Statement of intent:
For my new project theme I am doing Portrait photography to show the art of how faces can be portrayed in different perspectives due to how they are looked at. I get a few of my ideas by alternating between different photographers that are a big inspirations to me, developing my ideas on and how they improve their artwork by using different methods, techniques and themes. For example one photographer that really inspired me to do Hypercolour Portraits and Projection Photography. Hypercolour Portraits are photographs of people using Gels and other photography equipment like Neon ambient lights to create the vibrant drastic light that the Hypercolour theme is well known for, Also causing a strong visual impact that really catches the eye. Projection Photography is when a projector is used to create shapes and backgrounds on the person being shot. I will show development and progress in my work by showing the journey of how my work develops from start to finish. They will be displayed in my gallery and annotated. Annotating on parts of my gallery helps me see the photographs' imperfections that need to be avoided next time. My final images will also be displayed in a final gallery, showing by best and final pieces of work from my journey progress.
To make my work the best it can be, I intend to carry out many different research methods of my theme Portraits. I will research and replicate a few photographers work that I think matches the theme I am carrying out. For example, Magdiel Lopez his work consists of a range of pastel colours and the use of Photoshop. In order to replicate the work of Magdiel Lopez, I will watch tutorial videos on YouTube so I am able to gain knowledge on how to Photoshop my work like Lopez does. With the monochrome effects, I will hopefully try and visit art galleries that contain black and white pictures only so that my work can be influenced by this type of art style. I hope to use all forms of media to enhance my knowledge of different types of photography to find the best decision for me. I will use Instagram in order to learn the concept of different photographers so I am capable of using ideas from their portfolios.
I will take 30-35 photographs for every individual inside the school climate and a public climate which will incorporate a limit of four models present. The entirety of my photograph shoots will be impacted by the specialists that I have referenced , however I will likewise put my own innovativeness on my photographs so they don't look totally indistinguishable from the craftsmen that I am taking motivation from. I will finish 2 or 3 photograph shoots with an alternate style in which they will have a differentiating and engaging result that shows my entire work in photography.
I have 3 months to produce my Website of work towards the production of my final piece. I aim to complete my initial research within the 3 week and start photographing by the 4th week in order to give me the time I need to show progression. I will then continue to develop my work in Photoshop and be prepared to go out again with my camera and capture new images to enhance my project. When I have completed the project, I will select my best photography outcomes and display them in my final gallery.
To show progression through my work I will start by photographing friends in school, this will help me to learn about setting up the lights for my studio shots. I hope to work with a professional photographer, so that I get the correct lighting and background. i need to decide on which theme of photography this could be either Street Portraits, documentary, fashion, black & white.
I am going to experiment with my work by using a lot of new techniques. I will be changing between camera settings and also I will be more creative in photoshop with my coloured and black and white portraits. I will follow tutorials and try to make my portraits the best they can be in photoshop.
As I advance through my work I will keep looking back to add as much as I can to perfect my work to the best it can be. after already doing a topic on texture I am very comfortable on what I am going to do in this topic because I am already familiar with it. I will take months to perfect this project to the best of my abilities. I will watch demonstrations to help me develop my photoshop skills after I finish I will write a evaluation on the project overall about what went well and what I could improve.
To make my work the best it can be, I intend to carry out many different research methods of my theme Portraits. I will research and replicate a few photographers work that I think matches the theme I am carrying out. For example, Magdiel Lopez his work consists of a range of pastel colours and the use of Photoshop. In order to replicate the work of Magdiel Lopez, I will watch tutorial videos on YouTube so I am able to gain knowledge on how to Photoshop my work like Lopez does. With the monochrome effects, I will hopefully try and visit art galleries that contain black and white pictures only so that my work can be influenced by this type of art style. I hope to use all forms of media to enhance my knowledge of different types of photography to find the best decision for me. I will use Instagram in order to learn the concept of different photographers so I am capable of using ideas from their portfolios.
I will take 30-35 photographs for every individual inside the school climate and a public climate which will incorporate a limit of four models present. The entirety of my photograph shoots will be impacted by the specialists that I have referenced , however I will likewise put my own innovativeness on my photographs so they don't look totally indistinguishable from the craftsmen that I am taking motivation from. I will finish 2 or 3 photograph shoots with an alternate style in which they will have a differentiating and engaging result that shows my entire work in photography.
