Through the whole two years of this BTEC Photography and Digital Imaging course, I have covered everything I need to know in order to head out into the real Photography work and create my own work, and I have walked out of the course feeling refreshed and inspired to go on and create my own briefs. Especially after this Final Major Project, I have become incredibly aware of what I could achieve and continue in order to be successful and enjoy what I do. Areas I have covered through the course have have been Monochrome, Abstract, Stock, Fashion, Self Portraiture and so on, and each brief, I have been able to link each one into another and be able to explore and experiment. I have had a lot of freedom within this final major project due to being able to create concepts and ideas about what I am completely interested in.
These ideas I have explored into have been the Pre Raphaelties, illustration such as Arthur Rackham, Folklore, Meditation and healing remedies. I began researching into artists such as Alice Fox, who strongly influenced me into exploring even more into Abstract work after creating some in previous assignments.
In previous assignments I had used water and food colouring in order to create a shallow depth of field, square format and soft image which shows movement and a dream like feel. This idea was explored in an Abstract assignment and then even further explored in the Fujifilm assignment "The Colour Of." The images were popular and received great feedback, therefore pushing me to try creating stronger work.
I was inspired from the start of the assignment, I wanted to bring in different elements of art and design. Whether that would mean I would bring illustration into my Photography through post processing on Photoshop, using Scanography and framing them making home made frames and so on. It eventually lead me into wanting to really try to bring in elements of nature into my work and make it as "homely" as I could.
This may be done by burying my work in soil or scanning in objects and layering them on an array of images.
My idea eventually came to wanting to create some very delicate abstract images that related to healing remedies, folklore and meditation. I wanted to create a sense of calm; a "home feeling."
I then began exploring reflections, due to the calming aspect that comes from water and the sea, linking fully to my research and artist exploration. Also I wanted to explore the location of an old air field due to all the lines, shapes, textures and form, especially during certain times in the day.
I then began exploring reflections, due to the calming aspect that comes from water and the sea, linking fully to my research and artist exploration. Also I wanted to explore the location of an old air field due to all the lines, shapes, textures and form, especially during certain times in the day.
These images would be printed onto linen as I wanted it to be as gentle as it could be. I hoped to create a form of meditation, and to add an array of forms of multi sensory in it. For example, touch and smell. I spent a long time finding the correct material and eventually came to the conclusion of finding Calico linen due to it being recommended and it being the best material to print on.
I used the printing technique of gel medium, which was the most successful technique I found after attempting others such as the Cellulose thinners. This gel medium was best achieved by gently putting a thin layer of it over an image printed off on a colour laser, then stuck down and left over night which would then be peeled off with water the next day, therefore revealing the image.
I used the printing technique of gel medium, which was the most successful technique I found after attempting others such as the Cellulose thinners. This gel medium was best achieved by gently putting a thin layer of it over an image printed off on a colour laser, then stuck down and left over night which would then be peeled off with water the next day, therefore revealing the image.
Through exploring what my material would be hung on, such as hemp string or cotton, eventually the strongest and gentlest form of string I came to decide on was simply fishing wire and I found it very easy to get. The fishing wire I had was thin and almost see through, which fitted in perfectly with what I wanted to achieve. I wanted the colours to be as calm and gentle as possible.
Due to wanting to have elements of nature within my work, I decided on hanging my work from a branch in order to keep it looking organic and natural, as well as linking in completely with the folklore aspect and healing remedies. From this branch, my images were held by the wire and wooden pegs in order to add to the "home made" feel I wanted to achieve and each piece of linen was gently scented with aromatic oils in order to link to the healing remedies aspect.
Originally I wanted to sew the fishing wire onto the fabric, however after a few difficulties working out that the fabric was too thin in order to do this and the cotton wasn't strong enough, I found that the pegs really would work as I had a concern that it would look a bit too "out there" and wouldn't fit in with the calm style I wanted to achieve.
Originally I wanted to sew the fishing wire onto the fabric, however after a few difficulties working out that the fabric was too thin in order to do this and the cotton wasn't strong enough, I found that the pegs really would work as I had a concern that it would look a bit too "out there" and wouldn't fit in with the calm style I wanted to achieve.
Overall, I am really pleased with how my work came out. All of my work and research linked into my final outcome, and I have received feedback which I am happy with. I wanted to keep a calm atmosphere; a gentle and calming feeling that builds throughout the body of work and I wanted this to radiate on other viewers. I hoped for them to understand the idea and for them to get a sense of calm looking at it. I kept the walls completely white, and had two boards in order to hang my branch from corner to corner. This then hung the pieces of linen 7.5 x 7.5 inches in the layout of 3 images across on three rows, with the total of 9 images.
The final putting together of my work was the adding of the business cards and adding to my installation. My business cards consisted of using wooden stamps and luggage labels in order to continue the home made, natural style that I wanted to continue throughout my work. I then stuck down my details which I had created through Photoshop with a font that matched my website. The website was designed by a friend who kept in mind the style I wanted to achieve within the exhibition and continued that style with the website, having a grainy white background and spaced out fonts, hoping to achieve a delicate and calming style.
With all my concerns and worries about my work when putting it all together, I eventually came to feel very happy about everything and how it turned out. When printing my images using the gel medium, I found working on a large scale very difficult to do and struggled getting the whole image on my material, therefore creating a very weathered look. The weathered look was created due to a lot of the image peeling off the fabric completely. Other mistakes during the printing process was leaving the threads underneath the image, therefore ripping the image, and also not ironing the fabric before hand which leaves a lot of creases and marks.
