Statement of intent
For this project my theme is Texture and I am going to research a variety of textures. For example metals , man made objects, leaves and fruit. To show my work I will build my own photography website and I will use the software ‘Weebly’ to create it. I hope to find this quite easy to use as the tools are easy to follow. For my final images, I will choose my best images and put them in a final gallery at the end of my project. These images will be based on my research and will show a clear journey from start to finish. For my initial research I will start by looking into texture photographers. At the moment, I have three in mind that I want to look at which are, Roe Etheridge, Imogen Cunningham and finally Marc Anderson. I chose Roe Etheridge because he has a contemporary photographer that documents fruit rotting and I think that I can be inspired from my own work.I decided to look at Imogen Cunningham's Black and White photography as her work is focused on Texture, also I feel that the black and white imagery not only brings out texture but also looks professional and striking, I also hope to look at the work of Marc Anderson and in particular his series of patterns in nature. I feel that his work is abstract and beautiful and will definitely inspire my own photography to be like his. This is my first photography project and so I am going to learn how to use lots of different types of equipment. I am looking forward to trying different lenses such as fisheye, wide angle lenses. I'll be using Tripods, Lighting, 2 types of camera phone/ DSLR Canon. I would like to experiment with a wide range of techniques within my work. I have a Manuel DSLR Canon camera which I will take most of my photographs on, but I would also like to experiment with my own mobile phone camera and possibly a telescopic lens to see the effects that I can create with it. I will also try to push myself to be more creative within Photoshop and Photo pea, learning how to use the image adjustment layer for Black and White, exposure, levels, colour saturations and contrast. I will also experiment with the magic cut techniques and creating patterns. I have 3 months to produce my website of works towards the production of my final piece. I am to complete my initial research within 3 weeks and start photographing by the 4th week in order to give me the time I need to show my progression. I will then continue to develop my work in photoshop and be prepared to go out again with my camera and capture new images to enhance my project. I will be taking photos for texture, for example fruits, maybe ageing, vegetables, trees, shells, grass and snow and manmade objects, such as metal, plastic and glass.
Research For Imogen Cunningham
I have researched Imogen Cunningham on the internet
(AMERICAN, 1883 - 1976 )
'Imogen Cunningham occupies a singular position in the history of American art of the twentieth century.
For over half the history of photography, she explored- with innovation and a new perspective- all the major traditions associated with the medium as fine art. She has been most widely acclaimed for the photographs made during the 1920s and 1930s, particularly close-up images of plants and nudes. She also made portraits which are now considered classics in photography, including images of Alfred Stieglitz, Spencer Tracy, and Martha Graham. She was a founding member of the West Coast-based Group f.64, which championed an un-manipulated, direct approach with the camera, or “straight” photography. Her photographs are represented in major collections and museums around the world. The Weston Gallery represents the Imogen Cunningham Trust and have vintage, modern as well as posthumous prints available.
Information found on the internet https://www.westongallery.com/original-works-by/imogen-cunningham
(AMERICAN, 1883 - 1976 )
'Imogen Cunningham occupies a singular position in the history of American art of the twentieth century.
For over half the history of photography, she explored- with innovation and a new perspective- all the major traditions associated with the medium as fine art. She has been most widely acclaimed for the photographs made during the 1920s and 1930s, particularly close-up images of plants and nudes. She also made portraits which are now considered classics in photography, including images of Alfred Stieglitz, Spencer Tracy, and Martha Graham. She was a founding member of the West Coast-based Group f.64, which championed an un-manipulated, direct approach with the camera, or “straight” photography. Her photographs are represented in major collections and museums around the world. The Weston Gallery represents the Imogen Cunningham Trust and have vintage, modern as well as posthumous prints available.
