LO2 - Planning a Photoshoot

Basic Camera Functions

• Telephoto Lens - It brings far away objects near. Can be used for photographic wildlife and landscapes, as animals tend to flee or can be dangerous, where as landscapes can be rather large and its easier to take it from a distance and bring closer.
• Wide Angled Lens - Creates a depth of field for the image, is used for highlighting foreground objects and fading out the background so it is out of focus. This lens is used in landscape photograph.
• Fish Eye Lens - Creates a rounded photograph, making the centre of the image stand out and the part around the centre being the sides appears as it is pushed back.
• Macro Lens - Works just like the macro function on the camera; zooms into the photograph really far and is able to show much more detail. A macro lens creates a better photograph than the macro function on the camera.

Exposure

• Overexposure: Where the photograph is too light, because too much light reaches the sensor; as a result some details of the photograph are bleached out.
• Underexposure: Where the photograph is too dark, because not enough light reaches the sensor, as a result the photograph is too dark and the details cannot be seen.
• In order to take a good photograph, the right amount of light needs to reach the sensor in order for the details to be visible but not bleached out. This process is called exposure. The amount of light that reaches the sensor is controlled by a combination of the shutter speed and the light sensitivity of the image sensor.

Shutter Speed

• Depending on the shutter speed the sensor can take in more or less light, resulting in a different photograph all together.
• A slow shutter speed is generally used to capture movement and can often seem blurry. This is because the movement is being tracked because the shutter slowly closes.
• A fast shutter speed is used to capture stillness because the transition between the shutter opening and closing is very fast. It is generally used for photographing fast moving people or animals, e.g. in sport and wildlife.

Depth of Field

• Depth of field is what is in focus in the photograph, consisting of shallow depth of field and deep depth of field.
• Shallow depth of field: Where the foreground is in focus and the background is not in focus, meaning that part of the image is not in focus.
• Deep depth of field: Where all of the photograph is in focus, no part is more detailed than any other, both the foreground and the background are in focus.

Aperture

• Aperture is where more or less light can be let in depending on the width (Apertures are measured in f-stops, a smaller aperture has a wider opening.) You would choose how much light to let in depending on the environment and the light available (in the same way that your pupil reacts to how much light can enter by changing the size of the hole.)
• F/16 is the smallest width and lets in the least amount of light.
• F/2 is the largest width and lets in the most amount of light.

LO1 Comparison of Photographers

Category and Meaning

Martin Parr specialises in social reportage, where as Irving Penn specialises in portrait and fashion photography, Duncan Philpott specialises in action/adventure and sports photography and photojournalism. Duncan Philpott's  and Martin Parr's work is very vibrant and full of colour and life compared to Irving Penn's work which is monochrome and focuses on the story telling and facial expressions instead of colour and vibrancy.

In a way Duncan Philpott and Martin Parr are working in some of the area's in terms of genre as Duncan specialises in photojournalism which is capturing the moment, usually in sporting scenarios and adventurous situations and Martin Parr specialises in social reportage, which is photographing people and social situations and reporting that, so in a way both photographers capture the moment but in a different way. Duncan's work captures life and passion and Martins work captures the real life grittiness. Irving Penn also captures the moment but in a completely different way to the other two, instead of capturing an event or social interactions, he captures the emotion and story with his photography, the emotion and facial expressions presented in his photography shows a narrative which could entice the audience into looking into his photography. All these different photographers will have different audiences which look for different aspects in photography, whether that's life and emotion or reality and social interactions.

