Photoshoot 4: Surrealism Change of Scale: Studio: Work Diary Evaluation -

Photoshoot 4: Work Diary Evaluation - 

Equipment Used: 
Canon EOS 450D, standard lens, fill lights, soft box, white backdrop. 

Settings: 
1/125, F/13, ISO 200.

Lighting: 
Fill lights, soft box. 

Theory: 
The surreal everyday.

Favourite(s):

This final image is one of my favourites due to its composition through the rule of thirds grid method and focal length between subject and camera. The surreal nature of the image is clear in that the change of scale is emphasised by the empty space and simplicity of the rest of the image. 

If I were to improve this photographic outcome I would ensure that the fill lights were up to a higher setting to eradicate the shadows and patchiness of the white backdrop. Alternatively, I could further attempt to edit this out in Photoshop. 

The above photograph is one of my favourites from within this series due to its composition and the use of props. Rule of thirds were conformed to in the placement of the subject along the left vertical line of the compositional grid which means that the eye is automatically drawn towards it. The transparent wire used to suspend the subject was well blended into the background and was less noticeable than some variations of this image seen in the straight images posts.

To further improve this final image I would go back over in Photoshop to edit the darker laches of backdrop and using the clone stamp tool possibly edit out any traces of the transparent wire. 

The photographic outcome above is a favourite within this series as a result of its experimentation that was not featured in any of the other images for this photoshoot. The use of the same subject repeated adds another element to the surreal nature of the photograph. Furthermore, the use of everyday items as the props makes the outcome more relatable and understandable in that the viewer is aware of the sizing of the object meaning that they are aware that the size of the subjects have been manipulated.

To improve this image, however, I would  consider adjusting the composition slightly to appear less chaotic and possibly remove one of the subjects to reduced the sense of overcrowding. 

Least Favourite(s):

This is one of my least favourites within the series as a consequence of the lighting and composition. The lighting was not bright enough to eliminate the shadows and underexposed sections. The composition appears too crowded and the objects used have no direct significance to any meaning which is a feature that Surrealism that I try to draw upon but missed with this image.

Editing smaller segments of the image, to improve the lighting, could have been completed using the Photoshop 'Clone Stamp' tool although this can be time consuming and difficult to get perfect. If I were to re-shoot I would more carefully consider some of my props in accordance with my models. 

Finally, the photograph depicted above is in the lesser successful of the shoot as a result of the colourisation, composition and overall effectiveness. The image is too mono tonal and dull in that the colours are to similar in respect of the backdrop, model and prop. The composition of the origami crane was difficult to control fully and as such the hope to conform accurately to the rule of thirds grid was not as successful.

As such, to improve this image I would do a re-shoot and use possibly a different model and colour crane to achieve the aesthetic.

 

Evaluation and Development -

 

Some photographs within this series turned out very executed yet others were much less so. The ideas of emphasising the change of scale was evident in the favourites of this series and created a more humorous response to the idea of surrealism than the ideology behind previous shoots such as the first one.

 

This is a technique that I plan to use again in my next shoot after choosing to deviate from the original shoot plan. This is the studio version and I intend to complete a non-studio version of this idea.