Information found on the internet https://www.westongallery.com/original-works-by/imogen-cunningham
Composition
The light on the image is almost like the local point of the image since the background is black. This gives us a monochrome type of image. The light is shone directly on the flowers either directly opposite or positioned about the flowers pointing down. This is so that a darker contrast is based on the image and makes it seem very dramatic and powerful. The photographer has used the Rule of Thirds, creating a sweet spots, on the bottom left hand corner of the grid. This helps the eye to be drawn into the centre of the flower . The photographer was created a dramatic contrast, there is a big difference between the black of the background and the white of the flower which brings out the form and shape of the flower. In my opinion, I think this is a Studio shot composed, using studio lighting, tripod for the camera, rather than a natural outdoor shot. In the photograph I can see leading lines created by the petals and leaves that are curved and spiral down into the centre of the flower, leading your eye again into the centre. Framing the image of the flower has been achieved by cropped tightly making the flower look very close to the picture frame is a flower that catches the eye of the person looking at the image because the background is black so the flower stands out. In this image the photographer has not used a very deep depth of field as I cannot see much of the middle and background in the foregrounds is a flower that catches the eye of the person looking at the image because the background is black so the flower stands out maybe around F14.
Connections
I have decided to get my project started by look at a range of photographers. Those who come up with different backgrounds the ones that use flowers. I am looking at the work of Imogen Cunningham because she comes up with unique ideas over the theme of texture and focuses more on plants adding Black and white and close ups giving every inch of detail. I am going to use her work to inspire my own photography by taking pictures of mother nature for example flowers and that she gives the shallow of depth and really crops them images tightly giving them that appealing look. Also she uses the rule of third. The Rule of Thirds is the process of dividing an image into thirds. This is why I'm interested and fascinated by her work making ordinary into extraordinary good looking and sophisticated.
Comment
In my opinion I have decided after some careful research that I like Imogen Cunningham's work. This is because it is unique and different to other photographers. It zooms into rather the shape of the flowers than the object. Its literally the state of the art because of how beautiful she has made the pictures. Making the negative space framing the flowers contrasts and shading making the forms standout.
RESEARCH
Composition
In this image I can see that the photographer has used the ‘Rule of Thirds’, because there are 2 trees in the left hand side that sit in the ‘sweet spot’. This technique makes the viewer look straight towards that part of the image to show the effect . In my opinion, I think that the trees really stand out against the grass because it makes the picture brighter and lively.
I can also see a small amount of sky in the top left hand corner which helps to frame the image. It helps to make sense of the photograph.
The photograph has a tight crop, this makes you look at the swirling grass in front of you which makes me think of mother nature and the fact that its most likely autumn. For me, when I look at this picture I feel there is a strong leading line from the bottom right hand side to the top left hand side which is created by the swirling grass
In this image, I can see a foreground, middleground and a distance. The grass is right in front of the picture taken , you have 2 trees in the midground and right in the distance there is a glimpse of the sky. This creates an impact because you get a sense of scale. Which shows how carefully the photographer took this piece
So when I look at this image I can clearly see that the photographer has used the natural sunlight and they have managed to capture the way the sun reflects on the surface of the grass, The golden light on the grass acts as a contrast to the dark, almost black of the upright tree trunks and so adds real interest to the photograph
In my opinion, I think the photographer has set their camera on auto ISO or 200
White balance, auto or set on cloudy/sun
I think the aperture is set quite deep as we can see the background clearly, so F28-F34. Looking at the image I can see that everything is in sharp focus and so I think the shutter was fast as there is no blur. They may have used a tripod when taking the photo so that they could keep the camera steady and get the sharp image they wanted.
I can also see a small amount of sky in the top left hand corner which helps to frame the image. It helps to make sense of the photograph.
The photograph has a tight crop, this makes you look at the swirling grass in front of you which makes me think of mother nature and the fact that its most likely autumn. For me, when I look at this picture I feel there is a strong leading line from the bottom right hand side to the top left hand side which is created by the swirling grass
In this image, I can see a foreground, middleground and a distance. The grass is right in front of the picture taken , you have 2 trees in the midground and right in the distance there is a glimpse of the sky. This creates an impact because you get a sense of scale. Which shows how carefully the photographer took this piece
So when I look at this image I can clearly see that the photographer has used the natural sunlight and they have managed to capture the way the sun reflects on the surface of the grass, The golden light on the grass acts as a contrast to the dark, almost black of the upright tree trunks and so adds real interest to the photograph
In my opinion, I think the photographer has set their camera on auto ISO or 200
White balance, auto or set on cloudy/sun
I think the aperture is set quite deep as we can see the background clearly, so F28-F34. Looking at the image I can see that everything is in sharp focus and so I think the shutter was fast as there is no blur. They may have used a tripod when taking the photo so that they could keep the camera steady and get the sharp image they wanted.
