Concept clarification

Ok, so for this project there has been some/many concept changes. This post it to clarify what my concept actually is.

I wanted to show a story through the photographic series in this project. As the project itself is called 'Light' I wanted to use light in a very controlled manner, showing only what I wanted the viewer to see. After a few of my test photos were shown I was pointed towards looking at Film Noir stuff. With that as my precedent I developed a story and went out for multiple shoots.

I think the end result has worked rather well and I am pleased with the results. I think it portrays the story well, and the black and white, though maybe not as visually striking as the colour version, makes the story more easier to follow. The colour version distracts from the story, I find that anyway.

Final shots (colour) - This is not my hand-in

Final 2

Final photos for project 3 (this is the hand in)

Here are my final photos for the project 3 hand-in:

Final

Project 3 Photo Shoot 4 and 5

Here is my 4th shoot for project 3:

Fourth Shoot



And here is the 5th and final shoot for Project 3: Fifth Shoot

Photo shoot 5 was really just taking the final shoots to fit into place in the sequence of my images.

Week 9 Task

Her is my week 9 task: creating an HDR photograph.
This photo was created by overlaying two photos and erasing out parts of the images so I could let what I wanted show through.

I don't really like this as a photo but I had to work with what weather conditions I was given and so this is what came from that.
I would have personally preferred to have a day that had nicer weather but oh well, you can't have everything your way.

Project 3 updates - film noir

After Thursdays presentation of work so far I was told to look at some Film Noir videos on YouTube:

Here are some I will use as precedents:

This one is over an hour so be careful with your internet

And this one shows how I would like to show some shadows on any faces I have in my project.

Third Project - Shoot 3

After last weeks tutorial and the comments I received I have decided on a style that I will keep consistent throughout the shots.

What was commented on was the way this particular photo was shot and framed:

The next and hopefully final shoot I do, I will have set up things to photography during the day and then take the photos at night, playing with the shadows and so on.

So here are the shots from shoot 3:Third Shoot

Third project - Second shoot - More experiments

This shoot was more experiments with shutter speeds and ISO settings. I also used a fully fledged torch this time instead of a small led light so the lighting conditions were something to experiment with as well.
For my second shoot I went out with a more of a solid idea of what I wanted to shoot also, as opposed to plain light painting.
The idea is that for this project I will change the way and object is portrayed using light painting.
I became a little sidetracked by what I was seeing when the torchlight reflected and made shadows so instead shot using purposeful lighting. Though for my project I want to play with the perception of known objects through light painting.

So here is the contact sheet from the second shoot of the third project
Second Shoot - project 3

All was going well till both changes of my AA rechargeables ran dry. Thus ending my second shoot with only 14 images.

My favourite shot from the second shoot is this photo:

Project 3 concept

For my third and final photography project i want to explore the first option in the brief.


"First you can pursue a pure study of light: how it relates to photography, what you can do with it to produce different abstract form, what happens with its absence in the form of low light photography."


Firstly, I want to find out exactly what is meant by this and then make a firm decision on which way to head. Based on what I thought it meant I tried to draw some characters and objects in the dark around my house.
seen here: http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/09/project-3-first-shoot.html

I tried to create some abstract and yet at the same time recognizable forms but as it was my first shoot, it is expected I didn't get great shots from it.

Project 3 - First shoot

First Shoot

Weekly task - light painting

DSDN 144 - Project 2 Time - Final Hand-in

In this post you will find all that you need for my Project 2 - Time submission.

First thoughts and experiments
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/08/quick-project-2-update.html

First Concept
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/09/dsdn-144-project-2-time-concept.html

First Shoot
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/09/dsdn-144-project-2-time-first-shoot.html

New Proposal
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/09/dsdn-144-project-2-time-new-proposal.html

Artist Precedents
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/09/dsdn-144-project-2-time-artist.html

Second Shoot
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/09/dsdn-144-project-2-time-second-shoot.html

Third Shoot
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/09/dsdn-144-project-2-time-third-shoot.html

Fourth Shoot
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/09/dsdn-144-project-2-time-fourth-shoot.html

Fifth Shoot
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/09/dsdn-144-project-2-time-fifth-shoot.html

Three chosen single shots on flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65401290@N05/sets/72157627613963168/
These are the three shots I have chosen that look good by themselves. Every other shot either wasn't up to the standard wanted or only looked good in the animation.

Final Animation
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/09/dsdn-144-project-2-time-animation.html

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJUxYIQQb1M

DSDN 144 - Project 2 - Time - Animation

Here is my animation hand-in for DSDN 244 Project 2 - time.

