Work Diary - Eleventh Shoot - James Cant

For this session, I focused on the work of James Cant and decided to use the same techniques as him to produce similar images. This connects with my project of society as it looks at identity and concentrates on the different identities that an individual in society can have - showing a good and bad side to my subjects. This is done through scenery, facial expression and editing. Similarly to Cant's images, I have used a straight angle when showing the subject as an innocent and happy individual but a side angle when showing a rougher side, this is so that the viewer can connect with the subject and automatically understand what I am trying to achieve.

This image is my favourite from the shoot - I like how the first image is a huge contrast to the second. The first picture is very bright and emphasises the innocence of my subject, he also has a happy facial expression to further highlight his personality. On the other hand, the second image is rougher looking and I used a different background to match it with the subject's facial expression.

However, this picture has a similar background - this affects the image as the contrast between the two images is reduced. I could have also edited the second image better so that the subject looks more dangerous.

Work Diary - Fifth Shoot - Potter Street

This was my last shoot focusing on residential areas and distinguishing between different social classes and comparing them in terms of housing. I shot in a wealthy area for this session, allowing me to capture the types of houses and cars that the middle class may own. This can be compared to my other residential shoots, especially with estate shoot I did, which is a huge contrast to the houses in this shoot. At the beginning of the shoot, I had an idea of what I needed to capture but I was worried that the images would be very similar to all my other residential shoots, making my work boring and repetitive. However, as the shoot went on, I noticed that by changing angles, I was able to add diversity to my work and stop my images from being repetitive. 

I really like this image from the shoot, mostly because of the crooked angle. As this was in a posh area, the angle makes it seem rough and dodgy - I enjoyed experimenting with this as it shows connotations of danger; the bushes also hide most of the front garden, which further emphasises this. I also used a lower aperture here so that less light would be picked up, making the image look dark and mysterious.

This image from the shoot could have been framed better - the lamppost on the left looks out of place and ruins the image. The bottom of the picture is leo very dark and is unclear to the viewer, this also ruins the picture and make it unexciting.

Work Diary - Tenth Shoot - Lee Jeffries (Studio)

For my last shoot, I focused on Lee Jeffries techniques in order to explore identities and portray my subjects in a vulnerable light. By using a black background, I was able to make my subjects stand out, which is similar to his work. At first, I was unsure about the shadows - I experimented with the lights and kept manipulating them until I found the best light to capture my subject in; I wanted the shadows to put emphasis on my subject's facial expressions and highlighting their facial features, which I further highlighted when editing the images on Photoshop. 

This is my favourite image from the whole shoot. I like how the shadow on the side of her face has created a big focus on the left side, forcing the viewer to focus on her facial features and her expression, connecting her with the viewer. The black background contrasts with her white jumper, once again, forcing the viewer to pay attention to my subject rather than the surroundings.

I also like this image; I think by covering my subject's face, it makes her look even more vulnerable and prevents the viewer from bonding with her, which makes them pay more attention to the image and find other clues on the subject. Having her hair tied up allows me to show her face and the shadows created.

Work Diary - Minimum Depth of Field

This session was not very long - we took some quick photographs using the depth of field technique with a subject. I was unsure at first how this was going to work but as I experimented with the camera, I found this technique easy to use in order to show depth in an image and exaggerate the scene. By adding a subject, it brings emotion to the image and adds more meaning to the scenery.

I took this image on the shoot - I have decided to use a close up angle so that my subject can block most of the scene while still using the depth of field technique. Moreover, the colours in the photograph all contrast each other making the image stand out and highlighting the technique used.

In the future, I would like to use this technique in my work but experiment more with it. By using different angles and aperture, I will be able to add diversity to my work whilst exaggerating the scenery and making it look bigger.

