Video idea : animal head abstract

video idea : animal head abstract

 

 

my idea my short video is to use a range of short clips to build up a video that gives a eerie feeling that creeps the viewer out . but I want to do this by using the lighting in each shot to give this feeling . I will use a series of sort clips so that it almost flickers from  shots  of trees , lakes that seem almost like still images but you can see the sight movement of the leaves and water. I will then use clips of  a model wearing the animal head and a model with out the animal head. I will be filming this a night so I will use studio lighting to light this shot. I will use one lamp to do this and I think I will be using split lighting so that half of the shot is still in pitch blackness almost like the person is slowly appearing from the dark and creeping through the darkness. my final shots will be using lighting from cars and street lighting I will use these to link the shots together using the lighting and a mix of blurring using the camera to link shots I will slightly blur to links shots of the model . this I think will work well blending scenes together and add to the era feeling with the blurring and lights almost making you think that your in some kind of dream world.

im going to film this all as the sun is going down at night and in the pitch black so that I use some natural light from the sun and then the moon . but  I also use studio lighting to light some scenes .

when editing this I will use only basic editing with cutting the individual scenes , changing levels I wont be using any effects to blend scenes together because I want to use the shots of the car lights that I will film to do this. 

I would like the give my finished piece an almost abstract feel and also a surreal feeling so there will be no direct narrative so there wont be a simple beginning to end feeling I think this will also add to the abstract feeling because it concentrates more on the composition of the scene and the object in this rather than the story line linked to the sequence.  

equipment : dslr canon camera , animal mascot heads , 1x studio light , tripod , mono pod . 

 

 

 

test shots - black and white - towards final project - studio

black and white studio images  

human form / erotic studio images 

test shots / first shoot 

These images are from my first shoot for my final idea where I will be exploring the human form but all linking this idea to semi erotic imagery. in these shots i wanted to to photographing close up images of selected parts of the body but also slightly wider angle shots to see which i preferred and how i could use these in my final idea. 

i have chosen to do these in a studio with a black back ground because as well as using them as full images , im also going to experiment with using image manipulation for example cutting out and morphing / warping body parts to make an almost abstract image showing the human form in a different way to the human eye sees it . i would like to experiment with this because as well as pushing the idea of the erotic and also natural side of the human body i want to show this in a way that the on looking subject will have to work and focus on select points in a way that they have to piece the body together in there own head. 

my main reason for this idea is because I want to show the the naked and natural human body inst just a tool with an erotic media focus but can also been seen as art and show in more way than a portrait in high key in a new paper or magazine. 

i used 2 studio lights for this but also experimented with one light depending on the shots. whilst doing this i used split lighting / side lighting / one light focused on the front of the model / one light focused on the back of the model / one light on medium with soft box and the other on low with no soft box . 

i found that the lighting set up that worked best was to use a light on high with the soft box to the back of the model and a low light to the side. i also found the using on light to the back or side of the subject worked really well . i liked these because the subject was well lit and showed detail but still gave some shadowing coming in from the black background that almost moulded into the the subject which i really liked and thought blended well. 

i have also picked black and white for these because i want to focus and the shapes , tones and lines of the subject rather than the colour which i see as distracting and would lead away from the main focus of the form of the body . 

when editing these i used camera raw and the images where already converted to black and white in camera. when editing these lowered the shadows and black to give a darker outline around the subject and to also bring the shadow over the body more because i really liked the effect of it almost wrapping its self around the body changing its shape . i also lowered the light on some images as the paler skin parts became brighter than other for example this mostly happened on the stomach as this was a paler area of skin. 

overall i really like how these have turned out epically the lighting and the and the way that it lights up the subject but still produces shadowing around the edges of the image. the thing i think is best about these is how the dark back ground and shadowing link together to make the body shape stand out as the black moulds around , this will be use full for me when trying my next step of cutting out the body to experimenting with my abstract image . when doing these again i will try more close up shots so that i can use these to practice my image manipulation . i will also experiment more with different lighting set ups and positioning my models.  

