Work Dairy - Sixth Shoot - Animation

This was my last shoot for my project before my exam. I wanted to show journey through animation; this would bring the theme of journey to life and allow the viewer to experience the image more, seeing different movements and actions. This was fairly simple, but I had to find the right angles for the animation. I struggled with this at first but I experimented and soon found that a straight on angle would be the best one to use. It should also be a wide angle, so that the viewer can see clearly what's going on in the image and understand its context.

This is my favourite animation from the whole shoot - I like the use of colour from the red buses as they are the only bright objects in the image. This allows the viewer to automatically look at the buses before paying attention to anything else in the animation.

I don't like the colour of this animation, it didn't quite come out right. I should have adjusted the aperture so that more light would be allowed into the lens, allowing me to create a brighter image.

Work Dairy - Fifth Shoot - Objects

 For this shoot, I wanted to use possessions and objects in order to illustrate the theme of journey as well as let the viewer connect with the subject but without actually including the subject in the photograph. This was my main aim - I was planning to do this through connotations and symbolism, by picking certain objects, which would give little clues allow the viewer to work out what the subject is like and picture them. This was harder than I thought as I had to find objects to connotate different genders as well as personalities. However, I found that by combining more than one objects and by placing them together, I could create a subject for the viewer whilst still concentrating on the theme of journey.

This photograph is very successful. I like how the colours came out very bright, attracting the viewer and automatically make the picture more appealing as well as exciting. I also like the angle I chose, allowing the viewer to have a close up of the objects, so that they can pay more attention to it rather than the rest of the picture.

Having said this, this image did is not very sharp, which has affected both the quality and the success.  I should have spent more time making sure the objects were in focus and also work on the framing as the hat was not all included.

If I could do this again, perhaps I would do it in a studio, which would allow me to manipulate the lighting to the brightness I want rather than rely on natural light.

Work Diary - Third Shoot - Short Day Journey (Countryside) Test Shoot

This shoot is a follow-up of the test shoot from the city for my exam, this is also a test shoot, which will allow me to compare the difference between objects or scenes I come across in the city and in the countryside. This portrays journey as the viewer will be able to see the transition of my journey from city to countryside and the distinction between the two will be highlighted. (see Work Diary - Seventh Shoot - Short Day Journey - City Test Shoot)

This is my best picture from this shoot - I like how there is huge contrast here, though colours and the ground. The wooden bar separates the grass and soil from the rocky ground. I used a low angle to that I could use the depth of field technique and show off this contrast. By placing the wooden bar right in the middle of the picture, I was able to create a guiding line throughout the picture, allowing the viewer to take a journey with their eyes.

I like this picture and I think the idea was a very good one - I wanted to show the other side of the path through the paw, however, I couldn't get the aperture right so the path came out too bright. I think I could have used a different angle to reduce the light coming through.

For my exam, this test shoot has taught me to make better use of angles, this will help me show a scene or an object in a unique way and allow me to produce an exciting image.

Work Diary - Fourth Shoot - Depth of Field (With Subjects)

This shoot was exactly the same as my other shoot working with the depth of field technique. The only difference is the fact that I have used a subject for this one. (see Work Diary - Second Shoot - Depth of Field) The reason for using a subject is to add more emotion in my work, allowing the viewer to connect to the subject, thus engaging with the image.

This is my most successful picture from this shoot, mostly due to the fact that the use of colour has been exaggerated and brings life to the image. The green grass make the path seem more friendly and suggest that the subject is not going on a dangerous journey. This gives out an atmosphere of adventure and slight mystery, almost inviting the viewer to follow the path.

This image did not turn out as good. This is because the image was not framed properly so it seems like there is too much going on, making it harder for the viewer to find the main focus of the image and work out its context. Perhaps I could have used a different angle to restrict the viewer's view and include less in the photograph.

In the future, I would like to use this technique even more, this will give my work depth and create a 3-dimensional element, making my pictures look realistic and even more exciting.

Work Diary - Ninth Shoot - Motion Blur (Night)

This shoot consisted of the exact same technique of motion blur which I used for my other motion blur shoot, the only difference being at night. (see Work Diary - Eight Shoot - Motion Blur - Day) I did this to show the comparison between time and how the same technique could be affected - I also had to experiment with the different light effect that I got from each moving vehicle.

This image is one of my favourites as it came out exactly as I hoped it will. I framed the image so that the bus comes from the left side of the image, as if it is going to go straight through the photograph. I also like how the lights from the bus has come out; in a straight line so it makes it look like the bus is going really fast and the lights also allows the bus to stand out from the rest of the scene, which is not as lit up.

This picture was not a success. The light trail is not straight or long enough, which makes it less exciting. It is also a very similar warm colour to the road and the rest of the picture, which has prevented it from standing out and being the focus of the image.

If I could do this shoot again, I would spend longer on perfecting the light trails and create longer ones, I would also experiment with angles and produce even more exciting images.

Work Diary - Seventh Shoot - Short Day Journey (City) Test Shoot

This shoot was a test shoot for my exam. I aimed to carry out a documentary like shoot, where I was able to portray journey through objects or scenes that I would come across on a short day journey in the city. This was a simple idea at first and I thought it would be easy and straight-forward, but as I started progressing with my shoot, I noticed that there were a lot of techniques that I could use to achieve this, which meant I had to experiment with the different angles and aperture settings. I found that untraditional angles, such as a high or low angle would produce a more exciting picture and make the scene look more interesting - as if there is more going on, creating an illusion and engaging the viewer even more. I also found it hard to find objects to capture as it was mostly transport. I had to walk around a bit more and go to less busy places to find more interesting image opportunities such as signs and objects that have been left behind by other individuals.

