An End Of Year Prom

Here are some Photographs of a close friend, Katy. She has asked me to take some portraits of her before going to her Prom.
My aim was to get a dreamy result, including soft focus and perhaps a more vintage-style edit.

For better quality, see Images in Lightbox - http://www.flickr.com/photos/helenaraby/

Oh the places you'll go...

For this assignment, we have been asked to capture photographs during our Summer holidays. We must do this whilst portraying our own creative style. Whilst doing this, we would concentrate on the places we're going, and how we would photograph them. This could be a music festival or a different country you're visiting or place. These images will be sent to a Travel Competition!

During my Summer, I played many gigs at different venues including Stafford and Stone's music festival. I also attended a folk festival in Sidmouth and visited the beautiful Ireland which I also had the opportunity to perform in.
I took many photographs, continuing to practice my technical skills including Shutterspeeds and Apertures and attempting to capture the essence of the places.

For example, at the beginning of the Summer, I went to Yarlet to visit my Father's old boarding School. My aim was to document him looking around nostalgically and capture what may have changed since he had been there as a child. I captured him looking around and was really interested by the light coming through the windows and lamps. I found it some what eery and spooky walking around empty rooms. Also being interested in the old piano and wooden floors, I continued taking photographs and thought a black and white theme would work with the documentary feel. The reason of this event was to have a Cricket Match in memory of David Carr who retired as Headmaster in Summer 1989 and passed away in Autumn 2011.

 

Cerian Chandler

Cerian Chandler was another Photographer I researched. The first series of photographs I had looked at were of Coed (Trees.) I especially enjoy taking photographs of trees, and one of my favourite places I go to is the woods. This makes me think of ideas to do of our new assignment "Oh the places you'll go..."

I really like this image of the reflections because it captures quite an eerie feel. I, for some reason, have this idea that inside reflections are some sort of parallel universe; a much calmer, and simple place.

This photo really stands out to me because of it's vintage feel and use of various material's layered together. It's a montage perhaps created on Photoshop. I've always liked the idea of using other objects and texts to create an image and "making my mark" which is why I especially enjoyed our manipulation assignments.

This is a project of hers called "Living with Depression" which is something that really does stand out to me. Instead of allowing negative thoughts to make me feel bad about Photography, I will capture them. It'll inspire me. I especially enjoy her style of work and her shallow depth of field use.

Nancy Briscoe

I really enjoyed looking at this woman's work and she inspired me to use my 50mm 1.8 lens to create some soft photographs using shallow depth of field of my dolls house which my grandparents made me as a child. It was all handmade with different materials and wallpaper and the black and white wall outside is just like their house in Shropshire. I thought I could make a personal project of mine talking about the comfort of the home and being moved around all the time.

I have many old vintage books and suitcases to capture photographs of, also!

Ian Gotham

Ian Gotham is a photographer that really inspired me. His main concentration of working with low light is an idea that stands out to me and also something I enjoy, too. The dream-like, eerie style he's developed is something which I would like to portray in my images. I especially enjoy the square-crop he has used as it focuses you in on the house as the main subject. The rest of the area is under exposed and with a shallow depth of field adding to the soft-ness.

His use of framing and a wide aperture in this image leads you completely towards the main subject - The drummer. Ian Gotham has used the rule of thirds to focus two thirds into the photograph which is right in the middle. The viewer's eye is lead around the photograph with the lines and tones of the instrument and I find the black and white works really well in order to portray all the reflections, highlights and shadows.

Jewellery

A second photographer, Emily Hrab, photographs a lot of jewellery and accessories which is also something which I enjoy doing. Her use of shallow depth of field, creates a soft image which is delicate and feminine attracting the viewers eye.

Ideas on what I would like to go into after this course.

The area of Photography which I could imagine myself going into would be Documentary and Music. I enjoy capturing what is around me and the natural emotions and locations. I especially enjoy black and white and finding a balance between lights and darks. Playing with the light available, too, is something that I prefer.

Michelle Waters was a photographer that stood out to me the most. - http://mwaters.4ormat.com/

I enjoy looking at her soft, feminine photographs and the way she captures what's around her. The places she walks in and the areas she's grown up in and documenting that whilst using great wide apertures creating shallow depth of field. I also really like the square crops that is quite consistent in her photography.

Her "Time for tea" commision work, I found, was lovely. The delicate, pink colours made the photos warm and attractive. She used an array of different vantage points and compositions to create some very strong images.

I especially enjoy the style which she has developed as she creates very soft and appealing photographs. The way she composes her images really stand out to me.