Reflection Journal

The Brief 

To develop an on-going Reflective Journal evidencing a body of experimentation, testing, sampling also through explorations of materials, processes and techniques. Combining photographic documentation, annotation, and other relevant and appropriate recording methods to demonstrate awareness of existing methods taught through workshops.

You are required to partake in 4 separate workshops and then develop your projects individually

Following initial introduction workshops.

• Photomontage
• No Camera
• Mirror and Reflection
• No Rules Lighting

In this you will reflect on what you have learnt from the experience

Finally, you will evidence all your process, reflections and ideas into your Reflective Journal

 

Paper Experimental  

The task of taking a photo of a plain piece of paper to try to create a unique image. The way I approached this task was to use the folds of the paper and using different lighting around the building. To create a different effects of light on the paper. Then using photoshop to layer them to create a double exospore to have it. 

I think this task made me wanna thing outside the box to create something unique. 

Pin Hole Cameras

We were tasked on using a pin hole camrea to take some images around campus. The pin hole camrea was a coffee box with pin hole & tap. To take the pictures. 

 

Photomontage 

The idea of creating a unique image with lots of different images but together. Creating something unique or something that can standout. Using the method of cutting out, laying and sorting on a plan canvas/card. 

Examples 

Mini Research

What is a photomontage?

This is artistic practice that basically uses a single image then combines of two or more other images. Layout on top or around each other to create a photomontage. A lot of the results a weird and wacky making it a unique image. 

Peter Kennard 

John Stezaker

Testing and reflecting 

1st Photomontage

The first one created was within the first workshop. The idea of this was to have a Based colour of blue and layer it to created something fashion based. In some sorted of way due to my passion for photography. 

Here is it Below

2nd Photomontage 

 

For this photomontage, the idea behind this was to basically use an portrait of a girl portrait and lay a on top a bridge over a river. You can look at this image as 2 things either. A fun image that looks like some girls eyes or that it shows a emotion coming from the image of the girl. 

 

3rd Photomontage 

For my this photomontage. The idea behind this was to basically bring the style of street wear and where it came from. Street Ware came from the New York City. And as you can see in the montage I have done. I have laid parts of New York City together and also the actual style of street layer. Creating this unique image in the way that I mean by unique. I mean, that I have brought lots of different elements of the history of the fashion altogether to make this.

 

4th Photomontages

For this photomontage, the idea of Is to correct To create something similar to the artist Roy Lichtenstein. Who came popular in the 1980s due to the style of Pop art becoming popular. I have simply recreated one of his art pieces and created this. 

5th Photomontage

For this montage, I can't really explain the meaning behind it due to the fact that it has a unique sort of layout. I'm sure the idea came from pinterest and I just wanted to give it a go. There's no meaning behind it's just something I wanted to try out. 

6th Photomontage

For this montage, the idea was me to take lots of different photographs around the same area in preston train station. Layering them all together to create this kind of disorted image. As the photographs are trying to layout together but not really working that well. 

No Camera 

 

And the images you can create using this process are either very simple or unique. Due to the facts of how long you exposed your image to the light and how the development process will work with your photographic paper. 

Mini Research 

Man Ray 

Man Ray was American photographer. Made famous due to his photographs but made famous due to him calling them "rayographs" Man Ray used the process of photogram and the darkroom to create his unique images. He was the pioneer of this space making photograms famous for what they are in the photography world.

 

He used everyday items to create unique patterns on the photographic paper. Creating these images below

Luigi Veronesi

Luigi Veronesi was an Italian artist known for his photograms. His photograms were created by placing objects directly onto photographic paper. This technique allowed him to create unique and abstract images. His work with photograms showcased his creativity and mastery of light and shadow. 

As you can see he plays with glass and light to create these unique images. Messing around with the effects of light and reflection.

Testing & Reflecting 

I've got a massive passion for fashion. So when it came to creating my photograms. I had the idea of using a fashion magazine and laying that on top of the actual photographic paper. To create these portraits and also a different experiment of making a ghostly figure. 

 

First Attempt - Strange Figure 

The process behind this was me to scan. A magazine cover that done as a cut out and tried to make a strange figure/ghost. It took me a while to get the right amount of exposure right? What I mean by exposure is how long? The actual timer for the light is on for the photogram. And also how strong the light was. 

 

The 7 second mark was the right exposure for this sort of image that was trying to correct. It took me a few attempts but I got there at the end.

 

The results are quite interesting. Cause you can't actually see your image until you put it through the developing process. 

Second Attempt - Fashion Shots 

After this, I wanted to experiment using pages within a magazine. Mainly portraits and fashion shots. This was an experimental practice and what I mean by experiment is I just wanted to see if using the photogram process. Will it actual light if it would actually print basically an image onto the photographic paper. 

 

Unsurprisingly, it worked getting some unique, different sort of portraits and fashion shots using the actual process. I found a sweet spot of seven seconds and then slowly raised it. To see the different results which were these photograms below.

 

Mirror and Reflection Photography 

Reflection photography is all about capturing images that show a reflective surface mirroring the surrounding area. It can be anything from a vast ocean to a tiny raindrop. Anything that acts like a mirror to be used to take the photograph. 

