Light and dark
what is light and dark?
The theme of light and dark is about contrasting light and dark colours to create a meaning behind each photo.
statement of intent
For my exam I have chose the light and dark question. During this period I aim to produce a high level portfolio which includes my best photos,through this topic I intend to show my progression and development.
To introduce this topic I will start by creating mood boards of the pictures I intend to take by doing so I can expand my ideas and understand what this topic is about. Then I will do some research and find 2 photographers that link in with my work, so far I have two in mind which are Willy Ronis and Alexey Bednij. Both of these photographers only explore black and white in their photographs. Willy Ronis takes landscape photos and enhances his photos in Photoshop by changing the colours around to black and white. On the other hand Alexey Bednij also uses Photoshop but to manipulate his photos in a completely different way this is by mirroring his photos and adding shadows of the initial picture multiple times. I chose these two because they use black and white however I feel by adding some other colours in these types of pictures can go to a whole new level.
When I chose this theme my first thought was to use natural light on faces but I have realised there is much more to the theme that can be experimented with.
I will begin by taking photos using light over a persons face and then to show my progression I will edit these pictures to a high level standard and so that they are to the best of my ability. I may also go into town as it is still the winter season it tends to get dark early meaning capturing dark photos shouldn't be too much of a challenge also the picture will be put into Photoshop to be manipulated.
In my work I will use lots of techniques such as for the face pictures I will use close up. I will use a DLSR camera for my pictures without auto focus.In Photoshop I will experiment for the best possible outcomes and I will use both colour and black and white photography.
As the project progresses I will be analysing my own pictures to see the best and worst outcomes and see which areas of my camera skills need to be improved, this will help me reflect on the work I produce. I will pursue my teachers and classmates for help as this will help me expand my knowledge and increase the quality of my outcomes. To end the project I will do a final evaluation reflecting on what went well and what didn't.
To introduce this topic I will start by creating mood boards of the pictures I intend to take by doing so I can expand my ideas and understand what this topic is about. Then I will do some research and find 2 photographers that link in with my work, so far I have two in mind which are Willy Ronis and Alexey Bednij. Both of these photographers only explore black and white in their photographs. Willy Ronis takes landscape photos and enhances his photos in Photoshop by changing the colours around to black and white. On the other hand Alexey Bednij also uses Photoshop but to manipulate his photos in a completely different way this is by mirroring his photos and adding shadows of the initial picture multiple times. I chose these two because they use black and white however I feel by adding some other colours in these types of pictures can go to a whole new level.
When I chose this theme my first thought was to use natural light on faces but I have realised there is much more to the theme that can be experimented with.
I will begin by taking photos using light over a persons face and then to show my progression I will edit these pictures to a high level standard and so that they are to the best of my ability. I may also go into town as it is still the winter season it tends to get dark early meaning capturing dark photos shouldn't be too much of a challenge also the picture will be put into Photoshop to be manipulated.
In my work I will use lots of techniques such as for the face pictures I will use close up. I will use a DLSR camera for my pictures without auto focus.In Photoshop I will experiment for the best possible outcomes and I will use both colour and black and white photography.
As the project progresses I will be analysing my own pictures to see the best and worst outcomes and see which areas of my camera skills need to be improved, this will help me reflect on the work I produce. I will pursue my teachers and classmates for help as this will help me expand my knowledge and increase the quality of my outcomes. To end the project I will do a final evaluation reflecting on what went well and what didn't.
light and dark(faces)
Light and dark (colour)
willy ronis
I have decided to begin my research with Willy Ronis. I feel this picture summarises family life up perfectly by looking at this picture I feel cool and calm. When I look at his picture I can almost hear the water running by close and the surroundings are all peaceful. It's a black and white picture, in this picture I feel Ronis has used the colour black to get rid of the unnecessary parts because anything that is bright is something Willy Ronis wants the viewer to see which is a good thing, I will use this technique in my own photos. In this picture the people are directly in the middle and they are sharing the same view as the viewer, this could have been done to show the viewers are the people in the picture. To improve this picture I would crop the tree on the left out of the picture as it doesn't add anything to the picture. I will try to use their images when I am taking mine by thinking from the viewers perspective of the picture. I really like the way they have portrayed a message behind their photo and I am going to use this technique to make my own pictures more meaningful.
