EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Here are my first few photographs that I have created for this project.


I have discovered how wide the editorial area of photography is after seeing the many different interpretations on what it actually is and the many different styles and subject matters of these photos presented in magazines and online.

   

EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Editorial photography to me, is essentially a photograph that can support text. I think that in order to create a photograph that goes with text means that photograph has to be interesting; have a narrative or a story to it or something happening. 

As a starting point to this project, I wanted to look at the things around me and see if there is anything that I can document in my everyday life in order to create an editorial series of photographs.

This image is taken by photographer 'Nick Waplington' and although he is known for his documentary photography his work shows a great deal of narrative throughout.

This image documents a man who is fixing his car but the surroundings of the child playing and the mother with the pushchair  make the photograph interesting; because there are a lot of things going on.

Every area of the photograph has a subject although the child and her bike and the mother and pram stand out due to the bright colours, the image is quite heavy and contrasty making the brighter colours really bold and the blacks in the image really black, this makes the image have a lot of clarity.

This image is an example of how an everyday scenario can be photographed and made into a narrative image that has a story and could support a piece of text, therefore I would like to use my home and everyday life as a starting point in creating my editorial photographs.

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

EVALUATION

After researching landscape photographers and their work to gain inspiration I have created 5 final prints using a 5x4 medium format camera to shoot the photographs and then using the darkroom in order to create my prints.
  After researching the work of the likes of John Blakemore, I felt inspired to create rich and contrasty prints by ensuring my exposures were correct and that I concentrated on the developing process. When beginning this project, I had little knowledge on medium format, yet I feel I have developed by exploring the camera and independent time in the darkroom. I still feel there is room for improvements with my prints and imperfections with my prints but they have progressed massively from the start of the project.
  When starting the project I felt quite confident as my first negatives came back with good exposures yet after this a lot of my film came out blank and therefore I needed to learn more about the camera but after taking the camera out alone and taking my photographs in slow steps using the light meter my negatives became to come back with better exposures making it a lot easier to make prints.
  Although I feel confident with taking the photographs, I have occurred a lot of problems with processing which means that my negatives can sometimes become scratched from being handled too much due to my hesitation and this is something I believe I have developed in but I believe I need to develop further.
  Despite the problems that have arose for my during processing my film, I feel I have developed the most in the darkroom after spending time in the darkroom alone and taking my time whilst deciding on exposure times and doing extra test strips in order to gain accuracy I think that my prints are a lot better exposed after this project which I hoped for after looking at the quality of colour in other photographers works and how it affects the over all feel of the print. I tried to time my prints perfectly in the developer, stop and fix for this project whereas in the past I have not concentrated on this greatly.
If I were to improve my prints and project on a whole, I would definitely do a lot more shooting in order to gain more and more confidence with the camera and become really familiar with medium format so that it would be a easier process in terms of setting the camera up and setting it to the right exposure and shutter speed. I would also shoot more in order to gain more experience with my processing as I think that this is the thing I need to improve most as it has a huge effect on my over all prints if my negatives are damaged in anyway and most damage caused is during processing.
I feel I have improved over all on printing, which is something I am not new to but I have widened my knowledge by learning how to print with medium format, I have also gained skills on a whole by being introduced to a medium format camera but I would like to become more familiar to the processing process in order to become a more skilled photographer

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

PROCESSING

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So today I went into the processing room after another shoot at the Marina with the Medium Format Camera, I had real difficulty with this procedure and have done with this whole project and I would like to progress in this in order to prevent damage to my negatives.
Today, the negatives on the end of the negative holder for the dev tank both came out really streaky where the developer had only reached certain areas at some points therefore I need to be more careful of this for next time as I have lost 2 photographs due to this and my other negatives have scratch marks on due to the clips therefore I will be more aware of this next time also.

 LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Darkroom

After processing some successful negatives and creating contact sheets I began to use the enlarger and make some prints.

Although I have never make prints to this size and using 5x4 film, I took to this really well when applying my skills I already had.

Despite having troubles processing meaning some of my negatives were damaged my prints are surprisingly successful in terms of contrast, tones and exposure.

After doing two test strips for each image, all my prints from yesterdays shoot were exposed for 20-22 seconds, I was happy with the consistency with the development process today with my prints and all my prints that I

created today are of the same tones and have a similar contrast meaning that they work well as a series.

