Connecting Essay 5

Picture I have found:

The photograph that I have found on the internet is of two girls facing away from the camera, and one is wearing all black clothes, and the other is wearing all white clothes. This shows the contrast between the colours, as well as the two different kinds of people, which could also be associated with devil vs. angel, innocence vs. evil etc. I like that we cannot see the model's faces because then it isn't personal, but mysterious because we don't actually know who they are. This also makes us focus on their outfits and the colour of their clothes rather than who they are.

My photograph: 

This image is from my first location contrast shoot. I like this image because there is a definite contract between the two people shown. The model on the left is wearing a white dress and has blonde hair, whereas the model on the right is wearing a black leather jacket and navy denim jeans, and has dark brown hair. This also relates to the concept of angel vs. devil because the two colours can be associated with the idea of an "innocent and pure" angel and an "evil and manipulative" devil. I also like that the model's are facing away from the camera because that means that we focus on other aspects like their clothes and hair colour, and then we aren't distracted by them personally or their expressions. I took this photo amongst a plain, white background because it emphasises the contrast between the two people, rather than distracts the viewer away from them. 

The connection:

These two photographs are very similar because they both show the back of two girls, wearing completely different and opposite outfits. Where one is wearing dark or black clothing, and the other is wearing white or light coloured clothing. Both photos relate to the idea of angel vs. devil as it portrays the two girls as being the two opposite and contrasting sides. In both of these images, the models are standing close, next to each other. Which practically represents a contradiction because the angel and devil are associated with competing against one another and constantly fighting, whereas in these images, they are almost portrayed as friends as there is barely any distance between them. 

Connecting Essay 4

Picture I have found:

This image that I have chosen, is a portrait by Robert Mapplethorpe. In this photo there is a plain, white background, and then leaning in towards the middle of the image, from the right is a man. However, we can mostly see his arm, and slightly see his face and body. I like this photo because the man is smiling as though he is teasing the photographer by only leaning in and not fully being in the photograph. On the other hand, i like that the model is mostly on the right-side of the image because it makes us look at that side first and the most, and then we look at the rest of the image. 

My Photograph:

My photograph is from a location shoot where we had to take photo's based on Mapplethorpe's work. As this was the location shoot, I have used a brick wall as a background. In this image we can see the model's arm stretching over from the right to the left of the image, and then we can only see less than half of his body and face. Obviously the first thing that a viewer will look at is the model because he's 3D, however, as his arm is stretching over most of the image, I think the viewers follow the same motion and therefore look at the centre of the image as well, and so look at the background too. I like the brick wall as a background, although it isn't plain, I don't think it is distracting because the bricks are set in a repeated pattern, and so each part of the wall is more or less exactly the same. 

The connection:

These photographs are similar because both make the viewers start looking at the right hand side, and then gradually attract them to the rest of the image (the centre and left hand side). In both of these images the first thing that we see is a man reaching his arm out from the right, to the left, and we can also see almost half of his body and face. These portraits also connect because in both, the model's arm looks slightly careless and droopy, as though he's not even trying to reach for something, he's just stretching it across the surface of the background. I also like that both images almost tease you with not being able to see model fully. 

Connecting Essay 3

Picture I have found:

This is a photo which I found when I searched for "autumn leaves". In this photo we can see a mixture of old, orange leaves as well as fresh green leaves. There is also a few yellow leaves. This photo has been taken from below, so we are presented with the lower surface of the leaves, and the sun is shining through them, revealing some of the leaves' veins. I like this image because the bright autumn colours contrast with the bright blue sky, in the background. I also like that it has been taken from close-up so we can actually see the detailing of the leaves, and not just their colours. 

My Photograph:

This is a photograph that I took on Walk 1, when shooting for autumn colours. I like this image a lot because the blue background contrasts with the colours of the leaves. I think this photo definitely represents autumn colours, but more of the transition between seasons, as we can see green, yellow and orange leaves all on the same tree. I also like that the photo starts from there bottom left corner and then the branches stretch out to the other side of the image, this is because the tree was on the left when i took it, but i also wanted to show the sky in the background. 

