photography task 1 photography applications
TRANSCRIPT
Photography Applications
(Hannah Mizen)
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Advertising and Promotion
This is one of the main uses of photography, by advertising a product, advertising the product in the light the company wants the consumer to see it, so the product must look its best and at its most appealing and desirable. These images are photographed in a very controlled so the producer can control what the consumer sees and how they view the product. Text to give the advertisement some direction and to describe what the company is trying to sell you.
Promotional photography is very similar, but rather than advertising, they are trying to raise profile, to make their product more well known. A the producer may create a campaign that is ‘shocking’ and ‘different’, even if the attention on the product is not all positive it doesn’t matter because awareness is still being raised. In many cases promotional advertising will be raising awareness about the effects of products that are bad, like in the picture on the right, it is promoting the fact that smoking is harmful to others around you not just yourself. These campaigns use clever and shocking tactics to stick in peoples minds so that they remember it.
Advertising can also involve models and this is usually used in fashion advertising. Even though there is no text and no direction, it is still clear that this product is selling clothes. Fashion and clothing does rely on post-production editing, but also relies mainly on models and make-up and lighting being manipulated to create the effect they want to get across to the viewers.
Adverts appear anywhere possible from newspapers to billboards. But the kind of product the advert is advertising depending on what genre of media it is. For example a beer brand like Carling may advertise in a ‘mans’ magazine like Men's Journal or a supermarket like Tesco may advertise In a newspaper like the Sun.
This is a promotional photo, this campaign is to tell people that smoke to stop because it doesn’t just harm them, but others around them.
The main image is shocking and could be deemed distressing, to see a young child in distress. This is what will capture the viewers attention and make them remember this.
There is also a short sentence at the bottom of the photo using quite shocking, sharp language. ‘Smoking isn’t just suicide. It’s murder.’
The editing in this is mainly to do with the smoke cloud acting like a bag, showing it is suffocating the child
There is also lighting that has been manipulated, you can there is one flash or spotlight that contrasts and fades into the black background.
The model has also been placed their for the purposes of the campaign, it is taken in a studio and posed, so it is not natural
Photojournalism
Photojournalism photos have one main goal and that is to portray an image and illustrate a story that a newspaper or magazine is trying to sell. These photos that accompany stories to make the audience see the story in a particular light, for example a newspaper may use a photo or a criminal to make them look scary rather than a picture of a school portrait, and visa-versa for a person that has just died, the news story will want to paint them in a good light and use a friendly, smiling photo of them, rather than a mug shot.
So photojournalism can be very biased and will put a photo in their paper to confirm their beliefs. This happens a lot with politicians, when a news paper heavily supports a party, they will make all the other parties look bad by printing unflattering photos of them, with a petty headline. This technique is used more for a comedy effect and to belittle the person who’s picture it is.
Photojournalism is usually used along side text, the images supporting this text and giving it more impact and meaning, making the audience more likely to believe this story. This can be quite harmful and controversial in some more serious cases, like murder, crime and abuse. Some newspapers and news sites manipulate images to suit their view and story better. For example, after the murder of Mike Brown by a police officer, the media tried to portray Mike as a thug by using particular images, and deliberately not choosing the picture of him smiling with his younger sibling. This is controversial because of how people were accusing the news media sites of being racist, making seem as if his death was justified because of his skin colour.
Another example of journalism being manipulating the audience’s opinions in an unfair way is the latest newspaper front cover of the Sun, it shows a picture of the right wing Labour party leader Ed Milibandeating a bacon sandwich, the picture is unflattering on purpose belittle him and making him look unprofessional and like he is a joke. The photojournalists have also edited a picture of Nicola sturgeon on to Ed’s shoulder, subtly implying there will be a Labour/SNP coalition, and telling the audience that this is a terrible thing.
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This is a photo of a man in the Vietnam War being shot in the head.
The photo is an observational, it is not controlled, this situation was taken in a split second.
The lighting in this is ambient it wasn’t controlled, just natural lighting from the sun.
The subject matter of this photo is very shocking but real and it documents and tells people how brutal and evil the war was, to help people understand.
This photo hasn’t had any editing done to it because it is taken on black and white film, so the only production process would be the development in a dark room.
The lens the photographer would use would be a wide lens, and a big exposure to make sure everything is in focus and nothing is missed.
