Photoshoot 10: Emotions and Disassociation: Work Diary Evaluation -

Photoshoot 10: Work Diary Evaluation - 

Equipment Used: 
Canon EOS 450D, standard lens, tripod, soft box flash lights.

Settings: 
4" to 8", F/32, ISO 200. 

Lighting: 
Soft box flash lights. 

Theory: 
How emotions are shown and disguised. 

Favourite(s):

 

This photograph is one of the more successful images of this series due to its framing, exaggerated yet carefully considered subject movement and inferences. The image is an exploration of mental health and its stigmatisation and understanding. As such the smaller elements that form the final image such as colourisation, saturation and execution of technique are all vital and this image is a good representation of those skills when compared to some of the more inferior images from shoot ten.

 

Although, this image could have been improved by being more cautious when removing the darker sections of the vignette around the subject. To explain, the removal of too much darkness around the central subject can, as has, resulted in a minor halo effect of lightness surrounding the outline of the subject.

 

In conclusion of the favourites from within the series, this image is one of the most commanding outcomes from this series due to the extended shutter speed which is double that of some other images from shoot ten. As such, it allowed the flash to fire more times and create more examples of the body in motion which therefore created a more erratic final image.

 

Despite this, once again the vignette could have been improved suing Photoshop to increase the brightness on the outer areas of the subject within the frame as these are less significant than the parts in the centre of the rule of thirds grid due to the ghostly effect.

Least Favourite(s):

 

The above image is one of the more eerie of the series due to its blurring of the face which has resulted in the removal of the eyes of the subject. However, this was not my intention and is one of my lesser favourites of the series for a few other reasons.

 

This is one of my least favourites as a result of the lacking commitment to character in the subject which is emphasised through the soft and less angular or dramatic responses of the arms in accordance with the brief to show aggressive and challenging emotions through jagged arms and harsh expressions. Moreover, the lighting is somewhat washed out and creates a faded appearance of the subject.

 

 Photoshop Process - 

 

 

I began by unlocking the image layer. 

 

 

I then moved to the 'Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer' where I moved onto the 'Curves...' option. 

 

 

Carefully changing the points on the graph I changed the light and dark values of the image to encourage a subtly more dramatic final outcome. 

 

 



 Once again I moved over to the 'Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer' and this time selected 'Hue/Saturation...'.

 

 

Using the slider 'Saturation' bar I reduced the orange undertones reflected from the lighting.

 

 

Heading up to the 'Layer' option then selected the 'New Fill Layer' and chose 'Solid Colour...'.

 

 

The layer can be renamed for ease of editing if wanted but I kept the layer name as the default option.

 

 

For this series it was important that I chose black as my solid colour fill layer. However this is the colour of the vignette so it can be changed to fit any aesthetic.

 

 

 Whilst on the new fill layer I moved up to the 'Opacity' slider and changed it to 50%.

 

 

Ensuring that I was on 'Layer 0' I then moved up to 'Layer' where I chose 'Layer Mask' and then 'Reveal All'.  

 

 

Changing to the solid colour layer titled 'Colour Fill 1' I then hovered over the 'Brush Tool' (B) and selected black paint and adjusted the softness and size of the brush so that it was both large and soft to reduce unsightly lines of block colour .

 

 

This is the final result, using the black paint on the layer mask makes items invisible and as such the dark solid colour fill remains on the unpainted areas.

 

Evaluation and Development -

 

This final photographic shoot is successful in demonstrating how I have been influenced by the prior experimentation of techniques such as blur, slow sync flash and multiple flash. The idea of implementing connotations and a narrative within my work is something that I believe is significant. I want my photography to encourage a response from a viewer or for it to at least have some meaning or purpose to myself. As such this exploration of emotions and mental health means that this photoshoot, along with the new skill of adding a vignette, is successful.

 

This is an example of how I have developed a skill further and as this is my final shot I will not be experimenting any more with this skill. The only reason that I would extend this idea further would be if I was unhappy with the final outcomes depicted above.