Statement of Intent
I aim to produce a portfolio of photographs demonstrating my understanding of landscape photography. At the end of the project I will pick a gallery of photos that I feel fit the theme the most and will display the progress I've made throughout my journey. As I will be visiting different locations throughout the year that will challenge me to use different camera settings in order for me to capture images that will show my photography ability.
To begin with I will create a mind map to help me gather ideas relating to urban landscape and sea landscapes, this will help me when going out on locations as it will give me a starting point. I will research different photographers who have done landscape images, the photographer I will take inspiration from at the start of the project will be David Carvey as he specialises in different themes of landscape photography. The reason why I picked him is because he has used soft lighting, interesting composition and shows a clear contrast in colours that he captures of nature. However throughout my project I will continue to research photographers and artists that will help me with urban landscapes and ways to develop my ideas for shoots.
When I was given the theme landscape to me I straight away thought and visualized scenery views and nature. But then I was told London was one of the location we were going to visit, I change my perspective of landscape as I didn't think of a city as being a type of landscape (urban landscapes). Then I realised I would be able to compare the differences of urban and sea landscape and would be capturing different season of the year as we go to Anglesey in February, London in July and Manchester in November.
Anglesey was our first location where I took different landscape images of the sea, close-ups of nature (trees, shells, sand, etc.) and sunsets. On the first day I was excited exploring the different locations in Anglesey taking random pictures of the scenery, but then I realised I needed to focus more and decide on how I will show my progress in my images, this made me group my images that I was capturing so I could begin displaying a theme in my work. The second day I was experimenting with different view points like worm's eye view, perspective. I captured one of my strongest photographs I feel on my journey of landscape photography.
I know that in London I will be able to capture bird's eye view as we will be going up St Paul's cathedral this will allow me to show the contrast between viewpoints in my work.
I would like to experiment different depth of field techniques which will allow me to do close-up images and take large scenery shots, I will change white balance to adjust the colour of the picture (shade, tungsten light, sunlight.) highlighting my ability to use camera settings and I will try and push myself by changing ISO and see my final outcome depending on the environment. I will develop my images further by using Photoshop, first of all using tools and techniques that I'm already familiar with to show change in the original images still sticking to the theme landscape. By using the inspiration from the photographers that I have looked at and my personal opinion that I have gained of landscape I will be able to challenge my Photoshop skills and show my ability to refine my work where needed.
This project will be a demonstration of a continuous working progress throughout the year. As I gather images of different seasons of the year and landscape locations I will be able to show my progression in my final gallery.
As my portfolio develops I will continue to create new ideas and I will refine my work by showing my best and worst images annotating them to show my understanding of ways in which I can improve and reflect on what went well or what went wrong, and in some cases ways in which I can stretch and challenge myself further to be able to gain the best images I can create.
To begin with I will create a mind map to help me gather ideas relating to urban landscape and sea landscapes, this will help me when going out on locations as it will give me a starting point. I will research different photographers who have done landscape images, the photographer I will take inspiration from at the start of the project will be David Carvey as he specialises in different themes of landscape photography. The reason why I picked him is because he has used soft lighting, interesting composition and shows a clear contrast in colours that he captures of nature. However throughout my project I will continue to research photographers and artists that will help me with urban landscapes and ways to develop my ideas for shoots.
When I was given the theme landscape to me I straight away thought and visualized scenery views and nature. But then I was told London was one of the location we were going to visit, I change my perspective of landscape as I didn't think of a city as being a type of landscape (urban landscapes). Then I realised I would be able to compare the differences of urban and sea landscape and would be capturing different season of the year as we go to Anglesey in February, London in July and Manchester in November.
Anglesey was our first location where I took different landscape images of the sea, close-ups of nature (trees, shells, sand, etc.) and sunsets. On the first day I was excited exploring the different locations in Anglesey taking random pictures of the scenery, but then I realised I needed to focus more and decide on how I will show my progress in my images, this made me group my images that I was capturing so I could begin displaying a theme in my work. The second day I was experimenting with different view points like worm's eye view, perspective. I captured one of my strongest photographs I feel on my journey of landscape photography.
