Final Work

These are my three final photographs:

Grey Skies

I wanted to name this piece "Grey Skies", because of the "grey" theme of my pieces. "Skies" represent how everything happens under the sky; the sky sees it all.

Technical Depression

I wanted to name this piece "Technical Depression", because of the "technical" aspect of it (the tech box). "Depression" conveys the main feeling of the photograph.

Tick-Tock

I wanted to name this piece "Tick-Tock", because this is the sound that is made by the clock, of the seconds ticking by, which represents the limited amount of time.

Design Process - Homework Photographs

Homework

This photograph is meant to show the stress and depression of the piling pieces of homework. The clock on top of the stack of homework and the timetable on the computer in the photograph represents the limited amount of time we have, which adds to the feeling of stress.

Below is my reflection for the photographs I took for the homework photograph:

• GOOD angle is interesting - looking up at the human face
• GOOD the human face is facing the camera - see the emotions on the face properly
• the clock cannot be seen properly - one of the main focal points for this photograph
• composition is not great - lots of empty, unnecessary spaces in the top left and bottom right corner

• GOOD different angle is interesting - looking down at the human
• GOOD although human face cannot be seen, it conveys the right type of emotion
• BETTER the clock and the timetable on the computer can both be seen - but may not be the main focal points (although editing may help)
• GOOD composition - not much empty space that is unnecessary, includes all necessary components

• GOOD angle is interesting - looking down at the human
• GOOD although human face cannot be seen, it conveys the right type of emotion
• BETTER more focus is on the clock, but the computer is no longer a focal point (more in the background)
• WORSE composition - on the right side of the photograph, lots of unwanted items are in the frame

• GOOD angle is ok - side on to the human
• WORSE the human face is not completely facing the camera - the emotions on the face can't really be seen
• WORSE the clock cannot be seen properly - one of the main focal points for this photograph
• composition is not great - lots of empty, unnecessary spaces in the photograph and some unnecessary items on the bottom right corner

• GOOD angle is interesting - not seeing the emotions on her face allows the viewer to focus on her hands on her head
• BETTER although human face cannot be seen, it conveys the right type of emotion
• the clock cannot be seen properly - one of the main focal points for this photograph
• composition is not great - lots of empty, unnecessary spaces in the photograph

• GOOD angle is interesting - able to capture all the necessary components and see the human's face
• GOOD the human face is turned slightly towards camera - see the emotions on her face
• BETTER the clock is more of a focal point in the photograph
• GOOD composition - not much empty space that is unnecessary, includes all necessary components

Design Process - Tech Box Photographs 2

After talking to Mr. Tang, I followed his feedback and suggestions. 

• good that the lock and handle are the focal point
• more distance between human face and lock to create tension
• human looking up at the lock and lock looming over human to create a sense of tech box "ruling over" human

Below is my reflection for the photographs I retook/reedited for the tech box photographs:
(old one edited + new ones)

Edited photograph from the first shoot

• would be better if the lock was above the human - looming over lives
• since the lock is a main focal point, I don't like how it is not fully in the frame

• the human face is turned away - can't see the emotions properly
• interesting angle and framing - not just straight at the tech box
• bad composition - the human looks really unnatural and awkward, ruining the whole feeling of the photograph

• BETTER the human face is not as turned away - see the emotions on the face better
• interesting angle - not just straight at the tech box
• WORSE framing - lots of unwanted bits in the photograph that is impossible to crop out because that crops out part of the human head as well
• bad composition - the human looks really unnatural and awkward, ruining the whole feeling of the photograph

• the human face is not as turned away - see the emotions on the face better
• interesting angle - not just straight at the tech box
• BETTER framing - no unwanted bits in the photograph, but the top of the tech box can barely be seen, which just makes the whole photograph look too crowded
• BETTER composition - the human looks looks more natural

In conclusion, I think this shoot didn't work. I tried many angles and the model tried sitting in different positions, but because the distance from the lock and the human face was too big, it looked really awkard and unnatural, ruining the whole feeling of the photograph.

