Shoot Seven - Work Record

For this shoot, I decided to go back to using the plain mask, however, I wanted it to be worn outside of College in an urban environment, as I feel that would create more real and extreme reactiosn that in a an A level Photography classroom.

For the shoot, I hoped to capture a metaphorical representation of society's attitudes to mental disorders.
 
 This is probably my favourite image from my shoot. One of the thing I like it the narrow depth of field I achieved when taking this image, as it means the main focus of the image, which is the masked face, is in focus and the people in the background are not, which implies they don't are understand and are disconnected from the masked man, who is supposed to represent somebody with a mental disorder. Another thing I like about this image is the framing and composition. I used rule of thirds to take this image, putting my subject onto the right focus points of the grid, meaning he stands out from the background and is the first thing you notice. I took the image from a very close up perspective too, which I feel makes us connect with the subject more and the image feels much more intimate.

  
This, however, is an image that I would say was not very successful from my shoot. This uses a narrow depth of field like the previously shown image, however, in this image, the focus point is in the background rather than the foreground, meaning the masked man is out of focus. Although this could be seen as experimentation and is not objectively bad, I personally preferred the focus point to be on the masked man in this shoot, as he was the main thing that is being represented throughout the shoot. This image I also feel lacked in saturated colours, as even the colours that were supposed to be bright appear slightly muted. This could have been avoided by setting the white balance rather than having it set on auto.

For my final exam piece shoot, I hope to incorporate both the painted and plain masks in both the studio and on location while using long exposures and overlaying images together and manipulating layer blending in Photoshop.

Exam Layout

Exam dates, 19^th, 21^st and 26^th April

Please ensure that you address the following within the blogger.

Target number of shoots = 2

The first three hours of the exam must be consecutive.

It is recommended that students do not start their exam with a first shoot on location unless they intend to continue the shoot for a 3 hour period.

PRIOR to the exam students who intend to photograph on location must have an outline proposal on their web site.  The shoot time will be measured as the time taken to photograph – travel time.  For each shoot (e.g. shoot 1) you can photograph in two different locations and have the travel time between the shoots deducted.

	Done y/n
AO1:   ·   Is my work linked to my research?  ·   Am I showing a progression of my work from previous shoots? – mention the preparatory shoots within the work record. ·   Am I analysing my work objectively… (connotation, denotation, etc.)? This can be done in the work record.
AO2:   ·   Am I experimenting with techniques, processes, materials? This can be shown in the work record, computer experiments and physical experiments (if done as part of the exam). ·   Am I reviewing and refining my ideas (learning from e.g. preparatory shoots)? This can be shown in the work record and final evaluation.
AO3: ·   Am I recording my ideas, observations?  This can be shown in the work record. ·   Am I reflecting on my work and progress? This can be shown in the work record and final evaluation.
AO4:   ·   Am I adopting a personalised approach within my photography, am I expressing why I photographed/edited/printed the subject area in a particular way? This can be shown in the work record and final evaluation. ·   How do my final photographs/final pieces, connect with my previous research?  This can be shown in the final evaluation.

For each shoot you will need to create the following posts.

·         Contact sheet

·         Straight images (as many as you wish to post)

·         Work Record

·         Computer experiments (if carried out during the exam)

·         Physical experiments (if carried out during the exam)

·         Final Pieces

·         Final evaluation

On page 2 there is an outline of why these components are required and what you need to write within each section.

Why you need the following posts

Contact sheet

Will evidence the breadth of your research. 

Straight Images (as many as you wish to post)

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

Work Record your Plans for the shoot, What you hope to achieve. NB (those first two sections should be written before the shoot in order to help you clarify your ideas and to ensure you have all that you need).  This is followed up by What I actually achieved (with two evaluated pictures - equivalent to the evaluation section of a work diary) In this section you must record how you took the photograph in terms of camera settings and the visual outcome (did you achieve the type of photographs you wanted, what are the denotations and possible connotations associated with the images).  Candidates are expected to use technical language (e.g. depth of field, etc).  What I am doing to do next (this might mean something that occurred whilst doing that shoot that you want to develop or maybe even a change in direction, etc).  Clearly your final shoot will not have a “what am I going to do next section”

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.