I know that in London I will be able to capture bird's eye view as we will be going up St Paul's cathedral this will allow me to show the contrast between viewpoints in my work.
I would like to experiment different depth of field techniques which will allow me to do close-up images and take large scenery shots, I will change white balance to adjust the colour of the picture (shade, tungsten light, sunlight.) highlighting my ability to use camera settings and I will try and push myself by changing ISO and see my final outcome depending on the environment. I will develop my images further by using Photoshop, first of all using tools and techniques that I'm already familiar with to show change in the original images still sticking to the theme landscape. By using the inspiration from the photographers that I have looked at and my personal opinion that I have gained of landscape I will be able to challenge my Photoshop skills and show my ability to refine my work where needed.
This project will be a demonstration of a continuous working progress throughout the year. As I gather images of different seasons of the year and landscape locations I will be able to show my progression in my final gallery.
As my portfolio develops I will continue to create new ideas and I will refine my work by showing my best and worst images annotating them to show my understanding of ways in which I can improve and reflect on what went well or what went wrong, and in some cases ways in which I can stretch and challenge myself further to be able to gain the best images I can create.
First image - 5Cs
Context
The reason why this image was taken is what I assume is to show the beautiful landscape of Anglesey. It was taken in wales at the Llandwyn Island in wales. The person who took this is called Adam Burton and I don't have the necessary information for when it was taken, but since it's in colour I'll assume that it was taken between the 1950-2018 since, before the 1950s, technology was still in development and was limited, thus colour for cameras weren't made.
This is his profile page which tells us what he does for a living and how he shows his talents:
"Adam Burton is one of the UK’s leading landscape photographers. A professional photographer, teacher and author with over fifteen years experience working within the landscape photography industry, Adam has photographed many of the world's beautiful natural areas and specialises in the landscapes of the UK, particularly Southwest England.Entirely self taught, Adam’s style has developed organically through photographing the wide variety of landscapes and seascapes found within the UK. His bold, colourful landscape photographs are always in-demand; his client list includes many prestigious organisations such as National Geographic, Ford and The AA. With an emphasis on in-camera technique rather than post capture manipulation, Adam’s photography records the landscape authentically and naturally in beautiful atmospheric images."
(The website that I've used for context is this site here: https://www.adamburtonphotography.com/profile "
This is his profile page which tells us what he does for a living and how he shows his talents:
"Adam Burton is one of the UK’s leading landscape photographers. A professional photographer, teacher and author with over fifteen years experience working within the landscape photography industry, Adam has photographed many of the world's beautiful natural areas and specialises in the landscapes of the UK, particularly Southwest England.Entirely self taught, Adam’s style has developed organically through photographing the wide variety of landscapes and seascapes found within the UK. His bold, colourful landscape photographs are always in-demand; his client list includes many prestigious organisations such as National Geographic, Ford and The AA. With an emphasis on in-camera technique rather than post capture manipulation, Adam’s photography records the landscape authentically and naturally in beautiful atmospheric images."
(The website that I've used for context is this site here: https://www.adamburtonphotography.com/profile "
Content
What I see in the image is a building on a rock with a path leading towards it, there's also a massive sea behind it and you can see the horizon with another island or land that's attached onto Anglesey and finally at the left, I see a beach with a field beside it. We can also see that it's cloudy covering the blue skies. We can see that this is a nature picture as it has lots of greens, blues and even browns for the rocks. The building may show that this is someone's house and is currently living there. This image is a landscape AKA a seascape photo which celebrates the beauty of a beach residing next to the sea. I know this is taken in Anglesey because it was taken in wales. Since this picture is in colour, it brings out the beauty of the countryside compared to urban landscapes. The image is made up of grass and rocks in the foreground, the sea and the tower in the middle ground and the other islands with the cloudy sky in the background. There are no people in this image however it is a popular tourist area. I think this could be the angle that the photographer has taken the image from.