CONNECTIONS
I have decided to get my project started by looking at a range of photographers. Those who come up with different backgrounds the ones that use dry grass to show there unique way of photography. I am looking at the work because of its way of showing the textures of grass, ideas over the theme of texture and focuses more on dry grass detail especially with that sweet spot. I am going to inspire my own photography by taking pictures of mother nature for example trees and fruits. The photographer gives a interesting look to the image. The Sweet spot is using the grid and adding something to the right side of the image. This is why I'm intrigued and fascinated by the work making ordinary sophisticated the deeper you look.
Comment
In my opinion this photo is very unique in its own way. The dry grass shows a way of texture like its a paintbrush. The single strokes of grass making it look appealing to the eye. This inspires me to also make photos like this. The camera was on tungsten I think with that natural light coming out the picture and an iso of 400 for a nice look.
RESEARCH FOR ROE ETHRIDGE
Context
To start my photography project and to gain inspiration, I am going to research 3 different photographers, the first photographer I am going to research is Roe Etheridge. I have looked on the internet and found the following information,
Roe Ethridge (American, born 1969) takes equally from his work as a commercial photographer, and artist. Blurring the lines that separate the two, Ethridge creates images that are simultaneously generic and intimate, often treading between humor and cynicism. Functioning in tandem, these motivations coalesce into an ongoing investigation into the mechanics of photographs, and their ability to both retreat into the personal, and expand to relay collective experiences. In 2016, the Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati mounted the first comprehensive survey of Ethridge’s work in an American Museum, titled Nearest Neighbor. Other solo exhibitions include Shelter Island, FOAM, Amsterdam, 2016 and Le Consortium, Dijon, 2012, traveled to Museum Leuven, Leuven, 2012. Ethridge has additionally participated in numerous group exhibitions including The Poetics of Place: Contemporary Photographs from the Met Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2016, Human Interest: Portraits from the Whitney’s Collection, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, 2016, Perfect Likeness: Photography and Composition, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, 2015, The 2013 Lyon Biennale, Lyon, The Anxiety of Photography, Aspen Art Museum, Aspen, 2012, New Photography 2010: Roe Ethridge, Elad Lassry, Alex Prager, Amanda Ross- Ho, Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the 2008 Whitney Biennial, among others.”
Sourced from http://www.andrewkreps.com/artists/roe-ethridge
COMPOSITION
In my opinion, when I look at this image, I can see that Roe Etheridge has used the rule of thirds, because the orange site in the ‘sweet spot’, in the top right hand side. This makes us look at that particular piece of fruit. I can also see that the bowl is sitting on a barrel which is in the bottom third of the image, this makes the fruit stand out.
In the composition he has made sure that there is a blank canvas around the fruit bowl so that it stands out. There are a lot of curved shaped fruits in this picture that give it that side look. The image is tightly cropped so that we focus on the fruit bowl and do not get distracted by other objects. I think the photographer wants us to focus on the mold framed by using the brown paper and strawberries. Overall this is a very unique photo taken by Roe Ethridge.
In my opinion, when I look at this image, I can see that Roe Etheridge has used the rule of thirds, because the orange site in the ‘sweet spot’, in the top right hand side. This makes us look at that particular piece of fruit. I can also that the bowl is sitting on a barrel which is in the bottom third of the image, this makes the fruit stand out.