Physical experiments -

Physical experiments will demonstrate your ability to experiment with the medium of photography… This is an important aspect of the AQA assessment criteria.  The process involves the way a final print is physically transformed and how the meaning of a print changes as a result of the transformation.  Physical experiments SHOULD be recorded by scanning in the transformed print..  You will need to explain how the transformation has changed the meaning of the photograph e.g. describe your concept and the connotations associated with the print.

FINAL PIECES

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)

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

o    technical (learning new techniques in camera operation, shooting)

o   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 m

Shoot Six - Work Record

For this shoot, I decided I would incorporate the painted mask again, only this time, I would go back into the studio with it and use some spotlights to create a dramatic and dark tone with it.

For this shoot, I hope to create a darker representation of depression than in my previous shoots through the use of low key lighting.

 
 This is the best photo from my shoot in my opinion. I like this partly because of close up perspective, which is something I've not incorporated into my shoots yet. I feel this perspective makes the image very personal and intimate with the subject. I also like the use of the rule of thirds, as I put my subject in the left centre point where your eyes would look so that more attention is drawn to them. Finally, I like the low key lighting and the light's position in relation the the subject's face, as it lit up mostly the side where the paint is, which creates connotations of there being hope.
 
However, this is an image that I felt didn't go as well as I had planned. Although the positioning of the light lit up the place on my subject's face I wanted, I feel like the angle I shot this at took away from the mood. You can see past the black background that was my backdrop and see the wall next o it. You can also see the top of the studio backdrop where the backdrops roll down from, which I feel ruins the effect I wanted from this image, which was a pure darkness, void-like background with just a dimly lit face on it.

For my next shoot, I plan to go back to the plain masks, however, I want ot use them in a less friendly environment where I will get more extreme reactions to them.

Shoot Five - Work Record

For this shoot, I decided I was going to incorporate some physical art into my mask idea by covering half of a plain mask in a few different brightly coloured paints. I also decided that it was time to incorporate a new location that I haven't previously used which should be rural and outside of College.

For this shoot, I hoped to create a shoot that creates a representation of mental disorders as well as having connotations of societal stigma of mental disorders.
Here is an image that I feel was successful.

This image is possibly my favourite from this shoot. One thing that I think makes it successful is the composition and framing. I implemented the rule of thirds, placing my subject roughly where the left vertical grid line is so that your eye is immediately drawn to them. Also, the use of a long shot perspective I felt was important to this image, because although this perspective means you can see less details on the paint covered mask, I like the contrast the bright saturated colours of the leaves from the background and foreground make to the white mask with only a splash of colour on it. Finally, I like the exact location I chose for this image, as it contains lots of overgrown trees in the background and a broken fence, which have connotations of chaos that contrast to my subjects calm body language.


On the other hand, here is an image that I fell was not very successful. With this image, I was experimenting with shooting on f5.6 to achieve a narrow depth field. I was changing the focal points to different areas in the photograph and this came out of me experimenting. Although a narrow depth of field has been achieved, the background is in focus rather than the foreground, which means you can't see my subject as well as you should be able to and your eye isn't immediately drawn to them. Also, I feel like taking the shot from the right side of my subject was not as effective as it would have been tkaing it from the left, as that would have captured more of the paint on the mask.

For my next shoot, I want to use the painted mask again, however bring it into the studio and incorporate some studio lighting to create a dark atmosphere.

Shoot Four - Work Record

For this shoot, I have decided to implement props like in my previous shoot. I decided I was going to make somebody wear a plain white paper mask and get them to sit in a class room doing work, where I will capture people's reactions to it.

In this shoot, I hope to capture how people react to something unusual in an environment, which will act as a metaphorical representation of how people react to mental disorders in society.