 

Mini Research 

Craig Whitehead

Craig Whitehead is a talented photographer from Cambridge, UK. He's know for his fine art street photography. And how he use reflection in his street photography. He works with the reflection of light through windows and mirrors to show everyday people. 

His photography seems 

Jack Davison

Jack Davison is a London based portrait and documentary photographer. That used reflection and lighting effects to bring his photographs to life.  

I think Jack style is kind of abstract. There's not really much of a focus on who or what is more of how he uses his surroundings and the objects around him to create these unique images. A lot of the work he does is portrait, but again, the way he uses reflection and shadows and lighting. Create this sort of illusion to people's eyes whose looking at the actual photography itself.

Testing & Reflection 

First Attempt 

 

I used a silver ball that worked similar to a 360° camrea showing all reflections. This faced me with a challenge to take a photograph without capturing the camrea in frame. This is what I did place the ball in a Bush and took the image from a angle which didn't have me in shot. 

 

Diagram 

Results/ Raws

Second Attempt 

 

In this Attempt I wanted to use everyday thing and natural mirrors to capture the world and people. I used mirrors, reflection windows, a phone and items that create reflections. 

 

For example here: I used a van filled with water containers, a used there reflection to capture the surrounding area. This is style was very much a like street and with some simple editing it became equal with the layout of the shot. 

Before Edit ⬆️ After Edit ⬇️

Going around town and getting all type of photographs that show reflection 

No Rule - Photography 

No Rules: Studio Lighting 

 

I know studio there are rules upon how you take a shoot or photograph within a studio. The idea behind no rules is simply experimenting with different lighting and camrea setting to develop odd shots / cool looking photos. 

Mini Research 

Nick Fancher 

 

Is a talented photographer, author, and educator known for his unique in-camera effects and bold style. He use strong colours to create these amazing images. But is also well know for his shutter speed pieces. That have this strong colour and movement within them. 

 

Testing and Reflection

The first thing we experimented with was slow shutter speeds and lights. To get some really unique shots. By drawing light lines. I found this quite boring personally.  

 

Using Fair lights and some movement with a slow shutter speed of 3secs these are the results from this. 

Using a soft box I made a abstract sort of image. 

2ND Attempt 

Then I wanted to create images with portrait involved within the images. So using myself and a flash gun. I think I got the results I really want it what I got. The idea of having a mixed personality is kind the idea behind these shoots. 

 

How I did it? 

 

I was pretty simple my camrea settings wore 100 Iso, F stop 8 and 30 seconds Shutter speed in the In complete darkness, this allowed me to take pictures of myself and re change how I was posing. Using the flash gun to basically send light into the camera, making it take the actual image. It simply was working as a double exposure. Using this method I got some really unique images and these are the results. 

 

Results 

 

The Final Zine 

FINAL ZINE ARTIST STATEMENT

Also included in the zine itself 

 

Over the past four weeks, we've been learning and combining four different types of photography. Bringing it altogether to make a zine. 

 

Artist Statement 

 

Over these past four weeks, we've been learning and exploring four different techniques for photography. These being 

• No Camera 

• Photomontage 

• No Rules Lighting 

• Mirror and Reflection 

 

Within this zine there are 6 photos from each of the techniques. For me this was many experimental expolring and developing the prossess of something new. The title for this is called "OUTSIDE My Comfort ZONE". The reason for this title is due to the factor of this being very far from what kind of photography I enjoy and do. I could easily of translated these methods into fashion and portrait. But wanted to challenge myself an choose to go down a more abstract route for this. I light to give my images a natural feel which is easy to do with fashion and portrait but we these different techniques and styles. It's abit harder but I choose to go with a more abstract approach to this assessment. 

 

The first section of these as six images using the technique of No camrea. Which is a method of using a lighting and objects of photographic paper to create a image. I choose to go down the route of using objects of myself. The idea behind this was maybe to give you a mini idea of my personality. Also wanted to experiment with the idea of using fashion also with this method. And the results were interesting to see. With the ghost looking thing and the portrait of a model from a fashion magazine. 

 

For the second part of my zine you fall into seeing the photomontages I have create. Their is not much of idea behind any of these part trying to get something unique and weird. The odd feeling of them due to the fact there isn't much of a idea of reason but you can try to pull something out of each and everyone of them. The reason I did this is for the viewer to has something I sit and think about letting the mind run. 

 

The third part of the zine is No Rules Lighting. In the studio there are rules of how to get the best lighting for a photograph. But with a slow shutter speeds you can create some cool and blur styled images that could be pretty unique in there own way. For example I have done four images which are abstract and 2 that are portrait with the idea of a personality disorder being involved in its own way. By using a flash gun and slow shutter speed. These portraits are my self again this took me out of my comfort zone because I am normally behind the camrea. But setting the camrea up on a tripod and getting infornt of it to get some unique images from it. 

 

The final part of the zine is Mirror and Reflection. This is a unique way of photography because you need to think about how you layout of the shot the camrea is looking for the surroundings to get the image to the camrea it's self. I wanted to try not to get the account camrea in the shot. I had the task of taking a images of ball mirror which was a challenge but worked around that get something unique. 

 

Have a look through and enjoy, let your mind run with it.

 

Harry Lowe