Work Diary - Multiple Imagery

This shoot was done on my ninth shoot for my project on society, see link below:

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8880282288878369297#allposts/postNum=4

Work Diary - Ninth Shoot - Personality/Identity (Studio)

For this shoot, I wanted to use the technique of multiple imagery to show one subject but with different emotions; this is so I can portray identity in society and emphasise on how an individual can have a diversity of emotions or feelings, some hidden. By using this technique, I can portray my subjects in different lights with different personalities, engaging the viewer and forcing them to look at each image and connect with the subjects differently. At first, I wasn't sure how I was going to put emphasis on my subject's face and the facial expressions, which I wanted to highlight. However, as I progressed with my shoot, I found that a close up angle was the best way to do this - it focuses only on the subject's face and by using a dark background, I created a big contrast between the surroundings and my subjects, once again, allowing my subjects to stand out from the images and be highlighted.

Out of my shoot, I think this image came out really good. I like how my subject really contrasts with the dark background and how the light has been directly focused on her, lighting up her face, giving her a glowing skin tone. This further highlights the theme of identity and ensures she is the centre of attention in the whole image.

I like this image but I think it could have been better; I could have experimented with the lighting to make my subject brighter, which would have allowed her to stand out from the image. However, I like how the background from each image has a vignette effect - this ensures the viewer is focusing on the subject rather than the background.

In the future, I would like to work and experiment with close up angles; this will allow me to manipulate the subject and use lighting more, giving me a better idea on how to manipulate the lighting.

Work Diary - Eighth Shoot - Chinatown

For this session, I went to Chinatown aiming to capture the Asian culture that is found in that particular area. At first, I found this fairly easy as I had done some culture shoots before and I knew how to adjust the aperture for each picture so that the correct amount of light enters the lens, however, as the shoot progressed, I began running out of ideas of images to photograph. After walking around the area, I decided to try and focus on the buildings as I thought this could show culture in some way; most shops had their titled translated into another language on top of their entrances, I found this very interesting as this area was in Central London, yet consisted of a whole other culture, where individuals would speak a completely different languages and have different traditions. I also tried capturing this through the architecture found in Chinatown as most of their buildings had a roof with a kind of upturned "artichoke leaf" design, which is normally associated with Chinese culture. In addition to this, I also tried capturing people more, allowing me to show specific individuals in society and match them with the area I was photographing.

I think this picture is one of my favourites from this shoot; the angle was very well thought of and planned carefully before the image was shot. I was aiming to capture a Chinese archway in front of a British-like building. I positioned the camera in such a way that the archway was not included completely but just enough so that the viewer can see what I was trying to achieve. I also like how some shadows are present on the front of the archway, restricting the viewer from seeing some of the designs and writings on it, however, they can still see the writings on the side of the archway so they are still able to see what I want them too whilst still keeping some sort of mystery, making the viewer wonder. Furthermore, the buildings in the back add the element of colour to my picture as they contrast with the colours of the archway, creating diversity and making my image more attractive.

I really like this image, however I should have composed the picture better because the green extension is blocking some of the view, which would have made the picture brighter and clearer for the viewer to imagine. I could also have used a better angle in order to show how people in society see different cultures on a daily basis but think of it as normal, highlighting how cultures can easily adapt to societies and fit in.

In the future, I would like to focus more on individuals in society. By photographing them, I will be able to portray their feelings and emotions, as well as their personality and highlight the different types of personalities that can be found in one society.

Work Diary - Fourth Shoot - Elmar Road

This session consisted of a shoot in Tottenham, where I was aiming to capture the rough, working class side of the whole residential theme I am exploring. I started off my shoot in a local park, where I manipulated the angles in each picture to make it look dodgy and unsafe, which is ironic as it was a children's park. I think this added symbolism to my work as it showed that although one would normally expect children to be safe in a park, they are not due to society and the individuals who make up that society. I tried showing this by using a small aperture, such as F11 so that the pictures come out dark and dim, emphasising on the danger that can occur. As I continued with the shoot, I moved on to a street with houses, where I was still trying to experiment with angles, allowing me to include exactly what I wanted in my images and omit what I didn't want. I found that by using angles that weren't straight, I was able to give out a bad impression of the street within the first few seconds that the viewer looks at the picture - this is because the angle makes the area look unstable, suggesting it is very risky and dangerous.

