Photography Masterclass

Don't forget you are off timetable on Thursday to attend an all day masterclass by printer and photographer, Monica Curtin. You will learn such a lot in one day, bring a packed lunch and be prepared to stay a bit later if you can. Please make sure you have had your planners signed and asked for the work from the teachers whose lessons you will be missing. I have your negatives processed so you should get the opportunity to enlarge some prints. Could the person that noted down the numbers of the negs please bring them in, (Louise?). This is one of Monica's portraits.

Slideshow

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Looking at photographs

When you are looking for photos to compare with your own or for the personal investigation, follow this structure to write about them:

Photographers intentions
1. what are the photographers aims?
2. Who is the image for? More than one audience?
3. Does the image successfully communicate the photographers aims and intentions?

Analysing the image.
1. What type of photography is this? documentary, reportage, portrait, fine art, advertising, editorial?
2. What is included in the photograph?
3. What message does it convey?
4. What techniques do you think have been used to make the image?
5. Has the image been staged?
6. Has the image been manipulated in any way?

Personal Response.
1. How does the image make you feel?
2. Does it remind you of anything? personal experiences, other photographers work.

Time for an overview.

Now is the time to start putting things together. We are coming to the end of a focus on texture and will be starting to think about portraitue. Over Christmas is a really good time to take pictures of relatives and get a wide spectrum of sitters.

You need to print off your texture pictures and write about them. Use the structure of:
1. Tech spec
2. Visual techniques
3. Narrative
4. Influences- try and find pics from other photographers that you can stick in next to yours.

You also need to start thinking about your personal investigation where you explore an area of photography that interest you.

Make sure you get the handouts to help you with this.

Well done for your photograms, these look great.

Photograms Next Week

We shall meet as usual next Monday in the darkroom, next to the upstairs Art room.

We will be making 'Photograms'. This is where you lay objects on light sensitive paper. Bring some objects that you would like to place next week, things like perspex jewelry, dried flowers work well.

Have a read of these articles to get you in the mood and be on time please as everything takes ages in the darkroom.

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Making-a-photogram

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photogram

Man Ray is an artist famous for creating Photograms, have a look at his work for some inspiration!

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1/2 term focus The Genius of Photography

Over half term you should aim to get a good body of work completed to demonstrate the theme of "texture'. After half term we will move onto film printing. The brief is very flexible but as a general guide I would aim to have at least 20 images that you would be happy to include in your scrap book. I would suggest 10 man made substances and 10 from nature. Take them with a variety of depth of field using macro ( close up) settings and some showing contrasts between textures. You should also find at least 2 examples of an established photographers work from nature and/or man made that has influenced you and try an emulate that work. If you put the work up on your blog I will be checking them over half term. Use the sheets I gave you to help you write about your work.

This time of year the light is fantastic, the sun is very low and bright and the contrast with the great colours of the leaves is tailor made for taking nature texture photos. Look for leaves, conkers, mud, get up early and try and get some dew drop pictures, spider webs with sunlight behind, sunsets over the sea, the sky was flame red the other evening, etc.

Don't just stick to Texture images, carry your camera around everywhere and take pictures of everything, people, buildings, your lunch! Think of your self as a photographer and before you know it, you will be.

If you have one of the SLRs then please arrange to pass it on to someone else from the group half way through the hols.

One more thing a new programme, The Genius of Photography is starting on Thursday at 9pm, it is a six part series on the history and development of photography. It should give you an excellent overview and may give you some ideas of styles that you like. Click here for link
Have fun!

Example for week 4

This is how I would like you to write about your images, we will do more work on this so dont panic.
1. Tech spec: Shutter 1/200, aperture f 4.5, ISO 50.
2. Visual techniques: The framing and composition of this image enhances the juxtaposition of the structure. The harsh concrete has been constructed at interesting angles with each other. It is a very modernist building yet it uses a quite basic structural design, almost like a tent or tepee, where the main building is supported by struts. The late winter sun casts shadows that highlight the sharp angles of the building, they soften the concrete and give a greater sense of depth of field to the composition. The building is too far away to really appreciate the texture of the concrete. Contrast is suggested by the stained glass in the background.
3. The narrative: The use of concrete suggests a harsh, Bauhaus, utilitarian type of building. However the stained glass gives away its actual role, it is the Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool. I find this quite ironic. One expects cathedrals to be oppulent, roccoco and with lots of detail, images of saints, gargoyles etc. The fact that this one presents such a simplistic imagery, in a way heightens the observer's awe. It is as though it is so important, so devine, that it doesn't have to try. Like wise the overall structure of the building ( it's tepee shape) suggests it is echoing the use of religion, to hold society up. As faith can keep an individual going and give them strength, this is what the concrete supports are doing.
4. Influences: a link to the Isokon flats ( these architects were strongly influenced by the Bauhaus movement.
http://www.archidose.org/Aug05/082205.html
A link to the Bauhaus website
http://www.bauhaus.de/english/

