Portfolio

Final Evaluation

Overall project evaluation

In my seven preparatory shoots I developed my three sub themes of sensory experiences (diminished/normal/extraordinary). I spent a similar time on each and planned and organised them and completed one before moving on to the next. I started with the one requiring least research which was normal/everyday experiences as this would allow me more time to research the experiences I wanted to illustrate in the extraordinary shoots.

After researching and selected which experiences to focus on I captured images, however a few of these proved to be not so effective in conveying the experience (shoot 4 cold/flu images) but I felt the majority were good. In shoot 2 (normal touch/temperature) I felt that the compositions I was creating were a bit repetitive in that they all involved the use of a hand touching, holding or approaching something for example soft petals, thorny plant, ice, burning flame. This was partly why when I had to select which to take forward to the exam I chose to not include these.

To ensure the rest of the shoots were more captivating I researched for more novel ways to illustrate the experiences so that I avoided making the images boring or repetitive. I selected a number of different techniques and subjects to use: wide angle close up using an unusual perspective (dog’s nose, shoot 6, exam 2), freeze frame (snake forked tongue flick, shoot 6, exam 1) and close up detail using a macro lens (gecko eye, snake pit organs, shoot 7, exam 2). I also used a number of computer images, animated gif (alarm clock 2 Gifs, shoot 3, snake tongue flick exam 1), composite image of glasses (short sighted/landscape, shoot 5, exam 3), infrared photography (landscape, shoot 7, exam 1) and thermal image (hamster, exam 2). In many of the images I used the technique of shallow depth of field so gained considerable experience with using this particular technique over the duration of the preparatory shoots.

My research has influenced my final series of images in a number of ways. Firstly my initial research on which sensory experiences to choose for the extraordinary/diminished shoots led me to include experiences such as snakes ability to detect thermal radiation, geckos ability to see infrared light and the ability of snakes to smell in 3D. Secondly through my research I gained an understanding of how to convey sensory experiences effectively by analysing other photographers work. For example Ashvini Ray images illustrated to me how to make the images more intimate and focus on the subject by using close cropping and capturing form in them. I have also used close cropping and up close images to enhance the intimacy and connection with the viewers, as well as use quality lighting to enhance the element of form in my images making my subjects appear more real. My research into Fan Ho’s work highlighted his use of leading lines which I then used in my images of the musical instruments (shoot 3,4, exam 3), Ross McGibbon and Muhammad Roem inspired me to use a macro lens to captured detail in my images of a snakes pit organ and gecko’s eye just as they had done. This adds another element of interest by capturing detail that is not visible to the naked eye. Lee Friedlander’s expert use of framing encouraged me to make it the focal point in my images using the glasses including a composite image. Other more technical techniques such as the use of the imaginary triangle I arranged in my compositions after being influenced by Josef Koudelka’s images.  Through analysing Robert Adams images I gained an understanding of how to make my images more effectively convey sound by incorporating the perception of motion in them. This encouraged me to include instruments that involved movement such as a guitar where the strings are strummed and the flute which involves the movement of fingers over the keys. I also was inspired by Elke Vogelsang’s distinctive way of using wide angle close up to focus on her dog’s nose and make it the dominant feature of the image. I was so impressed by this that I decided to capture images of my own dogs using this technique.  However my models were not as well behaved as hers and this hampered my ability to capture the exact shots I wanted. Finally it was discovering Sir Simon Marsden and Piper McKay’s infrared photography images that inspired me to order an infrared filter for my camera and try this new technique for myself to illustrate the infrared world a gecko sees.