Out of the whole shoot, I think this picture is my favourite - the white wall is almost right in the middle of the picture, acting as a line cutting the image in half. I find this interesting because the half of the picture where the sofa has been left looks dodgy, whereas the other half looks like a normal, safe, clean street. This is exactly what I was trying to achieve with this image; the connotations of this is that society can be very diverse and although something may look a certain way, it may not necessarily be that way. In this case, the street looks dodgy because of the abandoned couch but it is clear to the viewer that if this particular item was not present, this image would have portrayed a perfectly safe street, with no signs of danger.

Originally, I was aiming to create a blurred effect with this image so that the viewer can concentrate more on the colours and their connotations, such as the dark green mould on the ground, showing that the park has not been looked after for a while and how it is very unhygienic due to the rubbish that is found all over the picture, but this did not quite work out as the image does not look very exciting. I think by making the image sharper, I could have made it more attractive to the viewer by allowing them to see a more sharp, crisp dark green colour on the ground, which will get them to understand what is going on in the picture.

In the future, I would like to add more symbolism to my images when shooting on location in parks around residential areas. This will give my work more meaning and allow the viewer to explore the content even more and pick our certain ideas or connotations from them. I am finding this hard as parks are very repetitive and I am focusing more on the residential area rather than the park itself. This can be overcome by framing my shot better, allowing me to include what I want to and use an angle in which I can show a specific idea and try to imply something to the viewer.

Work Diary - Sixth Shoot - Camden (Day)

For this shoot, I shot Camden during the day. The reason why I decided on Camden is due to the fact that there are a diversity of cultures that can be found in that particular area. My original aim was to capture the market and compare it to the one in Southall so that the differences as well as similarities between the two are shown. However, I soon realised that cultures could be shown in other ways, like in Southall. When I got there, I decided to walk around for a while before beginning my shoot, this allowed me to figure out what I wanted to picture other than the market and I started getting ideas on how I was going to capture these images. The second time I walked around, I started shooting and by using a variety of angles, I found this to be a good way of making my pictures look very different from each other; almost like they were taken on different shoots on different locations. By doing this, I am able to produce unique pictures that are very different from each other. I also tried including more people in this shoot as I noticed that I have not really captured individuals in society for my previous shoots - this means I can show the viewer what kind of people go to the specific area that I am photographing and I can portray their emotions along with their feelings through facial expressions. It was fairly easy to capture people and I decided not to let them know at first so that my pictures can be a true snapshot of society at that particular time.

Personally, I really like this picture from my shoot. This is because of the element of light that has been portrayed through the lamp shades hanging from the ceiling; this also shows elements of pattern and repetition as the designs on each lamp shade is emphasised by the lights. I also like the use of colour - I angled the camera in such a way that I could capture the lights from the lamp shades but omit other light sources, hence why they are at the corner of the picture. When a viewer first look at the picture, they automatically focus on the lights, allowing them to explore the picture gradually, the lights act as a guide, forcing the viewer to focus on that bit of the image before moving on to another part.

I think this picture came out really well due to the lighting, I used a small aperture at around F12 in order to create this effect. However, I think I should have used a bigger aperture (around F8) so that the security guard can be seen a bit more - this will give more excitement to my picture and allow the scene to look slightly more dangerous. I could also have edited this image better on Photoshop and made the security guard brighter in that way, whilst keeping the rest of the image dark, further emphasising the danger of the area, making it look even more dodgy.

In the future, I would like to experiment more with aperture, before taking the picture I desire, I need to find the correct aperture so that the image can come out exactly like I want it to. By experimenting, I will also allow myself to gain a deeper knowledge on aperture and shutter speed, enabling me to produce a more variety of pictures.

