Statement Of Intent
For my portfolio, I intend to produce a broad idea of my experience travelling to gather a range of pictures based on a contrast of 2 different landscapes. The theme of this project is on Landscape which will last over a year. The reason we have chosen the theme is because it provides us an opportunity to explore to different places on a wider scale. Anglesey will be our first trip. In Wales you can see more of the nature side of the world. The beautiful aspects such as the beaches, the trees and old buildings such as the lighthouse. On the other hand, our next trip we hope is to be a day in London. In the largest city in the England, it is more of an urban land. There are more people aswell as new and ancient buildings. There is a contrast of a more urban look to a modern look. Sooner on in year 11, towards Christmas time, as a class we will be taking a trip to the markets to widen our photography theme on Landscapes.
Once I have been able to have a collective amount of photos, I want to connect it to a photographers picture. This shows I have thought a lot on what photos I hope to achieve that I want it to have a professional look. There are many landscape photographers however my personal favourite is Charles Witte. His photos have got my attention as his use of washed colours, on the sea, really makes his photos unique as it is very aesthetic. It really involves you in and the way he has sectioned his photos are really clever. I aspire photos like his for mine due to his pictures being more on the natural side. Charles's images manifest the atmospheric theme. My initial thoughts on landscape was the idea of basic land and people. However, as I dug in more depth of the topic Landscapes, It has helped me understand that the term Landscape can come under many different titles. I thought it would just be based on the idea of a rural land but as I looked more into it there is many photography techniques you can use. Your photos main focal point could be on reflection or the ethereal. Further on in my portfolio, I want to be able to develop my skills to the use of photo shop. Playing around on photo shop and editing my photos. I want to try layering and cutting shapes and rotating. Doing this will expand my knowledge for my upcoming exams. I believe these skills will help me to achieve a higher target level towards the end of this year. From my previous project on 'Weird and Wonderful' , I have shown a lot of progression on my techniques. I know I have brushed up my difficulties and I feel more confident on changing the settings such as the exposure of light when the sun moves,or the white balance, depending on the change of weather/scenery. My exams are coming up which means I will be doing up more preparation for it. Being able to go out and take photos, has made a massive impact. It has aided us to feel more confident towards it. I aim to have completed my project to an impeccable standard. I hope to have put together a variety of images so I can build on it later on photo shop. Towards the end of my project, I will write up an evaluation to sum up all of my work this year. I wish that all of my "Even better ifs" turn into a "Strength" by the end of the year. I hope to leave my work to be an inspiration that younger photographers will look up at it achieve and succeed. The reflection of my work will bring together my knowledge and attempts in the course work. |
Charles Waite- Photography
Composition |
Content |
Context |
The artist has put together an amazing picture which looks astonishing. The colours used are blend in very well which gives the calm, soothing atmosphere. I believe Waite has used a medium shutter speed to capture the light rays and slow movement of the water. Rule of thirds was cleverly applied on this picture using a tripod. ⅓ is the water, ⅔ is the boat to the end of the horizon and 3/3 is the amazing clouds which layer above it all. The fade from a darker tone to a lighter sea area shows the depth of field used as you can see it goes off towards the distance.
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The blended colours of purple, blue and white make the image stand out as the violet tone give the satisfaction of peace. In 1 corner is a little boat which could signify how nature is very big and beautiful. There is yet to explore. The sea starts off at a shallow depth to bigger. This many to emphasise how life starts small then bigger things come in life. It’s all perfect. The light in the distance draws my attention towards it which bring outs the boat. You can clearly see that everything is in a blur except from the boat. The boat could symbolise us humans compared to nature that should be remembered of more often.
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Quoted- “Everything appeared to be right about this place. The boat was traditional, nothing was obtrusive, all was sublimely at rest. No rush to reach for the camera: time to drink in and absorb. I was disturbed for some time about the froth in the immediate foreground and wondered whether I should crop the image - not into a panoramic, as I have done once before, but into a rectangle, a format more traditional for landscape photography. This would produce a sliver of water sitting beneath the boat, with the vast sky above. However, despite the merits of such cropping, I remained loyal to the square” - Scotland (researched)
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Comment |
Connection |
I am in love with the way the image has been set. The peaceful calm mood you receive when viewing a picture gives you happiness. In my opinion this is beautiful landscape picture.
