Assignment (Unit 101-105) - Idea Development - Famous Paintings

After doing some research on Joel Peter Witkin (which will be my next blog entry) I just wanted to briefly expand on my idea of re-creating famous paintings.  A lot of Witkin's work shows his interpretation of some of history's greatest paintings.  I have always been into art and spent a lot of time and money on acrylics and canvases.  An idea I once had was to re-create famous paintings as walk through environments.  You could walk into the frame and explore the work of art as if you were living in it.  This was such an over imagined idea and would require lots and lots of money.

As I found myself being more captivated by photography I decided to put down the paints and pick up a camera.  My fascination with art is still the thing that drives me forward but now I see photography as a way to create works of art that would be far beyond my skills as a painter.

As a homage to those painters who inspired me I thought it would be interesting to do photographic re creations of their works.  Of course I would add my own twist to proceedings and fill the images with symbolism.

Francis Bacon - Painting 1946

Francis Bacon's Painting 1946 is one of my favourite works of art.  This is the picture I would want to re create mare than anything.  I think the whole composition, together with the right lighting, would look brilliant as a photo.


Grant Wood - American Gothic

Grant Wood's classic American Gothic would be another great painting to re imagine along with Chagall's A Midsummer Nights Dream.  I feel that these photographs would compliment the originals and act as a companion piece.      

Marc Chagall - A Midsummer Nights Dream

Like most of my ideas, re creating these famous works of art would require a lot of money which is why I would have to put this theme at the bottom of my list for now.  Some works, like American Gothic, could be captured quite simply but to set up most of the paintings it would require an expansive array of tools, people, props, locations and pounds sterling, and that's before the hours of tinkering I would have to do on photoshop.

Maybe one day in the future I will expand upon this theme and attempt to shoot it but until then I'll admit defeat on this one.  I feel this one would be just too much too soon.


Assignment (Unit 101-105) - Idea Development - WWII

The First and Second World Wars have fascinated me for as long as I can remember.  So much tragedy in so few years.  I cant help but hold those who fought in the highest regards (not to mention those who fed, clothed and worked around the clock to keep the troops armed).

For a long time now I have had this vivid picture in my head.  A picture that's been there for so long that I know exactly how I want it to look.  My big dilemma is whether to throw my idea out to the world (or the few people who might actually be paying attention to my rabbiting).  I was all prepared to do so until my friend Ian suggested that someone might steal my ideas.  Now I'm sure nobody on my course would do such a thing, but there are eyes everywhere.

So instead of  letting out any details, I'll give you the gist.  Basically I would like to do a series of photo's depicting a British and German soldier in the middle of a battle (not necessarily showing the battle raging) chilling out, and that's all I'll say on the matter. 

There are a few photographers that have influenced the way I see the pictures in my head.  Don McCullin, James Nachtwey, Joseph John Rosenthal (see pic) and Christopher Morris to name a few.

Raising The Flag On Iwo Jima

There are a number of obstacles to overcome if I am going to pull off the shots I want with the three main ones being:-

• Uniforms
• Weapons 
• Location

The most authentic uniforms I have found on the net are stupidly expensive.  I have managed to find some cheaper alternatives although these are in the £20-30 price range.  If the costumes turn out to be cheap looking I can always rough up the costumes to make them look better.

Weapons, like costumes are pretty expensive.  I have searched the net for alternatives but at the moment there doesn't appear to be a budget option.

I have a few ideas for a location shoot.  Firstly, at home in Tamworth an old shopping precinct is being demolished to make way for a shopping centre.  At the moment it's a great big mess of bricks and rubble.  If I can get myself into gear I could get some great pictures.  I might even go out and shoot some foreground and background shots in case I need to do some photoshop work.

Secondly, on the outskirts of Tamworth there just happens to be one of the UK's leading Paintball sites.  They own acres of land and some of these gaming areas are themed.  That means there's jeeps, helicopters and old wooden huts lying around everywhere you look.  I may have to make a few phone calls.

I really hope this theme works out.  I don't want to put myself out of pocket but if I have to spend a little then I don't mind.

Damn me and my ambitious ideas.

Assignment (Unit 101-105) - Idea Development - Superheroes

Superheroes

From the many ideas I have floating around my mind, the one that sticks out so vividly is my Superheroes theme.  Now I don't want to go around taking pictures of people in fancy dress looking like Batman and Robin, I would like to do some proper realistic documentary style photographs.

Everyone loves Superheroes and in America there are actually people who go out into the night to fight crime.  These guys have no special powers, just a lot of guts (or lack of sense) and they decorate themselves in fantastic outfits and believe they are actually helping society.

