Photograph of Final Piece

Evaluation of final piece

I am very happy with the way my final piece has turned out. After focusing on such a well known brand (Coca-cola), the contrast between the yellow and red in my images is such a strong dense difference, as they are both primary colours it gives a definte contrast. I pulled out a few of my favourite images from the many I had taken and ended up with four. I then thought about how I wanted to present my final piece,  I decided that I wanted to make it even more camouflaged than it already was. So I gathered together a few Coke cans to fit into my theme and put them together in a more presentable way that brings the pictures to life. I am very happy with the way my final piece has come together and worked.

Outline of Final piece

For my AS Photography final piece, I am hoping to give urban camouflage a whole new direction. As you can see in my experiements I have looked at alot of different avenues, however for my final I am hoping to "push the boat out" even more. I am going to focus on packaging more than the nature side of it, as I believe this gives me a wider, much more interesting range of topics to focus on. After choosing a brand to focus on, I am going to do what I have done with my other experiments and project the image onto my model, I am hoping to make the contrast and density 100x stronger.

Experiments

For my experimentation I wanted to try out urban camouflage. I thought painting a body spot on to the wall paper would be very challenging. So therefore, I had an idea of using a projector, firstly I took a photograph of the wall of wallpaper, I then projected the picture onto a plain wall and got my model to go right up against the wall so I could project onto it and make it look as though I painted her. Here is the   final result: 

This picture has worked very well having the pattern so sharp and dense on the models face really makes it look as though she has been painted to match the wallpaper. Having a really bright background makes it stand out more, because if the wallpaper was any lighter shade I believe it wouldn't work as well as you would be able to see the models features. The one thing I am disappointed with about this picture is the shadow being portrayed from the models head. If I were to do this again I would be sure to position myself better. Some of the photographs I took were very sharp yet some were slightly blurred. I believe this is because I had to have the lights out in the room for the projector to work, and therefore didn't get enough light into the image so the camera didn't pick up on it all and therefore blurred.

This image hasn't worked very well, it is quite dull and therefore isn't as sharp as some of the others. You can also see on some of the flowers where my camera has tried to pick up all of the light and has had a blurred result. My models clothing was not skin tight, as if it was I believe this photograph would have worked a lot better. It would have been the perfect image if you were unable to see where the t-shirt starts and stops against the skin. However as an over all image I am quite happy. If I were to do this image again, I'd be sure to get my model wearing different clothing and possibly try to focus better, and have a slower shutter speed so my camera had more time to adapt to the light that was being given.

This photograph is very dense with the colour again. Having the contrast between the bright pink and the white really shows up on the wall and the model and gives a great effect. If this photograph was less blurred and the shadow from the models arms and back was gone, I believe it would be a really good image. On some of the other images I made sure that a white flower was over the models eyes so they stood out and were highlighted, and therefore the focal point of the image. I think I should have done that with this image as the models eyes are lost amongst the pink and her nose and mouth is highlighted by the flower which doesn't really do anything for the image.

This photograph has worked very well, I am very pleased with the angle I am at, as no shadow has been cast. However the models eyes are yet again lost in the pink so don't sparkle and just look like two black dots. I think it would work well if the model was completely covered in the wallpaper so you could barely see her, yet her eyes were sparkling so drew you into it and then made you realise there is someone standing there. The one thing I am not very happy about in this image is the alignment of some of the wallpaper against the model, as the right side of the image is further away you can see it has not been aligned properly. However the left side of the image is perfect and almost looks as though the model is transparent. 

I am really happy with the way this photograph has come out. As it looks almost as though the model is advertising petrol which gives it a nice effect. Although the viewer doesn't have to look for the model as such which is what I wanted, it still has a nice look to it as she is very involved in the image which works well.  The lighting in this image doesn't really effect it at all, as the only light used is natural light it doesn't make any difference. I don't feel it makes anything stand out or not stand out, so therefore nothing is a focus point of the image which is what I wanted. At a first glimps you look at this image and don't really think much of it, but then you look again and see that she is actually in the petrol pump. This is what I wanted, for the viewer to have to make a double take of the images I have produced.

 In this photograph, the lighting defines the product, as they are primary colours it makes the model more hidden as they are very dense. Having some white on the image brings out the model so she is not lost completely yet you still have to look twice to be able to see her, which is the kind of thing I was hoping to portray. Having the models hands out, makes her spread across the whole image and therefore it is not focused in one point. The meaning of my image is to not have a focus point, so the viewer has to really look into the image to find it, which I personally believe has worked very well in this photograph.

Although this image is very dark on the models face, having writing on it makes it slightly easier to see. I really like how on the right side of the image the models outline has blended into the background really well and it is hard to spot her, yet the left side is alot more "crisp" so you are alot more able to see her so therefore helps the viewer slightly. Also I really like how the image sits on the models legs. And how the part in her legs almost splits the crisp packet in half. The lighting in this image has quite a high contrast having the deep, dark colours on her face against the light reds, blues, whites and yellows of the shelves and crisp packets. I am happy with this image and believe it works well and to the best of it's ability.

