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Experimental Photography

(insert name here)

Slow Shutter Speed And double exposure

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This image I feel is the more abstract of the image, an effect I wanted to achieve when working with long exposure times and double/multiple exposure techniques.

I like the way the whole of the image lines up. The shoulders look like hills or mountains in the horizon and each silhouette seems to be in line perfectly.

The pattern which is formed from the silhouettes overlapping also adds a nice effect to the sky.

I also like the way there are different shades of blue in the sky. This adds to the abstractness of the image. It also changes the way the clouds look. Some look real and lifelike whereas the ones which are placed within the silhouettes.

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My intentions were to create images that were abstract and show subjects in a different light. With this experiment in particular I feel I have achieved this. My idea was to show people or other subjects and the things that are hidden, things people overlook and things you have to believe in. With my finished image I feel I have produced this. It shows three silhouettes in the sky- something people will have to believe in to see. However I think I could get this across a lot better if I darkened the silhouettes to make them stand out a bit more, though I do like their subtleness. I think my image looks good as the silhouettes of the model look as though they just blend into the image, like that was how I took the image in the first place. Overall however I feel the image is a bit too dark and would look better if it was brighter. These images took a lot of experimenting. I experimented with shutter speed and a lot of element in photoshop. I experimented with blending modes, opacity and brightness and contrast ect, to get the effect I have.

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I could of made the image brighter so it didn’t look so dark. This could of added to the abstractness of the image. I could of also made the outline of the silhouettes darker to help them stand out a lot more. I could of also made the sealine straighter rather than on a slant.

Double exposure

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Like my long shutter speed image I wanted to create something that looks abstract to stick to my theme. I wanted to base my images around people and their personalities. However when experimenting with the technique I managed to create some images based around locations. Both types of images look abnormal or nothing like you see in an average day-to-day basis.I think most of my double exposure images look good but there are some that I would very happily change if I was to do the project again. I have chosen this image as my best one as I think it gets across my intentions quite well as it shows a subject in a more abstract looking way. It doesn’t show the emotion of the subject but it does show the subject in a different light to the original image. Compared to my influence, Miki Takahashi, my work doesn’t show as much detail like leaves, trees, flowers and city landscapes but I have tried to show the detail within the sky and clouds but cutting out sections of the overlapping image. I have also left detail like hair, jewellery and flowers to show the interests and aspects of the subject’s personality, rather than just showing it with facial expressions. Miki Takahashi focused mainly on faces rather than full body shots; she also often has one layer blending in with another. I have simply placed on image on top of one another. I think my image could have been better if I had taken more inspiration from Miki’s work and focused more on small details. For example I could of focused more on the clouds in the sky rather than the sky as a whole. I could of also left in the facial expression to get the feel of the image across more clearly.

Overall I think my final image looks good. I think the image of the model works well with the sky and the colours work well as it shows the overall feel of the image. The way I have removed certain sections from the image of the model, the face and body, works well overall. It gives the image an abstract look and shows each photograph that I have used in a different light. I think this could look better overall if I had used a bigger feather when using the polygonal lasso tool to create this effect. If I had done this the edges of the model and the sections, which I have taken out, would look a lot smoother. However I do think that the rough, jagged look works with the feel of the image, which is quite dark and mysterious. I also think that I could of maybe used more sky or moved the picture of the model around so that you can see more of the shading and colours in the clouds. I think the amount of clouds that are on show at the minute works well as it adds to the simplicity of the image. I could of possibly changed which sections of the image I removed. If I removed the colour and detail from the dress you could see more of the clouds and this would add more detail to the image. However, doing this I feel it would take away the mystery and abstractness that I wanted to achieve with my images. I think removing the parts that human add to the strangeness. I like the colours that have come out when using an effect on the sky. Rather than using the original blue sky, I think the colour that the sky is now works well when trying to make my images look abstract. However I do think that doing this with the bouquet of flowers would of looked better overall. As all the colours in the image are dark, greys and purples I think the greens and whites in the flowers looks odd and stands out too much from the rest of the image. I could of added a filter or changed the brightness and contrast or hue of the section to make sure that the colours matched with the whole of the image.

Overall this image was not hard to produce. I simply took two images that I have taken and processed them in Photoshop. I used the polygonal lasso tool to cut around the image of the model so I didn’t get any of the background mixed in with other image of the sky. I then placed this image over the image of the sky and moved them both around to make sure they fit. Both images were taken simply with a normal shutter speed and in focus. After placing the images where I wanted them to be I then changed the blending mode. This made it so the two images look like one. I then cut out the sections of the body so you can see more of the sky. I think the blending mode ‘subtract’ I chose to use works well with the image as it emphasises the dark colours. However, as I wanted to create images that were abstract I think if I had used a different blending mode such as ‘difference’ or ‘pin light’, it would of created a much more abstract effect by showing more of the clouds and using more vibrant colours. I also think I could have been more technical when taking the photos, maybe experimenting with shutter speed and the focus. I think this would of added to the abstract effect of the image as it would of emphasised on things which we wouldn’t be able to see normally.

