Use Of Photography In Media

By Harvey Lindsay

Fashion PhotographyFashion Photography first appeared 1839. There was always the existence of fashionable dress, but the idea of taking photographs to help sell clothing and accessories had just come into play. Now magazines like GQ, Vogue, Esquire, Elle and Fashion all aim to sell clothing and let the reader know what is in for the new season.

There are many negative and positive outlooks within fashion photography. For example, the reader always looks up to the model and aspires to look as good as then, whether it’s weight, muscle, the way their hair is cut or their appearance. This is caused many problems with girls aspiring to look like these ‘perfect’ models. The biggest problem has been with girls trying to get the same body weight as these Vogue models and becoming Anorexic and unwell.

Looking up to male models and looking up to female models are completely different. Men look at male models and aspire to have the body they have, the muscle they have and the clothes they wear. Females look at other female models and aspire to be as thin as them and think that’s the perfect body weight to have.

Experimental Fashion• Fashion is experimented in a lot of things such as cat walks, fashion magazines,

album covers, adverts, posters, music videos and shop windows. Although fashion is experimented mainly in these areas, it is also seen on blogs from street style photographers such as scott schuman, AKA The Sartorialist, Vivian Maier and a personal favourite, Frederick Castleberry.

• Experimental fashion has now become more of an art often using dramatic images.

Advertisement photographyAdvertisement photography is all cleverly put together and is all aimed to make the public buy the product it’s advertising. It simply works by spending hours upon hours making the product look it’s absolute best to make it’s audience want to buy it. It’s very cleverly done, the way you see it and you must have it, then two miles down the road you see it advertised again and want it more.

There are lots of clever ways company’s advertise their product. Like getting a big artist to advertise it for them, advertising in between popular TV shows and having the product shown in a popular TV show or film.

What people don’t know is that a lot of products are made to look good via Adobe Photoshop.

Photojournalism In The News• Photography in the news is changing and evolving all the time, with it being easier

to get hold of equipment and the usage of internet sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Tumblr and the public being able to send their news/pictures in to the news.

• Also with the variety of available equipment makes capturing the most surreal moments possible. With mobile phone cameras getting better each year. With phone service rapidly getting faster it’s also becoming quicker to send and receive pictures.

• Now in 2012, when sending a picture or video via mobile phone or e-mail it is often received immediately. This is extremely important and convenient for photojournalists to get the story out as quickly as possible.

Portrait Shots• There are two different types of portrait shots in photography; formal and

informal. For example formal portrait photography would be of somebody getting their school picture done or their passport picture done. The face is blank or sometimes with a smile but it is more serious.

• An informal portrait would be of somebody looking in to the camera and smiling or laughing, sometimes the person may not know the picture is being taken.

Landscape Photography• There are lots of differences between past and present landscape photography, for

example how pictures had no colour in the past, also a lot of present shots are Photoshopped which makes them look a lot better and clearer than they are.

• After doing some research I also became quite annoyed at the amount of special effects that is used on images nowadays. After looking at a beautiful image and wishing to one day witness something like it with my own eyes, then realise it’s impossible because of the Photoshop. On the contrary the image looks a lot more professional and as something to be sold or put up around the house, there is no complaining.

• Another factor is the lack of technology photographers had in the past, after looking through Ansel Adams’ work and seeing how much he was restricted compared to photographers nowadays.

Nature Shots• A lens can focus at only one distance at a time, the decrease in sharpness is gradual on each side of

the focused distance so that within the DOF, the un sharpness is imperceptible under normal viewing conditions. This is good for macro photography as it focuses well for that perfect shot.

• Point and shoot digital cameras are a line of cameras popular with beginner photographers and suitable for everyday photography.

• Attach camera to tripod: Focusing on an image close up can be difficult with certain models of camera. Any movement can bring the photograph out of focus. For best results, attach the camera to a tripod.

• Select Macro Mode: Macro mode is typically a little flower in the shooting modes. When selected, it causes the camera to focus on an object closer to the lens than normal. In addition, macro mode will also increase the size of the aperture, bringing the subject into closer focus while leaving the background in the distance.

• Zoom-In on the Image: Using the camera’s zoom feature, bring the image into focus on the view screen.

• Set Flash (or not): Use of a flash with a point and shoot camera is purely personal preference. Macro photographs require a certain amount of light to remain clear and in focus. Unfortunately, it is difficult to control the flash on a point and shoot. For professional results, wait for a bright day with lots of natural light to take the photograph.

“Flag Waving Drop” By Sherry Slabik.

“Poliwog” Captured by JBGreen. As you can see the lens is completely focused on the image which has blurred out the background and it’s surroundings.

Lasius Vlavius – by Leon Baas

La Force Et La Passion - by Leon Baas.