Mix it up! redo

Mix It Up!By Giorgio Frattolillo1) Still Life1) Texture1) Layering2) Lighting2) Abstracting3) Sequencing

Artist Research:Giuseppe Bognanni(image links in description below)Here are two photographs from Giuseppe Bognanni. Bognanni is one of my favourite still life photographers. He takes his photo in a studio lit environment, using soft boxes and studio lighting. Most of his photos are very simple, but creative and they have stories behind them, or make you wonder why he has put the objects together and taken a photo of them. The photo on the left is simple, very simple infact, using every day objects that anyone could find in their house, but not alot of people would think to put them together. There are only 3 items in the shot, ink, a dead flower and a fork. The reason that these items were put together into a composition is because it gives the photograph a sense of mystery, mood and energy to the scene. This then creates a story in the viewers mind, making them think why have these been put together, and what could it mean when they are together? It creates a very low energy, depressive and ‘dead’ feel when you look at it, and the lighting used creating the shadows and reflections in the scene makes the mood depressing. The photograph on the right is the complete opposite to the one on the left, yes it is still simple, but the mood is much happier and uplifting due to the very bright colours, and the randomness of the splashes of water creates a much happier feeling than the dark concentrated ink In the photo on the left hand side.

Artist Research:Bill Gekas(image link in description below)Here Is one of Bill Gekas’ shots. I really like the composition of this shot, and I love the way that the flower hangs over the photo and then drops down to the floor on the right hand side. I also love the mood in this photograph, the way in which the flower is drooping down, and the greyscale effect on the photo makes the photo seem to symbolise that the photo is dying or already dead. The lighting used in this photo in an over head soft box, set to around about 40% intensity, with another normal lighting rig placed to the right of the photo with an intensity of about 60%. I can see this because of the shadows and highlights in the photo. I can also tell that this photo was shot in a studio, and not outside in the natural light because of the way that the sharpness and clarity of this photo is enhanced by the black backdrop behind the photo. I really like the effect and mood that this photo gives to the viewer, which is achieved by the use of lighting in this photo.

Artist Research:Gordana AM(image links in description below)Here are two photographs taken by Gordana AM. I love the composition and depth of both of these, and I really like the depth of field used to create a sense of clarification in the photo. When I said that I like the depth, what I really meant was how there is a scene, or objects behind the object that is in focus, for example, on the left photograph, there aremoreblueberries, and on the left photograph of the cherries, the table goes back into perspective. In both photos, there is contrast between the dark and light. In the photo on the left, the bright background really brings out the detail of the dark blueberries, and on the right photo, the detail is brought out not by the colour, but by the use of depth of field. Both photos were taken in different environments, one outside, in the natural light (the cherries) and the other in a studio lit environment (the blueberries). I like the cropping and the composition of both images, as the depth due to the composition gives a really clarified effect to the detail on the fruit.

Artist Research:Carlo Pautasso(image link in description below)Carlo Pautasso takes photos which are a bit like Giuseppe Bognanni’s, simple, creative, but effective. This photo, is very creative, yet very simple, and I think that the effect that this brings to the viewer is amazing. If you look this photo, you want to know why those things have been put there, and what do they mean? What are they trying to tell the viewer? Pautasso does this on alot of his photos, and I think that this is what makes a brilliant still life photographer. This photograph has a very detailed, crumbled wall texture on it, with 3 simple objects to give the scene some contrast and something for us to think about. The wall looks old, and worn down, whereas all of the objects within the scene look new, and the texture on them is much smoother. The contrasts in this photo are the textures, the colours and the ages of the objects in this scene. The lighting is a natural, soft window light, from the left side of the picture, casting soft shadow maps across the scene. This clarifies the texture on the wall, and makes the smooth finishes on the other objects look even smoother, as the contrasts between them are so strong. Also, I have noticed that the picture on the wall of the flower is almost symmetrical, or a reflection of the flower within the scene, which seems to be pointing at the photo anyway. This gives the viewer even more doubts about what this picture is trying to achieve or show us.

Artist Research:Michel Feugeas(image links in description below)Michael Feugeas. Another one of my favourite all – round photographers. I love his shots, they are artistic and very creative. I have chosen these two shots, of the many still life shots that Feugeas has taken, because each of them are incredibly interesting to look at, both representing and symbolising different emotions or times in our lives. The photograph on the right, representing marriage, love and happiness in someone’s life, however, the dying leaves and plants, crumbling and wrinkling away, represent death, sadness, and depression. Both of the scenes used both also help and represent to the times of these 2 photographs, the middle of a book, half read, half way down the page, represents a human being half way through there life, and with the live flowers in the scene, it just makes the mood more uplifting. The scene in the right photo is old, textures and weathered, like it has been worn away over the years, quite like an older person. The lighting in each photo is also different, as the left one is bright, with an amber tint to it, making the photo seem warm, whereas the one on the left has a cool blue shaded light onto it, making it feel cold and decaying.

