Week 5 Image Quality and Photoshop

Montage attempt using Photoshop during week 5 class

Producing quality images:

• Do not touch the lens, this can make the light refract with the image is taken and warp the image.
• Stay away from moisture, wet days, the beach, windy days. If wanting to take a picture in these conditions, wait for the right moment and quickly store.
• Use silica to absorb moisture.
• Use of tripods is important. Gorilla tripods is an option
• If you cannot use a tripod, use settings 1/60 } 18-55 where the shutter speed is high (2.8, 3.5, 4.5) otherwise the camera will shake and get out of focus. The shutter when it flips up may also cause camera shake.
• Print size and sensory size is important. For 5-8MP use A4 - A3 size print. 8MP and up use A3-A2 size print.

Photo Montage - Shooting in a rar file enables you to process your images 2 or 3 times and blend using a mask techniques where the tonalities are even.

USE RAR files exploit the data available to you

When using Bridge you can open any image in the window even if its jpeg file. To do this select the image right click and select 'open in camera raw' option.

Colour Zone System

RBG red blue green 256 (include 0)

R=0 B=0 G=0 which will make Black

R=255 B=255 G255 will make white

Photoshop is not a tool to fix mistake, get it right in camera. Photoshop will enhance your vision. Avoid pixel editing as it will destroy your image.

MONTAGE:

Making a montage with 3 self portraits in the one photo.

We went on a mission to find an empty lecture hall to take pictures.

In photoshop open the images, move the image tab to outside the picture showing to display in its own window. Select an image, hold shift key and drag on top of another image. Go to Layers, layer mask, hide all. Be aware to click on the layer, NOT the thumbnail as this will paint on top of the image. Select paintbrush tool (make sure al setting are 100% and normal) use a soft brush and 0% on all brush setting. If any errors, change the fill colour from black to white or vise versa.

Change history setting. Preferences, performance, history stats to 100 (it will be defaulted to 20). This will allow your history to member up to 100 clicks.

SAVE the image as pst or tif, do not save to JPG as this will FLATEN the image and finalise the image so no more changes can be made.

Week 4 looking at different artist that use large format cameras

I was really unwell this week and unable to attend class.

Instead i have researched the artists that were talked about in class and wrote some notes on them.

Richard Misrach

American photographer who helped pioneer the renaissance of colour photography and large scale (8x10 camera) presentaions in the 1970's. Best known for his ongoing series 'Desert Cantos', which he studies the landscape and mans complex relationship to it. Canto means section of a large poem and each canto of his series is named for the aria shown and numbered in sequence. The first 10 cantos are: The Terrain, The Event, The Flood, The Fires, The War, The Pit, Desert Seas, The Event II, Project W-47, The Test Site. The 'nuclear landscapes' he shot in the nevada desert sees him experimenting with photographing plants, water and the nocturnal environment of the American West. Typically his pictures are in a large format and the colours are slightly muted, which emphasises the scale and desolation of the landscape. He spent many solitary days in a van, waiting for something to happen.

Some other works:

Cancer Alley

Golden Gate, On the beach

Bravo 20 National Park

White Man Contemplating Pyramids, Egypt.

Richard Avedon

"Every Photograph is accurate. None of them is the truth." - Richard Avedon

American Photographer who capitalised on his early success with fashion photography (Harpers Bazaar, Vogue and Life) to then pursue fine art. In 1946 he became chief photographer at Harpers Bazaar where he did not conform to the standard techniques of fashion photography, where models stood emotionless and indifferent. Instead he showed full emotion, smiling, laughing and many times, in action. He branched out from from fashion subjects and also photographing patients at mental hospitals, the Civil Rights Movement in 1963, protesters of the Vietnam War and later the fall of the Berlin Wall. He photographed The Beatles in 1967, his first major rock poster series.

He was inspired in the way portraiture captures the personality and soul of his subjects. With fame, he brought many famous faces to his studio and photographed them with a large-format 8x10 view camera. These took a minimalist style, where the person looked squarely at the camera in front of a white background. He would reveal the subjects personality or characteristics by asking psychologically probing questions or guiding them into uncomfortable areas.

His large prints measure 3 feet high. Some large format portrait work he shot of drifters, miners and cowboys.

He became the first staff photographer for The New Yorker in 1992.

Gregory Crewdson

American photographer best known for his elaborately staged, surreal scenes of American homes and neighbourhoods, 'Twilight'. He looks for places that are both familiar and strange, a peculiar combination of anywhere and nowhere. Once he finds a spots to photograph, he assesses the area and defines exactly what he wants, months later the camera and crew will arrive and shoot the scene using a 8x10mm camera. He explains how he lives for that moment at twilight, that 20min period where the mood is still and magical. This period is the only time of day that his cameras can capture the images in complete detail, otherwise the light interferes. Another reason for photographing at this time is for the metaphorical notion of inhabiting an in-between space (before and after). It has a transformational quality. It evokes a familiar and sad sense of something domestic yet empty and worn.

