Digital Imaging: Research of 6 Digital Artists + Produce 3 images.

For this project I have chosen to try my hand at some landscape photography. I will be going to the lake district soon for a short break and thought this could be the perfect opportunity for me to experiment within a different genre of photography . Below are six landscape photographers who specifically work in digital imaging. I have looked into their photographic styles and techniques in order to inform my own attempts at landscape photography.

John Ormerod

Ormerod's landscape shots rely heavily on digital processing to draw out tones and contrasts within an image. He does this through the use of a high dynamic range. I really like the way Ormerod captures his scenes, highlighting the boldness of the landscapes he shoots. However, the bright and vibrant use of colour that he frequently uses does not always coincide with my photographic style or taste. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45866540@N05/10697255373/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45866540@N05/8911097426/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45866540@N05/9717178481/

Mark Littlejohn

Mark Littlejohn is a digital landscape photographer, he uses digital processes and techniques to enhance his images. He quite often uses black and white in his work, i feel that the use of black and white can give a real feel of authenticity in any form of photography and will consider this when digitally manipulating my own images.

http://designyoutrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Mark-Littlejohn3.jpg

http://www.onlandscape.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/MEL2116-Edit-2-small.jpg

Antony Spencer

Antony Spencer is an award winning professional British landscape photographer. He shoots almost all of his work digitally and relies heavily on post production techniques such as HDR in order to produce his final images. I really like his use of leading lines in his compositions, drawing the viewers eye into the main subject of the image. I also like his use of soft colour, I find its subtle and not overdone which I find is ideal when documenting landscapes.   

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/5066982223_1ec3bf4ef6.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/25/article-0-0BC17789000005DC-521_634x749.jpg

Joe Cornish

Joe Cornish is a British landscape photographer well known for his large format landscapes. Aswell as shooting film he also uses Phase One digital cameras to shoot some of his landscapes. You can see how he uses digital techniques in the image below, Enhancing contrasts between colours as well as bringing out a high dynamic range throughout the image.     

http://www.onlandscape.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Gateway_to_the_MoorsSH16inch.jpg

Bill Church 
Bill Church is an American digital lanscape photographer. He uses a range of digital techniques such as Panorama's and HDR. Although I appreciate Bills work I find his use of colour through HDR ever so slightly tacky. I feel like this can take away from realism behind documenting landscapes. However I do really like his use of panoramic techniques and it is definitely something that I am going to experiment with in the future.  

http://abqartscrawl.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/tondreau_river_edge_reduced2100.jpg

http://media.digitalcameraworld.com/files/2012/06/Ibantik-Lake-Bill-Church.png

Nathan Wirth

After researching a range of digital landscape photographers I set out with the aim to produce three landscape shots of my own. After carefully looking over the work of the above photographers I decided the one that I wanted to base my work on was Nathan Wirth. I really like his surreal photographic style. Rather than just documenting a landscape he seems to find subjects within it that could be considered emotive in the sense that they reflect a journey or character. He heavily relies on post production, exaggerating contrasts between tones in order to draw his subjects out and create a sense of atmosphere. I love his use of black and white, I feel it takes away from the distractions color can bring,(especially when trying to convey an artistic message and not just documenting) producing extremely powerful images. I have took it as inspiration when producing my three landscape shots. I really like singular subjects in a wide landscape compositions and have tried to incorporate this into my own work. Below are some examples of his work. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nlwirth

In this image I have used the compositional tool of leading lines to draw the viewers attention to the singular subject towards the center of the frame. I have also enhanced the image in photoshop, using the dodge and burn tools to lighten and darken key parts of the image. 

In my second photograph I have kept in within the theme of singular subjects within landscape. As I was walking I noticed the barn and the way it stood out from the natural landscape. I shot several exposures and combined them in photoshop to bring out detail in the sky as well as the hillside. 

In this Image I wanted to give the viewer a sense of motion. I used a delayed shutter speed and set up a camera on a tripod so that I would capture all of the detail in the bridge and rocks but blur the moving water. I also shot three exposures of this frame and combined them using layer masks in photoshop to achieve a high dynamic range.  

