Week One - The Brief - Objects - 28th September
In the first lecture this week we were given the brief for this module which is "Objects". We first read through it, to see what it contained and what we had to do throughout the module. Then we discussed it as a class to make sure we all understood it. Below is the brief we were given.
Brief :-
You are required to produce a paper-based portfolio of 6 'objects' photographs. Whilst there are no strict instructions on the type of photographs you must make, you should respond to each of the following study areas:
i. Close-up and Macro
ii. Mini Set-Build
iii. Commercial Product
iv. Highly Reflective Subjects (chrome, glass etc.)
v. Historical Objects and their narrative (with Blackburn Museum)
During the work carried out for Unit 01 Systems and Processes assignment, you will learn several important lighting techniques. You should attempt to use these aquired skills to help you create atmospheric and expressive photographs.
You must accompany each photograph in the portfolio with a written evaluation of the work involved in its production (research-design-treatment-post-production). Try to limit each evaluation to no more than 150 words.
Your portfolio size should be A4 minimum with images printed on suitable print media. Accompanying evaluations should be placed behind its relevant photograph.
Week 2 - Perfume Bottles - 5th October
In this weeks lecture we were looking at and also experimenting with different types of light. we were looking at light because depending on what light situation you are in, it can change the whole out come of you photograph.
The different types of light we were working with this week were :-
- Ambient / Daylight
- Fluorescent
- Tungsten
- Flash
For the first half of the lecture we had to choose a perfume bottle and then go out with our cameras and photograph the perfume bottle in the 4 different light types that i have listed above.
Then for the second half of the lecture we had to transfer our images on the to the computers and put them into a programme called "LightRoom" this is where we had to edit our images to try and make them a better image. Also after doing this we had to upload them on to our flickr sites.
Below are the images that I took and edited.
Week 3 20/20 Presentation - 12th October
This week in our Objects seminar we each presented our 20/20 Presentations to the class.
A 20/20 presentation consistis of 20 pictures and 20 slides on a power point, a different picture on each slide.
The 20/20 presentations had to be on the theme of "Still Life" Photography. Still life photography is the depiction of inanimate subject matter, most typically a small grouping of objects. Still life photography, more so than other types of photography, such as landscape or portraiture, gives the photographer more leeway in the arrangement of design elements within a composition.
Still life photography is a demanding art, one in which the photographers are expected to be able to form their work with a refined sense of lighting, coupled with compositional skills. The still life photographer makes pictures rather than takes them. Knowing where to look for propping and surfaces also is a required skill.
Within the 20 images that i found that i used within my presentation I chose partly because i thought they were please to eye and partly because i thought they represented the theme of "Still Life" very well.
Some of the photographers that i used for this were :-
- Tim Tripp
- John Watson
- Denis Pedersen
- Bill Gekas
- Eddie O'Bryan
Below here are just some of the different pictures that i used within my 20/20 :-
Week 4 - My Own Still Life Photography - 19th October
In this weeks seminar it was our turn to try taking our own "Still Life" photography.
There was 3 different stages to this task of taking our own image. The first part was to " Get a correctly exposed image of your object in sharp focus with a considered composition.", Second was to " Photograph the same image but change the lighting effect to create a different mood; Take at least three variations.", and thirdly was " A hint of narrative".
To do this task, the objects that i chose were 2 ipod nano's (One was Orange and the other was Pink). I chose these 2 objects because i thought they were quite simple and would photograph very well.
Within the first stage i had to think of many different thing to get the image right, these were thing like, ISO setting, Aperture, Shutter Speed,Tripod, and Studio Lighting.
Within the second stage (Lighting) again there were many different things that i had to think of, these were different ways to light my objects. The different ways could have been ways like, Back lit, Under lit, Exposure settings.
And within stage 3 I had to think about what my objects that I had picked symbolised and what impact later would my photograph of the objects (ipods) have over all???