I personally don't think this image hides the model as well as the previous crisp image. Yet I am still happy with the way it has resulted. The lighting in this image I believe hasn't worked as well yet it is still there and is quite dense. You can see the models skin colour abit too much for what I am trying to portray, and therefore you don't have to look as hard into the image to spot her as you can see her at a first glimps. I am quite sure this is because the image is places differently and has more white on it so it brings out the models skin colour and doesn't blend as well.

I don't think this image has worked very well, as it is very dark using primary colours it has makde the model very dark so you can easily spot her as she is a very dense dark green compared to the background which was unavoidable as the models skin colour will automatically make it darker. The lighting in this image is also very dark. Without putting the flash on and disrupting the image this again would have been unavoidable. I am quite happy with the way the image has turned out as I don't believe it could have been made better with the conditions.

I am extremely happy with the way this image has turned out, as you can see the models face very clearly, however her body is hidden very well. Having her leaning on one of the shelves has made is more fun as if she is really there, involving her in the image almost. The lighting in this image has worked well too, as no shadows has been cast on the background so therefore the model is really blended into the background so it is hard to see where her body is on the books. This is exactly what I wanted to happen and how I wanted the images to look. The one this I would like to change about this image is is the top shelf, where the models head is, was a book shelf too so that way her face would have been hidden too and it would have been alot more difficult to see her. However I am happy with the way it looks.

I believe the lighting in this picture wasn't used to the best of it's ability, as the model has been placed on one of the darkest parts of the image and therefore has been taken away slightly. I personally feel if the image was lighter it would have worked better, and would have made it harder to spot her. Where as in this image it is obvious she is there as she is almost the focus point of the image which is what I wanted to aviod happening. However taking out the best parts of the image, I am quite happy with the way the dark textured parts of the brick has been set across her face as you cannot see her facial features as they have just been swallowed up amongst the texture which I believe gives it a nice effect.

This music video for Somebody that I used to know - Gotye is the kind of thing I want to do for my Photography coursework. I think this video helps a lot with my development as it shows you how they paint the man in order of the best way to do it. Although in my experiments I do not wish to paint my model, but project the photograph onto my model so it looks as though I painted them even though I didn't.  

Research Review

      After researching my chosen topic, I have found some good and bad photographs that portray hidden. I believe doing this research has helped me in many different aspects, by helping me decided the route I want to go down, yet also helping me to realise what doesn't look particularly good.
    I believe that doing this research will help me dramatically with my experiments, now having the knowledge to know what looks best and what lighting looks best with what position etc. I am looking forward to trying some things out. I am going to try out some urban camouflage, after researching this is the only thing that really jumped out at me and grabbed my attention. I am unsure on how I am going to produce the image, so I am going to try out a few different ways and see which has the best outcome.

Hidden Photography

http://weburbanist.com/2009/02/09/the-uninvisible-art-of-amazing-urban-camouflage/?ref=search

These photographs by a photographer called Steph are outstanding! Having such detail and precision makes the photographs original. Personally I would say this image is a definition of hidden as you cannot see the models until you look into the image harder.

http://amazingdata.com 

This photograph is very clever in the way it is layout out. I would love to do something along these lines for my final piece. The way the lines of the wall and the body are aligned perfectly really makes you have to look twice. I wouldn't say this photograph is out of the ordinary as quite a few artists have done the same thing, yet I do believe it takes a creative person/photographer to pull off such a technically influenced piece. The lighting in the picture I would say is mostly natural yet could have some artifical light to exaggerate the light already given. 

 This photograph is very clever in how it is portrayed to be hidden. Painting someone to match their surroundings is quite out of the ordinary which I like. The lighting in this image is obviously natural as it is on the street outdoors. Having stuff going on in the background you would think would distract from the main focus as the "main focus" is the painted man, yet it somehow doesn't. When you first look at the   image at first glimpse you just think that it is a photograph of a street but when you look at it in depth you can see the man standing there.

This photograph is very impressive and cleverly done! Having the man in the exact same colours as the seats makes you have to look twice to make sure if there is actually someone sitting there or not. Having looked at this image for a bit, has made me see that this person has not been made transparent at all, and is actually painted and shaded in the exact same colours. The lighting in this image is not that great as I believe its generally just the lighting of the theatre and no other, but somehow this works and gives the image a natural kick. 

http://thejoshuacollective.com  

This photograph has been aligned perfectly to highlight the models eye. As the eye is in the middle of the photo I would personally say this is the focal point of the image. Having the doors around the the person gives them a slight boarder and makes you look at the eye/person more! Also having the diagonal lines on the door going the way that they are makes the viewers eye follow the lines into the center where the eye is. The lighting for this image, I would say is artifical as if you were the model in this hiding behind those doors there is no doubt that your face would be in shade because of the doors casting it onto your face, however in this image the models face is fully highlighted which gives the viewer the impression there is a lighting advance.

 http://downwardspiralintothevortex.blogspot.com/
When seeing this photograph, you wouldnt automatically think of hidden straight away. However looking into this image with some detail you can see wrapped around their wrist is a bandage so they must be hiding some wound of some kind. Also having their fingers crossed shows they are possibly hiding a secret or something along those lines. The lighting in this photograph highlights the bandage the most, which works as I would say that is the focal point of the image. Yet having the lighting a lot dimmer on the crossed fingers, makes it almost as though they really don't want people to know about they're secret as they are crossing their fingers and hiding them in the dark. I believe this image works very well and portrays hidden in a new light.

