photography project pro forma

Photography and Digital Manipulation

Robbie Hickman

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Photography Project

Contact Sheet #1

Contact Sheet #1 ReviewMorning Shoot • The morning shoot was quite successful, mainly because the area of York I was in consisted of a wide range of

different structures, including shops, houses and historical structures e.g. churches. Because I was aiming to capture architectural images, the shoot was fairly easy as I could choose from a variety of buildings to include in my fine art project. The amount of buildings all over York ensured that I did not have to spend a great deal of time looking for something considered suitable to photograph in regard to the application I was using. This is one of the many reasons why I was able to capture 97 images of architecture in the morning. It did not rain at all; this benefited the overall look of my images because I was able to capture sunlight (as shown in some of the images I chose to edit) which enhanced their quality and gave them a positive appearance. Prior to the shoot, I intended to capture exterior images of buildings including York Minister. I also desired to capture interior images of buildings as well as wide-angle shots of structures on and around the River Ouse e.g. the bridge and the cranes on the side of the river. Because we met up in front of York Minister, I was able to photograph this structure first, obtaining many different images from different angles and shots e.g. low angle shot, wide-angle shot and medium close-up. I asked permission to photograph some of the interior aspects of a library e.g. the stairs.

Chosen Images • I think that a lot of my images look visually attractive i.e. I framed them well when I captured them. A good example

of how I accomplished this is in IMG 0826 which depicts the York Minister to the left of the image (an example of the Rule of Thirds principle). Although the Minister is the primary focus, the aspect of the image that is most visible is the clock attached to a different building closer to where I was stood when I took the photo. I was hoping to create tension in images like this one; there are others which follow the Rule of Thirds principle, as well as feature something entirely different in the centre of the image that isn’t the primary focus e.g. a sign or a traffic light with a structure behind it. Due to the fact that many of my images look aesthetically pleasing, it might be quite difficult to select a few to edit in post-production. The maximum number of images I can edit is eight. The main images I will be editing in post production are those that feature sunlight from behind buildings (such as images 0816, 0868 and 0939) as well as one of the interior images I took (0939 or 0942). The main reason why I chose these images is because I think they look visually attractive and that adding effects to them could enhance their quality even further. This could increase the chances of some of my images reflecting professional standards.

Contact Sheet #1 Review

• Post Production • There are a lot of options regarding the manner in which I could alter my

captured images to enhance their overall quality and ensure that they appear different in comparison to the way they looked in real life. I could use the ‘Levels’ and ‘Brightness and Contrast’ tools to make certain aspects stand out, as well as to make light sources within the images look even brighter e.g. the sun. I could select a wide range of techniques from ‘Filters’ e.g. Lighting Effects, Lens Filter or Sharpen to add eye-catching visual effects. Another option to consider is altering the hue/saturation of specific areas of the image e.g. the sky and the brickwork of buildings to create meaning e.g. changing the colour of the sky to grey to create a grim feel.

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Contact Sheet #2

Contact Sheet #2 ReviewAfternoon Shoot: • The afternoon shoot was just as successful as the morning shoot; it involved exploring and capturing images of

different areas of York including places next to the River Ouse, Clifford’s Tower and aspects of the York City Wall. I also took many interior and exterior images of the York Train Station; I thought the appearance of the span of the roof created repetition (as shown in IMG 1060) and looked visually attractive. The afternoon shoot was mainly successful because there was a lot more time to walk around and take photos of architecture than the amount of time provided during the morning shoot. The aforementioned places weren’t as crowded as the York City Centre; I considered this advantageous compared to the morning shoot because I was able to capture my own images without making other people wary, people getting in the way etc. I found that there was a great deal of compositional techniques to use in regard to some of the aspects I photographed e.g. diagonal lines, symmetry, leading lines, contrast and framing. This was the case in some of the images I took including Images 1029, 1038, 1158 and 1187.

Chosen Images/Post Production • The images I will choose to edit in my fine art project are those which depict structures around the River Ouse,

buildings behind the York City Walls, and aspects of the York Railway Station. I might also use an image of the Clifford’s Tower because there is presence of diagonal lines (on the hill as shown in IMG 1207) and also symmetry regarding the overall nature of the structure; including both sides of the hill and the appearance of the stone structure. The reason why I have chosen images like these is because I think they look aesthetically pleasing as how they naturally appear and that I could enhance their quality by editing them in Adobe Photoshop during post-production. In the post-production process, specific techniques including alteration of Hue/Saturation, Contrast/Brightness, Levels and Black and White can enable me to create an entirely different image compared to how it looked when it was taken. I hope to provide an atmosphere within some of my images, particularly dark, menacing, foreboding and grim tones. This could enable me to evoke emotion within the audience. Employing techniques in Photoshop can also increase the chances of certain aspects of my images being more visible to the customer, as well as make them look brighter/darker in order to create positive/negative tones respectively.