"Apparently, in Indianapolis, the Justice Society of Justice is laying the smacketh down on real life crime. These are real people dressing up in costumes going out and fighting crime. Mr. Silent and Doktor DiscorD have Myspace accounts where you can read more about them and their exploits." - from superherolives.com.

My approach to this subject, although in documentary style would be influenced by Alan Moore's Watchmen.  Watchmen is the tale of a bunch of flawed individuals trying to save the world.  The graphic novel and motion picture are full of fantastic imagery that would adapt well to my project.  Watchmen may also be the inspiration for many of these possible nut jobs who spend all night trying to fight crime and more likely, running away from it.

The images I have in my head would include these 'heroes' fighting everyday crime in the dark and dirty corners of our towns.  I would also like to get some shots of them standing proud on the rooftops looking out over their territory.  Thinking about it in detail, I would like to produce these photographs in black and white.  I feel this would enhance the documentary/gritty feel.  On some images I could add little bits of colour.  Maybe I could have the superhero, or just part of the costume could be colour. 

Anyway, that's my musings on this idea for the time being.  The question is, "Will my friends dress up like idiots for me?"  I hope to go out and do some test shots for this theme as soon as I can find a willing subject.



The Minutemen from the film Watchmen



Assignment (Unit 101-105) - Research - James Nachtwey

James Nachtwey



There's something so haunting about James Nachtwey's War photography.  His photography is a full frontal reminder of the costs of conflict.  Nachtwey was deeply effected by the images being brought back from Vietnam and also the American civil rights movement.  These images inspired Nachtwey to become a photographer.  The images I have selected to show are some of Nachtwey's less graphic images.

Rwanda 1994 is one of Natchwey's most well known photographs.  You can only wonder what horrors the person in this picture must have endured and the closeness of the crop means it's right in your face.  One of the things that I love most about Nachtwey's work is the fact the images have your mind working overtime trying to imagine the stories behind each picture.  I find that the story behind this particular photo makes the image even more poignant.  The man in the photograph above,was a Hutu who objected to the massacre of the Tutsi tribesmen. He was placed in a death camp and treated as if he was one of the Tutsis.

Nachtwey has been accused of taking "lovely photo's of horrible things" or "war porn."  I feel that these images need to be seen in order to change the current state of the world.  It's easy to turn a blind eye away from things that don't immediately effect you.  Nachtwey brings global conflict out of these smaller countries and throws them straight at you.  His use of composition often amazes me. 

The above picture particularly stood out to me due to the composition of the frame.  I was instantly drawn to the child's eyes and head yet soon found my eyes gazing off into the blurred background, following the road as far as i can see.  Even though the child is in focus, its the run down, war torn background that holds my attention.  I wonder what my life would be like if I had grown up under such circumstances.

Like McCullin, Nachtwey's photography is a reminder of the worlds problems.  It's their eye for a stunning visual and brilliant composition that will best inspire me in my War project.  I feel like I understand a little better what to show and what to leave out of my images.  I want my pictures to be as gritty and real as those I have shown, yet I want to be able to engage viewers long after they have looked away.  It's the ability of these photographer's to tell a story with one or two frames that leaves me in awe. 

"I have been a witness, and these pictures are my testimony.  The events I have recorded should not be forgotten and must not be repeated." - James Nachtwey

Assignment (Unit 101-105) - Research - Don McCullin

Don McCullin

Don McCullin is an internationally renowned photojournalist.  McCullin is particularly known for his gritty images of War and Poverty and the African AIDS epidemic.  It's McCullin's War photography that interests me the most.

One of McCullin's most famous photographs is this picture of an American soldier taken during the Vietnam war.  The photograph, titled Shell-shocked US marine, Hue, Vietnam, February 1968, shows the effects of war on the human psyche and is just as powerful as some of the more violent Vietnam images.  The portrait is very simple yet captures the fragility of the subject.  The soldiers shell-shocked gaze seemingly stares right through you.

It's a harrowing, yet subtle reminder of the fact that war destroys lives in many different ways. Soldiers in Vietnam used to say the lucky ones died early on.  Those who survived the conflict lost more than they could have imagined.
The use of black and white in this image just adds to the bleakness and draws your focus to the soldiers soulless gaze while the tight crop cuts out any distracting backgrounds.

US soldier during the Tet offensive. Hue, Vietnam, 1968 shows McCullin had a great eye for composition.  Whether this shot was staged or came about by chance you cant help but be drawn to the picture in the bottom corner.  I'm presuming that the couple in the picture were once occupiers of the home which is now a vantage point in the middle of a war zone.  My mind wonders whether the couple fled to safety or were victims of the Vietnam war.

The use of the light from the window and the brightness of the walls gives the image a very clean look.  A lot of war photography is very dark and grainy but this picture is quite the opposite, and it adds to the mood.

