Tuesday 29 November 2011

Photographs from South Africa

I visited Cape Town, South Africa in February this year. Here are a few photos which show an interesting light in a few different ways.

Because of the black + white effect, this image looks like a dark and stormy day in Britain, but was really a light Summers breeze. 

The view of the Harbour at Dusk

View from the aeroplane, very early morning sunrise over Africa.

This was taken at U2's 360degree Concert Tour in Cape Town. The lighting was incredible and ever-changing.

Taken at a community football club in a shanty town, encouraging young people to take part in sports.

My mum soaking up the sun and relishing the view on top of Table Mountain.

At Robben Island. I love the complete opposites of the messages on the signs.

Cape Town's answer to the London Eye. This photo reminds me of Santa Monica beach.

Images from SLR Camera

This contact sheet is helpful in finding out which negative would be a good photo to develop. You can see the images in a larger format which makes it easier to pick the best ones.


I made this image by layering two negatives over the top of each other. The images are quite similar but the positioning of some of the subjects - such as the champagne bottle, is different. I think it works well because of the dark contrasting colours.






I took these images using a friend's SLR. We were experimenting with different backgrounds and ways in which light can be shown in the main prospect of the photograph which in this case is us. We held a small lamp in varying positions around our faces to get a good close-up shot of the way the lamps light adds such depth to the image.

Another  way of adding effect and significance to the photo was by writing 'Light' in different ways in the background. This was a simple and easy technique to add awareness to the main prospect of the image, and I think it worked effectively.

Monday 28 November 2011

My Developing Ideas

These images are some I took using my Canon digital camera, which portray my idea of light in many different situations. Many show the season's changing from Autumn to Winter, and these have a great light, with the sun still shining, yet the frost and cobwebs are beginning to show.





These last couple of images are not the stereotypical view of light - but I think light is portrayed nicely in both.
Our puppy Freddie. The flash from my camera made this photo so bright, and without it, the image would not have worked.
You can see the sun shining on the left side of Hattie's face.

Edgar Martins

Click here to view this image in a larger format: http://blog.photoshelter.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/mt-old/edgar_balloons.jpg

Edgar Martins, born 1977, is a Portuguese photographer and author who lives and works in the UK.
I particularly like this image of the figure with the group of balloons because of the contrasting dark sky and light, sandy landscape is incredibly striking, and would not be as attention-grabbing without the coloured collection of balloons. I like the way the person is walking away, almost in their own world, towards the dark horizon. To me, this image reminds me of space, and in particular The Moon. The surface of the ground is very similar to that of The Moon. The only difference to this photo and Space is that there are no stars, no form of light, or any other aspects to look at.

Click here to view this image in a larger format: http://www.prixpictet.com/files/artworks/modified/359/3431.zoom.jpg

I love this photograph by Martins. The bright and light colour of the orange foreground is the only colour that is striking in this image. The background of trees is rather chilling and very reminiscent of winter. The fog and mist is spooky and the way the light from the cold sun is falling, reminds me of a deceiving Winters day, when the sun shines but the temperature is below freezing.
I like how there are some dark trees that stand alone and attract the viewer's attention before anything else. They are the most prominent aspect of this image, as the only other feature of this photograph is the mist-covered thin branches which are not as remarkable to look at.

Pablo Picasso's Light Drawings

Pablo Picasso’s Light Drawings

                                    


Light drawings are created by a torch or laser pen, taken at night or in a darkened room, with the camera on a slow shutter speed setting, usually one second or more. Effects can be created by moving the camera to blue slightly, or more commonly, the light source creating an image, similar to a pencil drawing, which Pablo Picasso specialised in, explaining his success in creating light drawings.

Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain in October, 1881. His work was mainly paintings, sculpture and drawings, but his work relates to my project title ‘Light’, with his works of Light Drawings.


This image of Picasso’s light drawing is one of my favourites for many reasons. Firstly, I like the way you can see Picasso in the background creating the image. It adds a personal and unique touch, and is also a change from normal, as some of his paintings seem to have a hidden meaning and don’t show his personality, whereas this piece does. Secondly, the subject of this photo, the vase and flowers, is clear, as some of the others he has made are not quite as obvious.
The photo as a whole is a good one, partially because of the subject but also because of the background and Picasso himself. His shadow is cast on the plain white wall which adds effect.




I also like this image of Picasso creating a light drawing because of the background scenery. His image is clearly set in a home environment, perhaps his own, as the clay plates and pots seem to be positioned to his specific taste.


The image he has drawn is slightly unclear, but seems to be a human figure. The legs and lower body seem to be rather rushed, as do the two hands, which could portray the fact the camera was on a quicker shutter speed than some of the other images he produced.

The photograph shows a happy side to Picasso, as he is smiling and this shows he enjoyed creating art and different images for others to view, years after his death; and he is still portrayed as one of the most influential artist of the 20th Century.

Monday 14 November 2011

Light Mood Board


2. Paul Graham Archive
3. Google images
4. Paul Graham Archive 
5. Chrystel Lebas 
7. Edgar Martins
8. Francesca Woodman
9. The Starn Brothers
10. Bill Henson
11. Similar result on Google Images
12. Edgar Martins
13. Edgar Martins
14. Google Images
15. The Starn Brothers

All these images portray my ideas of what represents light. Even though some of them are not stereotypically viewed as 'light', I like the way light is used in a different way, such as streaming through the sticks of image 15. I think my favourite image from this mood board is number 9 because of the tree's minute detailing coming across so well because of the dark foreground and the light yellow background, and the fact the trees are very similar but also so different, and represented in the same way using the same technique.