Friday, 27 February 2015

Decay #1 Work Diary

The aspect of the landscape which I looked at within this shoot was decay, which I derived from my mind map. Originally i was going to shoot a cemetery but as I was on my way walking there, and noticed a car which had been set alight and was completely burnt out in the forest, which I thought was a perfect representation of decay and was also quite abstract against the landscape. I think this shoot went very well as it is a shoot i suppose no one else has done, I focused on the burnt out car, landscape photography which showed the car in the forest, this displayed how odd it looked. Obviously, this shoot did not go according to plan as I intended to shoot something else, but I think this was an objet trouve´.


This image shows the inside of the burnt out car, and I think this image looks like a landscape itself. this image is a close up of the wrecked car from the inside, which i managed to get by leaning into the car through the window. This image reminds me of when you are in an aeroplane flying from height however you can still see the ground, but every bit of field, road and sea seem like patches, when I see this picture this is what I think of. I like the different colours within this picture, but mainly I like how they are dark colours as to me this describe decay. When i hear the word decay I think of old, eroded things which have dingy colours and within this image this is what I see. 


I don't really like this picture as i don't think enough of the car was shown. I would have preferred if more of the car was shown and less of the landscape. I like how the landscape is out of focus and the car is in focus, as this shows the focus on the aspect as opposed to the landscape as a whole. I feel if the car was more in this photograph the white colour would have contrasted more against the natural browns in the landscape, this producing more of a highlight to the aspect. I do like how you can see the cracks of the paintwork and the groove they follow with the close up of the car, although I would of preferred if it was less of a close up to show more of the car, like I have already mentioned. 

I am very happy with this shoot, I tried to vary the shot types as it was my first shoot and i wanted to see what did and didn't work concerning aspects of the landscape, I think close ups are very good to use with this exam question. I also think showing depth is good and producing a shot where the landscape is out of focus and the aspect is in focus. I think selective colour also worked with this topic however i think it would of worked better with more contrasting colours, but I will definitely be using it again.

Progression

Within my next shoot I will shoot the cemetery and elaborate on the aspect of decay, because this is what I originally planned to do, and I still remain wanting to do it. I think cemetery will be a good shoot for decay because the decay will relate to the rusted tombstones and how they change colour through different weathers, and because actually a cemetery is symbol of decay because people are literally decaying underneath the ground people stand upon in there.


Friday, 6 February 2015

Image Bank

1) The aspect of the landscape within this image is the colour within this image, the mixture of colours in the sky combined with what seems like a silhouette tree works very well together. The aspect of this image could also be  the sky alone as it is the brightest thing within this image making it the focal point, due to the tree being all black, its just brings out the bright colours more almost like a contrast. I like the idea of shooting a sunset as an aspect of the landscape within this image.

2) The aspect of the landscape within this image the idea of solitude, as a natural setting has been chosen, and a house is placed in an almost centre of the image. I think this is a really individual aspect to use , and I like when photographers focus on original aspects and perhaps aspects which are not so obvious. The aspect of the landscape could also be the idea of being unattended as the little houses paint is wearing off and the grass by the beach is well overgrown.

3) The aspect of the landscape within this image is focusing on the creatures which live in this landscape, proclaiming it as there habitat. This image is a close up, and due to the minimum depth of field within this image has left the dragonfly in focus and kept the background out of focus, displaying the aspect as the most important focus of the image. you can still detect the landscape is outdoors due to the cluster of green. I like the idea of shooting animals within a landscape.

4) The aspect of the landscape within this image is the reflection, it is very eye-catching as the colours within the reflection are slightly dimmer, providing a contrast within the image. This image is very sharp and clear which is a very nice effect as the reflection happens to look the exact same. I like how the landscape is shown on a large scale, showing the sky as well as the mountain, I like this because the landscape is shown switched the exact same in the reflection. The colours within this photograph are lovely and bright making the image very appealing to look at.

5) The aspect of the landscape within this image is depth, this is shown through the bridge which travels through the water. This is done through the viewpoint of the camera, and the length of the bridge, it comes across very narrow towards the top, and the wideness as the beginning makes it seem very long. The landscape also makes the bridge seem a lot longer because the bottom of the bridge hits the clouds, where they seem very small and very low down almost as if they are touching the little hut at the bottom of the bridge.


6) The aspect of the landscape within this image is decay, this image is very interesting to me because within this topic i did not think it was possible to do a shoot inside, however this one has told me that you can. I like the dull colours within this image as it adds to the idea of decay and destruction. The chair within this image is in central reservation which almost makes it the focal point of the image if there wasn't so much going on behind the chair.