In the composition he has made sure that there is a blank canvas (background) around the fruit bowl so that it stands out. I believe he has chosen that color to match the fruit vibes and giving it a quality look. There are a lot of curved shaped objects in this image to give a reality type look to the image. The photographer is clever to do so. The image is tightly cropped so that we focus on the fruit bowl and do not distracted by other objects, I think the photographer wants us to focus on the mold. Framed by using the brown paper and strawberries and the aging of the fruits
Roe Ethridge (American, born 1969) takes equally from his work as a commercial photographer, and artist. Blurring the lines that separate the two, Ethridge creates images that are simultaneously generic and intimate, often treading between humor and cynicism. Functioning in tandem, these motivations coalesce into an ongoing investigation into the mechanics of photographs, and their ability to both retreat into the personal, and expand to relay collective experiences. In 2016, the Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati mounted the first comprehensive survey of Ethridge’s work in an American Museum, titled Nearest Neighbor. Other solo exhibitions include Shelter Island, FOAM, Amsterdam, 2016 and Le Consortium, Dijon, 2012, traveled to Museum Leuven, Leuven, 2012. Ethridge has additionally participated in numerous group exhibitions including The Poetics of Place: Contemporary Photographs from the Met Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2016, Human Interest: Portraits from the Whitney’s Collection, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, 2016, Perfect Likeness: Photography and Composition, Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, 2015, The 2013 Lyon Biennale, Lyon, The Anxiety of Photography, Aspen Art Museum, Aspen, 2012, New Photography 2010: Roe Ethridge, Elad Lassry, Alex Prager, Amanda Ross- Ho, Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the 2008 Whitney Biennial, among others.”
Sourced from http://www.andrewkreps.com/artists/roe-ethridge
COMPOSITION
In my opinion, when I look at this image, I can see that Roe Etheridge has used the rule of thirds, because the orange site in the ‘sweet spot’, in the top right hand side. This makes us look at that particular piece of fruit. I can also see that the bowl is sitting on a barrel which is in the bottom third of the image, this makes the fruit stand out.
In the composition he has made sure that there is a blank canvas around the fruit bowl so that it stands out. There are a lot of curved shaped fruits in this picture that give it that side look. The image is tightly cropped so that we focus on the fruit bowl and do not get distracted by other objects. I think the photographer wants us to focus on the mold framed by using the brown paper and strawberries. Overall this is a very unique photo taken by Roe Ethridge.
In my opinion, when I look at this image, I can see that Roe Etheridge has used the rule of thirds, because the orange site in the ‘sweet spot’, in the top right hand side. This makes us look at that particular piece of fruit. I can also that the bowl is sitting on a barrel which is in the bottom third of the image, this makes the fruit stand out.
In the composition he has made sure that there is a blank canvas (background) around the fruit bowl so that it stands out. I believe he has chosen that color to match the fruit vibes and giving it a quality look. There are a lot of curved shaped objects in this image to give a reality type look to the image. The photographer is clever to do so. The image is tightly cropped so that we focus on the fruit bowl and do not distracted by other objects, I think the photographer wants us to focus on the mold. Framed by using the brown paper and strawberries and the aging of the fruits
Connections |
I've decided to go with y photography linked to this person has every detail is in the photo. We can see the time-lapse of how fruits rotten over time. A cool way of mother nature being caught on camera. I like how Roe Ethridge has shown his skills through fruits and i would like to do the same.
Comment
In my opinion this photo is incredible, the way its been set up looks amazing. I love the way he has put the fruits in the bowl and setting out the fruits in a way we could see how all the fruits rotten. This is the type that inspires me. The photo is so clear and we can see all the textures being release as it rotten. I'm inspired by this work and would like to do the same for my project
Mind Map
The reason I have chosen these photos for my Mind Map it because they relate to my theme of textures. They are separated to show what is a man-made type texture and what is natural. They link to my idea of showing patterns closeup instead of afar.
Moodboard
Natural Textures
Man-made Textures
Shooting Plan
For my project on ‘Texture’, my starting point is looking at a range of different textures, both man made and natural Texture. I am going to start by taking photographs of natural textures such as fruit & veg, flowers, leaves. I am then going to explore man made textures such as chain, metal objects, coins. The first photographer we are going to be exploring will be Roe Ethridge . I am also developing ideas by creating a mind map to clearly show the man made and natural and mood boards
I am going to use a variety of different cameras and equipment so that I can develop my photography skills and get more knowledge of the different type of cameras. In school we use Canon DSLR cameras so that we learn to use the manual settings. Before we take a photograph we have to (WB,ISO, Exposure etc.) The reason we do this is because i want to learn the most out of the camera and how everything works.
My own phone camera is what I'll be using at home for good focus pictures and my phone also has settings for example auto focus, grid.
For my next shoot I am going to focus on taking a set of images based on plants, flowers
I will use the natural daylight if taking photos outside, however, I might experiment with shining a camera torch with a water droplet onto an object so that I can get a better effect.