Composition
The view that they give is just a normal view since you don't see it from the very top or bottom, because of that it's not a bird's eye view or a worm view. The focus point of this image is the lighthouse in the middle ground at the top right which contrasts with the rest of the image since it's mostly nature based. The lighting in this photo are soft since there's only soft colours (blue, white, green etc) with the clouds showing a calming glow which means this was taken in the early evening. He has used rule of thirds of thirds since you can see two-thirds ground while the rest are the sea and sky, he also used it to show that the building is in a safe spot which, to me, stands out. There's leading lines which go towards the lighthouse, showing a curved path leading towards the top corner until stopping to the building. There is a strong sense of scale since the building is small compared to the sea and the ground. He has used a strong depth of field since everything is clear to the naked eye and because of that, he would have used a strong lens with a tripod.
Connection
The theme of this work is nature which is relevant to my Anglesey project, once I go take pictures during the trip I will take pictures which will be similar to this. The content in this work are mostly countryside based as there's a strong sense of nature which are shown to this picture shows the opposite to urban city's capes which will be the contrast when going to London. In my opinion, I think the message behind this image is how we find cities wonderful and makes us captivated towards them, however there's also the opposite side in which nature can look gorgeous when everything is aligned, not only that but the countryside is also relatively peaceful which can also be another factor to its beauty, I will keep all my Anglesey images in colour since it will show how content Anglesey is due to it being in the side of nature where there's lots of greens and blues.
Comment
I like the image because of what I think the message is, the colours contrasting with each other are soft but powerful, this can also means the power of nature and how overwhelming it can be to people, another strength it has are the settings the photographer has used to capture this photo. I think the photographer has used a large depth of field as you can see all the detail in the background of the islands and the sky. However the weaknesses are that it could include animals to emphasize the message by the wildlife populating the countryside. I can use this image to inspire me because of how the countryside are normally rather empty of people which will show the importance of nature instead of buildings populated with people. This is a tourist area however the photographer has taken this image without the people in it.
Second image - 5Cs
Context
What I assume it was taken for is to show how developing countries are using up fossil fuels which causes harmful gases, it was taken at the Battersea power station and was taken by Andrew Verdie, this picture is called 'Battersea Power Station'. I can't tell when it was taken since the photographer may have used Photoshop to make the contrast black and white, however if not, it may have been taken during either 1912-1945 since the image itself seems dystopian and may have been taken during world war 1 or 2.
"This photograph is HDR (High Dynamic Range) which is the combination of three images, one under exposed, one the correct exposure and the third is over exposed, these are then combined through specialist software to produce the look of the HDR image. This is then converted to black and white and adjusted further and printed on titanium paper which gives the photo a high quality finish and a metallic sheen. HDR photography is very well suited to buildings and architecture but there is still quite an art to gaining this much detail in an image. The photo was taken in early 2014 from Grosvenor Road. The power station has been undergoing huge changes as part of a big re-development programme and, as such, will never look like this again."
(This is the website I've used: https://www.the-framing-company.com/battersea-power-station.html )
"This photograph is HDR (High Dynamic Range) which is the combination of three images, one under exposed, one the correct exposure and the third is over exposed, these are then combined through specialist software to produce the look of the HDR image. This is then converted to black and white and adjusted further and printed on titanium paper which gives the photo a high quality finish and a metallic sheen. HDR photography is very well suited to buildings and architecture but there is still quite an art to gaining this much detail in an image. The photo was taken in early 2014 from Grosvenor Road. The power station has been undergoing huge changes as part of a big re-development programme and, as such, will never look like this again."
(This is the website I've used: https://www.the-framing-company.com/battersea-power-station.html )
Content
What's in the image is, what it seems to be, are power stations taking up most of the land as I can see, we see no signs of life what so ever, all we can see are buildings most likely using up fuels for energy. We can see that water at the bottom of the image, but since its in black and white, I'll assume that it's polluted due to how the setting is in black and white, the picture is just a structure because we don't see any people in this, could mean either this is an isolated country or what the future could be if we continue using fuels which harm the environment and us humans. This image was taken in early 2014 even though it looks like it's from 1912-1945, another reason why I think it's in black and white is to show how the factories has sucked the colour out of society due to unethical ways of producing energy instead of using solar panels or even wind turbines. I think this was taken at the Battersea power station.
