Light & Dark
Both light and dark, are majorly effective together. It portrays an inner conflict within the photo, effectively a deeper meaning and a sense of perfection. The contrast allow the photographer to portray potential, deeper meaning. Via shades, shadows and contrast.
Statement of Intent
What is your aim?
I aim to produce a website project that illustrates my ideas, development, creative work and reflection based around the theme of 'Light & Dark'. The main aim of this project is to develop my camera techniques, knowledge and skills by doing different Photography shoots. I aim to go on location into the countryside to capture the natural light in the landscape and the shadows within a wood. I then aim to practice my photography skills through controlled studio shots, where I will set up the lighting with a focus on Light & Dark. Once I have created my gallery of images I will compare and contrast the two different types of Light & Dark within my images.
What is your initial research?
For my initial research I will start by looking into photographers who specialise black white photography and in particular, plants and landscape. I have two in mind that I want to look at and they are: Don McCullin and Cristiana Damiano. I chose Cristiana Damiano because she uses studio shots, focusing on the contrast between black and white which brings out the textures and patterns on her subject matter. I'm interested in Don McCullin's landscape work as he's known for his dark and moody atmospheric compositions which again focuses on the contrast between light and dark. I will also need to research which location to choose and what time of the year to help me create a strong gallery of work and also how to set up studio shots and lighting to bring out my theme.
How are you going to choose your theme?
When I chose my theme my initial thoughts were how I could use my skills in Photoshop to refine my ideas and this is an area I'm interested in I would like to take it further as my future career. However, I've also chose the theme me a plethora of locations, objects to take pictures of and further edit in Photoshop.I think will allow me to develop my Photography skills as I'm going to have to use my camera on manual and when I'm on location, I know I will have to change settings constantly to capture the change in light. This theme will also allow me to have a go at studio set ups, so That I can get used to working in a professional environment. I may have the opportunity to work with a professional photography.
How are you going to show progress?
I am going to show progress by throughout my work explaining each step and then think about how I can refine the outcomes. I feel I will make progress with my camera sills by practicing with it in manual mode and I will pick my location and close-ups carefully to capture a professional set of images. I may have the opportunity to work with a professional photography, which I feel will allow me to use the equipment correctly such as, the lighting, the lenses and the backgrounds. I will also enjoy using a macro lens and studio lights that are linked to the camera. I will refine my ideas in Photoshop to show progress.
How are you going to experiment?
I am going to experiment with a wide range of techniques within my project such as using two different camera lens' for traditional shots and close-ups, external location shots and studio setups and finally using Photoshop. Some of the tools I hope to use are: the eraser tool, filters, the paintbrush, mask tool, exposure, black & white, curves and the cropping tool. At the end of my project I will display my final outcomes.
Timeline
I have 3 months to complete this project and I aim to complete my initial research within the first month of the project. I will need to get my locations shots fairly early on so that it gives me time to experiment and develop my ideas. Half way through the project I hope to do some studio shots with professional photographer which will give me time to compare and develop a set of images. During the last two weeks of the project I will create my final gallery and do an evaluation.
What will you do as your work progresses?
As my project progresses I will use annotations to explain my thought process and how I'm going to develop and refine my work. I will be building my galleries to show the different photo shoots I've done and look at my best and worst images to help me understand how to use my camera effectively. I will seek advance from my teacher and my peers, gaining feedback to help support my progress. I may need to do some independent research to understand how to do some techniques in Photoshop. I will watch Youtube tutorials to improve my variety of techniques. After the creation of my final gallery I will write an evaluation on my light and dark project, reflecting on what went well and how I could improve in the future given the time.
I aim to produce a website project that illustrates my ideas, development, creative work and reflection based around the theme of 'Light & Dark'. The main aim of this project is to develop my camera techniques, knowledge and skills by doing different Photography shoots. I aim to go on location into the countryside to capture the natural light in the landscape and the shadows within a wood. I then aim to practice my photography skills through controlled studio shots, where I will set up the lighting with a focus on Light & Dark. Once I have created my gallery of images I will compare and contrast the two different types of Light & Dark within my images.
What is your initial research?
For my initial research I will start by looking into photographers who specialise black white photography and in particular, plants and landscape. I have two in mind that I want to look at and they are: Don McCullin and Cristiana Damiano. I chose Cristiana Damiano because she uses studio shots, focusing on the contrast between black and white which brings out the textures and patterns on her subject matter. I'm interested in Don McCullin's landscape work as he's known for his dark and moody atmospheric compositions which again focuses on the contrast between light and dark. I will also need to research which location to choose and what time of the year to help me create a strong gallery of work and also how to set up studio shots and lighting to bring out my theme.
