Class Task: Slava Semeniuta
Photographer Slava Semeniuta, noticed the glimmering reflective beauty of the streets of Sochi, Russia after the evening rain. The series of dramatically-colored photographs isolates neon shop window reflections in puddles and potholes and transforms the captured moments into otherworldly landscapes.
The photographers work:
My interpretation of this was shining a light on water which had an opaic sheet of coloured plastic over it so the result was the puddles having a nice neon reflection just like the artist Slava Semenuita.
Best edits:
WWW: In this task I followed the artist successfully through underexposing my image to the point where the light and reflection was one of the only focul points of the photos. I had a perfect exposure and framing so the light even looked like it was reflecting off the plastic lining.
EBI: I could have framed the photo better so that there was less of the plastic lining of the main point of this task was to have the water reflecting the light rather than the lighting.
EBI: I could have framed the photo better so that there was less of the plastic lining of the main point of this task was to have the water reflecting the light rather than the lighting.
3 Strands
strand 1
In this task I responded to photographer Friedhelm Hardekopf who puts patterns behind glasses of water which refract and reflect the patterns. This distorts the patterns in the glass creating an interesting effect.
My response
best edits:
WWW: I had good composition so that the glass and the pattern behind the glass was the only thing in it. I also managed to when editing in photoshop, put the contrast up slightly so that the patterns were more bold and stood out more in the picture.
EBI: I could have managed the lighting better as there are some reflections of light within the glass which doesn't fit the picture well. I could have also used finer lines in the pattern to follow directly what Friendhelm Hardekopf.
EBI: I could have managed the lighting better as there are some reflections of light within the glass which doesn't fit the picture well. I could have also used finer lines in the pattern to follow directly what Friendhelm Hardekopf.
Strand 2
I focussed on photographer Tom Hussey who takes pictures of people looking in mirror and edits a younger or older version of them.
Include images by Hussey
In this task I took photos different fruits and vegetables that were decaying and not rotting. However, in my first set I didn't put a black background behind the photo meaning that there was too many things in the photo distracting from the main purpose of the image. In photoshop I aim to change the reflection to the rotten or normal fruit.
Best Edits:
WWW: Successful editing.
EBI: Wash the mirror so that the reflection looks cleaner and the image is clearer.
EBI: Wash the mirror so that the reflection looks cleaner and the image is clearer.
Chosen strand
Which strand did you choose and why?
Development 1 - Andrea B Stone
Inspired by impressionism Stone connects reflection and cityscapes in her impressive work. She temporally shifts our perspective of architecture we see in everyday life.
In this task I was required to put a piece of textured glass in front of my camera lens to distort my picture to make the buildings look distorted. This isn't exactly what Andrea Stone does as she takes pictures of buildings reflected in other skyscrapers where they look distorted however that is what I will do in Development 2.
Best Edits:
WWW: The way that the building was distorted was very good as it managed to even link together two buildings into one through the refractions of the light. When editing I tried to up the contrast to make up for the focus being slightly off to almost make the image sharper.
EBI: The textured glass needs to be cleaned as the images aren't as sharp as they could be. Another factor that lead to the images not being as sharp as they could be is that it can be very hard to focus the image due to their being an object right in front of the lens and also the piece you want to be focussed on, the building. Furthermore, one of the panes of textured glass changed the light so much that you couldn't make out the building.
EBI: The textured glass needs to be cleaned as the images aren't as sharp as they could be. Another factor that lead to the images not being as sharp as they could be is that it can be very hard to focus the image due to their being an object right in front of the lens and also the piece you want to be focussed on, the building. Furthermore, one of the panes of textured glass changed the light so much that you couldn't make out the building.
Development 2:
In this task I focussed on reflections in water with nature. I went to a lake where I could get the trees and nature to reflect off of the water to create a cool effect of two horizon lines.
Best Edits:
WWW: The weather meant that their were really good reflections. The composition meant that the trees shaped the image drawing the eye towards the centre of the image.