Composition
In my opinion the focus point of this image are the chimneys coming out of these stations. The photographer has used a rule of thirds since you can see the cranes at the left only taking up about a fifth of the image whilst the factory itself is in the middle, taking up most of the space, we can see that the sky is two-thirds of the image while we only know its third ground. I can't tell if the lighting has been used appropriately since the colour is black and white. It could be seen as a worm eye's view since you mostly only see the top, however in my opinion, it's just a normal view. Our eyes are drawn to the power stations due to it being the main focus as they take up the most space. This image is a combination of three other pictures to enhance the final outcome, the clouds are over exposed while the rest is under exposed to light, this is to further emphasise what I think his message was, to show how power stations are 'sucking the life out of nature' while harming the world in the process.
Connection
It connects with my conflict subject since black and white contrast can, in most cases, hint that something bad is about to happen. This picture contrasts with the Anglesey image since the colours in this photo are bleached out while the landscape images of nature has lots of colour. The reason also why it connects with my conflict is because factories are linked with dystopian tropes like global warming due to the amount of fossil fuels that they use, hinting that it's going to be the end of the world. I like the message it conveys since, in my opinion, it tells us to find alternatives quick, otherwise almost all life (including humans themselves who created these) will be in danger.
Comment
I think the meaning behind this image is to show what developing countries like china do to keep its country well and alive, but ends up damaging earth, and it shows that if we keep using power stations, all life will be extinct. I dislike the image however since I do have a certain bias with landscapes involving nature since, in my opinion, they look a lot more beautiful. I still like the image since the message that it conveys does send a good message for us to change for the good and maybe change our ways.
Third image - 5Cs
Context
This picture was taken by Len Grant who is a Manchester based photographer and has been taking images of the city over a number of decades. He has focused on the regeneration of Manchester after the bomb went off in the 1980s. He took a series of images called 'Making Manchester' which was also made into a book.
When I was researching him I found this good quote:
"I became a freelance photographer in 1990 after an unrewarding stint in sales and marketing. I had no formal creative training, just the odd workshop here and there. I’d just turned 30 and thought I would give it a go. The first year was tough despite taking every job I was offered. One day I’d be photographing shipping containers, the next it’d be newly-completed conservatories. But I loved it. I loved being my own boss and creating images. At the beginning of the 1990s Manchester’s regeneration was kicking off and I wanted to say something about it. Who was behind it all? Who was making the decisions? So I set about photographing the architects, planners, council people, developers… the movers and shakers. That City Shapers exhibition, and the people I met because of it, kicked off my photographic career."
(This is the website I've used for the quote: https://www.lengrant.co.uk/biography/ )
When I was researching him I found this good quote:
"I became a freelance photographer in 1990 after an unrewarding stint in sales and marketing. I had no formal creative training, just the odd workshop here and there. I’d just turned 30 and thought I would give it a go. The first year was tough despite taking every job I was offered. One day I’d be photographing shipping containers, the next it’d be newly-completed conservatories. But I loved it. I loved being my own boss and creating images. At the beginning of the 1990s Manchester’s regeneration was kicking off and I wanted to say something about it. Who was behind it all? Who was making the decisions? So I set about photographing the architects, planners, council people, developers… the movers and shakers. That City Shapers exhibition, and the people I met because of it, kicked off my photographic career."
(This is the website I've used for the quote: https://www.lengrant.co.uk/biography/ )
Content
The main point of this image is the rebuilding of Manchester after the bomb had gone off, the bomb set off a huge regeneration of the city which is still going on today. In this image I can see a builder perched on a huge metal girder which personally would frighten me and makes this image quite dramatic. This image shows how Manchester is beginning anew and to help improve it as a whole, this shows a contrast with the old buildings in the background compared to the newly built buildings in the foreground. I know this picture was taken in the 1980s and by having people in it as well as a new structure he's documenting the workforce as well as new buildings.
