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Experimental Photography

Chloe Smith

ReflectionFor this experiment, I had the camera set to auto and I changed it to manual focus in order to achieve these reflection images that I took in the light on the stairwell. The results I got were these very dull and ghostly looking images, that practically have no colour to them at all. I could lighten them in Photoshop somehow so that they look more pale, which I think would be an even nicer effect. These images are also quite minimalistic because the majority of them are just a plain grey colour, and there is little content in each one. The shapes seen in the first two images are abstract, and all three look quite mysterious and sinister. The only thing I would change about any of these image is make them lighter, so that they look paler. Like I said before, I could use Photoshop to do this, and I could maybe go back and take some more images like these but from different angles and areas so I can have more variety. The images remind me of a strange house, or a gallery, with the plain walls. The first two images also look surreal because it is not entirely clear as to what is being shown because of the rounded angles and the darkness in the image. You can only just make out the outline of the railings in the second image. I like the last image because it looks ghostly, but obviously it isn’t because you can see the tips of my fingers, but it makes for an interesting image.

I have chosen this image as my best one because I like the way that the building looks as if it is being covered in moss and greenery, like it is abandoned and derelict even though the building looks in good condition. It could also be a picture taken through a stained window, but it looks most like a double exposure image, where one image is overlaid on top of the other. I used the reflection in one of the paintings on the wall and turned the barrel on manual focus until the building was in focus and the painting was slightly blurred. To link in with the double exposure, it shows a nice contrast between nature and the more urban and modernised areas. If you wasn’t focusing on the actual image in the background, the colours and shapes create a pattern on the building. If you are looking at this image from a distance it makes it look more like an overgrown, derelict building than it maybe does when you look at it up close.

BlurFor this experiment, I used the manual focus option to turn the barrel in order to change the amount of blur for each image. Sometimes I found that less blur in and image worked better than more blur. I wanted to try taking pictures from a higher area so that I could look down and have some parts of the image more blurred than others. I like the first two images because I can imagine how someone with a fear of heights would feel dizzy when looking down large flights of stairs, or any high platform. I like the bottom picture because it looks surreal and although it is out of focus, you can still see what is in the image. It works well because the windowsill is almost in focus, while the outside is completely blurred. This makes the image seem like you are looking out into some unknown or fantasy world. The fact that the windowsill is dark while the outside is so light gives the impression of being cut off from the outdoors and being confined because you can’t go out and explore the area. So, in a sense you cannot see the view clearly because you have not experienced it yet. The effect of the blur on the last image also makes it look like a painting, which makes it a more interesting image overall since it is quite deceiving in this way.

I have chosen this image as my best one because it looks more like a painting, and although everything in the frame is blurred you can still make out what each object is. I think that the different shades of green merge together well and the blur gives an oil painting effect. This effect also makes the image look quite surreal and almost like a fantasy world. I think that this is the most blurred image that I took and it works well because the objects in the frame are more significant than the ones that I took of inside the college. This may be because there is more natural light outside, or the different greens that work so well together. I think that I could experiment with more blurred images outside of the college, and change the amount of blur on each one to see what looks better.

MovementFor this experiment I used different techniques to achieve the look of these images. First of all, I turned the lens barrel while using a longer shutter speed. Zooming in and out while the camera was still taking the picture created some interesting effects. The first two images show this technique and each of them show how I have zoomed in and out. Depending on how slow I moved the barrel, it would create smaller or larger effects. The first image almost looks like it was taken during an earthquake, and the second image looks more sci-fi, and as if you are moving through time. The second technique I did required a tripod. I set up the camera on the tripod and set it to a slow shutter speed. When people walked past the camera I would press the button and the slow shutter speed would capture them walking through the frame, while the building would stay still. The second technique is good for creating ghostly images that show the figures of people moving through the frame, but because of the slower shutter speed they will appear more ghostly and transparent. I think that this is the best way to show movement in a picture, rather than the first technique. If I was to improve the images I took, I would go to a more crowded area, or choose a better time to take pictures when the Atrium is busier.

I have chosen this image as my best one because it shows the best capture of movement. This may be because it is in a darker area and the subject stands out more against the white walls. I created this image by setting up the camera on a tripod and putting it on a two second timer. This meant I was able to walk past and the camera would capture my movement with the slow shutter speed. This image looks more sinister than the other movement pictures that I took because the shadow is black instead of white. Again, an image like this could be improved by having more than one person, or having a more controlled environment so that the light was not present in the background, etc. I could try lightening the image overall and see how it looks in comparison to the original, because the image might be a bit dark in some places.

Photo MontageFor this experiment I used a camera and Photoshop. I took pictures of small sections of ‘scene’ that I wanted to capture, making sure to overlap each picture slightly, and then I used the automate > photo merge tool in order to create a photo montage of the full scene. I found that this works better when you take three or four rows of images rather than two because, as you can see in the first image, the outcome is a bit muddled and messy in some parts, although that image does have a nice curve to it. Because I took more rows and columns of images in the second photo montage, it has turned out much neater when Photoshop put it together. You can also see a slight angle on the left hand side where the stairwell juts out. I think that this effect creates a more angled and 3D effect, especially when you use the camera to pan around you, so you end up with almost a panorama shot. I was advised to add a stroke to the images in the second photo montage because it adds to the 3D effect and makes the idea of the individual pictures being put together more significant.

I have chosen this image as my best one because I like the brightness of the scene and the colours look much more vibrant. Even without a stroke being added, this image actually looks like each picture has been stuck together. This may be because of the different kinds of light in each individual picture. This photo montage doesn’t curve round as much but it looks as if you are seeing the scene from someone’s actual eyes. Again, this could be seen as almost like a panorama shot because the montage covers quite a large space. If I were to go back and improve this image, I would try and get more pictures of the York College wall, so that the full sign was in the frame properly, instead of having a little bit cut off. Doing that might help with the large gap between the two images of the far left as well.