LO1 - Analysing a camera.

 Lenses

 Lenses are transparent pieces of glass that converges or diverges light onto the image censor of a camera. Lenses vary from different zooms and apertures.

For example, this lens is a 200-500mm, where "mm" stads for the focal length. The larger the number, the further away the camera is able to focus. This lens is a telephoto lens, which is good for sport or wildlife as you can get close up images of them from afar. They make the far away object look a lot closer and make the action bigger. 

This lens is a 17-40mm wide angle lens. This would be great for taking landscape photo's as it is capable of showing the whole landscape.

LO1 - Ebru Yildiz Analysis

Genre

Ebru Yildiz is a live music photographer. This type of photography can also fall under the social reportage genre. This is as the photo is trying to tell a story of what's going on.

Purpose

The purpose of this image would to be to advertise. This is as it would be advertising the band as they can use in on their own websites and publications. Ebru can sell this image to newspapers/ magazines writing articles about the band. Additionally he can sell the image directly to the band for them to use.

Image Analysis

On of the techniques used in this photo is the rule of thirds. For example, on the left shows how the guitarist's' head is placed where the rule of thirds lines meet. This helps draw our attention to that spot. Additioanlly this image uses monochrome/black and white, which helps create a cold feeling to the image.

The photographer captured the guitarist in a moment which shows the emotion of his music and playing. For example his hair is flipping backwards which creates a sense of action. Additionally the image connotes to us that he is playing music in a stage environment.

The lighting in this scene is created by the stage lights. These give off sufficient light that is directed at specific spots. Therefore the photographer may have had to compensate for the lack of direct and diffused light.

Meaning

I believe that the photographer will have tried to convey to us the power of music. How music can isolate a person and let them find themselves in their own little world. This can also link to identity as they are expressing themselves through music. The image shows the passion of the guitarists and how he is moving his body expressing the music through himself. 

LO1 - Martin Parr Analysis

Genre
Martin Parr is a British documentary photographer/ photojournalist. He documents everyday, un-glamorous side to British life. He tends to take medium shot images of the social/working class of England.


This photo denotes two teenagers in what looks like a run down diner/cafe in what looks like the 80's era. The teenager on the left has a bored expression, as does the one on the right, however displaying it in more of a mulling expression.


Rules Of Photography
The composition of this image is interesting. This is as both the subjects are placed on the lines of rule of thirds. This is a clever technique to get our focus on the subjects which is a pattern within many of Martins other works.

Purpose
The purpose of this image is to denote the life of teenagers during the 80's and 90's. Connoting how they are bored and have nothing to do during their time. Additioanlly the purpose of this image would be not be for any promotional/advertising, but can be for a collection of images that portray the life. Therefore this can be displayed in galleries and on websites.

Image Analysis
This image was shot in Finland in 1991 and was part of his collection of photographs called 'Bored Couples' in which the majority of the images depict two people generally sitting with bored expressions. This can also fit into the social reportage genre.

Another thing I find interesting about this image is how the male on the lefts' coat is red matching the red drink. However the male on the rights coat juxtaposes the others, as it is dull and brown. This may be Martin attempting to connote the personalities of the teenagers. This can also be Martin Parrs approach to to the theme of identity as he is using these two subjects, and their surroundings to express their personalities.

The lighting within this photograph is high key. I believe that it was taken with a flash as one of the images on the wall in the background gives off a bright reflection.

Meaning
I find this image hard to unpick and interesting at the same time. The image makes me wonder why their bored and why they are sitting in this place. The photo however seems very staged in comparison to other pieces of Martin Parr's work. The clothing they are wearing connotes to me that the location and weather must be cold as they are wearing large, warm looking coats.

LO1 - Duncan Philpot Presentation

Duncan Philpott

Duncan Philpott is a sports photographer who is based in Sheffield. Duncan specifies different types of photography. For example:

·         Photojournalism –Mainly biking. Where you document what is actually happening. Capturing the moment

·         Editorial – Coming up with ideas. With this you have more creative control and less time constraint.

·         Commercial –Work for clients, this tends to be advertising. For example billboards and websites.

Despite the appealing aspects of the job there is plenty of paperwork, business & financial parts to the job. It can also be in all weathers, be sunny or raining and plenty of the time is spent on the roads.

A brief he receives that cover sports, and wants few amazing shots per sport. He can end up shooting up to 4000 photo’s in a weekend. After planning every photograph to get the correct one. This involves use google street maps to help scout locations before going in person to help sell the place as an attractive destination. You don’t want go somewhere for a sunrise to be greeted with a house in the way. If there’s a subject need to get someone who can do the talent/sport and arrange a plan to shoot with that person. You can hire if need to but can firstly use friends to help out (save money) and you have to get correct weather on specific day.