This is my favourite image from my shoot. I feel that this image captures the mood I wanted to create with my shoot, which a mixture of comedic and dark. I like the way this image is composed; my subject is leaning into the shot and looking at the camera, which creates a kind of fourth wall break in that the person in the photograph is aware they are being photographed. Something else that I feel was effective was the way the people in the background are not paying attention; this implies that my subject in the mask, who represents somebody that has a mental disorder, wants to be noticed, as the people around him are not noticing his mental issues. Finally, I like the use of depth of field; I shot on f5.6, meaning there was a very narrow depth of field in the image, which draws your attention to the man in the mask and not to the people in the background.

 

However, this is an image from my shoot that I feel wasn't very effective. Firstly, I think that the image wasn't very well framed; There is far too much background in the image and it was taken from too far away from my subject. Also, there was somebody else on the right side that has their face cut mostly out of frame. I would have had them fully in frame but only having a small part of their face in the frame looks like they were not supposed to be there. Additionally, I feel that this image, while exposed well, is too dull and contains too many muted colours, which was due to using an automatic white balance rather than setting it manually for the light I was shooting in.

For my next shoot, I would like to keep to this subject matter, however, I would like to remove other people apart from my subject and shoot in a more natural location rather than a man made one.

Shoot Three - Work Record

For shoot three, I decided to expend on the idea of social stigma regarding mental health issues, which is something I had touched on in my last shoot. For the shoot, I planned to use the studio again, taking a very minimalist approach for it like my previous shoot. I decided I was going to write labels that are often given to people with mental disorders on small pieces of paper that I would get people to hold up over their mouths. I hoped to get a cross a message that people with mental disorders are often labelled negatively and that your mental disorder doesn't define you.

Here is an image that I feel went well in my shoot.

This image I feel achieved what I wanted. personally, I felt that the choice of background worked as it added to the dark and cynical mood of the images. Also, the image was well exposed, meaning the background was dark as I had planned and my subject's face is fully lit and visible so that the label she is too. I also like this particular word on the paper out of all of the ones I wrote, as it is the perfect length  to cover someones mouth and is one of the most common labels for people with a mental disorder, particularly obsessive compulsive disorders. Additionally, The positioning and body language of my subject I feel was right for this image, as they are holding the paper so their fingers don't obscure the writing on it. They are also framed well, being placed in the centre of the frame.

This is an image from my shoot that I feel didn't go very well. While I like the positioning of the paper over his mouth, I feel the image was underexposed. There is not enough light on my subject's face, which means the paper he's holding over his mouth is not as visible as I had liked it to be. Also due to the lack of light, there is a pinkish tone to his face which I feel removes some of his facial details and some of his face is not visible Also, I feel like the piece of paper I used for my subject was too big and covered too much of his face. The fact the picture is underexposed also means that parts of his jacket blends into the background as it is the same colour. If I were to edit this image, it may create problems which I would have to fix by adjusting brightness and levels. Finally, I wasn't very happy with the reflection in his glasses, as you can tell that there were people behind the camera watching.

For my next shoot, I plan to continue with the idea of documenting social stigma of mental health issues, however, I have only shot in the studio so far so I would like to implement this idea into a location based shoot.

Computer Experiment

Shoot Four - Straight Images

Shoot Five - Straight Images

Shoot 6 - Straight Images

Shoot Seven - Straight Images

Shoot Seven - Contact Sheet

Shoot Two - Work Record

For this shoot, I planned to create a representation of mental health like I did in my last shoot, however, I decided to create the representation physically through makeup. I decided I would get somebody to do bruised makeup on somebody's face and photograph them in the studio.

For the shoot, I hope to create a physical representation of mental health issues through makeup which acts a a metaphorical representation for pain somebody is experiencing mentally.