Image #1 - Original

Image #1 – Edit Process

What editing techniques have you carried out and why?

Using Adobe Photoshop, I have altered the look of the image through use of specific techniques from the ‘Adjustments’ toolbar. To begin with, I selected ‘Brightness/Contrast’ and decreased the brightness of the image to provide dark tones and shadows in some areas including the base of the church and the entire left side of it. Through decreasing the brightness of the image, I desired to create the impression of the church been ‘in the shade’ even though it was a sunny day. I was able to accomplish this and I think the technique has done well to provide contrast within the image (regarding the sunlight brightening the right side of the church and with the left side of the structure in darkness). This helped me to create juxtaposition within the image. To make the sunlight appear far brighter than it did in the original image, I used the ‘ Levels’ adjustment tool to enhance the glare within the image. This has clearly done well to increase the quality of my image. I have also utilized the Vibrance adjustment tool to decrease the quality of certain colours within the image e.g. the colour of the church, the buildings to the right of it, and the blue sky. I used the adjustment in this manner because I wanted to provide emphasis on the fact that the primary focus of the image is a historical structure; it is therefore very old.

Image #1 – Final

Image #2 - Original



The adjustments I have used within this image are the Levels, Vibrance, Hue/Saturation and Channel Mixer Tools. Using these adjustment tools, I desired to make the statue in front of the church look visually intriguing with the primary purpose of making it stand out, and therefore drawing the customer’s eye away from the main focus of the image (the Minister). This helps to create tension. I have accomplished this by highlighting every aspect of the statue and altering the Hue/Saturation of it (by pressing the hotkeys: Ctrl + U) so that it takes on a more eye-catching appearance. As shown in the image above, I provided a dark blue tint to the statue. To enhance the overall quality of the Minister, I used the ‘Levels’ tool to make the brickwork stand out more; I thought this was a good way to imply how the Minister was constructed and what it is made up of. The ‘Vibrance’ tool was also used; I slightly increased the overall quality of the Minister so that it doesn’t appear as ancient as the way it does in the original image. As shown above, the windows of the Minister stand out even more. To increase the quality of the statue (which was altered so that it had a blue tint to it), I used the Channel Mixer which enabled me to select a darker hue of the same colour.

As well as adjustments, I also used tools from the ‘Filters’ toolbar e.g. Sharpen was selected and this enabled me to slightly enhance the look of the image by making certain aspects stand out even more. I also selected Stylize > Solarize at one point, however this resulted in the image taking on an appearance which severely decreased its quality, so I selected ‘Step Backward’ to undo this action.

Image #2 – Final

Image #3 - Original



I altered the brightness/contrast of the image by selecting the Adjustment Tool of the same name; I wanted to decrease the quality of the image so that the church and the sign looked quite old. This has enabled me to emphasize on the fact that York is a traditional town with a lot of historical sights. Decreasing the brightness has allowed me to imply the age of the city, as well as the separate time periods in which the church and the sign will have been constructed. This has allowed me to provide contrasting effect within the image; two different aspects of the town are depicted close together and this could provide a lot of aspects for the customer to interact with regarding the content of the image. During the editing process so far, I have selected the sky above the church and sign and altered the Hue/Saturation; this has effectively allowed me to create the impression of an actual grey sky over York as opposed to a clear blue sky in the original image. Therefore, I have been able to create a dark and foreboding atmosphere within this image, quite distinctive in comparison to the mood of the original image. I also highlighted every aspect of the sign and used the Hue/Saturation tool to change its original dark blue appearance to a more lighter shade of blue. As shown in the image above, I have also used the ‘Brush tool’ so that I could paint over the outlines of each aspect of the sign. This has enabled me to create artistic effect within the image.