Artist Research:Holger DrosteHolger Droste is an inspirational photographer. Droste’s favourite thing about photography, and the thing in which he is passionate about is detail and contrast. He used contrasts of light, shades, colours, angles, compositions to create some amazing work. Alot of Holger’s still life photography is based on the strong contrasts created between objects, by using different lighting setups, and studio rigs. The detail in his photos is defined and clarified by the high contrasts between colour and texture that he photographs. As you can see, the two images on the left are some great examples of Holger Droste’s passion about contrast and detail. The top photo, scissors. This photograph has been taken in a greyscale, to try to create an extreme contrast between the midtones, the highlights, and of course the shadows. This high contrast brings out the detail of the grungy looking background, which is behind the scissors, a worn piece of material. This combined with the greyscale effect makes the photo look very old and, but the highlights and sharp reflections used in the scissors makes the photo still very interesting, as it this is the main focus due to the high contrasts and detail s included on the photograph. The photograph on the left hand side is also very detailed, due to the high contrasts, between the very dark, solid black background, and the bright colourful stem and petals of the growing plant. I think that this photo could almost look abstract, as the bending and shape of this plant almost looks like a scribble. The lighting used in this photo is actually natural, and Holger has used the magic wand tool and a solid black fill onto the background to create the high contrast between the black and the colour of the plant to bring out the detail.(image links in description below)

Photoshoot #1 In this photoshoot, I decided to go and find some natural forms, with different textures on. I wanted to do this so that I could try and really pick up the fine detail in the objects, by trying out multiple light sources and by changing the placement of the lights. I tried using natural light, and also an amber bulbed lamp, so I could see what different effects I could get by using them. I also decided to build my own type of studio look for the photos, by using a piece of paper which was curved to try and give the photo a seamless floor. Here are a few examples of the studios and lights in which I tried out:

Photoshoot #1 - Contact Sheets

Photoshoot #1 – Chosen PhotosP7243839

Photoshoot #1 – Editing Chosen PhotosP7243839I used the levels tool and the curves adjustment to make the contrast higher in the photo, increasing the clarity of the water on the grass.

Photoshoot #1 – Editing Chosen PhotosP7243839Here is the final, edited version of photograph P7243839. I really liked the depth in this photo, and the strong detail and refraction within the droplets of water on the grass. I think that the colours and lighting within the photo work very well together, giving off a very calm, still feel. In the editing, I decided to increase the contrast of the photo by slightly adjusting the levels of light and by making a ‘contrast curve’ within Photoshop. I would relate this photograph to Bill Gekas’ photograph which I analysed, because although a different technique was use, the lighting is from a similar direction and angle, and the grass also hangs in a similar way to the flower in Bill’s photo.

Photoshoot #1 – Editing Chosen PhotosP8293873Firstly I decided to crop the photograph to improve the composition.I then changed the levels of the photograph to lighten the scene up a bit.

Photoshoot #1 – Editing Chosen PhotosP8293873This screenshot shows myself using the curves adjustment, and adjusting the angle of the curve to increase the contrast of the photo. Lastly I decided to desaturate the photo to give the photo the old, vintage effect, changing the mood and feel of the photograph for the viewer.

Photoshoot #1 – Editing Chosen PhotosP8293873I decided to chose this photo as one of my final images, which I decided to edit, because I really like the mood, and the stillness of this photograph. I think that the mood is depressing and the composition of the image gives a very lonely feel, as the tomato has nothing surrounding it. I think that this photo could be improved, and if was going to retake it, I would tweak my focus a little as I think that it is slightly out of focus. I really like the effect that the lighting which I used has given off, a nice soft shadow underneath the tomato, with the left hand side with an amber shaded shine to it. In the editing, I have again, tweaked the levels of light and adjusted the curves effectors, to try and get a very obvious mood. I was aiming to get a depressed, and lonely mood within in the photo, which gives my reasoning of desaturating the bright green colour of the tomato. I would relate this photograph to the photographer Michael Feugeas, because I think that the old, frail look of both of our photos, is similar in the aspects of contrast and saturation. My photo is not as detailed as his, and the scene is not the same, but the lighting is similar, and the mood of the photograph is the same too.

Photoshoot #1 – Editing Chosen PhotosP8293878After cropping the photo down, the second thing I did is darken the shadows, making the contrast detail, which makes the pinecone more detailed.

