Its time to present the photographs. I have had the pictures printed properly and I'm not overly pleased with the outcome as areas had to be cropped in order to be printed. None the less the pictures speak for them selves.I did have a change of heart when selecting the final pictures but i think i have picked the best ones.
The photos are mounted on black a4 boards with white labels indicating a time of which the the picture was taken.
Fingers crossed they are well received.
Sunday 14 November 2010
Friday 12 November 2010
Photograph Editing...
I have taken my photographs and now i am at the editing stage.
To create the first edit i changed the brightness and contrast of the picture, this made the black in the picture really stand out and the colours look more vibrant and eye catching.
The second edit was made by adjusting the exposure settings. I made the picture more exposed to get the bright white colours in the picture and contrasted that with the deep black. This was achieved by adjusting the gamma and offset controls.
The later of the edits make the picture appear more scary as the figures in the background have no facial features however i do think you loose the camera detail which is important to the shot.
To achieve the edited picture i firstly started by adjusting the brightness which instantly highlighted the models face and facial expression. This makes the photo appear more personal.
The next thing i did was crop the picture down in order to really highlight the story in the picture. The edited picture shows the figure watching the two models more clearly and it has a creepier effect.
For this edit i used the same idea as the previous picture. I started by adjusting the brightness but adjusted the contrast as well. I then moved on to crop the picture, this was to remove the already existing CCTV camera and to make the main subject of the picture more central.
To create this image i adjusted the brightness and contrast of the picture. I felt it was important to keep the detail in the floor as it gives depth to the picture. I then cropped the picture again as i felt that the subject could be seen more clearly.
For this picture i started by cropping the picture down, so that it almost looks panoramic. This is one of the closest shots and Ive done this to show variety in my collection. The picture was then adjusted using the brightness and contrast settings. The contrast was particularly important as it meant the black really stood out against the background.
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| ORIGINAL PICTURE |
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| EDITED PICTURES |
The second edit was made by adjusting the exposure settings. I made the picture more exposed to get the bright white colours in the picture and contrasted that with the deep black. This was achieved by adjusting the gamma and offset controls.
The later of the edits make the picture appear more scary as the figures in the background have no facial features however i do think you loose the camera detail which is important to the shot.
 |
| ORIGINAL PICTURE |
 |
| EDITED PICTURE |
The next thing i did was crop the picture down in order to really highlight the story in the picture. The edited picture shows the figure watching the two models more clearly and it has a creepier effect.
 |
| ORIGINAL PICTURE |
 |
| EDITED PICTURE |
 |
| ORIGINAL PICTURE |
 |
| EDITED PICTURE |
 |
| ORIGINAL PICTURE |
 |
| EDITED PICTURE |
For this picture i started by cropping the picture down, so that it almost looks panoramic. This is one of the closest shots and Ive done this to show variety in my collection. The picture was then adjusted using the brightness and contrast settings. The contrast was particularly important as it meant the black really stood out against the background.
Thursday 11 November 2010
Camera Techniques...
Ive decided to look at using different techniques on different cameras. The point and click digital camera was limited as it didn't have any scene modes, just the ability to zoom in/out and to change flash firing conditions.
The other camera i used was a dslr. This gave me alot more freedom with the techniques and i found myself adjusting the aperture and shutter speeds to make different effects.
i really like these techniques and i think my practice pictures were successful but i don't think they are suitable for my idea.
The other camera i used was a dslr. This gave me alot more freedom with the techniques and i found myself adjusting the aperture and shutter speeds to make different effects.
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| Black and white - pre loaded on the camera |
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| change os shutter speed |
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| change of shutter speed |
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| under exposed, change of aperture |
i really like these techniques and i think my practice pictures were successful but i don't think they are suitable for my idea.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
Final Idea...
The final idea is a substitution picture
influenced by 'The Son Of Man' by Magritte
However instead of covering the face with an apple, i will use cameras to reinforce the idea that we are continually being watched.
Ive drawn a quick story board to demonstrate my ideas for my final collection of images
:
I feel story boarding my ideas is a good way to plan as i have had previous experience in creating story boards. Although my drawing leaves a lot to the imagination, written details can be added for reference.
The first shot is set on the high street, its a crowd of people all looking at the camera with cameras covering their eyes. The idea is to include a wide audience of people to show it doesn't matter who you are or where you are, you're always being watched.
The second shot is set in a restaurant. The picture shows two people conversing and eating in whilst people surrounding them are watching again with cameras covering their eyes.
The third shot is situated on a park bench. It displays a few people sat on a bench. On the right hand side of the frame you see a woman walk past. The people on the bench watch her as she walks past using the cameras as vision equipment.
The last planned shot is in a supermarket. The model will be casually food shopping adding items to their trolley whilst bystanders are watching.
All of the shots will be long or mid shots purely because its the best way to include the extras which are pretending to take pictures.
Trying New Ideas...