Andreas Gursky

German Visual artist known for his enormous architecture and landscape colour photography.

After the 1990's he has relied on computers to edit and enhance his pictures, enhancing the space in his subjects photographed. His work is described as vast, splashy, entertaining and literally unbelievable (Peter Schjeldahl, New Yorker). Gurksys photographs are large, anonymous, man-made spaces, panoramic colour prints, some six feet high by 10 foot long and described to have 'the presence, the formal power, and in several cases the majestic aura of 19th century landscape paintings' (Calvin Tompkins). Examples are high-rise facades at night, office lobbies, stock exchanges, the interiors of big box retailers.

Jan Groover

American photographer residing in France, known for her use of emerging colour technologies. She uses a variety of camera formats to affect perception and plane. She creates complex, abstract spatial arrangements in her still-life portraits and landscape photography. She references art history in her photographs (Renaissance perspectives and Cezanne's tabletops).

12 Photos around Campus

Wide Angle.

The first attempt at this shot, the exposure was too long and let in too much light, resulting in the image completely white, i adjusted the setting and allowed for the camera to capture this image.
Ugly

I was trying to think of which angle to photograph the ATM machine, but thought in the end, no matter which way i look at money, it all appears ugly to me.
Stranger Portrait

I took this photo really quickly, trying to capture her taking a photo of me. I didnt adjust the camera setting and resulted in this slightly blurring image.
Tasty

It was quite amazing to see the detail of this flower, im pretty sure i adjusted the setting to macro for this one and zoomed in from a distance.
Surface

I like the idea of having two subjects in this photograph, the foreground and the background quite suggestive but not clear.
Semi

I love the mechanical and technical feel to this photograph. I could have adjusted the setting to make it clearer but found at the time it was too hard to tell on the tiny camera display.
Self Portrait

This was the first photo i have ever taken with a digital SLR camera, so it was all a bit much to take in with the settings and feel.
Mixed Lighting

Drab
Extreme Close Up

I really love this photo and im not sure why. I like the way its not all in focus and the harsh colours and communication it portrays.
Blurry

This photo i took very quickly and not sure how to approach moving objects yet with digital SLR's, this will be my next problem to solve.
Beautiful

I really love this photo, it is busy but not overwhelming. I feel this photo has many levels to it.

Ideas for final folio

I have a fascination with being alive at night while everyone sleeps. Being surrounded by the crisp silence and deserted streets, as if the streets are mine to explore with a sense of purity to the night air. So my idea was to take photographs of melbourne at night/early morning in the perspective that many are unable to experience. I love alleys at night, how the street lights reflect on the graffiti, puddles and bins. To capture the night and also those who are awake.

I likes the idea of having consistencies with my photography, as did Donovan Whylie's watchtowers and Hilla Becher's industrial buildings. Where i would have variables such as time, day, angle or perspective consistent.

I then thought of the idea "Access and Entry" as a theme to my work. Melbourne live music venues, the entry perspective, outside view, doorframe view, maybe a panorama from the entry.

Then thought i could go to a range of music venues and take 3 perspective photos from each, the band members perspective, the staff members and the audience/patron's perspective.

When thinking about the venues i wanted to cover a range of styles, audiences and areas in Melbourne. The music venues i chose:

The Arthouse - underground alternative venue

The Arts centre - ballet, symphony, theatre for upper class/conservative/artists

Bennetts lane - jazz club for the upper class/conservative/artists

Revolver - Nightclub - open 24hrs on weekends, dj's, range of young patrons but does get messy

Loophole or Catfood press - venue in a home, underground for artists

Church - conservative, age varied

World music bar - international crowd, audience varied.

Connections could be made with the venues: Nature of access and entry (security, rules), demographic, appeal/agenda, community. Idea to maybe present images sequentially based on entry cost. Connection of money, the audience and the type of access and entry.

I thought to photograph on a sat night between a certain time and have a consistent perspective to capture the nature of entry and access.

Cannon EOS1000D info

Tv - Time Value is the Shutter Priority

Av - Aperture Value is the Aperture Priority (size of the diaphragm hole inside the lens).

A-DEP - Auto depth of field.