Here is the link so you can watch it in a higher definition (1080p available): 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJUxYIQQb1M

DSDN 144 - Project 2 Time - Fifth Shoot

Fifth Shoot

DSDN 144 - Project 2 Time - Fourth Shoot

Fourth Shoot

DSDN 144 - Project 2 Time - Third Shoot

Third Shoot

DSDN 144 - Project 2 Time - Second Shoot

Second Shoot

DSDN 144 - Project 2 Time - Artist Precedents

As a start, Nick Park has always been a huge influence for many of my creations and animations, both for university and in my spare time for fun. This project is no different, and as it is a stop-motion animation, he is more of an influence to me now than on other projects.

He is best known for Wallace and Gromit but here is another one of his works:

I want my animation to be smooth like Nick Park's (though I don't want it to be incredibly smooth like a video) and I want a each scene to have a clarity to it, so the viewer knows what is happening.
In creature comforts the audience is asked a rhetorical question, though not through words, about how animals are treated in zoos. I would like my animation to ask a question.

DSDN 144 - Project 2 Time - New Proposal

Due to difficulties and not getting any good shots I have changed my concept and proposal.
Here it is:

I want to go back to using the medium of animation and ask how we, as humans, spend our given time. I would like the animation to incorporate some humour. I intend for this animation to make the audience question themselves, question how they use their time.

I would like to base it around actions that we do around the home. Reading, eating, using computers, instruments, the sort of activities we would undertake in our homes. I don't really want to have any actual humans in the shots, I want the activities we do to happen without human interaction in the animation. Thanks to stop motion I can do this quite easily.

DSDN 144 - Project 2 Time - First shoot

First Shoot

DSDN 144 - Project 2 Time - Concept

I have rethought based on tutor questions and me just thinking about the project more.

I had had thoughts about showing how different age groups in humans spend their time. Showing babies as blurred because they are so full of energy on to old people as crisp, clear shots because they sleep lots (stereotype I know). This seemed slightly impractical for me so...


For this project I want to show how creatures (other than humans) spend their time on the earth. There are a few species easily photographed around my house and in my area so I should be able to complete this without any real hindrance.

I might take shots with longer shutter speeds to catch faster animals in motion (so they look like they spend their time quickly) or quicker shutter speeds to show the slower animals. We'll see what happens when i go out shooting.

Week 5 - task

This second photo obviously hasn't come out as clear as I would have liked. Unfortunately it was an overcast/ drizzly night so there are no stars and not real source of lighting in the photo. Still it shows the progression of time and that photography will not always go the way you want, sometimes to your advantage and in other times, like this one, not so much.

Week 4 - Task

Slow shutter Speed

Fast Shutter Speed

Quick Project 2 update

Just briefly I want to state somethings about my 2nd project.

I had thought to do my 2nd project as an animation or timelapse and then created a few practice works.
I wanted to show a journey compressed down to a few minutes.
I think is the better animation of the two so here it is:

After sharing with my tutor and getting some thoughts about this I am now undecided as to whether I continue with animation or move to photographs. Some more thought on this will obviously be required.

DSDN 144 - Project 1 - SPACE - Final Hand in

To make this easy to understand I have collected the posts required for the final hand-in, in order, in this post.

The Final Proposal
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/07/project-1-final-proposal.html

Artist Precedents
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/08/project-1-artist-precedents.html

Shoot 1 Contact Sheet
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/07/project-1-shoot-1-contact-sheet.html

Shoot 1 Favorite Photos
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/07/project-1-shoot-1-selected-photos.html

Shoot 2 Contact sheet and Flickr link
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/07/project-1-shoot-2-flickr-link.html

Shoot 3 Contact Sheet
http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/07/project-1-shoot-3.html

Final Selected Photos
Final Chosen Pictures

Final Series

Project 1 - Artist Precedents

Trent Parke 

I looked at this photo and saw many things I wanted to include in my photography. One of them was an over the shoulder shooting style. I tried a few of these in shoot 3 which didn't really turn out well. I also liked how there was a clear foreground and background in this photo.

Erich Hartmann

This photo by Erich Hartmann appealed to me because of the direct contrast between the sides of the photo. I also noticed that this photo was divided into thirds. I tried to implement this in shoot 2 and 3 in a few photos. They worked well enough, but are not in my final submission.

Paul Fusco

I found this photo quite interesting upon seeing it. I liked the almost motion blurred edges and the slightly saturated colours in this. I tried playing with the saturated colours in my first shoot favorites. I also like how you know what the photo is of and can appreciate the photo even though nothing is really very focused.

Project 1 - Final Proposal

After many discussions with my tutor and lectures about this topic, here is my final updated proposal for my 'DSDN 144 - SPACE' project.

My proposal:

For this DSDN144 Project I want to show the effects that various forms of life have on the environment in and around my chosen space. For example I wish to show the space through the areas which have been damaged or changed by others, as in mud imprints, ruined leaves or foliage or things added to the landscape that are not natural. 

I want to do this because I wish to show the miniature changes or small amounts of damage we make or witness around us without even really noticing it or the effect it is having on the environment. I wish to show the 'footprint' we are leaving behind so to speak.