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There are lots I could do to try and improve my work. For one, I could of used a larger sized feather when using the polygonal lasso tool. This would of made any cuttings out look a lot smoother rather then jagged and rough. I could of also used more blending mode options to make sure all the images were as abstract as they could be as well as clear and that images blended well together rather than the contrast or brightness being too high. I could of also experimented with blending different images together and using the polygonal lasso tool a lot more often to make sure I am getting the section of the image that I want. I also could of created a lot more interesting images if I experimented with what images I blended together, either by blending people with other people or one landscape upon another. I could of also experimented with where and how images are placed. In one of my experiments I mirrored the image I was blending and I thought this looked better than the way it was originally, it also blended together really well. I think if I had done this with more of my images they could of looked a lot different.

The overall tone of the image is quite dark and mysterious. You can’t see any facial expressions but you can see dark clouds along other dark colours. The clouds are quite subtle and don’t stand out and I think this adds to the dark tone of the image. The dark purple of the models dress also works well with the dark and mysterious tone. If this dress were more vibrant it would stand out on the page and give the tone a more laid back or easy tone. Nothing within the image, other than the sky, is overly bright. The sky isn’t blue but a light grey and the clouds are a darker grey. This would like a normal, dim day if it weren’t for a mixture of greys in the clouds making them look almost cartoon-like. I think this adds to the abstract effect of the image as it makes the sky seem as though it isn’t real.

I think the images I have produced do match fulfil the brief which I was set. I have produced images after experimenting with many techniques and effects. The images look nothing like the original images that I was working with. I have experimented with a range of effects from blending modes, brightness and contrast, black and white effects. Each image that I have produced shows something that you wouldn’t normally a see or shows a subject in a light, which they aren’t normally shown. They also show the many attitudes and personalities of subjects. Not always necessarily people, but the different aspects of a landscape. For example image number four shows the beach landscape in a different light, the dream catcher for a sun could be seen as calming or protecting, a way the sky or this particular landscape has never been shown before. Image number 6 also shows a subject in a different light to what it is normally seen. The flowers that I have blended with the image give the car a little more personality. It could also show some of the driver’s personality and how carefree he feels.

Long shutter speed

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My intentions with this experiment were to show people in way that they are not normally seen. With this particular experiment I wanted to show emotions and facial expressions in a different light to the basic facial expressions we see on a day-to-day basis. I think my results show this clearly but compared to my influence, Alex Cowper, who designed the album cover for Placebo, my images are not as clear. In Alex Cowper’s image the facial features are a lot clearer than mine. As well as it being slightly blurred, with the movement of the face, you can still make out the expression the model was pulling. Compared to mine, I think the use of a white background didn’t help in focusing on specific facial expressions. The white background also makes the whole image look clear and pure. I think I should of edited the image to make it look a lot darker to emphasise what I was trying to get across.

Overall I think my image has a good look about it. The attention is focused on the subject, by having a white background; your attention isn’t drawn to anything that I could of captured in a busy background. The white background also makes the movement path a lot clearer rather than it blending into the background. However, as I wanted to get emotions across through my images I think the white background makes the image look clean and pure. I think if I had a slightly darker background or edited the image to make the background darker, the theme of my images would come across a lot clearer. I also like how you can see the facial features of the model. It shows that this is an actual person and that I haven’t just edited the photo to make it look this way. However I do think it could look better if these features stood out more. I could of done this through experimenting more with the shutter speed or edited in Photoshop to make them stand out a lot more.

I used a long shutter speed to take these images. It took a while to get the images to look like this as it took a lot of experimenting with shutter speeds. Depending on the shutter speed it meant that more/less light was let through the lens. It also meant how much the camera captured. I had to experiment a lot to find the right speed, which caught enough movement to get across my idea. I think maybe I didn’t experiment enough with exposure and shutter speed. I think there is still some room for improvement when it comes to how bright my images are and what exactly was captured. I also think I should of experimented more with how slow or fast my model moved his head as this could also be a factor in my final results.

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I think my work has been successful but I still feel as though there could be some improvements. I think I could of done more editing on Photoshop to get the feel and tone of the image across better. I think I could of made the image darker to make sure that my theme of emotions and personalities comes across clearly. I could have changed the brightness and contrast or added a filter. I also think putting an image in black and white would of also got the tone of the image across better than if it was set in colour.I think I could of also concentrated on the placement of my model better. I think the whole image would of looked better minus the jumper and if I placed him in middle. I think this would make the image look a lot smoother overall and more in balance. I also think I could have focused more on the face and how fast I got my model to move. This would put emphasis on the facial expressions and features. I could have also captured more movement rather than more blur. I could have also put a much slower shutter speed on the camera and had the model move a lot more, this would create a more abstract image. To make the tone come across better in the image I also could of got my model to pull a few more facial expressions. This would also make the theme come across a lot clearer.

Getting my model to sit still but just move his head made a clear body shape. I think this works well as it makes sure the audience know that we are focusing on this person and his face. However I think it could of looked better if everything was balanced. If I placed the model in the centre of the camera there would be even length side at the side of him and the writing on his jumper would follow a pattern.

My images are experimental as they show a range of different shutter speeds which I experimented with. They match the theme by showing a subject and it’s personality in a way which it isn’t normally seen.