2. Overall Summary
Here are all the images that I have shot during production for experimental photography. I decided to take my photographs on location
rather than in a studio as I thought these would create the best effect for the type of photography I was using. During the photography
shoot the weather was not too great, my model was cold and the wind did not help the structure of my photographs at all. The images I
have included here are all the shots that were taken that day.
My model was not wearing the clothing that I had planned her to wear, on the day of the shoot we trailed and tested different items such
as jumpers, trousers, shorts and dresses. As you can see the outfit we were both happy on is a pastel blue coloured smock dress with
limited jewellery, white socks and converse to create that different but girly look. In some of the photographs the model is wearing a
green parker hooded coat. This was not intended due to the fact I was changing camera settings and the model was cold. These
photographs were taken purely just to test the settings to make sure that they were correct.
While I was trying to capture the models movement using the multiple exposure technique i was moving the camera. This made it
difficult for me when I came to edit these photographs because the backdrop was not the exact same. I realised I was doing this while
looking back through each of the photographs. I had to ask the model to get dressed so we could go back outside to re-shoot the
photographs otherwise the multiple exposures would have been a disaster. As the weather was not great, neither was the lighting, I
changed some of the settings and white balance on the camera and moved the model around to try and get the best possible
photographs I could. This was difficult as I was trying to change the settings as quickly as I could as the model was again getting cold.
The overall photo-shoot did not go as well as I had planned it to but the outcome and edited finished photographs are effective within
experimental photography.
The balloons that I had used for props complete the photographs. It gives them some depth and portrays thought of child-like features.
This was also another obstacle that I had come across. I purchased the balloons and tied string to them so they could all be held by the
model together. As I had blew the balloons up myself using my breathe they did not float therefore they were hard to hold and place in
different positions without them looking obscure and idiotic. As it was windy, it helped the situation as it held the balloons up.
3.
4. Out of focus
These photographs were taken using the out of focus technique. I changed the camera
settings to manual focus and moved lens various times to capture the correct kind of
photograph. These are the end photographs that I have included here. All three of them
are of the same photograph, which took numerous attempts to try and get the right kind of
effect as I am not very familiar with the DSLR Cannon I had used on the photograph shoot.
The angle of this photograph and the spacing around it creates a mysterious and haunting
effect which is what I was trying to achieve. I am happy with the end result using the out of
focus method as it portrays endearing perspective on the model and the discovery of
emotions. I have edited each of these on photo-shop just changing the colours and the
contrasts to create a more suitable look for the theme. Even without using this program the
colours were already quite dull due to the way weather and the techniques used. My
intentions were to create a photograph that portrays the distress of emotions through
discovery. I feel that this photograph not only has a lot about it but it also connotes the
loneliness and emptiness a person can feel. The top two photographs are of the models
back with her facing the opposite way and the bottom one with her facing down. The fact
that we cannot see the models face not only with it not been in focus, it also emphasises
the distraught and discourage.
Not having much practice with the camera model I was using made me waste a lot of time
within the photograph shoot. Although this technique is ‘out of focus’ its not as blurry and
distinctive as it should have been. It took me a few attempts to create this and I had no
more time to waste so overall these were the best shots. If I was to go back and improve
my work I would take the photo-shoot for a second time with much more preparation with
experimenting with the camera settings. If I was to have more knowledge on how to
specifically use the camera, my model would not be complaining on the cold and the
weather as it would not have taken me as long to finish. There were intervals created that
were not supposed to happen, but did because I had to fiddle around with the camera.
Out of focus photography is very surreal and the lighting and the shadowing makes the
photographs. My photographs have not been done to the best of my ability. The lighting
was not great due to the dull weather and sky's that were occurring on my location. If I was
to do them in a studio the lighting would have been artificial but would have made the
photographs look much better.
5.
6. Multiple Exposure
The camera I was using did not have the settings to create the overlay while taking the
photographs. I had to take them individually and then edit them together for the multiple exposure.