I can almost see this as the calm before the storm.

'Fallen North Vietnamese Soldier' Vietnam 1968 shows one of the more harrowing images of the Vietnam war.  The loss of life itself.  Although the image of the fallen soldier is particularly harrowing, what this picture points out to me is that war effects more than just the opposing sides and the landowners. 

On inspection you notice that the body in the image is not the main focal point.  The personal belongings of this particular soldier are the focus of the image.  They appear slightly sharper and lighter than the rest of the picture.  I doubt that McCullin found the arrangement of the soldiers belongings exactly the way they appear in the picture.  its clear to see that this Vietnamese soldier had a loved one waiting back home for their safe return  Upon closer inspection you can also see that the soldier was a father as well. 

This picture, along with many of McCullin's images, was printed in the Sunday Times Magazine.  His photographs have inspired many people (myself included) and I would definitely like to incorporate some of his techniques and uses of black and white tones into my War project.

"I have been manipulated, and I have in turn manipulated others, by recording their response to suffering and misery. So there is guilt in every direction: guilt because I don't practice religion, guilt because I was able to walk away, while this man was dying of starvation or being murdered by another man with a gun. And I am tired of guilt, tired of saying to myself: "I didn't kill that man on that photograph, I didn't starve that child." That's why I want to photograph landscapes and flowers. I am sentencing myself to peace." - Don McCullin



Assignment (Unit 101-105) - Initial Ideas

Due to the fact that my final photographs will be judged not only as stand alone photographs, but part as a theme, I feel it's really important to choose the right theme.  I have already done quite a lot of research and found myself looking for inspiration in many areas.

Art, Film, Music and of course, Photographs have all contributed to fill me with lots of ideas for a themed shoot.  I do however find some of my ideas might be a bit ambitious for someone of my current level.  I will make sure that I do what I can to make these ideas come to fruition because at least one of them is 'bloomin' marvellous.

Initial Themes

• World War Two
• Famous Painters
• A Day In The Life
• The Boxer
• Surrealism
• Romeo & Juliette
• Superheroes

World War Two
Now this idea, I don't really want to say too much about as I have some great compositional ideas.  In order to achieve this theme I would have to acquire some authentic replica WWII uniforms and possibly some replica guns. 

Famous Painters

Painting 1946

More specifically, famous paintings.  There are a few paintings that I would love to see re-created as photographs.  For instance Painting 1946 by Francis Bacon has always fascinated me.  There are many other paintings that I would love to do this for.  My main problem with this theme would be originality.  Would I be deducted marks because the composition's would already be in place?

A Day In The Life

Basically this photo would involve following a person around all day going about their business.  I would probably do this on a weekend so I could get some shots of my subject livin' it large on a night out.

The Boxer

A friend of mine is an amateur boxer.  I would plan to show a photographic record of him training and fighting an opponent.  I think boxing is a great photogenic sport and I would love to be able to capture something half as good as this...

Surrealism

My idea for this would be to do photograph's of people with a surrealist edge.  I really like some of Man Ray's surreal images and would probably use his work as my main source of inspiration.

Romeo & Juliette

I would like to do a classy colourful series of images based on the final few hours of Romeo & Juliette.  I would probably update the tale to present day.

Superheroes

I saw a documentary about people in America who dress up in extravagant costumes and head off into the night to fight crime.  I would love to do some gritty photographs of a series of caped crusaders in various scenarios. 

These are just a few of my ideas for now.  Every day I find myself searching for photo opportunities (most of the time I'm at work and don't have my camera) so I'll keep posting ideas as they materialise.

Photoshop Task

One of my favourite things about digital photography is the fact that you can turn half decent images into decent images with the aid of computer software.  I had always used Paint Shop Pro in the past but recently I have started to find my way around Photoshop.

Our task was to show a basic understanding of Photoshops many ways to convert to black and white.  Photoshop lets you do this by using four main functions.

• Hue/Saturation
• Black & White
• Desaturate
• Channel Mixer

These tools all achieve similar results but some of them give you more control. 



f/5 1/125 sec ISO 200





This is my original photograph.  Now using the tools in Photoshop I had to create a few different variations of this picture using the previously mentioned tools.  I think my favourite tools for this task are the black & white tools.  You get more freedom to create some nice tones to make the photo more striking.

Using the black & white tool from the images menu, I adjusted the levels until I was satisfied with the results. 

Next, using the select tool we were asked to create a half black & white, half colour image.

Next up is my favourite of the the tools we used.  The history brush.  This lets you revert parts of the image to its original colour.  This can be used to give a great and dramatic effect to some photos.  In this next photo I used the history brush to leave my model in black and white, yet his surroundings are all in colour.  This was rather painstakingly done but worth it in the end.