The preparatory shoots have influenced my final series of images in several ways. Firstly they have provided me with the time to see how effective my planned images compositions are. Then based on this to refine and improve them so that they are effective as possible in the exam shoots. For example when I took the images with the electric guitar and hearing aid (shoot 3 and 4) I realised that it would look more authentic if I had a younger aged model as a subject. So I therefore arranged to have my sister act as a model for the exam shoot. I also asked her to dress in ripped denim as this is the typical casual way many people expect a person who plays electric guitar to dress. By doing this the image looks more real and not set up and this allows the audience to identify and connect more with the model. Another example is with the snake tongue flicks which I captured in shoot 6, the preparatory shoot allowed me to study the images in detail and determine which snake was best to use against which background. The snakes have different colour tongues, for example the hognose male’s is pink and the female’s is black. In shoot 6 I was trying to capture a snake with a black tongue against a dark background of the cave it was exiting from. I captured a great tongue flick but it was difficult to see it in the image. This meant that for the exam shoot I knew to use the male with the pink tongue for this location as I had learnt from my previous mistakes. Also for the composite image with the glasses, after studying the image I created in shoot 5 I decided to improve the effectiveness of the image by changing the location to include a zebra crossing in the landscape view. This makes the image more serious as it connects with ideas about how dangerous it would be to cross a busy road if you could not see the cars properly. The preparatory shoots also provided me with the time to experiment with different perspective to find the one that I think is the most suitable, such as for the flute images where I wanted to use the flute as a leading line but wanted to test out the different camera placement positions to see if one was more effective than others in highlighting the hearing aid on the models ear (shoot 4 and 5). 

The preparatory shoots also allowed me to review all my sensory experience images and identify those which were most effective and interesting and that worked well as a series. I also had to ensure that they illustrated my ability to use a wide variety of techniques and compositional ideas. This is why I selected to use just diminished and extraordinary in the exam shoots, as there would not have been time to capture images from all three themes. As my original intention for this project was to capture a diverse range of sensory experiences than by selecting the diminished and the extraordinary sensory experiences I can still keep to my original plan.

As this project has developed I have been able to learn new ways of presenting work and also try a new technique that I have never used before. This technique was infrared photography which was completely new to me before this project began and which I will continue to work with to develop and improve my technique. I would however prefer to adapt a camera rather than use a filter as I felt this was very restricting and time consuming. The novel way of presenting work was the way in which I used wide angle close up to take images of my dogs nose that make it look massive,  I used this in shoot 6 and exam shoot 2. I gained the knowledge about presenting work this way from the photographer Elke Voselsang’s images. I also gained experience of capturing close up images with my macro lens, I also learned how to quickly adapt lighting as the snakes were very mobile and would not stay in the light box so I placed it on its side and used it as a source of lighting. This project has also provided me with the opportunity to gain lots of experience working with shallow depth of field as well as having to use it on a moving subject. This has allowed me to improve my technical skills and ability.

There are a number of areas in which I have responded strongly in my work to the exam paper but there are also others where I require some improvement. I have spent a lot of time researching the sensory experiences, particularly information about animal’s extraordinary senses which are what allows them to achieve these experiences. This was because I wanted to be factually correct and have a greater understanding of what I was illustrating to the audience.  I have also undertaken considerable research into a wide variety of photographers, from all around the world, and the techniques /methods they use to convey the sensory experience or compose their images to direct attention to specific places. I have then demonstrated the ability to put my research into practice and effectively and in a varied and captivating way presented these sensory experiences photographically. In these visual images I have illustrated the sensory experience such as; tasting the air in two places to get a 3D gradient of the scent, people with hearing impairments listening to their own music, looking through glasses both for the long and short sighted, detecting body heat radiating from warm bodies and looking at a landscape in near infrared when it is normally invisible to us. In these images I have tried to direct and guide the viewer to the part where the sensory experience is being illustrated the strongest by using various compositional techniques and I believe I have been successful with this. The weaker parts of my technical knowledge and experience are the infrared photography, and the ability to capture images of moving subjects with wide angle close up.

I particularly think I have captured an excellent macro lens images of the gecko eye, snake pit organs and tongue flick. I think they provide high quality detail and insight into how these animals experiences the world with their senses. 

I was a bit disappointed that I could not spend longer refining and improving the images of food from the first shoot and also that I could not include some of them in the exam shoots as they would have disrupted the flow of the series. I enjoyed taking the images of the food as they allowed me to capture and vary many formal elements such as colour, texture, pattern and shape in the one image as well as having to set up my lighting to ensure I captured form in a realistic way. I can understand why many food photographers have a food stylist and a chef to help them compose their images.

