OCA Photography Blog: DPP-Assignment Five

Wednesday, 9 October 2013

DPP-Assignment Five

Assignment Five; Personal project

Object of assignment five

I have to apply all that I have learnt in this entire course, in to this final assignment. I have to take around 10-12 photographs in a subject of my choice and write a reflective account to accompany my images.

“Like all art, photography creates its own reality. And the best photos are not those which succinctly record what has been seen, but those which understand how to structure this according to rules and laws specific to the genre.”

(From Icons of Photography, taken from the book The Elements Of Photography - page xv)

I like this quote, I think it is a true and accurate account of what photography is all about and I believe this quotation relates to photography in general and specifically to this project, you can create the image you want, by using the tools you have to create something you want others to see.

Reflective account

This was quite a tough assignment, I wanted to choose something that had a bit of oomph, as it were and to challenge myself, which I try to as much as possible, as I believe we all have our comfort zone and I for one would like to have a more diverse range of skills.

So, my first thought was to photograph areas around the Thames, then on second thoughts, I realised that was Landscapes – again, and something I needed to move away from, this thought was also followed by, the City of London, Train Stations and Tube Stations, all of which I believe was tied to Landscapes/Cityscapes in some way, so, I went in the opposite direction and decided to do photography that was indoors, with my Macro lens and Kitchen objects.

I chose this particular theme as I love Macro photography, the detail, the different ways you can manipulate an image and how you can bring something so small, to bigger than life proportions. I chose kitchen objects, as whilst I was cooking one day not so long ago, I noticed how unusual and oddly pretty my bottle stopper was, from there I thought about all the other unusual things my kitchen had to offer, this is how I generated my project.

I wanted to take close up shots of small items and to make some of them (not all) appear as something that they were not, I hope I have achieved this as it was quite difficult to do and some of them are extreme. I also wanted to, as the brief suggests, to incorporate elements from the entire module in to the images, for example, using the last assignment, “Real or fake?” I have composed one image to fit in with the theme of that assignment, also I have used the Monochrome assignment as inspiration and so on and so forth.

With regards to the theme I chose and the images I produced, I am happy with the outcome as a whole, there are some images that I still have my doubts about, as always, so I will look forward to my Tutors interpretation with regards to this project.

I did stick to the brief that I finally chose, but I digressed away from images I thought I wanted originally, when actually photographing the objects.

Then on production of the images, it was interesting, on making the image I thought “I want to keep that one” then afterwards, I went back to images that I thought I did not like and ended up using them for my final assignment.

As I said previously, I am extremely happy with my collection, it was difficult at times, due to lighting, which is one of the most important this in photography and I knew I had to get that right, in some of the images, on reflection I would have manipulated the light slightly differently and changed my White Balance before shooting some of the objects. Also, I would have liked to have had more coloured items in the collection of images, but a lot of my kitchen items are chrome.

With regards to what went well or not so well and the question of technical problems/how I solved them, I will highlight this question in each individual image, so to be more specific with each image and the process I used to obtain the objective I wanted to achieve.

Exhibition

As I now live in London, it is a lot easier for me to go and see exhibitions, of the ones I really want to see. I decided to go and see the “Travel Photographer of the Year ” – TPOTY for short, which was shown at the Royal Geographic Society I was particularly excited to go and see this exhibition as it is one that I have entered last year and is mainly about landscapes and more importantly, travel. Alas, with my competition entries, I got nowhere that year, but I always love to see other peoples work and it was beautiful, it always blows me away when a child under 14 can produce a thought provoking image.

Books used for this assignment

The Elements Of Photography: Angela Faris Belt (This is a really interesting book, it contained artist’s portfolios with a statement and the process of how they achieved it, which I found intriguing, as each photographer seems to each have their own style. It also gives accounts of different techniques used)
Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography: NK Guy (This book is my god send!, I have always struggled with flash photography and had little knowledge with regards of how to take it out of the “P” mode on the speed light, this book gives a truly accurate account of how to use my speed light in the correct way to achieve the results I want)
Light, Science & Magic: Fil Hunter, Steve Biver, Paul Fungua (Another god send, a perfect book that describes how light is used and how, as a photographer you can manipulate it to achieve your overall goal and how to photography certain types of materials that always seem to pose a problem, such as reflective items etc)
The Photograph As Contemporary Art: Charlotte Cotton (A collection of images from a myriad of different artists, broken down in to seven categories, or themes as it were, with the inspiration and motivation behind them )

So on to the images of my project;

Workflow;

I used a similar workflow as I did with my previous assignment to help me plan out the items I needed, also the way I shot and edited my images, as with the previous assignment, similarly to my last assignment, I tried test shots, however this time, I did shots of my items at different times of the day, so to test the lighting and I used my books to help me with this process.

