MARIA. Task 6 and 7. Lo-Fi Zine assignment.

Photographic Zines are most commonly home made photo-books that showcase a photographers work, the photographer decide every aspect about the production of the zine- what material the paper is, how the images will be printed, how the images will be set out/shown on the page, what the front cover will look like, what the price of the zine is and where/how it will be distributed.

The cost to make the zine is dependent on the person making it, they can spend as much as they want on the producing of the zine for example a photographer spent £200 pounds making a Star Wars themed zine and how the zines are distributed is at the preference of the person producing it- but if the person want's to distribute the zine to a greater scale then they'd have to find a publisher or marketer to help them with that. There normally distributed by trade sold at various zine events and house shows The cost of distribution varies some are distributed for free other may cost 1-3 pounds but full color and "perfect" bound zines coast a least £10 or more to distribute.

There are many gallery's in which distribute and sell Zines; the areas in Leeds which do so are: The Pavilion, Impressions, Union 105, Theartmarket and Kunstfreund Gallery, East street Arts and project space Leeds.

The history of zines could be argued to start with "Underground press" even before that it could be said that zines were first existing since people began to write, copy and self-publish. Zines have being closely associated with a number of art movements in the 20th century; Journals, magazines, leaflets, mail-art, Dadaist, Surrealist, Fluxus and situationist artists have contributed techniques that had a strong influence on the zine trade. Since the 1990's many artists have used zines to create their own distributions and audiences. Zines in the united states originated when science fiction fans started posting their own stories producing the term "fanzine" a.k.a "fan magazine" which was later shortened to its most common name of 'zine'. In the 1970's when punk rock emerged the DIY ethos found itself being a big impression on zines- this ethos and the rise in technology made zines all the more popular then during the 1990's zine's continued to get even more popular when more and more people where creating e-zines.

TOM. Communicating personality through image. Documentary/narrative assignment.

notes about Ideas about how I'll communicate my mums and my friends personality/life through image.
And what aspects I want to communicate exactly.

Mum:

• Illness, pain, difficulty, difference, routine.
  
• happiness, collections, simple pleasures, family relations?
  

Josh;

• music, friends, family.
• bedroom aspects reflecting him.
  

TIM. TASK 9 & 10. Image and Text. Technique ideas.

The new techniques I want to try out as in camera techniques are:

• Christmas decorations.

I will create a filter out of a certain christmas decoration, to create a unique and interesting silhouette effect.

• piece of black fabric(bandana, clothing etc)

I will create a filter out of a black piece of clothing, I will try many different thing in order to create a black outline around the image, sort of like a fish eye lens effect does, but without the warped image.

The Bandana Filter I made...

this filter held in this way creates a spotlight sort of effect.
when the filter is moved into a different shape, the picture looks completely different.
you can make loads of different shapes with the bandana which change how the image looks.
- when the filer is used with less of the bandana showing- it creates a nice outline of black but it's hard to keep the outline continuous round the edges of the image when less of the bandana is in view.

Christmas decoration filter I made....
one effect it made. by holding it differently this was another effect it made.
again by placing it differently this is the effect it made.

STEVE. Task 1 & 9. Painting 2 photography assignment.

(Henry Fox Talbot, dandelion seeds 1850.)

The word "photography" means "light" and "to draw or to write"

Scientists were fascinated by the physics rule that light can only travel in straight lines. When the first person to ever make an image through light by creating a "camera obscura" by fully blacking out a room but leaving a small hole of light- because light can only travel in a straight line unless theres an obstruction(water, which would make light "bend") it meant that the light coming through the hole into the room produced an reflection on the other side of the room of the scene outside, of course the image would be upside down and this is what scientists wanted to explore further; find ways to turn the images the right way up and learn how to capture the image forever and make multiples of that one image.

The first two photographers that found out a way to do this are Henry Fox Talbot and Louis Daguerre who thought of ways at round about the same time. Talbot created negative images first by using paper soaked in silver chloride and then fixed with a salt solution, then he turned the negatives into positives by contact printing onto a another sheet of paper he called this "Calotype" Where as Daguerre's way he was only possible to create one copy of the image only and he did this by using silver-plated copper coated with silver iodide and then developed with warmed mercury and his named this a "Daguerreotype" but because Talbot found a way to make two versions of the image his version stuck.

Talbot: The first photo-negative ever made(1835);

The negative turned into a positive.

Salted paper print from a calotype by Talbot.