7) The aspect of the landscape within this image is movement, which has been emphasised by the shutter speed of the camera, making everyone seem as if they are moving really fast. I think the background of this image tells a sort of story as chinese/japanese signs cover the background suggesting that this is a town/city, which gives a reason for why everyone is moving so fast; because everyone in a city is in a rush and is fast paced. The colour of the people moving seems to be brighter than the background which makes them the focal point of the image, which also highlights the aspect of the landscape.

8) The aspect of the landscape within this image is either mass or depth, or perhaps even both. The photographer has took this image so that the field of corn starts in the corner point which produces the idea that the corn is running long before the point where the photographer is standing. This image has been taken in a wide angle lens which allows the audience to see more of the landscape, which shows more of the corn which emphasises the mass (even thought there more than likely is loads). I like the colour within this image as it is very alike however slightly becomes lighter as the image continues.

9) In this image a cityscape has been taken with the use of a wide angle lens which shows a skyline within London. The use of the bridge that runs across the river produces slight depth however the most captivating thing within this image is the way the sky changes colour and then almost merges against the buildings in the skyline, therefore I think the aspect of the landscape within this image is colour as to me it is the most eye-catching thing within the image.


10) The aspect of the landscape within this image is both colour and stillness. The water, sky and rocks all seem to be a shade of blue, all coinciding with each other. This image has been taken in a wide angle lens and depth is produce as the lighthouse seems very small and very far away. Within this image the water looks very still (which means it has been taken in a fast shutter speed) and this is very unusual but interesting to look at as it is not something that you would usually see.

11) I cannot decide what the aspect of the landscape is within this image however I am drawn to the idea of solitude and perhaps colour. I think solitude because within this image only one shop can be seen, there is not any other shops or houses or anything, however not much is shown within this image. I am more drawn to the idea of colour as the street seems very dull coloured, and even the sky looks dreary, however the blue and red of the shop sticks out like a sore thumb, making it seem like the focal point of the image. I like this image as it reminds me of a small, less populated little town.


12) The aspect of the landscape within this image is both mass and depth. Mass because the image shows an endless amount of tyres piled up on each side of the image, however I like it because of the little lane down the middle which is a light brown in comparison to the charcoal grey and it breaks up the image. Depth is also the aspect of the landscape in this image because the little lane down the middle seems to get smaller and smaller as the tyres continue, producing the idea of just how long the tyres go on for, however you can see green at the end, which suggests an open field.

13) The aspect of the landscape within this image is scale, however in my head it is produced in an odd way. This picture looks like it has been taken from an aeroplane or perhaps a helicopter as it is an overhead view if a country, one we have all seen if we have travelled via plane. The aspect of the landscape in this image makes the scale seem both big and small. Big because it makes the country as a whole seem big as it holds a lot of what looks to be compartment, however small because it makes every little compartment seem insignificant as there are many that are the same.

14) The aspect of the landscape within this image is erosion/decay as it shows how age has taken its toll on a colosseum. This image has been taken from a low view point making the colosseum seem very big. I like the colour of this image as the colosseum and the sky are two very different colours and they clash against each other well making the building stand out. If you look closely at the image you can see slight cracks in the colosseum, however without even doing this, you can see how it has broken off at the side.

15) The aspect of the landscape within this image is both colour and depth. The pink colour of the blossoms basically dominate this picture because they crowd over covering the sky within this image and a lot have fallen down covering the pavement, however you can still see the grey road which is nice as it breaks up the pink and also allows the pink to stand out. Depth is created in this image as you look down the image and see the road continue and pink still over shadow it, suggesting that the blossoms for a very long time.

16) The aspect of the landscape within this image is depth as the train track is in central reservation and you can see how it continues down in a straight line and how (like the previous image) the blossom pink trees continue however leaving a smaller and smaller parting as the railway track continues (yet in the distance getting smaller) . I like the colour of this image as the pink slightly stands out against the odd green sky (which I find very abstract). i find this picture quite dreary because it is quite dulled down colours (even the pink) however I think it works in this environment.

17) In this image the aspect of the landscape seems to be scale as a wide angle lens has been used and the hills seem to be endless and quite high up as the sun is setting behind it. I love the colour within this image as various different oranges are within the image because of the sun, it also goes well against the green of the hills.

