Task 2: Feedback

I have adressed this feedback by ordering the blog chronologically and adding missing information.

Sheffield Photograph Showcase

Image 1 - The Rust Hole

One of the main themes I intended to feature in my project was Sheffield's Street Art, by artists such as Phlegm; and avoid graffiti which in my opinion is vandalism. Outside the park hill flats on this iron bridge which is covered in graffiti, I found a small rusted hole which perfectly lined up with the Electric Works from this angle. I originally was going to leave it in, but feedback from Nigel Stafford suggested that I leave it out. So using a couple of other images, I decided to add the note on Image 2 that I found outside a building site and use it as sort of a protest towards graffiti and to denominate the contrast between old and new. In place of the electric works I opted to replace it with art from Phlegm, the eye to represent "a higher status"and to look down on graffiti which I reitorate is vandalism.

Photo 1

Methods used:

• Magnetic Lasso - to cut the image in the background and leave it transparent
• Magic Rubber - When I cut the section out, it left some light flares on the left edge of the opening ; using this tool I was able to cut these out.

Photo 2

Tools used:

• Magnetic Lasso - Cut out the note
• Warp Tool - Used to warp it at the correct angle onto the wall

Image 3

Tools Used:

• Flip Horizontal - Fits better behind the hole

Edited Image 1

Image 2 - Devonshire Green

The site of the annual Music Festival, Tramlines, I knew I wanted to include Devonshire green in my project. I had already experimented with low angle shots at floor level and I knew it created great imagery so that was the plan I went with in this shot. At the time, no events were taking place so I decided to subject some of the sculptures in the park. In this I decided to feature the autumnal hues in the foreground to add to the contrast and visual appeal. The creative aspect in this photo is the use focusing (however the background is a little too defocused), and the combination of natural and artificial colours.

Image 3 - Rats Eye

 As part of the Street art theme, I wanted to portray some of my photos from a low angle to represent it from the point of view of a rat; an urban animal that I think suitably depicts the street art concept. Initially I knew I wanted to darken the image because It was too vibrant to portray a 'dark' image. I also wanted to cut some of the cars out of the image while keeping the aspect ratio, so I have used the crop tool. The idea behind this photo is that the 'rat' is cowering behind the wall, afraid of Charles Darwin because it is  a bad example of evolution yet is well adapted to urban life, so to me it is quite an intriguing animal.

Tools Used:

• Crop
• Vibrance edit
• Hue/Saturation edit

Edited Image 2

Image 4 - Information Commons

One of the main establishments for Digital Information in Sheffield, the information commons is also one of the greatest examples of modern architecture in the city. Initially, I wanted to keep the sky space in the picture; but as i was editing I came across this picture I took at Devonshire Green and wanted to apply the mosaic feature into another image.

Edited Image 3

Tools Used:

• Spot Healer - Clean up the building in the corner and the edge round the mosaic
• Brightness/Contrast - Increase vibrance on the building

Image 5 - Kelham

I was unsure how to edit this photo; the main subject of this photograph was to capture Kelham Island, as original as it was when it was built, so free from modern intervention. In this photo, I tried to use the rule of thirds to draw attention to the lamp and the ornate vent. I believe this represents creative Sheffield because it is a site of historical importance, iconic Victorian architecture and a major location for the manufacture of Steel. 

Image 6 - Reworked

I struggled with titling this piece because I initially could not think of a defining word to sum the photo up. This is situated around the Kelham Island old industrial area; the fact that almost nowhere is safe from potential graffiti . For me, I like this photo because of it's contrasting tones and theme and of course because the graffiti artist decided to correct his tag.

Image 7 - Hidden

Found behind the Rare and Racy bookshop at Devonshire Green, I feel that this is one of the greatest instances of Street Art in Sheffield. The fact that it is out of sight from the public and you have to endeavour to find this work makes it all the more special. It is however a shame that few people know about Phlegm or his work; yet those who do know especially I, have great appreciation of his talent. I wanted to frame this image with the overgrown foliage and litter and reinforce the concept of it being hidden. In this work notably he has used colour, which he rarely has done in his work around sheffield and based around the Egyptian eye of Horus which delineates protection and overwatch. To sum up, I believe this is immensely creative not only because of it's visual appeal but because of it's location and meaning.