Image #3 – Final

Image #4 - Original



I was hoping to enhance the visual quality of this interior image so that its aspects look more eye-catching, particularly in regard to the window on the ceiling and the spiral staircase. I was able to accomplish this through selecting Filter > Sharpen to slightly increase the quality of the interior image. I also used the Exposure Adjustment Tool in the Adjustments toolbar to change the tint of colour regarding the patterns beneath the staircase and around the window on the ceiling. By altering the exposure, offset, and gamma correction options for the ‘Exposure’ tool, I have been able to change the look of the spiral staircase which now takes on a blue tint. The room above appears darker in comparison to the way it looked in the original image; it appears as though the room above is dimly lit as it would be at night-time. This has helped me to create contrast in some way; it is clearly sunny as shown through the window, however the room is dimly lit. I have altered the Brightness/Contrast of the image to make the glare of the sun through the window seem slightly more intense than it does in the original image. The ‘Levels’ option has also enabled me to accomplish alteration of brightness, but in regard to how dimly lit the interior of the library looks. The aspects beneath the staircase e.g. the patterns appear darker. The reason why I altered the lighting of the image in this way is because I desired to create the impression of a dark room with the sole light source being from the window on the ceiling.

Image #4 – Final

Image #5 - Original



For this image, I intended to depict the building so that it was perfectly central, with the illusion of trees on either side of it. This helps to provide ‘framing’ for the building. The original image depicted the scene shown above in full daylight; it was a sunny day and this helped to create a positive atmosphere for the image, and the rays from the sun (as shown at the bottom right of the image) do well to enhance its visual quality. The presence of these coloured rays are the likely result of the manner in which the camera was framed. Using the ‘Levels’ adjustment tool enabled me to make these light rays appear more visible, and also more intense than they looked initially. I desired to enhance the image quality even further and using this technique allowed me to accomplish this. I also used the Hue/Saturation adjustment tool to change the colour of the sky above the building; this was done after making a selection of the blue sky whilst leaving out the building. I altered the saturation of the selected area so that the sky took on a dark grey appearance; this helped me to create the impression of a thundercloud and therefore evoke fear within the customer. The branches of the two trees appear discoloured just like the sky above compared to the park, the building and the river. This has allowed me to create juxtaposition within my image and there are more aspects for the customer to interact with; therefore the image can be considered ‘busy’. I also altered the exposure of the image (Gamma correction, offset etc.) to enhance its quality even further.

Image #5 – Final

Image #6 - Original



The main editing technique I have employed for this interior image of the York Railway Station was a Lens Flare. This technique creates a strong impression of a light source, and I was able to alter it so that the intensity of the lens flare could be either increased or decreased. I positioned the lens flare so that it was almost perfectly central and the rays illuminate the interior of the station. The reason why I employed this technique is because I wanted to create the impression of the sun glaring through the ceiling. This technique has clearly allowed me to enhance the quality of the image and provide something eye-catching for the customer to interact with as well as the aspects of the station. I selected 35mm for the Lens Flare; I did not want the aperture to be too high for the lens flare because it could take up most of the image and therefore severely hinder its overall quality. To enhance the appearance of the station (especially in regard to its ceiling and pillars), I used the Levels and Vibrance adjustment tools; these enabled me to make the interior of the station look aesthetically pleasing.

Image #6 – Final

Image #7 - Original



As shown above, I have employed a wide range of editing techniques, mostly from the Adjustments toolbar, so that I could change the appearance of the image and ensure that it creates meaning in a completely different way compared to the meaning created by the original image. I employed the ‘Levels’ adjustment tool to decrease the brightness of the image; through this I have been able to make the scene within the image look like a foreboding place rather than an attraction, just as I had intended prior to post-production. I have changed the Contrast/Brightness of the image so that it looks dull and eerie; the leaves on the tree, as well as the branches close to the stone wall to the top left, stand out compared to other aspects of the image as I altered its contrast. I have also altered the Vibrance of the image; I wanted to make the scene look quite daunting and I have been able to accomplish this by decreasing the offset, exposure and gamma of the image. To decrease the quality of the colours within the image e.g. the cars, the tree leaves and the York City Wall, I used the Colour Lookup and the Channel Mixer tools. The reason why I used these tools is because I wanted to provide a grim feel to the image; there is a good chance that my image will be able to evoke emotion within the customer.

Image #7 – Final

Image #8 - Original



On my final image, I have attempted to make the building and the tree branch look as intriguing as possible, with the sunlight glaring from between the branches and providing some illumination for the windows on the building. I altered the exposure of the image to make the glare from the sun seem much brighter compared to how it looked in the original image; through this I intended to enhance the quality of the image and make the sun appear brighter than it really is. This helps to push the boundaries regarding what is reality and what isn’t and within this image, I have been able to create something eye-catching for the customer to interact with. I have altered the hue/saturation of the image so that the glass windows on the building take on a green tint; I also made a selection of the tree branch, providing it with a dark green hue (this is easily visible at the place where the sunlight shines through the branches). Altering the colours of the image in this manner has given it a positive tone because the colour green somewhat relates to nature and well-being.