Category and Meaning

In terms of the photographic elements Duncan Philpott specialises in focal points and composition as well as light and colour, he spends a lot of time getting the right angle for a photograph, getting the amount of light in the photograph perfect, he also spends a lot of time focusing on a specific aspect whether that is a theme or an object or person; this may be because he is a commercial photographer and is set certain briefs but also because he is very creative. Martin Parr also specialises in composition heavily, he captures social interactions and documenting real life so not only does he need the people within the shot to be positioned anything that could add to the theme also needs to be added or moved around, e.g. with his piece documenting the sea side there was litter scattered around which had been purposely placed there for effect. Also this sort of photography needs a perfect view point so he needs the right angle for the piece, to add a certain effect and further the understanding of the piece to the audience. In terms of photographic elements with Irving Penn focuses on light and colour and view points, most of his work consists of monochrome photographs, that is perfect for his genre and his style, it adds depth and emotion to the piece and really allows the audience to appreciate and understand his work. The view points and angles of the work is essential as it can completely change some of the photographs, from different angles you can capture different emotions and themes.

In terms of creativity, they are all very creative photographers with original styles, but sometimes Duncan Philpott could be restricted as he is a commercial photographer and works to briefs, he has been known to bring out unique and creative pieces when working with a brief, but has also mentioned that briefs can sometimes be restricting not allow his creativity to surpass. The other two photographs; Martin Parr and Irving Penn do not have this problem, they do not work to briefs, they work to suit their creative ideas, this allows their creativity to be encouraged rather than tarnished, this means that they can create whatever they want and suit their style.

Meaning, Analysis and Purpose

All of these photographers link to the theme identity in all their different ways, they all contain emotion and life in their pieces and could inspire my future photography heavily. Irving Penn could inspire my work in terms of a driven narrative and facial expressions, this links to identity very well as it shows the emotions and story of person in the piece. Duncan Philpott could inspire my work in terms of identity as his work is very full of life and energy and capturing the moment and that could capture someone's identity, whether its a sporting event, a beautiful landscape view, he is capturing someone's hobbies, interests and identity. Martin Parr could inspire my work also in terms of identity, his work depicts real life events and various peoples true selves and identity's, he presents social interactions and what they show, this can help us to evaluate someone's identity and learn about ourselves. They are all very creative and influential photographers in their own specific styles.

LO1 Analysis of Irving Penn's Work

Category

Irving Penn is a photographer who specialises in the photographic genre fashion and portrait and generally his photographs are monochrome. He photographs people close up; at different angles with different facial expressions and poses this creates certain moods for the audience depending on the mood of the photograph.  His pictures are usually monochrome with the exception of a few, this creates a whole different atmosphere and allows the photograph to be shown in more depth and highlight certain detailed points with the use of light and dark.

Analysis

Irving things through the composition and viewpoints, different angles and viewpoints can give a whole different perspective to the piece and create a different mood and atmosphere for the audience. The composition of the pieces mostly entails a portrait taking up most of the piece, therefore it being the focal point, but he has a clever use of negative space being the light background and it is used to also highlight the important areas of the photograph. All his photographs are really powerful and full of emotion and depth, his photographs are used to create a narrative, a meaning behind the photograph.

Meaning and Purpose

His photographs are usually unique and original, they are a new approach to portrait and fashion photography. In terms of themes Irving links to identity very well, all his work is about facial expressions and narratives and identities. I feel that he could influence my work in terms of the theme fragments; his original approach to the subject could inspire creativity and new approach at the theme and come out with a more inventive final piece. I would be influenced by his work if I was specialising in portrait and fashion photography.

LO1 Analysis of Duncan Phillpott Work

Category

He specialises in action/adventure and sports photography. He also specialises in the photography genre photojournalism which is capturing the moment. He is a commercial photographer and will pick up any jobs when they become available. He also spends a lot of time Instagram; this is how he promotes himself and also where his some of his work will be posted. It’s also where he posts his own personal projects, this is where he builds his fan base and how well known he is. As well as Instagram he has his own website broadcasting his work to be found easily by company’s hoping to find him, it’s also a perfect place to find all his work all in one place. As well as taking photographs for his job, he has to participate in a lot of paperwork, this is for him to be paid and sort out all the different costs and planning. He also participates in landscape photography of the sky in the night time to capture the beauty, he also specifies in street photography while he was in New York. He also tried a bit of light trails, he does this by altering the shutter speed and letting in light more and less light to produce this effect.

