Introduction
In this topic in photography we are learning about documenting communities, we will be studying about other documentary photographers and we will be taking our own photos of our different communities. The photographers we will be looking at would document what they see around them because it depicts the differences around the world and the social justice and injustices around them to spread the word.
Portraits
Task 2
Today we were tasked to take portraits of our partner using artificial and natural light, we were allowed to use the basketball as a prop and i think this was a nice touch as it gave the photo meaning.I like these photos as i was sometimes able to catch interesting stuff the basketball mid-air and the suns ray.
I found this task fun but hard at times as as i was trying to capture a specific photo. i could have changed the position my partner was in as i didn’t get his whole face most of the time. I preferred taking photos outside as it gave more freedom and possibility, but also i do not think i took enough photos inside and would have preferred if i got more inside photos.
I need to improve the angle of how my partner was looking as i didn’t get his face in most of the time, also i should have changed the area he was in as they were all in the basketball court. I should also have used more artificial light.
i would have liked to take more studio light pictures and more pictures in general, as my camera was running out of battery i had to use my partners one and most the photos i took where on his. Also i would have liked to take more mid-air photos.
If i had more time i would have tried different places and different angles, i would have taken more inside with the studio light.
I found this task fun but hard at times as as i was trying to capture a specific photo. i could have changed the position my partner was in as i didn’t get his whole face most of the time. I preferred taking photos outside as it gave more freedom and possibility, but also i do not think i took enough photos inside and would have preferred if i got more inside photos.
I need to improve the angle of how my partner was looking as i didn’t get his face in most of the time, also i should have changed the area he was in as they were all in the basketball court. I should also have used more artificial light.
i would have liked to take more studio light pictures and more pictures in general, as my camera was running out of battery i had to use my partners one and most the photos i took where on his. Also i would have liked to take more mid-air photos.
If i had more time i would have tried different places and different angles, i would have taken more inside with the studio light.
This photo would be my favorite as i was able to catch he basketball mid-air, this took long to take as i couldn’t get right but i was able to get it in the end. I also like the angle ive taken the photo in and that i got most his body in it as he jumped.
This was my first time trying to take pictures in a time frame as it had to be perfect or it would look odd, i would also have liked to get a photo of my partner taking a shot from the 3point line as the ball is in the air. I feel like this would have been nice as in my opinion he’s too close to the backboard. |
Documenting My Community
Photographer Analysis
Some of the reasons why a photographer might want to document their community is that they would want to spread word about how people in their community are being treated, however in Dawoud Beys street portraits while you can see there are downhearted looking people, the joyful and cheerful faces seem more constant in the elderly possibly because they are more care free on the contrary to younger adults or kids who have more responsibility such ad school or work they wouldn't have as much time to enjoy their life's to the fullest. A difference in which Dawoud Bey photographs people in his street photography is interesting as he sometimes likes to have a natural pose for the people but they are always looking at the camera which kind of removes the natural feel a bit, this may be to show a comfortability in the community and that they are not strangers. This links into the kind of relationship that the community has, and that they are close and it also shows through their body language, they are not tense or scared they obviously feel safe and content with Dawoud Bey taking pictures of them, overall a positive relationship in the community.
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Evaluation
The reason why i chose this video out of the four is because she revolves her photos around memories, i like this because photography is all about capturing moments in time and she wanted to share those memories to everyone.
I found this photographers practice interesting as she says she takes quite simple photos but to her it means a lot, she also likes taking photos of where she and her parents come from . This photographer approaches this subject where she likes the ability to form intimacy with some of the subjects she comes across, and she likes when people connect with that intimacy as well. When they look for subjects to photograph she likes to take memory based photos kind of like a visual diary where instead of words she uses pictures . With their personal experience they have been compelled to keep their memory alive as she's used to seeing things from when she was younger she wanted to let more people see. My initial thought of her was that she was an interesting photographer as she takes memory based photos and street photos and photos from her origin. And you can kind of relate to her as she lives in london. |
The reason why iv'e chosen this video is because i found this photographer to revolve around details. What i found interesting is that he likes using details which are specific to the photo itself, for example having signs in the background that mach the subject he’s taking photographs of.