Joseph Niepce discovered the first ever successful form of photography "Heliographic" and was the first to take the first photogravure etching in 1822. Niepce could not draw from the images of a camera obsura so he seeked out to find a way to capture the image permanently he experimented with "Lithography" which is a method of printing images using a stone or a metal plate which led him to attempt take a photograph with the camera obscura, he also experimented with silver chloride but found it darkens when exposed to light. Eventually he used Bitumen for his first successful attempt at capturing nature photographically. He dissolved bitumen in lavender oil and coated the sheet of pweter with this light capturing mixture, he placed the sheet inside a camera obscura for eight hours and later removed it and washed it with lander oi to remove the unexposed bitumen.

He started to collaborte with Louis Daguerre in 1829 and together they developed The "Physautotype" which was invented in 1832 where the images were produced with lavender dissolved in alcohol this solution was then applied to a silver plate and exposed in a camera obscura for several hours to create the image after Niepce's death Daguerre went on to improve their process and called it the "Daguerreotype"

At the early stages of photography only scientist and wealthy people were able to experiment with photography as the photographer's had to create everything by hand and develop the images too; they had to be very smart to figure it out and very rich to get all the "supplies" to do it.

The other early practitioners for example Nadar, was the first person to take Ariel photographs and the first to apply/use artificial lighting in photography, Julia Cameron developed soft focus and so on so forth- more photographers were discovering new aspects and ways to photograph and changing the way people photographed as the years went on.

Photography gave art a more challenging role- at first art was used to capture time, but as the camera now did this, artist had to find different ways to create art; they had to not capture time but created a unique versions of it, create worlds and people and scenes with their minds that the camera could not create. It gave painters a hard time as “portraiture” was more accurately captured by camera but then painters found they could create portraits in abstract ways, showing off the hidden personally behind the people in the portrait which is something the camera could not as easily achieve. Artists started to paint/draw from photographs.

Photography is seen to some as more of a mechanics then an art form, to other it’s considered more complex as in most cases you can’t alter the contents of the photo, the photographer has to look out for composition, lighting and of course a subject matter which makes the photo. In other cases the photographers could set up the scene in the photo, move objects/people around then re-take the shot, they can take the images in different lighting changing the tone of the photo, they could also change the angle and the perception of the photo.

Because photography opened so many new doors for artists as well as making it more of a challenge they started to incorporate more of the senses within their work, they'd aim to create texture and create a sense of "taste" with their work and also eventually grew the cross over between photography and art that people would blend together making creations that they wouldn't have ever dreamed possible before and as time went on technology improved and created a lot better equipment that meant people could do photography easier and more seriously because it became so popular, companies began inventing different lenses and accessories that meant photographers could take their work further and as more people began getting into photography other photographers had to step up their skills to make an impact and keep creating new ideas- soon photography gained rules(for media purposes) and their was certain does and don'ts about it and certain tricks you could do to create different effects. Technology also made photography an everyday thing, people who didn't even consider them selves photographers or people who knew nothing about it could take photos by the simple press of a shutter button- people are used to cameras being everywhere nowadays, in some countries like New York photographers can walk around with a camera, flashing it in peoples faces without consent and its not a problem, unfortunately it's not like this everywhere and it would be a problem, the down fall of photography and cameras being around so much is that their are now a lot of camera shy people when along time ago having your photo taken was a treat and very very rare. 

MARIA. Final Zine photos. Lo-fi zine assignment.

possible;

TOM. Person 'X' test shots. documentry/narrative assignment.

Images taken revolving around Paula Towler;

I will defiantly be re-taking this shot for the reason being, my white balance is off due to the tungsten lighting which is why the image has being captured with this orange tint. I also might take the photo at more of a wide angle so that more of the scene around this object can be seen, showing where the object is in the room and who it's place in an important place showing that this object means a lot to it's owner.

I really like the depth of field in this image and the angle and lighting in which is was took, I shall be keeping this for my final images. I also like how this very simple object starts to tell the viewers about the more serious side to Paula's narrative I'm showing, the photos which follow start to paint a very clear picture of her life and how having arthritis has changed her life.
I like the depth of field in this photo aswell, not too happy with the focal point though so I might retake it and try to find a more suitable focal point. I think the contents of the photo go really well with the narrative I've chosen and fit well so I shall be keeping this image, or an image like this one for my final images.

I think the content of this image is quite interesting, not too happy with the lighting, again my white balance was off because of the lighting so and I tried to edit it to be less orange but it backfired on me and seems to have changed the entire feel of the photo- making it seems less real in a way. The depth of field and the angle in this photo is what really makes it interesting, it leads you down the line of books as you get lead down you read the titles which all say the same thing- connecting well with the first image.