While I wanted to ensure my images were captivating and interesting by including sensory experiences that are unique and unusual. This may mean that viewers may not be able to connect with the images so easily as it is something they cannot do themselves such as use whiskers to determine the texture and size of close by objects or detect thermal radiation using pit organs. However, I think I have captured a diverse range of sensory experiences; I have images that focused on each of the five senses smell, taste, vision, touch and hearing.  I have also highlighted in some of the images how experiences can be affected by impaired senses and the way technology can help to restore this experience to the affected person.

Work Record Shoot 3

Contact Sheet

AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.

In this shoot I will capture images relating to experiences where the sensory input has been affected or diminished in some way. I will focus on the sensory experience associated with hearing and sight. I will focus on four experiences, where a person is:

1) Visually impaired

2) Short sighted

3) Long sighted

4) Has a hearing impairment

In these shoot I will illustrate the sensory experience issue or deficiency then highlight the aids used to attempt to restore or adapt to the loss of sensation.

To highlight the sensory experiences we receive from our vision and how important it is to us in our lives I have composed images around the use of spectacles. They adjust any defect in our eyesight and so restore the visual experience to us.

This image illustrates the sensory experience of being long sighted and many people need to wear glasses to read. I have composed it so that the glasses are lying on the book as though the reader has just left them there while they go off and do something else. In preparatory shoot 5 I had used a hand to hold the glasses in front of the text in the book. This allowed the viewer to look through the lenses of the glasses and see that the text there was larger and easier to read than that in the rest of the page. However I felt that the way the glasses were being held was unnatural and this made the composition look too set up. I have instead in these images experimented with the glasses being laid directly on the book so the text is still visible through the lens. In this way the magnified text is still emphasised and framed by the glasses frame but the image is more natural allowing the viewer to connect more with the image as being authentic. It is also more anonymous without the hand there so if the viewer could imagine it is a book they have read themselves. I believe that this is an improvement on the effectiveness of my previous attempts in the preparatory shoots. I will discuss the images relating to being short sighted in AO2 as they involve a composite image and so are more technical.

For the images involving a hearing impairment I wanted to incorporate the perception of sound into the image. To best achieve this I used visual images that have a strong connection with their associated sounds. I felt that musical instruments, a flute and an electric guitar would be good subjects to use as the sounds associated with them are quite different and distinctive and most people regularly listen to and enjoy music so have good memories to call upon of the sounds. Also with both the instruments there is the perception of movement, the strumming of the strings and the movement of finger on keys. This helps to aid the associations if you can include the perception of movement.

In the image my model is sitting on the floor and strumming the guitar, an amplifier is positioned next to her. I have composed the image so that the subject is looking towards her hand strumming the strings and so directed the viewer’s eye to the perception of movement there. The leading line of the guitar also leads their eye there. I have also composed the image so that an imaginary triangle connects the three main focal points, the subjects hand, head and the amplifier. This helps direct attention around the activity of playing the guitar and so emphasises the expectation of hearing sounds. I have positioned a hearing aid behind the ear of the subject and have tucked her long hair back so that it can be seen more easily. I was not completely happy with the initial images as I felt the hearing aid was not as obvious as I would have liked, even though I had used a shallow depth of field focused on it. I therefore changed the perspective and positioned my camera behind the subject and this made the hearing aid much more obvious but her hand could not be seen so the perception of movement was lost. The amplifier was however in a much more prominent position and as this is the source of the sound this would highlight the volume of the music being produced, and I choreographed my subject turning up the volume on the amplifier to further emphasise this by using the leading line of her arm. I think I could improve the images by cropping them as I have included too much of the background in some. By cropping the image I can fill the frame more and this will make the image more intimate and emphasise the activity taking place. It would also increase the relative size of the hearing aid as a percentage of the frame and so make it more prominent.