Work Diary - Third Shoot - Camden

This session consisted of a shoot in Camden, exploring the residential side of the area. As I am trying to compare the different types of housing that differ from each other according to the different social classes, this shoot has allowed me to document the similarities and differences between the daily lives on individuals found in society; by photographing where they live, I can show how they live and their everyday routines through representation and symbolism. This shoot was done at night, which meant I had to experiment with the aperture in between pictures depending on the light sources around me. This was hard at first but soon became easy as the shoot went on - I became more familiar with the different aperture settings and toward the end of the shoot, I automatically knew which setting to choose for a particular picture. I have noticed that my work is very documentary-like, which means I have to keep this consistent; I have tried doing this by showing symmetry in my work or by using specific angles that give my work a sort of journalist feel. Shooting in the dark has become easier as I progressed with my different shoots, allowing me to show mystery and create an intense atmosphere for the viewer. From this shoot, I found that signs can be very symbolic in photography; by capturing different signs, giving instructions or some sort of warning, I can let the viewer know what is happening in the image or even the area that I am photographing but without actually showing them the whole scene. Once again, this makes the viewer curious and attracts them to the picture, making them wonder and focus even more on the image.

I quite like this image from this shoot because it was taken at an angle that restricts the view of the viewer to a certain extent. The sign is a warning to residents and the fact that it's in bright red is symbolic of danger, which is ironic because the sign says 'no dumping', which is not really a big deal to some people as it does not really represent danger. Despite this, this picture still evokes feelings of mystery and symbolises danger of some sort. I adjusted the aperture so that the lighting is really dim, which resulted in this sort of red lighting effect - by doing this, I have further emphasised the danger being symbolised. Moreover, there is a white figure on the very right of the image, which has been drawn on by local residents. I captured this but kept it in the corner, where it is not as obvious because I wanted to maintain this mystery and continue to give out connotations of danger.

I think I could have thought about this picture a bit more before actually capturing it; the lighting can be improved by picking a lower aperture so that more light comes in, allowing the stairs to be seen a bit more. I could also have used a lower angle, so that the doors do not look proportional to the stairs, creating a surreal look and feel to the image. Having said this, I do think the whole idea of this picture was a good one, if I had the chance to take this image again, I would definitely use a lower aperture and a higher shutter speed along with a better angle.

I would like to take some more photographs during the day as I feel this will allow me to see the difference between shooting during the day and shooting during nighttime - it will enable me to experiment with the aperture in a different way and give me an insight on the different settings that have to be adjusted due to the massive change in the light source.

Work Diary - Second Shoot - Urban Life (Tripod)

For this session, I repeated my Urban Life shoot but I used a tripod this time as agreed by me and my tutor. At first, I didn't expect to see a big difference in the way my pictures would turn out but as the session progressed, I began to notice more structure to my images. I also noticed that I spent more time before actually capturing a scene so that I can frame it and include exactly what I wanted to in it. This allowed me to pay more attention to my work and think about the settings of my camera more that I did in the first shoot. It enabled me to manipulate my images to a large extent, where I was able to look at the lighting and make a judgement call on which angle would most compliment the lighting in the picture. I experimented with the aperture quite a lot so that I could see the different in lighting as I went along. However, I found this harder at night rather than when I shot during daytime for my culture shoots - this is because of the limited lights from lamposts, the aperture could not be too high or the pictures would not come out as clear. The aim of this shoot was to experiment with a tripod on the same location as my previous shoot so that I can explore the differences and learn how to produce even better images by spending time to frame them.

This particular picture is one of the best ones from this shoot - I think the lighting effect in the top corners of the picture give it an edited look when it was not. This allows the picture to feel surreal and brings more mystery to the alley way. The angle of the picture took me a while to get; after examining the scene, I decided to make it look dodgy and creepy, I figured that the best way to do that was to limit the viewer's view by setting a higher aperture so less light is entering the lens and by adjusting the angle so that the alley looks unsafe and unclear to the viewer. This made my picture evoke feelings of adventure and mystery in the viewer by making them wonder what this alley leads to, making this image more exciting.