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY


Eliot Porter Photography

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Making the most out of the weather, I took the medium format camera out to shoot today and left is todays set up.
I went out alone today for the first time with this camera which meant I had to rely only on myself to set the camera up.
Despite hesitating at first, I set the camera up without any problems and was able to shoot 4 sheets of film, as it was a consistently sunny day the camera didn't need much adjusting after I shot my first sheet of film but I used the light meter in order to make sure the exposure is correct on all of them which I will be processing later today.
After going out on my own to take photographs I feel a lot more familiar with this type of camera and a lot more confident about shooting medium format, I found it really effective going out alone and discovering the camera for myself and all its aspects.
I decided to shot some of the film portrait apposed to landscape in order to see the effects of this and experiment so I am excited to see the outcome.

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

William Henry Jackson landscape photography

 LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

One of the most famous english Landscape photographers is John Blakemore, he is known for both his landscapes and his still life photography both of which he used black and white format for and used darkrooms to create his prints, therefore I believe that he is a relevant source to look at whilst creating my own landscape photography using medium format black and white film.
The image left is one of Blakemore's most famous landscapes it consists of rich colours which could only be created with great technique in

 order to gain a perfectly exposed negative and experience and skills in the dark room in order to expose the print perfectly and use the develop, stop and fix correctly as the colours are intense and rich and therefore it is obvious the print has been developed correctly.
In all of Blakemores images, the landscapes are exposed perfectly and the colours are deep which gives the images an over all powering feel which I would like to create in my imagery and I will proceed to do this by ensuring that I time everything properly in the dark room.
The second and third images are full of strong textures which are defined

by the intricate detail and tones created this gives the photographs a real busy feel as there is a lot going on this makes the images interesting as there are no apparent main features and the whole of the print has stuff going on.
After exploring the work of Blakemore I have realised that developing and technique are important in the process of making a print and need to be timed perfectly as rich colours can be created and intricate details.

 LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Today, I went out shooting for the first time using a 5x4 medium format film camera, I learn the basics about how to set the camera up and set the exposure, shutter speed and ISO then step by step learned how to shoot my film using this camera.
A medium format camera has similar features to shooting with 35mm such as the way the camera works yet on a much larger more intricate way, the camera is fitted with a ground glass viewing in order to ensure precision and gain dimensions, the benefits of using this type of camera mean that bigger film is used and therefore bigger works can be created without losing detail.
I took both images using a light meter and set the camera at similar settings manually for both, after developing these I was happy with the outcome of the negatives as I believe they were exposed well.

 LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Andreas Gursky is a photographer known for his large format landscapes, he is influential to many landscape photographers today and is known for capturing the most expensive photograph in the world which is obviously something to be admired.
The images to the left were taken by Andreas Gursky and show some of Gursky's most famous Landscape works.
The first image by Gursky consists of quite dull colours and the sky is quite dark that gives the setting a dull feel, there is little life in the image without the chickens as the trees have no leaves

 there are no bright features or colours and the place looks quite humanly derelict and that makes the photograph interesting and makes us ask questions about the setting and place.
The second image has a brighter colour scheme due to the bright green colours which add a vibrant feel to the image but the most apparent feel of the image is created by the horizontal lines. The horizontal lines across the image are created by the different sections in the image, the sky, the grass, the water,

the grass in the foreground and the path.
In each of Gurksy's landscapes there is no human life and the image captures the nature of a place he quite often has a background and foreground making his images have layers, this makes the photographs narrate the place intricately and leaves us asking questions about the place and the history around it.

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Landscape photography captures an outside scene and usually doesn't have much human life and instead captures the nature of a place.
One of the most influential landscape photographers is Ansel Adams he created some amazing works in America during the early years of photography using black and white film.

This image left was taken by Ansel Adams and consists of really strong textures which brings the picture to life I think. The main textures are the clouds, the mountains and the trees these make the image have more going on and also add clarity to the picture.
The image follows the rule of thirds as it is divided by the sky, then the mountains and then the path leads us to the foreground of the image. The path in the image is a main feature and really makes the image as it leads us to the mountains and the features at the back of the image.
The image has a high contrast and as there are really rich blacks and the light colours are almost white in                                                                                      places.                                                    

This second image has a really tranquil feel to it as the image doesn't have the dark features like the last one. This image has a lower contrast and the features are more delicate.
The water is really still and has no movement which creates a really calm mood and doesn't create much features with harsh or defined textures, yet the clouds and the sky create soft textures in the background of the image.
After looking at Ansel Adams work, I would like to have the same rich and detailed aspects in my imagery.

Documentary Photographers

As I have based my report topic around documentary photography, I have been looking for documentary photographers who are in todays industry and therefore know how to gain access to the industry and become noticed, which is basically what I am asking, I would like to email these photographers in order to ask questions and achieve primary research.

I have emailed 3 photographers and created interview questions which I would like to ask if I receive a reply:

Do you think you need qualifications in photography to become a photographer?

