STILL LIFE
Artist Study - Unknown
This picture was taken by an unknown toy photographer.
I found this photograph at http://www.pkmncollectors.livejournal.com
The URL of the image is http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/shamrock_89/71658200/3839/3839_900.jpg
This photograph shows a toy dragon in a rocky environment. This is a stereotypical habitat for dragons, which produces a natural effect. The image is crisp and clear, with the subject being the toy in the foreground. It appears to have been taken in a natural environment and then edited on a computer to blur the background so that the central focus of the image is the toy. The photograph was staged, as someone had to set the toy in position in order to take the photograph.
Natural light has been used in the photo, the source of which is the sky. The light in the background makes the subject in the foreground silhouetted. The use of shutter speed doesn’t affect this photo because it isn’t moving. The photo is taken from a low viewpoint, which makes the subject look larger. The colours and hues may also have been edited. For example, the photographer may have increased the saturation of the colours in order to get bolder, more vibrant colours, and they may have changed the warmth and the contrast of the photo to make the background brighter than the foreground.
Artist Study - Keri Friedman
I found this photograph at http://lensbaby.com/blog/tips-tricks/lensbaby-edge-80-getting-prehistoric/
The person who took this photo is Keri Friedman.
This photograph shows a toy dinosaur that has been placed in a natural environment, making it seem more realistic. The toy is in the middle ground, and the foreground consists of grass. The picture has been edited, as the background and the edges of the photo have been blurred out. The lighting and saturation/contrast of the photo may have been edited to make the picture look better. The photographer also decided to blur a small part of the toy, as it had the name and logo written on it, which lessens the effect of realism. It has been taken from a high vantage point, looking down on a scene from below, which creates a miniature effect. The photograph has been staged, as the photographer had to set the position and location of the toy. The lighting used is natural, coming from the sun in the background. However, the sunlight is not directly on the dinosaur, as this may break the illusion of the scene by accentuating its plastic appearance. The use of shutter speed wouldn’t have affected this photograph as it is a still life.
The person who took this photo is Keri Friedman.
This photograph shows a toy dinosaur that has been placed in a natural environment, making it seem more realistic. The toy is in the middle ground, and the foreground consists of grass. The picture has been edited, as the background and the edges of the photo have been blurred out. The lighting and saturation/contrast of the photo may have been edited to make the picture look better. The photographer also decided to blur a small part of the toy, as it had the name and logo written on it, which lessens the effect of realism. It has been taken from a high vantage point, looking down on a scene from below, which creates a miniature effect. The photograph has been staged, as the photographer had to set the position and location of the toy. The lighting used is natural, coming from the sun in the background. However, the sunlight is not directly on the dinosaur, as this may break the illusion of the scene by accentuating its plastic appearance. The use of shutter speed wouldn’t have affected this photograph as it is a still life.
Artist Study - Unknown 2
I found this photograph at: http://nearpictures.com/pages/r/reflection-mirror-photography/
The URL of this image is: http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6aa176_3e083a55f6554dc8bbe39ee0d40291de.jpg
This photograph was taken by an unknown photographer.
This photo shows a chess pawn looking into a mirror, where its reflection becomes a king. This gives the impression that the pawn longs to become something powerful. The lighting appears to be coming from the foreground, which makes the subject look lighter. The focus is on the subject, and the image is sharp and clear. The background is blurry, and the edges are slightly blurry, which makes the subject stand out. The photo is taken from a front on angle, which enables you to see the entire subject and doesn’t distort its shape or size. The use of shutter speed doesn’t affect this photograph, as it is a still life. This photo has been edited in order to make it black & white. The midtone contrast may also have been edited, as the subjects are positioned so that they are in the middleground, so increasing the contrast would make them stand out against the greyscale background. I like this photograph because it depicts the “dreams” of the pawn, personifying it and giving it human-like qualities.
The URL of this image is: http://static.wixstatic.com/media/6aa176_3e083a55f6554dc8bbe39ee0d40291de.jpg
This photograph was taken by an unknown photographer.
