Category: Design Process: Strategies and Techniques_4003

Intro to Photography (Workshop part 1)

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Having studied photography briefly in college, I had a basic understanding of DSLR cameras. Today we had 3 hours to be introduced to photography and capture our objects using a variety of set-ups. This was a fast-paced session, packed with lots of information.

Our lecturer Hannah explained that the camera is a machine that takes in light. As a photographer, our job is to control the light going into the camera. This is done using shutter speed, ISO and aperture. When you alter one of these, it affects the other 2 settings.

Letting in too much light makes an image over-exposed and too little light creates an under-exposed image:

(Left to right: Under-exposed, correctly exposed, over-exposed) photos by Guy Henstock | Photographer Oxford

We learnt about a camera feature I had never heard of, called exposure compensation. This is used to balance the light in an image when a scene has very dark and very light areas, for example, when a scene is lit from behind.

With analogue cameras, the ISO can only be changed by changing the whole film to one with a different ISO rating, but digital cameras allow you to change the ISO from shot to shot. A good ISO for a cloudy day would be 800 and for a sunny day would be 100. A low ISO gives a smooth grain, as the camera is letting in less light. Using a high ISO will give you more noise, though you need to use a higher ISO when shooting in a really dark room for example.

Aperture refers to the size of the opening of the camera. A smaller opening = a high aperture, for example f/22. This would be suitable for photographing landscapes. This gives a larger depth of field, meaning that the camera is able to focus on foreground, mid-ground and background. A larger opening, and therefore low aperture, such as f/4.5, is best for portrait photography. A low aperture focuses on the foreground and these photos will have slightly blurry background.

8 Low-Light Tips For Awesome Night PhotographyThe Work Smarter Guide – Redbooth

Example of a mode dial

How to Understand Your Camera’s Dial Modes and Settings – FeltMagnet

Hannah explained features of the Canon cameras we use at Brookes:

Tulip symbol = macro (to capture tiny details)

Running person symbol = shutter speed

Flash symbol = night time/ low light shooting

M=manual function

AV= aperture priority

TV=shutter priority

MF/AF= manual focus/automatic focus

RAW for very large photos, e.g. the side of a building. They take up a lot of memory and you cannot process RAW images inside photoshop. You would instead need to use a RAW converter, such as Adobe camera RAW.

We learnt to work with tripods, which is something I had never done before. Using a tripod is an important technique in photography. When holding a camera by hand, we have a natural shake that can cause blurring in photos, especially when using a long shutter speed.

We used 4 different set-ups to photograph our objects. Working in pairs, we took several photos in 1 area, then moved to the next. For example, in 1 set-up we were using a chair draped in fabric and metal studio lights. These lights get very hot, so we used heat protective gloves to handle them. We had the choice of using one or both lights for a photo. Moving the bulb back and forth gave a spot-light effect or a more balanced light. We had the option to light part of all of the object.

My classmate photographing her object.

Another set up had a plinth and sheet hanging as a background. For this set-up we used studio lights with diffusers attached to the front. This set-up reminded me of a school photo shoot.

The 4th set-up allowed us to add colour gels to filter the light through. These were LED lights. They were the easiest to use, as the switches were the same on the back to 1) change the warmth of the light and b) change the brightness to lighter or darker.

LED light set-up gave us the option of using colour filters.
Classmate using the set-up.

It was interesting to experiment with shining light onto the background and seeing the effect compared to shining the light directly onto the subject. The black background created a theater look and made dramatic photos.

Class hand-out

3D Collage

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As nouns the difference between assemblage and collage is that assemblage is a collection of things which have been gathered together or assembled while collage is a picture made by sticking other pictures onto a surface.
As a verb collage is to make into a collage.

What is the difference between assemblage and collage? | WikiDiff

I have always thought of collage as a 2D craft- Working on a flat piece of card or paper.

When researching collage artists, I discovered the artists’ ability to use paper in a different way. Today’s workshop encouraged me to think of paper as a 3D material. How could I get it to stand up? How could I layer the paper or break it apart?

I used last week’s photos and my labels, to inspire the way I treated the paper. For example, the photo that mentions ‘old’, guided me to tear up the paper and give it an aged look. This helps to communicate a message to the viewer.

Collage Artists

Craven uses different methods of manipulating paper. I was interested by the way he uses paper folding to alter the compositions. Using one image for the collage means that the result looks harmonious. The edges blend softly.

This folding method means that areas are hidden and are missing from the picture. This takes away visual clues and makes it slightly confusing for the viewer. For example, hiding the person’s facial expression means that we don’t know how the person is feeling. Instead, the viewer needs to make guesses, such as about the identity of the person. The image is then up to interpretation.

Inspired by the technique of paper folding, I took one photo of The Raincoat Girl figurine, and folded the paper diagonally. I left one side of the paper flat and folded the other half into a fan. This method distorted the shape of the figure. The image looked different depending on the angle I then viewed it from. The choice of photo was effective because the background is bold compared to the object. This highlighted the figure’s outline.

Phillipe Jusforgues

By tearing out a section of the collage, the artist brings the image forward into the 3D world. In this case, he draws more attention to the image of the girl by having the section raised off of the surface. The use of a coloured image against a black and white image, also helps to separate the two subjects of human and machine.