I have also altered the Vibrance of the image; this ensures that glare from the sun takes on a colourful appearance rather than appearing as simply white like sunlight does in real life. Altering the vibrance of the image in this manner has enabled me to achieve a visually intriguing photo with lots of colour within it. To provide emphasis on the glare from the sun, I attempted to provide Lighting Effects (Filter > Lighting Effects), however this resulted in an arc of white light appearing on the image and this decreased its quality, therefore I selected ‘Step Backward’ to undo the action.

Image #8 – Final

Evaluation - CompositionThe eight images I captured of various places from around the York City Centre feature good examples of compositional techniques; I considered these techniques and took into account how they could benefit my fine art project, as well as help me to create meaning and artistic effect. During post-production, I have utilized a wide range of techniques in an effort to make them look aesthetically pleasing to the customer, and also to increase the chances of being able to create images that almost mirror professional standards. Such compositional techniques include the Rule of Thirds principle, the Leading Lines principle, symmetry, repetition etc.

Image 1: A wide-angle lens was used to photograph the façade of a church near the York Minister, with the camera angled upwards so that I could capture the structure in a low-angle shot. The use of a low-angle shot within this image creates meaning because the church is made to look like a tall, imposing and dominant structure compared to others also within the photo; to the right of the church, there is some focus on an apartment building not too far from the primary focus of the image. The presence of two different structures within the photo has helped me to establish contrasting effect. In turn, this has allowed me to create juxtaposition within my image and provide multiple aspects for the customer to interact with. The primary focus of my image is the church itself; I have framed it so that it is almost perfectly central and this can be considered beneficial for the customer because the structure grabs the attention of the customer before any other aspect. In regard to the church itself, one could draw a line down the middle and determine that both sides appear as almost exactly the same as each other; this is a good example of symmetry.

Image 2: A long, telephoto lens was used to depict the statue in great detail and in a close-up manner with a section of the York Minister behind it. The telephoto lens has enabled me to create the impression of the statue posing in front of the Minister; a strong connection has been created between the two aspects of the image, especially as I altered the image into black and white so that the statue took on an appearance close to that of a shadow or silhouette. This makes the image seem dark and menacing and also provides a haunting atmosphere for the Minister. I framed the image so that the statue was positioned on the right hand side of the photo on one of the places where the lines intersect; although the statue is the main focus, it is not framed so that it appears central. Instead, it is positioned off to the side and therefore draws the eye of the customer away from the Minister. This helps to create tension within the image and is an example of the Rule of Thirds principle.

Image 3: I used a long, telephoto lens to photograph a street sign in the York City centre, with a church depicted to the left of the image. The position of the church to the left of the image is a good example of the ‘Rule of Thirds’ principle because if one were to picture a series of lines on the image that intersect, the church would be positioned on one of the intersecting points of the lines to the left. The fact that the church draws the eye of the customer away from other aspects such as the sign could do well to create tension. The image was taken using a low-angle shot which depicts the street sign as an imposing aspect. During the post-production process, I have managed to create a dark tone within the image so that only the church seems to be in full colour in comparison to the rest of the image; the colour of the sky and the street sign seem quite dull and dreary and this helps to establish meaning within the image because it suggests how old some of the aspects of York are.

Image 4: The interior image of the staircase I took was taken using the telephoto lens. A low-angle shot was used so that I could provide focus on the window on the ceiling, as well as the banister of the staircase. The manner in which I angled the camera has provided focus on the aspects of the banister; there is presence of repetition within the image regarding the bars on the staircase, as well as the patterns beneath the staircase. This helps to provide a strong sense of rhythm and therefore more for the customer to interact with. There is also presence of geometric shapes on the window on the ceiling; this adds to the overall quality of the image. During post-production, I used the Vibrance Adjustment tool to enhance the glare from the sun through the window on the ceiling and add colour to the image; this has clearly made it look visually intriguing.

Composition (CONT.) • Image 5: I used a wide-angle lens to photograph the building across the River Ouse, as well as other structures and trees on my side of the river. The lens enabled me

to provide a lot of focus on a wide range of aspects (not just nature, but also architecture), as well as capture the building (which was the primary focus) in great detail despite the fact that I was stood some distance away from it. My vantage point was within the park on the other side of the River Ouse as opposed to the building. Because I used a lot of techniques within Photoshop during post-production, the image I took appears very busy i.e. there is a lot to interact with. The techniques I used e.g. alteration of levels, hue and saturation have done well to provide an eerie atmosphere to the image, with dark tones and shadows as predominant features. However, light tones are also present within the image due to the sunlight. The presence of light and dark tones together creates contrasting effect, thus providing more for the customer to focus on.