How are you going to choose your theme?
When I chose my theme my initial thoughts were how I could use my skills in Photoshop to refine my ideas and this is an area I'm interested in I would like to take it further as my future career. However, I've also chose the theme me a plethora of locations, objects to take pictures of and further edit in Photoshop.I think will allow me to develop my Photography skills as I'm going to have to use my camera on manual and when I'm on location, I know I will have to change settings constantly to capture the change in light. This theme will also allow me to have a go at studio set ups, so That I can get used to working in a professional environment. I may have the opportunity to work with a professional photography.
How are you going to show progress?
I am going to show progress by throughout my work explaining each step and then think about how I can refine the outcomes. I feel I will make progress with my camera sills by practicing with it in manual mode and I will pick my location and close-ups carefully to capture a professional set of images. I may have the opportunity to work with a professional photography, which I feel will allow me to use the equipment correctly such as, the lighting, the lenses and the backgrounds. I will also enjoy using a macro lens and studio lights that are linked to the camera. I will refine my ideas in Photoshop to show progress.
How are you going to experiment?
I am going to experiment with a wide range of techniques within my project such as using two different camera lens' for traditional shots and close-ups, external location shots and studio setups and finally using Photoshop. Some of the tools I hope to use are: the eraser tool, filters, the paintbrush, mask tool, exposure, black & white, curves and the cropping tool. At the end of my project I will display my final outcomes.
Timeline
I have 3 months to complete this project and I aim to complete my initial research within the first month of the project. I will need to get my locations shots fairly early on so that it gives me time to experiment and develop my ideas. Half way through the project I hope to do some studio shots with professional photographer which will give me time to compare and develop a set of images. During the last two weeks of the project I will create my final gallery and do an evaluation.
What will you do as your work progresses?
As my project progresses I will use annotations to explain my thought process and how I'm going to develop and refine my work. I will be building my galleries to show the different photo shoots I've done and look at my best and worst images to help me understand how to use my camera effectively. I will seek advance from my teacher and my peers, gaining feedback to help support my progress. I may need to do some independent research to understand how to do some techniques in Photoshop. I will watch Youtube tutorials to improve my variety of techniques. After the creation of my final gallery I will write an evaluation on my light and dark project, reflecting on what went well and how I could improve in the future given the time.
Mood Board
Artist Research
Cristiana Damiano Research
Context
|
Composition
The focus point of the image is from straight ahead, but at a lower view. As if it's an animal's perspective of the plant. There are very strong leading lines as the sun rays are very distinct and visible, which allows them to be highlighted within the image and for them to add for significance and importance over the image. The top half of the image presents a large amount of light and it allows the flower to camouflage into the background which lowers its significance and meaning. The bottom half of the image is much darker and has water droplets on the grass trickling further down the stem, this causes the bottom half to be slightly brighter but for the most part its vastly dimmer then the opposing side. There is a strong sense of rule of thirds, as the flower is in the middle of the image (taking up a third) and the rest is filled up with nature and pure lighting. My eyes are drawn to water droplets falling from the flower, it is clearly highlighted by the reflection of light being produced from the droplet. In this image there is most definitely a sense of scale within the image, the flower is perceived to be almighty and above all just by the scaling in comparison to the grass and the sky. It is a very shallow depth of filed as the flower itself is the only thin in focus, the stem, the grass and the sky are all out of focus and effectively blurry. This was most definitely taken on a zoom lens and probably not a tripod as the image was taken very low to the ground.
Content/Connection
The structure within the image is the flower, which has white/grey petals, with a yellow middle. This is most definitely a Daisy. The image isn't in black & white although the top of the image is bleach white. This image could be taken anywhere with a field and a Daisy it's almost impossible to pinpoint a location, but Daisies are extremely popular throughout Europe. The theme of the work is Light & Dark with nature which resonates with this project and what I aspire it to be. Eventually I am going to have a shoot with a professional Photographer and we are going to specifically look at Light & Dark with nature. This image is certainly Light & Dark, it has bright, vibrant areas and dark, dull areas. I want this to link to my work by interpreting the Light & Dark nature of the image and using it within my work to create a piece that resembles that of this, but surpasses it and has a bigger effect. I believe the message behind this image is to show nature's significance and vast contribution to the world.