Out of my final edits from this shoot, I think this one could have been better - I experimented with the aperture a bit here but it didn't quite turn out how I wanted it to. I was aiming to show the element of reflection in the puddle of water from the cars driving past, however, I didn't anticipate how limited the light source from the lamppost was or how muddy the puddle was. If I has the chance to take this image again, I would think about the angle that's been used and figure out a better one, where a reflection can actually be shown, or perhaps use a lower aperture in order to allow more light to enter the lens and make the picture brighter. On the other hand, by doing this, I may be contradicting my work as this shoot consists of dark and mysterious photographs.

In the future, I would like to use a tripod a lot more. After this shoot, I can see a big difference in the style of work and the thought processes before taking a picture allows me to think way more about the settings on my camera and the angle I am using for each picture. It also produces variety in my work as the angles change often and I adjust the lighting in each picture.

Work Diary - Seventh Shoot - Southall

For this session, I went to Southall in order to capture a completely different religion found in our society. Having been there before, I knew what to expect and I had a rough idea in my head of what I was going to take photographs of. Southall is very well known for its 'Hinduism' and for the market stalls that are scattered all over this area. My main aim was to capture these market stalls, so that I can show the comparison between how some individuals shop in society and those who live in Southall, despite the fact that it is still in London. However, once I started walking around, I noticed other things that made Southall distinct from other areas in London. I began noticed different norms and values that were being displayed; I found this interesting and tried to capture them. I also noticed that the Indian culture were blended in with 'British' associated things. For example, I saw a red postbox right next to a row of Asian shops - I tried capturing this by including only a part of the postbox rather than the whole thing in order to represent how this culture has blended into society and is now considered perfectly normal, even though they speak a completely different language and eat completely different foods to the rest of individuals in the community. This shoot allowed me to explore ideas that can be symbolic in my work, representing this culture and portraying how it has slowly integrated into a new society and made it its own. In addition to this, stereotypes on this group of individuals were also explored in my work, such as their clothing.

This picture is one of my favourites from this shoot, mostly because of the symmetrical feel that a viewer gets when first laying eyes on the picture. This photograph is symbolic, showing two very different traditions right next to each other; the shop is an Indian takeaway, titled in another language, whereas the bus stop is British tradition, with the red bench. Although viewers know that this is scene was taken in a British society, it can easily be argued. If the markings on the street weren't present, it would be unclear where this picture was taken, it could be argued that it would have been taken in India or another Asian country, where a British bus stop had been copied. There are also a lot of lines present in this scene; acting as guiding lines, almost guiding the viewer through the picture - they are made to start on the left side on the image and work their way through to the bus stop on the right in the image. I've adapted this technique by positioning my camera in the middle of the frame, so that I can examine the lines that are present and eliminate the ones I do not want to be included in my picture.

However, this picture could have come out better; I originally thought by using a blurring technique and setting a high aperture so that the background of the scene would come out blurry but the fence would be sharp, however, this did not come out as good as I anticipated. I noticed that by blurring the background, I prevented the viewer from fully understanding what the contents of this picture is. I wanted to emphasise on how this culture has been embedded in our society by depicting how their temples are found all around - I thought that by blurring it, I could highlight this point. If I could take this picture again, I would pick a lower aperture setting so that the background is less blurry and perhaps, show the viewer that it's a temple and allow them to understand the symbolic idea I was trying to achieve.

In the future, when capturing culture, I would explore the little ideas that represent the specific culture I am trying to illustrate. I would also find more ways in which I can show comparison; by doing this, I will be able to use a range of techniques such as multiple imagery to show differences and similarities between different traditions found in one society.

Work Diary - Blurring

In this session, we explored the topic of blurring. At first, I thought that this technique can very similar to slow sync but as the session went on, I started noticing some differences. I noticed that blurring is best for showing movement move than for showing repetition, like slow sync. This technique was hard to get at first as it required for me to experiment with the settings and with the speed of my subject so that there was a clear trail of movement. I got my subject to move at different speeds so that I could see the differences between the blurring in each picture and see if it was easier to tell whether my subject was moving faster or slower. This shoot was fairly easy as I have worked with this technique before.

