Assingnment (UNIT 107) Presentation Of Images

I have decided to present my images using a slide show.  This isn't how I ideally would like to present them but due to time constraints put on me by my job its the most doable in the time I have.  I will put my images onto a C.D. and take them to class with me, from there I can open up the images and view in a slide show using Apple's built in software.

I could have used framed prints to display my images but after a few test prints I decided it was going to take too much time and money to get the prints looking how I had them on screen.  Also I would have had to have cropped the images differently to fit the various standard sized frames.  In the time I had available it was not a viable option.

So I'm off on a residential training course next week and I'll probably be about half an hour late for the lesson, my apologies in advance.  I will bring my images on a C.D. to display.

And so that's that, finished the course and hopefully I've done enough to pass.  Thanks to Marie, Dave, my Dad and my Brother for their patience and time.  Standing in that silly hat holding a case in the freezing cold can't be much fun.

I think I have acquired all of the basic skills required to develop as a photographer and I will continue to learn more and improve in my own time.

Assignment (UNIT 108) Manipulation of Images. Final Images & Evaluation.

For this unit I saw the images I wanted in my head.  I then had the task of finding/thinking of suitable locations to capture each image I was thinking of.  As a result of this each image was the result of a completely different location, four shoots spread over about two weeks.

I used my Canon 1000d slr with a sigma 18-50mm f2.8 standard lens.  I was also forced to use my Canon speedlite flash gun on one of my shots due to insufficient light.  The exposures would be long so to prevent camera shake I took my tripod to all of the shoots.

I decided to use an exorcist looking character for all of my shots, I wanted to create the sense that he moves around at night undetected and in a very mysterious way, this is how they would all link in with the horror theme.  There were no legal or ethical considerations to take into account because it was all within the law and my own work.  No companies or individuals would be cast in a negative way due to my photographs.  The only thing we did consider was annoying other people so we worked quickly and as unintrusive as possible.

For health and safety we decided to wrap up warm because it was very cold.  We wore sensible footwear and took a torch with us so we could see what we were doing.

The software I used to manipulate these images was Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended.

f/2.8   1sec   ISO-100

For the image above I used the widest available aperture and a low ISO to let in the most light without compromising on image quality.  I achieved this by using a long exposure of 1 second and placing my camera on a tripod with a time delay.  This prevented any blur from camera shake.  I felt that it was important when shooting to look at the original photograph and see what it would look like after modification and not in its original state, this is how I prevented myself from discarding potentially good images. 

Below all of the pictures are the original images.

Church Original

To achieve the finished product I converted the image to black and white using the desaturate tool.  His jeans needed to look like dark trousers and I wanted the brief case to be black so I created a much darker exposure on a separate layer mask.  I then painted in the darker exposure on the case and trousers.  To create the overall film noir look I used Filter>Artistic>Film Grain and used the sliders Grain, Intensity and Highlight Area until I had the desired effect.

The next image was taken on a canal bridge about a mile from where I live, I thought the rails of the bridge would make the image more interesting than a normal style canal bridge.



f/2.8   2sec   ISO-200



This image was created in exactly the same way as the first one using desaturate, the film grain filter and sliders.

Bridge Original

The original image initially failed the quality checks because you can see an image of the lens on the left hand side.  I tried my best to get a shot without this in but because of the direct intense light it was not possible so I decided that I would crop it out.

The following image turned out okay in the end but my original concept was to have the an intense light behind the subject.  This was not possible so I had to resort to my trusty flash gun and adjust the exposure in photoshop later.

f/16   1/125sec   ISO-200

Again as with the other photographs I used the same tools to convert the image.  What's different here is that the picture is illuminated from flash from the front, the opposite of what I wanted.  I overcame this by focusing the flash on the steps and not on the subject, this only threw out enough lights to get the steps and the subject remained quite dark as if emerging from the shadows.  It was still way too bright though so I layered in a separate exposure and painted it over the subject.  I also wanted different intensity's of highlight area on the steps than the wall so I created two separate layers with different highlight area and intensity settings, using layer masks I painted the different settings over the wall and the steps.  I also hated the white shirt so using clone stamp I cloned out the shirt making it look like the jacket was done up.  The image was still too light so I painted a vignette style darkness around parts of the image.

Steps Original

As you can see the original image is very different and would pretty much be useless without the power of photoshop but already knew when I was taking the images what I could do to get them how I wanted.  If when I got back and uploaded them I couldn't get the effects I was hoping for then I would have gone out and re shot it.

The final image is my favourite because of the overall finish and the concept of the picture.  Waiting for a train illuminated by a street light.  It was an added bonus and really contributes to the overall success of the picture when a train started coming along the line.

f/8   2sec   ISO-200

I used the the desaturate and film grain filter here too but the figure of the man was too bright again.  I did my usual trick of painting on a separate layer but then he got lost into the dark background.  I overcame this problem by using Layer>Blending Options>Bevel and Emboss.  This gave the character a nice light outline as if coming from the streetlight, I tidied up any suspicious edges with the clone stamp.  Selective sharpening using Unsharp Mask was done on the trains light to make it cut through the darkness more.

Train Station Original

I cropped the original into portrait format to get rid of any areas that were not needed around the edges.  I also think it suits the image better.

I am very happy with the images I got and my only regret is that I didn't have time to shoot the other shots I have in my head.  I can cut and paste into photoshop also but I didn't feel it was necessary in achieving my desired look.  I feel as though I have made a giant improvement in my use of Photoshop and am already using it competently.  I know that I haven't even scratched the surface of what it is capable of doing yet and I look forward to improving my skills with this invaluable tool.

Assignment (UNIT 108) Developing Ideas.

For my Manipulation of Images unit I decided to go with my horror theme from the initial ideas.  I really wanted to capture shadowy and spooky looking images using available light at night time.  So after a bit of brain storming and looking at a few pictures on the internet the promo photograph for The Exorcist came into my head.  I'm not really a fan of the film but the image of the man outside of the house I felt was very much the path I wanted to go down.

I really like the way everything is silhouetted and this is exactly the style of photograph I wanted to create but in my own way.  I think even though in the film the exorcist is the good guy there is something quite sinister looking about the character in the hat with the case.

Also after researching many photographers I stumbled across the work of Brassai.  By this point I'd already completed my first two shoots but found that my work was very similar to his.

Brassai, Foggy Paris.

Brassai.

His use of dramatic lighting and film noir style was exactly the route my own work was taking so I was a little disappointed to find that someone as famous as him had already done it.  Damn you Brassai.  Anyway seeing his work only inspired me more to continue with the film noir style.  I would use slow shutter speeds to let enough available light to reach the sensor and the manipulate the images in photoshop to get the desired look.

Assignment (UNIT 105) Final Images and Evaluation

The photographs I have chosen for my final images are from three different shoots.  Before each shoot I planned what sort of shots I'd like to achieve and briefed the subject about the kind of thing I was going for.  Also before each shoot I planned what equipment I would use and took health and safety into consideration.

The equipment I used on all my shoots was a Canon 1000d digital slr body, sigma 18-50mm f2.8 standard lens, Canon speedlite external flash gun, Canon camera battery, SD memory card, a Geottos tripod with ball head and a hoya ultra-violet filter.  The filter was used just to protect the lens.

All photographs were closely scrutinised afterwards and checked for sharpness, focus and if the composition was right.  Also they needed to fit in with my style and the colours needed to be similar.

For the first shoot I had to take into consideration that we were using a replica gun.  Although absolutely harmless it could cause distress and panic if a member of the public saw us.  The shoot was down a local under pass late at night so we had to take into account health and safety.  The area is renowned for gangs of youths up to mischief so we worked quietly and quickly.  It was also very dark so we took a torch so we could see where we were going and our mobile phones in case of emergency.

The second and third shoots were similar because they involved having beer bottles and cans in public places.  The illegal aspect of this was removed by emptying the contents before we hit the streets.

My original theme idea was gangs but it became clear to me that I would have to tweak the idea slightly to make it easier to shoot.  I didn't have loads of people on hand to shoot gang scenes so I shot individuals doing gang related things.  Although my images are portraiture, I was trying to get a documentary kind of feel to the shots.

Here are the final images.

f/10   1/160sec  ISO-200

The image above is the opener of the series because the "bright future" wording sets the scene for where this kind of lifestyle leads.  As we were on the third shoot I noticed this graffiti under an under pass and thought it would send out a strong message.  It was quite dark but I didn't want to open up the aperture for risk of parts of the shot being out of focus, so I kept the aperture reasonably closed and used an external flash gun.  This also enabled me to use a higher shutter speed, as the shot was hand held it prevented any camera shake.

f/8   1/125sec   ISO-100

In this image I wanted to get the eyes in sharp focus but have the gun slightly blurred as if it was coming towards you.  I achieved the selective focus by controlling the depth of field with an aperture of f/8 and locking focus on the eyes then re framing the shot.  Even though this was taken in very dim light I got away with using a low ISO by using my flash gun, this enabled the best image quality and no grain.

f/4.5   1/250   ISO-200

I always think when I see this shot that it looks quite real, my brother was really great at this stuff and almost completely immersed himself in character.  I think his accurate portrayal and the overall look I achieved adds to the documentary feel I was hoping for.  Inspired by the film This Is England I dressed him in Ben Sherman and dark blue jeans.  It was a big help that he was already a skin head.  I took a few shots experimenting with different apertures until I managed to get the one I wanted. The open aperture slightly blurs the hand and on reviewing the images I felt it looked best and had a rawer feel.



f/6.3   1/160sec   ISO-200



This is probably my favourite shot from the series because I think it looks authentic.  Although staged I think the way he is standing against the post looks quite natural.  I purposely chose this location because of the council houses in the background played a significant role in setting the scene and making it look like a genuine documentary shot.  For the composition I used the rule of thirds, framing him to the right of the frame.  I was very inspired by Tobias Zielony's work in his series Curfew and decided to try and get a similar style.  I achieved this by not upping the contrast and draining the colours slightly. I think this makes the mood of the picture a bit more glum and resembles Zielony's work more.

f/4.5   1/250   ISO-200

My brother by this time was so deeply engrossed in character he decided to free style, he was moving, gesturing and getting quite aggressive.  I used a fast shutter speed to freeze the action and just fired off loads of shots while he was in full flow.  I decided on this one because he looks quite aggressive and that he might do some damage with the bottle.  I think it reflects the theme well and because it's improvised and not posed for it adds to the documentary style.

f/8   1.3sec   ISO-200

This shot was taken inside an under pass and uses the darkness of the tunnel and the back light from the street lamps to cast the subject into shadow.  I was only using ambient light so it was important to have a long exposure to let more light onto the sensor.  I had to use a tripod and a time delay to prevent camera shake.  The only light source was a street light so I had to change my cameras white balance to tungsten.  Some people would probably crop out the surrounding darkness but I have chosen to leave it in so it looks like the end of a tunnel.  The composition I feel is very strong with the subject placed in the centre and in sharp focus, the way the slabs fit together draws the viewers eye down the tunnel.

f/6.3   1/160   ISO-200

I have been undecided as to include this image or not because I don't feel that technically it is very strong.  However the idea I had for this shot would be to close the series off with a behind bars photograph to suggest that he would end up in prison.  I wanted him to look washed out so I didn't increase any contrast.  To make it clear that this was just some railings I decided to leave the top of the bars in the crop.  I asked my friend to roll his sleeves up to reveal his tattoos and make the image more interesting.  It's not my favourite and I'm not totally happy with how it turned out but I like the concept of ending with this shot so I have included it.

