Statement of intent
I aim to produce a really strong portfolio of work demonstrating my ideas, development, creative work and reflection based around the theme of the 'landscapes'. At the end of my exam prep time, I will choose my best photographs and upload them to my portfolio so they can be easily viewed.
For my initial research I will start by looking into photographers who take pictures of landscapes. At the moment, I have 2 in mind that that I want to look at. These are Alexadra Lhermite-Schwass and Len Grant. I choose Alexandra because she really captures the beauty of London's skyline which gives me inspiration for my own work. I choose Len Grant because he is a photographer based in Manchester who takes pictures of beautiful architectures and tells a story through his pictures. He focuses on giving a voice to people such as recovering addicts, homeless people and those who are on a very income. I also live in Manchester so this gives me an opportunity to explore similar pictures.
When I chose this theme, my initial thoughts were of buildings, bridges and architecture. After thinking about the project title more thoroughly I realised that there are so many routes for my work to go down such as skylines, Birdseye view and linear photographs.
To show my progression through my work I will start by photographing the basic scenes of my local town which is Manchester. I will then develop these images further by taking more ideas from them and editing them. I then hope to venture from within Manchester to larger towns and cities such as London. I also want to venture to Fornby. I already have a lot of ideas running through my head for this project which will propel me in the right direction.
I would like to experiment with a wide range of techniques within my work. I have a cannon 600 dslr which I will use to take most of my pictures, but I would also like to experiment with my mobile phone to see the effects contrast of images that I capture. I will also try to push myself to be more creative with Photoshop to touch up my images. I am mainly going to focus on showing a difference between using colour and black and white.
I have the course of the year to produce my portfolio of work towards the production of my final piece. I aim to complete my initial research within the 1st week and start photographing by the 2nd week in order to give me the time I need to show my progression. I will then have a 10 hour practical exam where I will print and upload my final photos.
As my project progresses I will use photographers to compare my work and development clearly. This will also help me to reflect on the work I produce. I will mainly seek advice from my teachers and my peers on how to make my work better, as i'm always aiming to push myself to new levels. After the creation of my final piece I will write a final evaluation on the project as a whole, reflecting on what went well and what I would do differently or change given the time.
For my initial research I will start by looking into photographers who take pictures of landscapes. At the moment, I have 2 in mind that that I want to look at. These are Alexadra Lhermite-Schwass and Len Grant. I choose Alexandra because she really captures the beauty of London's skyline which gives me inspiration for my own work. I choose Len Grant because he is a photographer based in Manchester who takes pictures of beautiful architectures and tells a story through his pictures. He focuses on giving a voice to people such as recovering addicts, homeless people and those who are on a very income. I also live in Manchester so this gives me an opportunity to explore similar pictures.
When I chose this theme, my initial thoughts were of buildings, bridges and architecture. After thinking about the project title more thoroughly I realised that there are so many routes for my work to go down such as skylines, Birdseye view and linear photographs.
To show my progression through my work I will start by photographing the basic scenes of my local town which is Manchester. I will then develop these images further by taking more ideas from them and editing them. I then hope to venture from within Manchester to larger towns and cities such as London. I also want to venture to Fornby. I already have a lot of ideas running through my head for this project which will propel me in the right direction.
I would like to experiment with a wide range of techniques within my work. I have a cannon 600 dslr which I will use to take most of my pictures, but I would also like to experiment with my mobile phone to see the effects contrast of images that I capture. I will also try to push myself to be more creative with Photoshop to touch up my images. I am mainly going to focus on showing a difference between using colour and black and white.
I have the course of the year to produce my portfolio of work towards the production of my final piece. I aim to complete my initial research within the 1st week and start photographing by the 2nd week in order to give me the time I need to show my progression. I will then have a 10 hour practical exam where I will print and upload my final photos.
As my project progresses I will use photographers to compare my work and development clearly. This will also help me to reflect on the work I produce. I will mainly seek advice from my teachers and my peers on how to make my work better, as i'm always aiming to push myself to new levels. After the creation of my final piece I will write a final evaluation on the project as a whole, reflecting on what went well and what I would do differently or change given the time.