The connection:

These photographs are very similar because they both represent autumn colours within the leaves on the trees. Both images have been taken from below and therefore, we can only see the bottom surface of all the leaves. Another similarity is that both photographs have used the bright blue sky as a sole background, which really emphasises the colours in the leaves, as well as forms a contrast between all the colours shown in the image. These two photos also connect because they both start from a bottom corner, and then the image allows the branches of the tree to stretch towards the other side of the photo. I like this because it's almost as though there is a beginning of the photo (where the leaves and branches are shown the most) in the bottom corners, and then the branches stretch out towards the end of the photo. This effect also gives the images a clear focal point as the viewer will look at the bottom corner first, as that is where there is the brightest and most colours shown (green, yellow, orange and blue). 

My Best 40 Photographs

My best 40 photographs from c0nniemarie

Work Diary - Studio Mapplethorpe Portraits

Evaluation

I particularly enjoyed this lesson because I had to base my work on Mapplethorpe's portraits. This meant that i had to focus on the composition of my images, making sure that the subject/model fitted the area of the entire photo (either from top to bottom, or side to side). In this shoot we had to use a tripod/camera stand to hold the camera, which meant that we were able to move the camera around much more efficiently than just freehandedly. This also made it so much easier to compose the images before we took them. I especially liked taking photographs of different people, particularly as some of the photographs are serious, whereas others are happy because the model is laughing. I like both types of images that i took because they are both very different, and although Mapplethorpe's portraits are usually serious, he has taken a few of people smiling. 

This is the best image from the shoot because it is composed well, as the top of the model's head is touching the top of the image, and the same with the bottom. This means that there is no wasted space within the photo. I also like that we can only see half the model's face, but yet there isn't anything else in the image apart from a plain, white background, which means that our attention is solely focusing on the model. Another reason why i like this photo is that the model is looking directly at the camera, which makes it look as though she is looking directly at the viewer.

This is my worst image from the shoot because it is too dark on the right side. If this photo was lighter I would've really liked it. I think the darkness is due to the flash not working properly whilst I was taking my images. Nevertheless, I did manage to solve this problem and do actually have some photographs that were produced well. I also think that this image could've been zoomed out just a little bit, so there would be more background shown. 

Progression

If i were to take more photographs for this topic, I would use different models - like a male, so i was able to capture other people's true expressions and emotions. Mapplethorpe used both genders within his images, so to mimic his work I would also have to do so. If i ever attempt to capture more photographs influenced by Mapplethorpe, I would attempt to capture more natural and unstated photographs, rather than just telling the model what to do, as with some of my photographs it is obvious that they have been staged. These are some of Mapplethorpe's portrait photographs that i have found on the internet which i aspire to achieve if i ever add to this topic:

Connecting Essay 2

Picture I have found:

I found the the image above on the internet, when I was looking for photos that best portrayed the sense of journey. I like this photo a lot as it isn't what you first think of when you think of a Journey, however, it obviously still relates. I also like that the photo has been taken from the bottom, so we can see every step of the stairs. This depth of this image emphasises the fact that these stairs lead somewhere, and not just to the background of the photo. Due to the fact that this photo was taken from the bottom of the stairs, upwards, it allows our eyes to follow where the stairs lead, and therefore makes us question where the stairs could possibly lead too. The result of this is that every viewer has a different interruption of the image, and therefore a different journey. 

My photograph:

This image above, is one that I took during walk 2 for the subject Sense of Journey. I like that there is clear depth within this image, as we can see both the stairs and barriers narrowing towards the background of the photo. I also like the angle of the image, as I have taken it from the bottom of the stairs, upwards, so it looks as though the viewer is looking up the stairs as well. Due to the angle of the photograph, our eyes follow the stairs up to the top, and then beyond this, we cannot see anything because this is where the photo ends. This makes the viewer curious about where the journey of these stairs leads too, where is the end of the journey and where will these stairs take them. This allows the viewer to make their own journey, just by looking at these stairs and creating a destination for them.

The connection:

These photos are very similar because they have both been taken from the bottom of a stairwell. I also think that both of these images create the same result, particularly because they have been taken to represent the same subject. Viewers are able to focus their attention on the stairs because they are directly in the centre of the image, and therefore they are the first part of the image that we look at it. This is also because the stairs fill the majority of the image, so there isn't really any other part which would distract us from the stairs. In addition to this, the barrier(s) visible in the photo outline the stairwell, which makes it look as though the stairs have their very own section within the image. 

