Reflection - week 7

Voice recording reflection -

Silhouette photography

Photography studio: setups, good and bad photo outcomes - 
Using the photography studio with the 3 light key setup, I have taken photographs for the 'fellowship' and 'culture' themes within my book.


Lower aperture - more light
Higher aperture - less light

Beginning silhouette photography, the setup included a chair and a light box, set to the highest setting of 6 as I did not want any details of the model to be visible, only the outline. The camera settings included a high ISO and low aperture, and vivid colour. The results are as shown.



Initially, I found that the models face was still visible and the whole photograph held bright exposure, though a desired white background. Photographing this, I realised the camera settings must be adjusted to monochrome. At this current moment I did not change the ISO or aperture, and photographed again.










As this result was not successful, I proceeded to change the aperture to a higher amount allowing less light through the lens, along with the shutter speed around 1/8  and an ISO of 100. I also found that the model was too close to the light box and had to be moved forward. The results include more of the models outline without the features in a darker, silhouette manner though a blurry, dragged out exposure, I found this was due to the low ISO and shutter speed.



Further developing and attempting to get my desired images, I increased the ISO to 250+ (under 500) and increased the shutter speed by 2-3 fractions.  Certain details of the model are more visible than the previous picture, such as the reflection on the glasses. The aperture remained low, this being a possible reason for the pictures slight blurriness. Though the case, I found these settings most suitable for the silhouette and continued to photograph with the same settings.











The low aperture, f6 and below, allowed shallow depth of field in the photograph of the glasses, giving the desired result of glasses in clarity, however, I had some issues with wanting a bigger background. Reflecting back, I realise I could have used two light boxes to create the wider backdrop.





On location with silhouette, I had photographed for the fellowship theme whilst practising heavily with white balance -









Direct sunlight - golden, sunny colour
Photographing mostly with a direct sunlight white balance due to the outdoor environment, I found that the golden sunlight reflected well, and fully portrays the time of day that the photograph was taken. It provides a sense of warm feeling, like a summers evening.


Incandescent - blue, sky colour
After photographing with the sunlight white balance, I felt that the vibrance may be too high and wanted to view the difference if changed settings. The blue, more grey type vibe from selecting incandescent contrasts with the sunset and meaning behind the photograph, this being a female figure holding a rose representing emotions associated with fellowship and love. Incandescent WB may be used in settings suited more to a capturing blue sky environment at midday, or create a vibe in contrast to meanings I have behind these taken photographs.

Whilst experimenting more with the lighting, for the meanings behind my theme further props and symbolisation's were photographed - the glasses, rose, hands, etc.  Photographing in vivid with the direct sunlight white balance filtration provided the light-box to be an yellow, vintage paper colour. Intentions of this included integument as to how the backdrop colour could be changed in Photoshop.


Finalising adjustments of the studio lights and camera settings, there has been successful results following silhouette photography. Shooting on manual throughout, for experimental purposes I changed settings to auto flash, however this did not work and was too bright, therefore continuation of shooting on manual and manual focus. Concluding, I feel I still require help understanding shutter speeds affect with ISO, however my knowledge of ISO and aperture, with depth of field and some white balance filtration has improved in comparison to the beginning of the year and the first time photographing, both in the studio and understanding filtration (WB) on location.

Page development 1

Developing from the beginning use on the software, I have added some photographs under the nature theme with wording, as I have thought about the wording for the nature category first. Adding the photographs in colour has been interesting, experimenting with what photographs look aesthetically good together and which link to the story line development. Some photographs under the culture theme have been added, though no wording. Portraiture photographs of individuals representing various cultures have been taken on location. Suggested by my mentor, portraiture photographs in a photography studio should also be added for aesthetic continuity - having the same backdrop. I have come to the conclusion to balance this out - 2 portraiture photographs on location and 2 in the studio.