Image 8 - Unappreciated

It was my plan to showcase great instances of urban art in Sheffield; and the fact this site was littered and forgotten really captured my attention. I decided to reiterate the low angle as if from the rats point of view to frame the art with the ground and the litter.

Image 9 - Making Beats

Personally, I think the SoundHouse is one of the major sites for digital and creative activity in the city. Before this project, I didn't really understand how big Sheffield's Music production scene was; the Sound House is the Sheffield University's centre for music production.
I edited the sky colour in this photo to change the natural convention and add an unexpected difference and because I think that orange is a more suited colour to contrast the subject is is visually more appealing.

Image 10 - The Bell Jar

 The Bell Jar had major appeal for me and I knew that I wanted to capture it's art. Using the lighting effect tool, I wanted to give the effect it was during night and there was a large dull light on the subject to create mystery. The recurring low angle is used here to add aesthetics and change the normal perception angle.

LO3: Storage and Processing of Images

This folder named 'Sheffield Photography' contains all my raw images I took in Sheffield. I will curate these into my final 10 selected photos to use for my project.

Photograph Curation

To begin with, I uploaded all my images onto Adobe Bridge; a program used for categorizing to sort out the collection and finalize the pictures that I will want to feature in my project. Initially, I gave each photo a personal rating from 1-3 stars based on their technical quality; any that were too blurry or missed the subject were rejected. I filtered out 1 stars and rejections, and then give the remainder a label based on how well I think they relate to the Project title. Pictures I can't decide on I gave a blue label and some that I considered work well enough on their own or that ones I could merge with others to improve a single image I gave a purple to do label. Red labeled selections are filtered out and then I up the rating on the remainder of photographs, from 3-5 stars; 3 show me that the image will probably not be used, 4 stars for a photo that i think needs editing and a 5 star, green labeled photo represents that I will definitely use it in the portfolio as a a raw image or for the use of editing.

Here are some screenshot's of my filtered Adobe Bridge folder of raw photos.

These final selected images I will use either alone as one of photos or use them to create a combined image.

After this process, I start using Photoshop to edit my selected work how I deem fit by using techniques and tools learnt in Mr Helliwell and Miss Allen's lessons.

Location Planning and Lighting

PROJECT 2: Planning a photographic shoot

KTA 1: Concept Description
For the "Creative and Digital Sheffield" project, I will be taking a series of 10 to 15 images that I believe encapsulates the idea. For a large segment of my work , I will capture a series of pictures showcasing architecture evolution within the city center; beginning with Kelham Island and ending with most recent buildings in the area such as the Millennium Galleries and the Q-Park Car Park. A building which I believe portrays both creativity and a digital aspect of Sheffield is the SoundHouse as part of the University Music Department, it's walls and structure is not only quite innovative but houses a wealth of digital equipment. Similarly Digitally in Sheffield, there is the Electric Works and Showroom Cinema ; which I intend to capture through what goes on inside, e.g a cinema screen or office work. Another feature I intend to catalog in this project is Sheffield's Street Art and Graffiti, notably at the site of Gatecrasher One which is continuously updated by artists weekly. There is also a vital location I would love to capture called the Bell Jar; which is some street art inspired by Bioshock, a video game. A creative piece with digital inspiration. One of the most well known Sheffield street artists is Phlegm, who creates unique massive scale pieces. I would also like to vary the time at which I capture an image; for example the Veolia Recycling Plant which has color changing glass at night.

