LO2 - Pitch presentation

Peer feedback of my work:
+ Your ideas are clearly presented and understandable
+ It's great that you used some of your own photos in this as it gave a sample of your individual style

- You could've spoken more specifically about the camera settings and lens types
- It would've been better to see an actual shooting schedule

LO2 - Human Condition poster concept

LO1 - Street fashion photographers

Seeing as my photographs will fit into the genre of street fashion photography I will be looking into a couple of photographers that relate themselves to this genre in order to gain inspiration for my own work. Both these photographers take their pictures for magazines.

Tommy Ton

Ton is considered a member of the 'new generation' of fashion photographers and critiques mainly for his social media presence that has won him over 263K followers on Instagram alone. He has been praised for the energy reflected in his shots as well as his ability to pick up on the details possessed by the clothing.

A lot of his photographs serve to highlight the atmosphere of the city as much as the models, but do not rely on the background as it made out of focus in order to accentuate the detail of the model's garments. In this particular image on the right he has made use of leading lines- leading to the closely knit and saturated city life taking place in the background, offering the 'energy' to his shots he is so well known for. The composition of the model being on the left hand side of this scene makes the image feel more busy and entertaining for the viewer, and the fun pose she has struck adds a unique and fun prospect to the photograph that wouldn't have been there otherwise. There is also something quite bright (almost saturated) about the colours of his images, which tend to reflect the more mature style of the clothes he is photographing. The attention to detail of the clothes pictured create a lovely effect because of the different textures denoted in frame; considering how wide the shots of his photos can be it is impressive that he manages to capture the

important details so easily and makes the image more aesthetically attractive. The full body image is one I've been considering more for my own work as it gives me more freedom with the model as they will have the chance to be more expressive. On the right here is a more focused shot of Ton's. These offer a wider center of interest because of the focus on the material, so you spend longer looking as you must concentrate on smaller details. If I could use smaller sections of the outfits to convey a sub-culture then I would like to try something like this as the space of the surrounding area is used well to draw your eyes towards the actual focus of the image (their attire). He is more limited with a lot of his photography as the purpose of it is to sell clothes for a particular brand by making them look appealing via use of the models and their surroundings. My photographs are not for advertisement purposes so I have the ability to be less specific with the clothing choices providing they represent a particular sub-culture. Ton commented that whilst working in the industry he found

they felt at times that "the scene outside the shows is turning into a circus and detracting attention from what's important: the clothes on the runway", but he has only recently very ceased photographing on the street himself. His images themselves are more expressive of his 'obsession' to present the personality of the cities being reflected in it's current fashion state, as well as looking at these to forecast upcoming trends in fashion.

Silvia Olsen

Olsen is a Norwegian fashion photographer with a degree in fashion photography. She quickly progressed to working fashion publications worldwide and her images are featured regularly in magazines such as: ELLE UK, Lucky magazine and The Times.

Her images have a fresh and bright styling to them. There is also a distinct level of sharpness which is enhanced as, similarly to Ton's photographs, she ensures the background is slightly out of focus so the viewer focuses solely on the model. The manner in which she photographs designer clothes has an air of casualness towards the wearer, and even a relaxed feel although this aura will be carefully cultivated. Wearers have a tendency to either be looking straight into the camera or off slightly into the distance, the viewer thus gets a sense of awareness from the model making them feel light there is less of a barrier between the onlooker and the subject. Olsen tends to photograph the entirety of the model to create a large centre of interest; the crisp textures of the clothing lends itself wonderfully to this technique. Composition is also a very key factor in her images- almost every photograph shows the model placed directly in the centre of the image to offer a sense of location and give more character to the piece using the backdrops. Its although it tempts the viewer into creating a narrative for the scene, how the model got there and why that specific location was chosen. There is something more relatable about the subject as we are aware and can acknowledge that there is something less natural about the models and more specifically placed. This is how I am hoping my pictures will appear, with some minor alterations.