Comment
I like the composition of the image and how it's extremely vibrant and generally uplifting, it possess various positive connotations and quite cheery and positive in general. I don't like how plain it is. It's simple, yet effective but I much prefer images that leave me massively inspired and thinking as to how I can reproduce an image of that level. It inspires me to do my Light & Dark around nature, but generally no because I believe I can produce work at a higher level than the image.
Don Mccullin Research
Context
"Sir Don McCullin is a renowned British photojournalist arguably best known for his war photography and images of urban strife all of which are in black and white. A retrospective exhibition of his work has just opened at Tate Britain in London. He lives in Somerset in the West of England, and here Don McCullin has captured some dramatic, dark and moody images of the surrounding countryside; the place he calls home." From- https://alanfrostphotography.com/2019/02/18/somerset-in-winter-a-nod-to-the-work-of-don-mccullin/ |
Composition
The focus point of the image is the tree or the sky, it's massively darker than it's surroundings and it allows the viewer to be pulled into looking at it. The perspective of the image is from a person view probably at the bottom of the slope or the side of the road. The lighting within this image is black and white, which are two polar opposites, effectively causing hard contrast. This image definitely interprets a rule of thirds, as the tree is placed in an approximate third of the image. Throughout the image there are various highlighted points such as the water on the road, the tree and the sky. They'll all contrasting with their surroundings, such as the water is perceived to be white on a black/grey road. The tree is conveyed to be black on a white/grey background. Lastly, the sky which has white/grey cloud overlaying it. The depth of field within this image is deep as everything in the image is in focus.
Content/Connection
The only structure within the image is the tree. The tree is dark with what I have to presume is moss and parts of the hedge wrapped around the bark, it is leafless this causes me to assume this was taken during the colder seasons such as Autumn and Winter as that's when leaves typically fall off trees. This can be an old image as it's a narrow country road but it could also be new because roads like dis still exist. This could be taken in any rural area, therefore pinpointing a specific location could be very much impossible. There are no living organism in this image, only nature and its beauty. The theme of this image is Light & Dark with nature, similarly to what I aspire to do with this project. The images I want to take mainly involve Light & Dark of course as it's the theme but also want to use vegetation and the beauty of wildlife and nature to push my work into higher grades. The message behind this image could be to show the viewer the sheer captivity of nature and how nature is better uninterrupted by mankind.
Comment
I love the composition of the image, it's so nicely placed and put together everything just flows. From the white highlights to the dark mysterious eeriness of the image. It is constructed to perfection and causes it to be perceived as an old image of a desolate countryside. Personally I can't find a weakness to this image.
The focus point of the image is the tree or the sky, it's massively darker than it's surroundings and it allows the viewer to be pulled into looking at it. The perspective of the image is from a person view probably at the bottom of the slope or the side of the road. The lighting within this image is black and white, which are two polar opposites, effectively causing hard contrast. This image definitely interprets a rule of thirds, as the tree is placed in an approximate third of the image. Throughout the image there are various highlighted points such as the water on the road, the tree and the sky. They'll all contrasting with their surroundings, such as the water is perceived to be white on a black/grey road. The tree is conveyed to be black on a white/grey background. Lastly, the sky which has white/grey cloud overlaying it. The depth of field within this image is deep as everything in the image is in focus.
Content/Connection
The only structure within the image is the tree. The tree is dark with what I have to presume is moss and parts of the hedge wrapped around the bark, it is leafless this causes me to assume this was taken during the colder seasons such as Autumn and Winter as that's when leaves typically fall off trees. This can be an old image as it's a narrow country road but it could also be new because roads like dis still exist. This could be taken in any rural area, therefore pinpointing a specific location could be very much impossible. There are no living organism in this image, only nature and its beauty. The theme of this image is Light & Dark with nature, similarly to what I aspire to do with this project. The images I want to take mainly involve Light & Dark of course as it's the theme but also want to use vegetation and the beauty of wildlife and nature to push my work into higher grades. The message behind this image could be to show the viewer the sheer captivity of nature and how nature is better uninterrupted by mankind.
Comment
I love the composition of the image, it's so nicely placed and put together everything just flows. From the white highlights to the dark mysterious eeriness of the image. It is constructed to perfection and causes it to be perceived as an old image of a desolate countryside. Personally I can't find a weakness to this image.