• Image 6: This interior image of the York Railway Station provides significant focus on the aspects of the station, particularly the roof of the station and the platforms on either side. To capture this image, I used the wide-angle lens; this ensured that I could photograph each side of the platform in great detail. My vantage point was a fair distance away from the entrance to the railway station (as shown in the image) and I was able to capture a lot of the train-shed (the structure that covers the platform) and depict it clearly and accurately. The wrought-iron roof trusses which make up the train-shed create rhythm because they are repetitive (therefore, this creates repetition). During the post-production process, I inserted a lens-flare into the image; this does well to create the impression of the sun shining through the trusses and also adds a positive tone to the image. This makes it look intriguing to the customer and, as opposed to other images I have edited, it helps to create a mood that is peaceful.

• Image 7: Within this image, I have used the ‘Framing’ compositional technique (with the aspects of the York City Wall as the ‘frame’) to depict a building underneath the wall. The wall and the building strongly relate to architectural photography and I have been able to represent them as accurately as possible. I was also able to capture the branches of trees within the image; the presence of these somewhat relates to nature photography as well. The wide angle lens was used to capture as much of the wall as possible in great detail; this has benefited the image because it allows the customer to focus on the entire structure of the York City Wall as opposed to a small section of it; this will have been the likely result if I used the telephoto lens. There is presence of repetition within my image; regarding the brickwork on the wall. This helps to create a rhythmic pattern which could be another aspect for the customer to interact with. My overall image appears ‘busy’ because it offers a lot to focus on (including parked cars, the small stone structure on the bottom left, the York City Wall and the building behind it). This would benefit the image because there is a lot to focus on. A high-angle shot was used to capture the image; my vantage point was on the edge of a bridge adjacent to the wall and I was aiming the camera downwards; this angle does well to add a sense of vulnerability to the structures below as opposed to other aspects of York e.g. the Minister.

• Image 8: The long, telephoto lens was used to photograph the tree branch with the building behind it; the reason why I chose this lens is because I wanted to capture the tree branch in an up-close manner with the building in the background; great detail is provided for the branch as well as the building behind it. I angled the camera upwards to take the photo; the reason for this is because I desired to represent the building as a tall and imposing structure (as opposed to Image 7 which utilized a high-angle shot rather than a low-angle shot). The way the building is represented could evoke fear within the audience. During post-production, I altered the Levels, Hue, Saturation etc. of the image in order to give it a positive tone and make the glare from the sun appear brighter than it does in real-life. Using the Hue/Saturation adjustment tool, I added a green tint to the tree branch in order to create an impression of nature, as well as create meaning using the colour green; green is related to nature and well-being and this further adds to the positive tone of the image. The glare from the sun within the image does well to enhance the quality of the green tint and add to the visual quality of the image. There is presence of repetition within the image; the windows on the building help to create a sense of rhythm which could intrigue the customer.

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Evaluation - Audience• As stated in the proposal document, the planned, main target audience for my architectural fine art project is both males and females. The

primary reason why I assumed this would be the ideal audience for my project is because the images taken simply depict buildings and historical structures, especially places to live or visit. Images of this nature would most likely appeal to a wide range of people, regardless of gender. When it comes to images like these, there is a good chance that there would be something in them for everyone. As shown within my final eight images, there is no apparent material that would be deemed as unsuitable in any way i.e. the images are not disturbing. Both males and females should find that images of buildings and tourist attractions, which are represented in a positive light, apply to them in an equal manner. Because the images are not disturbing at all in terms of tone and atmosphere, children and pre-teens should be able to view them. This supports the previous statement I made within my proposal documentation; regarding the fact that there is something in my images for everyone, even though they would apply mainly to adults due to the fact that they are more likely to afford a place to live/stay at. In regard to psychographics, those who fit into the Belonger category might find that these images appeal to them. My images could attract ‘Belongers’ because they are intrigued by communities, as well as being with family and friends. The aspects of York I have photographed for my project depict historical sites that could attract a group of friends to visit, as well as houses/buildings for a family to live in. Those who belong to the Social Grade ABC1 demographic might be intrigued by my work because some of the locations represent places of work; people at this category tend to be administrative and professional workers and my images could even be used to advertise places of work. The reason why my images could attract people in this manner is because they have been represented in a positive light, especially through utilization of specific techniques e.g. Levels, Saturation and Brightness/Contrast which have done well to enhance the appearance of the original images.