In conclusion I am really quite happy with the three final images I have produced. I set out with a goal and I personally feel that I achieved it. I really enjoyed the explorational side of discovering subjects within nature and finding the best way to shoot them, as well as editing them once I returned home. As it was my first time shooting landscape I feel there was a lot I could work on and improve. A couple of problems I encountered when out shooting where: The weather, I encountered a lot of rain and hail on one of days that I was shooting. As I dont often go out into the wilderness I found myself massively unprepared in terms of clothing. The cold and wet inhibited my ability to shoot and I had to retire to the hotel. My lack of appropriate clothing along with the weather also limited the distance I could travel searching for compositions. Also as it was my first time shooting landscapes I felt spending more time than two days experimenting would have been more beneficial. Both of these factors can be reflected on an improved next time. I really enjoyed shooting out in nature and can't wait to do so again. 

Photography: Photographers Research.

Lee Jeffries
Hailing from Bolton, Lancashire, Lee Jeffries is a photographer best known for his powerful portraits highlighting homelessness. His background in photography was based around shooting sporting events in Manchester however, during a one off encounter with a young homeless girl in London his perception of photography completely changed.When he describes the encounter he claims he was taking a candid shot of the young woman when she noticed him and expressed her unhappiness. He said he had two choices, to walk away or to approach the woman in order to apologize. He chose the latter and through doing so learnt a lot about what it was that he wanted to express through his images. Lee Jeffries' images are incredibly emotional and powerful. The eyes of his subjects express the pain and sorrow of a life spent on the streets, the fear of facing constant danger, abandonment, addiction, and dehumanization from mainstream society. His work relies heavily on post production in Photoshop, utilizing the dodge and burn tools to the best of his ability in order to really draw out the raw emotion from his subject with the focus being the eyes. It is said that 'the eyes are the windows to the soul' and I would say his work is a perfect representation of this statement. Through his photography he not only highlights key social issues that need to be urgently addressed, but he also manages to create art and a sense of beauty from the pain and suffering of his subjects. I truly admire Lee Jeffries' work and consider him a huge inspiration not only from an artistic perspective but also morally. I think it is essential that we, as humans, treat each other as completely equal no matter what our social situation. Below are some examples of his work:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16536699@N07/

William Klein: 

 The second photographer I have chose to look at is William Klein. Born April 19th 1928, Klein is best known for his career as a fashion photographer working for Vogue magazine. He was admired by many for his unique take on photography, bending the rules in order to fulfill his creative vision. "uncompromising rejection of the then prevailing rules of photography"^.[1] This is apparent when you compare  his fashion photographs to other traditional work of the time. He made it clear in his satire documentary Who are you Holly Magoo that fashion photography was not where his interests lay. Klein considered the industry superficial and nonsensical but carried on shooting fashion in order to earn money through  photography. Klein's true interest in photography was in social documentary and street photography. His raw images of 50's New York helped to shape the art of street photography. It is easy to see that his evolutionary take on fashion photography came from his love of street photography. Unlike Bresson, Klein was not afraid to let himself be known to his subjects, quite often encouraging them to act up for the camera in order to achieve more dramatic images. I really like Klein's approach to his fashion work, we all at some point work doing something that we don't necessarily enjoy for money and the way he completely made it is own is truly admirable. I also find his take on street photography extremely entertaining. Rather than capturing a single artistic moment like Bresson, his photo essays combine within a series to tell a story. I feel the fact that William Klein is such a character has contributed massively towards his great success in photography.   

[1] "William Klein". Photography of the 20th Century. Masters of Photography. 

Henri Cartier Bresson

Henri Cartier Bresson was a french artist and photographer born in August 1908. He began his artistic career painting but after experiencing much frustration and discovering the photograph titled Three boys at lake Tanganyika he turned to social documentary photography in order to fulfill his creative vision. His pioneering work has helped influence specific areas of photography such as life reportage and street photography. In clear contrast to William Klein, Bresson rarely interacted with his subjects as he felt that true art was captured in the everyday moment. Moreover, a photographer's style can heavily reflect their personality and this could also have contributed to his observational style. He was also directly influenced by his interest in surrealism which focused on the equality between the usual and the unusual. "They saw that ordinary photographs, especially when uprooted from their practical functions, contain a wealth of unintended, unpredictable meanings."[1] These influences are also apparent in his lack of dark room manipulation as, in direct contrast with Lee Jeffries' who heavily relies on post production elements to convey his vision within his photographs, Bresson felt the stories told themselves best without the need of enhancement. I really appreciate the way that Bresson captures things exactly as they are in their most natural form. Although I sometimes heavily enhance my own photographs in post production I feel there is a lot to learn from Bresson in his abilty to portray art in everyday life in it's true and organic form. Furthermore, as written in his book The Decisive Moment (1952)  "photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression."This is clear in his use of specific movement within photographs which I recognise as it is one of the reasons initially began to love shooting action photography when i was younger. I am a great 

fan of Henri Cartier Bresson's work and it is clear to me why he has had such a strong photographic 

influence and gained the title the 'father of socialjournalism'.[2]

[1] Galassi, Henri Cartier-Bresson, The Early Work. Wikipedia {http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Cartier-        Bresson#cite_note-2}

[2] Wikipedia {http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Cartier-Bresson#cite_note-2}

Studying HE Access L3 Photography.