Photoshoot #1 – Editing Chosen PhotosP8293878I increased the contrasts between each part of the pinecone by changing the levels adjustment.I always like to desaturate natural forms, to make the colours more suttle, but keeping the contrast levels the same.

Photoshoot #1 – Editing Chosen PhotosP8293878Here is my edited photograph of a pinecone. I think that this photo is very interesting as it is, but it could be improved. I think that the improvements that I would do on this photo, if I were to retake it, would be to try and get the front of the pinecone in focus aswell as the centre, but to keep the depth of field very strong towards the back. I did try to change this, within photo, I tried using the sharpen tool on the blurred area, but the outcome wasn't good – the blurred area got covered in a grainy, noise texture! I really do like the lighting in this photo though, I think that the way in which it has been lighted, by using an amber tinted bulb, refracted by frosted glass (which softens the light considerably) has given the image a suttle, but warm feel to it, giving off some sharp and harsh shadows, to clarify the detail between each ridge of the pinecone. Throughout the editing, I have changed the levels of the photo, trying to make the shadows as harsh as possible, to try and make the contrast as strong as possible, without ruining the picture, to try and get the detail as sharp as possible. I also decided to desaturated the photo, as I felt that the overall image of the pinecone was too yellow, and the shadows were not as strong. I would relate this photograph to the photographer which I have researched, again, Michael Feugeas. I think that this image relates to Feugeas’ because of the texture, and also the object. The textures in both photographs, are definitely similar, a natural leaf, or bark grain to it, with a similar colour. The object relates very well aswell, as both are natural forms which can both be found within the same habitat. The lighting could also be quite similar within this photo, as they are both lit from the top left with a very suttle light.

Photoshoot #1 – Editing Chosen PhotosP8293897Firstly I made the contrast stronger by making ‘contrast curve’ using the curves adjustment tool.I then changed the levels of the photo to make the poppy head more visible and to bring out the highlights and midtones more.

Photoshoot #1 – Editing Chosen PhotosP8293897Again, here I lowered the levels of saturation in the image as the poppy head looked too yellow and the tone was too vibrant.Next I decided to adjust the shadows and highlights settings, to try and increase the contrast a little more. In this screenshot, it looks worse than the one above, but that doesn't matter as I was going to colour correct it shortly.

Photoshoot #1 – Editing Chosen PhotosP8293897As you can now see, I used magic bullet looks to colour correct my image. I applied many filters and adjustments (which you can see below the image) to try and soften the picture a little, but also to keep he detail and strong contrast at the same time.

Photoshoot #1 – Editing Chosen PhotosP8293897Here is my final, and my favorite photograph which I have taken. Again, I used the studio style scene which I made, but in this photo I moved the light much closer and changed the angle of it, so it was more of a harsh light from the left hand side. I also really like the depth of field within the photo, focusing all of the viewers attention to the head of the poppy. In the editing, I have changed the photograph quite a lot, as I have changed the levels of light in the photo, sharpening the detail due to the higher contrast. I have also used magic bullet looks to colour correct the photograph aswell, as I think that the colours were slightly dull and were not too interesting. I would relate this photograph to the artist Gordana AM, because of the depth used to keep all of the focus on the main part of the photograph.

Photoshoot #1 – Editing Chosen PhotosExploring layering in PhotoshopHere is all of my edited photographs put together, to make a composition of still life which is all taken from nature. Id id this to try and experimenting with layering within Photoshop. Within this editing off all of the images, in each scene I was aiming to create a similar mood, a degrading and distressing photograph. I did this because it fits in with still life very well, because things that are still, and not moving, gives the impression that they are dead, or dying, and with some editing techniques used, you can enhance this by desaturating photos and increasing the shadows so that the photo looks darker, and bringing out the detail makes it also look a lot more frail. When I put all of these photos into a composition, I decided to try and create a simple, yet effective composition. I have decided to put the two longer, landscape based photos across the top and the bottom, with the other 2, portrait photos in the centre. I decided to do this because I think that putting the two landscape photos together would have made it look the other 2 photos were being forced off the page, and they would have looked like they didn’t fit in with the rest of the composition, but putting them in the centre, makes them look like they are more surrounded and like they are meant to be in the photo.

