Final Evaluation

Final Evaluation 

Over the course of my project I have developed my work in a meaningful way. The main artists I have been influenced by during the project are Paul Citroen, Justin Plunkett and Daniella Zalcman. Each of these photographers have influenced me in different ways. I have been influenced by Paul Citroen because he creates different collages that use multiple images of buildings. I have used his technique within my images when creating an architectural structure. Although I have decided to fit the different images seamlessly together, like Justin Plunkett, the idea of using different images and putting them together in a physical format is something that I did due to the inspiration from Paul Citroen's work. I have also been influenced by Justin Plunkett because he uses different parts from images and puts them together to create one architectural structure. I have tried to replicate this but also go beyond the arts concepts by adding physical materials like foam board and tracing paper. I have used the idea of overlaying photos, like Daniella Zalcman, however I have decided to go beyond her ideas and use tracing paper in multiple ways. 

Each Shoot that I completed was based on old architecture, new architecture or both. During the course of the project I felt as though by progressing and completing more prep shoots I was able to become more creative with my experimentations as I had a lot more images to work with. 

Throughout my project my work has developed I have developed many skills, particularly physically. Throughout my prep shoots I have looked at different ways of editing images however each of the edits that I completed has lead to my final images that I have created during my exam. I have used skills from a range of different photographers however I have focused on three photographers in more depth to ensure that all of my images can link together. 

I feel as though I have been successful in responding to the exam paper. Overall I have looked at the juxtaposition of old and new architecture. I believe I have looked at this link throughout my shoot and I have focused on this one topics whilst looking into different areas of things I can do with the topic I have chosen. If I had to choose an area to improve I would like to focus more on the way in which I take photos. By this I mean focusing more on the camera setting and equipment that I have used. I feel as though I could look more into understanding the connection that different camera settings have between each other so that I could alter them according to the condition I am working in. I feel as though a successful element of my project is the experimentation.  

Work Record 1

Contact Sheet 

My aim for this shoot was to capture a range of architecture, some of which are well known pieces of architecture. I travelled to Paris for this shoot and tried to capture images of the surrounding town rather than just the landmarks. My aim was to capture different pieces or architecture whether they were modern or older. 

My Best Images 

I have chosen this image as one of my best because I like the way that the architecture is covered my nature. I feel as though this image shows the juxtaposition between manmade things in the world and the nature around it. I think that this shows the beauty between nature and architecture. I also like the composition of this image because I like the way that there are leading lines in the centre of the image that draw in your attention. 

I have chosen this image due to the detail within the architecture. Throughout my project I have mentioned that I am showing the juxtaposition between older and more modern architecture due to the fine intricate details within each type of building. I feel as though this image shows intricate detailing within older architecture.

I have chosen this image as one of my best because I like the use of the contrast in the sky. To capture this image I used an aperture of f/14. This enabled me to capture a wide depth of field which is what I wanted as I was taking a photo of a landscape. 

I have chosen this image as one of my best because I like the direct juxtaposition that is within the photo. This is an image of the Louvre in Paris and it is a very modern building placed in front of an older piece of architecture. The Louvre is a very recognisable piece of architecture and I like that I have been able to incorporate this into my work. 

I like this image because I like the pop of colour from the road sign. I also like the architecture within the image because it is slightly older architecture that I think could use within my work to express my topic of juxtaposition. 

Images that require improvement 

I have chosen this image as one to improve because the contrast between the foreground and background has not worked. To capture this image I used an aperture of f/22 and a shutter speed of 1/500. I feel as though the shutter speed was too high when taking this image because there was direct sunlight coming from the background of the image therefore the shutter was open for too long as the foreground of the image came out very under exposed.    

This image is slightly over exposed. I believe that this is due to me taking the image using an aperture that was too low. I used an aperture of f/7.1. Using a low aperture will result in the opening of the lens being bigger, this means that more light can enter the camera. To capture this image how I would  have liked I would have needed to use a higher aperture, for example f/16.