LO1 - Analysing photographers

Each of the photographers I have chosen to look at are incredibly different. To begin with, their photographs tackle completely different genres: Philpott's is action adventure, Parr's is social reportage and Teller's is fashion. The only obvious similarity between their works is that they use people in their images, although each for contrasting reasons; whether it be to model an outfit or to capture the 'human condition'. In Parr's works the people are his focus, he wishes to capture them in odd situations. However, Teller uses his model majorly in order to highlight the clothes they are wearing and make the outfit appear more appealing so the viewer will buy it (he photographs for advertisement purposes). In Duncan Philpott's work the scenery is his focus, as well as the action happening within it, but it's about using these two elements together to create an attractive image. Unlike both other photographers, he also tends to manipulate his images more by majorly altering them to add depth and focus the detail- whereas Parr and Teller only noticeably edit the colours of their images. Even the mood/vibe given off by each photograph is different! Martin Parr has a darkly comedic effect with the bizarre events taking place within the image's boundaries whereas Philpott's work oozes adventure and wonder. Teller's work is professional, with 'casually cultivated' situations and intimacy- similarly to Parr, his work draws the audience into the moment and makes them a part of the image and events taking place.

The three photographers I am looking at approach the theme of identity in separate manners: Philpott for instance, focuses more on the identity of the world around him than the people in it. He uses the Earth and the lighting and the location to carve out a personality within the setting which humans within the lens merely partake in and are of no true part of. Parr focuses entirely on the nature of people within their natural habitats or out in an unnatural setting, exposing this offers more of a gritty presentation of the human condition which can be quite gruesome at times yet still entertaining. My final photographer, Jürgen Teller, reflects the models personality through their outfits- he focuses on the clothes and interprets the outfits as having identities of their own in order for them to become more appealing, but unlike Philpott the models in his work are also a focal point and their personality serves to add intrigue to the images.
For my own work I don't particularly like the idea of looking at the identity of nature or Sheffield as I'm not entirely sure how attractive the pictures I get could be! I'd much prefer to work the way Parr and Teller do by taking more of an interest in the people within the photograph. I like the idea of using clothes that either I or somebody else is wearing (along with the background) to emphasise different emotions and do a set of images. I could also photograph other people doing normal things like speaking to a co-worker or doing daily rituals but with another person stood by dressed differently to represent how they actually feel or what they're thinking in their head.

LO1 - Jürgen Teller

Genre and purpose
Jürgen (Juergen) Teller was born in 1964 and is a German fashion photographer whose work is included in popular magazines (such as Vogue) and exhibitions. His work has a 'raw, overexposed style' and employs a lot of colour where possible. He is probably best known for his collaboration with Marc Jacobs in 2005, although he has also worked alongside fashion designers Vivienne Westwood and Yves Saint Laurent. During Teller's career he has photographed famous faces such as Winona Ryder, Roni Horne and Kanye West.

This is Stella Tennant wearing an Emilio Pucci outfit that Teller is photographing. My immediate reaction is towards that of the dress, as it is supposed to be; there is an air of sophistication to the image that serves to alter your perception of the dress and to highlight its features. In this image, the simplicity of the background makes me as a viewer more drawn towards her outfit and the overall detail of it.

Techniques

The image is a fashion photograph as it was taken to exhibit the dress on the model, it will have been used in a lot of fashion magazines and as advertisement on e.g. billboards, for the clothing line.  In this image the composition is incredibly important. Stella Tennant is quite literally framed by the photo frames around her, making the top half of her body the centre of interest as it is in the middle frame. The picture is taken from a low angle- below the model so we appear to be gazing up at her. By doing this the image presents more of the dress to be appreciated by the observer. Not only does the angle help to exaggerate the visuals of the dress but also the colours do this; most of the image is either white or brown so the appearance of colour in the clothing stands out more brightly against this background. The space is probably more important than the model in a lot of his work as it is used effectively to make the subject seem more authentic in their habitat. 