Fashion PhotographyFashion photography’s purpose is to sell and advertise clothes. Photographers take pictures of attractive, slim models in clothing, these models look good in the outfits so when the buyer sees this they will project what they see on the model on to their own self, e.g. ‘if the model looks that good in those clothes then so will I’. The set up for the models is very controlled and not observational as everything has been put in a certain place, the lighting is artificial and is put in the way it is on purpose to create the right effect while still showing the clothes in the best way they can. The lens the photographer will use will be wide and not long, because they want to get a whole scene in, not a close up, because they need to capture the outfit that they are advertising.
There are different styles of fashion photography, high fashion and catalogue. High fashion is photographs are selling designer clothes, that are are advertised in magazines such as vogue, these shoots usually feature talented young models or famous older ones. They will have more extravagant backgrounds or classic and simple. The catalogue is a lot less ‘professional’ and doesn’t have the edge that high fashion has.
There are a lot of problem with the fashion photography. The models that the photographer chooses are usually very thin, setting unattainable standards for young girls that look up to these models and want to achieve the desirable look because the models are ‘beautiful’.
These kind of photos will be seen in fashion magazines and books. There are lots of different kind of fashion magazines, different genres of fashion from mainstream/catalogue to high end and designer fashion. These different magazines cater to different audience. For example a lower end magazine like ‘Glamour’ focus on fashion and trends which are affordable and assessable where as a fashion magazine like ‘Vogue’, this shows more high end, quality photos that advertise more expensive brands. Other places you might see fashion photography is on
billboards in a city or advertisement screens.
Fashion PhotographyIn the world of fashion photography around 99% of the images are
manipulated in some form or way, this could anything from editing the colours to changing the shape of the model’s body. In some cases editing can make a fashion picture look better, by enhancing eye colour and smoothing out the skin of the models, but it has become a controversial subject where editing a models body to look thin and ‘perfect’ is the norm. This is controversial because it sets a standard which is particularly placed upon women to adhere to, these standards that are unachievable because they are not actually real, and this has created a lot of health problems, like girls as young as 8 being conscience of their body and how they look, which can develop into more serious issues, like low self esteem and eating disorders.
But the editing of photos in the fashion industry can be used in a positive way and can make photos look more interesting and show the clothes off to their best ability. Changing the lighting to show the clothes off more so that shadows don’t get in the way or enhancing the saturation of the clothes to make them look more appealing to the audience. Editing means you can also do interesting things in pictures that don’t look real, for example the picture next to this text, the photographer has edited the girl in the photo to make it look like she is floating. This not only looks more interesting is also shows the dress off really well, having it stretched out in the middle of the page, with the light bouncing off the glittery parts of it.
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This is a fashion photo, used for a high fashion magazine, advertising designer clothes, would probably be in a magazine like vogue.
The main subject is the woman, she is posing to show the clothes in the best light, to make them desirable.
The man and the horse have been put there in a certain place in a certain pose for a reason, so this photo is controlled.
Even though this shoot appears to be outside, the lighting is still controlled and manipulated, using lamps and white screens
In this type of photography there is a fair amount of post production work such as digitally editing the photo, making the photo look ‘flawless’
The models are desirable people and are typical of fashion magazine, the strong facial features and slim bodies. These are the kind of people readers look up to and want to look like.
Portraiture
Portraiture is one of the most common types of photography whether it is posed
or candid. This is all to do with capturing not just the face, but the subjects within
the face like the emotions the colours the details. Portraits can be done in black
and white or colour. Usually looking more classic in black and white.
The photographer will usually instruct the model in different poses, so their faces
are either facing front on or on a side profile. They will also tell them what emotion
they want them to express. In these posed portraits they also may include props.
The background setting for portraits is almost always plain, to keep the focus on
the face. The background uses an infinity curve to keep the background smooth,
again so there is no distraction from the face. The lighting will also be artificial and
set up to give a certain effect and control the mood exactly.
Candid portraits are a bit different, they are more natural and observational as the
photographer takes photos without the people knowing, so all the emotions are
real and nothing is fake. With this it is not taken in a studio, so lighting cannot be
controlled and the photographer will have to work with ambient light. Composition
is also very important for these photos because the background won’t be plain.
After the photos are taken they will be edited. They will be edited digitally in
photoshop or something similar. The photographer will edit the photo to make the
image looks as striking as possible, to make it look interesting and catch the
viewers attention.