The space I have chosen to document with my photography is visible in my panoramas uploaded in a previous post (http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/07/week-1-panorama-project.html). It is near a popular river spot and close to the Birchville Dam walk in Birchville, Upper Hutt.

Project 1 - Shoot 3

Contact Sheet For Shoot 3

Project 1 - Shoot 2 - Flickr link

I have uploaded the RAW shots from my second shoot for project 2 to flickr.
Here is the link to it: http://www.flickr.com/photos/65401290@N05/sets/72157627188774899/

For those wondering these shots are straight from my camera. the blurred effects are from a longer shutter time and me spinning the camera. Just thought I would try that sort of thing out on this shoot.

Contact Sheet For Shoot 2

Project 1 Proposal - UPDATED

This post should be before the photos that I posted today but I am just putting it up now so that is why it is later.

Anyway this post is my UPDATED project 1 proposal. After hearing what was said in the lecture the other day I figured I had better change my proposal for the first project. The old proposal is here (http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/07/project-1-proposal.html) if you want to see the changes made.

Artist Precedents.

They are:

Name                        What I would like to include

Trent Parke - over shoulder view/ clear foreground and background.

Eric Hartmann - contrasting sides.

Paul Fusco - shallow centre of focus, saturated, blurred.

The Space

The space I have chosen is viewable in my panoramas in the previous post (http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/07/week-1-panorama-project.html).

There are a number of bush walks and tracks around this place and I plan on taking photos on them.

My proposal:

Who: NA.

What: I would like to show a bush walk around and maybe to the river. As in along the tracks, down to the river but keeping my Artist precedents in mind. With all the the photos i plan to keep the element of 'space' present.

When: I have my first shoot completed (http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/07/project-1-shoot-1-contact-sheet.html). I would like the photos to be set in present day (aka 2011).

Where: A river spot with bush walks and tracks nearby. Viewable in my task 1 panorama (http://dsdn144godfrey-james.blogspot.com/2011/07/week-1-panorama-project.html).

Why: I want to show a journey along the bush walks in the area using aspects taken from my artist models/precedents.

Project 1 - Shoot 1 - Selected Photos

Here are some pictures I have selected from my first shoot. They have had very little photoshop editing done to them.

Contact Sheet Shoot 1 - chosen pics

Project 1 - Shoot 1 - Contact sheet

Here is my contact sheet for shoot 1 of project 1.


Contact Sheet Shoot 1

Weekly Task 2 - Mini World

Here is my week 2 task in which we were told to create a 'Mini-World' from a panorama.

This be it:

Project 1 Proposal

At present I do not have my first shoot ready though I have chosen some possible artist precedents.
They are:
Name                        What I would like to include
Trent Parke - over shoulder view.
Peter Marlow             - mystical effect.
Richard Kalvar - size contrast.
Eric Hartmann - contrast sides.
Paul Fusco - shallow centre of focus.

The space I have chosen is viewable in my panoramas in the previous post.
There are a number of bush walks and tracks around this place.

So, My proposal:

Who: NA.

What: I would like to show a journey to and around the river. Along the tracks, down the river, then and possible memories or events that happened in the past. Set some sort of story or event that happened and show it in a faded out manner over the photos. All the while keeping the element of 'space' present.

When: I would like to have my first shoot completed very soon. I would like the photos to be set in present day (aka 2011) with mentions to previous events.

Where: A river spot with bush walks and tracks nearby. Viewable in my task 1 panorama.

Why: I think it would be interesting to show a past story in a present day environment using aspects taken from my artist models/precedents.

Week 1: Panorama project

Here is the panorama task that was set for the first week.

This one was manually made:

And just to compare it, this is the one that was automatically made by Photoshop:

This one has come straight from the automatic process. I have not done any editing or cropping on it.

My Flickr group choices

The three Flickr groups i have joined are:
Macro Photography = http://www.flickr.com/groups/macrophotography/
Long Exposures = http://www.flickr.com/groups/longexposures/
Water (and things) = http://www.flickr.com/groups/water_things/

I have chosen these three Flickr groups to join because they are all in areas on photography that are of great interest to me.

I have joined the group 'Macro Photography' because I love to get right up in the close detail of objects and life forms. I like to capture the details that are usually missed with other photographs or passing glances. This group shows me what others have done in this field and helps to give me some inspiration and ideas.

The 'Long Exposures' group interested me because I have done a few long exposure shots in the past which look fantastic and I want to remain up to date with others attempts/successes with the long exposure photography. I like to look at these and think what I can do better in my photographs.

I joined the'Water (and things)' group because this was another subject matter of my previous photos. I like to see what others have done with their photos and I also just want to be amazed by what simple water can do in photos. It is really interesting (for me at any rate) the way that light reflects and travels through water, and it is awesome to see this captures in great photographs.