RESEARCH BLOG

THIS IS A 45 CREDIT UNIT, ENDING THE TERM ON THE 9TH OF DECEMBER WITH A SIGN OFF AND PROJECT PROPOSITION 

can use previous ideas but must be vividly built upon

has to be different from the self initiated project idea

quality not quantity, carefully edit your images so that your final outcome is refined

use the help of graphic designers so that your end result is visually sound

standards must be extremely high for a first, only around 10% of the class will achieve it. 

keep to deadlines, there are no excuses for late hand ins

dont neglect written work/ dissertation, this can bump up your grade

try and hand in early

reports are important

use the AOP’s guide “beyond the lens”  as reference material 

keep up with costing, keep receipts and tickets, keep it professional looking

write your own project brief , you must have a final idea

use this unit to expand your portfolio

outcome must be coherent to your sign off

writing a report is not writing an essay, all factual, use short sentences and bullet points, the intent is to inform, look at books for reference, use tumblr to your advantage, for final major report, use elements of your tumblr.

use high professional standards, imagine books as they would be presented in shops or bookstores.

pros and cons of taking pictures in studio and on location:

STUDIO:

pros:

results look more professional

once set up, easy to operate

lots of styles of lighting to experiment with

can use it 24 hours

not weather permitting 

can control everything in your shot

cons:

model might feel under pressure being in a studio environment

must know how to operate studio equipment

studio takes time to set up

equipment is expensive

you have to book a studio

must have a schedule 

backgrounds are restrictive

ON LOCATION/NATURAL LIGHT

pros

natural light is free

model would feel more comfortable in a natural environment

usually weather permitting

more varied use of backgrounds

can travel anywhere

can shoot on location spontaneously

cons

limited time frame, once it gets dark its harder to take pictures

results won't look as professional 

light comes from the sun, difficult to get required effect

if using strobe lighting, ambient light will effect photo

(all images sourced from http://loveisspeed.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/richard-avedon-photographydivine.html)

these are a selection of pictures from life magazine's 100 photographs that changed the world. each photo in the series is so emotive and really makes you think, pictures like this really like up to the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words." here, famous events from world history are documented, conveying just how important these things were, that they really did happen, and that they really were that bad.

the photographers that took theses images also had to witness what was going on first hand, as well as document it for everyone else. what they saw must have stayed with them forever.

photojournalism interests me because of how brutally honest it has to be. it started out as engravings and prints in newspapers until the public demanded more realistic imagery to accompany its news. by 1897 it became possible to produce halftone images through printing presses, allowing them to be mass produce on a newspaper scale. in 1925 the production of the leica 35mm made photojournalism more commercial and achievable for the public.

photojournalism allows the world to see the real things that happen, mainly bad things such as war and famine. a photojournalistic picture shows what cannot be described in words.

magazines such as life celebrated photography and used it to tell stories, this opened many peoples eyes to the power that photographs can have.

 a lot of photojournalists nowadays are freelance and work with reporters to secure a story. some even generate their own projects, choosing the stories themselves, and working hard to acquire funding for them. 

on friday the 8th of november olympus ice tank held a talk with fashion photographer Barry Lategan, i found the talk so inspiring and interesting. I am in love with the 60's, and fashion from that era, so to meet the man who took that famous picture that launched twiggy's career was incredible.

he explained how he got into photography, how he was born in south africa but was called up to national service in germany, where he developed an interest in photography. when he came back home he trained in photography and was told "you're a lucky man if you can make your hobby your work."

his big break came in 1966 when the hairdresser leonard gave twiggy her trademark haircut and asked lategan to photograph it, leading to her becoming the face of the 60's. he continued to work with twiggy throughout her career. 

what i love about barry lategan is the way he sees women, he seems so in awe when talking about the poise and grace of the female form, as a female i found it very respectful and refreshing to hear someone so high profile talk like that. barry went on to show a lot of his images from magazines and seemed to have a story about each one which was so lovely and heartwarming.

portraiture is really interesting to me because of how personal it is. a simple portrait can convey so much about a person, how old they are, what they do for a living, what they like wearing. but they can also hide so much about a person and leave them guessing. this all depends on the framing of the photo and how much of the person is viewed. for example a close up facial shot won't tell you as much about the person as a full body shot would.

close up shot

(image scanned from my college photography sketchbook)

just face, only face to look at, only face there to judge 

very detailed, may reveal factors such as age

no clue as to where photo was taken

very personal, maybe uncomfortably so

more emotion shown

full body

(image taken from my recent studio shoot)

shows what subject is wearing

shows where subject is

shows what they are doing, who they're with

more to look at, such as clothes, pose

something I've always loved is the use of makeup and costume in photography. i love how  the model can become somebody completely different through the use of props and styling. i explored this in my first brief for my intro to studio photography class, where i made a made model look like a female geisha with the use of a few props and a bit of makeup.

i loved how simple it was to do and how effective the results were, and i think its really interesting to watch the transformation. 

styling in photography isn't  just limited to fashion, after a bit of research i found that it is also very commonly used in food photography. its used to make the food being photographed looks as inviting and yummy as possible, usually using tricks such as spraying food with water to make it look fresh, and using substitutes to ensure food looks pristine, such as using acrylic ice cubes. 

my favourite kind of photography is fashion photography. its what i want to do as a career and the kind of work that really makes me think, wow. i love reading fashion magazines like vogue and harpers bazaar mainly for the beautifully shot adverts like these.

i find they really make me want to be part of this industry. a lot of the attraction for me is the glamour of it all, working with such high profile brands and beautiful clothing.