I quite like this photograph from the shoot as it shows symmetry and splits the picture in half. An element of reflection is also shown as my subject is almost reflected in the picture. The black background is a huge contrast to my subject's white shirt as it forces the viewer to focus on him and the effect that the blurring has produced.

I like this picture a lot, however I think it can be improved as the subject at the bottom looks a bit out of place. I think I should have thought more about the composition of the image and planned it out better so that the subject looks as if she actually belongs there.

In the future, I would like to experiment with different speeds of movement; by asking my subjects to move at different speeds while shooting different pictures, I will be able to compare them and see how the blur differs in each picture.

Word Diary - Multiple Flash

This session consisted of with the aperture setting on my camera in order to produce images where my subject is 'cloned' throughout the picture. This created exciting pictures full with repetition, showing consistency. At first, I had to experiment with the aperture in order to get good photographs, I also had to experiment with the speed that my subject moved in. I asked her to move fast and slow so that I can see the difference and figure out which speed would be best for my image. I soon became confident with this and started shooting properly, getting the subject to do different movements and at certain speeds. I found the lighting was a bit of a problem in this shoot - as my subjects moved around so that I may capture her, the lighting varied. This is because as she moved, she got closer or further away from the lights so her clones may look darker or brighter than the original subject. However, as the shoot progressed, I noticed that this was good for my images as it created diversity and different effects each time. This made my pictures look exciting and fun.

This picture is my favourite from the shoot; this is because the clones are clear enough for the viewer to see and they all have different facial expressions. This makes the photograph more exciting and attractive to viewers. The black background also makes my subject stand out and allows the viewer to focus on her and her actions.

I think this picture could have turned out better - the problem is the brightness of my subject's face. It is way too bright for the rest of the photograph, but despite this, I think the cloning of her arms has come out perfect.

Next time, I will experiment more with the lighting, manipulating it and using it to my advantage. I think this will allow me to prevent pictures that has a part that's too bright or too dark.

Work Diary - First Shoot - Urban Life

This was my first shoot for my personal project on society. After researching the work of Lauren Greenfield and her project on girl culture, I decided to do something similar, where I can use her techniques and methods in order to produce exciting, symbolic images like hers. This is the reason why I have chosen to focus on boy culture. When planning my shoots, I decided to carry out my first shoot on gang culture, in order to show how boys on estates are easily influenced and have the disadvantage of being part of a gang. I didn't quite know how to do this as approaching gang members would be too dangerous. In the end, I came up with the idea to photograph some estates - by doing this, I will allow myself to explore the different parts of an estate and find different ways in which I could show traces of gangs. Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of signs to show that gangs have been there so I had to improvise and find other ways of showing the rough, violent life boys lead in estates. I was happy with my shoot in the end as the pictures looked really dark and contrast was shown throughout my work  but I noticed later on when editing that a tripod could have been used. After discussing my work with my tutor, we both agreed that if a tripod had been used, I would have been able to frame the shot and spend a considerable amount of time trying to figure out what I should or should not include in the scene.

I quite like this picture as I used a blurring technique, creating a mysterious effect. The picture also came out with this sort of red lighting effect due to all the orange/yellow lights in the scene - once again, this creates a mysterious atmosphere and creates excitement in the picture. My subject came out sharp in this image, showing how he is observing everything else around him as time goes past.

This image has a lot of lines, guiding the viewers through the images. The element of depth is also shown here as the corridor gets smaller and smaller as your eyes move through the picture - this allows the viewer to concentrate on the corridor more than the street on the left. The lighting used has also helped with this as the street is barely lit, with the tree covering the lampost, whereas the corridor has lights going down all along it.

