Work Record Shoot 2

Work Record Shoot 2

Research Influence

Josef Sudek

Photographer Information

Josef Sudek was a Czech photographer, who is known for his photos taken around Prague. He was originally a bookbinder but was drafted into the Austro- Hungarian Army in 1914 and fought on the Italian Front until 1915 where he was wounded in the arm, which required an amputation. AFter the war he studied photography for two years under Jaromire Fuke, where he adapted a Romantic Pictoralist Style.



How Was The Image Made?

Josef Sudek made the image by making the composition of a glass filled with water and two eggs in front of and behind it. The composition was also placed in front of a window to use the natural light to capture more detail in the image.
What's In The Image?


In the image we see a glass full of water and two eggs on a wooden table next to a window.

How Does The Image Link To 'Circles and Curves' ?

The image links to Circles and Curves because; the eggs have a circular curvy shape, but also the bubbles in the water are circular.

How Has Josef Sudek Inspired My Work?

Josef Sudek has inspired my work because; he shot in monochrome exclusively, which gives the image greater impact, he also photographed everyday items, such as; eggs, glasses of water, bread e.t.c. Furthermore, he shot in a style as to use light to make strong shadows, which creates a large amount of tonal variation. From this I want to make a collection of photos that use everyday objects and items, with the use of natural light, to make strong shadows and have a large amount of tonal variation and contrast.

AO1;

Contact Sheet

Will evidence the breadth of your research.  

Best Images

 Select the best images from the shoot that you might wish to take further through editing

This image is good because  .
However because the glass has condensation all over it you cannot get the most clearest image possible. To fix this next time I will wipe the glass over in between photos to make sure i get the clearest possible image.
To Edit this image I will make the image monochrome, then I will use curves to make the image darker overall, and i will use Brightness and Contrast after to make the lighter sections clearer.




This image is good because there is a clear link to Circles and Curves through the bubbles in the glass, but also the bottom, as you can see the curvature of the rim/ base..
However the image isn't in focus properly, as the background is in focus, rather than the foreground- the glass. Next time to ensure this doesn't happen again i will, use the automatic setting and I will use something to balance the camera i.e. a tripod.
To Edit this image I will snip a fraction of the background on the left-most and right-most edges, then i will make the image monochromatic and use curves to make the image light/ darker to make a greater contrast, and use brightness & contrast after if need be.




This image is good because the image is of a good quality, and the glass is almost dead centre and in focus, the bubbles in the glass are also very clear- so there's a clear link to Circles and Curve
To Edit this image I will make the image monochrome to mimic Josef Sudek, i will then use curves to make the image have a greater contrast in the lighter and darker areas, ten use brightness and contrast to adjust it even more after if need be.

Images That Require Improvement

This image requires improvement because the subject of photo is completely out of focus, and there is too much view of the background. 
To correct this in the future I will keep a distance from the subject and use the zoom ring to get in close, and I will have the object it down when taking photos so that there isn't too much background.

This image requires improvement because the image is completely out of focus, as the camera has focused on the background rather than the background. 
To correct this in the future I will step back from the subject and use the zoom ring to get closer if needed to ensure the camera doesn't focus on the background.

This image requires improvement because you can see my hand in the image, and you can see too much background, but also as there isn't much bubbles left in the glass- dissipating the link to circles and curves.
To correct this in the future I will 

AO2;

   Demonstrate your ability to experiment with photographic media, techniques and materials.

Demonstrate your ability to review and refine work as it develops

This includes : -

    

Computer experiments -

Computer experiments will demonstrate your ability to experiment with the medium of digital photography  This is an important aspect of the AQA assessment criteria.  You will need to explain the process used.   You can do this with screen prints and text or just use text only.

   You should evidence the photograph before and after the computer experimentation.

The image I will be using is;

C

First I go to the Image Tab> Adjustments> Black & White ( Alt+Shift+Ctrl+B ).

Then I go back to the Image Tab> Adjustments> Curves ( Ctrl+M ).



I then drag the rightest most portion of the line up slightly, as to retain the light areas in the image.



Then I drag the leftest most portion of the line down slightly, to strengthen the shadows and darker areas.



Which leaves the image as;



Now i wan to clip the image so that the glass is centralised, so i use the Clipping Tool, so snip the left edge away.



Now i want to bring out the darker areas more, and make the lighter areas lighter, so i go to the Image Tab> Adjustments> Brightness and Contrast.

To do this I set both the brightness and contrast up, but the contrast more as to retain the darkness.

This then leaves the image as;

AO4;

Final Peices

Show the images the best images that you have created in a single post.  Ensure that the images selected work as a series and are linked to the exam paper.

Describe how the work is linked to your preparatory work (i.e. photographers research or shoots) 

How do my Final Edited Photographs relate to my Photographer Research?

My final images relate to my Photographer Research on Josef Sudek because; I used an everday object- being a glass, and the style is similar to his- using natural light to make a powerful image. I also edited my images so that they're black and white to copy his style.

AO3;

Reflect critically on your work and progress, (evaluate the images you have produced in what way do the images link to your initial plans/the exam paper… 

I think my final images turned out well; as they imitate the styling of Josef Sudek's work, however some images physically look a lot better than the others; this is due to some the images being taken idiotically i.e. not having the image completely in focus or having the glass with too much condensation; which makes the image look blurry when in fact they're not, this also makes the bubbles in the glass- the primary component l;inking the images to Circles and Curves fuzzy and inordinate. The collection of final images from Work Record Shoot 2 does not correspond to my original ideas; as my initial plan at first was to use paper and have a composition that make it abstract for both shots; but decided to use a glass of water and shoot it so it links to Josef Sudek, as it has a variation in subject, but also as shows a the ability to shoot and edit two completely different subjects, while retaining a similar style and look, and have the subjects link; as paper and a glass of water are common household objects. However, even with this change, my work still relates strongly to the exam paper as the images have clear circles in the bubbles in the water, and the glass it's self in some images is curved as you can see the rim and/ or the base.

Final Evaluation

Here you will need to summarise how your work has developed as a result of the shoots that you have undertaken.

·         How has your research (photographers research, research log) and preparatory shoots influenced the final series of images that you have created?

·         What have you learnt/ how has your work developed as a result of the project, this can be:

technical (learning new techniques in camera operation, shooting)

aesthetic (new ways of presenting work)?

·         How successful were you in responding to the exam paper? Identify areas where your work is strong and areas where you might want to improve your work further.

My photographer research and my research log influenced my final series of photos because they influenced the style in which i took my photos; as my research on Josef Sudek influenced me to edit my photos in black and white so i can show form and tone in a very clear manner, which in turn would make my photos look appealing and stronger, which would help link to Circles and Curves as the showing and form and tone shows clearly the curves in an image. Due to the exam paper my work has gotten better because I learnt how to use natural lighting from a window so that my photos look better, and how to adjust my settings to shoot in this setting appropriately. I learnt how to shoot and edit to fit Josef Sudek's aesthetic, being that of monochromatic photos and using common household items to make a photo. I think i was able to respond to the exam paper effectively; for example being able to use research on photographers to formulate my own ideas. However; I didn't produce enough content, and so to improve my work better I could need to produce more, and to have a clearer link between shoots.