• My images do not contain political views that would appeal to a specific audience because they are simple and accurate representations of buildings and other structures, especially historical ones.

Peer Review

1:I love this and the effect you’ve by using compositional techniques such as symmetry 2.I like this image due to the eye line of the statue acting as an invisible leading line across the middle of the image 3:I love the monochrome section of this image 4:This image is interesting due to the appearance of a spider web 5:This image is quite pleasing to the eye by having the trees fading into what appears to be a fog effect 6:this image is a tad full on due to the lens flare diverting the eye from the actual subject 7:This image appears dark but I really like the green tint 8:This image is pretty good I like the colors on the sun creating a realistic lens flare

Evaluation - ContextMy architectural fine art project has been influenced by the research I have carried out on the photography application I chose (architecture), as shown within the Photographic Applications Pro-Forma and the Fine Art Pro-Forma. Prior to the shoot in the York City Centre, I conducted research on specific compositional techniques which could most likely be used to add meaning to images of architecture. Such techniques include things like lighting, camera settings, lenses/aperture etc. My fine art project has greatly benefited from my research into compositional techniques because I was able to gain insight as to what kind of techniques I could employ during the shoot e.g. repetition and leading lines in relation to various types of buildings (both exterior and interior images). There is a good chance that these techniques will have enhanced the quality of my images and helped to create meaning. As well as compositional techniques, I have also been able to highlight the pros and cons regarding the application e.g. the fact that some structures could be too large, and also illegal to take pictures of. Having knowledge of this has benefited my photo shoot because I knew to ask permission when I desired to capture interior photos of a library (in Image 4). As well as the advantages and disadvantages of the application, I was also able to research past and present photographers who have specialized in architectural photography e.g. Simon Kennedy (present), Francis Frith (past) and Dennis Gilbert. Through this research, I was able to identify what styles and techniques these individuals applied to their own images. I also analysed several images taken by these photographers. Conducting research on professional photographers has been beneficial, primarily because I understand the ideal compositional techniques and styles to utilize in my own work e.g. contrast and tone that have been used by well-known photographers. These techniques have done well to enhance the visual quality of my images.

My fine art project has not been influenced by anything such as race, religion, politics etc. The specific contexts that were identified in my proposal documentation have met the characteristics of my completed project. In my proposal, I assumed that architectural images could be used to advertise and promote properties for people to purchase, as well as convince people to visit a specific location. I also identified that my images could appear online, within certain forms of print media and also on portrait images. My completed project has met the identified contexts and clearly advertises not only places to live or visit (Images 1, 4 and 5 etc.) , but also places of work (Image 8). My images are clearly professional-looking enough to be featured on the internet, as well as within print media and on portraits. For example, Image 3 (which depicts a church behind a street sign) could be featured on a leaflet to advertise a tourist attraction at York; leaflets are a good example of print media. Because I have edited my images by adjusting things like Levels and Contrast, as well as altering the hue/saturation of specific aspects like the sky, they almost mirror professional standards and I feel that they could be sold and even used to promote tourist attractions at York via leaflets or online websites due to their aesthetic quality.

EvaluationIn regard to my completed project, I feel that I have achieved almost exactly what I initially desired to accomplish within my fine art images. My initial ideas (as shown in the Fine Art Pro-Forma) consisted of capturing architectural images of buildings, churches and other attractions within the York City Centre and representing them as positively and accurately as possible. During the shoot, I aimed to capture images of bridges and structures on either side of the River Ouse that I could edit them within Adobe Photoshop. Although I managed to capture the images successfully, I did not end up making alterations to them during post-production. The reason for this is because I thought other images I took would look far more visually attractive if they were edited in a wide range of ways, particularly those which feature the sun glaring from the corner of a building e.g. Image 1. Because I could only edit a certain amount of images, I wasn’t able to include those depicting things like bridges as I originally intended to in my final set of images. I initially wanted to make my architectural images look visually intriguing and I was able to achieve this by making adjustments to my eight chosen images using specific techniques in Photoshop e.g. the Levels adjustment tool and Spot Healing Brush Tool. These adjustment tools enabled me to correct any areas I thought decreased the quality of my images, as well as to enhance their aesthetic quality. Because there were a lot of historical structures around York, I was able to capture a wide range of structures of this type; I chose three of these structures (including York Minister) as my final set of images.