Composition
The main vocal point in this image is the man in the middle on the metal girder, Grant has used some rule of thirds as it's only a quarter sky while the rest of the image is filled with structure. The man in the middle shows a lot of scale, seeing how small the man is compared to the buildings in the background which shows how brave he is to help rebuild the structures. The leading lines are strong as we see a good foreground for the metal girder and the man, the middle which has the smaller structures and the background which show the biggest buildings, showing a slight contrast between big, medium and small buildings. He has used a deep depth of field since you can see everything clearly in this picture and will have used a quick shutter speed as to avoid blurring the image, I don't think they've used a tripod as I wouldn't think there would be enough space for one. This is a birds eye view since you can see all the buildings in front of you, however this makes me wonder how he has taken the image from such a high place, it could show a perspective of a builder and what they have to deal with, again showing how brave they are to do their job.
Comment
The reason why I like this image is because of how everything is set in place, the contrast between the buildings, the main focus point is straight in the middle, in my opinion the view is beautiful for an urban landscape and I am, personally, slightly biased with this kind of picture since I don't like urban landscapes too much. I can use this to inspire me because one day, we'll be going to Manchester to take pictures and this makes me determined to take quality photos when going to Manchester. Grant has taken this picture to show a sense of industry and construction since we can see that its about new beginnings for Manchester after the tragic incident. Since the incident they have been constantly working on construction so what I can do is compare both modern Manchester and old Manchester to see how much they have changed.
Connection
The theme of this image is an urban landscape, this is relevant whenever I go to London and take photos there, I could also compare old London and modern London like I would with Manchester since they are both similar. I think the image behind the picture is new beginnings and to see the positive outcomes of an incident, because this incident occurred, Manchester learned how to improve overall, that's what I think the message is.
Anglesey
Anglesey mind map
My best Anglesey photos
Close-ups
Best |
Worst |
It's the best because...
You can see the picture clearly and and is the main focus point of this photo since I've used a shallow depth of field.. |
It's the worst because...
It's too close to the lens and you can't see what I'm trying to photograph. |
Best |
Worst |
Texture
Andrew Miller
Trees
David Carvey - 5Cs analysis
Content
What I can see in this picture is a forest with lots of trees and plants in the background, there's a small path leading forward to what seems is the horizon, we can see plants almost everywhere meaning this is not in an urban area. The colour is filled to the brim of different shades of green, brown and even white showing us that this is an area of nature. This picture was taken in the country of austria which has lots of forests compared to other countries.
This is a structural photo because it has no people in it, the effect of this is to show the beauty of nature in its purest form.
This is a structural photo because it has no people in it, the effect of this is to show the beauty of nature in its purest form.
Composition
You can see the brown path in the center leading the eye towards the green of the trees surrounded by more plants and green leaves overflowing with nature, because of that he has used composition to his advantage by capturing the colour brown of the tree trunks positioned vertically towards the sky against a horizontal hill of green leaves. This photographer is using the rule of thirds by halving the picture as the hill is going diagonally across the image. The focus point is a perspective meaning you can see what the person would actually be seeing if it was in front of them.
The lighting in this shot is soft meaning all of the colours are a variety of shades of greens and browns in my opinion it is pleasing to the eye. The depth of field is large because you can see everything in this shot including the colour of the background, we can see the foreground and and the middle clearly however we can't see any colour beyond the trees as it's bleached out, this to me means the viewer anticipate what's beyond the forest and thus makes us wonder why we can't see beyond nature.
This photographer may not have needed to use a tripod to take this picture and thus has also used normal camera lens.
The lighting in this shot is soft meaning all of the colours are a variety of shades of greens and browns in my opinion it is pleasing to the eye. The depth of field is large because you can see everything in this shot including the colour of the background, we can see the foreground and and the middle clearly however we can't see any colour beyond the trees as it's bleached out, this to me means the viewer anticipate what's beyond the forest and thus makes us wonder why we can't see beyond nature.
This photographer may not have needed to use a tripod to take this picture and thus has also used normal camera lens.