KTA 2: Mood Board

Week 1: Location and Theme Ideas

• Architecture
• Graffiti/Street Art
• Light at Night
• Creative Buildings, Digital Interiors

Millennium Galleries and Peace Gardens

GateCrasher One Site + Various Sites of Street Art around the City Center (Sheffield Street Art Walk)

Showroom Cinema (Inside)

Electric Works (Inside)

Veolia Recycling Plant

SoundHouse

Kelham Island

'Cheese-grater' Q-Park

Lyceum and Crucible Theater

Train Station

Forge-Masters

SumoDigital

Information Commons

Week 2: Shots and Locations Visited

Devonshire Green:
Rare and Racy Book Shop (Phlegm)
Sculptures
Bang Bang (Phlegm)

Electric Works/Ventana House (Creative/Digital)
Park Hill Flats (Graffiti)
Information Commons (Architecture)
Sound House (Architecture)
Kelham island (Architecture)
The House Skate-park (Phlegm)
Veolia Station (Night Shot)
The Showroom Cinema (Digital)

Notes:

We found that the tripod was impractical to take around to most locations because it became obstructive to the public. Upon reviewing some of my shots I found that the tripod wasn't even necessary because taking time to set it up and down after every shot would have taken up a lot of time and I found that taking photos with just my support was suitable enough.

If I choose to exhibit my photographs which feature particular buildings (For example, the Sheffield SoundHouse) in a public space, then I would have to seek permission from the owner to use that image. If they do not agree to the use of their buildings image in my photographs, then I would have to choose a different location.

I have not included  the use of model call sheets or permissions because there will be no people present in the images I capture and use. If I chose to have humans in any of my pictures then I will ask the people for their permission to the right to use their image and produce call sheets.

The photographs I will capture will feature no usage of props, as I intend to frame the images in their natural state with no influence by myself and without the addition of props, unchanged. As my main focus for the project is the evolution of architecture, it makes sense that I capture photos of the particular buildings/areas; The SoundHouse, Kelham Island, The Bell Jar etc., as they are with no human influence.



Production Plan

Equipment List and Shot Plan

Contingency Plan

Risk Assessment

These potential risks could be potentially a factor that influences every location I decide to take photographs at. In areas that are deprived, risk of litter infection could arise as well as an increase in the likelihood of people potentially threatening myself and my colleagues and also theft. Weather risks can come into effect at any location and time, so it is important to check weather statuses on days of shooting as well prepare essentials to keep warm and dry. Traffic can be anywhere in Sheffield so it is important to be careful when crossing streets and taking photos when our attention is averted.

Understanding Cameras

The camera model I will be using to capture all my images is the Canon 650D. It is crucial that I understand how to use the camera in order to achieve particular effects in my photographs such as light levels, exposure and Zoom.

How do specific settings influence photographs?

1. Aperture -  the unit of measurement that defines the size of the opening in the lens that can be adjusted to control the amount of light reaching the sensor. By increasing the aperture size, it lets in more light, which is useful for photographs taken at night or in low light where there is little/no natural light from the sun. Furthermore, it can affect the depth of field at which a photo is captured. The lower the f/ setting, the lower the depth of field that is achieved.
   
   
2. Shutter Speed - the unit of measurement which determines how long shutter remains open as the picture is taken. The slower the shutter speed, the longer the exposure time. The shutter speed and aperture together control the total amount of light reaching the sensor. 
   
   Shutter speeds are expressed in seconds or fractions of a second. For example 2, 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000, 1/8000. Each speed increment halves the amount of light.
   
3. ISO - measurement of the sensitivity of the image sensor. Setting ISO levels tells the camera the amount of light needed for good exposure. The lower the ISO value, the more light required.The more light that's required, the more likely a slow shutter speed will have to be used. That means low ISO's, like 100 or 200, are most often used in bright situations (like sunlight). If you don't have a lot of light, or need a fast shutter speed, you would probably raise the ISO.
4. Lens - the part of the camera through which the light travels before it reaches the sensor. Depending on the type of lens, you can capture more or less of an image at a further distance or at a higher speed. Zoom and Wide angle lenses are particularly great for outdoor and architectural photography where they encapsulate large sections of an image. Portrait lenses are used for specifically for capturing photos with a human element; this is because they have a short lens arrangement that minimizes the distortion between the image and the sensor. So they are good for close-up shots as they also have low depth of field, producing great amount of detail.

Task 1 Feedback