Image to Improve

This image with the glasses on the book is not useful in conveying the effect of reading glasses on the sensory experience of those who are long sited as the text is not readable through the lenses. I have captured the writing on the curve of the page and this has made it distorted through the lens. It is difficult to see such detail through the camera’s small viewfinder but this emphasised to me that it is good to take a number of images with slightly different positions of your objects as errors may only be apparent when you go back and look at the images on the computer.

AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.

The camera I used is my Nikon D5300 DSLR, and I have set it up on my tripod to take the shots in as many images as was possible. For shots where I am the model I have used my camera timer or my remote control to allow me to position myself correctly for the shot I want. As these photographs were taken far apart over a period of time the exposure on each one is different, as they were taken at various times of day with different light etc.

I have used a number of props in this shoot, including a book, a flute, an electric guitar and amplifier, a larger type hearing aid, a white stick as well as a fluorescent vest for a dog to make it appear as if it is a service dog. I will also use my own glasses as a prop in the images.

I have arranged to have members of my family acting as models for me in almost all of the images in this shoot and have considered the clothes they are wearing to suit the shot. For example for the images with the electric guitar I asked my subject to wear worn and ripped denim jeans to make her look like someone who would play that instrument. This would help make the image look more authentic and so connect more effectively with the viewers. I have also used my dog to represent a service dog.

I have used three locations, inside my home where I took the images with the musical instruments and the book/glasses images. The second location was my garden where I captured the images with the white stick and finally I chosen a local street location that had a zebra crossing in view.

The compositional techniques I used are:

1) Leading lines to direct the viewer’s attention

2) Use of Rule of Thirds and implied triangles

3) Shallow depth of field to focus attention on the sharply in focus parts of the field and blur other distracting areas

4) Using unusual perspectives to capture the viewer’s attention

The images relating to the sensory experience of being short sighted were particularly relevant to me, as I am short sighted and wear glasses. Without them everything over one foot away from me would be out of focus and look blurred and only when things are close to me would they be in sharp focus. This is why I came up with the idea of capturing this personal sensory experience of looking at the world through glasses and how this enables me to have quality vision and puts my world into sharp focus. Having the ability to focus your vision is something that people who do not need to wear glasses take for granted and think little about. Without them my visual sensory experience of the world, as well as that of many others, would be massively limited.  

To convey this photographically I created a composite image by merging several images in Photoshop. I took landscape images of a view of a street and did this using a wide and a narrow depth of field so that in the first image everything is sharply in focus and in the second everything is blurred. In another image (image three) I have held up my glasses in front of the camera and have narrowed the depth of field of the camera to focus specifically around this part of the frame keeping them in sharp focus. The composite image (image 4) shows that the view through the glasses lenses is sharply in focus while the view without them is blurred. This represents how being short sighted affects your sensory experience of the world and how it can be adjusted back to normal by wearing glasses.

In preparatory shoot 5 I had created a similar composite image to illustrate the effect of being short sighted. I have tried to improve upon that image by incorporating a zebra crossing in the landscape image as this will highlight how vitally important it is to have distance vision in sharp focus. The zebra crossing will be associated with a safe place to cross the road when the traffic is heavy or fast moving. By looking at the out of focus vision outside the spectacles frame this should emphasise to the viewer that it would be extremely difficult to judge the speed of approaching cars with such poor vision. This will therefore highlight how important good vision is to us in experiencing the world around us as it allows you to see danger approaching.

This is the composite image created by merging the ones above. Using this technique I have effectively conveyed the sensory experience of being short sighted and how glasses can drastically improve your visual sensory experience.

Using the Blurred photograph as the background, I left it untouched. I took the image of the glasses and masked the background and left only the frames. I then added in the sharp in focus image, only leaving it visible in the place of the lenses.

AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.