Tim Peake: London from Space, 2016
Content - From this picture I can tell that it was taken from a outer space view at night which is good as you can see all the lights in London. The lights create strong lines in the picture which make it look like it has been mapped out, however one of the main leading lines that is a river runs right through the middle of the picture and is highlighted through there being lights surrounding it. In the center of the picture the lights are a lot more vibrant then anywhere else which could suggest that it is the main part of the city.
Composition - The main focus point of this image is the river running right through the middle of the picture. All the lines that are in the picture make it look like a map. My eye is drawn to the center of the image as the lights are really bright which is good as it looks like they are being given of to the surroundings. The river is a strong point of this image which breaks London apart into two which shows a segregation. It was taken from space at night which is nice as It helps to show the beauty of London. Tim Peake would have probably set his aperture to something like F8 as he needed to capture a lot of the light but not to much so the image would get bleached out. His white balance could have been set to cloudy or shade as the picture was taken in the night.
Context - "This picture was taken by an astronaut by the name of Tim Peake of London from space in 2016. He took the picture to add to his series of amazing pictures that he posts on his twiter and Flickr to show all his followers. The image was took after midnight which enhances the image as you can clearly see all the leading lines because of the lights of London. Tim took the picture as he recongnised London and as it is where he is from he wanted to take a picture to add to his series of other fantastic pictures of other cities".(This was researched)
Connection - This connects to my work because it is a landscape picture of London, this is good because it includes strong leading lines throughout the picture and is taken from up in space (a Birdseye view) which I am trying to implement in to some of my own pictures. I really like the way in which the photo was taken as it is unusual. I say that it is unusual as it is taken from space at night and we don't really see a lot of people taking pictures from space. I also want to try and capture an unusual yet amazing photo of a landscape like this.
Comment - I think that there is a strong meaning behind the image which is to stop segregation over raise, age, gender, height and ability and build bridges together to overcome it. A strength of this image is the time it was taken as because it was midnight he managed to capture the beauty of London in all its magnificent lights. I don't feel as though anything is wrong with the image and it is perfect how it is. I really like this picture as it is something different and unusual as you don't see a picture like that from space everyday also I just like the simplicity of the image as everything was just all there for Tim to take the picture. The photographer inspires and influences me to encourage other people or myself to try capture images from space or at least incredibly high in the sky.
Composition - The main focus point of this image is the river running right through the middle of the picture. All the lines that are in the picture make it look like a map. My eye is drawn to the center of the image as the lights are really bright which is good as it looks like they are being given of to the surroundings. The river is a strong point of this image which breaks London apart into two which shows a segregation. It was taken from space at night which is nice as It helps to show the beauty of London. Tim Peake would have probably set his aperture to something like F8 as he needed to capture a lot of the light but not to much so the image would get bleached out. His white balance could have been set to cloudy or shade as the picture was taken in the night.
Context - "This picture was taken by an astronaut by the name of Tim Peake of London from space in 2016. He took the picture to add to his series of amazing pictures that he posts on his twiter and Flickr to show all his followers. The image was took after midnight which enhances the image as you can clearly see all the leading lines because of the lights of London. Tim took the picture as he recongnised London and as it is where he is from he wanted to take a picture to add to his series of other fantastic pictures of other cities".(This was researched)
Connection - This connects to my work because it is a landscape picture of London, this is good because it includes strong leading lines throughout the picture and is taken from up in space (a Birdseye view) which I am trying to implement in to some of my own pictures. I really like the way in which the photo was taken as it is unusual. I say that it is unusual as it is taken from space at night and we don't really see a lot of people taking pictures from space. I also want to try and capture an unusual yet amazing photo of a landscape like this.
Comment - I think that there is a strong meaning behind the image which is to stop segregation over raise, age, gender, height and ability and build bridges together to overcome it. A strength of this image is the time it was taken as because it was midnight he managed to capture the beauty of London in all its magnificent lights. I don't feel as though anything is wrong with the image and it is perfect how it is. I really like this picture as it is something different and unusual as you don't see a picture like that from space everyday also I just like the simplicity of the image as everything was just all there for Tim to take the picture. The photographer inspires and influences me to encourage other people or myself to try capture images from space or at least incredibly high in the sky.