Images taken revolving around Josh;

For this image my ISO was too high so it has effected the quality of the image, the contents in the image don't really get across what I wanted to get across even though at the time when I captured this image I thought it would work. The colours in this image are dull which doesn't match the person's personally I was trying to show and the photo is lacking in the area to keep the attention of even me so I doubt this photo will be used in my final images. This is another image I thought would work but after having a critique to my teacher and course members I found it didn't show what I thought it did, so therefore I thought I needed to think of more clearer ways of showing Josh's childlike side. Other then the message not being as clear as I first thought, I like the depth of field, the colours and the strong leading lines within this image.
For this image when I captured it I saw sadness but also humor and sweetness- I thought the mix of having a photo of a passed away loved one paired with a children's t.v cartoon character advent calender was simply odd to say the least, I found it perfect for my narrative and it surprisingly turned out to be my favorite shot over all, but unfortunately with me not having any other luck with capturing Josh's narrative I'm most likely just going to photograph Paula for my final images.

TOM. Person 'X' research. Documentry/narrative assignnment.

Julian Germain...

Julian Germain do one particular project called "For every minute you are entry you lose sixty seconds of happiness." where he spent 8 years with an old man of the name of Charles Snelling. His photographs are all focused around the old man and his lie style resolved around the idea of how you should live life in the happiest ways possible rather then focus on all the bad things happening because you'll be missing out on so much.

Julian Germain spent eight years getting to know and caring for this man and admiring his passion for life and happiness. He took all the photos on a film camera.

Person 'X' doesn't have to be always pictures of the person who's the subject; the pictures could include objects or places important to the subject/person.

TOM. assignment ideas. Documentry/narrative assignment.

"Cuts."

1. How hard it is to get a job.
2. Lack of money due to unemployment.
3. Could photograph a bunch of shops/businesses that have closed down.

'Leeds, 2011'

1. Focusing on a certain kind of person around Leeds. For example, "Punks", "chavs", people of a certain age.
2. Focusing on a certain building of area in Leeds.
3. Focusing the streets and areas around Leeds.
4. Photographing signs around Leeds.
5. Photographing people in Leeds.

"Person X"

1. Focusing on my mum, photographing things that are significant to her personally and life such as: her obsession with certain T.V shows; showing the existent of it. Her over-liking of the animal the pig. Showing the pain she has to go through each day, her routine of taking tablets. Showing how she's still happy even though she has reasons not to be and showing how strong she is. Showing her relationship with my dad and how she spends most of her time alone around the house due to not being able to work.

Idea: for the showing her tablet taking routine; have her take a photo about to have them in front of the clock each time and then edit them all together as one image.

1. Focusing on my friend Josh, photographing aspects in life that capture his personality and explain him. Capturing his need for organization, his child-like qualities and his serious qualities and how they blend into one another and the contrast between them, photographing his emotions, favorite colour, foods and his music taste. photographing this work life, school(work wise) and home life.
2. self portraits, and capturing images showing my own life and personally.

The theme I'm going to choose to do is 'Person X'

I'll attempt to photograph aspects both my mum and my friend as test shots... and then decide who shall be photographed mainly for my final images.

Ideas for shots of mum;

• To the showing her tablet taking routine; have her take a photo about to have them in front of the clock each time and then edit them all together as one image.
• To show her collection of smallville/ Superman items; have her put on one of her superman tops, her superman PJ bottoms, be on her laptop(with superman stickers on it) watching Smallville, with the dvd resting on her. I could also line up all her superman tops and take a picture of all the symbols.
• To show her collection of pig; photograph different items she has involving the animal.
• To show her aloneness: photograph her by herself in her room or the living room, doing what she normally does.
• Take a picture of her tablet box and how throughout the day it goes down.

Idea's for shots of Josh to show his child-like side and his grown up side;

• Photograph his sponge bob advent calendar paired with the old photo of some one in his family who's possibly passed on.
• Photograph his collection of letter bracelets which spell out his name that he keeps on his windowsill.
• Photograph his work and school timetable that he keeps on his wardrobe, always has to be on time and organized.
• Photograph his room; how it's always tidy and clean but noting how the walls are covered with posters.
• Photograph his work desk, how it's for serious work but also filled with little child-like things, such as a colourful rubber in the shape of an animal.

TOM. Task 5. Evaluation.

To recreate the work/style of Werner Bischof I had to create a similar composition to three of his original images, capturing my take of these images in black and white quality, editing them to look more grey scaled and making them seem from an easy time period.