Design Process - Homework Photo (EDITING)

For the homework photographs, my favorite one is the last one (first below). Now I am looking at different types of edits and how they affect the message the photographs convey.

Editing software used: http://apps.pixlr.com/express/ & http://www.picmonkey.com/

Black & White

• this quite accurately conveys the message
• the whole photograph looks greyish - fits my purpose
• the greyish color scheme is not too dark - can't see obvious differences between the different items in the photograph
• the clock don't show as a clear focal point

Black & White & Focal Point on Clock

• this quite accurately conveys the message
• the whole photograph looks greyish - fits my purpose
• the greyish color scheme is not too dark - can't see obvious differences between the different items in the photograph
• the clock shows as a main focal point

Black & White & Focal Point on Clock and Timetable

• this quite accurately conveys the message
• the whole photograph looks greyish - fits my purpose
• the greyish color scheme is not too dark - can't see obvious differences between the different items in the photograph
• the clock shows as a main focal point
• tried adding computer/timetable as a focal point too, but it pulls the focus off the clock (because it is bigger and brighter) and I think one focal point is better

Design Process - Tech Box Photographs 1 (EDITING)

For the tech box photographs, my favorite one is the last one (first below).

• tech box looming over human (ruling over life)
• highlight on lock - focal point
• white space on left side of human - not overcrowded

Now I am looking at different types of edits and how they affect the message the photographs convey.

Editing software used: http://apps.pixlr.com/express/ & http://www.picmonkey.com/

Black & White 1

• this quite accurately conveys the message
• the whole photograph looks dark - fits my purpose
• the black of the tech box emphasises that it is the "hell" of the photograph
• the whole photograph is black and white - because of the contrasting dark and light colors, can obviously see the differences
• because the lock is the only silver part - shows in this editing mode - is clearly the focal point --> then the human

Black & White 1 & Focal Point on Lock

• this quite accurately conveys the message
• the whole photograph looks dark - fits my purpose
• the black of the tech box emphasises that it is the "hell" of the photograph
• the whole photograph is black and white - because of the contrasting dark and light colors, can obviously see the differences
• the focal point is set on the lock - but the rest of the photograph is a bit more blurred

Black & White 2

• this quite accurately conveys the message
• the whole photograph looks dark - fits my purpose - but the black and white color is a bit tinted, which looks a bit weird
• the black of the tech box emphasises that it is the "hell" of the photograph
• the contrast between the silver and the color of the human's face is very small - not clear what the focal point is

Black & White 3 & Focal Point on Lock

• this quite accurately conveys the message
• most of the photograph is quite dark and dull - fits my purpose
• the focal point is clearly on the lock --> directs viewer to look then at the human face - but it looks a bit weird and unnatural

Design Process - Tech Box Photographs 1

Tech Box

This photograph is meant to show the frustration of the tech box among many students through my "model" looking sulkily/frustratedly at tech box. The black color of the tech box represents the "hell" of the photograph.

Below is my reflection for the photographs I took for the tech box photograph:

• angle is boring and uninteresting - straight at the tech box
• the human face is turned away - can't see the emotions properly
• bad framing - door frame (top left) and many other unwanted objects are in the photo
• bad composition - just a tech box and a human in front of it

• the human face is still turned away - can't see the emotions properly
• BETTER angle is more interesting
• BETTER framing - only the door frame (bottom left) is in the frame now
• BETTER composition - not just capturing the whole body and the whole tech box

• GOOD angle is more interesting
• GOOD framing - only the door frame (bottom left) is in the frame now (photograph below is cropped version)
• GOOD composition - not just capturing the whole body and the whole tech box
• BETTER now you can see the human face and its emotions more clearly

This is a cropped version of the photograph above, which has better framing

• GOOD angle is more interesting
• GOOD composition - not just capturing the whole body and the whole tech box
• GOOD now you can see the human face and its emotions more clearly
• GREAT framing - only the door frame (bottom left) is in the frame now

• GOOD different angle (high angle) - interesting but can't really see the human face
• GOOD composition - not just capturing the whole body and the whole tech box
• WORSE the human face is turned away - can't see the emotions properly
• WORSE framing - it is a bit awkward, and there is a big empty space next to the human