The page count has increased, with photographs such as the ocean/ underwater photos on page 12/13. I had discovered a challenge with the underwater photograph, this challenge further becoming noticeable the more I developed the pages. This being pixelation  - the software warns you when the photographs pixels are too low for printing, therefore gives you an option to ignore or select the most suitable size, recommended by the software. Though this may be an issue, it will help me consider and expand my ways of placing imaging, occurring in future situations actually making the book better quality wise - switching photographs for higher quality ones (making sure they still tell the storyline with clarity)

After photographing on location at a country park, I have embedded the photographs and experimented with the layout section of Bookwright. Further adding text in the font 'american typewriter' with  sizes of 20-24. Timings of the poetry had been included, though not logically thought about in consideration of what time the dream ends with page counts yet, purely for design purposes. I found that the layouts were useful and good to experiment with. 

As I had taken an amount of photographs on location, I found the timing of editing and selecting them quite time consuming and stressful - editing in Adobe Photoshop being time consuming, However, I feel I have developed skills such as using the selection tool adjusting certain parts of an image in terms of vibrance and hue along with the sharpening and blur tool- though not advanced, developing the smaller skills has allowed me to understand the layering of images and placement of tools on the software as a whole. 

Bookwright

From conducted research of websites, I have concluded that Blurb would be most suitable to use, due to its advantages such as a plug in for Adobe Lightroom and InDesign, and its own software titled Bookwright. The time for shipping being 4-5 business days and good pricing for the selected GSM paper / hardback paper option, I feel that using Blurb will be most sustainable, along with an understandable software, in which I am using to produce the pages. I plan to use the plug-in for Adobe InDesign to produce the front and back cover of the book, though due to the timing, this may not be possible.

Beginning the production, I have searched and experimented with the software Bookwright, this including the pages, layouts, masters and photograph options the software has.
As stated in pre production, the first photographs are in black and white to represent the before time of the dream, furthermore, developing within the software I found that background page colours can be changed (ALT+SHIFT+B)

I therefore decided to make the background black with white text, adding an aesthetic to the beginning but also contributing to the clarity of the story line. 

The left management of pages is the first draft of all pages. The initial count was 20 pages, the themes I had gotten photographs for being nature and culture. Fellowship photographs accompanied after being in the photography studio, this documented in the post 'silhouette photography'
No text besides wording at the start of the book had been included, along with simple photographs at small sizes on most pages.

Other introductory aspects I had when using the software was the application of text and borders. page 2/3 have experimental white borders, along with the content of my photographs and word phrasing.

Options for borders are creative and good for use, including sizing /thickness, colours and different types of bordering lines. As my plan is to gather all content first within the book, I am currently unaware of whether bordering will be including, however I have found experimenting with the application on these pages insightful and will consider throughout the pages, depending on the aesthetic and timing left to complete design and finalising to print in time.

Reflection - week 6

Voice recording reflection -

Production documentation - Layout

As part of developing further past the research conducted between websites, I have decided to use Blurb and downloaded the software 'Book-wright,' discussing the attributes that the book will have such as the GSM paper, dusk jacket and paper or hardback with my mentor. I have learnt attributes about the book through these discussions, e.g -

GSM paper - Standing for 'Grams per square meter,' the quality of paper used for printing. As discussed with my mentor, I will be using Proline Pearl Photo paper, in comparison to using others such as Proline Uncoated, and Standard Layflat. The paper being a good choice for contrasting colours, this further being an advantage as my photographs are high in saturation and vibrance, the full quality and detail also being a crucial contribution to the story in shots of close up and shallow depth of field photography. The end paper consists of a semi gloss texture.

Dusk jacket covers - The outer, detachable cover of a books front and back cover, usually consisting of an introduction and 'about' of an author or the book. My book will consist of a dusk cover as selected, with further planning required as to what information will be provided and styling of this.












Hardback - A book with a stiff, protective cover, made to last longer than paperback.
Paperback - Book with a softcover, all pages including the cover made out of paper and less protective.