For this picture a small aperture,large depth of field and large f stop have been used. This picture looks a little over exposed as some things are really white. A slow shutter speed may have been used as the picture is a little over exposed. The rule of thirds has been used in this picture as the picture has been split into 2 thirds above the people and 1 third ground. The edge of the ground has a leading line, it separates the ground from the river and transforms the image to a new level. By placing the people in the middle of the photo it seems like we are looking from their perspective.
A really good technique he has used is the way he has framed the shot on the left hand side with a tree that creates a frame around the people. This tree is in silhouette and the darkness picks up the black of the pram and the peoples clothing in the foreground. In the center of the image your eye picks up on the slight darkness of the barge but in the background the colours are quite pale. This light and shade technique helps to give a sense of depth to the image as it forms a definite foreground,middle and background which also gives it a sense of scale.
The theme of the image seems very natural,it is as if the photographer has captured the moment.In my opinion I feel he has not used a tripod and set the image up but rather has been in the right place at the right time. However, I do think he has a good lens as it is a large depth of field and everything is in focus.
The use of black and white gives the picture a really old feeling. It has been taken outside and is a daytime shot. This picture kind of links in with the other photographer I am looking at as Alexey Bednij also uses human figures in his picture. The use of having the viewer looking over the river is satisfactory and I would class that as a strength. However, by over exposing the picture kind of brings its level down.
For this picture a small aperture,large depth of field and large f stop have been used. This picture looks a little over exposed as some things are really white. A slow shutter speed may have been used as the picture is a little over exposed. The rule of thirds has been used in this picture as the picture has been split into 2 thirds above the people and 1 third ground. The edge of the ground has a leading line, it separates the ground from the river and transforms the image to a new level. By placing the people in the middle of the photo it seems like we are looking from their perspective.
A really good technique he has used is the way he has framed the shot on the left hand side with a tree that creates a frame around the people. This tree is in silhouette and the darkness picks up the black of the pram and the peoples clothing in the foreground. In the center of the image your eye picks up on the slight darkness of the barge but in the background the colours are quite pale. This light and shade technique helps to give a sense of depth to the image as it forms a definite foreground,middle and background which also gives it a sense of scale.
The theme of the image seems very natural,it is as if the photographer has captured the moment.In my opinion I feel he has not used a tripod and set the image up but rather has been in the right place at the right time. However, I do think he has a good lens as it is a large depth of field and everything is in focus.
The use of black and white gives the picture a really old feeling. It has been taken outside and is a daytime shot. This picture kind of links in with the other photographer I am looking at as Alexey Bednij also uses human figures in his picture. The use of having the viewer looking over the river is satisfactory and I would class that as a strength. However, by over exposing the picture kind of brings its level down.
Alexey Bednij
The second photographer I am looking at is Alexey Bednij. This image is what I want to achieve in my exam it's very simple and clean. The colours used are black and white which show this has been done purposefully to keep a cool and calm vibe to the photo. I think this picture is to show everything has a double meaning and not everyone is the same. Everyone is immediately drawn to the white pieces this could be to show everyone sees what is on top but no one sees what is underneath. I may use this for inspiration and take photos with such a tremendous meaning. It is a landscape photo so that everything fits in the picture. In this photo the chess pieces on top are too intense and that might be the one downside to this picture.
For this picture a large aperture,small f stop and a shallow depth of field has been used, this is because the photographer did not want the background in the picture. The photo may have been taken in natural colour and then the artist may have put the picture in photoshop and made it black and white. It looks like the rule of thirds has been used in this photo as the pieces have just been lined up in the middle of the picture and the picture has been split up in to two thirds ground and one third background.It is a daytime shot as you can tell natural light has been used in this picture and it looks like a studio shot too. In this picture the photographer would have used a quick shutter speed as they wouldn't want a dark image. There is one leading line in the picture near the top of the chess pieces, It is quite clear and it splits up the picture using the rule of thirds.
I really like this picture as it has a meaning behind it, also the colours used really link well with the picture and the white and black pair well for this idea. This photographer is quite unique as there are not many others out there who take photos quite like him.Although, he does take photos in black and white which is like Willy Ronis who I am also researching.
For this picture a large aperture,small f stop and a shallow depth of field has been used, this is because the photographer did not want the background in the picture. The photo may have been taken in natural colour and then the artist may have put the picture in photoshop and made it black and white. It looks like the rule of thirds has been used in this photo as the pieces have just been lined up in the middle of the picture and the picture has been split up in to two thirds ground and one third background.It is a daytime shot as you can tell natural light has been used in this picture and it looks like a studio shot too. In this picture the photographer would have used a quick shutter speed as they wouldn't want a dark image. There is one leading line in the picture near the top of the chess pieces, It is quite clear and it splits up the picture using the rule of thirds.