My final eight images could almost be considered as fit for purpose, mostly because they appear visually attractive and quite distinct in comparison to the way they appeared in real life. The images create meaning in a variety of different ways e.g. through colour and atmosphere; the mood of my images could most likely intrigue a lot of people. Therefore, there is a good chance that they could be entered into a competition of some kind. The reason for this is because my images are related to buildings and similar structures; there is a good chance that the images could establish superiority over an area in particular Their visual appearance almost seems to mirror that of professional standards, as shown by the positive feedback I have received (as shown in the previous slide). The feedback clearly praises the visual elements of the images, especially the presence of colours and effects that do well to make certain aspects stand out (particularly architecture such as buildings. For example, the monochrome section of Image 3 (with the street sign and the church) has been highlighted and the positive manner of the feedback suggests that this effect I added has greatly increased the quality of the original image. Another good example of positive feedback is the effect shown on Image 5 which has been praised for being ‘visually pleasing to the eye by having the trees fading into what appears to be a fog effect’. This shows that my decision to alter the original image in this manner has significantly improved the way it looks. The finished image is clearly pleasing to the customer.

Feedback/Technical Qualities/ImpactAlthough the feedback I have received is generally positive, I feel that some changes to my images would be necessary. Image 6 could benefit from not having a lens flare on the train-shed because it diverts the customer’s eye from the actual subject (which is the train station itself) and makes the image appear far too ‘busy’ and therefore not very attractive to the eye of the customer. This has been stated in the feedback I have received. To improve, it would be ideal to remove the lens flare from the image or decrease its luminosity so that it doesn’t take up too much of the image. This would benefit the image because the customer would be able to focus primarily on the aspects of the station rather than a bright light within the image.

My eight images are visually pleasing to the eye, primarily because the ideal camera settings were used in relation to the application of photography I was using for my fine art project: architecture. Within my images, the correct settings have allowed me to easily control the level of exposure i.e. they do not appear overexposed or underexposed because the ideal aperture setting (f/11), shutter speed (1/2000) and film speed (ISO300) were selected prior to the shoot. If my images appeared overexposed in any way, their quality would be severely hindered because too much light can enter the image sensor. In regard to my original images, they all appear adequate because the right amount of light was allowed to reach the sensor without causing the image to be over/underexposed. For example, Image 1 (which depicts the sun glaring from behind the church) does not appear overexposed despite the glare from the sun illuminating a section of the image. This shows that the exposure has been controlled successfully in my images.

The correct aperture setting has resulted in the correct depth of field within my images; the setting ensures that the sensor is not exposed to too much light whilst increasing the depth of field. Depth of field determines whether or not any particular subject or subjects within an image will appear in acceptably sharp focus. It is generally determined by the aperture size, the distance of the subject from the lens, and the focal length of the camera. The focal length tends to apply to when a subject/object in particular is in focus and is defined as the gap between the lens and image sensor. The size of the gap determines whether the camera will zoom in or out. The focal length of my camera was clearly set correctly because the camera allowed me to zoom in and out more when it came to the shoot; this was the result of the gap between the lens and image sensor being large enough. In regard to post-production, my images have taken on an appearance that is quite distinctive compared to how they looked prior to the editing process. I have added monochrome to one of the images, as well as fade effects and alteration of colour to others. These adjustments have done well to greatly enhance the quality of my chosen eight images, making them appear visually intriguing to the eye of the customer as shown in the feedback I received. I think I was able to control post-production very well in all eight of my images because each one creates a different atmosphere e.g. peaceful, eerie and melancholy through use of dark/light tones in my images and alteration of colour using the Hue/Saturation Tool.

All of my final images consist of a range of visual qualities. The post-production process has had a positive impact on all of them, as shown by how the final ones appear in relation to the original images I took. Some of my images appear artistic due to the alteration of colour and tones within them, as well as the effects I have provided in some of them. I think the manner in which I captured the images shown was quite professional, especially because some of them feature the sun glaring from behind buildings, as well as statues outside of the York Minister as shown in Image 2. Image 2 appears quite professional because I altered the tones of the image and altered it completely so that it took on the colours black and white. The reason why I edited the image in this way is because I wanted to communicate how old the York Minister is and also provide a melancholy atmosphere to the image. I am quite impressed with the manner in which the statue (in front of the Minister) appears as I used the Hue/Saturation Tool to add a tint to it. I added a dark blue tint to the statue using the Tool, but after I altered the image to black and white, the statue has a black tint to it and (mainly due to the low-key lighting I provided to the image) it almost looks like a shadow or silhouette in front of the Minister. This does well to make it appear haunting and the image therefore has the potential to evoke fear within the customer. Another one of my images (Image 5) appears artistic because there is a strong impression of a fog effect which the trees within the image fade into. I decided to leave parts of the image in full colour (the aspects of the park and the building across the river) whilst altering the trees and the sky above to black and white. The reason why I did this is because I hoped to provide contrasting effect and make the image look as intriguing to the eye of the customer as possible. I have also provided artistic effect to Image 7, which depicts a building behind an aspect of the York City Wall with trees also present in the image. Using the Hue/Saturation Tool, I highlighted areas of the image where tree branches were visible, particularly some small sections of the wall, and added a dark green tint to the branches and parts of the wall so as to create the impression of nature. The reason behind this decision during post-production was because I hoped to create an impression of the York City Wall, as well as the area around it, as an abandoned place that appears to be slightly overgrown i.e. covered with leaves and branches due to been abandoned for so long. I think this is effective because it highlights how old the structure is compared to the rest of York and has the potential to evoke emotion within the customer.