The printing process was the hardest part of the creation of my exhibition, and feel relieved that people liked the weathered effect. Through feedback, they said they prefer that it is weathered and "vintage looking." What also happened during the exhibition was a lot of curving and turning of the fabric due to change of heat and temperature in the room and also due to the weight of the clips. This also worked within the exhibition and I felt it was delicate and "worked" as well as linking in to the work.
Overall, despite the concerns about the print process, I am incredibly happy with how everything has come out and how much my ideas and concepts have all related into each other. My business cards, my installation, my website and images have all been able to work together and hopefully achieve a calm, gentle atmosphere relating to Folklore, Meditation and healing remedies. The overall exhibition has turned out really successful, due to everyone having their individual styles radiating in their work and each person has their own stories and interests that they want to portray in their body of work which they are presenting. These ideas range from exploration of Culture, Fashion, Documentary, Landscape, Wildlife, Fine art and so on. Each piece of work was strong and a large amount of students in the class had put in a strong amount of research and effort into creating their final piece of work.
I am incredibly happy with the overall course and how they have taught us about Photography. Every assignment we have been handed and every lecture we have had has all been completely essential and necessary, thus leading us onto other things after College with the right mindset and they have prepared us completely for what we could lead into. Despite my sudden change of thought with Photography, and moving on with the exploration of Art and Design, they have been really helpful, reassuring and simply brilliant at pushing everyone on the right track, including myself, to find them self and to really concentrate on areas they would like to look into, as well as courses they can go on to study after the course. For example, earlier on in the course we were to study a brief which allowed us to "make marks" on our Photography. This was for example scratching on our negatives or painting on them, and then printing them again, or soaking them in tea or food colouring. This brief was perfect for the beginning of the course due to it allowing us to realise Photography definite isn't and never has been "just clicking a button." It is an area of art, and you have so much freedom on what you want to achieve. Whether you want to do Photojournalism where you document what is right in front of you and create strong body of work exploring an array of stories, or whether you want to be a Fine Art Photographer, where you may explore a lot more of post processing, and manipulation via Photoshop. It makes you realise that you can bring Art and Design into Photography, such as illustration or sewing.
I feel I am walking away from the course with a strong idea of what I would like to continue doing, what I need to improve on, and what I feel I have learnt throughout the course, and I am incredibly pleased I came to Newcastle Under Lyme College.
With all my concerns and worries about my work when putting it all together, I eventually came to feel very happy about everything and how it turned out. When printing my images using the gel medium, I found working on a large scale very difficult to do and struggled getting the whole image on my material, therefore creating a very weathered look. The weathered look was created due to a lot of the image peeling off the fabric completely. Other mistakes during the printing process was leaving the threads underneath the image, therefore ripping the image, and also not ironing the fabric before hand which leaves a lot of creases and marks.
The printing process was the hardest part of the creation of my exhibition, and feel relieved that people liked the weathered effect. Through feedback, they said they prefer that it is weathered and "vintage looking." What also happened during the exhibition was a lot of curving and turning of the fabric due to change of heat and temperature in the room and also due to the weight of the clips. This also worked within the exhibition and I felt it was delicate and "worked" as well as linking in to the work.
Overall, despite the concerns about the print process, I am incredibly happy with how everything has come out and how much my ideas and concepts have all related into each other. My business cards, my installation, my website and images have all been able to work together and hopefully achieve a calm, gentle atmosphere relating to Folklore, Meditation and healing remedies. The overall exhibition has turned out really successful, due to everyone having their individual styles radiating in their work and each person has their own stories and interests that they want to portray in their body of work which they are presenting. These ideas range from exploration of Culture, Fashion, Documentary, Landscape, Wildlife, Fine art and so on. Each piece of work was strong and a large amount of students in the class had put in a strong amount of research and effort into creating their final piece of work.
I am incredibly happy with the overall course and how they have taught us about Photography. Every assignment we have been handed and every lecture we have had has all been completely essential and necessary, thus leading us onto other things after College with the right mindset and they have prepared us completely for what we could lead into. Despite my sudden change of thought with Photography, and moving on with the exploration of Art and Design, they have been really helpful, reassuring and simply brilliant at pushing everyone on the right track, including myself, to find them self and to really concentrate on areas they would like to look into, as well as courses they can go on to study after the course. For example, earlier on in the course we were to study a brief which allowed us to "make marks" on our Photography. This was for example scratching on our negatives or painting on them, and then printing them again, or soaking them in tea or food colouring. This brief was perfect for the beginning of the course due to it allowing us to realise Photography definite isn't and never has been "just clicking a button." It is an area of art, and you have so much freedom on what you want to achieve. Whether you want to do Photojournalism where you document what is right in front of you and create strong body of work exploring an array of stories, or whether you want to be a Fine Art Photographer, where you may explore a lot more of post processing, and manipulation via Photoshop. It makes you realise that you can bring Art and Design into Photography, such as illustration or sewing.
I feel I am walking away from the course with a strong idea of what I would like to continue doing, what I need to improve on, and what I feel I have learnt throughout the course, and I am incredibly pleased I came to Newcastle Under Lyme College.