Context
This picture was taken by David Carvey, a famous american comedian and show host who practices photography as a hobby, this photo has been released for the public eye to see his talents, when it was taken is unknown from my research, in my opinion the reason why I think he took this picture is to show the beauty of nature and it is fresh to see since most places nowadays have buildings, skyscrapers and the sort and because of this is refreshing to see nature purely about nature. Photography is his hobby and does it for fun whenever he's taking a break from his career. This photo is not called anything and is currently unknown to the public and because of that, this photo is not very famous for what it is, but it shows how beautiful nature is. What we know however is that it was taken in 2016.
Connection
This picture connects to my work as I looked at landscape photography where I captured many images of forests in Anglesey. David Carvey has inspired my work as it has captured the images of the same subject,another reason why both also connect is because they're both landscapes and thus fits with the theme of this topic. This will connect with my work because I will be using this as a reference when I'll be comparing landscapes to skyscrapers in large cities in England like London or Manchester.
Comment
I really like the forest setting as, in my opinion, I prefer countrysides compared to urban landscapes as, to me, feels a lot more natural and clean, I think urban landscapes can look clustered and because of this I prefer more simple landscapes like a forest creating nature imagery.
Skies
BestThis is the best because...
You can see the texture on the seaweed and the lighting was thought out, I made it intentionally bright on one side and shadowed at the other. |
WorstThis is the worst because...
In my opinion I don't like the bird's eye view I've used in this shot, it's still a good picture regardless however. |
Sea
BestThis is the best because...
I used the correct depth of field to have everything in site, the angle is perfect as its not tilted and I have the perfect exposure for it to be not too bright or too dark. |
WorstThis is the worst because...
Exposure seems a little too high and the white balance I wanted to change |
Ducklinking processes
I am going to refine my ideas by using Photoshop with the tools that it provides, I'll be using various different tools like layering, using filters, changing the colours of some parts. What I'm going to do first is to use filters to create a different outcome. I'm going to add a spotlight at the top of the image to change the outcome and to enhance the image.
Final outcomes
Inspiration for Landscape
Experimenting with Photoshop
This tutorial for how to use Photoshop for surrealistic landscapes has helped me majorly learning what different tools can do that I have previously not learned before, this will help me produce a high quality photo involving both landscape and surrealism from weird and wonderful.
Legan Rooster
This will be the next picture I'll try and recreate using Photoshop, the tools I'll be using will be:
I will try and create patterns by using different images from Anglesey (and maybe London if I have the time) which will give a mirage effect, this is also related to surrealism since you wouldn't see a diamond shape of the landscape distorted into a pattern. The inspiration is from Legan Rooster, a geometric photographer and is also known for her questionable art as well.
- Polygonal Lasso tool
- Lots of layering
- Transform
I will try and create patterns by using different images from Anglesey (and maybe London if I have the time) which will give a mirage effect, this is also related to surrealism since you wouldn't see a diamond shape of the landscape distorted into a pattern. The inspiration is from Legan Rooster, a geometric photographer and is also known for her questionable art as well.
Work done on Photoshop - part 1, 2 and 3
In this photoshop shoot, I will experiment with layering to create a rather abstract outcome, how I'm going to do this is the polygon lasso tool as this will allow me to cut certain parts of the image into different shapes like a triangle, with this knowledge I will be going on a journey with this theme, I will be creating a pattern at the middle to create a sort of surrealistic atmosphere in the photo.
Final outcomes - part 1
Work done on Photoshop - part 2
Final outcomes
Work done for photoshop - part 3
Final outcomes
Snowy landscape
Plants
Trees
Snow (no plants or trees)
Linking paragraph
In February I went to Anglesey to capture landscape during the winter. I took pictures of the local beaches, texture of plants and trees, sunsets, cliffs and was able to capture the contrast of a forest next to a sandy beach. The images I have captured have soft lighting due to the fact that it was in winter, some days it was more cloudy and dull, this meant I had to change some camera setting to be able to make my images clear, for example changing my white balance from auto to cloudy in certain shots as this changes the colour of the photograph. What I've learned during the Anglesey trip is having to constantly change camera settings for the two days staying there as the sun was constantly appearing and disappearing behind the clouds (e.g changing the aperture, white balance, shutter speed, etc).