I really like this picture as it has a meaning behind it, also the colours used really link well with the picture and the white and black pair well for this idea. This photographer is quite unique as there are not many others out there who take photos quite like him.Although, he does take photos in black and white which is like Willy Ronis who I am also researching.
shoot 1
Name: Raza Ahmad Shoot no:1
Project title:Light over faces
Ideas for shoot: For my first shoot I am planning to use a few different models and shine a light over different parts of their face in a dark room. In my photos I want nothing else to be visible except for the models lit up face to do this I will shine the light on a certain part of the face.
Date:2/2/18
Location:I will come into school and I will need a studio setting in a dark room.The weather won't matter as it will take place indoors.
Inspiration:I saw these types of photos online and thought it was a unique take on the theme of light and dark.
Techniques: I could use the rule of thirds to put the models face on a power spot. I will also use close ups on the models face.
For the shoot I am going to need a studio setup,models,camera and lighting.
Project title:Light over faces
Ideas for shoot: For my first shoot I am planning to use a few different models and shine a light over different parts of their face in a dark room. In my photos I want nothing else to be visible except for the models lit up face to do this I will shine the light on a certain part of the face.
Date:2/2/18
Location:I will come into school and I will need a studio setting in a dark room.The weather won't matter as it will take place indoors.
Inspiration:I saw these types of photos online and thought it was a unique take on the theme of light and dark.
Techniques: I could use the rule of thirds to put the models face on a power spot. I will also use close ups on the models face.
For the shoot I am going to need a studio setup,models,camera and lighting.
How i did it
To do this shoot I had a professional photographer help me, he also brought his equipment to help which was two big lights a stand to hold the backdrop and along with the backdrop was the black background. I had the camera set up on a tripod in a fixed position and from there I moved the model into position and we set the light to go off each time a photo was taken the light was used to light up the models face. I had the model change facial expressions for each photo and occasionally change stance.
photoshop
Overall, I am really happy with this shoot and the outcomes are just what I expected I am hoping to produce the same results for my second shoot.
shoot 2
For my second shoot I will replace the model with some objects such as fruits and stationary. I will use a black background in a dark room, I will place the object on a clean black piece of paper so the shoot is as clear as possible. I will take the photos in black and white and I will use two small lights which I can move to where the photo looks best. The photo will have to be framed so the background is black and clear as I want the focus to be on the objects. For this shoot I can change it up by only making some parts of it in colour and the rest in black and white. By doing this I am hoping to achieve a theme of black and white which is how I wanted to approach the topic of light and dark.
best photo
After trying for a while to get the best picture possible, this is one of my many fantastic pictures. The reason that I like this picture the best is because it demonstrates that my theme is light and dark the best. Another thing about this picture is that as the viewer's eye moves from right to left they slowly see the picture going from light to dark. One of my problems as I tried to take the pictures was the shadow from the pineapple it made the photo look really bad but, this picture completely eradicated that problem and the outcome was spectacular.
worst photo
Whilst commencing the pineapple shoot, I came across many struggles and trying to get the perfect photo took quite a while. The above photo is just one of the many pictures which weren't good, the reason for this is that the picture is too dark and the theme of light and dark is not being portrayed. The picture is also out of focus which makes the viewer feel uneasy as they look at it.
Photoshop
snowy light and dark
shoot 3
For my third shoot I am going to go into town and take photos of railings and buildings with shapes and so that it stays in the theme of light and dark I will take photos in black and white. The location will be Manchester city center I will need a tripod but for this shoot I won't need lights as I will use natural lighting. I also won't need any props as I will be using bridges,railings and buildings. In Photoshop if the photo needs to be cropped I will crop it.
progress check
So far I have taken 2 shoots and I have got my plan for the third I need to complete 2 photographer research using the 5cs to bring up my written work. I have also got my mood boards and mind map done. To bring up my work I will need to set up a place to take my shoot so that it is high quality. My pineapple shoot went ok for my first time setting up a place to shoot but next time I will need to learn and make the shoot better. Next I will finish of my 2 researches and bring up my written work.