Len Grant, After bomb in Manchester
Content - In the picture I can see a lot of buildings which signifies it was took in an urban area, most likely a city. There is a tall building in the background which grabs my attention, however, at first my attention was caught by the builder who is very high above the ground and it makes me feel uncomfortable and uneasy, furthermore it makes me question his safety. The picture seems to have been taken a bit of time ago, but, as the picture is in colour it tells me that it wasn't taken too long ago. I think the image was taken in Manchester after a bombing. As there is only one person in the image it makes me question where everyone else is whilst this man is very high from the ground. The picture is mainly made up of buildings even in the background there is a lot of them.
Composition - The photographer has used rule of thirds because one third of the picture is a building being constructed another third is buildings and the top third is sky. From how we can see the photo it seems to be portrait. In the foreground of the image there is a builder who is high up on a thin piece of metal which makes me feel very uneasy because he could fall. In the background there is a tall building which catches my attention as it is different from all the others. There seems to be a far depth of field as you can see far into the image where there are loads of buildings. I think he used a wide angle lens with a focal length of 24mm-35mm as she has captured a portrait picture of a landscape with a far depth of field.
Context - "Len Grant is a photographer based in Manchester who takes pictures of beautiful architectures and he tells stories with photographs, sketches and of course with words. The picture was took in Manchester and was taken to show the aftermath of the Manchester bombing. He focuses on giving a voice to people such as recovering addicts, homeless people and those who are on a very low income. Many of his projects have been around social issues or urban renewal".(This was researched)
Connection - It connects to my work because we are doing landscapes which includes buildings. I like the way in which the photographer has took the image because it shows that even so Manchester was bombed the community remained strong and together fixed and replaced what had been damaged. The photographer has also captured the picture of the whole landscape which something I am trying to do. I think there is a strong message behind the Image being, that you can take the people away from the city but you can't take the city away from the people. The image is not in black and white which I think was done purposely to show that the city remains colourful.
Comment - I think the meaning behind the picture is that even so Manchester was bombed we pulled together to fix our beautiful city. Which links back to Len Grants aims to give voices to people who are suffering. I like that Len Grant has captured the builder fixing something because it shows that we can rebuild as a society. I can use this image to inspire me because I can capture a picture of a similar landscape and try to embody my own message. The only weakness in this image if I was being picky is that the message behind it isn't as clear as it could've been.
Composition - The photographer has used rule of thirds because one third of the picture is a building being constructed another third is buildings and the top third is sky. From how we can see the photo it seems to be portrait. In the foreground of the image there is a builder who is high up on a thin piece of metal which makes me feel very uneasy because he could fall. In the background there is a tall building which catches my attention as it is different from all the others. There seems to be a far depth of field as you can see far into the image where there are loads of buildings. I think he used a wide angle lens with a focal length of 24mm-35mm as she has captured a portrait picture of a landscape with a far depth of field.
Context - "Len Grant is a photographer based in Manchester who takes pictures of beautiful architectures and he tells stories with photographs, sketches and of course with words. The picture was took in Manchester and was taken to show the aftermath of the Manchester bombing. He focuses on giving a voice to people such as recovering addicts, homeless people and those who are on a very low income. Many of his projects have been around social issues or urban renewal".(This was researched)
Connection - It connects to my work because we are doing landscapes which includes buildings. I like the way in which the photographer has took the image because it shows that even so Manchester was bombed the community remained strong and together fixed and replaced what had been damaged. The photographer has also captured the picture of the whole landscape which something I am trying to do. I think there is a strong message behind the Image being, that you can take the people away from the city but you can't take the city away from the people. The image is not in black and white which I think was done purposely to show that the city remains colourful.
Comment - I think the meaning behind the picture is that even so Manchester was bombed we pulled together to fix our beautiful city. Which links back to Len Grants aims to give voices to people who are suffering. I like that Len Grant has captured the builder fixing something because it shows that we can rebuild as a society. I can use this image to inspire me because I can capture a picture of a similar landscape and try to embody my own message. The only weakness in this image if I was being picky is that the message behind it isn't as clear as it could've been.