Connecting Essay 1

Picture I have found:

The image above is a picture that I found on the internet, when I was looking for photos that represented contrast. In this picture, there is an evident divide in the middle of the image, which separates fresh grass and turned over soil. This could also represent the cycle of life, as the newly grown grass has just begun life, whereas the turned over soil has already lived, and now is going to restart its growth. I like this image because the separation is directly in the centre of the photograph, which is the very first part of the image that we see. I particularly like that there is also contrast between the colours, as the left side is bright green grass, whereas the right side is brown and dull.

My photograph:

This is a photograph that I took during the Location Contrast shoot. For this image, i wanted to show the contrast between fresh grass and soil. I like that this photo shows different stages of the growth of grass, as we can see the beginning of the soil, and then above that, fresh, fully grown grass. I also like that there is a clear and evident divide between the two, so the contrast is intensified - particularly as the green and brown colours are in contrast too. For this image, I had to make sure that the line was directly horizontal, as it was slightly slanted in my other attempts of taking the photograph, and then I had to slightly edit this image to make sure the line was straight. 

The connection:

Both of these images are similar to each other because they both show the contrast between soil and grass. They are also very similar in the way that they have been taken, as in both, there is a direct line which separates the two subjects. I like this, as it is almost like there is two different photos within one. Even though the image that i found on the internet is vertical, and the one i took is horizontal they are still very similar because they are representing the same concept. These photos can be connected by concept, subject and colour. As well as how they have been taken. 

Work Diary - Location Mapplethorpe Portraits

Evaluation

I very much enjoyed this shoot because I had to find different backgrounds for my photographs, and then had to position my camera correctly and make sure that the image fits the space provided. It was easier to mimic Mapplethorpe's work in location than it was in the studio because there's more space to move around and model for photographs. I particularly liked using brick walls as a background because even though they're very basic, they aren't as simple as a plain background. I like this because I think the bricks set a great base for the model to pose in front of, and they look good as a background. During this shoot I used different angles and types of shots, such as taking photos from afar, as well as up close. I also tried to photograph other parts of the body and not just people's faces as Mapplethorpe did this as well. So, in a few photos I have used the model's arm, side of their face or their hair. 

This is my favourite and best image from the shoot as I think it mimics Mapplethorpe's work the most. It is very similar to one of his portraits. I really like this image because the brick wall isn't too simple, so we still have something to look at, but out attention is still focused on the model's arm and side (which is all that we can see of them). This photo is almost teasing the viewers, as they will probably want to see more, but can't. 

I believe this is my worst photo because it is extremely close-up which i don't like very much. Although Mapplethorpe took a few close-up portraits, I don't think that my attempt has mimicked his work of it very well. I also dislike the black background as we can see the line of the door frame, and it also looks blurry. I'm glad that I was able to fit the frame in this image though, as it is very difficult to fit a photo that is as close-up as this one is.

Progression

If I were to shoot more photographs for Location Mapplethorpe Portraits I would use a wider range of background such as windows, buildings, trees etc., because then, even though the model in my image looks similar, the background would be different every time. I would also like to take more photographs of people smiling, I know Mapplethorpe's portraits are very serious, but they are also unposed for, which means that I could capture someone smiling without them noticing, and that would be how Mapplethorpe influenced that image instead. These are some of the Mapplethorpe's portraits that i have found on the internet which i aspire to achieve if i ever add to this topic:

Work Diary - Location Contrast

Evaluation

During the location contrast shoot, I found it difficult to think of ideas for my photographs. Likewise with studio contrast. However, I did manage to create photographs in which portrayed different types of contrast, such as natural and manmade, grass and soil, as well as taking a photo of one of my shoes upright, and the other upside down. Despite that I found this shoot difficult, I still managed to enjoy the topic and explore different angles and types of shots that I could capture whilst in the process of thinking of ideas. 

This is my favourite and best photograph that I took during the shoot. The contrast of the two models is evident, as one is wearing white and has blonde hair, whereas the other is wearing black, and has brown hair. I also like that this photo can be interrupted as "angel vs. devil", as though the model wearing a white dress is the innocent, good angel and the other model, who is wearing a black leather jacket is portraying the idea of an evil, bad devil. 