This photo shows a chess pawn looking into a mirror, where its reflection becomes a king. This gives the impression that the pawn longs to become something powerful. The lighting appears to be coming from the foreground, which makes the subject look lighter. The focus is on the subject, and the image is sharp and clear. The background is blurry, and the edges are slightly blurry, which makes the subject stand out. The photo is taken from a front on angle, which enables you to see the entire subject and doesn’t distort its shape or size. The use of shutter speed doesn’t affect this photograph, as it is a still life. This photo has been edited in order to make it black & white. The midtone contrast may also have been edited, as the subjects are positioned so that they are in the middleground, so increasing the contrast would make them stand out against the greyscale background. I like this photograph because it depicts the “dreams” of the pawn, personifying it and giving it human-like qualities.
Artist Study - Minimiam
This photograph was taken by Minimiam. The photograph shows three subjects, the toy figurines, trying to clean up a mess, which has been caused by an egg cracking. The toys have been placed in an unusual environment, as you wouldn’t expect to see toys near food. The background consists of eggs, and the middle/foreground consists of the toys trying to clean up the mess. This picture uses artificial lighting, and it may have been edited in Photoshop in order to make the lighting better and make the subjects stand out. This was a staged photograph, as the scene had to be set up by somebody. The use of shutter speed won’t have affected this picture, as it is a still life image. This picture would probably have been taken at a normal ISO, as it doesn’t need to allow any more or any less light in. It was also probably taken with a larger aperture, as the depth of field is quite shallow, and most of the photograph (aside from the background) is in focus.
These are photos that I have taken in the style of these photographers:
Macro Photos
Macro Annotation 1
This photograph that I have taken is a macro photograph. A macro photograph is a very close-up picture, that shows the subject in great detail, usually (but not necessarily) with a small subject, and the subject often appears larger than it actually is.
This photo links to my chosen theme of toys, as the subject of this photograph is a toy. In this picture, a toy can be seen in the background, through a spring which makes up the foreground and middleground. The mood of this photograph is eerie and somewhat sinister; although the fact that the subject is a toy adds a comical element to it. Shutter speed doesn’t affect this photo as it is a still life. The picture is focused and clear, and quite bright. I have edited the picture, reducing the warmth in order to achieve a ‘cold’ effect, adding to the eeriness. What I like about this photograph is the one-point perspective and the blurred foreground, which is unique because a lot of photographs commonly have the background blurred.
This photo links to my chosen theme of toys, as the subject of this photograph is a toy. In this picture, a toy can be seen in the background, through a spring which makes up the foreground and middleground. The mood of this photograph is eerie and somewhat sinister; although the fact that the subject is a toy adds a comical element to it. Shutter speed doesn’t affect this photo as it is a still life. The picture is focused and clear, and quite bright. I have edited the picture, reducing the warmth in order to achieve a ‘cold’ effect, adding to the eeriness. What I like about this photograph is the one-point perspective and the blurred foreground, which is unique because a lot of photographs commonly have the background blurred.
Macro Annotation 2
This photograph that I have taken is a macro photograph. A macro photograph is a very close-up picture, that shows the subject in great detail, usually (but not necessarily) with a small subject, and the subject often appears larger than it actually is.
This photograph is relevant to my theme of toys as a toy dinosaur is the subject. I have edited this picture with Photoshop, increasing the saturation to make the colours bolder, and increasing the contrast to make the subject more prominent, alongside darkening the highlights a little. The use of shutter speed does not affect this photo, as it is a still life. This photograph has no particular mood associated with it; although the toy dinosaur appears aggressive, it is not intimidating due to the fact that it is a toy. This photo is taken at a front angle, so that the toy dinosaur fills the frame, which makes it appear larger than life. What I like about this photograph is that the subject is lucid and is what attracts attention the most.
This photograph is relevant to my theme of toys as a toy dinosaur is the subject. I have edited this picture with Photoshop, increasing the saturation to make the colours bolder, and increasing the contrast to make the subject more prominent, alongside darkening the highlights a little. The use of shutter speed does not affect this photo, as it is a still life. This photograph has no particular mood associated with it; although the toy dinosaur appears aggressive, it is not intimidating due to the fact that it is a toy. This photo is taken at a front angle, so that the toy dinosaur fills the frame, which makes it appear larger than life. What I like about this photograph is that the subject is lucid and is what attracts attention the most.