Wales, Angelsey
Content - In the image I can see a light house, the ocean, grass, rocks and also the sky. There is also a long stair case leading to the light house. There are also some mountains in the background which set a line through the picture. There is a beautiful skyline running through the back of the picture. The picture seems to be new as it is in colour and clear. The image is in colour, and the colour looks orangish which gives it a warming feeling. From the title I know that the picture was took in Angelsey which is located in Wales.
Context- "The photo was taken in Wales, Anglesey as it tells us in the title of the image. We know that it was taken quite recently because the quality of the image is quite clear. It had been taken to show the majestic landscape beyond the vast amount of the sea. The tall structural building shown in the picture is a lighthouse. This is a very old building on the coast of a nearby beach on top of a hill. Anglesey is famous for its amazing views". (This was researched)
Composition - In the background I can see mountains which go down a line and give a nice contrast into the sky. There is a lighthouse which is the main focus point of the image as it captures my eye straight away. I can tell that the white balance had been set on cloudy, I got this idea from the number of clouds shown but less sun rays. The picture has been split into three sections horizontally. One third of the image is covered by the mountains and rocks. The middle third has the view of the lighthouse and finally the last third has the darker area of the mountains and cloudy sky. I can assume this image was taken by the help of a tripod as it's scale and angle isn't bent. There are more tertiary colours popping out however the green is the colour which reflects out the most.
Connection- This picture was taken in Anglesey, Wales this can link to my work because it has an amazing skyline and I also have pictures of skylines. Personally I like the way the photographer has captured this image because the rule of thirds that he has used has come quite naturally and not much was needed to get this effect which makes it more elegant. It includes different features into which I will put into my images on Landscapes. This image shows how isolated a piece of land may be however there are bits which make it standout.
Comment- In my opinion, this image is a simple but exquisite landscape. A weakness for this picture is that it doesn't have a meaning behind it, however the picture it's self looks pleasant and creates a calm relaxing mood. Personally I like the way the photographer has captured this image because the rule of thirds that he has used has come quite naturally and not much was needed to get this effect. The landscape portrays a beautiful side of the world which many are not able to witness.
Context- "The photo was taken in Wales, Anglesey as it tells us in the title of the image. We know that it was taken quite recently because the quality of the image is quite clear. It had been taken to show the majestic landscape beyond the vast amount of the sea. The tall structural building shown in the picture is a lighthouse. This is a very old building on the coast of a nearby beach on top of a hill. Anglesey is famous for its amazing views". (This was researched)
Composition - In the background I can see mountains which go down a line and give a nice contrast into the sky. There is a lighthouse which is the main focus point of the image as it captures my eye straight away. I can tell that the white balance had been set on cloudy, I got this idea from the number of clouds shown but less sun rays. The picture has been split into three sections horizontally. One third of the image is covered by the mountains and rocks. The middle third has the view of the lighthouse and finally the last third has the darker area of the mountains and cloudy sky. I can assume this image was taken by the help of a tripod as it's scale and angle isn't bent. There are more tertiary colours popping out however the green is the colour which reflects out the most.
Connection- This picture was taken in Anglesey, Wales this can link to my work because it has an amazing skyline and I also have pictures of skylines. Personally I like the way the photographer has captured this image because the rule of thirds that he has used has come quite naturally and not much was needed to get this effect which makes it more elegant. It includes different features into which I will put into my images on Landscapes. This image shows how isolated a piece of land may be however there are bits which make it standout.
Comment- In my opinion, this image is a simple but exquisite landscape. A weakness for this picture is that it doesn't have a meaning behind it, however the picture it's self looks pleasant and creates a calm relaxing mood. Personally I like the way the photographer has captured this image because the rule of thirds that he has used has come quite naturally and not much was needed to get this effect. The landscape portrays a beautiful side of the world which many are not able to witness.