I liked the majority of my photographs for this shoot, but I believe the concept of this image above isn't as obvious as my other ideas. This photograph is meant to represent natural and artificial, as it is showing tree branches over the top of a building. However, this isn't obvious because we can only see parts of each, and therefore they don't overlap and reveal the concept of the image. 

Progression

If i were to take more photographs for this shoot, or re-do the topic, I would make a list of ideas beforehand because it was very difficult during the process to think of ideas on the spot. I would also like to re-take the image above, which is portraying the idea of natural vs. artificial, as i really like the concept of the photo, I just need to figure out how to compose it better within an image. These are some of the contrast photographs that i have found on the internet which i aspire to achieve if i ever add to this topic:

Mapplethorpe Video Notes

Robert Mapplethorpe 

Born in 1946, in New York, Died in 1989. 

Mapplethorpe was raised as a Catholic, in Surburban America. However, as he describes himself, this area is safe and good, which wasn't enough for him - he wanted excitement, not calm and therefore, moved to Brooklyn.  

Attended Pratt Institution of Art where he was introduced to Photography, and where he met a life long friend Patti Smith. They ended up living together. 

Mapplethorpe is known for his black and white portraits, and is famous for being a controversial artist. His photography always shocks it's audience.

Mapplethorpe is described as America's most controversial photographer 

Mapplethorpe targeted rich people as they had the money to pay for the portraits. He also did album covers. 

However, controversially, he documented Manhattan's gay community within his photographs, which he was actually a part of. This made people argue whether his work was actually pornography or art. This series of photographs was taken in the late 60s, early 70s. He simply photographed what he lived.

Mapplethorpe consistently focused on race, sex and sexuality within his images.

Mapplethorpe was frequently asked the following question: "Did you set out to shoot?", and his reply was that he did not intend to shock his audience, he shot his photographs for his own reasons, which he described as being quite selfish. 

As Mapplethorpe was gay, he came out only to his mum, and did not tell his dad. 

Mapplethorpe did shoot a series of photographs of flowers, but he only did this for the money, he was not interested in botanical photography in the slightest. 

Although Mapplethorpes style of photography is simple, he always had full attention to detail. 

Mapplethorpe never staged or costumed his photographs. 

Work Diary - Studio Contrast 2

Evaluation

During this second shoot of contrast in the studio, I wanted to take photos other than of people's faces. This time I took photos of model's shoes, hands and half of their faces to show contrast in different ways. I enjoyed this shoot because I had to seriously think about what I was taking photographs of, and whether it was obvious as to what each image represented. In this shoot we only used a white background, as we only had a choice of white, black and brown, and we thought white would be the best for this shoot as it was the brightest background and would emphasise the model's features in the photographs. 

This is my best image from the second contrast shoot as it is showing the contrast between genders, male and female, but without seeing their faces. Instead, I have used a male and a females hand, and placed them together so we are able to see the size difference between them, as well as the overall difference of what both of the hands look like. We can clearly see that the hand with it's palm facing away from the camera is a females hand, because her nails are painted and her hand is much smaller in comparison to the hand with it's palm facing the camera.

This is my worst photograph from this shoot. In theory, I really liked the concept of showing only half of both of the model's faces, but still being able to see that one is female and the other is male. However, the photo was produced blurry which meant that I didn't focus the camera properly, and now can't use it.

Progression

If i were to do another shoot of contrast, I would prepare myself with ideas before actually taking the photos. This is because, I always quickly run out of ideas whilst in the shoot, and then only produce a very little amount of photographs, of lots of similar ones. I also would like to use different coloured backgrounds that are a lot brighter, so I could show the contrast between bright colours and dark colours with in my images too. These are some of the contrast photographs that i have found on the internet which i aspire to achieve if i ever add to this topic:

Straight Images - Location Mapplethorpe Portraits

Work Diary - Walk 2

Evaluation

Like the first walk that we did, we had to take photographs for three subjects: Autumn Colours, Sense of Journey and Back of Head shots. In this second walk, I made sure I took as many Back of Head shots as possible amongst interesting and very different backgrounds to make up for the fact that I didn't take any on the first walk. I also interpreted Sense of Journey in a different way so I was able to capture more different shots that all relate to the same subject. I enjoyed this walk a lot more because we travelled a shorter route, so we were able to stop a lot more and take all kinds of photos that we wanted.  