1; 1/60 seconds at f/2.8 – Egg Cup

For this image, I wanted to get up close, so the viewer would have to take a second look as to what the item is, I wanted to create high contrast and a ‘washed out’ look as you see here, this image was a tricky one as I had to get the flash just right. I tried using my speed light and it failed to perform, so I then changed to my Marco flash that I had just purchased, so to create light bouncing off of the sliver and gain the darkness in the areas as you see here. I also wanted a shallow depth of field so the front of the egg cup would be in focus and the back of it blurred.

2; 1/200 seconds at f/2.8 – Cocktail Umbrellas

I wanted to generate a vibrant colour here, so I stacked all of the umbrellas on top of each other and shot from the front of them, I tried this one a few times, as it was difficult to get the vibrancy in this image. I wanted to get the majority of the image in focus, even though I was using a low f-stop. I had to use a low f-stop to be able to get the colour as to how I wanted it, as using a higher f-stop posed a bit of a problem with regards to this.

3; 1/60 seconds at f/2.8 – Cocktail Sticks

This is one of my favourite images in my collection of this project, I love the way the tips are really in focus and looking at this image, it is not entirely clear as to what it is, I also love the detail of the sticks and the blurred middle. When I first shot this, I wanted the edges to be blurred and the middle to be sharp, however, when I did it like that, I liked the result but felt that this one was better. I also used my Marco flash for this image, this image ties is with the monochrome section of the module, so I purposefully shot it in black and white.

4; 1/5 seconds at f2.8 – Cocktail Stirrer

This is another favourite of mine and no I am not a cocktail addict!, although with the past three images I can see why people would think that!. This stirrer is completely clear and again, this image was not the one I had thought of when first approaching this object. I had firstly wanted the light source at the tail end of the cocktail stick, so to illuminate it from the end in to the head of the stick. I then tried using my Macro flash light, however, that generated an undesired effect, then changing my tact and remembering one of the assignments required a subject that was backlit, I decided to give it a try with a different composition and it worked, I think it looks great, the clarity and detail really stand out.

5; 1/60 seconds at f/2.8 - Fork

For this image, I used my macro flash and had my camera on a tripod to steady it, so to be able to focus on the tip of the fork. This image turned out exactly how I imaged and wanted it too.

6; 1/60 seconds at f/2.8 – Egg Timer

There is not much to say about this particular image, I think it fits in with the theme, however, there is not much I could do with it. I used my macro flash again and a low f-stop as I just wanted to focus on the number, what is interesting, is that I never noticed the ‘55’ had, what looks like strands of black ink coming off of it, I like the clarity and depth of field in the image.

7; 1/60 seconds at f/2.8 - Corkscrew

This one I had difficulty with, however, I am pleased with the final result. I tried this in a multitude of different ways, with the whole bottle opener, just the side, just the knife of the opener, etc, etc. In the end, I felt this photograph was the most effective as it looks like the corkscrew is infinite.

8; 1/60 seconds at f/2.8 – Bag Clips

This image was inspired by the “Real or fake?” section of the module. I only had a few clips, so I took one image with a few scattered around, then I took photographs of all the clips individually. On Photoshop I created a new background and using the ‘Quick selection tool’ I outlined all of the individual clips and copy and paste them to the new background, sometimes rotating them and placing them in to different positions. I then saved that and brought up the image of the many clips, used the tool again to eliminate the white card behind and copied and paste it on to the background that I had created. I was a bit sceptical as to how this would turn out but overall I’m happy with it.