Week 4- composition

Sorry girls, I am not well and am not in school today. So for your next assignment I would like you to focus on composition. That means, what you choose to include within the frame of your picture, the angles and lines that when taken from different angles can create a whole different composition and 'meaning' to your image.
Looking at buildings with strong lines will help you with this, have a look at my example and the way I have written about it.
As you are taking your pictures remember to experiment with colour and depth of field which we have covered in our previous sessions. Just to pre warn you, over half term I would like you to start writing about your images and laying them in your sketch books, so it would be a good idea to order a sketch book from the art shop in school, they do them at very reduced prices.

Week 3- cropping, colour and black and white

I hope you are starting to get your head around aperture and depth of field, remember, larger apertures (smaller F-stop number) and closer focal distances produce a shallower depth of field. Have a read of this webpage where the theory is explained in greater detail.
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/depth-of-field.htm

Don't get too worried about how to work it out, you dont have to do that. You just have to be concerned with the depth of field, do you want it shallow or wide/deep? Try to remember, shallow = smaller number.


In today's lesson you had your first exciting commission! Taking photos of the band, one of the things to quickly get over is any shyness! Remember, you never see photographers, skulking at the back, you have to get in there to get your shot!


When you have identified your own pictures, experiment with cropping and turning the pics into black and white. You will find it makes such a difference to your compositions. When you are happy with your manipulation upload some before and after with the photo info ( aperture, shutter, ISO) included.

Your next task is to focus on COLOUR within depth of field.
Look or create some compositions where you are presented with a clear colour contrast. You could try placing an object, a croc shoe or a banana, something with a distinct colour, against a different background. What effect does the different colour contrasts and changing the depth of field have on the compositions? If you are good in photoshop you could try enhancing the colours. This is what we will do next lesson so please ensure you have a digital copy of your pics with you.


Remember, we have three SLR cameras you can borrow, try sharing between three or four of you and swop over after a couple of days and don't forget to sign them out.

2nd Task

Today we looked at the basics of exposure. Look at this site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_single-lens_reflex_camera
for more clarification of how cameras operate.

We established that cameras work by exposing the film or sensor to light. The amount of light depends on the length of time the shutter is open for combined with the size the aperture opens, you can control both of these settings manually but most photographers tend to use the camera on the aperture priority setting ( AV ).
Confusingly, the wider the aperture, the less its 'F' number is!

Your task for the week: Refer to the worksheet if you have problems.
1. Set your camera to its AV ( aperture priorty ) setting.
2. Set up a still life object with something in the background.
3. Take a series of at least 4 images changing the aperture setting from f/2.8, f/5.6, f/11, f/22.
4. Upload your images to your blog ready to show on Monday.

1st task

Well done those of you who have managed to set up blogs. Have a look at this blog by an ex student, this is how I would like you to use yours, as an online record of what you have been creating.
http://www.my5thave.blogspot.com/

Remember your task for next Monday:
1. Set up a blog.
2. Take an extreme close up short of a man made texture so we have difficulty seeing what it is.
3. As a separate post ( so you can withhold it until you are ready), take a wide shot that shows the image in its context and we can tell what it is.

Come and see me in the media studio or contact me on shsgmedia@mac.com if you have any problems.

Welcome to SHSG Photography

For the AS level you are expected to complete 3 units:
Unit 1: Research Projects on 'Texture' and 'Portraiture'.
Unit 2: Personal Investigation analysing and contrasting the work of two photographers and their bodies of work.

These projects are ongoing throughout the year. You should start keeping sketchbooks for them now. Upload all your work onto your blog and each half term choose the best peices to put into your sketch books ( available to purchase from art).

Unit 3: Controlled Assignment. The theme is set by the exam board ( last year students chose from 'outside', 'floodlight' and 'treasure'). You have a few weeks to prepare and take the photos and then a five hour session to develop and/ or digitally manipulate them.


Have a look at last year's blog to see the kind of themes and assignments to expect
http://shsgphotos.blogspot.com/