On the whole I am very happy with what I have achieved.  I think all of the images relate well to the theme and my inspirations are evident in my photographs.  I think it's clear that I have come a long way since my first blog and I now feel confident and competent in using a camera in manual.

(UNIT 107) Presentation of Images. Initial Ideas.

There are many different ways I could use to present my images.  Some of these ways are:

Prints and Frames

Getting prints done of your images has never been easier.  You can get them done by uploading to the internet or by going directly into a printing shop.  I did a test print at a high street printers last week and it came out slightly different to how the picture looks on screen so this could be a problem when displaying my final images.

The prints that you get done would look best in frames.  Different styles of frames and different colours can be used depending on the type of picture.  For example, A fun style picture may have a colourful wacky frame.  I feel that because my photographs are of a serious subject matter that a plain gallery style frame would suit them better.

Photo Books

You can order hard back or soft covered photo books off various websites.  They cost between around £10-£30 depending on how many images you have or the style of book you go for.  This would be a great way to display my images but because I have only got six I haven't got the minimum amount of images needed to produce a book.  Also the book would look quite bear and you have to wait a while to receive the book in the post.

Slide Shows

Using the software on the computer I could display my images on screen.  This way is not ideal because I don't think it does your work justice, however it is most likely to be the way I choose due to time constraints and difficulty with prints.

Assignment (UNIT 107) Presentation

I must present at least 6 images that are related to a theme.
I in order to complete this assignment i must:

Task 1a  (Present Images)

1. Produce images relevant to a theme.
2. Use of techniques, materials and media.
3. Accuracy and detail of finish.
4. Overall visual impact.

Task 1b  (Produce a Written Account)

1. Outline the methods used to present the final images.
2. Outline how I could have presented them using a different presentation method.

Assignment (UNIT 108): Digital Image Manipulation

I must modify at least 4 images that relate to a theme.  All images must be substantially modified.

Task 1a  (Image Manipulation)

1. Produce 4 modified and stored images.
2. Images must relate to a theme.

Task 1b  (Supporting Evidence)

A written account showing:

1. The image modification software used.
2. The image quality checks carried out.
3. How the images relate to the theme.
4. Legal and ethical considerations.

Assignment (UNIT 105): Image Capture of people

For this assignment I must produce 6 images that all follow the same theme.  Also as it's image capture of people, people must be in the shots.

In order to complete this I must show:

• Planning approach.
• Use of research material.
• Selecting and using appropriate equipment.
• Undertaking the capture of images.
• Outputting images for viewing.

Task 1a  (Produce a folio of images)

1. Produce images which are relevant to the theme.
2. Use of equipment techniques and media.
3. Use of lighting conditions.
4. Use of exposure control.

Task 1b  (Supporting evidence)

1. Preparation undertaken.
2. How equipment was used to capture and process images.
3. The image quality checks that were carried out.
4. How the final images relate to the theme.

Assignment Research: Erik Johansson

Erik Johansson to me is the king of image manipulation photography.  He is a professional photographer and retoucher based in Sweden.  The equipment he uses is a Canon EOS 5d mark II digital slr body with lenses from Canon's L series.  Johansson does some work on commissions but most of his best images were done for his own personal pleasure.  His pictures have no cause or political agenda, they are just innovative, fun images that raise a smile.  I could put every single one of his images on here but I've chosen just a few of my favourites.

Melting Point, Erik Johansson.

A similar theme I have noticed in his photographs is that he likes to defy physics.  In this shot it is the person that has melted, dripping away down the drain and not the ice cream.

Lego, Erik Johansson.

Not as visually stunning as some of his other work but what I love about this is how it confuses your eye and distorts perspective.  You can see that the vertical section links up seamlessly with the lower horizontal section which isn't physically possible.  Johansson has included some scattered lego blocks to make it look natural as if a child was mid play.  The way the blocks are placed balances out the picture nicely.