In this image, Robert Madeira has portrayed hidden very well. I wouldn't say it is hidden because the child is hiding because it is very obvious by just looking at the photograph that they aren't. However I believe it is hidden because of the childs posture, the child is very enclosed and stiff. This shows they are hiding from someone or something on the inside. The lighting in the image works well, yet it is hard to work out weather it is natural lighting or artifical. Also, having the photograph in black and white works as it makes it look sad and cold! I believe that if it was in colour the wrong emotion could be portrayed.

This photograph by http://www.wallpaperprimper.com/ really shows that the model is hidden, not from 'hiding' behind something as such but being in the darkness also is a way to portray hiding. Having half of the image in shadow but the other half in a really bright light, gives the image extremely sharp contrast which really gives it an edge and highlights the models skin tone perfectly. I am going to have to say I believe the light source is artificial, although having the different lines of shadow on the model make you wonder what is giving that effect. I also believe having the light so bright makes it obviously the focus point as everything else is in the pitch black.



This photograph is very cleverly done, you can class it as 'Hidden' as the woman is obviously hiding her face, yet it's almost as though her hands are transparent. Photoshop has definitely been used to create this effect. Having part of the womans face coming through between her hands gives it the effect that you have to look twice to see it if is actually her hands covering her face as they are alligned perfectly. I wouldn't say this photograph has a 'focus point' as such, as its in sepia and therefore is all around the same tone. Also having no definite income of light doesn't help and makes everything very monotonal and all blend into one.

This photograph really intrigues me to look into it more each time I see it, it is very abstract and out of the ordinary. Usually when you would see this photograph you wouldn't automatically think of 'Hidden' yet when I look at this photograph I think you don't know what is lurking behind doors and walls etc. Therefore I believe this photograph would be classed as hidden. The lighting in this photograph is used to its advantage by emphasising small parts of the front section and all of the back therefore giving it a more spooky looking effect, yet draws the eye inwards, towards the central point. Also having it messy and old looking gives it an extra something making it look even more spooky and leering. The contrast between the front section and the back in this image gives it the effect of depth, and in a way makes it look horrible and scary at the front yet warm and inviting behind, almost saying "You have to come through this to get to what you want"

This photograph is very soft, warm and inviting in the fact you can see it is a nice day and 'love' is being used to give the audience the effect that is needed. Having the brides veil covering both of their faces gives it the aspect of being hidden. This is a really nice way to show hidden, yet also could represent the newly married couple needing privacy, which could be a nice topic to base my work on, saying how everybody needs their privacy. The lighting worked to the photographers advantage as I would say all of the light being used is natural light. Also having the focus on the couple has made the veil go out of focus which has worked well and made the central point (the couple) sharper and slightly more dense.

This photograph is lovely. As you can see the girl is hidden yet you can still see the sadness in her eyes, like she is afraid of something. Having half of the face hidden and the other half not shows me that the girl is vunerable and scared. Having the image in black and white really makes her eye stand out, therefore I would call that the focus point of the image as it draws the viewer into it and makes them see into her and what she is going through. As from this image it makes me want to try and help her and talk to her to find out what is wrong, and somehow this image shows she is very closed away and hidden. Again, for this instant she is slightly hidden behind her headpiece yet I belive this image is more the girl is 'hidden' on the inside and is possibly hiding away from people.

This photograph is also very abstract and unusual. The lighting in this image is used very well, as you can barely see the figure hiding behind the wall yet you can see the whole of the girl walking into the room. In a way she looks like a spirit, I am unsure whether this is because of the lighting or the facial expressions of the girl, however, I believe it works very well and gives the image a little extra to bring it to life. Having the image in black and white gives it great contrast between outside and where the man is hiding. I believe this is to make the position of the girl the focus point so you hardly see the man at all.

This photograph by Charlie Chapman has high contrast which works extremely well.  I would say this photograph is hidden because you cannot see what is behind the balloons. Having this small element within the image gives it almost an abstract value of being hidden. The lighting coming off the sparkling lights above reflects on the people, floor and balloons, I believe there is no other light (not natural) in this image as most of it is very dim, and at night with the sparkling lights you wouldn't generally need another light as everything is dark enough therefore would reflect off everything.

This photograph has almost a spooky feel to it, as its all very close tones so therefore doesn't really have anything for it to stand out, but as an overall image I believe it has something to it, to make you intrigued. Having the house in the background gives the image some depth, that I personally feel is needed for this image as it is quite dull. Although having it in the duller tones makes it almost give a sense of sadness and loneliness.