You’ll find that this is constant in the photos he takes. This photographer approaches this subject in a way where he has an element of luck which he likes to complement with details around the scene. I don't think this photographer has a particular subject he likes or looks for as he says theres quite a bit of luck as people could have worn anything, but one thing i know he looks for is colour he likes to include colours that link to make his photos combine together. He is a Scottish photographer, His work is primarily about documenting the people and landscape of Great Britain. my initial thoughts on Niall Mcdiarmid is that he is very perceptive and cares for even little details. |
The reason why I've chosen Liz Johnson Artur is because she revolves her photos like a library. what i have found interesting is that she thinks of her galleries as books with her photos as the chapters, this is unique as I've never heard anyone describe their photos like this. This photographer approaches her subject where they like to represent African diaspora, this is because she wants to represent her culture in her photos, she says that its a matter of accumulating pictures and than trying to make sense of them as if its a puzzle and making its story. when she looks for a subject to photograph she just goes out and tries to meet as many people as possible, but this differentiates as to what her gallery is about for example the black balloon archive, the chapter of Peckham and the woman's corner. Her personal experience is that she is from Peckham so the chapter of Peckham was a gallery she felt close to as she wanted to humble the place she was from and she wanted to represent that. My initial thoughts on her photography is that i like the way she envisions things and how she thinks, i also like that not only does she use paper but fabric too as i've never thought of using fabric to hold a photo and its quite unique. and i also like how she switches from using colour to black and white.
Portraits
Evaluation
In this task we took photos of our partners we got put together with, this was different as we didn't pick who we took pictures with it was random so it was harder to work together than if it were a friend. Overall i think that i've taken good photos as i like the background in all the photos and i have played with the angles and i like that i have got nature in most of my pictures. But what i would have done different is that i wanted more close ups and maybe more of a variety of places to take photos in.
Out of all the pictures i've taken i like this the most as its just different, unlike in the others this picture hasn’t got any nature and she isn’t looking at the camera too. Also i'm taking the photo from beneath her looking up, i like this as its an angle i don't see much and i don't use usually. Also when i was taking the photo there was a tint of sunlight which you can slightly see and this gives a bit of vibrance to the picture.I like the pose she is in as it looks natural and not forced, also its nice that she is in the centre of the image and the main subject.Overall i prefer this photo out of all my others and i am happy on how it came out.
What i would have maybe liked to change the angle a bit so that i got the sun in the photo or a close up instead. |
Process of Photoshop
In this task we took our favourite picture that we took and in photoshop we step by step made it a negative, first you could have cropped your picture but i didn’t need to so i went to image>adjustments>black and white, then i needed to expose more detail so then i did image>adjustments>exposure then i did the exposure to -0.45, then i had to make it inverted so i used command>i on the keyboard and i had my final product.
Tyler Mitchell
This photo would be one of my favourites in Tyler's collection, this caught my eye as i like the background of red with pictures of cars and him in the centre of the image holding a wheel, it almost looks like he’s trying to climb through it. he is shirtless kind of matching the stereotypical trait of a mechanic hard at work. I also relate to this image because i like f1 so this especially interesting to me, this is also quite the abstract photo especially the wheel as its the main object in the image. You can also see the cars in the back are also red corresponding to the red walls, i've also noticed the shadow he has used with a beam of light horizontally running through the middle of the image these little details pull the image together.
Portraits
Out of all the photos i've taken this one would be my favourite one for many reasons. Firstly the main factor is the prop i have decided to use is a basketball and it matches as it was taken on a basketball court and the way he is holding the basketball blocking the sun giving enough shade to have details appear more, theres also the light gradient of the sky from blue to white which was really nice. i like the side profile i've taken the photo in as it looks like he’s going to try take a shot with the basketball, i have also noticed that the ball kind of replaces the sun. i also like the gradient of the sky which depicts him to be more defined, i also like how i've got a torso picture as it focuses more on him. And the light in the back as it shines on his hair and coat kind of outlines him, also how he is in the centre of the image and he is the main subject
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Portraits
Evaluation
In this task we took photos with our partners and had inspiration of Tyler Mitchell. It was a fun task as we had a wide range of clothing and props to create photos which we, we had access to the whole school to take the pictures, i enjoyed this task as it gave me more freedom to explore different ways i could view my work . but i would have wanted to take more inside photos as we don't have any.