• GOOD angle and composition - able to capture the human face in connection with the tech box
• BETTER the human face is turned away - can't see the emotions properly
• BETTER framing - the frame is used quite well, although the white space next to the human still looks a bit empty

• GOOD different angle (tilted angle) - interesting because this gives a feeling of looking down at the tech box, however it looks a bit unnatural
• GOOD composition - not just capturing the whole body and the whole tech box
• BETTER now you can see the human face and its emotions more clearly
• BETTER framing - the frame of the photograph is filled pretty well, without seeming to overcrowd it (upper corners)

• GOOD different pose - different how now the human is looking down at the tech box
• WORSE composition - just a portrait photo of the tech box and the human
• WORSE the human face is looking down - can't really see what is happening on her face
• WORSE framing - some unwanted bits on the two sides of the photograph

• GOOD different angle (tilted angle) - interesting, less boring
• BAD composition - just a portrait photo of the tech box and the human
• BAD the human face is looking down - can't really see what is happening on her face
• BAD framing - lots of unwanted bits in the photograph (e.g. door frame, light switch) that I can't seem to completely get out even when cropped

Design Process - Sculpture Photographs (EDITING)

For the sculpture photographs, my favorite one is the last one (first below). 

• background of environment and setting
• connection between human and sculpture
• large part of the top of the photograph - looming over our lives

Now I am looking at different types of edits and how they affect the message the photographs convey. 

Editing software used: http://www.picmonkey.com/

Black & White

• this quite accurately conveys the message
• the sky is quite dull - fits my purpose, but too monotone
• the whole photograph is just black and white - too boring and monotone
• the focal point is not clear

Black & White - highlight on sculpture

• this quite accurately conveys the message
• the sky is grey-ish - fits my purpose, more interesting than the first photograph
• more color variation with highlighted sculpture - more interesting and 
• the focal point is clearly on the sculpture --> directs viewer to look then at the human face

Focal Point on Sculpture

• the focal point is clearly on the sculpture - but the other subjects are not clear enough
• the color of the background is very unnatural and unfitting for the emotion of the photograph

Design Process

The theme of my three photographs is "grey", focusing on negative emotions such as stress, discontent, unhappiness, frustration, annoyance, etc. of CISHZ. I wanted to do this because it is different, because most other people would think to convey the positive parts of CISHZ and HZ in general. I think it is important to convey these negative emotions, which I see around me daily. I have also looked at other "grey" themed photos, and I think it would be interesting to take photographs imitating these masterpieces. In my work, I will mainly use people to convey the emotions. The face of a human are so complex and deep; I think that it will convey my message best.

For each photograph, I will take many different ones from different angles, using different composition and framing to find the best one. After that, I will put the photographs I have taken side-by-side, evaluating on artistic elements (e.g. angles, lighting, composition) as well as how well the emotions have been conveyed. (Inspiration)

I will also look at how different editing looks and how they can aid me to convey my message. For example, after research on the internet, I found out that many photographs with a "grey" theme use a black, grey and white color scheme. This is good because it is very monotone, further emphasising on the emotions stated above. I think that I will need editing because a lot of the color in the photographs are too light, therefore disturb the feeling of the photograph as a whole.

Design Process - Sculpture Photographs

Sculpture

This photograph will be my title piece of the three photos I am going to take for my final piece of work. I use the grey sky, the human face and the sculpture to represent my theme. The sculpture is one of the main focuses of this photograph, conveying stillness and dullness, as well as the sluggishness and slow-paced life of CISHZ, within the "grey" theme.