When taking photographs angles and viewpoints are very important, they make the photograph what it is, and depending on the angle it can give different perspectives and present different themes and outcomes. He mentioned that when producing an advertising job, taking photographs that will be used for advertising, it’s best not to make the photographs look manipulated or photo shopped in any way, this may present the idea that product is misleading.

When working to a brief, he prefers to have a more open brief as he isn’t as restricted as what he will present. When given a brief he has a short amount of time to plan and actually take the photographs. When given a brief he has to take a series of photographs depicting certain aspects and themes. When trying to work to a brief even though sometimes he may be restricted he said he likes to put his own personal spin on the project, because sometimes the company’s like this better than what they asked for.

Briefs and Software's

In the first brief he was asked to do he was asked by the Sheffield City Council to produce a series of photographs depicting Sheffield as an urban, diversified, outdoor city and that also is seen as an attractive destination. He took over 3,600 photographs in the short week he was given to complete the brief, he had to shorten this list down to 5 photographs broadcasting each sport as well as showing that Sheffield is an attractive destination. There was a lot of planning involved in these brief, including location scouting where he scouted out the locations for the photographs, since he knew Sheffield well he already had a rough idea where to take the photographs, he used google street view to plan even further and to preview the area. He then scouted in person before the actual photoshoot; he did so much planning for the locations as this is a very key aspect when taking a photograph.

He uses Bridge to organise and rate his photographs; he also mentioned that Light Room could be used. Bridge has a very helpful rating system in which you rate your photographs out of 5 stars, this could be very helpful when organising your photographs, and this is how he narrows the list down. These software's can also be set to rename on feedback. When taking a photograph he adjusts his camera to be perfect for that specific photograph, having long and short lens. The short lens is used when you want to bring the background closer. The long lens brings the background more in focus.

The second brief he worked towards was Nike Instagram. To be ready for this shoot, he participated in lectures, he had to have some training, be a part of a 15 man team and then license the images as an end result. For this photograph specifically he felt it was important to have a frosty feel on a cold morning for a realistic effect. For this photograph light, exposure, contrast and location are key. The Nike Instagram is a very inspirational feed and the photograph needed to work with that aspect, the photograph had to be unique and original and inspire people. For this brief he had taken many photographs as part of the project, in the end Nike chose the most unique photograph.

The third brief we were told about is the “Won’t back down promo” he was asked to take a black and white portrait, that makes the model seem approachable. With this project he had to work to a specific brief, he mentioned that a specific brief can be restricting, but this is where he likes to put his own aspects and ideas into his work. This was a piece specifying in emotion and facial expressions.

Licensing

When licensing images it’s geographically and media specific, as in if you want to license an image in more than one geographical location the rules are different and it will cost more. Licensing being media specific means that if a company wants to advertise a photograph on different accounts or on different media platforms it will cost them more. Even though they pay for the use of the photograph on a specific media and geographical location, you still own the photograph.

When talking about how he gets out there and spreads the word about his work, he talked about Blogger, Instagram, introduction emails and events and tradeshows. Blogger being a popular place to post all of his work, Instagram also being a popular place to build his fan base. He writes introduction emails in his spare time, instead of waiting for work to come to him he writes introduction emails to propose projects; this allows him to be more creative and inspiring. He attends events and tradeshows to broadcast his own work and to meet new people and hoping they will spread the word of his work, in the hopes that he will get more work.

The positives of being a photographer are that they get to travel around the world and attend events; they spend their time travelling and visiting beautiful places. Also being a photographer means that you’re doing something that you love, if you want to be a photographer. Being a photographer is perfect for people that love the outdoors and would prefer not to have a desk job. The negatives of being a photographer are; no job security, no fixed income, hurting yourself and long hours.

Duncan has worked with many famous photographers during all of his projects including; Joey L, Lara Jade and Camp 4 Collective. Lara Jade is a very successful photographer and specialises in fashion. Camp 4 Collective is made up of Chris Burkard who is famous on Instagram with 1 million followers, he was lucky to become popular on Instagram at the start, making him famous and building his fan base early.

Analysis, Meaning and Purpose

Duncan’s work is very creative and original, I like his use of composition and light and colour. He always manages to make each photograph different to the last; each photograph is original and beautiful. He has worked with many genres including; photojournalism and landscapes etc. his work with landscapes are beautiful, the use of colour and light in those pieces are perfect. When doing landscapes he prefers to be there at night or catch the sun rising. Also his use of what is in focus and not in focus is amazing, the blurred effect creates a very interesting piece and makes you focus your attention on the important things. His use of viewpoints is interesting, he has taken a lot of photographs for biking events and the angles of the photographs he gets makes the piece original and interesting and gives it a different perspective.

Analysis, Meaning and Inspirations

I would like to use some of Duncan's style in my own piece, create pieces for the millennium gallery inspired by Duncan's work in terms of identity. He incorporates light into his work in almost every piece, focusing on where the light should and shouldn't be, the light and dark areas. I want to focus on light and colour in my piece, such as the piece above, the colour and light in this piece adds to the beauty and meaning of the piece. in terms of identity, I could use the light and colour to highlight the important areas and focal point in terms of identity. Also he likes to incorporate landscapes and nature into his work in some form whether it is the background or the focus, I would like nature and landscapes to be a focus in my photographs, I feel landscapes can relate to identity, as it is can be incorporated into every day life and its full of life and emotions. Duncan's work is very composition focused, he likes everything to be in a certain place and look a certain way, whether this is getting the right angle or re-arranging things if possible, I would like to incorporate composition into my work, I feel it is a very important aspect. The meaning of his work has various different meanings, it could connote; adventure and excitement, life and health, it could even connote beauty and identity, I would like for my work to present these various themes and connotations.

LO1 Analysis of Martin Parr's Work

Category

Martin Parr is a social reportage photographer, he specifies in photographing real life whether it is beautiful or gritty, general the photographs taken are taken to convey stereotypes. He has a vintage style to his work; the photographs looking slightly blurred because of the quality and the things being taken are abstract and convey the past. I also like how his photographs challenge the norm and his work could be viewed as controversial. Martin Parr offers an original theme of dystopia in his photography, while others tend to photograph things that capture the beauty of the surroundings, Martin Parr prefers to add a sort of dystopia feel to his work. The photograph with the litter is quintessential to the theme of dystopia, he likes to photograph anarchy and chaos. His photographs depict the idea that society is falling and anarchy will rule.

Meaning and Purpose

I think this photograph is to show the meaning of Britain’s beaches, to inform the audience about the state that it’s in and what that connotes about Britain. The old couple in the focus are almost in dismay about the chaos going on around them, the background being very energetic and chaotic; the woman pointing among the chaos has just become a part of it. Suggesting that in this picture you either observe the chaos or you are the chaos, the meaning of the picture could represent about Britain’s future and how society is developing. It could also reinforce the idea that the elderly having to watch the society develop in a negative manner and there’s nothing that they can do but watch and let it happen.

Analysis

The photographic techniques used in this picture are composition. Composition is a very heavy effect aspect in this photograph, where everything has been placed and the meaning it creates behind it. I would like to find out whether the photograph was taken realistically or the people and objects were manipulated, was the image manipulated to suit his personal ideas. Also colour and light

is also a main aspect in this photograph, the colour is used to highlight important features and to general highlight how out of place the litter is. I also like the use of the focal point, the whole image is interesting and chaotic enough, that I can say that the whole photograph is the focal point, there are no parts that are more interesting than others, they all contribute towards the final piece.

Analysis and Inspirations

I could use aspects from Martin Parr’s work to inspire my photographs commissioned by the Millennium Gallery; such as the genre being social reportage, the heavy use of composition and focal points. But also add my original ideas such as other genres and photographic techniques I want to work with. I feel that his work is inspired by Identity, as it depicts people’s everyday lives and sometimes their personal preference and opinion about how society is changing. Also I could use the use of facial expressions as well, I think it connotes a story and really gives a photograph meaning and sets the genre.