Wet Dreams On Open Water, Erik Johansson.

When you're asleep and you're dreaming anything is possible.  You could be flying a space ship, riding a bike or rowing a boat all from the comfort of your own bed.  This a very clever image and almost as though we're inside the womans mind as she's dreaming.  The fact that the boat is a bed lets us know something that she doesn't, that it's all a dream and what she sees is not real.  The clouds and the trees on the horizon lead the eye into the frame and the lighting is flawless.

Vertical Turn, Erik Johansson.

Another seamless image that if we didn't know better would say it was real.  The image to me looks kind of like a land waterfall like a path with the characteristics of a river.  The person at the top of the 'cliff' is key to the success of the image.  By having him there it gives a sense of scale.

The taking of the original pictures is crucial.  The lighting and perspective of the images all need to match if end product is to be a success.  Johansson uses Adobe Photoshop and layer masks to create these stunning images.  He then adjusts the saturation, contrast and brightness to make the differences in the photographs seem smoother.

Assignment Research: Peter Kennard

Peter Kennard is a British photographer and photo montage artist.  He creates manipulated images to express his political views and to communicate them to a larger audience.  His work is displayed as part of Tate Britain's permanent collection.

Photo op, Peter Kennard, Cat Picton Phillipps, 2004-2007.

Perhaps Kennard's best known image is of Tony Blair taking his own picture in front of an Iraqi oil field explosion.  The image is a composite image which means it has been created using more than one image.  I have included the original image of Tony Blair taking his picture in front of children and navy cadets below.

Blair was cut out of the picture and layered onto the background explosion picture.  The process itself is quite straight forward but the idea of using these particular images to send a political message is very clever.  Tony Blair was highly ridiculed for his decision to invade Iraq without sufficient evidence and this photo montage with him grinning so much is like he's getting himself a souvenir of his war.  The fact that Blair is in a shirt and tie suggests he's achieved all of this destruction from a far in an office somewhere.  The way the whole picture looks is humorous but it's serious message undermines the government.

Union Mask, Peter Kennard.

Union Mask to me represents how some people believe Britain and America have a grip on the world.  I believe that the British and American flags for the eyes is a message from Kennard that the conflicts that we are in have been created by ourselves and we've masked the world in war.

The Haywain with Cruise Missiles, Peter Kennard.



This image is a composite where Kennard has layered cruise missiles onto a picture of John Constables famous painting The Haywain.  His images all have a similar message and this is no different.  The image is a juxtaposition and stark contrast of a rural idyllic setting versus nuclear weapons. 

Kennard never seems to have anything positive to say in his montages, they always seem to be negative and critical of governments and the wars that they fight.

Assignment Research: Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer most famous for his book The Decisive Moment.  He is also considered to be one of the pioneers of street photography.  Cartier-Bresson is renowned for his timing and he believed that to capture real life his subjects must be oblivious to the camera.

Cartier-Bresson always used a Leica camera which he placed black tape across the metallic front to stay hidden from his subjects.  He mainly used a 50mm lens and black and white film.  He didn't crop his images because he felt that this would dilute their meaning.

Behind The Gare Saint Lazaire, Paris, 1932.

"Behind The Gare Saint Lazaire" is probably Cartier-Bresson's best known photograph and it demonstrates his use of the decisive moment.  Most of his shots are spontaneous and would be gone in the blink of an eye and this is no exception.  The photograph shows a man in mid air leaping over a large puddle of water.  The man is blurred due to him moving so quickly running towards the train station.  The thing that makes this photograph great is the background, There is a poster with a leaping man on it almost identical to the subject and the words Railowsky is advertising a circus making the picture quite humorous and ironic.  The questions I find myself asking are, was the shot down to luck?  Did he see the posters before the shot or was it only afterwards that he saw the irony in the image?  Either way it doesn't really matter, it all must have happened so fast that it's a credit to him that he captured that decisive moment.