Hardback being more long term friendly, I have selected this option and further believe that the texture will feel more professional.
Lastly, my product will be sized as a Large landscape (33x28cm.) As discussed with my mentor, I have chosen this option due to the flexibility of both A4 and A3 photographs able to be placed within the book, this avoiding issues when selecting photographs and photographing generally on location.  A range of A3 and A4 photographs alongside word phrases seems visually pleasing, alongside storytelling - the broken up structures of words and placements of pictures representing what I want the page to show, depending on the content of that specific element, exploring deeper messages making audiences think / making them consider the structure more rather than what appears first to the eye, a range of sizes allowing me to do this. To photograph, I will be using a Nikon D7200 and occasionally an iPhone 7. Though avoidance of using a mobile device due to pixelated issues when zooming in, especially when printing, the process of capturing whenever possible within landscape photography is an element that I find important and have learnt when personally photographing and have practised, therefore wanting a symbolic representation within the book about the personal photography process, leading upto this final project.

Production documentation - Website

As part of finalising and producing the physical book, I have researched a few websites to use for printing and production, exploring advantages and disadvantages of both the website and my intail views on this, to the book options and and overall which options would be most suitable for my work. Some of these websites having their own software's to produce the book, others asking for a provided PDF, and some considering layout first and emailing / contacting customers about the pricing of the asked layout.

Blurb is a book printing website who have their own creation tools to create books, such a
software titled 'Book wright,' an online tool titled 'Bookify' along with options to upload PDF documentations with a selection from photo books, trade books, magazines and eBooks. The company also work with Adobe when creating the book, using Adobe indesign or lightroom as a 'pro tool'

Advantages -

• Immediately, the website strikes the audience with a bright yellow colour. This striked me as an audience member, the idea of creating a book being creative, and this initially being the case and view. 

• Inspiration provided for audiences who haven't printed before with creative sub topics

• High quality GSM paper printing options 
• Layflat book option - a books pages completely flat without affecting the binding. (middle section)
• Clear indication of prices using a 'pricing calculator' 

Disadvantages -

• Website wise in comparison to Lulu, when looking for ways to sell and distribute the book I found Lulu's website more clearly signposted.
• Not many photo book sizes available - landscape and portrait wise - biggest size available being 33cm by 28cm.

Another website I had researched being Book Printing UK, with various printing options onto different mediums, examples include paper/hardback books, flyers, posters, bookmarks, etc. The process of choosing and being able to start the book follows an organised procedure, giving an end result of a quote of the price of the book, depending on the desired layout.

Advantages -

• Organised and clear layout when choosing options
• Price given before any actual printing starts
• Quick and straightforward process for those waiting with documentation, e.g in PDF form
• Less chance of returning product and refund, due to the specific options

Disadvantages -

• I found that the GSM paper quality was lower than other websites such as Blurb, Blurbs highest being 140 on Proline pearl, compared to 80-135.

• Lowest amount of pages physically allowed being a high amount, again in comparison to Blurb where the least amount to begin printing is 20 pages.

A further self publishing page I had researched into being Lulu - with options to publish a book as print or e-book, along with ways to distribute and sell to the wider world.

Advantages -

• Creative logo web page with clear signposting 

• More book size options in comparison to Blurb

• Cheaper pricing 

Disadvantages -

• When searching through categories, I found myself unintrugied due to the lack of creative colour and design in comparison to Blurb and Digital Printing UK.

Though not for printing books, one website I found interesting in terms of the layout composition and feel was the most advantaged website wise was digitailprinting.co.uk.

Advantages -

• The website is immediately informative by indicating the prices of the type of booklets, with evident categories at the top of the page without fancy or confusing texts and layouts 
• The title of the company is catchy and professional, quite rememberable 
• Top reviews and feedback of the service provided with information about the site itself being one of the second things the audience can see.
  
  

Reflection - week 5

Voice recording of reflection -

Production documentation - Free verse writing

Further developing my production documentation, below are word phrases picked out from the sun and her flowers, r.h's whiskey, words and a shovel, further music inspirations, films and heard sayings, along with individual production following word phrases and mind-maps of similar wording and actual ideas - that I have written - and that will inspire the language I will continue to use for the book -

Book title list of ideas - A fiction book with non fiction symbolisation.