18) In this image the aspect of the landscape is both scale and colour, scale because a wide angle lens is used for the water and sky which makes it seem endless, which is really quite beautiful. colour is an aspect because of the differentiation of colours. Blue, green and red is used mainly and they are all quite bright, especially the red. The use of the red, which almost seems like it doesn't fit, is so captivating and interesting it makes you want to look at this picture for even longer.

19) The aspect of this landscape is both scale and mass. Scale is one aspect because this image has been taken as an overhead shot and as the buildings continue so does the sky, this gives the vibe that they both continue for a very long time in a large expanse of area. Mass is an aspect because of the amount of buildings there are in this one image, this image is obviously a city but it is odd to see this image as you don't consider the area to be this big. I really like this image as I think it is an image that produces a thought track.

20) The aspect of the landscape within this image seems to be reflection as the water is very calm providing quite an accurate image which has been reflected. I like this image because of the vibrant orange of the sky which creates the palm trees to form into a silhouette. This picture has been taken in a wide angle lens so the aspect of this landscape could also be scale.

21) In this image the aspect of the landscape is depth as the bridge has been taken as a central reservation, which takes up all of the bottom of the image, and as the image continues the bridge continues to get smaller and smaller. I love the environment of this image as the trees which surround it suggests that this bridge is situated in a rainforest which people may only discover as they travel, which to me feels like this image is taking you on a journey. i like how this image has barely been edited and is kept in its natural state.


22) The aspect of this landscape is movement as it shows a bird moving through water and the water rising up against it as it does so. A fast shutter speed has been used for this image as although the bird is moving, a still image has been formed. The bird is the focal point within this image and depth of field has been created as the landscape behind has become out of focus, and into a blur of greens. I think this is a nice effect as you can still guess the sort of landscape this is without having to see it.



23) The aspect of this landscape is movement, this image reminds me of a journey and travelling and taking a picture of every possible thing that you see which I really like. Half of this image is still as it is half of the train which they are travelling in and the other half of the image you can see how fast the train is travelling as the rest of the image becomes blurred. Within this image I class the landscape to be both the train and the outside of the train as it is almost split.




24) In this image the aspect of the landscape is both scale and colour. The aspect of the landscape is scale because this image has been taken on a wide angle lens, I like the use of scale in this image as I really admire the dip at the bottom of image, how it lowers in the middle and comes back up at both ends. Colour is the aspect of this image also because of the way blue is a running theme, within this image the blue almost seems to become lighter the higher up the image goes, which I find a really nice effect.

25) The aspect of this landscape is scale as this image has been taken in a wide angle lens and seems very big, the mountains which are in the distance, although they are faint and seem small against the little hut, you can still tell they are large as they reach the clouds in the background. I love in this image how the little hut seems big and the mountains seem small, i love this effect within photos, which is created through positioning.




26) The aspect of this landscape is height as this picture has been taken in a low angle and has made it seem very tall. This picture is very interesting as you watch the tornado reach up into the clouds and watch as it gets thinner as it goes up, however this may just be an  effect of the low angle. I like the dull colour of this image as the golden sand is brought out by the contrast of the dreary colours.



27) The aspect of the landscape within this image is colour as the variation oranges which are quite bright and because of the positioning of the sun the giraffes come out as a silhouette. I really love this picture as it reminds me of Africa and I love animals and this picture makes me happy to see them running around freely, I love how everything excluding the sky is absence of colour.


28) The aspect of the landscape within this image could both be scale and colour. This image has been taken on a wide angle lens which has made this country scenery seem like it goes on for a very long time, producing an aspect of scale. However the colours are all green, brown and sky blue, all very natural colours and only 3 are used, suggesting that colour is the aspect of the landscape. In this image I love the positioning of the tree on the side as I think it breaks up the picture.

29) Within this image the aspect of the landscape is colour which is very obvious as the bright colours of the flowers dominate the picture as they are very captivating. Also it is obvious that colour is the aspect of the landscape within this image as even the sky is tinged with a colour of pink. I like this image and the use of the colour within it, as I rarely see images in which colours completely take over the picture, however I would prefer if the sky was its natural shade of blue as it makes the whole image seem over edited.

30) In this image I think the aspect of the landscape is both scale/mass and colour. The use of a wide angle lens shows much more of the landscape , and by doing this it shows the amount of tulips within one image and you can't actually see them stop which is really lovely as it produces and endless vibe. I also think colour is the aspect as the colour of the tulips change and are very bright against the green of their stems and the very light blue sky, which makes them stand out and become the focal point of the image.

