a red and a yellow is the easiest way at creating sepia, you can also add more than one layer of the same colour.
Brightness/Contrast
Brightness/Contrast can be found in the menu, under image, adjustments. Once clicked it opens up a box that allows you to adjust the brightness and contrast of your image using sliders. It makes a massive difference to photographs making them far more interesting to look at as seen below.
Quick Selection Tool
The Quick Selection Tool is very useful, it is used to select parts of an image. To the left you can see the tool used to quickly select the man in the image. Once selected press Ctrl+C to copy the selected image, and then Ctrl+V to paste it onto the other image. The eraser tool can then be used to remove and excess parts of the image, such as the white outline. You can change the size, shape, opacity and softness of the eraser using the menu as seen below.
By Janet Holland & Barbara Higgins-Dover
Adobe Photoshop
Blended Image Tutorial
Adobe Photoshop Tools
Toolbar
Tools Palette
Windows Menu
Begin With Same Size Images
Image Menu
Image Size
Graphics Same Size
Checking The Width & Height
Both Documents Same Size
Image Palette
Crop To The Same Size
Crop Tool third one down on the left column
Click & Drag Crop Tool over the area to keep and press the Return Key
Both Images Same Color Mode
Image Menu
Mode
Both Images Set to RGB Color
Show The Layers Palette
Window Menu
Layers Palette
Rename The Background Layer
Double Click Italic Word Background to Rename
Layer Palette
Select Back Image
Move Tool
Click to Select the Top Right Move Tool
Adobe Photoshop Blended Layers
Background
Image
Foreground
Image
Top Foreground Layer
Double Click Foreground Layer Text to Rename
Layers Palette
Reduce The Opacity �Of The Top Layer
Reduce the Opacity to make the top layer more transparent
Layer Palette
Top Layer Selected
Adobe Photoshop Blended Layer
When you lighten the opacity of the top layer you see the blended layer effect in your final image
How to create Surreal Photography
Image by Kevin Corrado.
Basic editing of an Image
Brightness: increasing the brightness of an image will bring out the whites that are in the image, lightening up the whole image, lowering the brightness will do the opposite.
Contrast: Increasing this will increase the range of shades in the image resulting in blacker blacks and whiter whites, decreasing the contrast will do the opposite.
Photoshop help via Youtube
Phlearn - Photoshop tutorials - https://www.youtube.com/user/PhlearnLLC
The official Photoshop Youtube with tutorials - https://www.youtube.com/user/NewWorldOps
Photoshop Training Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/photoshoptrainingch/featured
ESSENTIAL PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT
WHAT YOU DEFINITELY NEED...
WHAT WILL YOU NEED?
Memory Card Reader
This is definitely a necessity as the school provides them but honestly the school ones have a habit of breaking and will all be used just as you need them. You will thank yourself later.. trust me!
Second Battery
If your camera does not yet come with a second battery please do yourself a favour and buy one. Keep the second one charged at all times as their is bound to be a time where you are a serious numpty and you forget to charge it. But there is the second battery and damn once again you thank yourself.
Tripod
You will need a tripod in order to take shots using slow shutter speed, they are also very useful for taking photos of yourself, light drawing and for just ensuring your photographs are straight.
NON-ESSENTIAL PHOTOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT
WHAT DON’T YOU NEED - BUT COULD BE QUITE USEFUL ON THE COURSE...
Equipment that could be useful even though it is not essential:
>Zoom Lens, need a specific lens for the camera you're using.
>Wide lens, this is good for landscapes.
>Filters depending on the type images you are taking. Such as a neutral density filter if you are taking photographs to do with water and want a foggy effect.
>Backup memory stick just incase it goes missing or breaks. It will reassure you your work is safe and you won’t have to do anything again.
>Colour filters, these can be used to give you special tints for depending on the type photograph you are taking. This also can enhance the quality of your image.
>Spare light sensitive paper for the dark room.
>Different sources to aid you with your work. For example different work from different artists in books and appropriate to your work websites.
> Spare SD Card. This is helpful incase one gets lost or full.
> A Lens cap, keep your camera lens clear and reduces the risk of damage.
> A camera bag, this will also reduce the risk of damage.
>Card Reader, it’s easier to have your own rather than use the ones school provide that can only be used in the photography department. It means you can upload your work at home too.
>Camera strap. Although this is not essential it reduces
the risk of you dropping your camera.
Multicoloured LED light
This bad boy can change colours with a remote. Its hella useful for producing different coloured light without you having to buy filters.
Its dirt cheap and can fit into most light fittings.
Its really useful if you are doing a light project.
Neutral Density Grad Filters and Variable Neutral Density Filter
These filters are so useful in photographs especially if you are interested in landscapes and seascapes. They enable you to darken a scene or part of the scene, for example just the sky. This allows you to adjust the shutter speed in your camera settings so that you can slow it down. This will result in all movement in the photograph being captured over a certain time period. This effect is often used on water so that the waves blend together leaving a foggy effect upon the water.
Where can I get these from?
Experiment with camera filters, like the neutral density filter that was used to photograph this beautiful seascape by Salim Al-Harthy.