Mind Map
Shoot Plan
Close-Up of Berries
Close-Up of Berries #2
Twisted Ferns
Close-Up of Leaves
Close-Up of Ferns
Portrait Close-Up of Ferns
Cliff Edge
Wet Long Grass
Tree Root
Dripping Water On A Tree Branches
Tree Branch
Dark Sky
Dark Sky #2
Dark Sky #3
Sunlight off Trees
Pine cones and Needles
Orange Ferns
Trees, Ferns and Sky
Trees and Cows
Best and Worst for location shoot
Best
I see this image as one of the best as, I used a shallow depth of field that causes the background to go blurry and the foreground to stand out. It also highlights the whiter parts of the roots which links in with the Light & Dark theme. |
Best
I also see this image to be one of the best as, the trees kind of act as a silhouette that's blocking out the light, it also causes the image to be perceived as darker. I also like how the background has colour to it instead of being bleached out causing it to have a warm feel to the image. |
Worst
In both these images I was experimenting with a depth of field, in my opinion the background was too blurry which causes it to be uninteresting and also slightly overexposed
In both these images I was experimenting with a depth of field, in my opinion the background was too blurry which causes it to be uninteresting and also slightly overexposed
Contrast in Locations
For the start of my project I have focused on developing and refining my light & dark photography based on the images from my location shoot at Alderley Edge, in Cheshire. This helped me get to grips with using my camera on a manual setting and constantly having to change it as the weather changed during the day. I was able to capture the soft light as we went in Autumn and on a wet day which helped the images look soft but the low level of light was a struggle for my camera. I was able to capture some images I can refine on Photoshop inspired by Don McCullin but I now want to set out and do a different style of Photography as I feel this will develop my skills and give me a different set of images to work with. Therefore, I've organised to work with a professional photographer so that I can learn how to do studio setup which will help me with my close-up photography ideas. Doing the two different types of shoots I feel will help me really explore my theme of light & dark. At the end of this project I may have two different final galleries, although I could try in Photoshop to combine using layers images from seperate shoots. Furthermore, I think I will prefer doing the studio setups over location as, I have more control in what my image can be making it easier to further edit in Photoshop, I also feel there's more of a graphics outcome as I'm hoping to capture a strong contrast between light & dark.
Images of the Set Up
Aloe Vera
Orchid
Close-Up of Orchid Flower
Close-Up of Orchid Flower #2
Close-Up of Orchid Leaf
Dried Hydrangea
Ferns
Leaf of a Hydrangea (Front)
Leaf of a Hydrangea (back)
Water Droplets on a Leaf
Water Droplets on a Leaf #2
Water Droplets on a Leaf #3
Sunflower
Close-Up of Sunflower
Final Gallery
Evaluation
For this project I started off by researching different types of Light & Dark and used plants and landscape as the main focus to explore this theme. The reason I chose this theme is that in my opinion it is one of the most important aspects to photography, the contrast between the light & the dark and I knew that it would help develop my knowledge and understanding in this area. It can be one of the hardest things to capture the way light hits a subject and so I knew it would stretch me and I'd find it engaging.
During the project the part I enjoyed the most was editing my images and creating my final outcomes, I enjoyed experimenting and learning new techniques and methods in Photoshop which will also help me with my next project because I will be bale to build up on those skills. During this project one new technique I have experienced was how to use my camera on the manual setting which I found quite a challenge when out on location, as I had to keep changing the exposure, shutter speed and aperture. However, I feel more confident using a camera now and know how to make the adjustments when needed. I also enjoyed using the macro lens, it can be quite difficult at first as it's extremely close-up and the lighting has to be correct, but the outcomes can be amazing. I enjoyed using Photoshop in a rather subtle way refining my images in a controlled manner as they did not need too much adjustment as it would've spoiled them.
On my next project I am going to focus mainly on the beauty of nature on a wider scale, specifically Landscape Photography. I am going to take a diverse range of images throughout my project. It is going to demonstrate various skills I have learnt and developed both in Photoshoots and in Photoshop.
During the project the part I enjoyed the most was editing my images and creating my final outcomes, I enjoyed experimenting and learning new techniques and methods in Photoshop which will also help me with my next project because I will be bale to build up on those skills. During this project one new technique I have experienced was how to use my camera on the manual setting which I found quite a challenge when out on location, as I had to keep changing the exposure, shutter speed and aperture. However, I feel more confident using a camera now and know how to make the adjustments when needed. I also enjoyed using the macro lens, it can be quite difficult at first as it's extremely close-up and the lighting has to be correct, but the outcomes can be amazing. I enjoyed using Photoshop in a rather subtle way refining my images in a controlled manner as they did not need too much adjustment as it would've spoiled them.
On my next project I am going to focus mainly on the beauty of nature on a wider scale, specifically Landscape Photography. I am going to take a diverse range of images throughout my project. It is going to demonstrate various skills I have learnt and developed both in Photoshoots and in Photoshop.