EBI: Take the photos with a DSLR camera so the quality is much better. I should also go at a different time of night at a different time of night. This would mean that I could get some cool light reflected of the River Thames.
EBI: Take the photos with a DSLR camera so the quality is much better. I should also go at a different time of night at a different time of night. This would mean that I could get some cool light reflected of the River Thames.
Development 3:
I further focussed on reflections in water in this development.
Best edits:
WWW: I had good composition so that there was a nice foreground and a good reflection.
EBI: Go to more locations with better reflections. I should go at the same time of night because it makes the light reflect well against the river.
EBI: Go to more locations with better reflections. I should go at the same time of night because it makes the light reflect well against the river.
Development 4
This task was a development from the first task I did in this topic following photographer Slava Semenuita. However, in this development it was not artificially created and I managed to find lights and patterns reflected off of wet ground/ puddles. My favourite photos in this response were the ones where bright lights were reflected off of the wet, damp pavement
Best Edits:
WWW: I successfully got interesting reflections within puddles or wet surfaces.
EBI: Finding more places with as interesting lights in the reflection so I could have more best edits.
EBI: Finding more places with as interesting lights in the reflection so I could have more best edits.
Development 5:
In this development I focused on reflections on the ground after rainfall rather than reflections in bodies of water. This was successful because the reflections turned out really well with one person in the water as well as two.
First attempt:
Second attempt:
I decided to do a second attempt here as these first results were not very successful as I couldn't find many good, clear puddles to take reflections in. I also decided that it would be best to have two people in the reflection as it would add an extra element as these first attempts were quite boring.
Best edits:
WWW: captured some really interesting reflections of clouds and people in puddles/ bodies of water on DSLR camera. The subject I chose to photograph suited the theme as the composition of the photo focussed on reflections of people within water.
EBI: I will do this with tall skyscrapers as well as people in it. This will look more interesting than my development 5 as it contains more subject matter.
EBI: I will do this with tall skyscrapers as well as people in it. This will look more interesting than my development 5 as it contains more subject matter.
Development 6:
Sebastian Magnani- analyse and include images
Sebastian Magnani worked on reflections using a mirror. He would have interesting backgrounds as well as a contrasting reflection in the mirror. This would usually be of the sky.
In this task I took a circular mirror into central London. My idea has developed as I changed the reflection from natural water to a circular mirror. My work has developed as I am now working on an artists work. How has your idea developed. So far you've been focussed on technique but what is your idea? Where did you go and why?
Best Edits
www and ebi
WWW: I got some good reflections inside the mirror. This reflected Sebastian Magnani without following him too closely due to changing the subject matter to urban rather than the environment.
EBI: I could have thought about my photos more carefully and found something else to pop up my mirror with. Propping my mirror up with my bag was a bad idea due to it taking up a large percentage of the image. This is why my best edits didn't contain the bag images even though the reflections were quite nice. Furthermore, in my best edits I could have found a way to include the whole image.
EBI: I could have thought about my photos more carefully and found something else to pop up my mirror with. Propping my mirror up with my bag was a bad idea due to it taking up a large percentage of the image. This is why my best edits didn't contain the bag images even though the reflections were quite nice. Furthermore, in my best edits I could have found a way to include the whole image.
Development 7
Why this location, how does it develop your idea?
I took these photos in an area near St Paul's Cathedral as well as inside Kings Cross. This developed my idea as I got better reflections while putting it on the floor rather than propping it up on a bag and a pole.
Development 8
Why this location, how does it develop your idea?
In this development I took photos in parks and got reflections of the sky which is mixed with trees. These looked a lot like Sebastian Magnani as the reflections were very similar. However, the background wasn't on the same level as Magnani so this was what I was developing. This developed my idea as I could use these reflections.
Best Edits:
Explain your idea. How does it link to the theme? How are you manipulating the viewer? Screen grab your process
I am manipulating the viewer in my best edits by contrasting something that they are familiar with another environment they are familiar with.