My reasons for studying photography:

Photography has been of interest to me from a young age. I remember being really quite young and playing around with disposable film cameras, the concept of being able to capture images fascinated me. As I was growing up skateboarding was my true passion, it consumed all of my conscious attention. I guess when I look back it was the sense of freedom it gave me.  It was through Skateboarding that my interest in photography developed. I frequently bought skateboarding magazines and the photographs within those magazines inspired me. I began to take out a camera wherever I went so that I could document my friends and I in action. I was around eleven years old when my mum got me my first digital camera and by that point I was completely hooked. I continued to skate and take photographs  until I was around sixteen then unfortunately due to social pressure and by being surrounded by a different circle of friends, my passions began to dwindle. Eventually I stopped altogether. I studied Television and Film production at college but never really showed much interest in it and did not manage to complete the course. I ended up going into full time work and during my time spent working long, uneventful, twelve hour shifts at the Brewery I realized I wanted to work in a job that stimulated me creatively. I began to redevelop my interest in photography with a real enthusiasm and utilized my wages as well as my spare time to fund and develop a portfolio of work. After rekindling my passion I decided the next step  was to get back into education and study photography. 

Influences: 
There are quite a few photographers in many areas of photography that I admire and draw influence from, some of these being: 
Adam Kola
Matt Alberys
Lee Jeffries
William Klien


Self evaluation:
All the knowledge I had about photography prior to starting this course was self taught. I feel as though I have learnt a great deal of new skills in my short time studying and I am excited to progress and develop further in Photography. I'm especially excited to move away from digital photography and get to grips with more traditional photographic practices.   

Future Projects: 

I spend a lot of time in the city center when I'm shooting photography, as I have mentioned in previous posts, as it really helps me to take a step back and observe my surroundings in great detail. Homelessness is always a topic that stands out to me. It is a great shame that it seems to be that homeless people are quite often look down upon like second class citizens and dehumanized by the majority of people in the city center. I want to work with the homeless and be there to show them love and compassion as well as help them in any way I possibly can. I really feel as though shooting powerful emotive portraits with story's behind them could have the potential to make people perceive homelessness in a new and more empathetic light. I recently met a new friend that volunteers a couple of days a week in a homeless shelter and think that doing such work myself would be an excellent way of starting up this project.    

Photography: Street Photography mini brief.

The class met up on a typical rainy day in Manchester to visit the "All that is solid melts in to air" exhibition at the Manchester art gallery as-well as indulging in a spot of street photography. Once we had all arrived we where each given a brief asking us to produce a series of images based around the theme "Street Photography". Rather than walking around with our cameras pointing them at any old thing we where encouraged to build a series of sequential images based around a specific subject or photographic style. The second Part of the brief was to choose a subject area and photograph it using a camera phone. We where also asked to record sound bites specifically relating to our subject matter so that the final series of images could be presented as a slide show with the ambient sounds playing in the background.

There are always potential risks that one should consider when shooting street photography. Therefore, key health and safety elements should always be considered. Here a couple of potential risks and solutions that I considered before I set out to fulfil the brief:

• Rain damaging equipment: When shooting street you need your equipment at the ready as compositions are fleeting. However, as per usual it was raining. As my equipment is not water resistant I have to be extra careful of it getting wet. I overcame this potential risk by tucking my camera into my jacket, this way it was easily accessible as well as being covered from the rain.  
• People reacting aggressively: People don't always like to have their picture taken so there is always potential to upset and anger your subjects when shooting street photography. The majority of the time you don't encounter such problems but you should always be ready. An excellent way to counteract any negativity that you encounter is by staying calm, being friendly and taking the time to explain what it is that you are doing.   