Hyeres, France, 1932.

In another moment that would have been gone in a flash, a boy races past on his bicycle.  The blur of the subject gives you that sense of speed.  I like the composition of the shot, the way the curve of the steps matches the curve of the street.

Seville, Spain, 1933.

Children play in the rubble caused by the Spanish Civil War.  The pathway between the buildings draws the eye and leads the viewer into the destruction.  The blast hole in the wall makes a perfect frame within the photograph.

Henri Cartier-Bresson's journalistic photography gave people the chance to see world events how they really were without political agenda and this gained him international recognition, however it's his quickly timed, gone in a flash shots that remain his most famous.

Assignment Research: Mary Ellen Mark

After looking at Mary Ellen Mark's work it's clear that she has a very distinct style.  She always shoots on Tri-X film and almost all of her work is in black and white.  Her subject is people and the topics she has covered include homelessness, loneliness, prostitution and drug addiction.  Mark's photographs stand alone and tell a story to the viewer without any need for words or an explanation.

From the series Ward 81, Oregon State Hospital.

People often say that great photography provokes a reaction, some kind of emotion from the viewer and this series from Mark certainly does.  This picture is haunting and makes me feel complete despair almost to the point that I don't want to look at it anymore.  It tells a story of grief, anguish and loneliness and this is expressed by Mark's choice to leave the subjects personal photograph in the frame.  For me the picture on the side board represents the outside world and a normal life, something which the subject can only see in a photograph.  The photo has a slight vignette which adds to the haunting feel and the composition of the shot is remarkable.

Amanda and her Cousin Amy, Valdese North Carolina, 1990.

The image above is quite shocking because you don't often see someone so young smoking.  What I like most about this shot is that everything in it is childish, the paddling pool and the way nine year old Amanda is dressed.  However what she's doing is something that only adults are supposed to do.  She even stands like an adult as if she is mimicking someone she has seen smoking before.  The fact that she's standing so casually makes this image quite shocking.  I like the composition of the shot and how the paddling pool fills the bottom part of the frame.  The way Mark has captured Amanda blowing smoke so casually out of her mouth is perfect timing.

"Rat" and Mike with a Gun, Seattle, Washington, 1983.

This shot shows two homeless teenagers with a Colt .45 pistol.  I like the angle of the shot, how it leads your eye and shows where the boys have walked from.  There is a slight motion blur on the hand and gun which shows the movement of him concealing it in his jacket.  Although this shot isn't taken in the context of 'gangs,' I would like the composition of my work to be similar and have a raw feel to it, not look staged or pre planned.  I think that with this shot and the above shot of Amanda that the children look like miniature adults and that's what makes these pictures slightly worrying.

Assignment Research: Jehsong Baak

A South Korean photographer who like so many others emigrated to the US in 1977, he was nine years old.  He has cited Robert Frank as one of his main influences and parallels can be seen in each photographer's life. 

Baak had a traditional and modest Korean up bringing but he was separated from his mother at the age of four and the lack of maternal love is evident in his photography.  Women appear faceless and untouchable by blurring, out of focus and reflections.  This is evident in the photographs below.



Woman Pressed against Glass, Paris, 2003.





Reflection of a Woman, Paris, 1999.



In Woman Pressed against Glass a woman is on the other side of the glass making her untouchable.  In Reflection of a Woman her face appears in a reflection and gives the image of a face mask, you can not depict the face clearly due to the horizontal and diagonal lines.  The lines lead you into the picture but cut through the face like it is not really there at all.

The image below is the one selected to close his exhibition at the Rick Wester Fine Art Exhibition in the U.S.A.

Dog on the Beach, Holland, 2005.