Camera Settings

During this shoot I used a range of camera settings. This was partly because I took these photos over the course of two days meaning that the conditions I was shooting in did vary slightly. I used an ISO range of 200 - 400. I used ISO 400 when the weather was dull and gloomy. When it was slightly more sunny I used an ISO of 200 however it was not sunny enough to use ISO 100 and if I had of down then my images would have been under exposed as the camera would have not been sensitive enough to the amount of light I was working with. I used an aperture range from f/16 - f/11. I did not need to use an aperture below f/11 because I was capturing landscape photos which meant that I wanted to use a wide depth of field at all times. Within this shoot I was not photographing individual elements of architecture. When looking at the shutter speed, I used a range from 1/125  -1/200. I used this range because I did not want to capture motion. By using a longer shutter speed there could have been some unnecessary blur within my images which I did not want.   

Experimentation 1 - Digital 

Firstly I opened both of the images that I wanted to use in photoshop. 

I then edited both of the images that I wanted to use. This consisted of cropping some of the image and altering the brightness, contrast and use the curves tool to adjust the different tones within the image. 

I then copied and pasted the image I wanted to place on top. I did this by clicking 'cmd+A' which selected the entire image. I then clicked 'cmd+C' which copied the image. I then selected the tab that contained the other image I was using and clicked 'cmd+V' which pasted the image over the top. 

I then had to crop the background layer to match the size of the layer that I pasted in. 

Once I had done this I lowered the opacity of the layer that I pasted onto the image. I lowered the opacity to 48%. I altered this until I liked the way that it looked.

Once the opacity was lowered I used the black and white tool to alter the image to black and white. I also then adjusted the different tones within the image after it was black and white. This allowed me to alter the contrast of specific areas of the image. 

I also used this technique for another edit that I competed but with two different photos.

Below are the final edits I created.  

Experimentation 2 - Physical 

To complete this edit I used photos that I have taken throughout the project, foam board, spray mount and tracing paper.

Firstly I used a paper trimmer to cut out different parts of a lot of photos. I had to se which photos would fit seamlessly together to enable me to create an architectural structure. 

I used a range of images ensuring that I used photos that were of both new ad old architecture to ensure that my edit reflected my exam topic, juxtaposition. 

Once I had cut out all of the pieces that I wanted to use I placed them all together to ensure that they would fit. I then used spray mount to stick some of the individual parts to foam board. Once they were stuck on the foam board I used a craft knife and a cutting board to cut then out. I also experimented using tracing paper by printing off one of the images I used on tracing paper and then layering it over the top of one section. This gave some parts of the edit a different texture and appearance. 

Below is the final edit I created.  

This is a photo that I have taken an uploaded because the actual edit is slightly too large to scan into the computer. 

Experimentation 3

Firstly I created a new canvas. To do this I selected 'file' then 'new'. I changed the type of paper to 'international paper' which automatically gave me an A4 sized sheet. 

I then opened the first image I wanted to use in photoshop. 

I then used the crop tool to crop the image to the specific area that I wanted to use within my edit. I then clicked 'cmd+A' then 'cmd+C' which copied this section of my image.  

I selected the new canvas that I created and clicked 'cmd+V' which pasted the section into the new canvas. 

I repeated this process with each of the photos that I used. I then used the move tool to alter the position of each of the layers to ensure they were in the place that I wanted them to be. 

Once each of the images were in their desired places I altered the entire image to black and white. I did this because I feel as though this draws your attention to the small detailing of the way that the buildings have been made which is what I want to juxtapose. By using black and white it draws your attention to the detail rather than the colours in the different photos. 

Below is the final edit I created. 

Experimentation 4

To achieve this image I printed off one image on regular paper and another on tracing paper. I then used a craft knife and a cutting board to cut out one of the architectural structures in the image. 