Photoshoot #2 In this photoshoot, I was aiming for a slightly different look to Photoshoot #1. I was aiming to try and get a more abstract and random look to my photos. I was also trying out using natural light, not through a window, I was doing the shoot outside, to see what different effects and shadows I could get on my photos. I did use the same style studio look, as I really like the way it captures shadows and contrasts with different textures on the objects which I am photographing. Here are some of the examples of the studio look I was using:

Photoshoot #2 – Editing Chosen PhotosP9023981Firstly, I decided to adjust the levels of the photo. Usually, I would make the photo darker to increase the contrast of it, but in this edit, I decided to make the photo slightly lighter, so that the plant would contrast with the bark more strongly.Next, I changed the curves adjustment slightly, to try to make the contrast slightly darker on the bark, so the fur coming off the plant was more visible.

Photoshoot #2 – Editing Chosen PhotosP9023981I then changed the saturation of the photo, I lowered it as I felt like the colours were to vivid and too strong, and they over powered the photo. I also adjusted the light slightly so that the contrast was still just as strong.Finally, I then changed the exposure and the gamma correction slightly, to try and sharpen the detail of the plant a little more.

Photoshoot #2 – Editing Chosen PhotosP9023981Here is the final, edited version of this photo. I decided to choose this photo as one of my final shots from photoshoot #2 because I really like the depth, and the high focus on the small hairs on the plant. In the editing, I have desaturated the image, as I think that the colours were too vibrant, and strong so they over powered the photo. I also have increased the contrast between colours to try and make the detail stand out even more. I f I was going to retake this photo I would maybe try tweak my aperture settings a little more, as I think that the background is blurred a little too much. I would relate this photo to the photographer Holger Droste, as they are both very abstract due to the colours and the shapes which are created from both natural forms.

Photoshoot #2 – Editing Chosen PhotosP9023988Firstly, I changed the levels, again, making the photo slightly lighter, but to increase the contrast so that the blurred background shows the detail against the sharply focused hairs coming from the plant.Secondly, I changed the brightness, to make the photo lighter as I thought it was slightly dull, but at the same time, I changed the contrast, but I actually lowered it this time, as I think that the contrasts did turn out a little too strong from using the levels adjustment.

Photoshoot #2 – Editing Chosen PhotosP9023988I then made a very very slight adjustment to the curves adjustment – I made a small contrast curve to try to sharpen the detail slightly.I then desaturated the photo by -41%, because I think that again, the colours were very bright, and overpowered the photo. Also, desaturating the photo has given me the mood and energy within the photo which I was aiming to achieve.

Photoshoot #2 – Editing Chosen PhotosP9023988This is one of my favourite photos from this photoshoot. I love the composition, of the objects which I arranged, which gives a very mysterious but sympathetic mood as it looks like the the plant is being surrounded, or confronted by the wood, or it could even look like it is being flattened, which does give a sense of sympathy into the photograph. The photographic energy is very low, and the scene seems to be very quite, and calm, which makes a great still life photograph. I also really like the contrasts of the different textures, between the bark and the plant. In the editing, I decided to desaturate the photo, to make it more dull, enhancing the mood. I also used the levels adjustment to increase the contrast darkening shadows but highlighting the lighter areas, which then shows where the detail is at it stands out more. I would relate this photograph to the photograph which I have analyzed, Gordana AM. I would relate this photo to the Gordana’s of the blueberries, due to the depth and also the way in which one object is surrounded by others, making the one object seem intimidated by the other objects surrounding it.

Photoshoot #2 – Editing Chosen PhotosP9023998Firstly, I decided to remove any distractions from the photo, by using the spot healing tool within Photoshop. I also decided to use the clone stamp tool to make the background all one colour.Again, I then made the saturation slightly higher, as I still thought that the colours were still too dull.

Photoshoot #2 – Editing Chosen PhotosP9023998I then made a small contrast curve to try and make the contrast slightly stronger.I then made a very very slight adjustment to the curves adjustment – I made a small contrast curve to try to sharpen the detail slightly.

Photoshoot #2 – Editing Chosen PhotosP9023998I then decided that the saturation was a little too strong on the plant, so I lowered it down by -12%.Finally, I used the colour balance to adjust the levels of brightness in the colours, and I could desaturate each individual colour, in this screenshot, I was aiming to make the yellow more subtle.

Photoshoot #2 – Editing Chosen PhotosP9023998This is not one of my favourite photos, I have to admit. It was one of my favourite, before I edited it, but now, compared to the other photos, I don’t think that this is my favourite, purely because I think that the saturation of the photo is too high, and I need to release the amount of yellow within the photo, as the plant is too bright and the contrast is very strong against the dark wood. I think that this photo could work for the experiment in which I am working on though – abstract. I think that the high contrast and the blending of the texture has really worked in the aspect of ‘abstract’ for this photo. In the editing, I have increased the saturation, and used the levels adjustments to increase the contrasts. I also used the colour balance tool to try and balance out the colours, and reduce the colours which are too strong – for example; the green and the yellows. I would relate this photo again, to the photographer Gordana AM – but not for the blueberries – the cherries, because of the depth and the focus used, and also the lighting is similar.