This is my best image from the Autumn Colours topic because I like how natural and truthful it looks. Instead of capturing the leaves at the top of the trees, I decided to take a photo of the fallen leaves on the ground, all wet and muddy. This is because, this is truly what autumn is like. I also like the fact that you can see people's feet in the distances because it looks as though the photo is leading towards them and shows depth.

This is my worst image of Autumn Colours, this is because this photo doesn't show much colour at all. During the walk, the sky was dark and foggy - which is definitely shown in this image, making it look quite cold and dull. Even so, we can only see a hint of orange from the leaves on the trees, and other than that all we can see are the branches. I think this photo signifies winter more than it does autumn.

This is my best photograph for Sense of Journey. I like this photo because the line on the path is directly in the centre, making it the first part of the image that we look at. I also like that this photo shows depth as the line becomes narrower towards the background of the image. Another reason as to why i think this is the best image is because the background is slightly blurred whereas the foreground is still in focus, so we concentrate what is easier to see, like the line, pavement and leaves in the foreground. 

This is the worst image that i took for Journey because there isn't a focal point which the viewer can solely concentrate on. Although there is a road and cars in the shot, which relate to the idea of Journey, it is not obvious that this is what this image is connected too. If i hadn't have taken this photo so quickly, i could have zoomed in a bit more towards the cars and then that would make them the focal point. 

This is my favourite and best image from the Back of Head shots because I was able to blur the background, but keep the model in focus. I also like that the background is quite colourful which contrasts with the model's dark hair and grey coat. 

This is my worst photograph for the Back of Head shots because I didn't really take the background into consideration. Firstly, the background isn't blurred, so the whole image is in focus which means that the model isn't emphasised enough. Also, the whole image almost blends in all together which I don't like. 

Progression

If i were to go on another walk, I would solely concentrate on Back of Head shots and take my time when capturing them. This is because i want to master the blurred background, particularly with more interesting backgrounds and landscapes. I would also re-take some of the images that i took during this walk, as they came out blurry when they shouldn't have. These are some of the Autumn Colours photographs, Sense of Journey photographs and Back of Head portraits that i have found on the internet which i aspire to achieve if i ever add to this topic:

Image Bank - Mapplethorpe Portraits

Internet Images

I like this portrait because the model is looking directly into the camera lens, which makes it look as though she is looking at you personally. This gives the image a lot more emotion than if she was looking away. Also, most of Mapplethorpe's work is in black and white and I especially like that about this photograph because it makes the model stand out amongst the black background. 

This portrait is slightly similar to the first image. However, the model's eyes are closed which would normally mean that the photo wouldn't show any or very little emotion, but since the model's head is slightly tilted, as if she is looking at the ground, we can still feel the emotion that she does. Again, this photo is black and white (like the majority of Mapplethorpe's work). 

This portrait is much more serious than the first two because the model is sat up straight, looking directly at the camera with a stern facial expression. There is more dark tones within this image than light tones, which makes it feel quite mysterious and sinister, which is what I like about this photo. I also like that we can see more of the model in this image, such as the clothes that she is wearing and her hands. The more of the model that the viewers see, the more they feel like they know and can relate to her. 

This is a portrait of Andy Warhol that Mapplethorpe captured. I like how this image can be seen as serious - as though he is looking shocked or scared, but also humorous because Warhol looks quite silly with his mouth open and staring in to space. As we are able to see the photo in two different ways, it enables the viewers to interpret the image individually. 

The other portrait that I have chosen have been taken at a slight distance. However, this one is extremely close-up and zoomed into the model's face. This means that we can see far less of this model than we can of the other model's in the other photos. Nevertheless, we can still see his chequered shirt and tie. I like how close-up this image is because it makes the viewers feel uncomfortable and awkward, particularly as it looks as though the model is angry and staring at them. I like that the image creates an affect on the viewer.

This portrait is a lot different to the others. In this photograph we can see a white background, and then a man leaning into the image from the right with his arm stretched out. We can also see that he is smiling. I like this image because it isn't as dark as the others that I have chosen, and instead of the model being emphasised, he almost blends in with the background. Obviously out attention is still solely concentrated on him as there isn't anything else in the image.