He uses software to go through every photo and give a star rating to photos to create a portfolio for that task. E.g. 300 photos and only 10% will be 4 star and a further narrowing down to only a few photos. On the day something may leap out to you or the client and may blow the plan out of the window. Shoot something dissimilar to the brief and hand it to them to give a different perspective, rather than the same thing constantly.

Using a zoom lens you can create a good effect and pull the background closer to the subject.

He has produced content for Nike Instagram. Duncan gets a PDF brief as part of a 15 man team who go out and take the photo involving people doing interesting things wearing Nike kits. This is then licenced by Nike and put onto Instagram. Sold to Nike for a one time use, need to relicense it to use it again.

Shooting cover for DvD. Agency gives a mood-board of images to give idea of what the image should look like. Don’t be afraid to put own personal angle on it. Sometimes works.

What’s it like to be a photographer?                                                                     

He has been to 3 continents and 3 countries in the past year. Philpott is constantly on the move, according to the brief. You have to enjoy being outside being a photographer. He pays mostly for own travel. There are 4-5 brands buying the photos so cant each can’t pay for the travel, otherwise others would profit. Networks with the right people so people know who you are. See three times either heard or seen on social media people then people may contact you. Constantly talking to companies and build a face to face relationship with the organisations. One company may pass on detail. Managed to break ribs, fingers and dislocate shoulder while on shoots. Sometimes rides on bike to destinations raising the risk of injury. Freelance however the work needs to be done so long social hours are common. Sit down and process the photos on the same day to sell to next day magazines. Chase people for money using invoices. Can write proposals to companies (create ideas) so jobs never dry up. Shooting own personal projects help develop skills

How to get out there?

“It’s not what you know but who you know”. Talking to people face to face, meet with brands. Blogging, networking, social media, self-promoting. Blogging, can give you creative control as it’s your own page. This helps show your talent and help other photographers. Social media, many companies use this, and buy images to put on their pages. Collaboration helps as it shares the exposure between the pair of photographers. Joey L, Camp4 collective, Chris Burkard, Lara Jade.

LO1 - Duncan Philpott Anaysis

Duncan Philpott is a action and adventure photographer. He takes the majority of his images during film shoots from the other side of his company, steel city media.

Genre
This photo would be part of the action/adventure photography genre. This is as it involves a bike going at speed on a dirt track. This can also be part of the sport genre as mountain biking is classed as a sport.

My initial reaction to this image is being drawn into the the amount of action going on in one small frame. The image makes me wonder how quickly the cyclist must have been traveling to kick up that amount of dirt. The image connotes action and thrill. 

Rules Of Photography

The composition of the image consists of a cyclist on a dirt track who is in focus. However the trail of dirt he kicks up is in the foreground out of focus which can create interest to an image. I believe without the dirt the image would otherwise be a fairly dull looking mountain biking photograph. 

This image uses the rule of thirds to help add interest to the photograph. The cyclist is placed to the left on the rule of thirds lines as we see on the left. This is where our interest is drawn into.

Image Analysis

The colours of this image are mainly yellows and browns. These create a golden brown hue I also believe that this image was taken during the golden hour to create this effect on the dirt. This also helps illuminate all of the frame.The colour gold can connote quality and sophistication.

Meaning

The image can also have references of identity. For example the identity of the biker and what his life consists of. Additionally the identity of the land and country and how although dirt is associated with being disgusting it can also have hidden beauties.

Purpose
I believe that the purpose of this image is to show the audience how mountain biking can be exciting and fun to do. Moreover the purpose of this image can be for print/ advertising purpose. I would most likely see this image in sports/biking magazines.

LO1 - Photographic techniques

Composition:

composition is the way in which the photo has been arranged. This can be used effectively to create a good looking photo. Jerry N Uelsmann is a photographer who specialises in monochrome landscapes. 

This image is composed in a way so the main rock being held up is the focus point. This is as the sun is directly behind the rock and creates contrast making it the focus point. 

Format:

This is how the photo is orientated (portrait or landscape) and the size and shape of the photograph. the orientation is usually done while taking the photograph however the size and shape can be altered in software such as Lightroom and photoshop. 

Centre of interest:

Centre of interest photography is where there is a distinct point of interest in the photo. This could include having most of the image in monochrome while the focal point being a specific colour. 

This example shows the pink flower contrasting the monochrome background. This is a good way to focus on the flower.

Viewpoint:

Viewpoint is when the photo is taken from a different angle to eye level. It could be from above or from below, even at a slant.

The above image is a reflected image from a low angle. This gives a perspective that the buildings are large.

Framing:

When an image is looking either through something to see the point of focus or the point of focus is in between a specific object.

This example shows the White House through the gates. This looking through the gates could be symbolising being locked out and that the other side is of higher importance or class.

Rule Of Thirds

This is where the image is divided into three both vertically and horizontally. The point of interest of focus will fall onto one of these lines in the specific segment. This can create space in-front or behind the object to add effect of where it is looking and looking at.

For example the image above has a small lighthouse on the right third which draw attention to it.