Analysis of image

Teller is quite a widely renowned fashion photographer and for this reason many critics praise his works. Alistair Sooke from the Telegraph comments on his 2013 exhibit, saying he "combines wit and whimsy with an invigorating sense of intimacy and frank reality. That sense of reality comes from his distinctive use of the camera’s flash, which gives his pictures a bleached-out brightness, and creates the impression of revelation – as though there is nowhere to hide... we are in the moment... at the same time, this aura of casualness is carefully cultivated". 

There is something in his photos which puts the viewer halfway between reality and fantasy- the models are not dolls, they feel like genuine people in his photographs, even with their rehearsed angles. Dennis Freedman (creative director of W) reveres Teller, saying that "so much fashion photography builds this false sense and maintains the myth. Juergen’s pictures cut through all that, but they’re not depressing. What’s really depressing is not Juergen’s pictures, but the mindless objectification of women as clothes hangers who pose and wear clothes, but there’s nothing to the picture apart from that it’s a sales tool". His images are more than just fashion photography, they give character to the subject too and don't just make them a model for the clothes. Because of this his work is highly acclaimed in the photographic world.

LO1 - Photographic elements

LO1 - Martin Parr

Genre

Parr is a social reporter whose key concepts when photographing are: leisure, consumption and communication. He has been a travelling the world for several decades to pursue his love of photography but was originally born in Surrey in England.
Parr tends to take relatively close or detailed images through use of a macro lens and employ saturated colours. This effectively puts his subjects ''under the microscope'' in their natural environments; often exposing the inadvertent humour within them. His images give a dystopian feel at times- where many photographers will travel to take exotic images Parr instead enjoys taking gritty and gruesome pictures. For instance, in his images of British beaches he shows the rubbish on the floor; other photographers would probably try to ignore these unappealing details. The overflowing of the rubbish may signify ever growing population of the country itself and imperfection that many artists choose not to show.
During his time as a photographer he's had nearly 40 solo photo books published after partnering up with Magnum photos. His work has been featured in around 80 exhibitions worldwide- including his international touring exhibition, Parrworld.

This image was photographed in Holland. Initially looking at the photo I sensed there was more of a comedic element to the image, the viewers attention is drawn to so many seemingly random objects throughout the room that it makes the photograph quite surreal. There's also the shock factor present in most of Parr's pictures- a baby drinking a glass of wine at the back of the room! In spite of the thoroughly bizarre character interactions photographed, the image feels unstaged and still has that gritty, earthy feel.
The genre of the piece is social reportage which involves the photographer going out and taking pictures at events that appear spontaneous and capture the identities of people within their natural (or unnatural) habitats. These images, as shown above, often contain a variety of people and props which give the image a sense of randomness- they are rare photo opportunities.

Image analysis
Many photographic elements are shown within this image. The use of light casts gentle shadows across the image as not to disturb the events pictured, yet they also manage to give the image more depth than it would've possessed beforehand. When looking at the photograph my eyes are automatically drawn to the cross so I would personally consider this to be the focus; however other people's eyes are drawn to the baby, so I wonder what Parr intended the focal point to be. The composition of Parr's images appear to be the most important element, as I have mentioned before the positioning seems spontaneous but also packs many contrasts into the image to enforce the impression of a narrative within the picture. The images majorly are shot from straight ahead instead of having a more inventive viewpoint; but this compliments the style of his photographs. By showing the scene from straight on you are put in the shoes of another character in the room or on the beach, offering you a moment to participate in the surreal narratives evident in his work in stead of merely spectating. In his pictures the lighting is often very important as it gives the image a saturated feel. A lot of his photos are taken by the British seaside, the bright sunny lighting makes the people seem ungenuine; as if they are merely stereotypes of people at the beach instead of actual people.

