LO-FI ZINE Assignment : Test images on theme of Home

Here are some test images for my Lo-Fi Zine project based on the theme of Home. I've been really enjoying looking at other photographers images who work in a square format so I had a go at it myself. My chosen subject to represent the theme of home was York. I live in York and I do class it as home even though I chose not to photograph my actual home for this particular set of images. I am very proud to live in York, I think it is the most beautiful city and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I am always happy returning back to York wherever I've been. It is so photogenic and the character of the old buildings just could not be replaced.

STUDIO TECHNIQUES Assignment : Task 2 : Research : Joseph Cartright

I really like this image and think it works really well at selling the jewellery that the model is wearing however I think that her very pale almost bleached out skin is quite distracting.

These low key shots are stunning and I love the lighting that has been used on the faces. The images look very sophisticated and are successful when it comes to selling glasses. I also love the composition of these images - the rule of thirds has been used here and it has worked very well, the area of black automatically adjusts the audiences focus onto the glowing model.

This is such an interesting high key shot because the model's pale/white body merges into the background.

I really love these shots - such an interesting idea and brilliant way of capturing colour within a portrait. The lighting on the models is just perfect and a great contrast between the black low key backgrounds. The paint on the models looks really good with the hair that matches.

These two photographs are absolutely stunning. The colour of the girls hair is beautiful and works really well against the blue background. I love the way the photographer has captured movement in her hair. Although this looks like it could be an outdoor scene, I think that this set of images were shot in a studio. The girl appears to be just glowing and her eyes light up. This was obviously achieved by the photographers great choice of lighting.

DISCLAIMER: All of these images were taken by Joseph Cartright.
None of the above images are my own.

DOCUMENTARY Assignment : Task 1 : Research : Rosalind Solomon

These three images use narrative because they show people who have suffered injuries and have lost limbs. Although they are suffering a disability the images use narrative because they show how they cope with their lives and how they get on like normal. 

This image appears to be either a son or a grandson looking after their family member.

Solomon uses narrative well because her images look so real and you can tell as an audience that the subject(s) have stories behind them and they are not models. I really like her work how it is black and white and I really like the square format. She was reported to have said "I have tried colour and I have tried digital. Neither gives me the sense of depth that I feel with black and white".

DOCUMENTARY Assignment : Task 1, 2 & 4 : Research : Richard Drew

Richard Drew is a documentary photographer who is most well known for photographing 9/11. His work has been criticised for capturing the tragedy and showing the death's of innocent people, however, I find his work very interesting, and although it was a horrifying historical event, it is facinating.

This image is of the burning North Tower of the World Trade Center 30 seconds before it collapsed. There is a juxtaposition in this image between the black firey smoke and the clear blue sky.

This image uses narrative because it shows the firemen covered in dust after the towers collapsed. The raw emotion in this image cannot be staged.

This image is so harrowing to see the distruction the attack has had on the city. While most pictures from 9/11 are of the twin towers, this shows what the aftermath is going to be like with all the debris everywhere and how much mess the incident caused.

This photograph "Falling Man" is one of the most iconic images taken on 9/11. It shows a man taking his own life by jumping out of the burning building because he didn't want to burn to death. This image has been criticised a lot and has caused a lot of upset as Drew has been accused of showing the death of an innocent man. I think compositionally this image is brilliant, and the vertical lines make the image really effective, however it is a very moving photograph as you just can't imagine what people went through that day and how scary it would be to take your own life in this way. Drew has defended his image saying that he didn't capture the man's death, he captures part of his life and his human desicion to jump was preserved within the image. This image makes you realise that it wasn't just a building falling down, people were in the building and they must have gone through so much trauma.

This image shows how overwhelming the site would have been on 9/11 from ground level.

This image uses narrative showing the aftermath and the horrifying mess left behind after the attack on the World Trade Center 9/11. What was once a thriving business sector in busy New York City is now a mess of debris, rubble and destruction.

This image uses narrative aswell because it shows the difference between the skyline on the day of the attack and the skyline afterwards. On the day of the attack the image is so busy and chaotic and the image of the skyline afterwards is so calm.