 "exploration of society"
"dream"
"the art of dreaming"

           - Inspired word phrases by said, researched books and further notable quotations from films and music.

Start - 
"Sometimes I am the desert

Other times I am a rainforest" the sun and her flowers, Rupi Kaur

Nature - 
"Nature has cunning ways of finding our weakest spots" Call me by your name, directed by Luca Guadagnino 

Culture -
"you split the world 
into pieces and 
called them countries 
declared ownership on 
what never belonged to you" the sun and her flowers, Rupi Kaur



Fellowship -
"I'm pulling down stars just to make you glow" Music artist - Oh wonder, overgrown
"stars in my soul"


Art- 


Start and end -
(START - SUNSET
END - SUNRISE
improvement)

Contextual photographic research

The story line begins with the character disliking her society as a representative of actual society and Waltham forest before London's borough of culture (in relation to our theme.) Through research and development of ideas, I have related the idea of a  'disruptive' society to wider world issues, adding further depth and relevant meaning behind my work. These wider world topics including many economic and environmental issues, such as water pollution and rising sea levels causing land loss, climatic change, wildlife issues such as a decrease in bee populations, vanishing glaciers, etc. Identifying these problems and representing them through the art form of photographing could introduce awareness towards my proposed audience, along with expanding secondary audiences to those looking to raise awareness about such issues. Overall contrasting worldly issues between her society and dream keeps the story relevant, and could further challenge themes for mature areas of my audience.

Independent research I have conducted under climatic issues are as followed, with information about how I may photographically represent them at the start and end of the book, possibly within the 4 themes -

Water and plastic contamination - 
One of the most modern, concerning issues environmentally is plastic contamination and the increase of sea turtle and further sea-life deaths due to plastic consumption. Thousands of materials including plastic bottles and bags are being dumped into the ocean and seas of the world, with further companies trying to help this issue, such as Adidas & Parley and The Ocean Cleanup. Low lying Pacific islands such as Tuvalu and Maldives are at risk of due to rising sea levels, by 2030, the Maldive population are predicted to be moved to India and Sri Lanka.
Further developing and supporting my idea from this research, I aim to include photographs of plastic bottles and bags in water, phrasing accompanying about marine life. As I aim to use a pond, there may be issues when photographing near water and gathering bottles to fully demonstrate the mass amounts of real plastic wasted. To overcome this, I may have to use photographic techniques such as framing and shallow depth of field on one bottle or plastic bag, not making the rest as evident but producing the same visual impact. Precautions of using the camera shoulder strap to avoid droppings will also be taken.

Glaciers and ice -
Glaciers are a type of land form, formed over a period of time where snow remains in the same place and turns into layers of ice. As a result of climate change, including rising sea level, the worlds glaciers and ice caps are shrinking and retreating affecting wildlife such as polar bears. Some glaciers may disappear by 2035,  with thinning of the Arctic Sea by 65% since 1975.
To show this within my project, I will insert a photograph taken in the snow, and possible pictures of icicles and amounts of snow / ice in a landscaped area. Researching the impact of climate change onto further issues about melting ice and glaciers has provided me with insight and a meaning of portraying different weathering at the beginning of my book, and further making the audience think deeper about issues around them, rather than just an aesthetic photograph.
My example photographs:




Emission pollution, buildings and smoke -

An increase in population has caused an increase in transportation methods and an increase of buildings/building infrastructure rather than landscaped greenery, emitting harmful pollutants into the atmosphere, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. High amounts of these emissions and carbon dioxide, according to research, suggest that certain important clouds such as Stratocumulus clouds, also known as one of the world most important type of cloud, will become extinct. The lack of clouds further causes an increase in the globes temperature, increasing global warming with the knock on effects glaciers, desserts, sea's and wildlife face.
To represent this issue in my book, I will include a photograph of buildings with word phrasing linking to the suffocation industrialisation causes for the wider world, and the neglect humans have towards it.