9; 1/15 seconds at f/2.8 – Egg Cup

As before, this was inspired by another assignment in this module, I decided to use the “Dappled light” thought as I liked the effect. To get this image I used natural light and a slightly blue tinted light source. I had to do this on the floor to be able to get the light I wanted and directionality. I like the sepia and blue tint in this image, I also like how the dappled light is not strong and how it looks like a glass of water, with the light shining through it. Initially I wanted strong dappled light, with no tint, however on trying it, it did not look good, quite plain and boring, so I opted to tint the light and make more of a ‘dream’ effect.

10; 1/60 seconds at f/2.8 – Bottle Stopper

This is an image I did not expect to use, but overall, it was the best one in the end. This is inspired from one of the assignments in this module “Reflective”. In the beginning I was thinking about just shooting this without anything in front of it and just using my room to soak up the reflection. Then when taking that photograph, it looked awful, so I played around with the composition a bit and ended up putting my big mirror in front of it. I am happy with the result as the reflection is very strong, I also left a lot of space on the right hand side as I wanted to viewer it feel as though the mirror was there and give more of a perspective in the reflection.

11; 1/60 seconds at f/2.8 – Chocolate Grater

This image is a bit of flop really, the grater is actually tiny, but it looks like it could be massive in this image. I tried to shoot through the wholes of the grater, however, it looked awful, I then tried turning it on its side and shoot from the bottom up, again, it did not look good, so I opted for the shallow depth of field but focused on the back rather than the front.

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Books Used

Faking it: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop
Portrait of a Young Girl by Mark Niemann-Ross
Photo truth or Photo fiction?: Ethics and Media Imagery in the Digital Age by Thomas H. Wheeler
The Art of Black and White Photography: Techniques for Creating for Creating Superb Images in a Digital Workflow by Torsten Andreas Hoffmann
Black + White Photography: all about modern monochrome by Elizabeth (ed) Roberts
Edward Weston (Photo Book Series) Terence Pitts
Ansel Adams at 100 by John Szarkowski
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson
The Photographer’s Eye; Composition and Design for better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman
Mastering Digital Photography by Michael Freeman
The Digital Photography Workflow Handbook by; Juergen Gulbins and Uwe Steinmuller
The Elements Of Photography: Angela Faris Belt
Mastering Canon EOS Flash Photography: NK Guy
Light, Science & Magic: Fil Hunter, Steve Biver, Paul Fungua
The Photograph As Contemporary Art: Charlotte Cotton

Copyright

All images are owned by me, Miriam Perritt, any person/s who use my work without my authorization will face legal action.