Artist Influences 

For the edits that I have completed within this work log I have been influenced by Justin Plukett, Paul Citroen and Daniella Zalcman. During my first experimentation I used Daniella's idea of overlaying images with different opacities to create one image. I like this because I feel as though it gives the image a slightly surreal effect as the images are overlaid and do not fit exactly together. I have also been inspired by Justin Plunkett during my second experimentation. This is because I have created an architectural structure from multiple images which is what Plukett does within his images. Although I have decided to fit the images together seamlessly, which is something that Justin Plunkett does, I have also used Paul Citroen's idea of collaging because I have used so many different images to create one photo which is what he does within he work but in more of an unintentional way.

Comparison 

Below on the left is an example of Justin Plunkett's work and on the right is an example of my work.

Below on the left is an example of Daniella Zalcman's work and on the right is an example of my work. 

Work Record 2

Contact Sheet 

My intentions for this shoot were to capture old architecture. To do this I travelled to nearby churches  and photographed them in different ways. I wanted to capture the different textures and details that these older buildings have in order to juxtapose them with more modern architecture. 

My Best Images 

I have chosen this image because I like the fact that it has been taken of the entire front of the church. I do like images that focus on the fine detailing however I also like the way that the entire building can be represented in one image meaning there are many different elements that have come together. 

I have chosen this as one of my best images because I feel as though it looks at the intricate detail of an old building which I like because this can be used to show the juxtaposition of the way in which different buildings have been and are made. When taking this photo I used an aperture of f/8. This is because I was taking a photo of a specific piece of the building rather than the entire building. By using this aperture I was still able to capture a wide depth of field however I did take a photo of an entire landscape. 

I have chosen this image as one of my best because I like the composition of the image. I like the fact that the building is in the centre of the image and there is nothing else in the photo but sky. This immediately draws in your attention to the architectural structure rather than things that may be in the background. I do feel as though the right side of this image is slightly over exposed however I would like to try and correct this within photoshop. To take this photo I used an aperture of f14 which I feel was appropriate as I wanted to capture a wide depth of field. I also used a shutter speed of 1/200. I feel as though the reason why the right side is slightly over exposed is due to the sun directly being in this place within the photo. If I had of tried to stop this from happening then the contrast within the rest of the image would not have been correct. 

I like this photos because the detail on the door is extremely interesting. I also like this image due to the composition and the use of foreground and background. I think its interesting how the tree is in the foreground and the building is in the background because it gives the image depth and makes it more aesthetically pleasing. 

I have chosen this as one of my best images because I like that it is very different to the rest of the images that I have taken. The gravestones in this photo are pieces of architecture as architecture is ................. I like the way that these represent people that have died and the respect that we have for them. I like the connotations of this image. I also like the composition of the photo because I took the photo from a low angle which makes the gravestones take up the main part of the image. I like this because I feel like it represents the importance of them.  

I have chosen this image as one of my best because I like the leading line within the centre of the image. The architecture itself is creating a line that draws your attention to the way the building is constructed. 

Images that require improvement 

I have chosen this as an image that requires improvement because I did not use a tripod to capture this image therefore I feel as though the photo is not completely straight. If I used a tripod I would have been able to capture the image at the exact angle that I would have liked therefore if I were to re take this photo I would use a tripod. 

This image is very under exposed. The day that this photo was taken was a very bright and sunny day. When capturing this image I used an ISO of 400 however due to the bright weather I feel that this was too high and I should have used ISO 100. I believe that this is the reason why my image is under exposed.