Portraits are used in all sorts of places and are usually used in fine art, illustrative
or documentary, so they could pop up in a magazine like national geographic, or a
more arty one like Adore Noir. Portraits are used also on Wikipedia pages to show
people what other people look like, usually celebrities.
This photos subject matter is a portrait shot of Andy Warhol.
This photo because of when it was taken was probably taken on film that was black and white, so it originally was black and white, no editing has occurred.
The photographer has instructed the model into a specific pose, with the paintbrush, this is to frame his face and to also make the photo different to a normal portrait.
The paintbrush in this photo gives it more identity and context, because the model is an artist.
Because the photo was taken on film it isn't digital so no editing can occur, but the film has to be developed in a dark room.
The lighting in this photo is artificial and is set up to light the face in a certain way.
High street studio
High street studio photography is where families hire a photographer to take
pictures of them, in a studio or outside so they can buy photos for their home. It
also includes wedding photography. These photos will usually be posed portraits
of groups of families.
These photographs are usually taken in a studio with a plain background with an
infinity curve. The lighting is always artificial in a studio with no natural lighting, so
the photographer can control exactly what lighting and mood they want to portray.
The photographer will instruct the family into different poses, to convince a sense
of happiness and normality. The photographer may also include props to add
some fun and interesting subject matters. The photos can also be taken outside,
so the families can interact with the set and surroundings. Wedding photos will
usually be taken on site, the lighting then will not be controlled as much, but the
photographer will use a flash to enhance brightness.
High street studios will use a lot of post-production on their photos, editing the
pictures to make the contrast and brightness higher so the photos look clearer,
getting rid of blemishes so the outcome will be desirable by the family so they will
want to buy the photos.
Where you would usually see these is in a families home, hanging on a wall.
These photos may also be used to advertise the photography business, so in
small ads in local magazines.
A list of popular high street studio photography business are: Venture,
Blacksheep, Boggio studios and Clifton studios. Places where you might come
across a high street studio photo is usually in someone's home framed, but some
sample studio photographs can be used in a local paper to advertise their
services, for example the local studio photographer called ‘Wallworks’ may
advertise in the local news like the York or Selby times.
This photo is of a family in a studio.
The photographer has posed this family, so it is not observational, it is controlled.
The setting is in studio, the background is plain to keep the attention on the family and not to distract the eye away.
The lighting is completely artificial, there are high power lamps and flashes that make the family look clear and happy.
Post-production, the photos will be edited to make them at their most desirable, increasing contrast, getting rid of blemishes, increasing vibrancy.
The type of pose the photographer has put the family in is a generic ‘happy family’ pose, to portray this.
Architecture
This is the photographing of buildings and there are different styles architecture can be
photographed. There are arty styles and property styles, which have different outcomes.
For example a photo that an artist takes will look a lot different to what a construction
developer will take.
Photographers that specialise in architecture photography use special lenses,
techniques and equipment like tilt-shift lens and the rule of thirds.
Post production in these kind of photos will vary a large amount depending on what the
photo is going to be used for. If it is an artistic photo the photographer will edit it to make
the building look interesting and stand out and this may not be a true portrayal of the
building. If the photo of the building is being used for property development then
minimal or no editing will be used, because the picture of the building has to be a true
portrayal of what the building looks like in real life, or as close to it as it can.
Lighting buildings can be difficult because of their size and a lot of photographers rely
on the natural ambient light. But in the dark spot lights can light up parts of the building,
but this is only very limited and only gives off a certain atmosphere and feel, so natural
lighting usually works better.
Architecture is a very niche market, so there would be a special magazine that catered
to this audience. Magazines like Evolo specialise in architecture and the photography of
buildings. This kind of magazine talks about trending building designs, up and coming
architects and architecture photographer. They talk about software that makes
experimenting with architecture shapes easier. Architecture photography might also
appear in estate leaflets for companies like Right Move and Hunters, which are estate
agents that advertise houses on their websites. This kind of architecture photography is
a lot more simple and basic and less art driven, its more to advertise and sell the house.
This is a photo of a piece of architecture or building
The photographer has taken a very different perspective of this, instead of it looking like a building it is almost unrecognisable, so this would not be suited to a property developer.
In this photo it has had a heavy amount of post-production, it has been heavily edited into black and white, with very heavy contrast. The building in the photo looks very shiny almost like a mirror, so this would have been edited.