This photo would be my favorite one i took as it most resembles Tyler Mitchell's work, the framing with the heart kind of matches the clothing he is wearing as its floral with the heart. The sun reflects of his face and gives a glow, its also nice that his uniform isn’t showing so it kind of looks like he is not at school. Also this is the first time i have used a cutout of a shape in a photo
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Portraits
We had another try at portraits inspired by Tyler Mitchell, we used props, vibrant colors in a torso and head type portrait. In my opinion i prefer these photos than the other ones i took as theres more of a variation between colors and i put more effort in this too. This is the first time i have used this many props in a photo and i used colors which match, for example purple and blue, blue and white or orange and white. these help bring the picture together. However i would have liked to take pictures outside to get more natural light.
This photo would be my favourite out of all the ones i've taken, and there are many reasons why this is my favourite such as the tinted plastic that i placed over him and how it reflects the light to kind of cover his face which adds a some of mystery. also the tube we had as a prop to give a bit of dimension to the photo, theres also a few small fruit if you look closely which gives nature to the photo
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Homework
Collage Project
Over all these portraits we have taken in year 10, we chose our favorite from each task and made a collage with them, and used different display strategies each time. And i enjoyed taking these photos and experimenting with the sun, shadows, fabric and angles. We also studied many photographers and we have taken inspiration from their work and implicated aspects of it into our work. Overall I think i've improved through out these weeks as i've become more confident in my ability to take good and better photos.
Final Project
Final Evaluation
Through out year 10 i've taken many photos as we have studied different photographers such as Dawoud Bey and Tyler Mitchell, i have mostly taken inspiration from Tyler Mitchell as a constant trope in my photography is the colour, props, the sun/outside or sometimes fashion and shadows. All my photos are of my communities, however the photos i have used in my final piece is the community of my school.
To make my final project I had a few mistakes in how to display my photos, as my original idea I would have had to cut quite a bit of the photos. Then I found a picture on pinterest which I liked and I took inspiration with string, after that I had taken thread and instead of drooping the thread I decided to slant them and I made the photos go from big to small, I then clipped the photos to the thread. I also added a smaller black card in the middle of a white canvas for a background, then I added a white frame to cover the extra thread. I also noticed that half the photos are abstract and half naturalistic, then i've presented it in an abstract way too.
I have taken close ups and far pictures and different angles, this helps to give the whole image some variety and depth, also most my photos are of head and torso with a few being full body photos. it kind of reminds me of a bedroom wall with how i've used the thread and clips, its also very sharp as with all the edges and straight lines there are no curves. I've used a digital camera to take the photos and a printer to get them physically, and I had to learn how to use them over time to improve my skill. i'm mostly interested on how i've placed the bigger photos gradually getting smaller and how it fits with the slant of the thread.
I didn’t want a lot of blank space and realised that I would have had just a white blank space so I added another layer to the background which matches with the common light colour in my photos.
In my photographs I chose to have vibrant colours in the day to depict innocence and the satisfaction and joy of life. Also the people in my photo are young to show a part of life which is free and where you start to take responsibility. This indicates the society around me to be joyful and content.
To make my final project I had a few mistakes in how to display my photos, as my original idea I would have had to cut quite a bit of the photos. Then I found a picture on pinterest which I liked and I took inspiration with string, after that I had taken thread and instead of drooping the thread I decided to slant them and I made the photos go from big to small, I then clipped the photos to the thread. I also added a smaller black card in the middle of a white canvas for a background, then I added a white frame to cover the extra thread. I also noticed that half the photos are abstract and half naturalistic, then i've presented it in an abstract way too.
I have taken close ups and far pictures and different angles, this helps to give the whole image some variety and depth, also most my photos are of head and torso with a few being full body photos. it kind of reminds me of a bedroom wall with how i've used the thread and clips, its also very sharp as with all the edges and straight lines there are no curves. I've used a digital camera to take the photos and a printer to get them physically, and I had to learn how to use them over time to improve my skill. i'm mostly interested on how i've placed the bigger photos gradually getting smaller and how it fits with the slant of the thread.
I didn’t want a lot of blank space and realised that I would have had just a white blank space so I added another layer to the background which matches with the common light colour in my photos.
In my photographs I chose to have vibrant colours in the day to depict innocence and the satisfaction and joy of life. Also the people in my photo are young to show a part of life which is free and where you start to take responsibility. This indicates the society around me to be joyful and content.