Idea: The main idea that I have for my fourth shoot is to use my images to show a juxtaposition between colour and black and white images, and how it can change the composition significantly and how it creates different connotations. For example, taking a picture of the a specific location and then editing the images in Photoshop into black and white and then possibly layering the two together. This will then show a clear juxtaposition in colour and black and white photography.
Research Influence
The main research influence that I have based a lot of my images on is the work of Theresa Elvin. Theresa Elvin's Colour Pop! series is something that I have chosen to base my work on as it, in my opinion, shows a good form of juxtaposition in her work and is something that I feel I could recreate in my images.
Image Bank
Best Images
Improvement Required Images
These are the two images that I selected as improvement images. The first image I decided to choose as an image that requires improvement is because I felt that it did not capture juxtaposition well and that I wasn't able to compare it to anything. Due to this, I would go back and shoot it again if I had the change to in order to refine the shoot and I would then be able to compare it with another image to show juxtaposition.
The second image I decided needed improvement as I felt that it did not show any aspect of juxtaposition. The colours did not match and the framing is not correct for me to be able to compare it with the other images. Because of this, I would improve on this image and refine it if I had the chance to. This would then help me to show juxtaposition in a better way.
AO3: In this image, I was able to capture an image of a man walking with a rainbow umbrella through the Harlow town centre. This could relate to the 'decisive moment', which was an idea developed by Henri Cartier-Bresson in which you wait for the exact moment for something to happen and then capture the image. I aimed to create an image in the style of Theresa Elvin, as she uses the colour isolation technique in order to show juxtaposition.
AO3: This is an image that I decided to create by adding two different forms of the same image into one composition. I have added one coloured form of the image and one black and white form. The main reason I decided to try this is because I wanted to show that putting an image in black and white can give a sinister connotation. In this image, I was able to show this as the right half of the image creates an element of darkness and mystery, which is something I was aiming to convey in my work.
AO3: Similarly to the last image, I used the layering of the same image in different formats to create this composition. The main idea I had for this image was to show the dullness of the town centre, but also juxtapose this with the colour of the trees and the post box, which add a vibrant aspect to the image and could also connote that although that Harlow may not be physically attracted, there may be hidden features that contribute to the town's culture.
AO3: This image, much like the above two, is a combination of the same image in different formats. The use of the comparison between the coloured photography and the black and white photography could suggest that there is a juxtaposition between the buildings and actual activities to do in Harlow, although the buildings are not physically appealing, they may offer positive services.
The main idea that I had and the main reason for choosing juxtaposition was that I felt that around Harlow and in my own environment, I was able to create interesting images that I would be able show fit the theme of juxtaposition. In this particular shoot, I was able to show a juxtaposition between pictures in colour and pictures in black and white, and how it could change the connotations of the image. I felt as though this was a good idea as I was able to create a shoot around this idea and make the most of the environment around me. I aimed to follow the style of Theresa Elvin, as she uses isolated colour photography which is a clear juxtaposition in style and colour. This is a style that I aimed to use loosely in my photography work as it is a style of photography that I am interested in and shows juxtaposition well.
The images that I retrieved from my time exploring the theme of Juxtaposition turned out well and I felt that overall, I captured it well. However, I felt as though I could have improved on a few things to make the shoot stronger. For example, I feel as though I could have taken a wider variety of images in order to be able to show a greater amount of juxtaposition. This will also give me a bigger selection to be able to edit and use as my final edited images.
AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.
For all of the above images, I used a CANON EOS 1300D. I feel as though I am now more confident about shooting in manual mode as I know how to control aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings to be able to capture different images in my own environment to show juxtaposition. For most of these images, the flash was not on due to me shooting in natural light and I adjusted my camera setting accordingly to the light.
In order to improve on the images that I took, I decided to import them into Photoshop in order to enhance them and improve on their composition and the way that they have been shot. In order to do this, I decided to change the contrast of some of the images and experimented with the hue and saturation of some of the images. I also adjusted the contrast and saturation of the images to allow them to fit in with the style of my photos, which reflect the style of the images in my image bank. Additionally to this, I used the layering and blending tools to be able to create the image of different weathers in the same location, which helped me to show a clear juxtaposition. For this particular shoot, I decided to use the inverse black and white tool to create pictures similar to Theresa Elvin and to also create images that match the theme of juxtaposition.
The screen grabs that I have selected show how I used Photoshop to create juxtaposition images. To do use this, I used the Curves tool and the levels tool, gradually adjusting the colour sliders to get the clear contrast effect. With my images, I edited most of the images in both colour and black and white, adjusting the contrast and brightness of the image to create the best images for juxtaposition. I also experimented with the layering tool to create side by side images in the style of Frank Gohlke and his 'aftermath' series, and Theresa Elvin with colour isolation photography.
Photoshop Process
The artist research that I did was extremely helpful in the fact that I was able to gain an understanding of the different artists and their different styles. Knowing about their style and about any movements they may have been involved in helps me to interpret their work and understand what they were thinking when they took a certain image, and also helps me to recreate these images in my style. Researching various images that they have created helps me to try and recreate these images and then shooting my own images in their style. For example, my research on Theresa Elvin and researching the images of this photographer helped me to understand juxtaposition and what types of images I could create, still linking to their style but also reflecting my own style in the process, so in this case it would be the use of colour isolation to create juxtaposition between black and white and colour images. Additionally to this, I was able to get a better understanding of juxtaposition photography and how you can use this type of photography to capture different aspects of the composition. I feel as though I did relate enough to the photographer as I took inspiration from Frank Gohlke and his 'aftermath' series, as well as Theresa Elvin, showing the different between colour and black and white photography, and how this can give different connotation. However, in order to improve I could have experimented more with their style and used a variety of different images to create an improved look on my images and given myself more options to be able to work with.
AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.
Overall, I think that I have produced a good series of images inspired by my research and image bank for my fourth preparatory shoot for juxtaposition. The final images produced were changed by developing the contrast, saturation and using the healing tool and blending or layering images to create an interesting effect onto my juxtaposition photography, and also using the colour isolation technique. I think if I was to improve on this, I would try and take more photographs, as this would help me to have more of a variety of images to choose from when selecting my best images to edit and choose as my final images. With this shoot, I feel as though I have chosen a photographer that my work has been heavily based on, and I am able to show how my work relates to their style in certain parts of the image.
Progression: Although this shoot was related to juxtaposition, I feel as though it does not fit the theme as well as it could but also is not something that I feel as though I will continue progressing on as this does not fit the style of juxtaposition that I am aiming for. In order to progress further, I feel as though I will experiment with portraits as this is something that I feel will work better for juxtaposition and in order to this, I will take influence from my photographer's research.
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