Here is a mind map I made using coggle
Flowers in the snow
Trees in the snow
Fornby
Beach
Close ups with sea in the background
Beach pictures with sea in the background
Textures
Trees
Bunch of trees
Close ups
Process of outcomes
Final outcomes
Curled trees
Dark
Pathways
Straight trees
Tree trunks
More tree pictures
Close ups
Dotted leaves
Berries
Leaves
Here is a tutorial I used to help me
Picture 1 process of all outcomes
Final outcomes
In these images drawing of light was used by me using the eraser brush to rub the picture in front which was black and white to see the same picture in the background which was in colour so that the bits I wanted in colour in the picture could be so.
Linking paragraph
I went to London on a trip in the summer to take pictures of the different types of architecture and buildings there. I wanted to do this because it is different to any other photos that I have captured before and it shows that I am dedicated to my website as I am exploring in a different city. I visited St Paul's Cathedral and was able to go right to the top to capture a Birdseye view of London where I took pictures of the skyline and tall buildings. As it was summer time the lighting was hard which meant I had to put the aperature up to F16 or higher. Whilst in the underground I manged to get a linear photo of double yellow lines. I also visited Fornby in October in order to push my grade even further. In Fornby I managed to capture pictures of the different variety of trees, leaves, berries, sea bed, pathway and the different textures in the sand. I tried to use a lot of depth of fields to get a wide range of different effect on some of the pictures.
Artist research on Alexandra Lhermite-Schwass
Content- I have chosen to do my artist research on Alexandra Lhermite-Schwass as she really captures the beauty of London's skyline. The picture seems to be new and also in colour. The picture was taken in London and it is mainly of structure. The effect of having no people shows the peaceful and calm side of the busy streets of London. Over half of the picture is structure and the rest is sky.
Composition- In the foreground of the picture I can see the top of the buildings whereas in the middle ground the bridge captures my eye and draws me in, in the background you can also see the different types of buildings. There is a river has strong leading lines that travel through the city that has a vanishing point. I can see an amazing skyline which inspires me to try to get a similar photo of a skyline in London. From the picture I can tell that the picture was being taken early in the morning at sunset or in the evening at sunrise to let the rays of the sun hit the clouds to get these soft colours as there are beautiful colours being formed in the background such as light red/orange and pink/purple which create a nice and light contrast into the darkness of the buildings really far back. Rule of thirds has been used as 1 third of the picture is sky and two thirds are buildings and river. The picture has a incredibly deep depth of field. The focus point of the image is the bridge as it breaks the foreground of the image up from the left to the edge. The photographer has probably used a telescope lens and tripod. The picture was taken in a Birdseye view.
Context- "This picture is really good as it showcases the beauty of London for people who may not be so fortunate to go and see it them self. This picture represents London in a positive way by showing all of its amazing buildings and majestic river that runs through the city. It puts London on the map for being the home to some iconic and historic buildings". (This was researched)
Context- "Alexandra Lhermite-Schwass believes that her photography is a reflection of her character which is curious and observing. "My images are a collection of intriguing scenery and striking details, sharing my personal interpretation of the beauty that the world has to offer." She came from an international background. She was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1983, of Swedish-German parents, and then grew up in Lausanne, Switzerland. However she is currently based in London, United Kingdom". (This was researched)
Comment- I really like this picture and how it is took and the location, I like it that much that it has influenced me to take a journey to London and try my best to capture a similar or an even better photo of a skyline in London. I really like how she has used the rule of thirds to capture two thirds of buildings and and another third of of sky which looks incredible.
Composition- In the foreground of the picture I can see the top of the buildings whereas in the middle ground the bridge captures my eye and draws me in, in the background you can also see the different types of buildings. There is a river has strong leading lines that travel through the city that has a vanishing point. I can see an amazing skyline which inspires me to try to get a similar photo of a skyline in London. From the picture I can tell that the picture was being taken early in the morning at sunset or in the evening at sunrise to let the rays of the sun hit the clouds to get these soft colours as there are beautiful colours being formed in the background such as light red/orange and pink/purple which create a nice and light contrast into the darkness of the buildings really far back. Rule of thirds has been used as 1 third of the picture is sky and two thirds are buildings and river. The picture has a incredibly deep depth of field. The focus point of the image is the bridge as it breaks the foreground of the image up from the left to the edge. The photographer has probably used a telescope lens and tripod. The picture was taken in a Birdseye view.
