Connecting Essay 2

This is a photograph which I gathered from the internet where a photograph of an old man has been blended with a natural background of what seems to be leaves of a bush/tree. Tone is very visible in this pieces where the highlight and shadow areas are enhanced by the black and white effect, also the darker background allows the figure to stand out and be seen more clearly. This also implies a sense of depth as it seems as if the figure is closer than the background. The leafed pattern of the background provides a base layer of detail which corresponds to the age of the subject. This detail enhances the dark lines on the subjects face which illustrate wrinkles and also implies a rough texture. The eyes of the image are also much darker than the rest of the face and therefore act as the focal point of the pieces.

This is my own piece of photography where I have taken a close up picture of my sister and blend it with a photograph of a bush/tree to act as a background and provide detail. This 

piece is very tonal due to the black and white effect acquired to it. The innocent looking 

facial expression contributes to the fact to why the figure is merging into the background, 

implying a sense of vulnerability. The background conveys patterns of the leaves on the 

trees and also implies a rough texture due to the harsh lines which show the bristly/rigid 

leaves.

Both of these photographs share a great connection with the techniques used to create them. The both have been created through the photography method of double/multiple exposure, meaning two separate photographs have been taken and then edited together by using photoshop. The two images are also very similar due to the figures faces being blended into the backgrounds, which in both cases consist of natural objects such as plant/trees/leaves/bushes for example. Both of the subjects are making bold eye contact with the camera and can therefore result in much more intense viewings. A black and white effect has also been used which allows the pieces to become seemingly tonal, amplifying highlight and shadow areas which also enhance the shapes/patterns in the backgrounds. The composition of both pieces are also very relatable as the subject photo is only of the head of the figure which is positioned in the centre on the composition.

Connecting Essay 1

This is an image that I have discovered through my photographer research. It shows many of the micro elements in various ways. Depth is clearly shown through the recognition of objects getting smaller as they get further away, effectively shown through the general public. This is also shown through each side of the composition converging towards the centre of the piece. There is a great contrast between either side of the composition in relation to colour and light, showing the two different times in which the photographs were taken, before being blended together. The left side is significantly darker than the right; colours such as yellow and orange are seen as they stand out on the dark surroundings, therefore enhancing their shape. Contrastingly, the right side is much lighter and brighter and the variety of colours seen, along with the recognition of blue sky symbolises day time.

This is my own piece of photography in which I produced during my exam. The most dominant aspect of this photograph is the different colours seen. The left side is dominantly green whereas the right side of the composition is made up of much warmer colours of oranges and reds. The recognition of the different coloured leaves demonstrate two different seasons, being summer and autumn. Dark lines are also visible travelling upwards in order to show the stalks and branches. Form is also implied through the shadows of the trees being seen on the path. The path itself travels in a straight line upwards until the centre of the composition where it ventures round to the right where it goes out of sight.

These two images can be connected very effectively for a variety of reasons. Firstly they both imply a sense of two different time frames which are separated to either side of the composition. Also both of the photographs have used the effect of blending the two differences together in order to create one consistent image. This blending takes places near the centre of the composition, and in these cases, slightly towards the left. Contrasts in colour are both very evident in the pictures above and also used for the same reason. They both included differentiating colours in the piece in order to signify the different time zones being displayed. Depth is a key aspect in both of the images where the composition tends to converge towards the centre of the composition, clearly demonstrated through lines either side of the centre path in both cases. Also the centre path seems to end in the middle of the composition as it increasingly gets thinner in width and therefore implying distance.

Exam Plan

For my photography exam I am going to carry out a shoot associated with using the double/multiple exposure technique. I am going to go to a couple of rural locations, by car,  such as epping forest and hatfield forest to gather images. These pictures will mostly act as he image that goes over the figure, as shown in my previous work. I will also take close ups of several peoples faces and hands in a range of poses, angles and positions to act as the base for the editing. I will take pictures of people of a variety of ages in attempt to gain different outcomes.