Here are just some of the images that I have taken so far for this task :-
The images above are just some starting images of the task we were set. To carry on with this task I am going to try some more lighting variations and some look more into different ways i could compose this photograph to make it look more interesting.
Week 5 - Lighting Set-Up's - 2nd November
In this weeks Objects seminar, we discussed different Lighting Set-up's, and how they can effect a picture you are taking. In particular we discussed 2 different lighting set-up's these were "45/45" and "Copy lighting".
First we looked at the "45/45 Lighting". 45/45 lighting is where the studio lights are set up at a degree angle. In the 45/45 set up there are 2 studio lights, these lights are set up diagonally across from each other, both facing in at the object on the table, and also are both set to a 45 degree angle pointing at the object.
Also with in the 45/45 lighting set-up, as well as having the 2 studio lights diagonally across from each other pointing at the object, you can also if you want another light underneath the table with the object on, pointing up, to get more on the object.
The second lighting set-up that we discussed was "Copy Lighting". This kind lighting is similar to the 45/45 that I have talked about above because with this you still have 2 studio lights pointing at the object, but this time instead of being diagonal to each other pointing at the object, this time they are both at the front of the object, pointing down on the object.
After looking at 45/45 Lighting, we then moved on to looking at Copy lighting and the different lighting ratios, to show this kind of lighting we photographed Michael. Below i have just added the photographs to show what i was trying to achieve and what the different settings were that we used.
1:1
Camera settings:
F22
iSO 100
W/B Daylight
Shutter speed 1/500
Shutter speed 1/250
Shutter speed 1/125
On the Photographs above of Michael you can see there is a black line of the images, this is there because the shutter speed was too long, so the flash had finished by the time the shutter was just beginning to close. After this experiment, we changed our setting to the ones you can see below, we did this so we didn't get the hard black line on our images.
1:2
Camera settings:
F22
iSO 100
W/B Daylight
Shutter speed 1/250
1:4
1:8
Week 6 - Good and Bad Lighting - 9th November
In this week Objects seminar, we carried on from last and learnt more about different Lighting, only this week we learnt how to best light a certain object. The object that we given to light in both a "good lighting" and "bad lighting" was a red bottle of perfume. This was quite a hard object to photograph because of the shape of the bottle.
After we were shown some different ways of the lighting the bottle in good lighting, we were told to go off in pairs and photograph the image showing good and bad lightings.
Here below are the images that we took. -
These two different images are both of my examples of Bad Lighting. These are Bad Lighting because both are far too dark, and because they are too dark you cant see the whole of the perfume bottle. Another reason as to why these are bad images is because the lighting that is being used, isn't showing any definition on the bottle to make them look more appealing.
Here now is an image that shows Good Lighting. Here are that images that i took. -
I think both of these 2 images show good representation of Good Lighting, this is because this time the back is much lighter, so you are able to see more of the perfume bottle itself and the light that is on it is no longer a harsh Tungsten light.
Another reason as to why i think this is a good example of Good Lighting is because we have managed to get a High Light of light down the centre of the bottle, by doing this it show definition with the bottle. Also within these images with the background being a lot brighter, this makes the redness of the bottle stand out more in the image.
If i was to take this image again to improve it, i would you change the position i was stood at, so the shadow is at the back coming out from the bottle.
Objects – Check List
HAVE YOU???
Photographed you Macro/Close up image – are you happy with it? – YES,Orange RingAttempted a “Mini set” build? - NO
Photographed a product - a commercially viable one? - YES
If you have done reflective, have you checked that reflections/specular highlights are professionally appropriate? – YES, 2 Glass Jars full of Rings
Revisited the museum or located a historical object of your own? – YES, Great Grandmas Rings
IS YOUR???
Research material in order and does it include visual and written examples? - YESImage evaluation spell checked? - NO
Book/ folder labeled with you name on and module name/number? - NO
Printing organized and booked in? - NO