Discussion

For my unit 4 topic I have decided to do the exam question of 'Aspects of the Landscape'. Despite having chosen to do this exam question specifically I will incorporate some of the other questions, Viewpoint and Composition and Multiple Images. I will incorporate viewpoint and composition by considering my viewpoint when I am and taking pictures for the aspects of the landscape, for example, when I go into London to shoot, I will do a shoot focusing on the height which the city goes to, focusing on the height of the buildings, by taking an image from a low angle, depth is created, making to seem very tall. I will use multiple imagery to show various different aspects of the landscape in one image, to show the many different aspects one landscape can hold. I will also use multiple imagery to emphasise that certain aspect in one landscape, showing it a various amount of time.

I have chosen to do the Aspects of the Landscape exam question because it is predominantly outside and throughout the entire journey of my photography work, i haven't been outside much so i thought it would be nice to end it by focusing on mainly outside surroundings. I have also chosen to do Aspects of the Landscape because it avoids me having to rely on models , i have found within past projects that models are very hard to find and when you find them, they may be unreliable, because of this the majority of shoots in the past I have used the same model or just myself, which becomes repetitive. Areas of the Landscape is a very broad question which means I am able to go wherever I would like with the question, I can focus on any aspect which I would like, it can range from the scale of a landscape to an emotion which the landscape promotes.

I have various different locations in mind for landscapes and different aspects which I would like to focus on within them, the only issue is getting them to link. The majority of my ideas have come from looking at the photographers which are mentioned in the exam paper, Fay Goldwin, Kate Mellor and James Ravillous. Between them they seem to focus on the landscape of the countryside/coast which was very helpful because despite that they were all shooting the same kind of thing, I was able to look at the different aspects they notice within each image.

Locations and Aspects I have thought of so far goes as follows:

  • London - Focus on aspects such as the tall buildings, the movement within the city, the large scale city scape
  • Tunisia - (due to the fact during a half term I will be visiting there) Focus on  aspects such as the colours within a tunisian market landscape, the underdevelopment of a landscape by looking at the construction which is just left around and the dusty roads
  • Colosseum- Focus on the aspect of decay and oldness
  • Littered area- Focus on the aspect of how this can decay an area and pollute it 
  • Cemetery- Focus on the aspect of decay again with the tarnished tomb stones, and the fact that people are decaying beneath the earth




Definition

Aspects of the Landscape 

Dictionary Definition of 'Aspect': A characteristic or feature of something

Describing words of 'Aspect':

  • Character
  • Situation
  • Consequences
  • Game
Dictionary Definition of 'Landscape':  All the visible features of an area of land, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal

Describing words of 'Landscape':

  • Breathtaking
  • Picturesque
  • Towering
  • Desolate
  • Crumbling
In this image the aspect of the landscape which seems to have been focused on is the empty space, which with this photographer seems like a running theme (Fay Godwin). Another aspect of landscapes which this photographer focuses on is the coast and countryside as landscapes, and their emptiness. The photographer has put this image in black and white which enforces the emptiness, as it highlights the difference between the field and the sky, and the black and white shows that nothing else is in between. This image promotes a peaceful aspect of this landscape as it shown to be empty and very simple. 


In this image the aspect of the landscape which is focused on seems to be the destruction of the landscape as the picture shows rocks falling into something that looks like a bath. This suggests that there was a disaster which caused such destruction to happen, the photographer (Kate Mellor) named this photograph 'Project Fear'. This image of an Aspect of the Landscape actually provides feeling, it is quite eerie and also sad due to the decay. I like that this image is quite close up as opposed to showing this on a large scale because I like how the decay is what is being focused on as it is really interesting and more noticeable on a close up scale. 





In this image the aspect which seems to be looked at is the economic aspect. The photographer of this image (James Ravillous) has the economic aspect of a farm/ countryside landscape as a running theme within his photography, I think this idea is quite original and individual. The picture has been put in black and white (like the majority of his work) however I think this is a good think because then the colour does not take any attention away from the purpose of the image, to show every working day life of people in this landscape. 




In this image the aspect of the landscape seems to be the colour blue as it is a running theme within this image, the sea is blue, the sky is a mixture of blues and the rocks are a tinge of blue. The aspect of the landscape however could also be the movement of the sea, as a purposefully the photographer (Ross Hoddinot) has used a slow shutter speed on his camera which has blurred all the water and gave it a soft misty vibe. Or the aspect of the landscape within this image could be the large scale, which is made visible as the lighthouse is seen in the distance.

My own definition of 'Aspects of the landscape': Focusing on a specific feature within a certain area

Tuesday, 3 February 2015