I have 3 months to produce my Website of work towards the production of my final piece. I aim to complete my initial research within the 3 week and start photographing by the 4th week in order to give me the time I need to show progression. I will then continue to develop my work in Photoshop and be prepared to go out again with my camera and capture new images to enhance my project. When I have completed the project, I will select my best photography outcomes and display them in my final gallery.
To show progression through my work I will start by photographing friends in school, this will help me to learn about setting up the lights for my studio shots. I hope to work with a professional photographer, so that I get the correct lighting and background. i need to decide on which theme of photography this could be either Street Portraits, documentary, fashion, black & white.
I am going to experiment with my work by using a lot of new techniques. I will be changing between camera settings and also I will be more creative in photoshop with my coloured and black and white portraits. I will follow tutorials and try to make my portraits the best they can be in photoshop.
As I advance through my work I will keep looking back to add as much as I can to perfect my work to the best it can be. after already doing a topic on texture I am very comfortable on what I am going to do in this topic because I am already familiar with it. I will take months to perfect this project to the best of my abilities. I will watch demonstrations to help me develop my photoshop skills after I finish I will write a evaluation on the project overall about what went well and what I could improve.
Mood boards:
Black and white mood boards:
Coloured mood boards:
Mind map:
Research on Magdeil Lopez:
Context:
Having researched on the internet, I found the following information: Magdiel Lopez was born in Havana, Cuba. His childhood was spent around the colourful culture of Cuba. This played a big part in his career and is the reason why Lopez uses very vibrant, decorative styles throughout his work. Lopez moved to the states at age 15 and continued to work on his art for the next 10 years. He decided to finally showcase his work on a app called Instagram. As the days went by, he increasingly gained attention from very popular news outlets such as New York Times and Cosmopolitan as well as big global audiences such as Entrepreneur and Awards. Since his gain in popularity he has worked with several influential brands such as Nike, MTV, Apple, Warner Brothers, etc.”
Source: https://www.magdiellopez.com
Source: https://www.magdiellopez.com
Connections:
Magidel Lopez (My chosen photographer) has a bright, joyful theme this image links to my work very well as I also aspire to photoshop pictures like that with a coloured theme. This image shows emotions through the picture itself. It requires you to upgrade an already good picture by using photoshop to make the picture more impressive to the examiners that will be grading my work. This image links to my work because I am also doing coloured portraits and this type of work inspires me to use the techniques in my work as well. I have also made a similar photoshop inspired by Magdiel Lopez and I used a lot of vibrant colours and I used her technique of showing emotion in a image. In my work I use vibrant and lively colours but I also use dark colours because i think that too much colour makes the image become a bit confusing to the audience so i use dark colours to balance the colours so it doesn't become confusing.
Composition:
The image above if full of vibrant colours which stands out and makes the picture look beautiful. The planets around her head have been edited on to show her imagination. The photo was most likely shot in a studio so they could get the best outcome and so they could edit on a better background as well. They have set the background as solid colours so the main focus of the picture is the women. Rule of thirds is shown as the top of the image is in the top half of the image and the rest is in the bottom half. The photographer has used a fast shutter speed to capture this image in great quality and make it very clear to the eye. This image was most likely shot in a studio ,so they were able to manipulate the background into bright and vibrant colours. Photoshop may have been used to remove any minor errors that would be noticeable to the audience. I believe the white balance was set on auto and it was on a high iso so that they could get a bright lively picture. They have used a low depth of field to get a close up shot of the model so it is easier to edit in photoshop. They have most likely used a tripod to get a still picture and to get rule of thirds accurate. I don't think this was taken outside because the background looks like it was a solid colour and they have edited the background.
Comment:
The main thing I like about this picture is that the colours stand out a lot and that makes the picture very eye catching and it makes you think positively because of the different contrasts of colours. Sometimes Magdiel's work can be a bit too bright and there can be too much happening in the picture which results to the image becoming confusing. Overall I really love Magdeil Lopez's work and I am trying to introduce her techniques into my work to perfect my final outcomes of my project.