The lighting in this photo is ambient, natural lighting and editing to decrease the brightness all over and just concentrating on the contrast.
Illustration
These kind of photos go alongside information, usually shown in specific
books that are specialised to that subject, e.g. mammals. These help the
reader picture and make sense of what they are reading, if they are reading
about animals they have never heard of before then they need a picture to
help them understand. Step by step photos of instructions is also another
example how the pictures help readers to understand information.
The style of photography varies from what the subject matter is. For a guide
on mammals the photographer would use a zoom lens to get a good detailed
picture without getting to close and putting their self in danger. The
photographs will not be controlled, they will be observational if it is wild
animals, then they can’t be controlled so the photographer needs to get the
shots they can get. Lighting with this is also going to be ambient and not
controlled, especially if a zoom lens is being used, then the light won’t be able
to reach. If the animal is close-up and in the dark then a flash could be used
to.
Post-production may include some minor editing, to make the pictures look
more stunning and vibrant. Also in some cases, some information books will
want the animals cut out and put onto a white background, so this will need to
be done in post production.
This images are usually used in educational books, publications, informative
guides such as the Oxford natural history dictionary or . This picture illustrate
words and help people to learn what an animal or plant looks like. So these
picture must be clear and easy to look at.
This is a photo for a photographic guide of owls
The lens used for these pictures would be a a zoom lens because of how owls are hard to get near in the wild.
The lighting in these photos is all ambient, no artificial lighting has been used because an artificial light would scare the birds and the lights wouldn’t reach like the lens does.
In post production these photos would have been edited digitally, to enhance the colours and contrast to make the photos more clear. But not so much that the animals look different to what they originally look like,
Medical
Medical photography is used to record diseases, operations and recovery
in a truthful and honest way. The photographs can be taken with rulers to
show measurements, so this can be used in medical journals and papers.
Digital cameras with a large apertures and a ring flash are what is usually
used, this is to get the most clear and accurate, this technique is used
during surgery and to record visible medical problems. There are also
more specialised techniques to fit in more complex situations, like time
lapse thermal imaging, endoscopy and micro and macorgraphy, using
these when a normal camera cant capture the full accuracy and detail like
internal organs.
The conditions that the photographs are taken in are controlled and have
to be manipulated in a way that follows medical standards. Lighting for
photographs depend on the situation. If it is posed in studio then lighting
will be artificial lamps, if its in surgery the photographer will have to use
the ambient light with the ring flash to get the right lighting.
The people who do this job are medical photographers that are specially
trained.
Editing and post production is not allowed in these photos as they will taint
the outcome of what the ‘disease’ looks like 100% truthfully.
Medical photography will usually be used in medical journals and other
medical related media, such as presentations and websites. The photos
are specially taken to show an illness, so they are informative. An
example of a medical journal where you would find these photos is the
BMJ, also known as the British Medical Journal which is a
magazine/journal that is informative and keeps people in the medical
profession up to date with the latest news.
In this photo, it is a picture
to show the symptoms of
the disease. Used for
referral or medical text
books.
The set up of this photo has
been taken in a studio, the
background is plain and black so
the contrast of the skin stands
out and it is easier to see the
symptoms, so they are clear.
The lens for this
photo is a wide
lens so
everything can fit
into the photo. It
also has a large
exposure so all
the detail is
included in the
photo.
The post production of this
photo will be nothing more
than putting the photo into
books and posters, the
photo can’t be tainted in
any way or the image won’t
be a true representation of
the disease.
Fine art
Fin e art photography can include a lot of different things and the subject matter
of this kind of photography varies a lot. There are different types like landscapes,
portraits, figures, macro, plants and animals and obscure photography etc. They
are usually shown in black and white and rarely colour.
Fine art is produced to be sold in books and prints, and shown in exhibitions and
is made for no other purpose other than to express an artists perceptions and
emotions.
Conditions that these photos are taken in can vary because of the wide range of
subject matters, things like landscapes cannot be controlled and these kind of
photos are taken in the moment. But other kinds of photos like portraits can be
controlled using lighting, the conditions can be controlled like wind and shadowing
and the subject matter, because it can be posed. Lenses usually used can also
vary, some lenses could be wide or long, depending on subject matter.
Landscapes and figure photography will use a wide lens to include everything,
where as macro shots will be closer up and include more detail.