When walking around a busy city center with no purpose but to seek out photographs I notice myself experiencing a slight shift in perspective. Rather than being engaged with the busy social atmosphere the camera allows me to take a step back and really observe my surroundings. When seeking out photographs I will notice the beauty and art in the slightest of situations that might have just passed me buy if my conscious attention was directed elsewhere. Here are a series of images I took during our day in the city centre:

                                      

                                      

For the second task of the mini brief I headed over to piccadilly station. I chose this as its a very busy location full of interesting sounds and subjects. Here is the short slideshow I produced: 

                               

                                   

Photography: Composition.

The term Composition stands for "putting together", therefore a composition is the arrangement of visual elements in a photograph. When composing a photograph it is important to consider several key elements of composition, these being:  

 The rule of thirds: This is the fundamental building block of all of the rules of composition. The rule of  thirds entails that you have two vertical lines equally spaced apart dividing the frame into three sections then the same horizontally creating another three sections. by placing the subject along or near those lines, particularly where they cross. you will achieve a more visually pleasing composition.

http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-top-photography-composition-rules

lines: Lines are a effective tool that can be used to add impact to a photograph.

leading lines are a useful device to lead the viewers eye to the point of interest within an image.

http://masteringphoto.com/leading-lines-in-riverscape-photography-composition/

vertical lines: can create a variety of different moods, from power and strength to growth and development. shooting in portrait allows vertical lines to be exaggerated.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jesstheex/135686647/

Horizontal lines: horizontal lines have a tendency to indicate calmness and tranquility in a composition.

farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/3558492399_cec4963280.jpg

Diagonal lines: Can give a feel of motion and energy in an image.

www.photographytuts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Diagonal-Lines-in-photography-3.jpg

Colours: Colour can be used to draw attention to a subject in a frame. Also use of colour can suggest emotion. For example warmer colours indicate happiness and joy etc and cooler colours such as blue can suggest sorrow etc in a composition.

6f9cba2c31f43f2809eb79bd717c5747.jpg

www.blog.mikelarson.com/uploaded_images/IMG_1590.jpg

Textures: Textures can make a photograph seem more engaging and tactile with a viewer. it can relate to/ suggest emotion in a composition. smooth textures: softer emotion, love, warmness. Rough textures: anger, resentment, sadness etc.

phototuts.s3.amazonaws.com/216_terrifictextures/textures-42.jpg

jrwoodward.net/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Smooth-Sand-in-the-Desert.jpg

Patterns: Repetition, rhythm: can produce quite artistic and abstract photographs. Pattern and rhythm can be a representation of endlessness or can draw the viewers attention in to a subject if it is to break the pattern.   

digital-photography-school.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/images/break-pattern.jpg

Digital Imaging: HDR

Raw files and High Dynamic Range images:

HDR: High Dynamic Range imaging is when several exposures of the same composition are combined to bring out all of the tones and contrasts, creating a greater dynamic range throughout an image. The first use of this technique was in the 1850's when French Photographer; Gustave Le Grey wanted to photograph seascapes, capturing detail in both the sea and the clouds in the sky. He achieved this by combining two negatives together, one of the detailed clouds in the sky and one longer exposure capturing the dark sea.  Below is an example of Le Grey's early HDR imaging:

Gustave Le Gray- Brig in the moonlight.

http://www.unframedworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/HDR-Photo-by-Gustave-Le-Gray-870x700.jpg

It goes without saying that the technology has developed immensely since the days of pioneers like Gustave Le Gray. When creating my HDR image for this blog entry I had numerous digital methods to choose from. As it was the most convenient method for me, I chose to create my HDR out of a single RAW file. A Raw file is quite often referred to as digital equivalent of a negative, this is because it contains unprocessed, uncompressed raw data from the sensor that is not ready for editing and printing until it is processed. This makes the image more versatile when it is initially opened in adobe photoshops RAW conversion control panel. 

Once I had taken a picture that I was happy with, I opened the Raw file in adobe photoshop. Because the file is not yet ready for editing it opens in a control panel. This panel allows me to make basic adjustments to the exposure, white balance, contrasts etc of my image before converting it into a file format more suitable for editing in photoshop, e.g: JPEG, TIFF. In order to create a HDR image I know that I must have several different exposures highlighting the dark right through the lightest tones of my image, therefore I adjusted the exposure of my file so like, le gray ,I have two separate versions of it. One of the files is under exposed, highlighting the lighter tones of the image e.g the clouds and sky. Another file is my original exposure bringing out all of the details in the building. Once I had my two separate exposures I opened them in photoshop.