One idea that came from my initial ideas was a exposure of the girls toilets. A realistic insight as to what women really get up to on a Friday night. The fights, the tears and the inevitable throwing up. The photographs are taken in the toilets of 53 degrees, which is a popular venue. I think i would produce a lot of material by taking the photographs here. The problem with this idea is that fact I'm taking the pictures without anyone consent, as i don't want the pictures to be too staged i wanted to use a guerrilla style. The images are quite successful but because of the colour scheme, i think they look bland and boring.
Monday 8 November 2010
People Watching...
Friday I went people watching from a top secret location on Fishergate armed with only a camera and a window...
My results were successful, i got a few images but it was a rainy day so Preston wasn't very busy. The difficulty with taking the shots was really the fact i couldn't open the window to create a bigger space to capture. I was limited with the space i could photograph.
Using a high angle shot makes the subject appear vulnerable and naive to whats really happening around them, something that CCTV does. The people in the pictures had no idea i was taking their picture and it just re iterates the point that someone really is watching you everywhere you go.
Friday 5 November 2010
Photography Research...
"Peeping Tom" by James Hill
Self portrait work.
A photography collection all shot in the same bathroom, the reflections are created in the editing stage. To see how its done click on this: http://vimeo.com/3424613
This photographers work really inspires me because it relates to one of my initial ideas but it has a clever and funny approach, using a different reflection makes the picture comical. Great effort has been put into the continuity of each picture.
Matt Stuart 'Exposes Everything'
Matt Stuarts photography is interesting because its not always obvious to the eye what the picture is about. His photographs are humerous, which i think is what makes him a popular photographer.
The black and white photographs are my favourites because i like the clash between dark and light. His collection of images are shot at mid or long shots, not from high angles which i think makes them very realistic.
David Dunnico 'Reality TV'
An exhibition in the Mezzanine Gallery in the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. The exhibiton was held from 24 February to 27 March 2010.
Read an interview about the exhibition here: http://manchestermule.com/article/interview-david-dunnico
Tate Modern Exhibition...
The 'Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera' Exhibition held at the Tate Modern, London.
Since its invention, the camera has been used to make images surreptitiously and satisfy the desire to see what is hidden. Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera examines photography's role in voyeuristic looking from the middle of the nineteenth century to the present day. It includes pictures taken by professional photographers and artists, but also images made without our knowledge on a daily basis through the proliferation of CCTV.
The exhibition is divided into five thematic sections:
The Unseen Photographer
Celebrity and the Public Gaze
Voyeurism and Desire
Witnessing Violence
Surveillance
In each case, the nature and character of invasive looking is evident not only in the images themselves, but also in the ways in which the viewer is implicated in acts of voyeurism. Rather than blame the camera for showing illicit or forbidden material, Exposed explores the uneasy relationship between making and viewing images that deliberately cross lines of privacy and propriety. Exhibition Introduction from Tate Modern.
Images from the exhibition that have inspired me:
Since its invention, the camera has been used to make images surreptitiously and satisfy the desire to see what is hidden. Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera examines photography's role in voyeuristic looking from the middle of the nineteenth century to the present day. It includes pictures taken by professional photographers and artists, but also images made without our knowledge on a daily basis through the proliferation of CCTV.
The exhibition is divided into five thematic sections:
The Unseen Photographer
Celebrity and the Public Gaze
Voyeurism and Desire
Witnessing Violence
Surveillance
In each case, the nature and character of invasive looking is evident not only in the images themselves, but also in the ways in which the viewer is implicated in acts of voyeurism. Rather than blame the camera for showing illicit or forbidden material, Exposed explores the uneasy relationship between making and viewing images that deliberately cross lines of privacy and propriety. Exhibition Introduction from Tate Modern.
Images from the exhibition that have inspired me:
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| Arthur Fellig, 1943 |
Voyeuristic and invasive of privacy: is that photography today? When does photography tip over the line into surveillance?
An interesting article i found online about the Tate Modern exhibition that relates to this project.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/photoblog/2010/05/voyeurism_surveillance_and_the_camera.html
An interesting article i found online about the Tate Modern exhibition that relates to this project.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/photoblog/2010/05/voyeurism_surveillance_and_the_camera.html
Initial Ideas...
I have three initial ideas:
The first is a more literal sense of the word exposure looking more at camera technique rather than subject matter. This series of pictures will show the difference in exposure and other techniques. I do feel that this idea will be quite difficult for me as i have no real photography skills and i also think it doesn't give me very much scope for a fashion angle.
The second idea is to expose the 'friday night in town' idea. Using the girls toilets as my base, taking pictures from inside and outside the toilet cubicles exposing the tears, tantrums and the inevitable throwing up. This could potentially have more of a fashion angle as all the models could be styled.
The third idea is 'smile for the camera'. As i previously lived near London i know the statistic that we are caught on CCTV on average 300 times a day - which is scary. So for this shoot i want to use people in everyday locations, doing everyday tasks but being watched by onlookers. Instead of watching with their own eyes they are watching using cameras. This i think will have quite a frightening effect.