Post production can also vary, but it is usually used, even a little bit on all photos
to enhance the natural features of the photography. Also heavy editing can occur
where the photographer makes the whole photo surreal and not possible in real
life.
You could find fine art images in a number of places, like an artists website, a
gallery, but you can also find them in specialist magazines, for example ND
magazine features photographers and also offer people to build up their own
online fine art portfolio, another fine art magazine is called ADORE NOIR, but this
magazine specialises even more into black and white photography only.
Use this slide to annotate an archetype image
The subject
matter of this
photo is of a tree
with the leaves
made from a
cloud.
This is a type of
photography that
is surreal fine art,
so this wouldn’t
be possible in
real life.
The set up for this looks like the photo has been
pieced together, so the background and the cloud
could have been taken outside with no control, but
the tree could have been a bonsai tree which
would be controlled by lighting in a studio.
Post production
on this photo
would be a very
large amount, as
different images
have been cut
out and put on to
others to create
this surreal final
image. It has
also been editied
into black ad
white, and
contrast and
brightness will
have been
changed.
Documentary This type of photography is more of a longer running project that the
photographer is taking on, documenting an event collecting a series and range of
pictures, instead of the latest popular news, the photographers will take it upon
their self to find a not well know about crisis and document it.
The photographers main aim is to collect photos and tell a story about the life of
others and maybe their daily struggle to exist. There will be no tight newspaper
deadlines, so the photographer is very much in control in that sense. So the
photographers can chose what they want to display and what mood they want to
portray in their images.
The pictures very much rely on observational photography, the conditions can not
be controlled, so the pictures are in the moment. Lighting is ambient, maybe a
flash could be used in the right conditions. But the majority of the time photos are
always taken as they are seen in the moment.
Post production is a key element to making photos look right when the conditions
can’t be controlled. The photos can be changed by the contrast and brightness,
the colours and saturation, put into black and white. Whatever mood the
photographer is trying to portray, it can be enhanced by post production and
editing.
The photos will end up in usually books and magazines, being used to illustrate
the wars etc, or the photos maybe just end up in a magazine because they are
analysing it. An example of a magazine is ‘The National Geographic’ magazine
which features lots of documentary and illustrative photos taken by different
photographers all around the world. Raw view is another magazine that
specialises in documentary photography
The subject matter
of this photo is a
young boy who lives
in a corrupt country
and is a solider
fighting in a war.
This photo is
observational and
in the moment
which means its
real life and its
actually
happening which
makes the photo
more powerful, the
lighting is ambient
and the
Post production of this photo
would have been making it
into black and white,
changing the contrast,
making the photo brighter
and enhancing the detail in
the photo.
This photo will be a part of a string
of photos telling a story, and
together they will be even more
powerful.
I believe that post production like photo-manipulation, editing can be used for fine art to any extent, photos that don’t need to show the ‘truth’, photos that are open to the viewers interpretation, and to create impossible situations. Editing can also be used to create things in pictures that are too expensive to make in real life, e.g. an architect may create a building that doesn’t exist in real life on photoshop to see what their building idea looks like. Post-production can also be used in a subtle manner, to increase brightness, contrast, saturation and sharpness.
But there are also times I think post-production shouldn’t be used, the main time is in medical photography, where any detail or aspect of the photo is altered this makes the photo inaccurate and unreliable as this photo if edited is not a true representation of what it claims to be, and in cases of diagnosis, this could lead to doctors giving people the wrong diagnosis and treatment, which could make a person ill or their real illness is left untreated, so they could die.
Post-production that is used in fashion is very controversial and there has been a lot of exposure in the media to the secrets of how the models look so ‘perfect’. Effects that this photo manipulation has had is the unrealistic expectations and pressure put on women to look like the women in magazines, which has lead to self-hatred and people that are not body confident, in most serious cases it has triggered mental health illnesses like eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. So like the medical photos, with the potential of people dying because photos have been manipulated, people have actually been effected negatively and have died caused by photos being edited to a exaggerated degree.
So over-all I think there should be clear lines where post-production can be used and can’t be used and to what extent the post-production can be used and what kind of editing can be used, in some cases some photos saturation and contrast could be edited but the actual photo could not be changed and manipulated, e.g. a clone tool being used. As soon as the post-production starts to effect people negatively in regards to their mental or physical health, then it should not be used.
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