manchester
photoshop
best photo
Personally,I really like this picture and during my time of taking pictures it has to be my most treasured. The composition in this picture is impeccable, the structures are in the most ideal places as they don't ruin the grace of the sky. The black and white filter fits in amazingly with this picture.
worst photo
I have picked this photo as my worst photo because it didn't fit in with the theme I was going for. There is no meaning behind this picture, it seems too random. The photo is also out of focus and because it wasn't intended it makes the photo seem unprofessional. In the picture no technique has been used making the picture seem boring. After a first glance at this picture you can tell nothing was thought about whilst the photo was being taken.
progress check
Now that I have my third shoot I will need to use Photoshop and see how I can edit them so they are ready for the exam. By using Photoshop I can improve the creativity of the picture. I also need to start thinking about my final project for the exam so that I can have a plan ready for it.
final shoot
For my final shoot I am going to be taking pictures of people like my first shoot but this time I am going to take the pictures from different angles and adding new things to the picture e.g A hand across someones face so only 1 half of there face can be seen. I will use a plain black background so that there is nothing distracting the viewer.
setup
exam
For my final exam I am going to carry on with the idea of models and faces and experiment further what I can do with them as I felt this was a good way to show the theme of light and dark. By this I mean I'm going to try different angles with the pictures and try covering up some parts of their face, to show my aim I added some pictures into my mood board. During the exam, I am going to edit the photos I have taken, so that they are at their best quality. As of right now, I am not happy with the way they look but after I am done with them in photoshop they will be the final product. I want to use this idea because I want my project to look professional and keep a consistent theme.
the photos i am going to edit
evaluation
My project theme was light and dark and within this theme I decided to do portrait photos of peoples faces. I really enjoyed this project and feel I have come out with the best possible outcome. This theme allowed me to explore a new area of photography,during past projects I have focused on landscape photography , but during this project I have focused on portrait shots. In this project, my favourite part was setting up photo shoots, by working with a photographer I learnt about lots of new equipment which are used when taking pictures, I also got to use a different camera than the one a usually work with. After working with the photographer once, I was able to setup my own shoot using lights and a black background. During this project I have used portrait photos and before experiencing it I had no idea on how to take them but, now I fully understand how to take them.Also, I learnt how to set up studio lighting for a studio shot which I also had no idea on how to do before the project.I would love to further enhance my Photoshop skills as I feel they are still quite weak. In this project, I researched Alexey Bednij and Willy Ronis and both photographer influenced me in their own way. The Willy Ronis photos played their part in the Manchester pictures as he takes his photos in landscape and so did I. Alexey Bednij uses Photoshop which I have also used in my pictures, especially for my final shoot. In this project, I enjoyed using studio lighting the most because it was a new technique I was able to learn. The most successful part of my project was the final photos because each and every photo shoot I did was exactly what I wanted and the results were just how I imagined the thought of having the pictures I planned for is amazing. During my project, I had some problems with taking the shoot with a pineapple but they were resolved quickly. I decided to restart the shoot with most of the bad photos deleted and the results were just as expected. If I was to ever do this project again I would focus more on how the picture was going to be taken(setup).
Overall, I really enjoyed this project and had a lot of fun doing it.
Overall, I really enjoyed this project and had a lot of fun doing it.
27/04/2018
from this point,all my work has been done in exam time
photoshop
my first attempt(cover)
This was my final piece for my first attempt at making a front cover for a magazine. Although there were some good features to this piece like the font and placement of the title, I didn't like this final piece so I decided to redo the magazine cover. The reasons I don't like this picture are-The positions of the text don't make me feel that this is a magazine cover also, The colours I used are quite odd and contrast with the picture quite dramatically as the picture is plain and simple and the text is quite flashy.I wanted to keep the simple look to the website and magazine covers are usually quite flashy so instead I decided to make a book cover with a different photo.
By using the clone stamp tool and making a few adjustments to the picture the photo looked a lot better and it reached what I was hoping for from my final shoot. Also,I really like the picture above because it is how I wanted my final outcomes to look,the light is in all the right places and the only things that are visible are the things I want the viewer to see.I feel as though this picture really sums up the topic of light and dark which is why I rank it as my best picture from this shoot.
book cover
For my final piece, I wanted to edit a picture which looked like the front cover of a book which is why I kept the text minimal and the look of it clean, this was the perfect picture for that. This picture is complete upgrade from the first attempt as the picture is simple and the text is short and snappy which is what it should be like on a book cover. By going over the cloth in the background it makes the picture look more simple and effective.