Research on Dorothea Lange:
Context:
This photograph was taken by Dorothea Lange who used to do American documentary's where she used to take studio portraits however she took on the job of a photographer for the Resettlement Administration her pictures are based around a theme of sadness and depression. Her portraits also greatly influenced documentary and journalistic photographers.
Source: https://www.moma.org/artists/3373
Source: https://www.moma.org/artists/3373
Connections:
The theme of this portrait is dark, sympathetic and depressing this is the complete opposite of my chosen photographer Magdeil Lopez as her portrait themes are bright and joyful pictures. This image shows a struggling mother and her two starving children. The black and white effect adds to this picture and shows a mood of struggle and remorse a coloured mood would not suit the theme of this picture because of the emotion the women is showing. This photo is based on how life was in the 19th century and this does not link to my project because my project is based on more modern photography. I will use black and white themes in my portraits ,but I will use it along side with colours to get a mix of emotions in my image.
Composition:
The woman in this photograph is giving off a concerning/struggling mood which is enhanced by the tonal and monochrome colour range. The black and white theme adds a dark and gloomy effect, with the contrasting shades of dark, offering a contrast that draws the viewer's eye in. A good example of this is the way the dark hair of the mother frames her pale face. The photographer has used the compositional technique of rule of thirds, with the two children leaning on their mother’s sides to show how cold they are but to also frame the mother. It looks as if the family are stuck together as a triangle. The mother’s face is also in the top third of the frame with her eye in the sweet spot, this draws the viewer's attention to this focal point and the impact is to notice her expression of despair. This photo was taken on a film camera rather than digital and used black and white film, in my opinion the film would have been 100 or 200. The photographer has taken a close- up image and used a low depth of field to clearly show the family and what they are going through. The background has been blurred to show that the main focus of the image is the family. It has also been tightly cropped with a side of canvas or piece of wood in the foreground on the right hand side, the impact of this is to make it feel quite claustrophobic. The leading lines are the mother’s arm and the foreground structure which helps the composition of the photograph. The meaning behind this picture is so that it can touch the audience and make them feel grateful for what they have and feel blessed because there are people out there who have it worse than them.
comment:
The thing I like about this image is that it gives off a effect of remorse as we can see how much she is struggling in the picture and the black and white theme adds to it and works perfectly with this picture. I do not like the background because due to the blurriness I cant interpret further about where she is. This image does not link to my work because my theme is coloured portraits which is the opposite of this image. The message this image is showing is a mother and her 2 children struggling. In my project I am using a more positive vibe ,so I don't think this photo fits in with the type of portraits I'm doing because this image gives off a feeling of depression and remorse and my photos use colours to give off a positive feeling of joy and happiness.
research on Diane Arbus:
Context:
This photograph was taken by Diane Arbus who lived between 1923-1971 he was one of the most original and influential photographers of the twentieth century. She studied with Berenice Abbot, Alexey Brodovitch and Lissette Model and her first published photographs appeared in Esquire in 1960. She was a American photographer who specialized in black and white portraits. Arbus worked to normalize marginalized groups and highlight the importance of proper representation of all people.
professions: photographer
https://www.davidzwirner.com/artists/diane-arbus/biography#:~:text=Diane%20Arbus%20(1923%E2%80%931971),appear%20in%20Esquire%20in%201960.
professions: photographer
https://www.davidzwirner.com/artists/diane-arbus/biography#:~:text=Diane%20Arbus%20(1923%E2%80%931971),appear%20in%20Esquire%20in%201960.
composition:
Diane Arbus is a very interesting photographer. She uses a different type of photography compared to other photographers. The picture shows a clear bright tone across the left side of the models face and as it moves to the right side the tone darkens. The image was taken with a fast shutter speed to capture the reality of the image and make it very clear to the eye. photoshop may have been used to fix up small details such as black and white and using the healing effect to get rid of smoke from the cigarette. The photographer has used rule of thirds as the top half of the face is placed in the upper half of the image and the rest of the image is placed in the bottom half of the image. The image was taken indoors and was probably taken as a studio shot ,so that the background can be changed to a dark and horror like background. The image was most likely taken with a tripod to get a clear focused and still image. They have used a low depth of field to get a close up image of the model so it could be easier to refine the image in photoshop.