I was inspired by the idea of having part of the image come forwards away from the background. The concept for this collage came from the word ‘unbreakable’ and the angle of the figure laying down. I wanted to create a visual break in the image. I chose to do this by doubling up the figure and having half of her slightly mis-aligned and therefore break away from the original girl.

I used a scalpel and cutting mat to carefully cut around the edge of the figure in the lower image. I tore the remaining paper off, to give the ripped effect seen on the left and right of the picture. I used a photo with a dark background to help the outline of the figure show up. I stuck the 2 photos together, allowing a gap for the upper figure to lift off slightly. I then folded this part forward and then made another fold backwards, to ensure the figure was lifted slightly.

Vanessa Lamounier de Assis
Image from The Age of Collage
http://www.anyonegirl.com/vanessa-lamounier-de-assis/?posts-page=3#more-posts

Vanessa Lamounier de Assis creates paper models of semi- abstracted body parts. Her art talks about sexuality, consumer culture and beauty standards. Her pieces stand alone and have a solid look to them, despite being made from a light-weight material. She combines separate images within a single collage to create new meanings.

Phillipe Jusforgues and Vanessa Lamounier de Assis use tearing when manipulating paper for their collage. I took this idea further by allowing a section of paper to curl outwards. The tear creates an emotional impact because it disrupts the peaceful balance of the original photograph. The rough edge of the torn paper is in contrast to the pastel colours in the original photo, as pastel colours give a sense of calm within an image.

I was interested in playing with paper to create a solid-looking structure. This photo of the raincoat girl has a statuesque quality. For this reason, I wanted to emphasise this impression using paper. I cut around the figure, leaving the background attached at the bottom of the page, for added weight and therefore stability.

I folded the base of the paper figure, but it was not standing up. I then scrunched the paper to add more weight to it. This helped. I bent the bottom section upwards and pinched the upper half of the sculpture. This method brings the subject to life by creating an imitation of a statue or ornament. But made from paper, it looks more delicate.

Another collage technique used by artists such as Bobby Neel Adams, is to tear or cut and image in half and piece is back with a separate image, therefore creating imaginary faces and scenarios. For this piece, I reassembled the paper using masking tape. The result is harsh looking and signifies repairing a broken object.

Andrew Lundwell

Lundwell’s use of tearing paper gives this composition an organic appearance. This is suitable for the natural themes within the photographs.

I wanted to create a worn, old look to this picture, to reference the phrase ‘old-fashioned’. I avoided making the words unreadable, because the word is a part of the meaning of the composition. I used scissors to drag and cut through the paper. Obscuring her face has the effect of making her appear damaged or affected. It has more of an emotional impact that if I had damaged only the background and avoided the figurine.

Artists’ work (unless stated otherwise) from The Age of Collage – Contemporary Collage in Modern Art by Silke Krohn

003 Raincoat Girl & Colour

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I printed the photos of the raincoat girl with labels. I wanted to see how I could use different effects to influence the message of the picture. I printed these images at 75% of the original image size.

I selected black-and-white for printing, and I really like the effect this has on the composition. Printing in black-and-white allows me to see the different tones within this image, that I couldn’t see in the colour version. Waiting is something that we usually do not like to do. Therefore, printing this image in black-and-white emphasises the boredom and passing of time that we associate with waiting.

I then chose to print one of the photos in red. I chose the ‘unbreakable’ image because of the use of scissors in the picture. When looking at colour theory, I learned that red has associations with danger and blood. Therefore I felt it appropriate to use red with the subject of something being ‘unbreakable’.

Colour by Ambrose/Harris

For this next image, I used an effect called duotone. This is where the image prints in black and another colour. In this case I chose yellow and black. According to colour theory, which I read about in the book Colour by Ambrose/Harris, yellow is a bright and happy colour. The book also says that yellow is versatile and can represent many emotional states. “Greeny yellows have a stronger connection to illness and nausea.” I think this is the case within my image, since the use of black and yellow in my prints, combine to create a greenish tone.

I wanted to try the duotone effect using a different colour in place of the yellow. For this image, I used blue and black. Colour theory suggests that blue is calming, however the use of black in this print, combines with the blue and creates a darker navy blue. “Darker blues, such as navy, are considered conservative and uniform.” I like the depth created with black and blue this photo. It is appropriate for the image, because of the strong shadow in the foreground.

I used blue when printing this image, but this time I chose to omit the black. This gave the photo a cooler and lighter feel. “Pale blue suggests more youthful and serene qualities.” I feel that blue in this case gives The Raincoat Girl a youthful look. I wanted to combine the ‘unbreakable’ image with the image of bricks, to emphasise the word unbreakable. I took this photo of bricks while in town. I like the warmth of the bricks in contrast to the pale figurine. Because of the paleness of the blue print, the background was useful in framing the subject.

I had the idea of combining my figurine with different backgrounds, to see how this could add to the message. I need to be careful so as not to overcomplicate the image and therefore the message. For the old-fashioned figurine, I used a photo I took of a dead tree. The tree is clearly aged, and this ties in with the theme old-fashioned, but in a literal way. I kept the text on the left-hand side, as it relates to a JPEG file. This is a contemporary theme, so I felt it made a nice contrast with the rest of the subject.

I photographed some flowers in the park. People say that no two flowers are alike. In this piece I played with that idea, by combining the flowers with a copy stamp. The viewer considers the fact that this figurine is a copy, due to its being mass produced. The figurine also has a story of its own, and therefore is more than just a copy.