Context- "This picture is really good as it showcases the beauty of London for people who may not be so fortunate to go and see it them self. This picture represents London in a positive way by showing all of its amazing buildings and majestic river that runs through the city. It puts London on the map for being the home to some iconic and historic buildings". (This was researched)
Context- "Alexandra Lhermite-Schwass believes that her photography is a reflection of her character which is curious and observing. "My images are a collection of intriguing scenery and striking details, sharing my personal interpretation of the beauty that the world has to offer." She came from an international background. She was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1983, of Swedish-German parents, and then grew up in Lausanne, Switzerland. However she is currently based in London, United Kingdom". (This was researched)
Comment- I really like this picture and how it is took and the location, I like it that much that it has influenced me to take a journey to London and try my best to capture a similar or an even better photo of a skyline in London. I really like how she has used the rule of thirds to capture two thirds of buildings and and another third of of sky which looks incredible.
Some of the images that I manged to capture
Artist research on Len Grant
I have choose to research Len Grant as he is a photographer based in Manchester who takes pictures of beautiful architectures and tells a story through his pictures. He focuses on giving a voice to people such as recovering addicts, homeless people and those who are on a very income.
Architecture
Borough market architecture
Niki Gorick- niki Gorick's picture compared to mine.
British museum
Picture process
Final outcome
In this final outcome I used drawing of light as I used the lasso tool to cut certain pieces of the picture which I then used to decorate the walls of the building.
Statues and engravings in the British museum
Penny Young-Penny Young's picture compared to mine.
Borough market
Process of final outcomes
Final outcomes
Skyline by me |
Taken by Julian Elliott |
Process of final outcomes
Final images
St Paul's cathedral
BestI think this is the best picture from this category as I really like as I have managed to capture the beauty outside of St Paul's Cathedral, and having the trees in the way makes it look more better as it looks hidden.
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WorstI think this is the worst image in the category because although I have capture the beauty outside of the Cathedral, there is a bright red bus and loads of other people in the picture which ruin the peacefulness of the image.
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Process of outcomes
Drawing in light was included in these images as I used the brush to erase parts of the picture.
Top of the cathedral
BestI think this is the best image from this category as it shows the modern architecture of London as there are some big buildings with unusual structure.
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WorstI think this is he worst image out of the category as there is a arm in the bottom right corner which ruins the image however this could be fixed in Photoshop.
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Process of final outcomes
Final outcomes
Trains
Process of outcomes
Final outcomes
In all of these outcomes drawing of light was included as the magic lasso tool was used to cut out the train and the underground sign to place on top of one of my earlier outcomes to get a weird effect. I also used a range of sizes of the eraser brush to get rid of any unwanted things in the picture so that it was as crisp as possible.
Underground
Blackpool
I visited Blackpool to try to capture pictures of the waves of the sea in the dark and also the famous Blackpool clock tower in all its lights, I also managed to capture some pictures of the wheel which was also covered in spectacular lights.
Waves
Blackpool tower
The wheel
Evaluation
The project theme was 'landscapes' which I think was really good as it meant I got to visit various places in order to get pictures of the landscape there. The thing I enjoyed the most about the project was actually getting the pictures I wanted as it took a little a bit of time to get the right camera settings which I enjoyed the difficulty of doing. A new technique I found was during this project was using photoshop to collage different layers on top of my image which made the outcome look really good. A technique I would like to develop further would be the ability to capture an image with a shallow depth of field. Through this project, I have researched Alexandra Lhermite-Schwass, Len Grant and Tim Peake whom all took pictures of landscapes in different ways. They influenced me to take a variety of different photos from different landscapes which have helped my portfolio. The technique I enjoyed the most was collaging on photoshop. I think the most successful part of my project is my final outcomes because it shows how I have taken them on a journey and made them better and better along the way. I encountered many minor problems along the way which I quickly overcame, one of these problems being Weebly crashing but I kept my cool and carried on the best I could. Some problems occurred in photoshop which I managed to resolve resulting in a better final outcome. If I was given the chance to the project again I would not go to Formby and instead go to somewhere like Anglesey in Wales.