Connections:
This image links to my work because my topic involves taking pictures of a persons face and then refining it in photoshop to get the best outcome and make it look unique. The image has been perfected in photoshop which attracts the audience this is why I love Dianne's work. To create a picture like this I need to take a great portrait picture and perfect it in photoshop to the best of my ability. The lighting used in this picture also inspires me to use it in my work and i think it will help me achieve a great outcome. The simple tone he has used on his picture suits the black and white theme of the picture and makes it better because with too many different shades the image becomes distracting and confusing. In my opinion I really love this type of work and I love how she introduces personality to her images.
Comment:
Dianne Arubus's uses very old type pictures even older than her era but with my project I like to use more interesting and modern pictures. Her portraits are sometimes disturbing but I like how she shows different types of people from different sides of society. In conclusion her work inspires me and maybe in the future I will use her portraits too help me if I ever want to make that type of portraits. I also use bright colours in my work I use dark colours to balance the colours but I don't just use black and white so I don't believe I will use these type of portraits for this project.
Shoot plan:
I am starting this project by taking inspiration from Magdiel Lopez who specializes is coloured portraits photography. I really admire his work because his work is very eye-catching and this keeps his audience interested and inspired by his outcomes and I intend to use his techniques in my work as well. I will take portrait pictures from head to neck and experiment with them in photoshop and hope to get a similar outcome as Magdiel Lopez. The equipment I will be using will be a Canon DSLR camera on a tripod. The lens will be 50mm as this is the best lens to use when doing portrait photography. I will have to adjust the F-stop and aperture as I go along. I will use a coloured background on a dedicated frame so that I can pull the camera back but still have the background in shot. I will use flash studio lights that are connected to the camera and can be adjusted to experiment with the light levels to achieve different effects. I will also use reflectors so that I can bounce the light off the face and soften the shadow and tone.
Working with equipment:
Shoot with Justin:
My model Umair Yunus:
Black and white images:
My model Mujtaba Amjad:
Black and white images:
Final gallery for this shoot:
My model Zidane Gabol:
My model Mr Forbes:
Photoshop 1:
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I am hoping to achieve an outcome like this image because that is what my project is focusing on and I hope to create a image like this one for my final gallery. I really like this tutorial outcome because it looks amazing and it is unique not a lot of people have done this. I believe this will be challenging for me as it will be my first project on photoshop and I think the outcome will look great on my website a fit perfectly with the theme I have chosen for this project as well.
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Original image:
Final outcome:
This my first final outcome for my portrait project and I am really impressed with it because this is also my first edit on photoshop as well. I edited the face and separated it from the body and then I added a black and white theme. I then split the face into 4 parts and added my own colours. I also added shadows to the colours to give it a more 3D look and so the colours don't overpower the image. Then I added a black and white background for it to blend with the colour of the face. I think to improve I could make my cut outs smoother so my work looks neat and also add something meaningful to make my work more personal for me.
Photoshop 2:
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Original image:
Final outcome:
What I'm going to do for my final gallery:
- So far I have done 2 outcomes of cutting and editing a head.
- The techniques I have used so far are black and white, toning and the cutting technique.
- With the 2 outcomes I have completed they have been successful but there is still a lot more that I can improve and I will try add that in in the upcoming outcomes that I will complete. I will try use the glow effect and also create a poster like background as well.
- For my final gallery I will try to make all my outcomes flow together as one and show that I have improved after each outcome and I will try make outcomes that actually have a personal meaning to me.
- To make my work personal I will try have another photoshoot and photograph some of my close friends and use my favorite colours so it can actually mean something I will also try put a text in the background saying something that links to me.
- For my final gallery I will try to get 8-10 different outcomes which flow together and perfectly fit for my project.
My model Mujtaba Amjad:
close up shots:
My model Imran Hafeji:
Original image:
Final outcome:
Black and white outcome:
Tutorial used:
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I used this tutorial because it looked very professional and I though it would fit the theme of my project perfectly and after using it I am proud because I was fully able to copy the technique onto my work.
