Photoshoot 7: Surrealism Ghost Location Portraiture: Work Diary Evaluation -

Photoshoot 7: Work Diary Evaluation - 

Equipment Used: 
Canon EOS 450D, standard lens, tripod. 

Settings: 
Beneath individual images. 

Lighting: 
N/A. 

Theory: 
The fine balance between life and death, the storing of memories and the lack of permanence within human life.

Favourite(s):

(1/60, F/4.5, ISO 400, Manual Focus, Flash)

The above photograph is my favourite of the series in that I utilised the effect of the flash on the mist when shooting in the woodland environment to create a mysterious and eerie final outcome. Additionally, the framing is aesthetically pleasing in that the subject is centralised within the rule of thirds compositional grid. Moreover, the light from the flash created a sense of depth in that the trees on the back left and right front were lit which provided tan effective hint of trees using the negative space in the dark landscape. Furthermore, the natural light from the area meant that the fog dissipates towards the edges of the photograph, giving an impression of a vignette effect, whilst the landscape fades away the further back in the image again adding depth. Also, the removal of the aspects of the subject which I didn't wish to be in the image was well executed using the clone stamp tool in Photoshop which therefore exaggerates the surreal nature of the final outcome. 

To make improvements this image I could experiment in Photoshop to exaggerate the eerie effect further. This could include adding a vignette, exaggeration the dark areas using a histogram levels tool and increasing the pure black values. However, despite this I am very pleased with the image in its current state. 

(1/6, F/11, ISO 1600, Manual Focus, Flash)

This image is one of my favourites from shoot 7 due to its combination of techniques learned from the photographs taken prior to it. By this I mean that it combines the use of the flash which emphasises the mist whilst the different manual settings allowed for more of the dark tree silhouettes to appear in the backdrop of the image. Additionally, the photograph is well balance in that the subject would sit within the central column of the grid method which means that the viewer is instantly drawn to the centre of the image also due to the framing of the trees behind. 

To improve this photograph, if I were to shoot again, I could have considered implementing secondary light sources that filled and highlighted specific areas of the photograph such as backlighting some of the trees to exaggerate their silhouettes on the landscape. 

(1/6, F/11, ISO 1600, Manual Focus, Flash)

The image above is one of my favourites not because of its aesthetic appearance but more so because of the planning and symbolism that it involves. For instance, the subject is anonymous due to the cloth obscuring their face, influenced not only by the work of Christopher McKenney but also strongly by Rene Magritte and as such Tommy Ingberg, which is mirrored through the empty photo frames which are usually used to hold images of loved ones and memories. Furthermore, the taxidermy butterfly is a symbol of transition and resurrection according to various religions but also infer a delicate balance between life and death which is further supported by the idea that butterflies carry the spirits of the deceased. Also, the box beneath the butterfly is my example of McKenney's suitcase to connote a sense of impermanence. 

To improve this image I would re-compose and experiment with various focal lengths. For example, the subject is centralised as is the case with all of the images from this series but the object and props scattered around are not placed in dynamically engaging position that takes the viewers eye on a journey. Additionaly, the focal length between subject and camera could have been extended to ensure that the subject was not going to be sitting too highly within the image when it was edited and cropped into a square structure. 

(1/60, F/3.5, ISO 400, Auto Focus, Flash)

This photograph is another of my favourites as it demonstrates a more dynamic approach with the experimentation within my shoots in the positioning of the model. Also, the flash lighting emphasises the tree to the side which frames the image within a compositional grid due to the square crop.

Least Favourite(s):

(1/6, F/11, ISO 1600, Manual Focus, Flash)

This is the least favourite of this series in that the attempt to utilise the landscape and the lighting unfortunately then distracted from the simplistic aesthetic. To further this, the flash effected the fog in a way that was less subtle than exemplified within the first image.

Technique - 

I began by unlocking the layer to allow the process of editing.

Next I clicked the 'Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer' which gave me the choice of a drop down menu. I then selected the 'Curves' tool which allowed me to adjust the exposure, brightness and contrast of the image.

Once satisfied with that I again returned to the 'Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer' where this time I chose the 'Levels' tool; whilst the 'Levels' tool acts similarly to the 'Curves' tool it instead affects the whole image evenly as opposed to various segments depending where on the curve you make movements. 

After that, the next change was to right click on 'Layer 0' and select the 'Duplicate Layer' option; this appears now as 'Layer 0 Copy'. 

Knowing that I have the untouched 'Layer 0' beneath my 'Layer 0 Copy' I begin using the 'Quick Selection' tool to isolate the legs of my subject which I want to remove. 

After making the selection on 'Layer 0 Copy' I then simply press the delete button on the keyboard whilst leaving my quick selection on. 

The next thing to do is to click back onto 'Layer 0', head up to 'Select' and chose 'Deselect' from the drop down menu and then change back to the 'Move' tool.  Drag the image layer until the main removed section (from the copied layer) is filled with the background (the initial layer) and as closely colour matched as possible.

Next I headed to the 'Clone Stamp' tool where I spent time carefully layering the background over the area where the legs once where to disguise the lines. 

This can be done in one of two ways, the first being to select one circumference by pressing the 'Alt' button and then clicking with the mouse where the copied section should go. 

The other process takes less time but has to be done carefully otherwise it can lead to odd end results; this is created by clicking the section you wish to copy, again using the 'Alt' button, but then dragging whilst the mouse button is clicked. This copies from the selected area and pastes it over the larger area. 

This is the finished product now floating without the aid of legs.

Evaluation and Development -

This photographic series has produced one of my favourite images from this project as many elements came together such as location, camera settings and editing. The photograph that is shown first within the favourites element, seen above, is my favourite as it is one of the most fine art images that I have captured and it also shows how I have been directly influenced by the work of the inspirational photographer Christopher McKenney.

The main things that I have taken from this shoot are the importance of editing and how connotations and atmosphere can be created. These elements are ideas that I would like to further explore within my next few photographic experimentations.