Macro Annotation 3
This photograph that I have taken is a macro photograph. A macro photograph is a very close-up picture, that shows the subject in great detail, usually (but not necessarily) with a small subject, and the subject often appears larger than it actually is.
In this photograph, the subject is a toy giraffe is looking out of the window. The photo is bright, with the light source being natural, coming from outside the window in the foreground. The lighting makes the giraffe appear brighter than it is. The mood of this photo is sombre, as the toy giraffe appears to be reminiscing or in deep thought, because it is staring out of the window in a reflective manner. The use of shutter speed does not affect this photo, as it is a still life. I like the solemn, reminiscent mood to this picture, as it personifies the toy giraffe, giving an inanimate object a human-like quality. I also like the fact that the level of saturation isn’t too high, as this adds to the dull, solemn mood of the photo.
In this photograph, the subject is a toy giraffe is looking out of the window. The photo is bright, with the light source being natural, coming from outside the window in the foreground. The lighting makes the giraffe appear brighter than it is. The mood of this photo is sombre, as the toy giraffe appears to be reminiscing or in deep thought, because it is staring out of the window in a reflective manner. The use of shutter speed does not affect this photo, as it is a still life. I like the solemn, reminiscent mood to this picture, as it personifies the toy giraffe, giving an inanimate object a human-like quality. I also like the fact that the level of saturation isn’t too high, as this adds to the dull, solemn mood of the photo.
Macro Annotation 4
This photograph that I have taken is a macro photograph. A macro photograph is a very close-up picture, that shows the subject in great detail, usually (but not necessarily) with a small subject, and the subject often appears larger than it actually is.
The subject of this photo is a toy giraffe. The photo is taken from a one-point perspective, and a slightly high angle, which makes the subject look a little smaller. The mood of this photograph is tense, as in the middle ground is a toy tiger that appears to be hunting the giraffe. This, combined with the grassy background (a typical habitat for tigers) gives the photograph a realistic element to it. I have edited the picture with Photoshop, reducing the brightness and increasing the contrast and saturation a little. This makes the colours more vivid, and makes the subjects stand out. This makes the toys initially attract attention. The use of shutter speed doesn’t affect this as it is a still life. The texture of the subjects are smooth, whereas in contrast the texture of the grass is messy and uneven.
The subject of this photo is a toy giraffe. The photo is taken from a one-point perspective, and a slightly high angle, which makes the subject look a little smaller. The mood of this photograph is tense, as in the middle ground is a toy tiger that appears to be hunting the giraffe. This, combined with the grassy background (a typical habitat for tigers) gives the photograph a realistic element to it. I have edited the picture with Photoshop, reducing the brightness and increasing the contrast and saturation a little. This makes the colours more vivid, and makes the subjects stand out. This makes the toys initially attract attention. The use of shutter speed doesn’t affect this as it is a still life. The texture of the subjects are smooth, whereas in contrast the texture of the grass is messy and uneven.
Macro Annotation 5
This photograph that I have taken is a macro photograph. A macro photograph is a very close-up picture, that shows the subject in great detail, usually (but not necessarily) with a small subject, and the subject often appears larger than it actually is.
In this photograph, the subject is a toy dinosaur, which links to my chosen theme of toys. The scaly texture of the dinosaur is clear to see. The lighting is natural, coming from the sky, and is coming from above, which lights up the subject. The picture has been staged, as I had to set the position and location of the toy. I like the fact that the dinosaur is at the very left of the photograph, as it also gives a good view of the background. There is no particular emotion associated with this photograph. The use of shutter speed doesn’t affect this photograph, as it is a still life. I think that this photograph could be improved by changing the angle.
In this photograph, the subject is a toy dinosaur, which links to my chosen theme of toys. The scaly texture of the dinosaur is clear to see. The lighting is natural, coming from the sky, and is coming from above, which lights up the subject. The picture has been staged, as I had to set the position and location of the toy. I like the fact that the dinosaur is at the very left of the photograph, as it also gives a good view of the background. There is no particular emotion associated with this photograph. The use of shutter speed doesn’t affect this photograph, as it is a still life. I think that this photograph could be improved by changing the angle.