The vibrant shades of violet is scattered everywhere giving a blur vision. Which sets the scene magnificently. The boat in the middle of it gives me a sense of freedom and loneliness. This image is drastically amazing and leaves me in awe. The soft washed colours of violet and white and blue sets the mood. This has to be one of my favourite preferred images as there is highlights of white light which shone upon the sea. The reflection upon the sea is like spotlights which symbolises the good in life amongst the dark areas. |
This image links to my project as I hope to be able to apply these ideas to my own photos. For example I want to be able to use photo shop to alter my images to make them look more professional and enhance them. Landscape photography is a way of making people understand how beautiful nature is and how it shouldn’t be taken for granted. The photo is very aesthetic and I want to be able to use the same techniques to be use onto my own set of images. The depth of field used in this picture is very clever as its used effectively.
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Anglesey |
Our journey around Anglesey |
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Close ups
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Photographers Inspiration
Animals
People Involved
The Lighthouse
Trees
Sandy Beach
View On Top
Different aspects of nature
Photographers Inspiration
Sun Reflection
Personally, I really like all these images I took of the suns reflections peeking through though the clouds. I don't have a preferred one and one which I don't really like as much.
Waves on Sandy Beach
Monument
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Analysing an Anglesey Image using the 5c's
Context
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Connection
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Comment
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"This image had been produced in Anglesey. It had been taken to show the beautiful landscape beyond the mass of the sea. The tower shown in the picture is a lighthouse. This is a very old building on the coast of a nearby beach on top of a hill. Anglesey is famous for its amazing views" (researched)
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The photo related to my work on landscapes as I hope to achieve photos which portray a wide view of the wordily creation. It includes different features into which I will put into my images on Landscapes. This image shows how isolated a piece of land may be however there are bits which make it standout.
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In my opinion, this image is a simple but gorgeous landscape. On the other hand it seems quite dull which in my preferences isn't what my main goal is for my photos in the future. The landscape shows a beautiful side of the world which many are not able to witness.
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Content
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Composition
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On the image of the Island of Llandywn, there is an outstanding view of the sky which seems to end towards the far distance as it meets up with the sea. The clouds surrounding the whole land above are scattered everywhere. The rocks which could possibly be mountains are faded then disappear as you look towards the right of the image. The greenery which covers half of the image are in different levels.
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By the looks of the whole image, I can tell that the white balance had been set on cloudy. I got this idea from the number of clouds shown but less sun rays. The picture has been split into 3 sections horizontally. 1/3 covers the mountains rocks. The middle 1/3 has the view of the lighthouse and finally the last 1/3 has the darker area of the mountains. I can assume this image was taken by the help of a tripod as it's scale and angle isn't bent. There are more tertiary colours popping out however the green is the colour which reflects out the most.
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Experimenting with Photoshop to refine my images
Photo 1
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Photoshop
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Photo 2
To be able to create a more natural and subtle look I think I need to focus more on the neutral aspects that I can edit with. So I could work with the bleached sun which has taken over most of the image. The colour contrasts of the rocks is way too dark. I could change the saturation and play around with the lighting tools. I could include some small effects to make the picture more lively.
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Before |
Photoshop
Layers on PhotoshopLearning how to use layers
TutorialsTo help me with editing my photo, I turned to youtube to help me with ideas on how to add and cut layers I decided I want to learn how to change the background of an image.