This shot is very strange but beautiful at the same time.  I get the impression that the dog has made an epic journey across the ocean and the way his legs are positioned suggests he is looking back one last time before carrying on.  The V-shaped vignette draws the viewer through the picture and it could also be the dogs field of vision.  My own interpretation is that the image creates hope that you can achieve your goals.

In 1998 Baak moved to Paris to pursue his photography, he wandered around the city at night capturing it's many layers, it seems that film noir, low key lighting is his favourite style to shoot.  My own work is very similar to Baaks in the way that I use street lights at night to cast subjects into shadow.  My work for my manipulation assignment is taken at night and converted to black and white and has a very similar look and style to Baaks'.  The stark lighting from streetlights adds to the effect as you can see in a comparison below.




Jehsong Baak





One of my own images for the manipulation assignment

Although it goes without saying that Baaks' image is far superior, I'd like to think I am improving at this technique.



Assignment Research: Robert Frank

Robert Frank was born in Switzerland in 1924 but remains an important figure in American photography.  His book Les Americains was very influential and he had a fresh outsider's view of American society.  When he emigrated to the United States in 1947 he had high hopes for American society and culture however his view soon changed.  He saw a fast paced environment obsessed with money, a bleak and lonely place.  This view is often reflected in his work.

In 1955 he gained a commission to travel across America and record the American way of life, it took two years and 28,000 shots of which only 83 were chosen for publication in his book.  Frank's book was condemned when it was published and sales were poor but now it is rightfully recognised as a photographic masterpiece.

Trolley - New Orleans, 1955.



Frank showed through his photographs not a united post-war America but a society that was unequal and prejudiced.  The image above perfectly captures the diversity of the population all living in the same communities with tension between them.  Each window frames and separates each subject, it is not the subjects themselves that he was trying to capture but what they each represent.   He used a small hand held camera and only available light, sometimes his images look rushed and not technically perfect although in the above shot I feel the composition is very strong with two in the center and windows and subjects equal on both sides.

Movie Premiere - Hollywood, 1955.

It was not only the subject matter that was controversial but his style of shooting.  His pictures are often blurry, grainy and out of focus, not the usual crisp shots you would see.  The image above shows a Hollywood starlet but it is the background that is in focus and not the subject which breaks the usual rules. The image turns around the norm of staring at stars and reverses the obsession with celebrity.

I like the way Frank showed Americans a truth about themselves that they were uncomfortable about and that they would hide behind the illusion of the 'Good Old U.S.A.'  The book is considered to have changed the way America saw itself and broke all the rules and boundaries in the photographic world.

"Quality doesn't mean deep blacks and whatever tonal range. That's not quality, that's a kind of quality... Robert Frank is a quality that has something to do with what he's doing, what his mind is. It's not balancing out the sky to the sand and so forth. It's got to do with intention."

- Elliot Erwitt

Assignment Research: Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus was an American photographer whose main subjects were people who at the time lived on the edge of societal acceptance.  She often photographed dwarfs, giants, transvestites, nudists, circus performers and other people either of an ugly or surreal nature.  Many have described her as 'the photographer of freaks,' a title that Arbus was keen to avoid.

Her images were in black and white and more often than not her style would be to crop the images into a square.



Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey, 1967



Her images such as this one of identical twins is taken in her usual style.  The subjects always look directly at the camera and are always sharp against the background.  They are usually lit by direct flash but it is hard to tell if this was used here because it looks to have been taken in day light and there is no catch light on the eyes.  They are wearing matching dresses but one twin slightly smiles and one slightly frowns.  The photo has a very haunting nature and Biographer Patricia Bosworth said "She was involved in the question of identity.  Who am I and who are you?  The twin image expresses the crux of that vision: normality in freakishness and the freakishness in normality."

A Young Man in Curlers at Home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C. 1966

This close up shot of a man wearing make up with plucked eyebrows and curlers in his hair was very controversial even leading to someone spitting on it in 1967 at the Museum of Modern Art.  The man is lit from the side possibly by a window and the photograph is cropped to fill the whole frame but importantly leaving in the hand with the long nails.