Analysis of purpose 
In his work he examines 'national characteristics and international phenomena' to discover how these things will translate to future generations and the effect they will have. In doing so I believe he creates photos with an element of satire comedy- beneath the comedic layer of representation (for instance the realism of the unappealing British beaches) he may want to confront bigger issues and criticise parts of our generation. However not everyone appreciates Parr's pieces, the photo critic Colin Jacobson commented Parr was “a gratuitously cruel social critic who has made large amounts of money by sneering at the foibles and pretensions of other people“ (he makes money by making fun of other peoples faults and beliefs through a lens). Critics argue that the voyeuristic imagery of Parr's work is exploitive of the people and specifically of the working class to which he has replied, "I think that all photography involving people has an element of exploitation... I often think of what I photograph as a soap opera where I am waiting for the right cast to fall into place''. Parr does not need exotic locations like most other photographers to create an interesting image, he tries to use places and people that many will see as ordinary and present to his viewers the appeal within them. Eric Kim (blogger) spoke about his photography book 'The last resort' and said "the book has a great sense of emotion in the images– and a wonderful cadence (flow) of images. There are images that feel quite sad, lonely, and melancholy– while other shots are much more humorous, silly, and cheerful. But I think what makes many of the images great is that this line is often blurred– you are never sure if people are really having a good time (or simply trying to escape from their misery)".

Martin Parr exhibition

In the holidays I visited a Martin Parr exhibition and took some photographs. The pictures were well arranged in a way that offered the viewer a chance to appreciate the smaller details- except for the wall pictured at the top as it was a collage of images put together by Parr himself. Seeing pictures in a physical format is very different to viewing them online, it's much more consuming as you can alter the way you view it by closing/widening the distance between you and the frame.
This exhibition made me love Parr's work even more, from the colours to the themes he addresses with each photograph. The latter three images I took above explored British people at the sea side (second) and tourism (third and fourth). It's the gritty realism in his photography that attracts so many people to it, he doesn't sugar-coat humanity and instead tries to expose the reality of his subject's situations whether it be of a bizarre or serious nature.
I feel each picture had a personality when being in the room alongside them, like I became involved in an aspect of the moment they captured before moving on to the next one.

LO1 - Duncan Philpott

Genre and Purpose
Duncan Philpott considers himself to be an action/adventure photographer and has travelled to 3 continents and 15 countries during his career. There are different kinds of work for photographers, for instance: editorial, commercial and personal. Editorial means working on assignments for e.g. a magazine, commercial is when you photograph for the sake of promotion/advertisement and personal is when you have the freedom to work on your own projects. Philpott has participated in all of these during his career, recently he’s been commissioned to take images of Sheffield that promote sport within the area (this is a commercial piece). He’s also done advertisement for Nike, which was shown on their Instagram, and photographed for the ‘won’t back down’ promo in which he took images of Steve Peat the mountain biker in preparation for the release of his DVD.

Before doing a shoot Philpott needs to plan out a shooting schedule-  when doing this he will have to visit locations and take into consideration light positioning at certain times of the day- for instance shooting in the trees when it isn't sunny means the shadows will not be as harsh. He may even need to use local knowledge to find suitable locations. Whilst he loves his job for many reasons such as the travel and the fact that he is being paid for doing what he loves, there are downsides. Photographers have: no job security, no fixed income, long hours and the constant possibility of hurting themselves. In his down time he mainly tends to do paperwork or chase people for money they owe him, as well as sending proposals. A proposal is when you email a company with an idea for a collaboration- otherwise known as creating your own work! In this age, he has to promote himself by blogging, collaborating and networking. He does this by posting on social media i.e. Instagram and has been known to work with other photographers to gain contacts in the industry.