When I went to London in the summer, the lighting was a lot more harsher due to it having a clear blue sky, this meant I had to change certain camera settings like ISO and white balance as I was taking pictures of buildings and different architecture due to it being an urban environment. My favourite part of the London trip was going up St Paul's cathedral as this allowed me to take pictures from a bird's eye view of the architecture whilst in Anglesey I never had the chance to capture the landscape as a whole from a bird's eye view I was only able to capture the sea, rocks, seaweed and other natural forms.
This I feel gave me more opportunities to capture different types of photos which I feel has enhanced my portfolio as a whole. I feel more comfortable that I progressed with the London project done.
When I went to London in the summer, the lighting was a lot more harsher due to it having a clear blue sky, this meant I had to change certain camera settings like ISO and white balance as I was taking pictures of buildings and different architecture due to it being an urban environment. My favourite part of the London trip was going up St Paul's cathedral as this allowed me to take pictures from a bird's eye view of the architecture whilst in Anglesey I never had the chance to capture the landscape as a whole from a bird's eye view I was only able to capture the sea, rocks, seaweed and other natural forms.
This I feel gave me more opportunities to capture different types of photos which I feel has enhanced my portfolio as a whole. I feel more comfortable that I progressed with the London project done.
Context
This picture was taken by a man called lain Macmillan and the name of this picture is called the Beatles Abbey Road in 1969. lain Macmillan was born on the 20th October in 1938 and died at 8th may 2006 from lung cancer (age 67) meaning he was around 31 when he took this, he was born in Dundee in England. He's a photographer who's famous for taking cover photographs for the Beatles and was also famous for taking this picture. It has been published to the public to see. The time period when this was taken was that the Beatles back in those days were really famous for their revolutionary, catchy music and was heavily loved in the public. This picture was taken during a lunch break whilst they were recording in EMI's London studios while also working on a photographic essay about life in London.
Content
In this picture we can see four men walking across the road, these men are all different in their looks, height and attires, one man is wearing blue, two men are wearing black and the last one is wearing white. This picture I think was taken at Abbey Road considering the name of it. We can see older model cars in the background showing this was a modern photo when it was taken. There's fences on the left and right showing that this is indeed in a neighbourhood
Composition
In the foreground we have the main focuses, the four men walking across the road and the foreground and background shows the clear sky and a road with only one other around. The lighting in this picture is in the middle between harsh and soft, the angle was taken on the road, something a driver would see from his perspective, the traffic was blocked during this shoot as to maybe give that intention. The colours in this picture are pretty standardized as we see a bunch of blacks, whites, green, etc. The four men being the main focus shows the message that I think tries to convey.
Connection
This will connect to my London photography as it's in an urban setting as shown with houses, older model cars and how the people are clothed, this picture was even taken in London which will help from what to expect to take pictures in London It also connects as the message behind it inspires me to take urban landscape pictures instead of nature as to mix things up. The beatles are also famous, same with London
Comment
I have two theories for what it means, the first theory could be that the picture is about how we grow up and change, from the beginning we see someone in blue and at the end we see someone in white, showing that there has been change in some way or another, this can mean that we want to be kids again when times were simpler. Another theory could be that its about how a person can stand out from the crowd and this shows with their attires. Three out of the four men are in very similar attires one in blue and two in black showing that they don't stand out much, but at the end we see someone in all white and is at the front of the four men, could be showing that he did something to make him stand out above the rest. The strengths I think would be the lighting, it's not too bright or dark and we can see clearly because of this, it also has a good depth of field where we can see the background clearly enough. Another strength is the message behind it. I like this work because of the many strengths it has with the camera settings and the messages behind it.