Seamus Murphy - insulations - let England shake

let England shake  

link to video :   http://www.seamusmurphy.com/Films/12-Short-Films-for-PJ-Harvey/1

This short video by Seamus Murphy  shows what i think represents a broken and shaken britan 

i think this is shown in a great way in which the mood is set by the old man sat in his home environment reading what seems to be a poem or script that sets a deep sad feeling , the effect is also added to by the man tone of voice which is low and deep almost like he is getting deeper into the sense of darker as he reads on. The camera shot for this has his head and shoulders only  , but what i epically like about this is how the image is composed because with the strong use of depth in the background this to me is already showing the photographers take to this piece.  

as the music begins in this (accentual a music video) , it uses a establishing shot showing a broken deserted theme park / fun fair. this i think represents the broken country we live in and the emptiness and broken feeling of the people that have been lost or left behind. . i also think that this could be showing The change between the innocents of being a child to then becoming an adult in what we now see as a broken world , as the shield of a fun filled life as a child is taken awayand your almost sent to fight the war that is life. the scene that i think shows this the most is the punch and Judy scene which starts with close ups of the dolls that represent a fun child hood experience of laughter but the faces have a scarier more broken feeling to them , this is when i think you can see the representation between the loose of child hood and becoming an adult. as this scene goes on it goes to some long shots and more close ups as the typical punch and Judy show id preformed but with a more sinter feel with the faces of the dolls becoming more warped. 

The scene that i think shows the feel of a broken deserted place and stands out the most to me is the caracel horses which uses a range of wide and close up shots to film the horses spinning round empty along with this it also uses tilted shots to get the bright spinning lights of the ride . these to me make me feel like the blurred and content spinning represents the out of control wurl wind of a life that we life in and that may have dragged us to this deservedness 

Through out watching this  i love the way you can see the photographers composition for example the depth of field and way in which people are angles in images to make them site in line almost with the backgrounds. i also think you can see this with the use of shadowing in the scene of the theme park . i love the way that this almost looks like the still image but has been interpreted into a film piece and show the moving shadow of on looking objects. 

overall i really like the way that this film has been put together and how with the competition of  each scene almost seems to be a collection of well composted images. i also like the simplicity to this with no after effects and what seems to be a piece with minimal editing giving a feel of a realistic documentary or street photography piece. this i think works well with the broken dark feel to the film. 

i think that a piece like this could link into my work when experimenting with the human form . i think that this may be a good secondary way to show my work with music added to a short film showing the human form not just in still images but in scenes representing each individual person and there own unique body. 

Image manipulation - Irene

Image manipulation using Photoshop 

 

 

 

I have been experimenting with image manipulation using Photoshop and  trying out different tools and technique to produce manipulated images , that although they look surreal and not what the natural eye would see still blend together to make one image instead of several small one (e.g. collage) . 

 

The main tools that used to create my image was the pen tool I used this so that I could practice cutting images out because this I think is one of the most useful tool when doing this kind of work. when picking the images to use for this I was looking for them to have lighting that would blend well together because I didn't want them to all clash with other with light coming in from different angles. I used several blending modes and changed levels and opacity on images to get help blend the light from each image into each and how the light was hitting the images and creating shadows etc.

I think this working quiet well but when doing this again I would like to use more of my own images because then I can control the light rather than using stock images or poor quality images from search engines. I also think this would produce a better quality image.

I also used the warp tool on the tall building to stretch them out and look like the getting taller and taller stretching towards the sky which then made my subject look even bigger.

When planning and creating this image I didn't have a set plan or an idea I just wanted to base I surreal type image around the image I had of my nephew , this image was brightly lit from the front using a flash so this then blended in well with the bright lights flashing from the lighting back ground that then blends to look light its bighting the whole image.  

 

overall I think that the individual images in this blend well together get make one image and this was a good practice at basic photo manipulation .  next time I will practice more of the basic skills but also look into the more advanced side of photo manipulation. this is something I think I would like to use in my final piece because I think this would link well with the surreal abstract images that I want to produce using the human form.  I will research this future in later posts.

 

 

 



sam taylor wood - still life

Sam Taylor wood - still life   

Sam taylor wood is an English film maker photographer and visual artist.  Through out her work she uses a this mix to create pieces that are extremely powerful . She uses a lot of dark emotion in her pieces for example the still life rotting fruit and the still images of her strung from a ceiling in her house. 

This piece in particular is said to give the sense of hanging between heaven and earth .

I think her mix still and moving insulations is something I would like to look into more when showing my work mainly because of the way she frames for pieces like painting which gives the mix of  new media and old style painting which i find eye catching.