Child with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park, New York City, 1962

This image depicts a boy tensely holding a toy hand grenade.  The expression on his face and the way he holds his hand like a claw makes him look like a bit of a maniac.  I like this photograph because of the way the boy is looking at the camera but the composition baffles me.  It seems odd to me that Arbus would compose the picture with a figure in the background clashing with the subjects head and the tree so close to the shoulder is prominent and distracting.  This photograph is quite ironic because one of her critics Norman Mailer once said, "Giving a camera to Diane Arbus is like putting a live grenade in the hands of a child."

Assignment Research: Annie Liebovitz

Annie Liebovitz is an American photographer probably most well known for her work for Rolling Stone magazine.  She seems to have a talent for capturing really intimate moments.

Leibovitz's trademark technique is her use of bold primary colours and rather strange poses.  Her unique shots made the cover of Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair many times.

This iconic cover shot was taken just hours before Lennon was shot and killed, Dec. 8, 1980.  Leibovitz has said that her original concept for the shot was to have both Lennon and Ono appear nude but Ono was uncomfortable.  After taking a Polaroid she knew that this was how the final image should be.  I think that although she never originally intended for Ono to be clothed it definitely worked out better this way.  The image perfectly captures a relationship and with Lennon naked and Ono clothed you get a sense that he needs her and is vulnerable without her.

This image of Whoopi Goldberg was for Vanity Fair.  The image is shot from above and what I like most about it is the way her skin contrasts with the bath tub full of milk so prominently.  Goldberg was an up and coming stand up comedian at the time and the image is fun and reflects that perfectly.

There are so many iconic photographs taken by Leibovitz but I find myself drawn to this less famous image of the White Stripes.  I love how the image is saturated against the bold use of the red and white colours.  The image is taken in what appears to be a bit of waste land and you get the impression they are practicing before going out into a circus.  I think the image is a bit wacky and reflects the slightly abnormal personality of the band.

Although I am not a fan of Annie Liebovitz's recent work for Disney, I admire her work for magazines and find her a huge inspiration to try things that are different and at times controversial.

Assignment Research: Richard Avedon

Richard Avedon's portraits are very distinct.  They usually feature the subject in front of a plain white background looking straight into the camera.  Although Avedon has photographed many famous faces, some of his other works seem to focus on working class people and those from poorer backgrounds.

He has worked for many high end fashion magazines but his style is very different.  His pictures capture peoples emotions, laughing, smiling and sometimes action shots which are different to the expressionless glossy shots you usually find in these sorts of magazines.  Avedon would sometimes ask uncomfortable questions to his subjects to provoke a reaction or an expression.

He is also famous for his large prints.  He did large format portrait work of travelers , drifters, miners and cowboys for his best selling book In The American West.

Red Owens, oil field worker, Velma, Oklahoma, June12, 1980



James Story, coal miner, Somerset, Colorado, December 18, 1979

 The pictures from the book In The American West were criticised at the time for showing America in a less esteemed way.  I think that the pictures from the book such as these of the oil workers and miners, show the struggle and the hardship faced by 'real' ordinary people.  Avedon chose to shoot these people in their soiled work clothes and this adds to the impression he is trying to capture of a hard life.  I think the people in the photographs look tired and this shows how hard they have to work every day.

He has worked with many celebrities but what's so interesting about his shots of famous people is that he captures them in a very different way.  A lot of the pictures are often not instantly recognisable and the figures unfamiliar or out of character.  These pictures were mostly very unflattering but they stand out for these reasons.

This picture of Marilyn Monroe is different to how she is usually seen.  Her arms are down by her side and she has a look on her face which suggests she is fed up.  It's how you imagine she looks on her days off, looking away and not playing up to the camera.

What I like most about his work is that he captures real people with real emotions and even manages to get the same results with celebrities.  This is what I'd like to achieve with my own work.