Camera Settings 

When completing this shoot I used an aperture that ranged from f/16 to f/8. I used this range due to the different images that I was taking throughout the shoot. When using an aperture of f/16 I was shooting photos that were more like landscape photography meaning that I was shooting a wide angle of what was in front of me, for example an entire building. When shooting using an aperture of around f/8 I was taking photos of more precise details of a building rather than the building as a whole. During the entire shoot I used an ISO range of 100 - 400. This was because there were some situations when the sun went in and I was photographing in more shaded conditions. I do feel as though in some situations I used too high of an ISO for the weather condition that I was shooting in and this resulted in some images being under and over exposed. When looking at the shutter speed used in the shoot I mainly used a shutter speed of 1/125. This was because I wanted to capture images that were very clear and by using this shutter speed I ensured that I froze motion rather than captured it because then I would have had movement within my image that I did not want.

 Experimentation 1

I have used the same editing technique for two different images. This is why the step by step involves completing the same thing but with two different photos. 

Firstly I opened the two images that I wanted to use in photoshop. I then edited each of the images by altering the brightness and contrast and using the curves tool to adjust the contrast slightly further. 

I then changed one of the images to black and white and used the sliders provided to alter the tones of specific areas within the photo. I then printed each of the images.

Once the images were printed I used a ruler to mark the halfway point on each edge of the image. I did this for the coloured image and the black and white image. 

I them mined up each of the marks I had made on both the images to create a rectangular shape. 

Once I had drawn the lines I was left with the image above. I then used a craft knife and a cutting board to cut along each of the lines for both of the images. I then switched around the different parts of the sections to create the final piece. 

Below is the final edit I created. 

Experimentation 2

Firstly I altered oen of the images I was using to black and white using this tool in photoshop. I also altered the tones within the image using the sliders provided. 

To achieve this edit I used two images, one printed on tracing paper and one altered to black and white in photoshop. I also used a craft knife and a cutting board. Firstly I drew the triangles onto the tracing paper which gave me a template of where I needed to cut. I then used the craft knife to cut out the triangles I had drawn. I then stuck these triangles onto the other image in the desired position.

Below is the final edit I created.  

Experimentation 3

To create this edit I used the same technique as my second experimentation however I cut the tracing paper image into squares instead of triangles to create a different effect. 

Below is the final edit I created. 

Experimentation 4

To create this edit I placed two photos into photoshop and then I altered each one to black and left each of them in colour. I then printed each image out in both black and white and colour ensuring that one of them was printed on tracing paper. I then stuck each image over the other, placing the image with tracing paper over the top. 

I then placed both of these photos together showing the juxtaposition between the two. 

Below is the final edit I created. 

Artist Influence 

Within this work record I have been influenced by Paul Citroen, Daniela Zalcman and Harry Kaufman. Paul Citroen uses collaging with different photos of buildings to create one image. I have used his idea of using parts of images to create on photos however I have attempted to go beyond his concepts and look at using geometric shapes that have been cut out and stuck back together. I have not used a collaging technique however my work relates to Paul Citroen's because I have used pars of images and stuck them together in a slightly abnormal way. I have been influenced by Harry Kaufman because he photographs landscapes that have direct juxtaposition within it. I have used this idea and during the time I was in Paris I found some juxtaposition of architecture that was built next to each other. I decided to then go beyond Kaufman's ideas and look at inspiration from Daniella Zalcman. I decided to do this because many of my other edits have been influenced by her and by bringing in some of the ideas I have got from her work I feel like all of my images link together in a more meaningful way. This means that I will have a better final series of images. I have used the image I took using direct juxtaposition, printed it off again on tracing paper and cut out a building which I have then stuck back onto the original image. This links to Daniella Zalcman because she used overlaying of different images which is what I have done but I have altered this slightly.  

Comparison

Below on the left is an example of Daniella Zalcman's work and on the right is an example of my work. My work relates to this artists because I have used the idea of overlapping photos with different opacities (using tracing paper) however I have attempted to go beyond the artists concepts and use different geometric shapes within the overlapping image. 

Below on the left is an example of Paul Citroen's work and on the right is an example of my work. My work relates to this photographer because I have used the idea of cutting up parts of an image and replacing them in a different position. This is what Paul Citroen does as he uses parts from different images, breaks them up and re places them to create an image that look completely different.