London
London mind map
My best London pictures
Art gallery (close ups)
Art gallery (Escalator)
Art gallery (Manufactured ceiling)
Art gallery (bird's eye view)
Art gallery (outside building)
Art gallery (window shots)
Art gallery (staircase angles)
Art gallery (The glowing female)
British museum
The city (on St Paul's cathedral)
Shops
BestThis is the best because..
It's related to the topic and I like the angle that I took during the tour around the shops in London. |
WorstThis is the worst because..
All this picture is showing is that its a close up, this is unrelated to the topic of shops even though this was what they were selling. |
Miscellaneous
Train
BestThis is the best because..
It's very clear and the composition was in my opinion, really well used with the train on the right. This is my favourite picture during the drop as all of my camera settings were spot on (depth of field, ISO, aperture etc). |
WorstThis is the worst because..
you can see the reflection of the window which in my opinion is mildly distracting to me and it also has blur. |
Photoshop for London
Best images from London
The reason for putting my best images here is because I want to use the best pictures that I captured and alter them to fit my theme.
Work done on Photoshop
Final outcomes
Manchester
Manchester mind map
Best Manchester photos
Buildings
Christmas themes
Colourful images
Dark areas
Photoshop for Manchester
Final outcomes
All of my Landscape's best photos
Final Gallery
My final Evaluation for Landscapes
My project theme for Landscapes was the contrast between urban city's capes like London and Manchester compared to Landscapes from Anglesey and nature in general. I really enjoyed developing this project into something that I'm proud of. My favourite part of this project was the Anglesey trip and staying there during the weekend, going through nature and taking pictures of beautiful landscapes of Anglesey was very enjoyable. Another part I enjoyed a lot was developing my skills in Photoshop and seeing what outcomes I could make by using my current knowledge with Photoshop.
The new techniques I have developed was in both Photoshop and taking quality photos during my time expanding my landscape project. What I would like to develop further is to go different places and to take pictures of them, maybe even manipulating them into Photoshop to enhance my outcomes. The photographers I've researched was David Carvey, Andrew Miller and Legan Rooster. All of these inspired me to take pictures comparing the similar but entirely different Landscapes and city's capes, Legan Rooster also inspired me to go on a journey with Photoshop to do patterns with my outcomes.
The technique I enjoyed most was layering the same images but creating patterns with them to enhance my photos into final outcomes. In my opinion, the project that was the most successful is Anglesey, I feel that I've taken some of my best photos since it was a very enjoyable experience, London is a very close second as the images that I've taken there are still very good in my opinion. However I did encounter some problems during this project like what I can do for my ideas and the Manchester project as I think it's my weakest project out of the three locations that I've done.
However I did learn from my mistakes and improved as a photographer, I've put more effort into Photoshop and focused my attention on Photography. If I could do anything different if I had a chance was to not lose focus near the end as I was very tired by the end of this project and I was most active at the beginning/middle of Landscapes.
That is my final evaluation of Landscapes and will continue improving it while working with spaces.
The new techniques I have developed was in both Photoshop and taking quality photos during my time expanding my landscape project. What I would like to develop further is to go different places and to take pictures of them, maybe even manipulating them into Photoshop to enhance my outcomes. The photographers I've researched was David Carvey, Andrew Miller and Legan Rooster. All of these inspired me to take pictures comparing the similar but entirely different Landscapes and city's capes, Legan Rooster also inspired me to go on a journey with Photoshop to do patterns with my outcomes.
The technique I enjoyed most was layering the same images but creating patterns with them to enhance my photos into final outcomes. In my opinion, the project that was the most successful is Anglesey, I feel that I've taken some of my best photos since it was a very enjoyable experience, London is a very close second as the images that I've taken there are still very good in my opinion. However I did encounter some problems during this project like what I can do for my ideas and the Manchester project as I think it's my weakest project out of the three locations that I've done.
However I did learn from my mistakes and improved as a photographer, I've put more effort into Photoshop and focused my attention on Photography. If I could do anything different if I had a chance was to not lose focus near the end as I was very tired by the end of this project and I was most active at the beginning/middle of Landscapes.
That is my final evaluation of Landscapes and will continue improving it while working with spaces.