Work Record - All shoots

Shoot 1 - Location/Architecture

For my first shoot, I went into Stortford with the intention of shooting pattern in architecture and shapes found in buildings/decorations. For this shoot my camera settings were set at Exposure: 1/250 seconds, F/10 and ISO at 100. This allowed me to shoot in the daylight with auto focus on, lighting up my subjects thoroughly. I framed the majority of each photograph so that the pattern was symmetrical on either sides of the frame, or the shapes were the most evident either against a contrasting background or a skyline. This shoot was successful for me as it was a development from my previous shoots.

These two photographs above present my range of styles for this topic, and were my most successful in my opinion. I wanted to look at both architecture pattern and patters through shapes that I just so happened to spot whilst out shooting. I am pleased with the outcome of my first shoot for this topic as I accumulated an interesting variety of natural pattern photography inspired by my first, fourth, eight and ninth shoots in my coursework.

In order to progress from this shoot, I expanded it by doing a fashion shoot on location. I was able to capture some beautiful shapes and patterns in the buildings/floors/decorations around Stortford, so I am hoping to be able to now capture the shapes and patterns found in peoples clothes. This shoot will be set up and most likely captured in a large field where there is plenty of space for me to establish a well structured composition. I will then go onto developing this in the studio at some point to work with lighting and different backdrops, contrasting with the clothes that my model will be wearing.

Shoot 2 - Fashion shoot on location

This was a shoot that I carried out on a local field with Danielle. I used her as my model to advertise patterned clothing and hair accessories. I wanted to do this shoot as it was my intention to capture some portraiture photography, which I experimented with in my tenth shoot in my coursework before following through with this idea in my exam. The location was extremely spacious and had bright green grass to compliment the vibrant colours in each item of clothing, which has the connotation of warm weather, emphasising the upcoming Spring season.

After carrying out four shoots in my coursework and one in my exam based on patterns on location, I wanted to develop this with portraiture photography, on location, and intended for the subject (Danielle) to convey the formal element pattern instead of the surroundings. I was able to dress Danielle in a variety of different outfits, all of which conveyed a different pattern and produced a large assortment of different images.

In order to progress this idea, I will be shooting close ups of the patterns found in clothes in order for the patterns to fill the frame, allowing this formal element to be the main feature in all of the composition. I will be able to photograph some so they are symmetrical and others so they are irregular,  both themes that I have explored in my coursework.

Shoot 3 - Clothes patterns

For this shoot my camera settings were set at Exposure: 1/85 sec, F/5.6, ISO 640. I shot these pieces at home with natural daylight coming through my window. I didn't need to rely so heavily on a studio set up as I was photographing 2D subjects that didn't have important textures/details, just plenty of pattern to fill the frame. I then went onto using Photoshop to adjust the shadows and brightness of each photo through the curves tool and levels tool. This gave each photograph some depth and precision, also enhancing the colours of each piece, making the bright patterns pop. 

In order to develop this shoot, I am going to photograph some beauty products as I have looked at portraiture for fashion advertisements and close ups of feminine outfits. I am hoping to develop the splatter tool next in shoot 4 that I experimented with in shoot 6 of my coursework, as this will provide an edge to my shoot, making an explosive pattern and abstract outcome.

Shoot 4 - Feminine products

For this shoot my camera settings were set at Exposure: 1/125 sec, F/8, ISO 100. I shot in the studio by using two lights facing the sheet that I had set up creating an infinity curve over a table. The product was situated in the middle of this sheet to give the product even amounts of lighting on both sides. The vibrant colours found in the two products below have the connotation of positive energy, which is what the explosions represent. I composed the photograph below as a close up as the bottles were different heights, so by cropping the subject to just the packaging I have allowed for neat and tidy composition.

I am now interested in developing it onto looking at fresh fruits. This shoot has been all about colour and vibrant images, and I would like to continue this theme as colour is a formal element that attracts a viewer instantly. The tropical scented Batiste dry shampoo is also something that has inspired me to develop onto shooting fruits and their patterns. The fruits that I am interested in capturing are orange slices, kiwi slices and lemon/lime slices as these all have intricate symmetrical patterns that I can enhance by using a light box beneath the subjects. I will also create some more triptychs with different colours of the same object, after the successful outcome in this shoot.

Shoot 5 - Light box with fruits

For this shoot my camera settings were set at Exposure: 1/125 sec, F/8, ISO 100, the same as shoot 4, as it was shot in a studio with the same set up just minus the sheet that creates an infinity curve, as I used a lightbox for the surface that the fruits went on top of. By using a lightbox in this shoot, I was able to have the light shine through the details of the kiwi and illuminate its patterns and colours. The flashlight that I used connected to my camera also lit up the frame a lot more sufficiently than it would have without it. I edited the colour of the kiwis to brighten them and make them appear more saturated. to provide a better connotation of fresh fruits and the Spring/Summer season. 

After I'd carried out this shoot, I wanted to develop more food photography as I'd touched on it in shoot 2 and 3 but didn't expand my ideas any further, only in shoot 6 where I used a model aswell. As Carl Kleiner does, he photographs products from a birds eye view point, which is what I will be doing for my last shoot in this exam, experimenting with the composition and angles and developing my surreal approach. 

Shoot 6 - Items of confectionery

For this shoot my camera settings were set at Exposure: 1/60 seconds, F.5.0 and ISO at 125. I took some photographs at very odd angles for some of the pictures in this shoot as I wanted to experiment with depth of field, where the foreground subject was sharp whilst the background version was blurred. By doing this, I allowed for there to be a focal point in my pictures, allowing a particular element in a pattern to stand out more than another element in that same pattern. I have shown examples of this below. As I didn't use the studio for this shoot, just my home set up with natural daylight, I needed to enhance the colours and brightness of each photograph through the brightness tool, levels tool and curves tool on Photoshop. 

As Carl Kleiner is a main influence of mine for my coursework and exam, I wanted to use this shoot as a thorough response to his style. I took birds eye shots of sweets laid out in random patterns, and I also used these Starbursts above to form a surreal/manipulated piece of advertising, similar to the fourth picture of his that I analysed in my photographer research. I liked the bright feel to all of my pieces in this shoot, as patterns are extra effective when they stand out through the use of colours and tones.