Process 1
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Winter Landscapes
Experimenting with a different White Balance- White Florescent Lighting
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Close Ups
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Plants and Nature
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During our time in photography, we have had the opportunities to go out and explore different places to gather a wide range of photos to suit out portfolios. Earlier in the year, as a class, we went on a residential trip to Anglesey in Wales and in the summer we went to London for the day. For our Landscape Project we aimed to achieve a contrast of photos following a theme. In Anglesey our main focus was on the nature surroundings. In London, our focus was on the urban landscapes. When we went to Anglesey we had the ability to capture the soft rays of the sun reflecting on the sea. For this I was able to change my white balance and shutter speeds to adapt to my chosen focal point. February is a time of when its winter which results to the atmosphere being aesthetic. Personally it was my favourite as compared to London it was really hot. This concluded to having to keep my settings to manual, a specific shutter speed and aperture to suit the brightness.
In Anglesey, as a class we had traveled quite a lot to be able to receive a wide range of images. For our stay we had visited a beach, climbed up hills. We also had the chance to take sunset photos and the reflections portrayed on the water. The nature aspect was absolutely wonderful and breath taking. On contrast to London, primarily my intention was to just snap pictures of the surrounding buildings and architecture. However we were able to go to different places such as the Tate Moderne. London is a vibrant and lively city which makes it different to Anglesey. It is quiet an peaceful in Wales. The city is cheerful and never not busy.
I am looking forward to this upcoming year as Christmas is arriving which means we will be able to go to the Markets and experience what it is like in the dark to take photos. The little things which make it more magical and interesting. Capturing photos in different lights and atmospheres, I think it will boost up my marks and grade.
In Anglesey, as a class we had traveled quite a lot to be able to receive a wide range of images. For our stay we had visited a beach, climbed up hills. We also had the chance to take sunset photos and the reflections portrayed on the water. The nature aspect was absolutely wonderful and breath taking. On contrast to London, primarily my intention was to just snap pictures of the surrounding buildings and architecture. However we were able to go to different places such as the Tate Moderne. London is a vibrant and lively city which makes it different to Anglesey. It is quiet an peaceful in Wales. The city is cheerful and never not busy.
I am looking forward to this upcoming year as Christmas is arriving which means we will be able to go to the Markets and experience what it is like in the dark to take photos. The little things which make it more magical and interesting. Capturing photos in different lights and atmospheres, I think it will boost up my marks and grade.
Mock Exam 2018
Content |
Composition |
Comment |
I believe this image lets out a positive, happy, admiration vibe. In my opinion it puts me in awe. There are groups of people who seem to be enjoying the glorious rich sun. There is 2 trees on each side of the image which in according to me, stands out alot. The picture has a washed colour effect. Neutral summery colours. There are different tones which emphasises the beautiful scenery. Different tones such as green and blue of the sky makes the image look really stunning. The burnt orange is mixed in with the shadow of the trees and the greenery of the grass. The trees cast a shadow from the suns reflection.
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The photographer has cleverly structured his image to make it perfect to fit his theme of fairies. First of all, he has evidently used a higher aperture. A higher aperture means it will bring in more light. The exposure of light gives us the idea of hope and dreaminess. In the centre top part of the image it is slightly blurry. This maybe due to the exposure of the light, however, I believe the photographers intentions was to portray the idea of a future being unseen beyond this happiness given off to us. There are 2 trees which I think are there for a purpose. One maybe to close the bracket in the "hopes and dreaminess". The strong colour of dark brown in the trees can emphasize my point of life being blocked but re-eopening. Hence why the trees don't go over each other. When I first view this image, my attention is bought straight to the centre where the little girls are dressed in a fairy outfit. The sunlight is directly shown on to them. In my opinion, children are the key to happiness and I think that's what the key message was about of the photographers. Life is meant to be enjoyed at to the fullest.
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I adore this photo as in my opinion it puts me in a happy mood. The children which are playing around in the middle, shows how at a young age, any little children can explore and enjoy the life they are given. In the background there a tons of people who seem to be really content and wanting to be satisfied by the amazing weather given to them. For the information given to me from the picture, I can come to a conclusion that it was taken in the summer as there are bright rays of sun cast everywhere. The trees are full with bright green leaves. I believe that this photo has a hidden meaning. It could possibly be to show us the beauty of childhood and life. We should live our life to fullest.