This is one image that I feel went well from my shoot

I feel this image worked due to the positioning of my subject. I took the picture from a mid shot perspective, which I feel captures the mood as it show's my subject's posture. I also feel the facial expression of my subject is one of the things that makes this image a successful image, as his cheerful mood creates a contrast to the bruising on his face that represents the mental health problems that are not visible on the surface. Also, he is placed right in the centre of the frame so we get a sense of symmetry, which can have connotations of hope and control over a mental disorder. In addition, I feel that the fact he's looking into the corner and not at the camera means the picture feels more like a candid photo and less like it's a staged image. However, this image is slightly underexposed, which is something I will fix in Photoshop when I'm making my edits.

On the other hand, here is an image that I feel didn't come out as well as I hoped it would.

  

One reason why this image was not successful is because it's overexposed. The overexposure of the image means the makeup around his face is not a visible as I hoped, meaning the theme behind the image is less obvious. Additionally, I feel that I didn't frame the image as well as I could have. At the top, you can see that the blue studio background I decided to use doesn't quite fit in the frame, which I felt was something that interrupted the mood and tone of the image. Another reason why I feel this image is not very successful is because of the positioning of my subject and the camera. With the previous image, my subject was placed almost perfectly in the centre of the frame, however in this image, he is off centre so as a result isn't fully in the frame. Also, the angle I shot the image at was too high, meaning the background did not fit in frame.

With my edits, I used five of the best images from the shoot and added noise and saturation to them to make them look like old technicolor style film photographs. Using photoshop, I also adjusted levels and brightness to fix pictures that were under or over exposed.

With this shoot, I touched on the social stigma of mental illness as well as representations of mental; illness. For my next shoot, I would like to use social stigma as my main focus and develop more studio based shoots based on this.

Shoot 6 - Contact Sheet

Exam Proposal

Shoot One - Work Record

For this shoot, I decided I would use the studio to take my pictures rather than taking them on location. I decided this as my plan was to make heavily images with my shoot, and when I'm shooting in the studio i can control the conditions such as lighting to get a more evenly exposed image to use while editing.

For the shoot itself, i hoped to achieve well exposed portrait images of my subject that would be good for me to edit a texture over their face. However, for the edits and shoot as a whole, I hope to create a photoshopped image in which a texture has be placed over my subject's face to represent the emotions felt by somebody who is suffering from depression.

Here is the edit that came out of the shoot, which I feel is the best image to come out of the shoot overall.

I feel this image came out well and achieved what I wanted it to achieve. I used the picture I felt was best exposed and had my subject in the best suited pose and facial expression. I chose a deadpan facial expression with a hint of sadness as I felt it would portray the subject of depression very well. To make this edit, I first went onto the internet to look for textures to represent depression that I could edit over the face. At first I was looking from brain scans from people diagnosed with clinical depression, however, I couldn't find any of them that were big enough for my needs, so I decided to search for cracked ground textures instead. I ended up with a cracked mud texture, and went for a bright floral background to put the edit on, as I felt this would create a contrasting mood to the image of the face. I placed the mud texture over the face and then cut it to fit the shape of the face., Next, I changed the opacity of the layer so that the face could be seen behind it. I began to cut out some sections of the mud layer so that sections of the face poked through the texture. I did this to represent true parts of your personality still being visible through the depression, and as a representation of hope. Once this image had been made, i placed it on the background and then flattened the image, having finished the edit.

This is an image from my shoot that I feel didn't come out very well.

This is one of the few I decided to take from a mid shot perspective. I decided quickly that mid shot was not the best perspective to use for the images as I wanted detailed facial expressions. This image I feel was not very effective for a few reasons. One reason is the facial expression on my subject; I feel he looked too happy, and this facial expression wouldn't have fit with the fairly dark tone I was going for with my shoot and edit. Another reason why I feel this image is unsuccessful is because of the framing; the image has been framed in a way that the the ceiling above the background, and as at the time I wasn't sure whether I was going to be using the background provided or replacing it with something else in Photoshop, I decided the image was not usable.

For future shoots, I hope to further explore the subject of representations of mental illness, as well as expanding my ideas to include the social stigma of mental illness. For my next shoot, I would like to incorporate makeup to represent mental illness, taking a physical art approach rather than a digital  art approach.