Photoshoot #2 – Editing Chosen PhotosP9024000The first thing I did to this photo was sharpen it. I used the sharpen brush, rather than the sharpen filter as I only wanted to sharpen parts of the plant. I also used a halftone pattern filter from Photoshop, to desaturate the photo completely and to make the contrasts strong to clarify the detail of the plants tiny hair.I then changed the levels adjustment of the photo to reduce some of the darkness’ of the greys within the photo, as I was too dark. I would have used the brightness/contrast adjustment but I only wanted to make the greys lighter, not the whole photo.

Photoshoot #2 – Editing Chosen PhotosP9024000I then darkened all of the shadows within the photo, so that the whiter and lighter greys would contrasts more strongly with it, bringing out more detail within the photo.Here I did some re-sharpening of some of the parts of the photo, for example the hair and the bits which are in focus.

Photoshoot #2 – Editing Chosen PhotosP9024000Again – this is one of my favourite photos from this photoshoot, Purely because of the depth and composition of it. The depth, which is similar to the previous photo – and a lot of the ones from this photoshoot – just has the one strand of the plant in focus, with the background blurred away. I have the same shot quite a lot, because I was experimenting with the background, more than the foreground, trying to see what different effects I could get by using the different effects from the background. In the editing, I have used a halftone filter to it, to apply a desaturated, moody, high contrast grey look. This creates a completely different mood to all of the other photos, as the contrasts are much stronger due to there only being 3 different colours for the contrasts to occur between. I would relate this photo to the photographer Bill Gekas – because both photos have a similar, drained mood to them and both are in greyscale rather than colour. I have noticed that the motion of the plant in Gekas’ photo and the part of the plant in this photo are also quite similar.

Photoshoot #3 In the third, and final photoshoot, I was left with my last experiment, Sequencing. I was really looking forward to this project / experiment. When I started this experiment, I was trying to think of how I could capture a strong, interesting texture, with the experiment ‘ of sequencing – but to my surprise – I spotted this (please see photo below) on my page! And this photoshoot was taken right after my abstracting photoshoot (photoshoot 2), so the scene and setup of lighting was the same! I think that this photoshoot has turned out quite well (to my surprise), as I didn't’t have the clearest idea of what I was going to do for sequencing.You will be able to see what this is more clearly on the final photos.

Photoshoot #3 – Chosen PhotosI am going to choose nearly all of my photos for my final shots – purely because the photoshoot is for sequencing, and all of the photos used make the sequence that I am going to use as one big final photo.

Photoshoot #3 – Editing Chosen PhotosHere is the sequence of the 25 photos which I have taken. I put them together into a 5x5 grid on Photoshop. While I was putting each photo into the grid, I was changing the brightness levels so that there was not some dark ones and some lighter ones.I then used a levels adjustment to adjust the levels of light of all of the photos at once, rather than doing it individually. This also ensures that they all have the same lighting balance, making the sequence look more consistent.

Photoshoot #3 – Editing Chosen PhotosHere I added a hue and saturation adjustment layer to all the sequence. I lowered the saturation down, and slightly adjusted the levels and hue.Finally, I added a colour balance to the photo so I could control the midtones of each colour, so that the saturation would be perfect.

Photoshoot #3 – Editing Chosen PhotosHere is the final, edited version of my sequence experiment. I really like how this has turned out as the final image, but if I was going to retake the photoshoot, then there are some adjustments that I would make. I would try to keep a consistent background, or slight rebuild my studio so that it had a white background from any angle in which I photographed from. I would also not adjust my aperture settings throughout the photoshoot, as it makes the editing slightly harder as the brightness of each photo is different and they don’t blend as well as a sequence. The photographer which I would relate this photograph to would be Giuseppe Bognanni, because a lot of the photos used in this sequence are taken at the same angle as Bognanni’s, and they also have the same level of depth and detail in them aswell.

Final Photo From ‘Mix It Up!’I have chosen this photograph as my final photo because I think that the texture which is show by the harsh light to the left is very detailed and clear. This is because of the dark contrasting shadows against the lighter brown parts of the poppy head. I also really like the depth and the composition of the shot, as the depth focus’ all of the detail onto one part of the poppy head, and the composition also draws the focus to the head of the plant. This relates very well to the aspects of this project, ‘Lighting’ and ‘Texture’, so I think that this is definitely my favourite image. If I was going to take the photograph again I would try to use more layering to explore the experiment category of ‘layering’ a little further.

Mix it up! redo

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