I'm going to be taking these photos in the park so i get good lighting and a various plants
By taking photos from the environment around me, I hope to extend my picture base so that I have more to experiment with in Photoshop and make my pictures unique to others.
I am going to use a variety of different cameras and equipment so that I can develop my photography skills and get more knowledge of the different type of cameras. In school we use Canon DSLR cameras so that we learn to use the manual settings. Before we take a photograph we have to (WB,ISO, Exposure etc.) The reason we do this is because i want to learn the most out of the camera and how everything works.
My own phone camera is what I'll be using at home for good focus pictures and my phone also has settings for example auto focus, grid.
For my next shoot I am going to focus on taking a set of images based on plants, flowers
I will use the natural daylight if taking photos outside, however, I might experiment with shining a camera torch with a water droplet onto an object so that I can get a better effect.
I'm going to be taking these photos in the park so i get good lighting and a various plants
By taking photos from the environment around me, I hope to extend my picture base so that I have more to experiment with in Photoshop and make my pictures unique to others.
Fruit and veg
Grape fruit
Best because I've clearly focused into the fruit and zoomed in to give every detail possible
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Worst because its been out of focus and looks blurry. There's a background giving it a bad look.
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Apples
I've chosen this image as the best because I've clearly focused my camera lens on 1 apple and made it so the others blur. I used manual settings and tungsten on my best image for a nice good quality photo
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The reason I believe this is my worst image is because there hasn't been any effect in use it has been used with autofocus and also the fact its plain. Just a quick picture taken of the fruit
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Pepper
The reason I've chose this as my best work is because I've zoomed into the image for every little detail that can be given possible. I used iso ad changed it to 800 and also white balance
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Its pretty clear why I've chosen this as my worst image because you can see the background which isn't good also you can see how badly blurry the image has been made.
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The reason I've chose this as my best image is because of the angle of the photo making light reflect of the fruit and also the image has been made on its side which gives an inside and outside look
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The reason I've chosen this particular image as worst is because its not that he image itself is bad but that the background gives it a bad look
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Pomegrante
Spider webs
Snow Textures
This is my best photo as we can see in detail the snow on the branches. We see a lot of textures in this photo.
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This is my worst photo because I haven't taken the photo properly. Its quite bleached out and there's a lot of blur.
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Man-Made Textures
This is my best image as I've used focus to have a nice quality zoomed in image giving every detail.
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This is my worst because it has a shade and doesn't really look good. Then focus is not on the dots so we cant really see the textures as clearly as we could.
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This is my best image because its very nice the iso has been set to 800 and there has been auto focus used here
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This is my worst image because its blurry and shaky. Also there is too much background as that ruin the photo as we want the close up on the patterns on the ball not the background or the black stand its on.
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Developing my ideas in photopea
FINAL IMAGE
To develop my photography I brought the image into Photopea and then used the adjustment layer on the image tab. I chose the Black & white filter so that I could adjust the contrast. I really like this because in my opinion it brings out the texture of the ball.
Final Image
I've used the photo gallery here to show a different filter in my photo. I've changed the setting from 100 smoothness to 30 for a more rough type image. This makes it eye catching
Final Shoot Plan
I've chosen rotting fruits because this is a unique way of expressing photography. I will take the photo from different angles as this way there will be a variety of photos. I will be relating to the theme 'texture'. I will choose fruits with impressive designs such as pineapples and Apples. These fruits have a very detailed structure of there skin. I'm going to take a few pictures lets say 6 of the fruits being fresh and then i will leave them to rot and over a period of weeks gradually take photos. The reason i want to do this is to link back to Roe Ethridge.
I'm going to use a canon camera and go for a studio shot. For this i will need a tripod and the fruit to be in the same position preferably placed in a bowl. Taking pictures every week. This is a clever way to show my skills in photography. It will be appealing to the eye. I will be using tungsten light and an iso of 400. This will give me a nice clear ima
I'm going to use a canon camera and go for a studio shot. For this i will need a tripod and the fruit to be in the same position preferably placed in a bowl. Taking pictures every week. This is a clever way to show my skills in photography. It will be appealing to the eye. I will be using tungsten light and an iso of 400. This will give me a nice clear ima
Pineapple Mid range
I've made the photos really brilliant as you can see the textures in each fruit. We can see the stems of the pineapple and its design
Pineapple Close Range
The reason these pictures look really nice is because of how close I've zoomed into the fruit and still have been able to get a focus without a blur on all 4 photos.