This was time consuming as the other techniques and methods I used were fine without editing but
just needed a little tweaking. In preparation for this technique I gathered all sorts of photographs off
the internet and used Photoshop to edit them together. These experiments gave me the ability to
know exactly what I needed to do for my final photographs. It allowed me to work quicker and more
sufficiently.
Having to take the photographs individually without knowing how they would look together was a
risk. I had to make sure I took as many different photographs as possible to achieve the best
outcome. If I had not of done this I would have had to re-do my photo-shoot for a second tine till I
had got it right. I had to make sure that all the photographs I was taken were also relevant to the
theme discovery as well as creating something interesting and technical.
To create these I put the camera settings to auto focus to ensure that they were the best quality.
While you can see that this photograph to the left is of my model running I captured numerous
photographs while she was actually moving. This was done by changing the shutter speed to make
the time faster as well as changing the settings to "continuous shooting". I had to make sure that the
camera was still to ensure that the photographs would fit together and the background was exactly
the same. I captured many different photographs while the model was moving but chose the two
that went best together and look the most effective. While using Photoshop I realised that most of
the photographs taken were all very close to each other. This did not look good as it looked far to
busy and more of a blur rather then two exposures.
These photographs I have included to the right were both produced by changing the opacity of one
of the layers. I have only used two separate photographs for each one which I thought were the
best. Changing the opacity is the easy was of creating a double exposure,. I will experiment using
the different tools provided by Photoshop to see what creativity can be drawn from these
photographs.
7.
8. On the slide before is an edit for multiple exposure. This was done using the exact same photographs as the photograph
before. I have used different effects and tools on Photoshop to create a completely different look. Instead of layering the
photographs on top of each other and changing the opacity I decided to look a little more into how interesting I can make
my photographs. I copied and pasted one of the images into the other, creating two different layers. I then changed the
second layer from ‘normal’ to ‘vivid light’. I also changed the top layer to black and white as you can see the model
nearest to the front is in grayscale.
The contrast of this effect works really well. The background image that is in colour creates a real emotional feel of the
girl running with the balloons. It makes the double exposure a lot more vibrant and intense for the audience.
9. Here is a photograph taken from my photo-shoot. I have again created a double exposure. This exposure is very subtle but the
contrast between the colours look interesting. To create this I have copied one photograph onto the other in Photoshop. I have
then used the tools provided to change the photograph from ‘normal’ to ‘overlay’. This then created an overlay without changing
the opacity. Changing the opacity can be done also to create more effect. After doing this I then changed the background layer
which is a photograph of the model to ‘black and white’ leaving the foreground piece in colour. You can see the path, grass and
the cars in the foreground photograph and then the bench with the model sat on it in the background. This makes the images
look surreal as in reality you would never be able to see a bench in the middle of a walkway.
The model been in black and white makes the discovery of emotions look pure and angelic. Her expressions and body language
suggest that she has had a rough, violent life. The balloons connote that she is trying to hide these emotions, having to look
happy, these balloons have been given to her to try and stop her from telling people (almost like a bribe).
The black contrast on the models face of the features such as the black eyes also emphasises towards the awful life she has
had to live through. Placing two completely different photographs together on top of each other can be really effective towards
experimental photography. This was not my first thought when capturing photographs from my photo-shoot. This is something I
have achieved after finishing my final pieces. Experimental photography is all about making the photographs unrealistic and
interesting. This edit I have produced makes you look more then once to see what exactly it is in the background.
10. Here is another edit of the same photograph. The difference on this one is that I have used various different
exposures rather than just two. Instead of just overlaying each photograph onto each other and changing the
opacity I used the polygon lasso tool to specifically cut out each of the objects in the images and then placed them
onto the background image starting with the girl in the blue dress. I have changed each of the objects to grey
scale except the background image to create a ghostly effect. The more and more experimenting I do within
Photoshop the better my end photographs are. In my opinion I feel that this photograph is effective to the brief
and the theme ‘discovery’. It is discovering the inner emotion and the art form of Photoshop.
