Morgan Redman A2 Photography Component 1: Photoshoot 4

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.

Photoshoot 4: Surrealism Change of Scale: Studio: Contact Sheet -

Photoshoot 4: Contact Sheet -

Photoshoot 4: Surrealism Change of Scale: Studio: Straight Images -

Photoshoot 4: Straight Images -

Scale Manipulation Studio:

I was not pleased with the composition of this photograph as there was too much empty space and blank canvas in the left third of the compositional grid.

This image was an experimentation of the above photograph after not being pleased with the empty space. However, I did not feel the prop to be fully appropriate for the aesthetic that was desired.

This images was more balanced than the above two variations, although it was still not fully pleasing to the eye due to the perspective of the shot.

This image was the preferred of the above photographs due to the changed perspective and focal length.

The overall idea of this image is possibly the best of this mini series but the compositional focal length was too distant and thus the subject of the images became less significant.

This image was the closer version of the above and I felt that it captured the satirical humour and surrealism much more than the one featured directly above. Additionally, due to the change in camera position the lighting became brighter and less shadowed or patchy.

This image was a further experimentation of the two images seen above and whilst the concept was interesting the execution of it was less surreal than the second of these due to the glass bottle distorting the subject in this image. Whilst scale distortion was desired the effects of glass and light were not.

The images of the subjects were not working quite as hoped in this composition with one subject becoming distorted in a manner that was not the ambition for this photograph. The subject in black appears too 2D which was not the aim.

The composition of this image was not as successful as some of the below using the same props. The change of scale was more drastic and alongside the visible line from the transparent line used to suspend the subject it became one of the lesser successful images in this series.

This image is successful in that the line was blended in and hidden well and that the open book provided a much better composition than the closed book and smaller figure. However, the next image is better in that movement is showcased better.

This photograph is very much like its predecessor except that it displays movement more drastically than the image above.

The addition of the extra subject in this photograph appears to disturb the balance of the photograph and as such distracts from the main subject and therefore takes away from the overall surreal feel.

This image is interesting in relation to the use of space and the composition of the props; although, I would possibly change the subject used to achieve a more intriguing layout.

This image is surreal in not only its change of scale but also in its subjects due to it being multiple of the same model.

The concept of using the origami crane as a showcase of change of scale was interesting although the colours featured through the measn of the backdrop, prop and subject were all too mono tonal and overexposed to create an image up to the standard I am aiming for. Additionally, the empty space surrounding the subject is too great and would need to be cropped to a different format or re-shot using a difference composition.

Photoshoot 4: Surrealism Change of Scale: Studio: Image Bank -

Photoshoot 4: Image Bank -

Definitions:

Surrealism: A 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature which sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images.

Examples: