Experimentation

These photographs I took as an experimentation at home. I explored the possibilities of using slow shutter speeds and unnatural light sources to exaggerate form and heighten contrast.

Broken Glass

These were just a few experiments I took that I thought worked really well. I liked the combined effect of the glass, ceramic and water. I think the are interesting because of the the sharp lines and the effect of the illuminated white reflections that have been made. The images are almost gritty and textured, while still quite crisp and sharp.

Camera RAW

Class Notes
Shooting with RAW files is recommended if the image is to be manipulated in some way in Adobe Photoshop. The RAW format keeps all of the original data when the image is uploaded to a computer. Therefore the RAW image is of the highest quality and ensures only minimal data is lost when the image is processed. When an image is converted to JPG, which is the standard format for digital images, some of the photograph's data is lost. This occurs so that photos are in a smaller file size and is necessary when putting photographs online. Shooting in RAW is recommended but not entirely necessary for our final presentation. However, if I wish to digitally manipulate my images in some way, using RAW files will make them a finer quality.

PHOTOSHOP

Over the past two weeks I have been using Adobe Photoshop on a regular basis. I'm only just starting to grasp how it works and the type of photo editing that can be done. I have enjoyed using layers as well as being able to touch up colour, contrast and image imperfections. However, I can see how Photoshop can be easily used in excess. It is very easy to get carried away and before you know it your image is pixelated. I think I prefer images that retain their natural quality. Overworking an image in my opinion is distracting. For my final folio I will use Photoshop to change or fix minor details, but I would also like my images to retain a degree of simplicity.

Colour & Composition

Alex Webb

Frames, Geometry & Rhythm

Photography of Henri Cartier-Bresson

In these photographs by Henri Cartier-Bresson I like the way he has used the shape of the structures to frame certain aspects of the image. Photographing geometric forms or the shape of a shadow has created an interesting way to highlight a focal point. In most of these photographs the eye is directed by the way light has created lines. These lines seem to assist the eye in navigating its way around the image. This structural focus creates a layered geometric puzzle of form and light, one in which the viewer eye must decode.


Valencia, Spain (1933)

Hyères (1932)











In 'Simiane-La-Rotonde' (1954) he has used a stark white light to frame the silhouettes of people and emphasise the geometric form of the window.

The shape of the staircase in Siphnos, Greece (1961) shows repetition, thus the image feels as if it has rhythm and movement as the young girl runs into the distance.
In much of Cartier-Bresson's work there is a distinct characteristic of repetition, rhythm and form. I believe this is something that I am interested in exploring in my own work. In addition, I would also like to extend this curiosity further by investigating how light falls on such rhythmic forms.