This picture is another one of my favourites from the shoot; mostly because the sign has gone all rusty and dirty, almost preventing people from understanding the numbers on it. This gives out the impression that the sign has been there for a long time, giving out elements of tradition. It also shows that the residents who live on the estate are not bothered about cleaning the sign, giving out negative impressions of estates.

    

On the other hand, I don't think this picture came out as well as I hoped it would. I like the red lighting effect that has been created in front of my subject, symbolic of danger and mystery, daring the subject to enter the estate. However, I don't like how my subject came out so bright, especially his hood, I personally think he distracts the viewer from focusing on the rest of the picture and the more symbolic parts of it.

In the future, I am going to use a tripod. As discussed with my tutor, I would like to see the difference when using a tripod to shoot on the same estate - this will also allow me to experiment with the scene, deciding what I want to include in it and what I don't want to include. This will give me an insight on how to manipulate scenes and how to spend time examining a scene before deciding to shoot it.

Work Diary - Multiple Exposure

In this session, we were told to shoot multiple exposure after doing some research on this topic. I found this shoot exciting as it was very interesting to plan how I would take pictures of my subjects and how I would combine them with a scenic picture. I first took portraits of my subject outside on location so that I could see the difference between a studio and a location portrait. When editing my pictures after the shoot, I found that images of my subject in the studio were clearer and easier to edit than the ones on location. This was due to the lighting differences; I was able to manipulate the lighting in the studio, therefore allowing my pictures to come out exactly how I wanted them to come out. However, on location, I found that the portraits were too bright as the sun was out and this prevented me from showing off the scene once I started editing the images on Photoshop - the portraits seemed to be clashing with the scenes as they were both shot on location.

I personally think this picture is the best one that I have produced from this shoot - this is because I showed a huge contrast between the portraiture and the scene. By doing this, I have allowed my pictures to blend in together without having colours that clash. Moreover, it is clear that I wanted the scene to stand out more than my subject as I aimed to give her a more feminine yet mysterious look; I achieved this through the scene that I used - the green leaves are not typical of femininity as some viewers would naturally expect flowers, however, the nature portrayed here gives out a peaceful and innocent personality from my subject. The fact that the leaves cover some facial features such as her eyes have distanced my subject from the viewer, allowing some curiosity to rise.

On the other hand, I don't particularly like this picture due to the black and white colour - this doesn't allow the two different images to compliment or stand out from each other. I also think there is too much in the image for the viewer to concentrate; the wall in the background ruins the scenic element of the leaves and flowers. It also blocks out some parts of my subject's face and prevents her hair from blending in with the background, which is what I was trying to achieve. If I could do this again, I would spend more time editing the picture in order to remove the background and omitting it from the picture. Furthermore, I could also have chosen a different angle for the picture of the flowers, which would have allowed me to stop the wall from being in the picture and show off the flowers even more.

Work Diaries - High Key Lighting & Slow Sync Flash

In this session, we shot pictures using the techniques high key lighting and slow flash sync. Before we started the session, I did some research on these techniques and I found them very interesting. The high key lighting method can be very useful when trying to show off a specific feature on a subject; I found that my subject's eyes stood out so I decided to focus on them. I found this very easy as the concept was quite straight forward. However, I noticed that the my subject didn't come out as white as I had expected in the pictures - I had to use Photoshop to really show off that high key lighting. Despite this, I really enjoyed experimenting with the different angles and the lens in order to capture my subject in different ways. When focusing on the slow sync flash technique, I found it hard at first to come with good ideas of showing movement, but once I started shooting and experimenting with the different speeds of the flash, which I kept on changing, it was interesting to see how the pictures would come out. I found that my subjects' movement had to be controlled, for example, they couldn't move too quick if I wanted to capture a strong movement. I also tried the idea of keeping my subjects absolutely still whilst movement is shown around them.

This picture is one of my best ones from the high key lighting shoot. This is mostly because my subject's eyes are highlighted, which is what I was trying to achieve. There is a strong contrast being shown between his facial features and the rest of the picture; this makes it clear where I want the viewer to focus in the photograph.

