Work Record Four: (Daniella Zalcman)

Word Record Four: (Daniella Zalcman)

Plans For Shoot: Forest vs.Urban
For this shoot, I will visit Epping Forest and will take pictures during the cold snap to capture the snow. I'm interested in forests and the different landscapes that are within them. I will complete two shoots and use photoshop to layer the two images over each other by changing the opacity. 

Research Influence: 
I've chosen to research Daniella Zalcman as I like the double exposures of London and New York that she is well known for. I will do two shoots and layer the forest images over the urban images to juxtapose the different landscapes over each other. 

Image Bank:

Contact Sheet(One):

This shoot was in Epping Forest during the cold snap. 

Images That Need Improvement:

DSC_7632.NEF:

As this was one of the first images that I took in the forest I was still getting used to the camera settings and so this image was darker than I wanted it to be. Due to this being one of the first images I was still adjusting the settings which were Aperture Priority, 1/160 second exposure, F/7.1, ISO 400. I changed the F-stop and the white balance, this resolved the darkness issue and so resulted in the next image being an improvement: DSC_7635.NEF.
DSC_7669.NEF:

I dislike the framing of this image as I was too far away from the geese and the edge of the lake. I have no objection to any other aspects of the images as the exposure and lighting are acceptable. Just as I said before I was reviewing the images while at the location as the camera settings are unreliable when there is snow, due to the amount of light that's present as snow and ice crystals reflect light making it brighter outside. I reshot the image once I was closer to the lake and so feel no need to reshoot as I did this at the location upon reviewing the image. 
DSC_7740.NEF:

I also dislike the framing of this shot as I was experimenting how to frame the image. This is one of the images that I didn't like. However, I achieved many more shots that were framed better than this so I won't reshoot. 
DSC_7783:
The framing of this image is also a problem here as the image isn't straight. Next time I will either use a monopod as I like walking to different places within the forest and also a tripod would be impractical. Another alternative is I could turn the stabiliser on that is built into the camera. 

Best Images:

DSC_7635:

I like this image as you can see the well-used path that has been worn away in the snow by dog walkers and their four-legged companions. 

DSC_7662.NEF:

This is a shot that I took facing the edge of the lake, you can see it in the bottom left of the screen. I chose this as one of my best images because it shows the diversity of the forest. You can see at least three different species of trees let alone the amount of the animals that call the forest home. 

DSC_7671.NEF:

I like this image as it highlights one of the main attractions of the forest: wildlife. People take their children to lakes and forests to feed the birds bread or seed. The more habitats we destroy for new homes the less likely it is that futures generations will be able to see these animals in their natural habitat. 

DSC_7680.NEF:

This is a slightly less used path in the forest. This is one of my best images because it highlights our need to fit in even when we're alone walking, as everyone has walked along the same path through the snow despite it being churned up and marshy from the previous people's steps. 

DSC_7688.NEF:

As the day was so cold there was barely a cloud in the sky, resulting in large amounts of light and clear water that allows beautiful reflections like the one above.

DSC_7717:

I like this images because it is very well balanced. The clear sky is reflected in the freezing water and the reeds on either side of the water are at different depths, personally, this is my favourite image out of the shoot.   

Contact Sheet(Two):

Images that need improvement:

DSC_3087.NEF:

I dislike the framing in this image as the metal fencing ruins the photo. I did notice this when I was shooting and I could have reshot but I didn't feel the need as this image wasn't the type of landscape I was looking for when I set out to shoot. Because of this, I won't reshoot as I have other images that better suit my purpose. 

DSC_3094.NEF:

Out of the whole shoot, this image is one of the most uninteresting. I dislike the framing and the lighting as it's dull and lethargic. I will use a different shot from the shoot as this one is poor, however, I don't feel the need to reshoot. 

DSC_3102.NEF:

I don't like this image as the shot is framed poorly and the subject matter is monotonous, consequently, I won't be using this image in my final images. However, I will not reshoot as I'm content with the images I have. 

My Best Images:

DSC_3090.NEF:

I like this image as it was raining when I took it as it highlights the miserable and sterile neighbourhood I was in. As this is a relatively new estate it looks like a children's playlet of houses, they're all extremely clean and uniform and devoid of character. 

DSC_3091.NEF:

This shows a house up for sale in the new neighbourhood. I don't like the bland style of the houses which makes it even more tragic, on top of a forest being destroyed so this housing estate can be made. 