I started by holding shift and dragging my underexposed image over on to the top of my initial image. holding shift ensures that the two images are perfectly aligned. I then added a layer mask onto my new underexposed layer. Using the gradient tool set at foreground to transparent I blended my two images together, bringing out the details in the building and keeping the dramatic sky above. 

Now I will use the Dodge and Burn tools to lighten and darken individual parts of the image until I am pleased with how it looks.  Here is my final image: 

I feel that sometimes HDR imaging can produce a cheap and tacky look, but by using this method I was able to exercise more control over the way the tones/colours came through. I feel that it can be a highly creative useful and fun technique when producing images.   

Selection tools in Photoshop.

Selection tools: 

The range of selection tools in Adobe Photoshop allow you to make selections of individual parts of your images. This can be useful for when you want to edit, copy or remove parts of an image. 

Marquee tools: The Range of marquees allows you to make basic selections in Photoshop. You have the option of using a rectangular selection, an oval selection as well as single rows and columns. The following screen grabs demonstrate a method of adding a vignette using the rectangular marquee tool.  

Firstly I start by opening my image in Photoshop. Once it has loaded I add a new blank layer over the top.
I make sure that the new layer is selected then go over the to toolbar and select the Rectangular marquee tool.

I then select a rectangular area towards the edge's of the frame. Once I am happy with my selection I right click and "Select inverse", I also feather the inverted selection by around 300 pixels.

I then use the paint bucket tool to fill the selected area, playing with different opacity's to achieve the vignette'd effect I had wanted, drawing the viewers attention from the edges of the frame in towards the subject is the center. 

Lasso tools: As well as the Marquee tools Photoshop has a selection of  lasso tools. These include the lasso, the polygonal lasso and the the magnetic lasso tools. Lasso tools are useful for when you want to make more detailed selections, cutting out a specific part of your image.

Using the image below I will demonstrate ways in which you can use the lasso selection tools. I find the facial expression of the man in the purple jacket quite amusing so I have decided that i want to duplicate his face and fit it onto every other person in the frame.

   
The lasso tool: The lasso tool is great when making rough quick selections. However, it is not precise enough to make more detailed selections.

The polygonal lasso tool: The polygonal lasso tool is useful for selecting specific areas with straight edges. This is because it uses a series of straight lines to make selections. This tool can be quire time consuming when making more detailed selections. Below is an example of the polygonal lasso tool:

The Magnetic lasso tool allows you to guide your mouse around the edge of your selection automatically picking what to cut out. This tool is useful in a situation where the object you are cutting out is starkly contrasted against its back ground, if not, the tool does not work all that well.

After playing around with all of the above tools as well as adjusting the Hue/Saturation etc on necessary layers, this is the image I have produced:

Photography: Mini Brief: 5 Sequential Images.

When we were asked to go out and take 5 sequential images of anything I was unsure of what I wanted to do. We had been shown images of flower arrangements as well as abstract landscapes from artists such as Chris Friel and although I appreciated them greatly I wanted to put together something a little more socially challenging and obscure. I began to look into a range of artists for inspiration and remembered that I had previously done some research on Robert Mapplethorpe. Although he is known for his stunning flower photography I believe he is best known for his graphic sexually explicit images depicting the New York Gay scene in the 1970's-1980's. I think Mapplethorpe's work, although sometimes quite difficult to stomach, is a perfect representation of artistic freedom of expression and thus was a great inspiration when putting my work together.

I decided that for my series of 5 images I would get a friend to dress up in drag and visit various locations in Salford. Based on my experience the working class area of Salford that I live in is not necessarily the most accepting of the LGBT community. For this reason I was interested in capturing the reactions of local people when they encountered my subject. I was also interested in capturing the freedom of expression experienced by a drag queen juxtaposing against typical, mundane everyday scenes.

Based on my worries of potentially encountering hostility and aggression when on this shoot I considered some health and safety problems and solutions beforehand. I spoke with the model as well as the people who came out on location with us beforehand and told them to act calmly and professionally if we were to encounter any ignorance. We also decided to go out in the car just in case things turned sour and we needed to make a swift get away. Another potential risk we encountered was that it was a very cold autumn night. The models skimpy outfit left a lot of skin out on display and we were concerned that spending to much time out in the cold could have a negative effect on their health. For this reason we had a warm jacket on hold just in case to cold became to much to bare.  

1/60 F/3.5 ISO 6400

1/60 F/5.6 ISO6400

1/60 F3.5 ISO 6400

1/60 F3.5 ISO 1600

1/60 F3.5 ISO 1250