I really like this image from my shoot as it shows journey in two ways; through my point of view as I am taking this shirt day journey and coming across this homeless person's 'sleeping bag' but also through the homeless person's point of view, showing the journey they are on. This spot has clearly been abandoned, implying that the person has moved on and perhaps, had to find another place to sleep that night. It also looks very out of place, creating curiosity in the viewer and maybe even making them uncomfortable.

In contrast, this image did not turn out as well. The trees in the background blend in with the sign and prevents it from standing out - if there were no trees, this photograph would have been a success, especially with the angle I chose. 

If I could do this shoot again, I would spend more time walking around and explore another part of the city, maybe a rougher area.

Work Diary - Eight Shoot - Motion Blur (Day)

For this shoot, I wanted to concentrate on the technique of motion blur, allowing me to show movement and manipulate the speed of an object or a subject when doing so. When I first started, I had to experiment with the shutter speed as I wanted to make sure that I could create the blur I wanted for each image. However, as the shoot progressed, I was able to do this better and allowed me to spend more time framing my image rather than playing with the shutter speed. I think the framing of the image was one of the most important feature with this technique as it allowed me to include what I wanted in the background so that I could make my moving subject/object stand out and be the focus of the image - this was my main aim. This shoot allowed me to show journey through actual movement and show how fast or slow something or someone was travelling.

This was one of my favourite images from the shoot. I particularly like the use of colour here - the red backpack forces the subject to stand out, especially against the bright yellow objects in the background. Although the yellow colour is brighter than the red, because the red takes up a lot of the image, it still remains the first thing a viewer would look at when looking at this image.

On the other hand, this image was not as successful as I thought it would be. This is because of the cars on the right of the photograph. Initially, I thought this would work as it would contain the subjects at the pelican crossing as well as the cars moving. However, the cars take away the attention from the subjects, which is where I wanted the main focus to be.

In the future, I would like to use this same technique but at night; this would allow me to capture the lights and create light trails, showing the theme of journey. This would also require a lot of experiment, which will give me a better idea of how to use this technique and perfect my skills.

Work Diary - Second Shoot - Depth of Field

For this shoot, I decided to focus on using a depth of field technique. I did this so that I can show the theme of journey through long, exaggerated paths. At first, I was worried that my images from this shoot would all look very similar as the same concept is being used throughout. However, I soon realised that by experimenting with different angles, I can automatically add diversity to my work and prevent my pictures from being repetitive. I found the best angles were really low ones or really high ones, as this showed off the scenery and made it look bigger and longer, which further highlighted the whole idea of journey. As my shoot progressed, I started to look for deeper meanings when taking pictures, rather than just capturing a scene so that my photographs contain symbolism and explores journey on a more detailed level, encouraging the viewer to explore the image and pick out some context.

This is one of my favourite images from the shoot. I think the angle was very well chosen as it exaggerates the path and contains elements such as lines, colour, texture and form. Moreover, I have prevented the viewer from seeing where the path leads to as the visibility is reduced by the sunlight. I have done this deliberately, adding mystery to my work and forcing the viewer to pay more attention to the image, wondering where this path could lead to.

On the other hand, I think this picture could have been thought of better. The aperture I set was not quite right as it is dark and prevents the viewer from seeing the scene clearly. Also, there are some parts of the image that is blurred but shouldn't be. I think the idea was a good one as the angle is almost perfect but I should have spent more time getting the aperture right.

In the future, I am going to repeat this shoot but with subjects, I would like to focus more on the aperture and ensuring the image is clear and not blurry.

Work Diary - First Shoot - Transport

This was my very first shoot for this project and I found it fairly easy at first; this was because I had planned the shoot ahead and I had an idea of the types of pictures I wanted. As the session progressed, I experimented with the framing of my images - I tried using a full frame, by filling the shot with objects to portray the idea of journey, along with using empty frames, where only one or two subjects/objects are included. As well as this, I experimented with the angles in which I could take my photographs - I found that finding the correct angle in a picture is essential when working with the theme of journey. This is because by using the right angle, the scene in an image could look bigger, thus putting emphasis on the whole idea of journey. Initially, I was trying to show transport just as objects, omitting any feelings that could have been involved; my images were to be very objective. However, as I started shooting I started to include some subjects - I realised that this made my images look more exciting and busy, highlighting journey. Although I did not include much of the subjects' faces or focus too much on their emotions, they still added some to my images.

I like this picture the most from my shoot. This is because although the focus seems to be on the motorcycles, there are other forms of transport in the background, such as the red bus and the parked cars. This forces the viewer to engage with the image and look harder in order to understand the theme fully. Moreover, the angle in which I took the image has allowed me to show the motorcycles in a row by using the depth of field technique. This shows the idea of journey in several ways; through the technique, by making the scene and the row of motorcycles look longer and by making the motorcycles the main focus of the image.

Out of the pictures from the shoot, I think this one could have been better. As the cyclist was riding away quite fast, I had to take my shot quite quickly, this prevented me from framing my shot properly, meaning the path is not quite in the middle. I've also noticed that the grass on either side of the path are not the same shade of green - this would have made the image look more vibrant if it was. Despite this, the theme of journey is shown immensely here and highlighted in different ways. The path adds to the element of depth of field and guides the viewer to the cyclist, who also shows connotations of journey.

In the future, I would like to focus on the technique of depth of field. This will allow me to show the theme of journey further and put emphasis on the scene, showing long paths.