These images are a very powerful set and some even more powerful on their own. The set is objective because they show the true events that happened on 9/11. Drew wasn't trying to convey any of his own meanings through these photographs, he was just trying to document the horrifying event as it happened. He has received a lot of criticism for his photographs taken on 9/11 for them showing the deaths of innocent people, but Drew always defends himself saying he was trying to capture moments in peoples lives. The images are very shocking and heart-wrenching. I think that a lot of people would find it hard to even look at the devastating images. I think that looking at these photographs will spark a lot of emotion in people, whether it's shock, anger, tears.

When I look at these pictures I get very angry and upset that people could inflict so much pain and destruction on other human beings. I cannot and will not ever be able to get my head around what was going through the heads of the terrorists who caused so much pain on this day and how much the people involved must have gone through. 

Drew uses a lot of wide angles in his images - I don't know if this was done on purpose for the aesthetics of the imagery or whether he had just positioned himself far away from the disaster for his own safety.

Criticized for photographing 9/11, Drew has said "Myself as a photojournalist I’m like a first responder, as all journalists are in that situation, so we run to something instead of away from it when something happens. When I’m there I get in a zone and do my job and capture what’s there. I don’t really think about if I’m scared or not. You want to make sure you don’t miss that photograph. You get in a mindset. You have to commit to journalism, remember what your job is, and not get emotionally involved. The camera is like a filter for me, too. It’s not like I’m experiencing it, I’m seeing it through my camera. I have to remain emotionally uninvolved."

DISCLAIMER: All of these images were taken by Richard Drew.

None of the above images are my own.

LO-FI ZINE Assignment : Task 2 : Research : Marjolaine Ryley

I love how this image doesn't show faces. It is quite simple yet I can relate to this being homely - breakfast in bed. This is interesting because it can appeal to an audience because they can relate to it without seeing faces yet it can be very personal to the photographer.

This photograph again doesn't include faces - appealing to the audience yet being personal to the photographer. I really like this image and the angle Ryley has taken it from. It is quite a comical angle that the faces have been cut off.

DISCLAIMER: All of these images were taken by Marjolaine Ryley.

None of the above images are my own.

These images by Marjolaine Ryley really relate to this project because they are all objects/places taken around the home. I really like how she works in a square format instead of the standard rectangular shape photographers usually work in, it adds something different to her work and almost makes you focus more on her subject of each photograph. I also really love the style of her images and when we were given this task I could see myself taking pictures of close up objects that represent home to me. I love her use of shallow depth of feild and the gorgeous blur in her images.

STUDIO TECHNIQUES Assignment : Task 1 : Basic Studio Essentials

Backdrop and lighting:

Key Light - The key light is usually the main light in a studio set up. It is usually positioned to the side of the subject, a bit higher than eye level.

Fill Light - The fill light is the second light used in a studio set up. It is usually used on the opposite side of the subject to the key light and is there to soften the dark shadows that may be created on the opposite side to the key light.

This set up is the one that I am going to use for my own photography shoot. This should be very flattering lighting for my model. 

Other studio essentials :

- Subject

- Lighting

- Clean backdrop 

- Light meter

- Transmitter

- Receiver

- Props (optional)

- Camera 

- Tripod

The set up of lighting that is used is dependant on the style of photography - e.g. with high key photography you will need more lighting than low key because the images are meant to be bright and sometimes even overexposed whereas low key photography is meant to be a lot darker and have more shadows on the subject. 

Backgrounds:

Backgrounds are essential in studio photography to convey mood and meaning. High Key Photography requires a white backdrop whereas Low Key Photography required a black backdrop. Backdrops can be painted or pieces of art depending on what the photographer wants to create or what the client has asked for. The background can also be manipulated in Photoshop. Backgrounds must be clean to achieve most professional effect.

Lighting Extras:

Light Meter: A light meter is a device used to measure the amount of light in a studio environment and determines the correct exposure. It tells the photographer what aperture, shutter speed and ISO would be best for the light conditions.

Transmitter and Receiver: The transmitter connects to the camera and wirelessly to the receiver which is connected to the studio lighting. When the shutter on the camera has been pressed it transmits to the receiver which will trigger a flash.