Endangered bees - 
A lack of vegetation and destruction of habitats, along with land use changes and disease is causing endangerment for certain bee types. Without bee's and pollination, other species who are dependant on them will not survive, along with humans crop production and plant communities decreasing massively. To reduce the extinction, research suggests helping communities clean up and become green, along with having a green garden.
Within my book, the representation of bee's will be present in the 'nature' theme, with a final close up photograph using shallow depth of field of a bee next to a flower in a vibrant, green environment. With further thoughts required, the word phrasing will follow a wildlife / insect extinction theme, though positive - describing a way in which these insects and bee's can flourish. Other insects I have photographed may also be included, these photos taken in the landscaped location I have previously used, being Hainault country park.

Reflection - week 4

Voice recording reflection -

Production documentation - Photographic

Beginning the production documentation and embarking on initial feedback I was given about location, I have taken photographs in the desired areas I will be using, whilst clarifying purposes of this. The photos are separated under the four themes with the location details. 

Personal notations taken to complete, whilst in possession of a Nikon - 

'Start' of book. Black and white experimentation.
The book begins with black and white photography to symbolise the deserted vibe the town has from the characters point of view. This type of photography can be conducted from either -

Nikon monochrome - Menu - colour -     .These settings applied whilst photographing, advantages including the idea that the histogram is visible, being able to fully judge the photos exposure and ensuring its at the desired settings, avoiding challenges in post production from deceiving views on a smaller LCD screen.
Photoshop - Image - adjustments - black and white. These settings including the following -

Advantages of adjusting the photo in this manner including time - possibly more time to look at the photograph, especially when photographing on location or at fast movement and the space to visually experiment with various settings.

Landscape'Nature'
Landscape photography will be explored in the first section of the book, introducing the entire 'Welcome to the Forest' aspect. The location chosen consists of both areas around me on a daily, along with a country park used in unit 7 - Hainault Forest Country park closer to Essex and landscaped areas around London. These locations will be used as they are easily accessible with cinematic views and close up pictures available for the details of smaller plants and possible insects, bugs, etc. Examples of how close up photos and how the photos will look overall are shown as below.  The final photographs must explore more photographic techniques, this including rule of thirds and framing to add further depth and show my understanding of photography - how I have used the rules and when, in particular, the use of horizontal line as I am practising landscapes and overall informing my ideas.

Location and photography studio 'Culture'
The culture element will consist of  3-4  individuals from different ethnic backgrounds, photographed on location, further ending with a group photo expressing unity and silhouette photography symbolising the idea of identity - silhouette as you cannot see the colour of the individual. The photography studio is required for this technique, due to timing and booking of the studio, the sillohete photographs taken will be used for the final book and the outcomes / settings used are titled on blog post 'silhouette photography'

Abstract 'Fellowship'
The photographs taken under this category will consist of meaningful and subtle elements, an example being the photograph below where the hand breaks through the rainbow. Many abstract photography techniques will be included, representing LGBTQ+ themes. The photos further taken will include people holding hands, holding flowers, in particular roses as they can be most symbolic, representing themes of love with each other and within a society. This theme particularly relating to young teens, and reflecting the love and relationship theme of poetry books I have researched.




Street location 'Art'
The location in which I will take more art and street photography is in Shoreditch, London. This includes further notable streets such as Chance street, Sclater street and Old street. Shoreditch is home to all graffiti and art exploration streets and walls, and links to the artistic vibe I wish to show. The colour pigmentation of photos also works well when editing in Photoshop, and overall creates that uplifting vibe. Ethically, there are no issues photographing in these areas, though they are popular and used for portraiture photography. This being the case, I will consistently have to consider the time in which I photograph, making sure there is not too many interrupting subjects, this being people. 

End of book - 
The process of finishing the story-line requires further idea developing, I personally feel that more of this is to occur the further I produce for the themes before the ending, therefore no specific route as to what type of photography will be included, however, I have ideas of finalising with aesthetic and abstract photographs, including the 'bokeh' effect I have shown interest in within previous projects - a positive and artistic ending, some photos could contrast the start photographs - the same location but better contextual circumstances, or the same photos, but in colour.