As a documentary photographer did you find it hard to become recognised?

What would you say is the most effective way to get noticed in this industry?

What technical skills are essential to documentary photographers?

What equipment do you need?

As somebody who wants to gain access to this part of the photography industry, what advice could you give me?

These questions are based around my report question so that I can receive basically an answer to my question off people who are experienced in the field.

Forensic Photographers
Forensic photographers are usually employed by the Poilce or Forensics to take photographs at crime scenes and accidents to use as evidence or as records of the incidents.forensic photographers need to be skilled in order to make sure every aspect of the incident is photographed, for example if there is a crime scene where someone is attacked, it is important that finger prints left, blood marks and footprints ect are all photographed as evidence for court and it could be really significant if something like this was missed by a forensic photographer.
Forensic photographers usually start their career as forensics, this is because they become wise in what to take pictures of and are used to the type of scenes that they might see as the photographers usually take imagery of dead bodies and assaults, therefore the job could be quite distressing for any photographer to walk into.

I found this information on creative skillset where there are more details that come with the job
http://creativeskillset.org/ 

Report Topic

When deciding on an title and a topic for my report, I was unsure of where to begin, I wanted to provide a report on an area of the photography industry which I am interested in myself and would like to learn about so that my report could be a reflection of my own interest of research therefore I will be basing my report around documentary photography, as although I am unsure to which area of photography I would like to go into, I enjoy documentary photography and have little knowledge on how to become a documentary photographer.

When deciding on a title for my report based on my chosen topic, I found it difficult to decide on a title that I could base a report on therefore since I don't know the outcome of my report, I thought using a question could be more appropriate.

When deciding on a question as my report title I made a list of questions I wanted answers to myself

• What does it take to become a documentary photographer?
• What careers are available for documentary photographers?
• How do documentary photographers gain access to the industry and become noticed?

I decided the question that I would use for my report title is 'How do documentary photographers gain access and become noticed in the industry' because this will tell me what I want to know which is how to become a documentary photographer.

The Association Of Photographers 

The association of photographers is something photographers can use to gain access to the industry and what companies and commissioners can use to find a photographer for something specific.

The Association of photographers has a website that is open to anybody that allows people to do a detailed and defined search to find photographers who are part of the association, it is a great way for photographers to gain work, especially those who are freelance and it is an easy way for people to gain access to photographers.

Website: 

http://www.the-aop.org/find/photographers  

The Genius Of Photography

I watched the episode 'Snap Judgements' from the BBC series 'The Genius Of Photography' this episode showed us how photography has developed and became worth more as an industry and grown as an art through technology.
The episode showed how photographs are worth a lot more now photography has became more popular as an art and in the general household and how auctioned images are now worth a lot more than in the past when photography was less accessible and developed for example one of the most expensive photographs to be sold was taken by photographer Andreas Ghurski whose work inspires many photographers.

Ethics In Photography

Like every industry, the arts industry and photography industry have ethical values and these are the facters which make photographers more professional, as it is more professional to be ethical than to create your own code of conduct.

In other industries such ethics can be creating products which are safe for consumer use, in photography this may not be applicable but ethics in photography could be creating images that are not offensive or inappropriate to the audience.

Different photographers have different ethics in creating photographs but some are expected in order to be a good photographer for example it is not in the interest to pass another artists work as your own yet you can use other peoples work for your benefit still but in the correct manner for example as a source of research or inspiration for work or reports and referencing the work.

It may also be in a photographers ethics to use model release forms or ask permission before taking photographs obviously this may not apply to all photographers such as documentary photographers but if possible it is deemed more professional.

The poilce and terrorismThe poilce visited the University in order to inform us about photography and terrorism and how to react to this.
Many photographers can be questioned by officers of the law whilst taking photographs as it can be mistaken for gathering information on a place, this is usually if a photographer visits a place several times to take imagery or if a artist is somewhere that is not usually of interest and can be deemed suspicious.
If a poilce officer approaches us as amatuer photographers it is important to remain calm and just explain what we are doing and maybe present a student card.
It is also important as photographers to note any other people in areas who are acting suspicious whom we might deem or think are involved in terrorism and in this scenario we must report this by contacting the local poilce.

                                          Folio
Folio are the University's centre for enterprise and employability, they can help us as students become more knowledgeable on what jobs and career paths are available in the arts industry.

Folio offer sessions and seminars or appointments with individuals, there aim is to help students gain an idea of what is available for after education. They can offer help with starting businesses, creating CVs, applying for jobs, gaining work experience and basically helping as much as possible with breaking into the industry.

I think that Folio are a great way of finding information out as it is just a case of asking and can be easier than starting research into the industry with no direction.