Examples of my own work which are similar to what I want to create in the exam

Shoot 10 work diary

In this shoot I began to explore the photography technique of double/multiple 

exposure. A multiple exposure is the superimposition of two or more exposures to create a single image, and double exposure has a corresponding meaning in 

respect of two images. I learnt this technique by following tutorials on Youtube. 

Once understanding how to actually create a multiple exposure piece I began 

taking portraits of family members and also photographs of trees/plants/flowers. 

After collecting all the images I needed to, I then edited them in Photoshop. Firstly I opened the photo of the subject and erased the background to white by using 

the rubber tool. I then put the picture of the trees over the top and applied the 

setting of 'lighten' to it which merged the two images together and therefore

 creating the double exposure. After that I altered the hue/saturation, curves and 

colour balance of the pieces and even applied black and white filters. I feel that 

this shoot was very successful as it showed a clear influence of my chosen artist of Christoffer Relander.

This is my favourite outcome from the shoot for several reasons. Firstly, the two 

images included can be easily identified. The trees are shown by many thin lines which generally travel upward towards the top of the composition where they end in different lengths but still provide and impression of the figures head.The 

different tones on the subjects face is also effective in indicating the positions of 

the facial features and also shows the form of he face through shadows and 

highlights. The pose and black and white filter used is also similar to Christoffer 

Relander's work, which therefore shows his influence.

This is another piece which I feel is relatively successful in showing the influence of Christoffer Relander. This time I made the main subject the trees and leaves 

with the figure blended and faded into it in the centre of the composition. Once 

again, lines are very significant in order to show the texture of the tree which is 

also enhanced through the dark and lighter tones. The fact that the figure is faded into the background implies a sense of depth as is appears as she is submerged in the tree. I also used a black and white effect in order show Relander's influence and to enhance the figures emotion to be sad and depressed which is also 

shown through facial expressions.

Progression

In my next shoot which will most likely be my exam I will attempt to create more 

successful double and also multiple exposures by using portraits from different 

angles and poses. Also I could take photographs of different parts of the body 

such as hands in order to apply variety to my work rather than constantly 

photographing faces. To continue this sense of variety I could also take 

photographs of buildings to merge with the figures.

Shoot 10 - Double Exposure

Shoot 9 Work Diary

In this shoot I focussed my work on water speakers, in a dark setting, in attempt to capture good quality photographs of the water in motion by increasing the shutter speed. This was very interesting as, by catching the water in mid-action, very interesting shapes where formed by the water. I thought this would be another unique way of exploring my theme of before and after by taking several photographs at the different stages of the waters movement, capturing the water in different shapes and heights. Once I captured good quality photos of the water at different stages I combined the images together in order to show the progression of the water. Therefore illustrating the theme before and after.

In this photograph I combined four different photographs in order to display the different stages of the waters movement. Here I have developed Michael Kelly's approach as I have takes photographs of the same object at different moments in time.The shapes of the water are enhanced by the bold vibrant colours of the water in comparison with the dark background. There are darker and light shades of the separate colours which imply the form of the water. As the composition progresses to the right, the lines of water are shown to gradually get taller and taller. A pattern is also visible in this piece which is demonstrated by the order the colours are arranged in, created a colour sequence. 

For this piece of work I once again used a different approach to capturing the waters development. Here I cropped four different sections of water from four separate photographs showing the different stages of the waters movement. I then merged them together in order to create one new original piece. As the water segment progress to the right the water heightens, therefore once again showing he water at different stages. I have altered the order of the colours as before by placing the orange section on the left instead of the right. I feel that this has a similar approach to the work of Stephen Wilkes as I have taken pictures at different times and blended them together to create a new image. The effects of the micro-elements are the same as the image above.

Progression:

In my next shoot I will continue exploring the technique of taking several pictures of an object and then putting them together to create a new piece. In order to do this I will begin to try out the double exposure technique of taking two pictures and putting them together. 

Shoot 9 Straight Images