To recreate the work/style of Brent Stirton I had to again create a similar composition to three of his original images, one of which I had to capture in black and white focusing on a tree in the foreground of the photo then the other two images I had to under expose the image to gain detailed and colorful skys and then use the flash to light up the subject. I edited the images as well boosting the colors to try recreate the amount of color Stirton uses in his images I also had to edit the black and white image making it more exposed to match the exposer of that of the original image Stirton had captured.

To recreate the work/style of Martin Parr I had to capture images of 9 people, edit each of black and white, lighten them to make them look aged, crop and resize them into the same sized squares, then I had to create a grid layout on photoshop, then place the images in the grids spaces to create the cube effect. The I took photos of the 9 people, grouped in threes and repeated the editing steps to create the second half of the project.

By looking at other photographers work and attempting to recreate their images I have learnt how to capture images differently, how to use composition and camera techniques better, that to get the best images possible you need to take a number of shots and keep changing the composition to get the best results. I've also learnt more about photoshop, how to create a layout of a grid for example, I've also gained a lot of knowledge on documentary photography and now understand it a great deal better.

TIM. Student Life Images. TASK 6 & 7 & 17. Image and text.

- colour matte.
I added a slight green matte to this image, I think it works well as it brings out the natural colours in the photo. This image I could, would work better from a further distance and a more straight on angle. I would also have changed the in-camera effect to a zoom in and created a warped effect towards the teddy because that would have being a good way to led the eye into the photo and with the teddy being round it would have worked really well.
- coloured vignette effect.
This effect rounds off the photo by matching with the colours within the image, it makes the photo look funky and edgy. I think the image could be improved by framing, taking the image more from a in front of the subject angle and shutter speed so the second subject wasn't blurry due to moving I also would improve it by re-taking the photo so that the second subject in the photo was more aware of it, she looks to spaced out and it doesn't suit the rest of the image.

- cross process.
I think the effect used in this image works well as I think it creates a more modern, funky effect, on the other hand I think "cross process" is a bad effect to use as it can give images an over orange tint, like my image above- This takes the effect of the other colours away. I like the image I took because of the lighting and the shallow depth of field, I think it could be improved by the croping/framing, maybe if more of the bottle was shown it would have being more effective.

- colour boost. (minor)
This image didn't need much of an effect as there was already enough going on within it, which is one of the aspects I like about this image. although I would improve it by making it less messy- I'd rearrange the objects on the table so they wasn't taking too much attention away from the students. The aspects about this image which makes it a strong one is how each student seems to be busy at work, completely focused but their smiling and seem to be in a relaxed, friendly environment. The image shows that in college you can dress how you like and be as different as you like, shows that you need to be hard working but you can still have fun doing so- it just sends off a really good message about the college.
- colour tint.
The effect colour tints have to images depends on which colour you choose for example on my image the bright vibrant blue creates a cool, happy and fun feel to the image where as the toned-down purple/yellow tint gives the image age, detail and a hint of sorrow. I'd improve this image by changing my framing and I'd zoom out abit to get more of the image in.
- Gradient effect.
This effect gives focus on one particular part of the image, shows that the student is not only on "facebook" but there also working which is something the viewer would have easily missed without the effect. I'd improve this image by adding to it's aspects, maybe take a photo of a student on the homepage rather then take an image of the home page.
-Gaussian blurred.
This effect gives the images a much stronger focal point, it makes the image look almost magical or dream- like, it gives the image something extra to draw you into it. I'd improve this image by lowering the exposure this would give more detail to the dark parts of the image and lessen the brightness of the white- making a better contrast.
- vignette effect.
This effect rounds off the image, making the subject clear and can also add flare and class to an image.
it creates a dramatic but soft framing for the image which is aesthetically pleasing.
I'd improve the lighting in this image, make it brighter and I'd take it from a more abstract angle to suggest how frustrating and confusion college work can get and also to make the image more interesting.


Over all I am unhappy with the result of the images- I think I could do them to a much better standard, I may even develop the final images further and submit another set of images to a standard I am happier with. Although my images disappoint me I think they get across student life well, the mix of work and fun is good and each image is full of color and life which was my aim at the time.


The ways I could present my work;

• Chemical
• Digital printing
• Online format; photoshop, Imovie, powerpoint.

I think it would be the better idea to present my work would be in an online format then the work has no chance of getting lost of damaged. It's also cheaper and saves time. Also they'd be no chance of the photos getting cropped in the printing, loosing impact and quality of the images.

I could print of one single image for my final piece or I could print of a number of images...
I think that one image I took, is really strong in narrative and composition so I might very well just use one image for my final piece.