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Connection |
Context |
The image is based on a landscape. It is situated in a park where normally on a sunny day you would notice it would be populated. This doesn't relate to my theme as my intentions for my photo isn't a wonder land however there are little aspects which do. Such as the landscape is based in an area where there is people. For example, one of the parts of my landscape project is based in an urban place; London. London is a lively city which doesn't sleep. Therefore you would expect there to be tons of people around.
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Extract from the website based on photograph
Nick Waplington: Fairies, London Fields, 2003 "In this photo, Nick Waplington's lens transforms kids on London Fields into fairies in a golden-lit Arcadia – a reminder that, if we only stop to look, we’re constantly surrounded by such magical scenes in our day-to-day lives. And that the city has some fantastic green spaces to enjoy. Roll on summer!" (researched) |
London
As a class in photography, we travelled to London to broaden our ideas and photographs on a bigger scale rather than staying in Manchester. We had visited many different sites and overall had a tour in the big city. We went to places such as the Tate Moderne. London is a diverse city with many places with a lot of history. My photos below are from me using my camera techniques to build a portfolio. Initially, I had the intention of taking photos of the buildings but as we travelled around I realised there is much more to London than the magnificent buildings.
Architecture New
Architecture Old
British Museum
The British Museum is situated in London, which was first opened to the public in 1759. It is known to be the second most visited museum in the world. Inside it has everything from human history to art and culture. Its a grand museums with beautiful content.
Different Perspectives of London
Market
Millennium Bridge
In London the Millennium bridge was one of the second new bridges to be built over the River Thames. It was officially opened by the Queen on the 10th of June in 2000.
Sky Line views
St Paul's Cathedral
St Pauls Catheral was first built between the years of 1675 and 1711. There is a golden library which is at the top of the whole building which has an amazing view of London. It contains 530 steps to climb to the top. The balcony is where you may see the skyline.
Photographers Inspiration
Tate Modern- The Inside
The Tate Moderne is an art gallery located in London which contains modern art and contemporary art. It used to be a power station which was shut down in 1981. It has 8 rooms which show 8 types of art. The gallery has a turbine hall which is a very large area which used to be for the electricity generators to be worked. However as the power station closed down it was then used for contemporary artists.
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Experimenting with Photoshop to refine my images
Nicolas Goodden |
This is an example of the type of work I want to concentrate on.
To extend my work on Landscapes, I have decided to pick a theme for my bank of images in London. I believe that picking a theme shows structure in my project. I have chosen to do selective colours. I like the idea of selective colours because I can control the way my outcomes turn out to be. For example, I can change the tones and play around with filters of my pictures. Nicola Goodden's images are quite creative and amusing to look at. It lets out a positive vibe. |
Photo 1
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For my first Photoshop on my London landscapes, I am going to do selective colouring. I have researched online tutorials and I am going to enhance my pictures using it. For A04, we have to have our own personal response. I have chosen to do my first Photoshop on a black and white background but picking out the main colours to stand out.
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Photoshop
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After |
Further outcome |
To be honest, I don't think my edit has made such a big difference as I compare it. So to edit it, I wanted to get rid of the red. I think it was too exposed as red itself is a bright colour so along with the yellow shown, I believe it was too much.
What I did was I chose the rubber tool to remove the red from the barriers infront and I coloured in the train more using the brush. I think it looks much better. It shows I had thought about my outcome. I feel like I want to push myself than juts selective colouring. I want to experiment more. To do so, I'm going to search on youtube for an idea and tutorial. |
I have decided to follow a theme by using the same picture to alter my image to be a much better outcome. From now on I am going to try a better photo and follow my chosen theme.
Photo 2 |
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Before |
Tutorial 1 - Part 1
In this first tutorial, It is going to show me how to change a day look to a night. I believe that a YouTube tutorial will make my outcome more effective than I just change the saturation and intensity of the light on Photoshop. This process will help in my next step.
