Morgan Redman Photography Exam Component 2

Photoshoot 8a: Gender: Men's Work: Documentary: Work Record

Work Record Studio -

Date: Wednesday 6th April 2016
Camera: Canon EOS 450D
Editing Software: Photoshop CC 2014
Settings: Indoors: F10, ISO 400, 1/60, Flash
Outdoors: F10, ISO 200, 1/100

Plans For Shoot: My plans for todays photoshoot is to photograph men's work in the style of Henri-Cartier Bresson, one of the personal opinion exam artists, through documentary.

What I Hope to Achieve: I hope to achieve a series of photographs that depict the average roles and activities within the field of work for the stereotypical male.

I want the pictures to reflect the work of Bresson, a famous documentary photographer, and to do this I would like for my images to show an insight into the decisive moment and when it is the best moment to capture an image.

Additionally, I also want to create a nostalgic, retro and timeless feel to my work and to do this I plan to edit my photographs into black and white using Photoshop CC 2014.

Furthermore, I want to capture at least four photographs that depict my chosen response to personal opinions in a creative way and that I am happy to display.

I want to experiment with different tools in Photoshop to achieve a dramatic and tonal series that exemplifies my interpretation of the exam and Henri Cartier-Bresson's work who served as my inspiration for this photoshoot.

What I Actually Achieved: I did capture photographs that depicted stereotypically masculine roles such as using machinery, a pillar drill, the DIY around the house and the caretaking of the man cave including a garage and a shed.

I would hope that Bresson's influence can be seen in my work although it is not a direct pastiche. The use of the black and white definitely aids the process of achieving a final outcome that reflects the work of the photographer who inspired this shoot. The decisive moment played a direct position in my work as I studied the subject, my granddad, from afar and wanted to deviate from posed photography and thus was able to capture him in his natural environment.

I did use black and white editing techniques to address the nostalgic feel of Bresson's work and now my own. As Bresson was using first a Kodak Box Brownie and later a Leicia camera his photographs were in black and white which influenced me.

I did capture a few more than four favourite photographs in this photoshoot but I cut it down to four for uniformity.

In Photoshop I used techniques and tools such as 'Black/ White', 'Brightness/ Contrast' and the more advanced 'Levels' to alter my pictures until they were bold and tonal black and white photographs I was pleased with.

What I Am Going To Do Next/ Progression: Next I am progressing on to a very different style of photography were I will be including not only photographers but also artists as my inspiration.

To improve in the future, if I was to complete a similar photoshoot, then I would shoot various subjects in various locations to expand the relatability of the photographs as photography is largely about relating to someone's individual personal opinions and belief systems.

Least and Favourite Image Evaluation -

Least Favourite:

Favourite:

The reason the above photographs are my favourite and least favourite image is for a variety of different reasons.

My least favourite is so because the composition is not as well planned especially due to the fact that I was focusing on the decisive moment and the photographs are candid and not posed. Due to the bright outside weather the exposure was somewhat too bright which I should have adjusted more in Photoshop. Additionally, in some photography lens glare can add to the final outcome although in this image I believe detracts from the tone of the image. Also, the image was much brighter than the others in the series, specifically more so than my favourite, due to the lack of tone adjustment through 'Brightness/ Contrast' in the editing process.

The second photograph is my favourite as it is of high tonal quality with good use of 'Brightness/ Contrast' and depicts the decisive moment well. The cluttered stereotypically masculine work space is accentuated by the bright sun on the worktop contrasting to the dark pillar drill head. I also believe that, as I know the subject, I was able to photograph them in a setting that accurately depicts their personality and character in a way that it is almost as if I was not there with a camera. Therefore, this image most accurately depicts the inspiration from Henri Cartier-Bresson and his photography techniques.

Meaning -

Denotation: DIY, physical work, use of machinery, pass-times.

Connotation: Males are stereotypically the manual labourers DIY workers within a nuclear family configuration and these gender biased ideas are passed down through the institution of the family, the inequality that transcend times through the employment of nostalgic black and white filters.

Context: This photoshoot depicts my ideas about how gender stereotypes have evolved but not far enough to deviate from the vintage atmosphere of these photographs, the belief systems of older generations is not working in cohesion with where the majority of society would like equality to be working towards.

Photoshoot 8a: Gender: Men's Work: Documentary

Best Images -

6206:

6212:

6219:

6221:

Editing Process -

Photoshoot 7a: Gender: Women's Work: Work Record

Work Record Studio -

Date: Wednesday 6th April 2016
Camera: Canon EOS 450D
Editing Software: Photoshop CC 2014
Settings: F8, ISO 400, 1/60, Flash

Plans For Shoot: Today I plan to photograph a documentary series as variation from my previous photoshoots. I will depict the work associated with the genders.

What I Hope to Achieve: I hope to achieve a series of photographs that depict women's work in a way that is nostalgic and studies changing perceptions of gender throughout time.

Additionally I would also would like to create a series that is well edited in Photoshop using a variety of techniques ranging from simple black and white tools to either curves or levels.

Another hope of mine is that I would like to create a minimum of four individual photographs that work in cohesion with one another to form a series based upon work.

Furthermore, I would like to shoot in a variety of locations and shoot a variety of people but within the time frame this may be too difficult.

What I Actually Achieved: I was able to achieve a small series of photographs that appeared almost timeless in their editing and composition.

I did use a variety of Photoshop CC 2014 editing techniques including back and white and levels. More information of this is expanded upon in the editing process section.

I did create a series of four photographs all underneath the sub-category of women's work although my least favourite image does not appear to fit in cohesion with the rest of the miniature series.

I was able to complete this photoshoot in two different locations but due to availability of being in the home environment and trying to avoid posing I was only abel to shoot one portrait subject.

What I Am Going To Do Next/ Progression: The next step, as this shoot was completed in-between photoshoot 7 and 8, is to photograph a series of indoor studio shoots for men's work and then another documentary series.

If I was to improve, then I would photograph more people and in more locations.

I would also improve my work by practicing with other techniques in Photoshop such as curves rather than just levels to enhance the exposure and tonal difference.

I will be taking in this documentary approach with me to the studio in that I may practice being more free and trying to capture a moment rather than precisely and carefully framing and setting up.

Least and Favourite Image Evaluation -

Least Favourite:

Favourite:

The reasoning behind the above pictures being my favourite and least favourite are for a multitude of reasons.

My least favourite is so because the subject is not one of portraiture when one of the most prominent ideas behind documentary photography is to depict the character of a person or social group such as gender. Also, due to the sunny outside the image has large tonal difference where the exposure is too bright. Additionally, the composition does not adhere to any methods such as the grid method although there is some evidence of leading lines.

The second photograph is my favourite in this sequence as it depicts the modern day woman at work. I know the subject as she is my Mother and therefore was able to portray her in an environment that is true to normal. Furthermore, the tonal difference is week executed in Photoshop as I used the more advanced technique of levels. I like the image because of the housewife nature but the subject is dressed smartly as she also works and therefore conveys how societies perceptions of women has evolved but has still not changed to an equal field between the genders.

Meaning -

Denotation: Domestic roles, housework.

Connotation: Females as the domestic housewives within society, the ideologies that have developed to encourage women to work but also conform to prior expectations, the timeless gender inequality that changes but still exists within most societies.

Context: This photoshoot was create din Bresson's style to emphasise my response to personal opinions but also to create a nostalgic feel within modern society to show how gender inequality may be considered extinct or out of place in modern society although it clearly still exists. Inequality is an outdated belief system.