Below is my reflection for the photographs I took for the sculpture photograph:

• too far away - can't see details (e.g. emotions on face)
• bad angle - mostly see top of head, not face (main point)
• sculpture looking away - no connection between human and sculpture
• good angle and framing - balance between human and background

• too far away - can't see details (e.g. emotions on face)
• arms holding sculpture are awkwardly extended
• BETTER angle - see more of face, but still not enough
• GOOD sculpture looking - some connection between human and sculpture
• GOOD angle and framing - balance between human and background

• too far away - can't see details (e.g. emotions on face)
• bad lighting - the face looks very pale and white
• bad angle - see some of face, but slightly turned away
• BETTER arms holding sculpture look more natural
• GOOD sculpture looking - some connection between human and sculpture
• GOOD angle and framing - balance between human and background

• too far away - can't see details (e.g. emotions on face)
• WORSE bad angle and framing - too much of background, human cut at knees (unatural)
• BETTER lighting - colors look more natural
• BETTER arms holding sculpture look more natural
• GOOD sculpture looking - some connection between human and sculpture

• bad angle and framing - too much of background, not enough of grey sky (another main point)
• GOOD sculpture looking - some connection between human and sculpture
• BETTER more close-up - see details and emotions on face bit more

• GOOD close-up - see details and emotions on face
• GOOD splotch near head represents imperfection
• GOOD angle and framing - balance between human and background
• GOOD low angle - face facing down, stressing unhappiness
• GOOD sculpture looking - some connection between human and sculpture

Elements of a Photograph

What elements in a photograph can be manipulated for conveying the photographer's own agenda?

I think that many elements in a photograph can be manipulated so that the photographer's message can be conveyed correctly to the viewer. These elements include, but are not limited to: subject, shape, color, line, lighting, composition and angle.

Subject is the main thing the photographer wants to shoot in the photograph. This is what the viewer usually focuses on; technical elements are what aid to make it more interesting and memorable. The subject in the photograph below is the girl.

"The subject in the photograph below is the girl."

Shape, color and line are the main components that make up each photograph. These are the elements that the viewer's eyes move around with. Looking at different types of shapes, colors and lines gives the viewer different emotions and feelings. Comparing the two images below, you can quite obviously see the difference between the emotions for the two. The first one, which has bright colors, natural shapes and light lines, gives the viewer a happy feeling. While the second one, with dark colors, and rigid shapes and straight lines, gives the viewer a feeling of frustration and anger.

 

"you can quite obviously see the difference between the emotions for the two."

Lighting is the different amount of light used in a photograph. The darkness or lightness (color and hue) define the feeling of the photograph. The photograph with the darker lighting below gives you a feeling of eeriness, loneliness, and sadness. In comparison, the photograph with the brighter lighting gives you a feeling of happiness, hope, and excitement.

Dark vs. bright lighting

As Ming Thein states, "composition is how the various elements of an image are located relative to one another, and how this spatial relationship tells the story of the main subject or conveys the desired message". Putting the subject next to different objects may mean different things. For example, in the three photographs below, the subject is the same (Unisphere). But using different composition, it changes the photograph dramatically.

Different composition

Angling is positioning the camera to shoot from different angles to see the subject relative to the background in different ways. Different angles allow for the viewer to look at the subject in different ways. In the photographs below, the photographer is shooting the same subject (a green boat), but using different angles. As you can see, they all look different, giving the viewer different perspectives and conveying different feelings and emotions.

Different angles

For more specific information, look at "What Makes a Good Photograph?".

It is important to manipulate all these elements in the right way to convey the right message to the viewer.

Inspiration from Photographers

I mainly looked at photographs that are similar to the theme I want to convey in my final work, which is the "greyness" of HZ. I found photos that show emotions like anger, frustration, sadness, etc. Through these, I can learn about how to represent these feelings with my own photographs.

Small boy looking angrily at the camera

Boy frustratedly grabbing at his hair

I think that this photograph below shows the sadness of this little girl, with her head in her knees. I think that the clock in the chair represents time, which may symbolize "time running out", or frustration about a certain point about time. I think that putting objects like this in the frame are good ways of clarifying or adding to the message conveyed.

Little girl with hands in knees and clock on chair

Man unhappily gazing upwards

Sculpture and grey background

I noticed that most, if not all of the photographs above use a mostly black-and-white and/or grey theme, which conveys really well the emotions of the photographs. I also noticed that many include humans in them (usually their face). I think this really helps in conveying the emotion of the photograph, since the human face is so complex; it conveys many meanings.