Macro Annotation 6
This photograph that I have taken is a macro photograph. A macro photograph is a very close-up picture, that shows the subject in great detail, usually (but not necessarily) with a small subject, and the subject often appears larger than it actually is.
In this photograph, the subjects are a flower and toy dinosaur. This is similar to my chosen photographer, as it places toys in a realistic environment. I have edited this photograph with Photoshop. I have increased the contrast, to make the subjects stand out, and have also increased the saturation, to make the colours more vivid. There is no particular mood associated with this photograph. The use of shutter speed doesn’t affect this photograph, as it is a still life. The background consists of leaves and other plants, adding to the realistic environment. The fact that a toy is in a realistic environment creates a sense of contrast, making the toy seem out of place.
In this photograph, the subjects are a flower and toy dinosaur. This is similar to my chosen photographer, as it places toys in a realistic environment. I have edited this photograph with Photoshop. I have increased the contrast, to make the subjects stand out, and have also increased the saturation, to make the colours more vivid. There is no particular mood associated with this photograph. The use of shutter speed doesn’t affect this photograph, as it is a still life. The background consists of leaves and other plants, adding to the realistic environment. The fact that a toy is in a realistic environment creates a sense of contrast, making the toy seem out of place.
Scanograms
Scanogram Annotation 2
This photograph is a scanogram – a picture taken using a scanner. In this picture, the toy lion appears to be confronting the toy soldiers in a non-aggressive way. The toy soldiers, on the other hand, appear to be charging at the lion. Because of this, the mood of this photo is quite heated and a little violent. I have edited this photo using Photoshop. I have decreased the brightness a little, in order to make the background darker. I have also increased the contrast and saturation, to make the subjects stand out more.
Scanogram Annotation 3
This photograph is a scanogram – a picture taken using a scanner. In this picture, there is a toy dinosaur amongst a pile of leaves. The dinosaur seems to almost blend in with the leaves, as they are a similar colour. The dinosaur also appears to be holding something vaguely resembling a person in its jaw. There is no particular mood associated with the photo. I have used Photoshop to adjust the hue a little, to make everything appear redder. I have also increased the contrast, to make the toy more visible from the leaves.
Scanogram Annotation 4
This photograph is a scanogram – a picture taken using a scanner. In this picture, a toy duck is on a skateboard, which is unusual, as you wouldn’t normally expect to see a skateboarding duck, which makes the mood of the photograph strange and unexpected. I have edited this photograph in Photoshop, increasing the contrast and saturation, and adjusting the colour so that the photo has more of a purple hue, further adding to the strange effect.
Scanogram Annotation 5
This photograph is a scanogram – a picture taken using a scanner. It shows a few sweets and biscuits scattered around in no specific arrangement. In the middle, there is a broken biscuit, and the face of a toy can be seen from the centre. The mood of this photo is quite creepy, as the face of the toy, combined with the dark background and faint visibility of the sweets, seems sinister. I have increased the contrast and saturation, in order to get bolder colours. Because I have done this, the red eyes and creepy smile of the toy are a lot more prominent, further adding to the sinister effect.
Scanogram Annotation 6
This photograph is a scanogram – a picture taken using a scanner. This photo shows a Danboard figurine next to a strange cloaked figure. The Danboard is prominent and clear to see. On the contrary, the other figure is hazy and not easy to see. A strangely shaped head and a reptilian-looking tail can be seen, which adds a sense of mystery as to what the figure is. I have edited this picture in Photoshop, increasing the contrast to make the Danboard more visible. I have also decreased the brightness to add to the mysterious mood.
Design Idea 1
For my first design idea, I am going to combine the style of two unknown photographers and Keri Friedman. The mood will be reflective, and depicting the aspirations of the toy dinosaur. I chose to use these photographers because I like how they have edited their images – using layering techniques, or black and white, for instance. I am going to use a toy dinosaur as my subject. The final outcome that I hope to achieve is a photograph in black & white of a small toy dinosaur gazing into a mirror. Its reflection will be that of a bigger dinosaur. This gives the impression that the toy dinosaur ‘dreams’ of becoming bigger, or perhaps the reflection is an insight of the dinosaur’s true self. I am going to use photographic techniques such as different angles/perspectives, experimenting with different ISO’s and apertures, positioning and lighting, and tilt shift. I am also going to edit the photograph in Photoshop, using layering techniques, edge blurs, the black & white filter, and adjusting the saturation, contrast, and lighting.