a lot of fashion photography is so beautiful because it isn't real, its comprised of made up stories and characters that transport you to another world, where you wish you were that model. 

its as if a different persona has been created to give the clothing personality. 

fashion photography is so versatile and diverse, despite all images serving the same purpose, every image looks different. as times have changed, the scope for subject matter in a fashion photograph has changed, giving photographers and stylists the opportunity to create cinematic worlds very different to those of Edward Steichen and Helmut Newton. 

retouching has also become far more accessible, so anything is possible for anyone.

 what bothers me about these fashion advertisements is that the photographer is almost never credited. sometimes the images are the most beautifully shot and theres no way of instantly knowing who took this picture. this is because the advert is advertising the fashion and not the photographer. its the same with any advertising photography, and i suppose photographers on these jobs must be willing to accept this.

olympus ice tank held a week of free talks and workshops between Saturday, 02-11-2013  to Saturday, 09-11-2013. Thursdays one was a lighting workshop with photographer Damian McGilicuddy, shooting model Ulorin Vex. 

I worked in a group with my friends Layla and Sophie, and we assigned Sophie the job of photographer. she got up and took a picture at every stage of the workshop, after each speedlite was introduced. this helped to show how a final picture was constructed, step by step.

lighting is as follows:

model shot with natural light

model shot with octagonal soft box 

speedlite with blue gel placed to the back left

second speedlite with blue gel placed to back right

speedlite with orange gel placed inside oven

all speedlites except softbox

final image, using all lights.

Here is the final image.

on Wednesday 6th November, i attended a Rave Late event, a talk with photographer  Laura Pannack.

she started by giving us a brief history of how she started out, assisting friends on their shoots while at uni, she said she's still in contact with a lot of the people she assisted. her advice was

think creatively, engage with your model

create an image that evokes emotion

talk to your model beforehand, sometimes it will change your perspective on them

anything you create will be interpreted in some way, how is up to you.

make your work relatable to someone

DONT STOP TAKING PICTURES

form a relationship with someone before a shoot

try everything you can while you have the resources

BE PREPARED

empathise with your model, get to know them

understand your subject

CHALLENGE YOURSELF

there is and will never be any limit to photography

you can't expect the client to know everything

there must be a balance between the client and the photographer 

make your portfolio important to you

KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ENJOY.

Create the inevitable

make mistakes

create engagement

don’t have a plan B, plan A should be enough

get noticed

entitlement is dead

have dignity and honour

making money is not an aim

know your enemy

there is wisdom in listening

be the best

on tuesday 5th of november, i attended a free event at the olympus imagespace. the event was hosted by photographer Grant Scott, who had previously art directed for Elle and Tatler. he highlighted some important aspects of using social media to both influence and enhance your work.he stated some important facts, such as how on average we spend 1 in 12 minutes online every day.

some things the internet can be useful for:

 as a reference library

 a  noticeboard

 a form of communication

 a publishing platform

 a marketing tool

 a community.

he also mentioned that due to the growing digital age, more and more people are becoming "photographers," giving actual photographers no option than to define themselves. to him, a professional photographer is someone whose work is consistent, and whose work contains a narrative.

what does this type of photographer do?

the task of  a forensic photographer is to take accurate photos of crime scenes and evidence to be used in court. the images must be of a high technical standard so they faithfully replicate the crime scene.

would they work as a free agent or within a company?

forensic photographers are freelance, and then employed by the police or a forensics sciences as and when they are needed. some are members of an association.

does this particular field cross over with any other field?

in a way it crosses over with documentary photography, and also still life photography in the sense that things must be displayed accurately and with detail.

what kind of equipment would you need?

Site and component documentation equipment

GPS navigation system

GPS measuring/surveying system

Laser measuring/surveying system

Optical measuring equipment

Measure wheels and tapes

Contour gauges, depth gauges, and calipers

Levels and/or inclinometers

Macro measuring tapes and scales

Optical and radar vehicle-speed measuring guns

Photogrammetry equipment

Roadway traffic volume counting system

Vehicle acceleration and braking force measurement systems

Evidence markers and survey flags

Aerial photo target equipment

Photography Equipment

Cameras

Camera memory cards or film

Lenses

Filters

Batteries

Power supplies, cables, cases and accessories applicable to the camera brand(s) and model(s) being used

Electronic flash units, macro flash units, axial-lighting devices, flash cables, or wireless flash modules/sensors

Shades, reflectors, mirrors, gray cards, color-checker cards or other references

Tripods, monopods, tabletop mini-pods

Copy stands, macro stages, and turntables

Clamps and specialized mounting equipment (such as suction-cup mounts for vehicle interior or exterior camera mounting)

Portable computer, with photo-management software, cables, batteries, and power supplies

Portable canopies and tarps for setting up a shaded, waterproof, outdoor workspace

do you need special premises?

all on location, must travel to the scene of the crime.

is it dangerous work?

location could be dangerous, for ex roadside.

do you need training?

forensics photographers usually start out as a CSI and then decide to receive specific training in the field of photography. There are also separate qualifications, such as NVQs and city and guilds short courses that can be studied at universities and colleges.

can you make a living working in this field alone?

the salary is difficult to determine as forensic photographer as work is mainly freelance. as freelance work is not secure, i would guess that another job would be needed to live on. through research i have found out that this job is very hard to come by, and photographers are usually just retrained CSIs instead of completely re-employed people.

would you work alone, in a team?

you would always be a part of a team, including the other members of the forensics team.

information from

http://www.skillset.org/photo/careers/photographers/article_3424_1.asp