In this shoot it was particularly important that the viewer’s attention was drawn to particular parts of the frame. This was in order to enhance the perception of sounds; highlight that the person was wearing a hearing aid, or contrast different visual images. I used several compositional techniques to do this including:

1) Leading lines

2) Rule of Thirds and implied triangles

3) Shallow depth of field 

4) Using unusual perspectives

In my research of photographers who incorporate sound into their images I studied Robert Adams' work, one of his images from his ‘Summer Nights Walking’ series of an amusement park with a Ferris wheel positioned in the foreground was particularly effective in conveying the perception of sound. His image made me realise the importance of choosing scenes that have a strong connection with sound so that viewers can more readily associate memories of expected sounds with the visual experience. Also by incorporating the perception of movement this can also aid the inference of sound. This insight inspired me to choose musical instruments to convey the perception of sound in my images. This is something that everyone will have experience of hearing and so have memories of sounds to associate with the images.

In the images relating to sensory experiences of those who are long or short sighted I have composed the image so that the view through the glasses frame is the dominant focal point. In this way I can highlight the quality of the vision inside the frames of the glasses as it will be surrounded by the poorer quality of vision outside the frame. The differences in the two views will therefore be clearly visible next to each other for the audience to compare. The frame of the glasses will divide the two separate views as well as highlight attention onto how they improve the vision of the landscape or the text in the book depending on which image they are looking at.

The photographer who influenced my thinking and inspired me to use framing in such a focused way was Lee Friedlander. He was a well-known American photographer who captured the normal chaos of urban life but his fascination with reflection and framing meant he would add his own creative element to the images. In his image below of Haverstraw, New York in 1966 he illustrates his effective use of framing. The photo is taken through the car’s windscreen so that it provides a frame for the driver positioned behind the wheel and how focused he is on driving the car. Then as you look more closely your eye is drawn deeper into the image guided by further framing. Behind the driver and framed by the rear window is a landscape of the small town he is driving away from. You can almost feel the driver wanting to turn his head and look in the cars mirror to take one last look at it before he leaves. Friedlander’s effective use of the technique of framing has therefore influenced me to also incorporate its use into my images to direct the viewer’s attention.

I have undertaken research to study the way photographers compose their images to create more impact and interest and also to lead the viewer’s eye to where they want it to be. The image below is by the photographer Fan Ho, he has used the leading line created by the banister to lead the viewer’s eye up the stairs towards the two men standing near the top and chatting to each other. I also really like the way he has made use of light in this image, as it has captured the bannister high lit and this further draws the eye to it and so to the friends who have stopped to chat. 

I have been inspired by Fan Ho’s use of this technique and have also made use of the formal element of line in my images in a similar way. The shape of the flute and the guitar makes this a good compositional technique to use to lead the viewers eye along them. 

In this image the leading line directs the viewer’s attention along the length of the instrument up to the musician blowing into the mouth piece to generate the notes. This will create the expectation and perception of a high pitched sound to the viewer from their memories and imagination. The leading line also directs them to the hearing aid that the subject has on her ear indicating to them that her hearing is impaired. Yet by wearing the aid she can clearly experience hearing the notes as she is playing the instrument and is therefore able to take part in this sensory experience of listening to and creating her own music.

In some of the images I have also used a shallow depth of field to focus attention onto the area around the head, so that this is in sharp focus. The rest of the image including the hands and the remaining part of the flute is blurred. This lets the viewer know what area I want them to focus on in the image, which is where the musician is blowing air into the wind instrument to create the notes and sound.

To make the images more captivating and grab the viewer attention I have varied the perspectives I have taken the flute at. In one image I have placed my camera right at the end of the flute to directly lead the viewer to the subjects face. I have experimented with how close up I wanted to take the image and by zooming in a bit more I make it more impactful by filling the frame. This should make the intensity of the sound being perceived louder and so make the image more effective.

I have also taken the image from behind the subject so that the hearing aid was really obvious. As the musician is facing away from the camera this means that you cannot see her face and her blowing into the flute so the perception of the notes is reduced. However I feel this image is more effective at focusing on the hearing impairment because the leading line of the flute goes to it without the distraction of the mouth as it is turned away from the camera, and also that it is more obvious when shown from behind the subject. I have also placed the aid according to the rule of thirds in the image to draw the eye more to it. So I think this image is more effective in conveying the sensory experience of hearing musical notes with a hearing impairment but less effective at conveying the sound being created. 