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Original image:
Final image:
Other outcomes:
original image:
Final outcome:
More outcomes:
Original image:
Final outcome:
I really like this black and white outcome because the colour goes with the theme and the edit also adds to the theme as well. The quote stands out to show the meaning of this image.
My final gallery:
Evaluation:
My main theme was portraits. I thought this theme was good because I was able to explore a lot of new camera techniques and also massively improve my photoshop skills. In this project I found photoshop the most interesting part of this project as I was able to learn different techniques and also improve the images I have taken. Photoshop was the most enjoyable part of this project and required a lot of time but in the end I would get a great outcome. Learning how to use the camera on manual settings has also been interesting because there are many different ways to use a camera. I also did research on 3 photographers using the 4C's to get my inspiration for my final gallery and I also did mood boards and mind maps to imagine what my I want my final gallery to look like.
I have learnt how to duplicate layers and use the blur tool in photoshop. I have also learnt how to use the explosion brush effect which requires skill of layer masking and also triangle head which requires knowledge on how to blur in photoshop. I have used the images I have taken to make sure my outcome looks like my work and now I can also use photoshop properly and I believe I can make outcomes without the use of tutorials now and find out new thing by myself. Also I know how to transfer my homework pictures onto my website through my email.
Magdeil Lopez is a great photographer and he focuses on photoshop to make faces look like they are chopped up to show a message in his work. He influenced my photos and made me Photoshop in such a way which made my final outcomes outstanding. I really enjoyed my Photopea and Photoshop work, the best tool I used was the layer duplicate tools. Why, because in my opinion it gave me a good outcome, giving me the best images that grew my confidence and made me want to make me explore more. For my next project I would like to learn about lighting so my images look more professional and advanced. This will help me to the next level and give me a higher grade. I learnt how to use creative photography websites, such as Weebly to help me create a professional looking portfolio of work that will make my work look neater.
Some problems I have encountered are that my images were deleted like my outcomes and portraits, this was difficult as I could not have as many outcomes this makes it so I could not get the outcome I wanted but I used the techniques I learnt through watching video tutorials and asking teachers for help to makes sure I didn't fall back on work
Something I would do differently is maybe choose different objects, expand, bring in props ,time management, be more independent at home Independent at home, Being independent, organising my own shoots away from school would take my work to a higher standard . I would also not experiment on Photoshop as much and get to working my final images and perfecting them, as in this project I only managed to get 5 final outcomes. I believe this will help my final outcomes become more clear and refined as I would have more time to edit and spend time on them.
I have learnt how to duplicate layers and use the blur tool in photoshop. I have also learnt how to use the explosion brush effect which requires skill of layer masking and also triangle head which requires knowledge on how to blur in photoshop. I have used the images I have taken to make sure my outcome looks like my work and now I can also use photoshop properly and I believe I can make outcomes without the use of tutorials now and find out new thing by myself. Also I know how to transfer my homework pictures onto my website through my email.
Magdeil Lopez is a great photographer and he focuses on photoshop to make faces look like they are chopped up to show a message in his work. He influenced my photos and made me Photoshop in such a way which made my final outcomes outstanding. I really enjoyed my Photopea and Photoshop work, the best tool I used was the layer duplicate tools. Why, because in my opinion it gave me a good outcome, giving me the best images that grew my confidence and made me want to make me explore more. For my next project I would like to learn about lighting so my images look more professional and advanced. This will help me to the next level and give me a higher grade. I learnt how to use creative photography websites, such as Weebly to help me create a professional looking portfolio of work that will make my work look neater.
Some problems I have encountered are that my images were deleted like my outcomes and portraits, this was difficult as I could not have as many outcomes this makes it so I could not get the outcome I wanted but I used the techniques I learnt through watching video tutorials and asking teachers for help to makes sure I didn't fall back on work
Something I would do differently is maybe choose different objects, expand, bring in props ,time management, be more independent at home Independent at home, Being independent, organising my own shoots away from school would take my work to a higher standard . I would also not experiment on Photoshop as much and get to working my final images and perfecting them, as in this project I only managed to get 5 final outcomes. I believe this will help my final outcomes become more clear and refined as I would have more time to edit and spend time on them.