DSC_3098.NEF:

I like this image as the weather gives a sense of dramatic irony, where the weather reflects the mood of a creative piece.
DSC_3100.NEF:

I like this image as you can see the forest that was cut down to build the housing estate.  Those people who live there will be able to see what the new housing has done to the surrounding environment.
DSC_3108.NEF:

This image has a wonderful contrast of aforementioned forest that has been cut down and the housing estate that has replaced it. 
DSC_3114.NEF:

I like the framing of this shot as there are few soft lines, and it represents the difficulty that the wildlife will have finding new habitats and homes after the forest has been cut down to take images. 

A03: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.

My initial ideas were inspired by my research into Daniella Zalcman. I like her double exposures of New York and London that reflect her lifestyle, as her work takes between these two locations. I that I would have to complete two shoots to be able to layer two locations as double exposures in Photoshop. My favourite images out of the first shoot are DSC_7671.NEF because it illustrates one of the main reasons why people like forests - wildlife and one of the main reasons we shouldn't be destroying habitats to build more houses. My second favourite is DSC_7717.NEF as it shows the beautiful lake in Epping forest and the reflection of the sky in the water, which was my target when taking that particular shot. In the second shoot my favourite image was DSC_3090.NEF as it shows one of the main streets in the new estate, all the houses are the same like they've been made using a cookie cutter. Due to their uniform design all the character they could have had has been removed, this images displays this perfectly.     

A02: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops. 
I used my Nikon DSLR with an 18-200mm lens on both shoots, as I was taking landscape shots at both Epping Forest and the new housing estate. For the Epping Forest shoot I was changing the exposure bias which was something new to me, I changed this setting as the snow was reflecting to much light and tampering with the normal camera setting I'd be using. It simply changes the exposure so that the camera settings are at the optimum configuration for the environment. If I was to change something about the practical part of this shoot it would be changing the second location as I found it difficult to analyse the images because they were all so similar due to the location and the architect that designed the new area. 

A01: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding. 
My first idea was to take double exposures of one location, unfortunately I didn't know how to do this on a digital camera and I didn't want to have to wait for a film roll to come back from processing. I changed my focus to accommodate this by shooting twice at different locations and using Photoshop to layer the images over each other. Alternatively I could have used physical experiments and merged the images together physically by cutting and/or tearing the images then sticking them back together. I chose not to continue this as the photographer I'd researched didn't use this technique and I wanted to take my images in a different direction. I might continue this later in my work to further develop this shoot. 

Improving My Best Images:

To improve my images I decided to use layers in photoshop after my standard editing process of changing the sliders when the images are first opened in Photoshop. 
Here is how I changed the images using the slider when I first opened my images:

For this image I raised the exposure as I had my camera's exposure relatively dark as I was afraid overexposing my images and consequently ruining any details that may have been in the images. I also raised the contrast as I wanted the fine details to stand out against the snow.

  

 As there was a large amount of sky in this image it was lighter than the others I took, consequently I lowered the whites to bring out the reflection in the lake. 

Some of the image of the housing estate were slightly wonky and so I quickly straightened them using the crop tool:

Next I layered the images over each other to create double exposures, I pressed CMD+T (transform) to change the size of the image over the other. Then I held ALT to keep the image proportional to the other image:

As you can see I've layered the two images over each other by changing the opacity so the layer underneath can be seen. However, the house and the corner of the lake aren't at a right angle (as I have circled) and this distracts from the image. COnsequently I had to remove the second layer and straighten the image as this cannot be done with two seperate layers.

Here I have changed the angle of the first layer then replaced the second layer again. Here is the final image I created:

Final Images:

A04: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements. 

My initial ideas came from my photographer's research into Daniella Zalcman as I liked her double exposures. I wanted to incorporate double exposures Juxtaposition and so used two completely contrasting landscapes. I did this because it would serve as a before and after shot of what was on the land before the new housing estate was built onto it, and now the damage that has been caused to the environment and the habits that existed before is irreparable.

For my next work record I would like to look further into how humans consume the world around them at an alarming rate and most don't notice it is happening because we, as a race have become detached from nature.   

Juxtaposition:
For this shoot I wanted to take photographs of different skulls as my main focus has been human skulls so far. My main reasoning behind this was to explore the different meanings behind the different skulls. 

In my next shoot I would like to experiment with different colours and skulls as different colours have different meanings as well as the different skulls.