ISO

In very low or bright light - shutter speed and aperture display will blink if pressed half way

In low light (30" 3.5) either increase the ISO speed or use a flash

In bright light (4000 22) decrease the ISO speed

ISO speed

• 100/200 Sunny Outdoors
• 400/800 Overcast skies, evening
• 1600 Night or dark indoors

Flash range - the higher the ISO speed the farther the flash range will be

If subject is far away, increase the ISO speed (extends the flash range)

Tv - can freeze the action or create blur

Frozen action - (fast shutter speed) moving subject 1/4000 t0 1/500

Blurred action (slow shutter speed) 1/250 to 1/30

Av - can change the depth of field

Blurred background (large opening)

Sharp foreground/background (small aperture opening)

The larger the f/number the smaller the aperture opening

Week 2 - Taking Photographs

Ok... week 1 and 2 have been too hectic, I will start with an introduction: I have never owned or known anyone with a Digital SLR to use, and instead have managed to tolerate my Pentax Optio S6 now for too long. I have been travelling the world for 5 years now, in between my studies. I have studied in San Diego, Lived in London, Berlin and France and adventured all over Europe, Sth East Asia and Africa, and all with my Pentax, to which i am growing antagonistic towards. My memories have been captured (and sometimes lost due to travel dilemmas) but to be in such amazing , breathtaking and surreal places in time and space, and to be able to share these moments is something special. My camera has not only served to capture memories but also served as an educational tool for my travelling as well. There was little options to manipulate and take control over capturing images, and instead i have taken great interest in manipulating photos 'after' they were captured.

Week two i finally took control over the images i captured using AV mode and changing the ISO and Exposure ranges. The St Albans campus i have always found to be uninspiring, although found interest in the small things around like the fire extinguisher, a bike and reflective mirrors. I always knew light to be an important element with the outcome of pictures, but didnt realise how detrimental and technical the process was. This made me reflect... I have always driven a automatic car and last month i decided to buy a manual and learn to drive it. After 3 weeks of learning to drive with gears and a clutch, it all clicked and now i will never go back to automatic. As with a camera, you must work with the vehicle/instrument, understand how and why it operates a certain way and learn to work with it for a successful output. I am at the first steps in learning to use a SLR camera, where only practise and experimentation will develop my understandings. Only problem is, i dont have a SLR to practise with.

I have been trying to find ideas/themes for my images. I work in a live music venue, "The Arthouse", which has been effected by the new liquor licensing laws and threatens to shut down. The Arthouse has been a home to me and thousands of other musicians, familes, travellers and friends for 19 years. My idea was to capture these moments before we close down. Or capturing the live music industry in melbourne and the effects from the government.

I have added some travel pictures as well as Week 2 photos

www.flickr.com/photos/melodysdigitalfineartphotography

Week 1 Introduction to Photographers

Eugene Atget:

French Photographer known for photographing the architecture and street scenes of "old Paris" between 1897 and 1927. Saw photography as a source of income, advertising his photography as "documents for artist" (common for artists to paint from photographs). Photographed Paris with large-format wooden bellows camera with a rapid rectilinear lens. His subjects ranged

from architecture, urbane

nvironment, street hawkers, tradesmen,

prostitutes and the homeless. Photography was characterised by his wispy, drawn-out sense of light due to the long exposure. The wide view sugge

sted space and ambience more than surface detail. He photographed early morning before

pedestrians and traffic appeared. He avoided perfection and approached his subjects with humanism.

Joel Meyerowitz:

N.Y.C. street photographer. Early advocate of using colour during a time of resilience to the idea in 1962.

Changed to large format in 1976. Meyerowitz came to photogr

aphy in 1962 by "finding and rescuing the invisible moment". The initial and fascination was with the immediacy of events the way things happen and then disappear forever. He explains that

using a larger format camera "it amplified my own curiosity about how to describe the world i live in." 1991 he transfered his entire personal archive to digital format. He was the official photographer of the World Trade Centre attacks and said to "translate the chaos of the city." He has an acute sensitivity to everything around him.

www.pdngallery.com/legends/meyerowitz

August Sanders:

German portrait and documentary photographer. Spent his military service,

1897-99 as a photographers assistant. First book "Face of our Time," 1927 included 60 portraits from his series "People of the 20th Century." His work was constrained due to Nazi regime and seized in 1936. He aimed to show a cross section of society during the Weimer republic. S

eries was divided into 7 sections, The Farmer, The Skilled Tradesmen, Women, Classes and Professionals, The Artists, The City and The Last People (homeless and veterans).

Alexander Rodchenko:

Russian artist, sculpture, photographer and graphic designer. One of the founders of constructivism and Russian design. Known for his Photomontages that were socially engaging, formally innovative and opposed painterly aesthetics. Often shot his subjects numerous times and from odd angles usually from above or below, to shock the viewer and to postpone recognition. Impressed by German Dadaists photomontages, he experimented in the medium, first in 1923 using found images and in 1924 he started to use his own photographs, as he was unable to find suitable subject images. Often related to poster art and book design. Famous artwork include his illustrations of Vladimir Mayakovski's poetry Preto (About This). He integrated elements of line such as stairs, grids, overhead wire into his artworks. Used a Leica camera as it had freedom from the tripod and 'belly button' photography.