Photo manipulation is something that really interests me.  I love surreal images and have seen quite a lot of what Photoshop can do in magazines.  I cant wait to delve deeper into the world of Photoshop.

 

Assignment (Unit 101-105) - Introduction

Assignment: Image Capture
Unit Modules:

• 101 - Introduction To Image Capture
• 105 - Introduction To Image Capture Of People

For my image capture assignment I am required to produce a minimum of six thematic photographs.  These photographs, although part of a continuing theme, should all be able to stand on their own merit.

In order to complete this assignment I must show my preparation, influences, how equipment was used, image quality checks and a few other requirements.

My blogs will keep a record of the following-

• Ideas (no matter how crazy they might be)
• Research (favourite photographers and how they inspire me)
• Experimentation (am i going in the right direction?)
• Developing Ideas
• Evaluation

There may be a lot of hit and miss ideas but my aim will be to explore any avenues. 

Im really looking forward to getting started and I just hope I can live up to my own high expectations.

Evaluation - The Story So Far...



f/11 14 sec ISO 100



Now that I have had a few weeks to get to grips with the camera its time to have a look at what I have learned to date. For instance, I know ISO is the image sensitivity.  High ISO speeds mean the image sensor is more sensitive and is useful in low light situations.  This does however create noise on the image.  A high ISO may be necessary when using fast shutter speeds or narrow aperture.  I also know that shutter speeds control how long the aperture is open (also known as exposure time) and are measured in fractions of seconds or whole seconds.  I know that "bulb" mode is a really cool feature (see pic) due to the fact you can keep the shutter open as long as you want which lets you create some great Images.  Now I know aperture controls how much light passes into the camera and that it's measured in f/numbers (or f/stops).  What takes a bit of remembering is the fact that narrow aperture = high f/stop and wide aperture = low f/stop.  

What I dont know (and really wish I did), is exactly when to use which settings.  I kind of annoy myself at having to try out many different apertures and shutter speeds before I stumble across one that actually takes a good exposure.  On quite a few occasions this has made me miss some good photo opportunities.



f/10 1/160 sec ISO 100

 With regards to the tasks, I think they have been a bit hit and miss.  Some of my pictures came out well (I was particularly proud of the church picture) and others are now sitting in the bottom of my pc's recycle bin waiting to be destroyed.  I did manage to produce a few decent images but at this stage I feel like they were more to do with luck than talent.  I do feel I have an eye for a photograph and that it's just a matter of practice makes perfect.   

At this stage of the course I dont really feel I could have done anything differently and I guess I just need to keep plugging away and experimenting.  I enjoyed completing the tasks and it has helped familiarize myself with my camera controls.  Hopefully in the future i'll be able to do these tasks again with greater results.

To complete these tasks I used:
Sony Alpha 200 DSLR
Sony DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 lens
Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6 APO DG MACRO lens
Kodak tripod 



Composition Exercise

After learning about composition in last weeks lesson, it was time to go out and try to capture some of the key composition aspects.  Some of these aspects were easier than others to achieve and this is the best of the bunch.

f/10 1/200sec ISO 100

The path in this picture draws the viewer into the scene.  To achieve this shot I had to lie on my stomach which makes the crops look larger than they actually were.  In actual fact they were only up to my knees.  This picture also gives you a good sense of distance.  I had to tidy up the centre of the path using the clone tool in photoshop.


f/5.6 1/100sec ISO 400

Finding an appropriate picture to show 'framing within a frame' proved fairly difficult.  Whist out and about with a few of my friends we decided to defy our ages and go and play on the kids playground.  It was in the kids playground that I noticed what I can only describe as 'a pretty cool multi levelled rope thingy.'  After positioning my friends in a few different poses I finally found one that worked quite nicely.  I then converted this to black and white using photoshop.

f/4 1/320 sec ISO 400

This shot shows the use of angles.  I approached the statue from a low angle to cut out any distracting background. I slightly tilted the image so the head of the statue remained pretty central.  I slightly tweaked the contrast to make the image a bit bolder.

f6.3 1/125 sec ISO 100

To show the 'Rule of Thirds' I specifically positioned this statue so that only the face would be visible to the left of the frame.  I chose not to include the rest of the statue because the photo would have looked too 'busy.'  I used a narrow depth of field to blur out the background.

f/2.8 1/250 sec ISO 400

Finally, this close up picture of a tiled bathroom wall gives off an unusual effect.  The angle the photo was taken at adds to the effect.  These patterned or textured photos can be really useful for merging with other photos on photoshop (see below) so I think it's always good to have a nice supply saved to your computer. 

f/5.6 1/2 sec ISO 400

There were a few images that I took to show reflections and shadows but I really wasn't happy with the way they turned out.  It's all part of the learning curve I guess.