Research Influences:
For this shoot I wanted to use my research into the Jeweller Isabella Day as she uses precious gems on a daily basis and consequently has to be conscious of the different types of colour combinations she is using in her work.
Plans for Shoot:
My plan for this shoot was to investigate the different effects that can be achieved then the subject of my shoot is obscured. To do this I will use Slime to embed and conceal the small object I will add to the slime.
Contact Sheets:
DS7_7810.JPG:
I shot this image in the same manner as the previous shoot. There was a sheet of photographic paper on a large sheet of card and I was using the light from the two nearby light bulbs. One of these was in front of me and the other was behind me, this meant that I was casing a shadow in either direction. To solve this I used the same solution as I had in the first shoot, I used my own shadow and another piece of card propped up to cover the lighting to block anything in the front of the slime. I also used my own shadow in front of the camera to block out the shadow of the tripod and the camera itself. This meant that the images would become very dark and I would need to use a remote release to prevent camera shake.
The camera was set to APERTURE PRIORITY this allowed me to manually set the F-stop and the camera will automate the shutter speed. I was using an F-stop of 2.5 which resulted in a shutter speed of 1/13 of a second. There was also an issue with the focusing as the auto-focus was having difficulty differentiating the small pieces. To resolve this issue I use manual focusing from this point forward and a remote release.
In regards to the above Image I will resolve the darkness by opening it into Photoshop and using the RAW file sliders to change the exposure. Here is the improved image:
DS7_7827.JPG:
The framing for this image is an issue as I was mixed in the last set of pieces that I had added to the slime, thus moving its shape and the composition. To resolve this issue I used LIVE VIEW on the camera so I could better see the composition and then rolled the slime into a ball for it to settle and re disperse itself. This meant waiting a few minutes and was slowing down the shoot, it also affected the manner in which the small objects sunk into the slime and it had less depth. To resole this I took to manipulating the slime so that it filled the whole frame and began pushing the small pieces into the slime manually to ensure they were sinking as this provides depth to the image.
As this was a physical issue I reviewed it and changed it during the shoot. Here is the improved image:
DS7_7840:
As this image was taken later in the shoot I had changed the f-stop to create a more intense focus on the image, however this resulted in a narrow depth of field which emphasises the focal point in the image. This is an issue in this shot as the focal point doesn't contain any of the small pieces I wanted to create a focus on, instead the shallow depth of field is emphasising the glare coming from one of the light bulbs onto the slime.
Furthermore this is a physical issue and when reviewing during the shoot I noticed this and changed the composition again so there was a focal point and less glare within the image.
There is still a large amount of glare within this shot, however I will use the RAW file sliders in Photoshop to fix this issue. There is also a large shadow over part of the image however, I like this as it adds depth to the shot and draws attention to the shadows and highlights, thus giving the image more depth - I will not be changing this in Photoshop but rather emphasising it.
Best Images:
I like this image as the highlights on the slime make the shot looks as though it was taken of coloured water. This creates an otherworldly atmosphere within the image which enables the viewers imagination to roam free. The viewer can image bathing in this liquid that is slightly warm when you first enter, this is implied by the colour of the water and the lack of large waves suggests that the landscape is tepid and calm.
This image is similar to the last in the respect that it creates a calm air, however due to the adornments that sit on top of the surface the liquid has become more solid and slow moving. There is also the implication that the objects are sinking due to the small shadows that are slightly larger at one side of the shape than the other.
The low lighting in this image suggests that the day has passed and the sun that once illuminated this strange pool has since set. Further more, due to the layers of stones that sit on the surface of the liquid it suggests that the 'water' doesn't give under pressure and instead shuts the items out, leaving them on the surface.
In this image the highlights and shadows have returned from the first image implying that there is a small amount of movement within the water, yet it still remains steady and slow. However, this image is different from those previous as the stones have now 'sunk' into the liquid while some still rest on top. The implications of this representation is that the liquid does give way to gravity eventually. The slightly obscured pieces that float close to the surface suggest that this liquid is still denser than water while still allowing items to sink.
The composition is different in this image as the slime was stretched thinned, this resulted in different ripples being entered into the liquid. The effect of this on the viewer is that the liquid is shallower here than in the other images due to the lightening of the slime towards the forefront of the image.
I this image the surface of the liquid catches more highlights suggesting this it is more disturbed than in the other images. The effect of this on the viewer is that there is more movement within the image, thus the liquid has conceivable become more dangerous to venture into.
This image is one of my favourites from this shoot as there are several layers present which intrigues the viewer. The bottom layer is comprised of the slime and small pieces which is then obscured by the multiple layers of glitter sitting on top of the surface. The effect of the glitter being so close to the viewer and not yet absorbed by the liquid creates connotations of cherry blossom that coats rivers, covering everything underneath.
In this shot the glitter has been absorbed by the slime which now creates connotations of the glitter being carried away by the under currents of the liquid. The small stones from the first images are hidden in the sea of sparkles and are visible peaking out from under the surface.
A02:
For this shoot I used a Nikon D7200 camera body with a 60mm macro lens and remote release and tripod. As I stated before there were issues concerning lighting the shot; these arose due to there being a light bulb being in front and behind the camera causing two sets of shadows. To solve this I used my own shadow and a piece of card to cover the shadows of tripod and camera.
For this shoot I wanted to use a wider F-stop than I have in the past to ensure that I would capture the full spectrum of activity in an appropriate depth of field. To do this I used an F-stop of F/8; the camera was set to aperture priority and determined a shutter speed of 1.6 seconds.
I shot all of these images on a RAW + JPG setting. This does take up a large amount of room, however it is useful when creating blog post and contact sheets as the JPG files are smaller. I use the RAW files as my final images to edit as they allow for a greater depth of adjustments.
To improve my images I will be using Photoshop. First I opened all of the RAW files to use the sliders to subtly change the images.
I then clicked on OPEN IMAGES to further edit them in Photoshop. My next step is to copy and paste the shots using CTRL + C and CTRL + V.
This enters the other file into the 'original' file as a layer.
Once I had all of the images as layers in them clicked onto MAKE FRAMES FROM LAYERS to move the layers into the GIF.
I then experimented with different speeds of animation. The first speed I chose was 0.2 of a second, and found it too fast.
The next preset was 0.5 of a second but found this too slow.
As a result I decided to create a custom speed of 0.3 of a second. To to this I clicked on OTHER... which brings up a small screen to type in the speed.
After this I decided to isolate some of the colour to create tunnel vision on the small items in the slime.
To do this I re-visited the original files and added a black and white layer.
I then clicked on SELECT then move the mouse down to COLOUR RANGE. This brought up a small window that allowed me to pick the colours that I wanted in black and white directly from the image.
Here is the end result.
I then repeated this process using all of the same images from the coloured GIF. I also kept the colour range the same throughout.
I used these same techniques when editing my other images.
A03:
My main ideas for this shoot were to use a semi-liquid and embed small gems into it in manner as Isabella Day in her daily work. In my previous shoot I used eye shadows that turned into powders when I began breaking them which meant that the colours mixed quickly leaving little time for the individual colours to be documented without the interference of another colour.
I believe this shoot was more successful as I was using a semi-liquid with small gems, which meant that the colours won't mix together and they'll be more easily recognisable to the viewer. This means the emotions evoked by the specific colours will be cleared than in some of my previous shoots. I feel I have fulfilled my plans for this shoot and I believe they were executed well in both the shooting and the editing.
These images link to the exam paper as they are selective colour meaning there is only one colour in them to create a dramatic effect or emotion depending on the connotations of the particular colour.
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