Image analysis and meaning
I really love his work, it dramatises even the smallest moments within sport. The beautiful landscapes he photographs within make the images a feast for the eye what with all the colour and tones offered to highlight the images details, without these backdrops I don't think the image would have quite the same fantastical effect. The low viewpoint of this image (pictured right) and the way aspects of the landscape are curved/stretched via the lens adds intrigue to the image and sets it apart from other pictures; looking at them often gives the viewer a warped sense of distance. There is something very simple about his images yet the composition and detail serves to make the action the focal point for the viewer. Textures within the images are often shown to create an atmospheric feel such as a rock wall contrasting the trees in the background; all these elements create astounding images! Framing is vital in his photographs, so often the performers are framed by the world around them- whether that be trees or mountains. It shows a relation between man and the natural world that few other photographers focus on. The composition and viewpoint, as aforementioned, are considerably well thought out in his work. The position of the cyclist in these photos is particularly important as he manages to be the point of interest even with the exotic scenery surrounding him. In the pictures above the rule of threes is adhered to which creates a stunning shot.

LO1 - Photography terms

Cropping and scaling: Cropping an image is when you choose to cut it down whether that be for: sizing reasons, getting rid of an unwanted part of the picture or to enhance meaning in the photograph. I may choose to crop the photographs I take for reasons such as these.
Scaling is similar to cropping as you alter the image but instead scaling solely resizes an image. You can choose to make the photograph smaller or larger but it may have an effect on the quality of the picture.

Green screen: I will definitely not be using green screen in my photography because of how difficult it would be both to hire and use, but green screening is very common in modern media. The subject will be photographed stood in front of a green (or blue) background and then in the editing stage the solid block of colour can be swapped for a separate photo to make the subject appear to be in a different location.

Layers: In photoshop you can add images on top of each other and this process is referred to as 'layering'. If you put a second image on top of the background picture parts of it can be erased to show the first layer, or the opacity can be changed so the layer beneath can be viewed. I could use the opacity technique in order to show my models in multiple poses or to show the stigma vs the true identity of the sub-culture.

Text and image: You can add text over an image in order to enhance the meaning of it. It might be a single word or a few lines that emphasise an aspect of the photo; if I wanted to I could write a sentence about the stereotyping of the sub-culture photographed but I feel this would ruin the mood of the images I am hoping to take.

LO1 - Lenses

Standard lens

This is the lens I will likely be using. It enables a clear, focused image that is undistorted and is relatively similar to looking at a scene through the naked eye.














Macro lens

A macro lens is used to show the smallest details of an object- which is why it tends to be used in geographic photography or to take textural images. They are designed specifically to take extreme close ups and the long barrel aids the photographer in focusing the image.












Telephoto lens

The telephoto lens is wonderful at showing far away subjects in high definition; which is why it's banned from being used in public areas. It would be considered unethical to be able to take close and intimate images of a stranger.

Fish eye lens

A fish eye lens gives a distorted image of the subject by deliberately giving the photographer a larger field of vision due to it's curved face. It is an ultra wide angle lens.

LO1 - Photography genres mind map

LO1 - What makes a good photograph?

Many different aspects make up a good photo. There are technical aspects such as the composition and depth of the photo that make it more appealing to the viewer. The subjects within the photo, whether it be somebody’s hand or a mountain, have to have something unique about them which makes them appealing to look at. As well as this the photographer must focus on the lighting in the photo and use the colour to project a mood and highlight focal points. A good picture will also elicit an emotional response from the viewer; it should be like a piece of literature in which the viewer finds something to connect to and understand.

I’d like to explore architectural photography as I enjoy minimalist based pictures of buildings; there’s something very appealing about the contrast between e.g. a house and the sky above it. Specifically I like brightly coloured or somehow unusual architecture which creates quite an aesthetically pleasing picture. I also would like to explore pictures in which the focus is a single or multiple people in intriguing environments, whether it be modelling or not. I think photos look particularly artistic when they focus on a single person but their faces have been altered somehow- whether it be digitally or with paint.

I think this image is successful as it is very simplistic yet the viewers eyes are drawn towards the focal point of the lettering because of the contrast against the background. The colour and composition are very important within this image as they make it look more aesthetically pleasing; the different textures even give it a greater effect. I love images like this because of how much is said in such a simplistic manner, it tells a story to the viewer. Karl Lagerfeld once said that photographs ''capture a moment thats gone forever, impossible to reproduce'' - this has been done not only with an image but also with words here.