Photoshop- Part 1
Tutorial 1- Part 2
So in my first part, I have been able to change my day picture to a night time look. I used many steps using a YouTube tutorial. This shows that I am wanting to develop my ideas. In this part 2 I am wanting to add a glow to my overall image. I am going to softly change the saturation and play with some tools to create a neon soft look. I am also going to add a glow using another youtube tutorial.
Conclusion
I had come to the realisation that what my aim is will not work. I had experimented a lot on Photoshop, however it didn't seem to work. For example, I had used different tools such as the Hue/Saturation to change the tone and colour overall. Unfortunately, the colour of my original photo wouldn't mix in. Instead it would make the whole image darker to lighter. Sometimes it would turn out to be blurry or sketchy looking. I was unable to use the night time glow effect as my image already needed a bit of light to be able to process it.
Attempt 2 |
From my previous edit, I have decided to create my aim by using a different photo. In my last photo, I couldnt edit my photo due to its filter already edited. I have learnt from my mistakes and I am attempting to create my goal a different way. I am going to use the tutorials I searched in my 2nd photo. I want a glowly coloured look.
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Before |
Tutorial
Photoshop
Part 2 OutcomeTo get to this final outcome, I had to make a lot of sacrifices as I realized specific steps didn't work. To get this outcome, there were a lot of steps I had to do. To broaden my horizons, I am going to make a further outcome to help boost my grade on my final image.
This image presents my idea on a washed effect of colours. I decided to come out of my comfort bubble to try something new which I haven't done before, on any of my images. Its very unique. |
Photo 3
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Following on from my theme, I am going to do the same steps on a much more wider picture. My previous picture was surrounded by buildings however now I am going to show my skills by doing more images with this sort of outcome. I am excited to see what my further outcomes of it will be as I do have a good idea in my head. |
Tutorial
Photoshop
Photo 4
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Photoshop
Photo 5
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Photoshop
Photo 6
Manchester
Experimenting with photoshop to refine my images
Photo 1
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Photoshop
We have been blessed to have an updated version of Photoshop which I will be using to do this picture
Photo 2
Before |
Photoshop
Photo 3
Photoshop
My outcomes following my "Glowing Edges" theme
Further Outcomes
Evaluation
As a part of our coursework, We have been working on our portfolio, Contrasting landscapes, for a year. Over the course of our work, we have been to several different places and captured wonderful pictures that suits our galleries. In the early year, we had the opportunity go to Angleysey, Wales. In Wales we had traveled lots and captured the most amazing landscape views. From the wild nature life to walking around these long beaches. In the next few months, we went to London. Compared to Anglesey, London is a very urban area which consists of many ancient and newly built architecture. In Wales it was very cold and it would turn dark pretty quickly as it was the winter. We traveled to London in the summer which by then, the days were longer, hence why we could take more pictures. Towards the end of the year, we went into Manchester, Central Town. We were able to take photos of the Christmas Markets and go inside different buildings.
Throughout this whole project, I have learnt many new techniques. On Photoshop, I had learnt how to use layers, change colours in different layers and adapt it to different pictures. I have gained so many new skills that I am happy to take forward onto my exam. Previously when I was editing my Anglesey images, I didn't have a clue on what to do. However I watched a few tutorials and it helped me a lot. For my London and Manchester images, I had become more confident in using Photoshop and had developed lots of skills to portray onto my work. At first I was very confused as to what theme to stick to, but I managed to pick one. For example, I had learnt how to do "Glowing Edges" so I chose to use that idea as a my theme. I included different techniques to make it better such as use of layers. To add more effects onto it , I chose to use what was right in front of me and use the tools on the left side and see what I could produce with them. For some inspiration, I had decided to look at previous students work and tutorials on YouTube. Doing this helped me a lot as I was able to use them on my own work. I did encounter some problems as some of the tutorials I watched didn't quite work due to not having the new version of Photoshop. However we did overcome it as we had the upgraded version of Photoshop downloaded eventually. Over my time in photography, I am very proud of how far I have come from at the start, I didn't have a lot of knowledge on Photoshop. On the other hand, I am very happy at what stage I am at and now I am ready to start my exam. |