Colour/Monochrome

The use of colour and monochrome can help highlight what the subject of the photo is. It could be complementary colours (opposite colours of the colour wheel) as they help each other stand out. However it may also be monochrome with the focus object in colour. 

The above example shows the background in black and white and the man in colour. This is to make reinforce the man being the point of focus.

Colour Landscapes

This is where colour in landscapes is used to make a picture look stunning.

This shows a photo, also using rule of thirds, using the landscape itself to create vibrant and good looking colours.

Silhouette Photography

Silhouette photography is the use of shadows and contrasting black and white colours to create an artistic and expressive photograph.

The image shows two young boys sitting on a large bike. It uses the bright background to create a shadow in the foreground making the image provoke emotions.

Light

Using light (natural or man-made) to help show the focal point and add a sense of drama to the image. This is what i would like to focus on withing my own work. Shadows and silhouettes can be created using light. Light can alter the way the photograph looks, as it could have dark contours or blown out highlights to create effect.

The above example denotes a dark room with bright sunlight shining through the windows. The contrast helps illuminate the focal point, the man, by adding light and dark sides to him.

Close Up/Macro

This is when the camera is zoomed into the subject to get a better, close up view of it. This technique is great for insects and small objects.

This shows a insect highly close up covered in pollen. This also prevents us from seeing much else in the photograph due to the shallow depth of field. Furthermore it could make the photo more abstract.

Leading Lines

Leading lines help draw your attention to the focal point. usually roads of tracks which draw your eyes in and make them follow it to the point of interest.

For example this image taken with a high dynamic range makes your eyes follow the bridge into the horizon.

Textures

When an image is made up of contrasting textures to add visual interest.

This image shows a feather with different colours made up of one texture which creates visual interest.

Narrative

When the photograph in question is used to tell a story and generate ideas about the image. This may also stir up conversations and debates about the true meaning of the narrative.

The image denotes a man in a low lighted room, with boxes around them. This may make the audience question why and how they ended up there and.

LO1 - Photography Genres

Photojournalism

Photojournalism is presenting news as a collection of images that is encoded to tell a story. Those who work in this frame of photography are likely to be up to date on current events so that they can capture the images as they happen.  The collection of images form a narrative which should be sensitive yet still revealing the story in an honest way. The Images tend to make us queation all of the goings on within the fram. Such as: Who are they?, Where are they? and How can we help?.

Social Reportage

Social Reportage is similar to photojournalism, in which the image is there to tell a story or create a narrative. However in contrast, Social Reportage photographers plan their photos. For example they asses the lighting, location. However they still capture life and tend to lurk around taking photo's mainly of social events.

Portrait
Portrait photography is where the photographer captures peoples face. The images are usually oriented in the portrait style, similar to a piece of paper. The image can also be of a group of people. The purpose of the images are usually to display the expression and mood of the subject.

Landscape
Landscape photography often catches nature and the outdoors. They are usually vast pieces of land and are shoot due to its aesthetic appeal. 

Still Life 

This is the capturing of inanimate objects to show off design. This style of photography allows the photographer to be more expressive with the composition of the photograph.

Night Photography
Night photography is photo's take outdoors between dusk and dawn. Many of the pictures in this genre are taken of city lights as they cntrast the dark background to create an appealing effect. This also applies to pictures of stars.

Wildlife -

This is taking photographs of the nature/animals. They are mainly taken out in the animals natural habitat rather than capturing images of animals in captivity. This can be a difficult form of photography, sometimes waiting hours on end for your subject appears. However the outcomes are usually spectacular.

Studio/Fashion

This genre of photography is capturing clothing in a way which  most likely enhances the appeal of the clothing. They are mainly used in advertisements and fashion magazines to help promote the clothing.

Street
Street photography is where the photographer captures life on the streets and public places. It depicts chance encounters within these locations. Timing of the photos can be key to capturing the mood of the scene and portray the emotions to the viewers.

LO1 - Mindmap

LO1 - What makes a good photo, what will i focus on this year.

In my opinion, what makes a good photo is how it's composed. I think that without a good structure to the photo there wouldn't be any stand out focus points. Another thing would be that it has to have some meaning or tell a story. A photo should have some meaning otherwise people may not pay attention to it. A good photo should have some focal point to it. Without this, the finer details may not get noticed and could ruin the photo. The use of lighting can make or break a photo in my opinion. Dark low light with contrast can create strong emotion and connote sadness and depression. Where as a light picture could connote happiness.



What i will focus on and look at this year will be lighting within photos. I would like to look further into how lighting effects the meaning of a photo along with how light can ruin or create a great picture. I will look at how natural light can help a picture as well as looking at how i can control the lighting in a studio.

"Lighting plays a crucial role in photography. It can bring a photograph to life, it can generate effects, including spectacular shadows or silhouettes, or it may have a distinctly negative influence by creating unwanted glare and reflections."

http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/lighting-for-photography/