Copyright Law
Issued: April 2000Last amended: 27th November 2009The UK copyright law fact sheet outlines the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, the principal legislation covering intellectual property rights in the United Kingdom and the work to which it applies.Introduction Copyright law originated in the United Kingdom from a concept of common law; the Statute of Anne 1709. It became statutory with the passing of the Copyright Act 1911. The current act is the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.Rights coveredThe law gives the creators of literary, dramatic, musical, artistic works, sound recordings, broadcasts, films and typographical arrangement of published editions, rights to control the ways in which their material may be used.The rights cover; broadcast and public performance, copying, adapting, issuing, renting and lending copies to the public.In many cases, the creator will also have the right to be identified as the author and to object to distortions of his work.International conventions give protection in most countries, subject to national laws.Types of work protectedLiterary song lyrics, manuscripts, manuals, computer programs, commercial documents, leaflets, newsletters & articles etc.Dramatic plays, dance, etc.Musical recordings and score.Artistic photography, painting, sculptures, architecture, technical drawings/diagrams, maps, logos.Typographical arrangement of published editionsmagazines, periodicals, etc.Sound recordingmay be recordings of other copyright works, e.g. musical and literary.Film video footage, films, broadcasts and cable programmes.The Copyright (Computer Programs) Regulations 1992 extended the rules covering literary works to include computer programs.When rights occurCopyright is an automatic right and arises whenever an individual or company creates a work. To qualify, a work should be regarded as original, and exhibit a degree of labour, skill or judgement.Interpretation is related to the independent creation rather than the idea behind the creation. For example, your idea for a book would not itself be protected, but the actual content of a book you write would be. In other words, someone else is still entitled to write their own book around the same idea, provided they do not directly copy or adapt yours to do so.Names, titles, short phrases and colours are not generally considered unique or substantial enough to be covered, but a creation, such as a logo, that combines these elements may be.In short, work that expresses an idea may be protected, but not the idea behind it.Who owns a piece of workNormally the individual or collective who authored the work will exclusively own the work and is referred to as the ‘first owner of copyright’ under the 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act. However, if a work is produced as part of employment then the first owner will normally be the company that is the employer of the individual who created the work.Freelance or commissioned work will usually belong to the author of the work, unless there is an agreement to the contrary, (i.e. in a contract for service).Just like any other asset, copyright may be transferred or sold by the copyright owner to another party.Rights cannot be claimed for any part of a work which is a copy taken from a previous work. For example, in a piece of music featuring samples from a previous work, the copyright of the samples would still remain with the original author.Only the owner, or his exclusive licensee can bring proceedings in the courts.Duration of copyrightThe 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act states the duration of copyright as;For literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last remaining author of the work dies.If the author is unknown, copyright will last for 70 years from end of the calendar year in which the work was created, although if it is made available to the public during that time, (by publication, authorised performance, broadcast, exhibition, etc.), then the duration will be 70 years from the end of the year that the work was first made available.Sound Recordings and broadcasts50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was created, or,if the work is released within that time: 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was first released.Films 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the last principal director, author or composer dies.If the work is of unknown authorship: 70 years from end of the calendar year of creation, or if made available to the public in that time, 70 years from the end of the year the film was first made available.Typographical arrangement of published editions25 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was first published.Broadcasts and cable programmes50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the broadcast was made.Crown CopyrightCrown copyright will exist in works made by an officer of the Crown, this includes items such as legislation and documents and reports produced by government bodies.Crown Copyright will last for a period of 125 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was made.If the work was commercially published within 75 years of the end of the calendar year in which it was made, Crown copyright will last for 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which it was published.Parliamentary CopyrightParliamentary Copyright will apply to work that is made by or under the direction or control of the House of Commons or the House of Lords and will last until 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was made.Restricted actsIt is an offence to perform any of the following acts without the consent of the owner:Copy the work.Rent, lend or issue copies of the work to the public.Perform, broadcast or show the work in public.Adapt the work.The author of a work, or a director of a film may also have certain moral rights:The right to be identified as the author.Right to object to derogatory treatment.Acts that are allowedFair dealing is a term used to describe acts which are permitted to a certain degree without infringing the work, these acts are:Private and research study purposes.Performance, copies or lending for educational purposes.Criticism and news reporting.Incidental inclusion.Copies and lending by librarians.Acts for the purposes of royal commissions, statutory enquiries, judicial proceedings and parliamentary purposes.Recording of broadcasts for the purposes of listening to or viewing at a more convenient time, this is known as time shifting.Producing a back up copy for personal use of a computer program.Playing sound recording for a non profit making organisation, club or society.(Profit making organisations and individuals should obtain a license from PRS for Music.)Useful addressesIntellectual Property OfficeConcept HouseCardiff RoadNewportSouth WalesNP10 8QQTel: 0300 300 2000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0300 300 2000 FREE end_of_the_skype_highlightingwww.ipo.gov.ukPRS for Music29-33 Berners StreetLondonW1P 4AATel. (0207) 580 5544 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (0207) 580 5544 FREE end_of_the_skype_highlightingwww.prsformusic.comCopyright Licensing AgencySaffron House6-10 Kirby StreetLondonEC1N 8TSTel. 020 7400 3100 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 020 7400 3100 FREE end_of_the_skype_highlightingwww.cla.co.ukFurther readingThe original text for the 1988 Copyright Designs and Patent Act can be found at the OSPI (HMSO) website, but should be read in conjunction with all the relevant updates and statutory instruments.To avoid confusion, we recommend a copy that includes the amendments since 1988, such as can can be found at the Office of Public Sector Information, http://www.jenkins.eu/statutes/copyright.asp or download as a PDF file directly from the Intellectual Property Office.This fact sheet is Copyright © The UK Copyright Service and protected under UK and international law. The use of this fact sheet is covered by the conditions of a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivative Works License.This fact sheet is intended only as an introduction to ideas and concepts only. It should not be treated as a definitive guide, nor should it be considered to cover every area of concern, or be regarded as legal advice.

Wednesday, 9 October 2013

DPP-Assignment Five

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