These images therefore illustrate my understanding of how to convey both the perception of sound as well as the focus on the hearing impairment. In them I have used the techniques of leading lines, narrow depth of field and close up photography, as well as varying the perspective, rule of thirds and imaginary triangles.

 Josef Koudelka is another photographer whose work I have studied and have taken inspiration from his compositions particularly his use of implied triangles. He uses these in many of his images in his ‘Gypsies’ book to fill the frame, add balance, motion or dynamic tension to the image. This can be seen in the image below where the three individual subjects to the left of the frame form an imaginary triangle and draw attention to that part of the frame. The road also helps by creating a leading line drawing you into the image.

In my flute images I have similarly made use of an implied triangle. This is formed connecting the points of the hearing aid, the subject’s mouth and her hands with the length of the instrument creating a leading line which forms one side of the triangle. This implied triangle adds balance to the image as well as an interesting geometric shape and directs the eye around the main focal points.

AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.

In this shoot I have captured images relating to experiences where the sensory input has been affected or diminished in some way and focused on the sensory experience involving hearing and sight.  I have carefully selected the experiences that I have used in the images so that I can effectively convey the sensory experiences being represented in them.    

I have carefully planned the compositions of my images to direct the viewer’s attention to where it should be to understand the message being sent. I have made use of compositional techniques such as leading lines using perspective and eye directions, implied triangles, Rule of Thirds, framing and a narrow depth of field. I feel that it is vital to direct the viewer's attention so that they really take the time to think about what they are seeing visually or to connect them with any associated memories. I have been influenced by photographer such as Lee Friedlander, Fan Ho and Josef Koudelka who have used these compositional techniques effectively in their images.

In this image I have used a prop a white stick which is almost universally known to be used by those who are visually impaired. Using this prop should create an immediate connection in people mind with what the subject vision is like.  White sticks are used to indicate their impairment to others so that they can get out their way as well as physically using them as touch sensor to detect the presence of obstacles directly in front of them such as steps, or other people that could impede their way. I have used the white stick as a prop in my image to highlight the visual impairment of my subject. The image is taken from behind with the white stick being held in their right hand and I have used the technique of a narrow depth of field to keep the hand and stick in sharp focus and make the background blurred but still able to be seen that it is a garden. The combination of using a white stick to indicate visual impairment and combining this with illustrating an effect on the person’s vision should make this image connect more with viewers. I have deliberately chosen a simple but pretty view to highlight even the pleasure of the sensory experience of seeing their own back garden is denied to those who are visually impaired. I have also closely cropped the image so that only the subjects hand and a small part of their leg is in view. This intensifies the image and makes it more impactful, the viewer’s imagination will automatically fill in the rest of the subject in their mind anyway. 

In my images with the glasses relating to the experiences of being short or long sighted I have been influenced by the photographer Lee Friedlander. He captured images of everyday street life but often used the technique of framing to create interest and draw the viewer to specific parts of the frame. I have used the technique of framing in a similar manner as he has done to focus the viewer’s attention onto the framed part of the image. For the short sighted image this was a landscape view and illustrated how the glasses lenses sharpen the blurred perspective. I created a composite from three images to illustrate this. For the long sighted image I used text from a book and glasses positioned on it to frame a region and illustrate how the text is easier to read when viewed through the lens.

In my image from behind the subject holding the white stick in their hand and also in the composite image with the spectacles I have used the technique of depth of field to make a large part of the frame out of focus. This was not to prevent it distracting the viewer’s attention from another part of the frame but to indicate that this is the visual experience that the subject is experiencing.    

When creating images that convey sound I have used understanding gained from researching photographers such as Robert Adams and the way he chose scenes that had a strong connection with sound so that viewers could associate memories of expected sounds with the visual experience. Also the way he incorporated the perception of movement into his images and how this enhances the inference of sound. This insight inspired me to choose musical instruments to convey the perception of sound in my images, as they are visually strongly connected with the sound they make. Also with movement when being played, for the flute and the guitar both require the hand to move when strumming the strings or pressing the keys and in this way visually connects with the anticipated sounds with this action.