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1
By using layering techniques in Photoshop, I was able to combine two photographs together to create this photograph. This photograph shows a smaller dinosaur looking into the mirror, where its reflection is a much larger dinosaur. This was inspired by Keri Friedman and two unknown photographers. Keri Friedman and the first unknown photographer take photographs of toys and place them in realistic environments. The second unknown photographer places objects in front of a mirror and edits the reflection to make them look like something different. To create this picture, I took two photographs – one of the smaller dinosaur and one of the larger one. Both photos had to be taken at the same angle/position, in order to avoid any complications when layering them. I erased part the bottom layer, to make it look like the reflection was a larger dinosaur. I then used the black & white filter, to make it similar to my second photographer. This photograph depicts the ‘dreams’ of the smaller dinosaur, as it ‘dreams’ of becoming bigger and more powerful.
2
I have created this photograph by using layering techniques in Photoshop. I took a photograph of the pinecone first, and then took a photo of the dinosaur secondly. Both photos had to be taken from the same position and angle, so as to avoid complications whilst editing. After that, I edited them both in Photoshop, increasing the brightness, contrast, and saturation. I also adjusted the hue, shifting it towards the redder end of the spectrum, so that it would complement the other colours. This photograph shows the aspirations of the pinecone, as it dreams of becoming something that is alive, like the dinosaur. This photo is also based upon the work of three of my chosen photographers – two unknowns, alongside Keri Friedman. This photograph has an unusual and slightly humorous theme, as pinecones aren’t usually associated with dinosaurs.
3
This photograph shows a Lego man reaching out to touch a mirror. In the mirror, there is no reflection of the man; rather, a small, purple, red-eyed figure with an unsettling smile. I have created this picture by using layering effects. I used Photoshop to layer the picture of the Lego man on top of the picture of the purple thing. I then used the eraser tool to erase the reflection of the man, so that only the reflection of the purple thingy was shown. I have also used selective colour, as only the reds and the purples are prominent - everything else is in black & white. The photos of the man and figure had to be taken at the same angle and from the same position, to avoid complications whilst editing. I also significantly increased the contrast to make the Lego man stand out more.
Design Idea 2
My second design idea will be based on Minimiam. There won’t be a particular mood or theme associated with it. I chose this photographer because I like how they have used food to create an environment for toys to live in. The final outcome that I hope to achieve is a photograph where there are several eggs littered around, almost like a nest of sorts, and a small dinosaur will be hatching from one of them. This is similar to my photographer because it places toys in an unusual environment with food. The photographic techniques that I am going to use are different angles & perspectives, choosing a background that doesn’t draw attention away from the subject, the positioning of the subject, and using different ISO’s & apertures. I am then going to edit the picture on Photoshop, and adjust the brightness, saturation, and contrast. I am not going to use any blur effects or tilt shift because I want the entire picture to be in focus.
PORTRAITURE
Artist Study - Andy Warhol
This picture was created by Andy Warhol.
I found this picture at https://sites.google.com/site/allaboutpopartandandywarhol/home/famous-pieces
Andy Warhol is an artist, rather than a photographer, who specialises in pop art. This is a painting of six differently coloured Coca-Cola cans, all featuring vibrant colours and bright backgrounds. This is typical of all pop art pieces. No photographic techniques have been used here, as it is not a photograph, and there are no visible sources of light.
I found this picture at https://sites.google.com/site/allaboutpopartandandywarhol/home/famous-pieces
Andy Warhol is an artist, rather than a photographer, who specialises in pop art. This is a painting of six differently coloured Coca-Cola cans, all featuring vibrant colours and bright backgrounds. This is typical of all pop art pieces. No photographic techniques have been used here, as it is not a photograph, and there are no visible sources of light.