Unit 30 Location Photography

Summer Project

Brief - Visit two different styled buildings and photograph the things that characterise the buildings. Choose buildings that mean something to you.

Intier Automotive - Golden Valley Mill

Intier Automotive is a factory that has been abandoned since 2006. I was interesting in photographing this building as I find abandoned buildings intriguing and this one in particular had its own characteristics despite it being very empty. I like exploring derelict buildings as its interesting to see how the building changes after being left. Also its quite eerie seeing the building empty and completely quiet then imagining it how it used to be when it was full of people.

Research- The site has been part of Bittons industrial history since Golden Valley Mill was developed as a brass works in the early 18th century. The original site was destroyed by a fire in the 19th century but redeveloped as a paper mill. From 1963 the Canadian owned company Intier produced components for Jaguar, Rover and Saab. It was closed in 2006.
It has now been very vandalised with lots of graffiti and parts of the building being torn out.

Images- 


I really enjoyed taking these photos. The building was so big and took hours to go through most of it. I am happy with the images as they show the main architecture as well showing how it has deteriorated.

Photographing in documentary style

Brief- 

Photograph a series of images that are reminders of the past. Have emotional connection to the subject matter. 

Idea-

I like looking back through old photos from when my parents and other family were younger. I like to see what they looked like compared to now. My idea is to scan these past photos and edit them with a photo I have taken of the person. 

Images-

These are the photos I toke for this projects. For the old photos,  I found photos I liked in old photo albums then scanned them onto my computer.

Editing-

What I did:

1. I opened up the scanned image and my photo in Photoshop and put them together in one document

2. I resized my images to be the same height then cropped where my photo was slightly wider.

3. I turned the opacity down to 0% on the photo I had taken so I could only see the old photo

4. I used the erase tool and erased all the person out

5. After I turned the opacity to about 60%, because I had erased where the person was I could clearly see them but still had the double exposure effect in the background.

6. I merged the two layers

7. I used the Impressionist Brush Tool to desaturate parts of the image, this made the new photo blend in more with the past photo

On this photo I lightened part of the image to blend in with the smoke. I think this worked well as before the old photo looked a bit out of place. 

Final Images-

Evaluation-

This project was quite experimental but I am really happy with how the photos looked when they were finished. It was trail and error with editing the images on photoshop, I enjoyed this though as I could make the photos unique. I want to use this way of editing to improve how the photos look. I think to improve I would have to make the old photo blend in more with the new one. 

Arnos Vale Digital Pinhole

Brief

We were ask by Marko Dutaka who was doing work for the War Graves Commission to produce images using pinhole photography at Arnos Vale cemetery.  Final images will be exhibited at Bristol Cathedral. 

Research

A pinhole camera is a camera without a lens. A pinhole replaces the lens, light passes through this hole and a photo is formed in the camera. You can use lots of things to create a pinhole camera as long as no light can be let in, such as cans, containers and boxes. Then all you need is a pinhole at one end and film at the other end. 

Photos using a pinhole camera are not as sharp and a large depth of field. Long shutter speeds have to be used when taking the photo. 

Pinhole cameras can be dated back to 965 by philosopher Alhazen.

Process

Making the pinhole-

• First a hole was drilled in the body cap of my camera 
• I then cut a small square of foil and pushed the tip of a pin through to create the pinhole, the hole had to be really small so not too much light would get in
• After I taped the foil to the inside of the body cap with black tape
• Where the hole was I used a black marker pen to colour in the foil, this is to make sure no light is reflected

Taking the photos-

We went around the cemetery to all the war graves we planned to photograph. A tripod had to be used because we were using a long shutter speed. I used shutter speeds from 2 seconds to 30 seconds, it depended on how sunny it was. When it was too sunny I used a lens filter so that I could still use a long exposure. I realised that the longer the exposure the sharper the image was. It was hard to compose the photo as I couldn't see what I was taking. So I had to take photo, look at it then change the angle or position of my camera to improve the composition. 

Editing- 

• I opened up the best photos from the shoot in Photoshop
• I changed the size of the image so that the longest side of the image was 19 inches, and the resolution 300
• I clicked Image- Auto Contrast
• Then Adjustments- Desaturate
• After I clicked Auto Contrast
• Then pressed Image- Adjustments - Photo Filter
• I chose sepia from the drop down menu and set it to 85%
• I used the spot healing tool to get rid of dots that appeared on the photo from the camera.

I like this process of editing the photos as it makes them fit in with the theme. The sepia filter makes it look like the photos are from the past. 

Final Images

Evaluation 

Although I didn't enjoy the pinhole photography I think it was good to actually take the time to compose the photo instead of a normal digital camera where you are more likely to just take lots of photos, which you haven't thought much about. The process of taking the photos was quite long but once I worked out the correct shutter speed I could focus on the composition. 

I didn't enjoy this type of photography because I wasn't that happy with the photos I had taken. I lot of them came out too out of focus to use and also never exposed.

I am happy with the final images I chose because even though they are slightly out of focus, I think it works for the brief. This and the editing make it look like the photo could of been taken in the past and I like the feeling the sepia filter gives. 

Overall if I used pinhole photography again I would make a smaller pinhole so that I could have longer exposure without it being over exposed. 

20 images from our class will be exhibited. They were all edited the same so that they would go together well. 

Exhibition 

This is our work exhibited in Bristol Cathedral. There was some writing about what we did then all the work was on the display board. They were all in one row so you could see them as a collection of images. The photos looked good together as they all had the same sepia filter. It was strange seeing people look so much at a photo I had taken. I noticed how the people viewing them really looked into the detail of the photo. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zr_ENE1goM

Made In Bristol tv programme came to interview 2 students. They asked about how the photos were made and what they represent. 

The exhibition was around remembrance day. This made the work fit well with what was going on around Bristol. There was another exhibition in the Cathedral and art installation outside, all this together linked well. 

Creative Architecture

Statement of intent

For this project I chose to photograph architecture. I wanted to try something new as I haven't done a lot of architecture photography. I decided to have symmetry as my theme for these photos, it will be interesting trying to capture the symmetry in buildings. For this I am going to find buildings  in Bristol. I don't have any plans of where to go, I prefer to walk around and see what I find. 

Research

LEWIS BALTZ-

Lewis Baltz, born in California in 1945 was a landscape photographer who specialised in taking monochrome images of suburban areas. He was important in the Topographic movement. His work is of offices, factories and car parks. 

Baltz' photos are quite minimalist, as the composition is simple and they are in black and white. Although the images look pain they are quite striking. There is a high contrast between the black and white which makes part of the photos stand out. The pictures all look similar, he has taken it straight on and doesn't contain any people. 

I like his work as it is almost abstract. This makes it interesting as it is not always obvious what the photo is of. 

HELENE BINET-

Helene Binet is a Swiss-French photographer based in London. She is one the leading architectural photographers in the world. Her work is abstract which I like because you have to more into image to work out what it is. She achieves this by using different angel and composition. Binet shoots mainly in black and white which I think is good as it makes it look more dramatic. Like Lewis Baltz' work, there is a high contrast between the tones. This improves the look of the architectural photos. 

KLAUS KINOLD- 

Klaus Kinold, born 1939 in Essen, is a well known contemporary architecture photographer. He is a fully trained architect and I think this reflects in his images as the accuracy in the design is shown in his photography. 

Kinold uses leading lines and symmetry in his photos, this makes the photo interesting for the viewer.

I really like Kinold's work because they are clear, sharp images. There are a lot of lines and structure in them and this makes them intriguing to look at.


From researching architecture photographers I have been inspired in how I take and edit my own photos. I like the use of black and white, it can make the photos look more dramatic. I also like how Helene Binet's work she has made the images more abstract, this make you look longer at the photo to work out what it is.

Shoot 1

I found it quite hard finding buildings that contained symmetry and haven't had a lot of successful images from the shoot. I noticed around Bristol there was a lot a old buildings as well as the new modern looking ones.  I think it will be good to capture the new buildings compared to the old ones in ones in one photo. As a reshoot I am going to take photos of the different style buildings.

Shoot 2

I am happy with the images from this shoot. I like how different the older buildings look compared to the new ones. It is not something I've noticed before and I think that is something that would be interesting to someone viewing the pictures. 

Editing

For some of the photos I straightened them. I sometimes hard to tell when taking the photos if it is completely straight so I use Photoshop to adjust the image.

I also changed some pictures to black and white. This can change the mood of an image sometimes improves it. It can make them look more dramatic. 

Final Images

Evaluation

I did enjoy this project because apart from abandoned buildings, I haven't done much photography of architecture. My initial idea was more difficult than planned as I found it hard to find symmetrical parts of buildings, but this idea lead me to think of the old and new buildings in a photo. I am happy with my final images as I think they show what I intended to achieve. I like the contrast between the new and the old buildings. In the second photo it looks almost as if the Premier Inn building has been photoshopped in because of how out of place it looks. It looks ugly and dull compared to the church. If I did this shoot again I would try other areas to see what other kind of buildings I can find, somewhere with more interesting modern buildings. 

Location Essay

There are lots of different areas of photography, architecture, industrial, sport and so many more. I am going to write about and compare Travel, documentary, portraiture and landscapes. 

Travel photography is documentary photography of different places, people, history and cultures. Travel photography has become easier and more popular due to people travelling more. Also phones have good quality cameras so you don't need lots of expensive equipment to take photos. 