Pineapple Long Range
Here there's a dim shadow in the back and we can see all the fruits as whole very clearly with no blur I used tungsten and an iso of 400 as this has turned out to be best.
Pinapple Mid/Close Range (Outdoor)
The reason this gallery looks really good is because of the light reflecting off the fruit we can also see a cool design/texture which relates to the theme we are doing of the pineapple
Fruit Bowl
A nice fruit bowl showing a variety of fruits which will then be left out to rot and then more pictures to be taken.
Unique Structure of Fruits (close range)
The reason I made this gallery is to you this may look quite odd but its a very unique way of photography. Trying to make a structure.
Fruit Rotting
Here we have the fresh fruit bowl and this looks really clean with no blur. We use this to start of the project of the 3 weeks mold. Every week we will see a change to the bowl and take photos
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The fruit bowl is now rotten. Its taken 1 week for it to rot. We can see mold and fungus building up on the fruit and the color of the fruits fading away. Its a very unique idea as we can see so many texures which link to my theme of natural textures
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Over here we can see star shaped patterns on the pineapple and they look really good up close. I made sure the ISO was on a good 400 so that we could see how amazing the textures on this fruit look.
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This is around two weeks into the mold nd we can see a lot of different colours now present. It used to be green however as its been molding we can see a lot of brown
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Changing white balance
This what my best photo because. The way the photo has been produced there's has been a crystal clear focus onto the pineapple and a nice blur on the leaves behind. This makes the pineapple stand out and also links to the theme of textures as we can see so many on the fruit.
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This was my worst photo because after taking the photo I realized that there wasn't really any textures on this so it made the gallery pointless and also the close leaf was blurred out so we couldn't really see any patterns or textures
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This is my best photo because I have made so many efforts to make sure this is perfect. I used the normal camera lens of Canon DSR and I got some really good textures for zooming in onto the fruit bowl.
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This is my worst photo in this collection of galleries because there was just too much blur and We couldn't see any textures in this. It ruins the photo as it cant be linked to the theme however next time we make sure to get the right focus
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Macro Lens
Experimental with Final Shoot
My final gallery
Final Evaluation
My Evaluation, So far I have made a lot of effort with my texture photoshoot. I have used different types angles and edits throughout. An example I have used is abstract patterns which show how different patterns make a photo stand out . The gallery effect gives of a look of a unique highly developed edit on my photoshoots. It has produced outstanding outcomes. They look really appealing, The fruit with fungi is really amazing as it shows the mixture of fresh and fungi to the outcome. The next thing I used was the shadow/glow effect and this gave an aesthetic effect to my photos. It really show detailed parts to the photos. For the nuts we could see the pointy face and the patterns on the nuts. I added background gradients for some of my photos. Towards my final 2 I decided to try out using a drip effect to improve my photos and make them look developed. This link theme will carry on with my portraits project. I made highly developed refinements to my work through out my journey in photography. For my cabbage photo I added a glow effect this made all the textures stand out. I stuck to a pattern theme for all my photos. I expected to make a minimum of 3 photos which link to my idea of a abstract patterns . This took until October half term to finish. I took pictures of different fruits and vegetables like apples and tomatoes. I developed them in photoshop by using vibrance and colour correction to make aesthetic looks to my final gallery I took around 30 photos and find the best ones to edit. I made sure that they are clear and the quality of the photo is good. The final outcome turned out to have incredible improvements. At the start I did have a few problems with my outcomes as getting used to how photoshop works even how to take photos without making it blur or for example shaking the camera while taking a photo. I kept on trying and tried to improve until I got good at it. Now I can produce some highly made outcomes which can recieve good grades and they are appealing.
Overall I made 6 final outcomes 3 abstract 1 shadow/glow and 2 drip effects so that there is a variety of photos to look at. I enjoyed my texture project and it has really helped me to become a better photographer and editor
Overall I made 6 final outcomes 3 abstract 1 shadow/glow and 2 drip effects so that there is a variety of photos to look at. I enjoyed my texture project and it has really helped me to become a better photographer and editor