Development 9
Why this location, how does it develop your idea?
I took photos inside of my house to develop my idea of reflections and get good backgrounds and good reflection that I could use in other images. These worked really well as they juxtaposed the other images really nicely as they were a completely opposite environment. I developed my work as I took photos in a different environment, inside rather than outside.
www & ebi
WWW: The subject I chose suited my theme of reflection as I was reflecting other environmental situations with the complete opposite. I chose to put reflections of an inside environment with outside and visa versa.
EBI: Next time I should go to different locations.
EBI: Next time I should go to different locations.
Development 10
Why this location, how does it develop your idea?
In development 10 I chose to go to Canary Wharf because there are high and interesting sky scrapers that are further apart and easier to photograph than in central London. I chose to go during the day as the photos would be clearer.
Best Edits
Final Pieces
Set 1: Outside
Final Set
Leave the sentences below at the bottom of the page for the whole project.
Copy and paste the sentences you want to use.
Annotation Support
Introducing a task:
Subject matter
Subject matter
Analysis
What do you think the photographer’s intentions are? There may be more than one. ‘PEC’ each intention.
P (Photographer’s name) creates (what type of images? Fantastical, surreal, objective)
E He / she does this by… (describe something in the image)
C He/she wanted us to consider ….
What wider issues is the photographer addressing?
P (Photographer’s name) is considering (is the photographer talking about a bigger issue in photography, society, politics?)
E This is shown by … (describe something in the image)
C The (Photographer’s name) was interested in this issue because (they felt it was relevant to us now…)
How do the materials and techniques used support your photographer’s intentions?
P (Photographer’s name) has used (the darkroom / multiple exposure / film / digital manipulation techniques) in creating this work.
E This creates a ______ effect. (describe something in the image)
C This helps to support (Photographer’s name) point about (showing an identity / hiding a person’s identity / the media / anonymity)
Copy and paste the sentences you want to use.
Annotation Support
Introducing a task:
- In this task I was required to…..
- This task links to the theme, (______) as it shows....
- My intention was to respond to_______ because I wanted to explore....
Subject matter
- The subject I chose to photograph suited the theme as it……
- My composition helped to support my response to the theme by….
- I managed the exposure very well. My ISO / shutter speed / aperture settings were…..
- I prioritised my shutter speed to… (capture movement / blur/ frozen moment)
- I prioritised aperture to manipulate depth of field.
- I used a tripod to avoid camera shake.
- My images express my intentions which were…
Subject matter
- The subject I chose to photograph did not necessarily fit the brief as it was not interesting enough / appropriate / adequately lit…..
- Next time I should go to (a different location), photograph at a different time of day, organise people in advance, think more about my composition so that….. ect
- I did not create enough depth of field / sense of movement. The image is over exposed / underexposed / too blurred.
- Next time I should use a tripod / use a different type of lens (be specific) / experiment with film…
- My images do not show my intentions which were…
- The concept wasn’t clear in my images, I need to make it more explicit by…
- Next time I will consider the work of (a photographer) to inspire a more accurate depiction of what I want to achieve.
- I will experiment further with… (blur / shutter speed / composition)
Analysis
What do you think the photographer’s intentions are? There may be more than one. ‘PEC’ each intention.
P (Photographer’s name) creates (what type of images? Fantastical, surreal, objective)
E He / she does this by… (describe something in the image)
C He/she wanted us to consider ….
What wider issues is the photographer addressing?
P (Photographer’s name) is considering (is the photographer talking about a bigger issue in photography, society, politics?)
E This is shown by … (describe something in the image)
C The (Photographer’s name) was interested in this issue because (they felt it was relevant to us now…)
How do the materials and techniques used support your photographer’s intentions?
P (Photographer’s name) has used (the darkroom / multiple exposure / film / digital manipulation techniques) in creating this work.
E This creates a ______ effect. (describe something in the image)
C This helps to support (Photographer’s name) point about (showing an identity / hiding a person’s identity / the media / anonymity)