EvaluationFrom this photography project, I have gained a great deal of insight regarding the styles and techniques of various applications of photography, especially architecture which is the one I chose for my fine art project. The research I conducted on well-known and influential photographers (both past and present) initially allowed me to achieve an understanding of the ideal styles and compositional techniques to use during the photo shoot in York so that I could make my images look as eye-catching as possible. I have also been able to gain knowledge regarding how I should capture images of a specific type and what to consider whilst capturing them e.g. they should be as accurate as possible because they represent architecture. I have been able to gain a wide range of skills regarding photography in general, especially in regard to compositional techniques (which I have used within my images to enhance their quality), the camera settings I can select (e.g. shutter speed, aperture and focal length) and also greater insight in relation to Photoshop and the effects that can be employed using the program i.e. I have used Photoshop before in different projects in the past e.g. magazine covers, therefore I already had a great deal of knowledge and skills regarding the program.

This fine art project allowed me to gain even more skills with Photoshop e.g. creating a Lens Flare, adding monochrome and using the Hue/Saturation Tool to colour in a large section of an image. Following the project, I am now confident in how to set up a DSLR camera prior to taking photos as well as what settings to use and how to alter them, although it would benefit me if I revised the settings more i.e. in regard to where they are and what type of image would require specific settings. By now, I am also able to correct any images that appear damaged and/or inadequate, alter the colour of images successfully and create effects and tones on Photoshop which I couldn’t create prior to the project. Whilst I was editing my images, I got the opportunity to explore on Photoshop and discover a variety of techniques, although I do feel that I could develop my skills on the program even further in the future.

Evaluation: Time Management and Self-Evaluation

I think I managed my time on the project really well, bearing in mind that the photo shoot was delayed for a week and thus provided me with more time to plan my shoot e.g. what techniques and camera settings to use. During the photo shoot, I was able to capture a large amount of images in the morning and in the afternoon; this shows that I completed what I intended to do within a certain amount of time during the trip into York. During the post-production process, I worked not only within lesson time, but also outside of lessons e.g. on afternoons and other periods during the day where I had no lessons and was therefore free to work on the computers around the college. However, I do feel that I could have managed my time more effectively if I was able to access Photoshop outside of college; this would have enabled me to continue the editing process in my own time and complete other aspects of the Project Pro-Forma where I inserted my images e.g. the sections in which I could explain why I utilized certain techniques. Aside from this, I was able to manage my time with the fine art project effectively.

The work I completed with the fine art project (including specific Pro-Formas) allowed me to take notes on what techniques I could use within my images e.g. Rule of Thirds, Repetition and Leading Lines and determine how I could have used them to enhance the quality of my images. These notes (which consisted of the names of many different types of compositional techniques I could use and how they could have been used) have influenced my overall project and how my fine art images look. I have not taken any trial images or made sketches of any kind; although these could have provided me with an even greater amount of ideas and allowed me to consider any that might not have worked. In other planning documentation, I was able to plan the exact locations I wanted to capture e.g. Clifford’s Tower, York Minister and structures on the River Ouse; I thought this was beneficial because it gave me the opportunity to consider which locations would be ideal to capture, especially because of the area of York I was in. I was also able to consider the best options regarding safety thanks to my contingency planning documentation, as well as health and safety issues regarding the trip to York e.g. working at heights and being too close to the road. This documentation benefited my photo shoot, mainly due to reduced stress of getting hurt during the trip. It also allowed me to determine the best plan of action to take if something went wrong during the shoot. In almost any situation, it is ideal to have a backup plan in case something goes awry, as would have been the case if I came across any problems. Taking things like safety into consideration had a positive impact on my fine art project and the manner in which I captured my images. 38

photography project pro forma

Education