I really like this picture from the slow sync flash method I was experimenting with - I like how my subject is clear and sharp, whereas her movement is blurred and fading away. This shows the viewer exactly what her movement was and gives them an idea of how fast it was. The contrast between my subject's clothing and the pitch black background ensures that the viewer is not distracted.

In the future, I would like to use props or make up to really show contrast and show a different type of movement. This will allow me to experiment and see what the camera will pick up and how well it will do so. 

Work Diary - Location Portraiture

For this session, we revisited the theme of location portraiture. As we worked on this topic before, I was familiar with the techniques I had to use in order to take successful pictures. However, we were told that we had to add the element of depth into our photographs. At first, I found this hard because I wasn't too sure how I could take a good picture that shows off my subject and at the same time shows depth. Angles were the best way of doing this; I was able to make sure the viewer concentrates on my subject's facial features and show depth in the background. In most of my pictures, the background is blurred. This was the easiest way of showing depth whilst still highlighting the theme of location portraiture. In the picture below, I focused on my subject's face and blurred the background slightly but not too much, this is so that the viewer can clearly see the element of depth but also focus on my subject's face.

In this picture, the background is even more blurry and this shows depth by emphasising on the distance between my subject and the background. By having my subject close to the camera and to one side side of the picture, I was able to show further depth as the background takes up most of the image.

If I had the chance to do this shoot again, I would try higher angles, where the camera is above my subject; this will be interesting and allow me to experiment with even more angles in order to show the element of depth.

Work Diary - Image With An Image

During this session, we looked at the idea of having an image within another image and in order to do this, we used picture frames - this really emphasised the fact that there was two images in one photograph. I found this shoot extremely fun as the ways of showing this theme were endless, however, a lot of thinking and organising was required so that this would be a successful session. I like how my photographs turned out even though I faced the issue of finding the correct angles for each of my pictures; I wanted my pictures to look very exciting and I figured that the best way to do this was to use a variety of angles for my photographs, which would highlight my subject and the different images in a picture. The easiest way to overcome this was to experiment with the different angles; for each picture, I moved the camera around and picked the best angle for the picture. I found that I could blend the images together like in the picture below and by doing this, I am showing the viewer that my subject is comfortable with her surroundings and adapts to it well. To show contrast, I chose a green background, as my subject is wearing all black. This goes against the idea of my subject blending into the background, creating conflict.

In this picture, I tried to focus more on the picture in the frame and I found that by cropping my subject out of the main image, I was able to get the viewer to concentrate on the picture in the frame. I also placed the frame in the middle of the picture to give it all the attention. I cloned my subject to make it seem like although the scene is the same in both image, there is something different in each image.

I think that the backgrounds in my photographs are too similar; I should have changed them up and added variety to it. If I could do this session again, I would change the background and the frames in order to add diversity and change it up a bit.

Work Diary - Sequencing

For today's session, we focused on sequencing. In order to do this, we went out to the local park as this gave us more options for our photographs. One main issue, which I faced whilst doing this shoot was originality; I found it hard to come up with new ways of showing the theme of sequences. I think this is because I didn't plan my shoot properly. I had to think of interesting sequences to show in my pictures and by putting my pictures next to each other showing several sequences was a good way to do this - mostly because, by lining the pictures up, a sequence is shown in the structure as well as in the actual photographs.

I also showed sequencing through an image where I had my subject doing different actions throughout the picture. This is a great way of showing a sequence in one picture rather than lining pictures up together. However, I think the picture below doesn't have enough of my subject in it, I think I should have added a couple more clones of him in order to make the picture more exciting as I think it looks quite empty.

 If I had the chance to do this shoot again, I would do more research and take my time to thoroughly plan what I am trying to achieve as most of my pictures are similar to those I found on the internet and do not consist of variety as much as I would like them to. Also, I think a studio shoot will give me more control over how I manipulate my pictures.