When travelling its important to not take too much so only taking the essential camera equipment is best. Some of the most important equipment to take is a camera with lenses, wide angle is good for landscapes. Spare batteries, tripods, cleaning gear are also important to take when on location photography. A waterproof cover can be useful as you never know when it could rain. Unlike studio photography in travel you are likely to be using natural light. It would be hard to carry around lights and reflectors so you have to work with what light there already is. 

Travel photography can be dangerous, some areas can be more unsafe than others. You have to be careful with your equipment as it could make you a target of theft. You have to be careful with who your photographing, some people might get angry with you taking there photo and that will put you in danger. 

Louis Cole (also known as Fun For Louis on social media) is a well known Youtuber. He documents his travels and adventures around the world. On his Instagram he posts photos of his travels. He is my favourite travel photographer as he shows the different cultures and environment of places all around the world. He also uses drones in a lot of his photos which create some unique images. 

Documentary photography is a popular genre of photography which is used to capture events and people. It follows one topic in depth over time. It can be used to capture people attention and show social and environmental issues around the world. 

When taking photos there is not always time to change a lens so a 35mm would be good for documentary. A fast shutter speed would be best to use to quickly capture moments. Safety issues are similar to travel photography, walking around with an expensive camera a in a poorer area could put you at risk of theft. Another safety concern is where you are photographing. For example if you were documenting part of a war you could be putting yourself in danger.

Tom Hetherington was a documentary photographer who aims to create a better understanding of the world. He photographed war and conflict, for many years in Africa. In one project he worked with rebel forces in Liberia's civil war. His photos are quite haunting as they show people fleeing the fighting and child soldiers. I like his work as it is not staged or set up, it is showing what really happens in war. 

 Location portrait photography is very different to studio portraiture, it is not reliant on artificial lighting and there are lots of different locations to create some unique photos. But there are some things that can complicate outdoor portrait shoots. The weather is the main one, you have to work with whatever the weather is. Also you can't plan too much of the shoot because the location could be different each time you go. This can be good though as it means you have to be more experimental with the shoot.

Unlike travel and documentary photography, in portraits you have more time to set up the photo which means you can bring more equipment. Lights, reflectors and tripods are useful, as well as props. 

Like the other genres, health and safety issues in portraiture are mainly about where you are photographing. For example if you wanted to shoot portraits in an abandoned building the actual building might not be safe. It is good to visit a location before the shoot to make sure you and the model will be safe. Also if you are using lights, making sure and leads are out of the way to no one will trip over them. 

Landscape photography is normally of natural spaces but can also be of man made places. It is always outdoors so there are important things to consider when photographing. 

Landscape photography is very different to studio. Normally the subject is in the distance so you can't choose how to light it. You have to rely on natural light and change the camera settings to get the correct exposure. If it was a cloudy day you would need a longer exposure and set the camera on a tripod. Other equipment you would need to capture landscapes is a shutter release and waterproof cover. 

There is not a lot you can control in a landscape photo as you can't move the subject or control the lighting. This means you need to find a good location and compose the image right to get the perfect photo. 

The main health and safety hazard is the weather. Rain can damage equipment and make the floor slippery. To avoid this having a cover for the camera is essential. Also dressing appropriately of the weather. 

Ansel Adams has taken some of the most well known landscapes. He was an American photographer photographing black and white landscapes of Western America, especially Yosemite. I really like his photos as they shows the dramatic landscapes of USA. The composition leads your attention into the photo and to the main focal point of the image. Many of his photos have been put into calendars, poster and books. 

Colour Theory

Colour is very important in photography, it affects the mood of an image. 

Hue is the basic colour or shade. Saturation is the degree of which a colour is colourful. The more saturated the more pure the colour looks. 

The main colour models are RGB (red, green, blue) which is used by electrical displays, such as computer screens, and CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) which is used in most printers. 

Colour schemes are colours that work well together. There are 3 types, complimentary, analogous and monochromatic. 

Complimentary is colours that compliment go well together, they are opposite colours on the colour wheel. 

My photos using complimentary colours:

Analogous is colours next to each other on the colour wheel. They can be warm or cool colours. 

My photos using analogous colours:

Monochromatic is all colours from one hue. For example, all shades of the colour blue. 

My photos using monochromatic colours. 

Colour temperature

Each light source has its own individual colour temperature, which varies from red to blue. Light from candles and sunset is close to red which gives a warm look. A clear sky gives off a blue light which gives the image a cool look. 

White balance is a setting that tells the camera how to register the colour temperature. It tells the camera what kind of light it is (e.g cloudy, bright, indoor light). 

Colour Temperature is measured in Kelvin. Cool normally have temperatures of over 7000K and warm colours around 2000K.

Colour Balance

You can use colour balance tools in Photoshop to make changes to the colour of an image. You have to be able to tell which colour needs to be added or taken out. 

Here is something I found online, it shows the steps to getting the correct colour in an image.