This video shows the work of sam taylor wood I think this has an amazing in site on to how  she creates her work and also the many different reasons that she shows her work in the way she does.
The way in which this is filmed is quiet eye catching as well with the mix of shots . The scenes that show her work use wide shots and close up shots along with panning. which I think works really well because you can explore the detail in the work.
The in the scenes where Sam or other people are talking a head and shoulders shot is used which I think puts clear focus on the subject.

video:

This video is an example of a stop motion video , this uses a collection of images put together in video editing software makes a piece that then looks like a video. to do this takes can take hundreds of images even thousands. to make even a short video.  this piece i think would have taken weeks to do and thousands of images. this is because each individual stage of the fruit  decaying would of had to be photographs top link together , i think this may have been done every half an our each day because of the detailed small changes. 

I really like the way this piece has been put together and the way that the images is composed like an old style still life image. I think that using stop motion to project this work , draws you in especially with this piece. i normally find still life a bit boring because they all look like old paintings but when they are shown like this it makes you looked at the detail in the images and the change in light more closely as you watch the images switch in sequence.  

The narrative in this image i think shows growing older and the on going decay of life . as the fresh new born child begins its life like the fresh new fruit that then as it grows older breaks down and  begin to rot , decay and wither away like as people get older  and slowly  begin to decay like the fruit . heading for the end of life.

This music video by sam taylor wood :
There is only one shot this through out which is head and shoulders , With the subject positioned in the centre. In this video i think you can see that a photographer has composed this because of the positioning of the shot and the slight depth.
I really like the way the music links with the beginning scene as the singing begins and the spring open . This I think catches your attention straight away and makes you want to watch more,
I  also think that this is a powerful video because of the eye connection between the subject and the camera . This i think makes you look into the mind of the subject and wonder why he has lack of emotion . Which I then think makes you imagine your own narrative to the piece. 

poster making for german sheperd rescue

poster making for the German Shepard rescue 

I have been hired by the uk German shepherd rescue to design and make there poster and flyers for online and print purposes . I m going to link this in with the advanced photographic teqnique module . by using the Photoshop teqniques and tutorials that I experiment with into practice.  I will also be using this as part of the professional side because this is a client and I will also be producing my own images of the dogs for them to use in my posters. This I think is good experience in working in the photography and mix media industry for a client. 

The first set of posters that I have been asked to produce are the Christmas poster for Christmas markets these I had a dead line of a week to produce 4 and was the hardest because I don't have a wide range of knowledge and I do struggle with Photoshop  so im learning as I go along along with having basic skills to begin with. as I make these poster I aim to increase my knowledge and by doing this get this to a professional stander and I will evaluate this along the way.

 This is the first poster I produced I used photoshop to cut out all the individual items on this and I do like the final out come but when I look at the later  posters I have now produced I can see the flaws in this . for example I think things need to be lined and straighten  up and also I think it is slightly cluttered. whilst doing this though I have improved my cutting out skills on Photoshop which I struggled with.

 These next 2 poster I mad around the same time and due to lack of back ground because I haven't been able to find images that aren't pixelated i also think that this background really works with the Christmas theme.
these i think have turned out a lot better especially with the lining up words etc. i also think my cutting out has improved which makes the images blend into the poster more. i also think that this poster looks more professional than the first and flows better. 




my next step will be to do more tutorial on tools for Photoshop and poster making so i can improve my skills to a more professional stranded and then link the teqniques in with my photographic work.



bill violas's Martyrs altarpiece

bill violas martyrs altarpiece :  resource used http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2014/may/21/bill-viola-matryr-video-installation-st-pauls

im looking at this collection in compare sent with not only the video side to this project but also the professional project to look at different ways in which to exhibition work.
this project is done by using video insulation . This I think is a really expressive way to show work and gives a deeper feeling I think because you feel like you can connect more with the moving image in a way in which almost leads you into the screen . 
This I think works really well with this project drawing you into the emotion of these already deep images.
I also really like this work and the creative way in which he has managed to show the individual elements and also link this with suffering and redemption of religious martyrdom . I feel that this is shown in not only a powerful way with out pushing the religious side of the images in a way that would inflict for or against people religious beliefs. 

I love the way these  images are constructed with the lighting for each image drawing you into the emotion of each individual one. for example the image in which the man is buried the lighting on the has darker shadows but still gives enough light to focus on the main point of focus the man. 
I especially like the image on the man hanging by his legs with wrists bound. this I think push's the feeling of a religious image more than the others with it to me looking like a sacrifice , almost like Jesus on the cross and other religious images you see printed on large pains in church.

overall I really love the power in this study and I think the way in which it is shown using video insulation which I think would attract more ppl to see this because its something different which people in today world are looking for .  I think that I would like to use something along these line to show my own work but  I would also like to use sound to draw people attention into my work more.