The first is a more literal sense of the word exposure looking more at camera technique rather than subject matter. This series of pictures will show the difference in exposure and other techniques. I do feel that this idea will be quite difficult for me as i have no real photography skills and i also think it doesn't give me very much scope for a fashion angle.
The second idea is to expose the 'friday night in town' idea. Using the girls toilets as my base, taking pictures from inside and outside the toilet cubicles exposing the tears, tantrums and the inevitable throwing up. This could potentially have more of a fashion angle as all the models could be styled.
The third idea is 'smile for the camera'. As i previously lived near London i know the statistic that we are caught on CCTV on average 300 times a day - which is scary. So for this shoot i want to use people in everyday locations, doing everyday tasks but being watched by onlookers. Instead of watching with their own eyes they are watching using cameras. This i think will have quite a frightening effect.
Monday 1 November 2010
CCTV - The Facts...
CCTV in the uk
According to statistics, the average citizen is caught on CCTV cameras 300 times a day.
Throughout the country are an estimated five million CCTV cameras; that's one for every 12 citizens.
We have more than 20 per cent of the world's CCTV cameras.
Roughly 1,800 cameras watch over London's railway stations and another 6,000 permanently peer at commuters on the Underground and London buses.
In other major city centres, including Manchester and Edinburgh, residents can expect to be sighted on between roughly 50 and 100 cameras a day.
The borough of Wandsworth has the highest number of CCTV cameras in London, with just under four cameras per 1,000 people. Its total number of cameras - 1,113 - is more than the police departments of Boston [USA], Johannesburg and Dublin City Council combined.
According to statistics, the average citizen is caught on CCTV cameras 300 times a day.
Throughout the country are an estimated five million CCTV cameras; that's one for every 12 citizens.
We have more than 20 per cent of the world's CCTV cameras.
Roughly 1,800 cameras watch over London's railway stations and another 6,000 permanently peer at commuters on the Underground and London buses.
In other major city centres, including Manchester and Edinburgh, residents can expect to be sighted on between roughly 50 and 100 cameras a day.
The borough of Wandsworth has the highest number of CCTV cameras in London, with just under four cameras per 1,000 people. Its total number of cameras - 1,113 - is more than the police departments of Boston [USA], Johannesburg and Dublin City Council combined.
Sunday 31 October 2010
Surveillance Film...
By researching surveillance i found a film made by Nino Leitner an Austrian film maker. Its titled "Every Step You Take" and is a 67 minute documentary filmed in London England. Leitner was inspired to make this short film by the amount of CCTV cameras he had seen whilst living in London. The film raises important points highlighting the 'war on terror' and the cost of the recording devices. Members of the public and experts including professors and chief constables.
Trailer for "Every step you take" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEs8OYBFZq0
Stills from the film
Taking inspiration from this film i want to include times for the pictures i am going to take.
Trailer for "Every step you take" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEs8OYBFZq0
Stills from the film
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| Regular CCTV camera |
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| Face recognition on CCTV cameras |
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| People tracking on CCTV |
The most shocking part of the film is the fact that the Government does this behind our back,hidden as lamp posts. CCTV cameras now create fear rather than a feeling of safety and control. I find myself asking whether the Government want to protect us or just watch us to make sure we are not doing anything suspicious!
Paranormal Activity - Oren Peli
Made the same year as esyt (but released 2009), paranormal takes a different approach to a surveillance film. This feature length horror film which was nominated for many awards uses surveillance not to watch other people but to watch themselves whilst they sleep to see if there is a demonic presence in their home.
Taking inspiration from this film i want to include times for the pictures i am going to take.
Exploring the brief...
The aim of the brief is to produce a photograph that explores the theme 'exposed'.
brainstorm:
brainstorm:
these are my initial thoughts looking at the brief and elements i have interpreted from it. The surveillance angle is something I'm quite interested in and is something i will follow in more detail.
Thursday 28 October 2010
The Briefs...
Ive been given two briefs to choose from, both very different but creative.
I will be required to produce a series of black and white or colour images around one of these two themes:
1- British Heart Foundation: Red for Heart. The only rule of the competition is that red must be incorperated somewhere into your photograph.
2- Sony Open World Photography Awards: 'Exposed'. the image should draw on themes explored within the Tate Modern's Exposed: Voyerism, surveilance and the camera exhibition.
Which one to choose...
I will be required to produce a series of black and white or colour images around one of these two themes:
1- British Heart Foundation: Red for Heart. The only rule of the competition is that red must be incorperated somewhere into your photograph.
2- Sony Open World Photography Awards: 'Exposed'. the image should draw on themes explored within the Tate Modern's Exposed: Voyerism, surveilance and the camera exhibition.
Which one to choose...
The Beginning..
Well here is the blog - hopefully this will be filled with creative, imaginitive ideas.
i have no idea what im doing!
this will be fun
i have no idea what im doing!
this will be fun
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