Unit 2 Final Pieces

PACKUPYOURTROUBLES

Soft Grunge

Today's Tasks/Target (10/05/2013)

Now that I have completed my Unit 2 work, I have a number of small tasks I would like to do in order to improve my work:

• I am going to go through my blog and ensure that it is organised and structured appropriately.
• I still have some images from my last few shoots that I would like to experiment with: I have downloaded some new music-related brushes that I would like to try out.
• I may look into conducting another shoot, but this may require me to go into PoundLand in town to see if they have any toy instruments I can use. I would also like to experiment by cutting out musical notes and hanging them around a model with or without the instruments to represent more of the performance side of the brief for this topic.

Music For The Soul

Here is a selection of edits from my 12th shoot where I originally planned to create an iPod-style advert. I created one like this, but I felt like I couldn't develop this idea much further as it didn't properly resemble photography, which is why I have made these few edits. I found quite a range of different brushes for photoshop online which I used to edit and decorate the shapes created by the silhouettes.

With this image, I tried to create the idea that music was flowing out of my models head as she swished her hair. I think the idea may have looked better if the silhouette was darker all the way to the tips of the hair so that the colour of the brush marks looked like they matched the hair colour more appropriately.

When I shot this shoot, I tried to get my model positioned so that it looked like she were holding a musical instrument, but the silhouettes didn't resemble this well enough. The one photo I felt like I could use was this one, and I had a microphone brush which I felt fit in with the shape of my model's hand. I then used a white pencil brush to continue the line down to the bottom of the image to make it look as if my model was preparing to perform on stage. With this image I like the contrast between the darkness of the silhouette and the white microphone.

This image is simply a repetition creation using the first image, as I felt it made the model look like she were moving and dancing in a performance.

With the silhouette shoot I also shot some normal photos which, with the dark background, created a nice amount of empty space around the model. I decided to use a selection of guitar brushes I had to create a pattern around my model involving different shapes of different sizes. The white brush marks I feel look really effective and striking against the black background, however, I feel like I might try this effect again with a slightly better picture as the actual picture of my model isn't as 'nice' as it could have been. 

'The Performer In You'

Shoot 12 - Emma/iPod-style adverts - Work Record

Plans for the shoot:
My plan for this shoot is to use the studio to take silhouette-type shots of my model, to allow me to create iPod/Apple-inspired adverts with background designs created by instruments I have photographed throughout the Unit. I will need to set up the studio so that the lighting comes from behind my model in order to create the darkened silhouette.

What I hope to achieve:
By conducting this shoot, I hope to effectively show the formal element of shape as the silhouettes will represent a variety of irregular shapes against the patterned backgrounds I will design using existing photos for my 'adverts'. I'm also going to use a variety of brushes, such as fire brushes to create detailed backgrounds and designs with the silhouettes. I feel like fire backgrounds will help to reflect the 'performance' section  of the topic brief as rock and roll artists are associated with setting things on fire, flames, fireworks etc.

What I actually achieved:
In the end I photographed my model in two different ways - First I used a dark background to make actually cutting around my model easier, allowing for slightly more intricate shapes as I had more space in the studio. After this, I then changed the setup of the studio so that the lighting was behind my model to allow me to actually capture a silhouette rather than changing my image into a silhouette.

What I am going to do next:
Now that I have conducting all 12 of my required shoots, I am going to spend the rest of my time on my outstanding contextual work and improving any of my physical work that I feel is not the best that I could have done.

Shoot 11 - CD Patterns - Work Record

Plans for the shoot:
My plan for the shoot is to cover my kitchen table with CDs so that the reflective sides are facing up, and I want to take a variety of shots at different angles to capture and represent different patterns. CDs make up a huge part of a musician's life as it is how they directly connect with the people who like their music. Musicians realistically need musical instruments also to help them create and produce a CD.

What I hope to achieve:
By turning some of the more colourful CDs the other way up, I hope to capture a series of different patterns which will also show and represent a variety of colours too. Hopefully, through some macro shots, I hope to also show the depth as I will have multiple CDs lined up, plus further away shots should hopefully show a nice repeated pattern.

What I actually achieved:
Honestly, the shoot was a lot harder than I anticipated as in a lot of the images you can see the roof of my conservatory plus the walls caught in the reflection from the CDs. However, after some editing, I feel that some of the images act as a good representation of both pattern and colour, plus reflection too in some of the photos.
Here are a few of my favourites from the shoot:

What I am going to do next:
I have one final shoot to conduct before the completion of my Unit 2. With this shoot I hope to recreate the iconic Apple adverts in the studio using a variety of different models acting out various performances.

iPod inspired tutorial

http://www.photoshoplab.com/make-your-own-ipod-style-photo.html

Shoot 10 - Work Record - Guitar Plectrums

Plans for the shoot:
For this shoot I am going to need to go outside and find a textured surface that will contrast with the colours and texture of my guitar plectrums well. I have a collection of 10 guitar plectrums/picks, all either yellow, blue, black or clear and I am going to arrange them in various ways to experiment with patterns and colour.

What I hope to achieve:
With this shoot I hope to show what I have learnt about the formal elements since my completion of Unit 1 as I will mostly be focussing on texture, pattern, shape and colour with this shoot, linking it in with my chosen topic/theme of musical instruments and musicians.

What I actually achieved:
Although I was pleased with the outcome of some of the straight prints for this shoot, I wish I had have bought even more guitar plectrums to add to the collection to show a greater variety of colour and pattern. I feel like some of the images from this shoot, however, do represent the idea of natural music, and the hippie-genre/vibe associated with guitars, the field, grass etc.
Here are a few of my favourite shots from the shoot:

What I am going to do next:
I now only need to complete 2 more shoots before the end of my Unit 2, and I plan to shoot a) patterns created by a range of CDs and/or vinyl records, also showing colour and b) a studio shoot where I will re-create the iconic Apple/iPod adverts featuring a silhouette and a patterned or coloured background.

Target (26/04/2013)

Your target for today is to clearly demonstrate your understanding of the possibilities of your chosen topic by completing further practical or contextual work according to the requirements of the assignment and your needs as identified in your personal target.

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My target for today is to complete another shoot experimenting with a small collection of guitar picks/plectrums I have to help increase the number of shoots in my portfolio plus the number of straight prints. With this, I will also strive to complete at least 2 more physical experiments today and work on finalising my top 20 shoots for my electronic portfolio. 

Outstanding Work Unit 2

This is a list of all of the outstanding work I need to complete for this unit by the end of next week:

• NOTHING

Exam Credit!

Thanks again to all the helpful and friendly staff at GigGear today who helped me with my shoot for my exam! http://www.giggear.co.uk/

Exam Plan

My 5 hour exam for this unit will be taking place on this Friday (19/04/2013). My basic plan for the day is to come into college, collect a camera and go to my location to shoot musical instruments at a local music store called GigGear. I have personally visited the store before and I am impressed with the variety of different instruments and accessories they offer, much more than any instruments I have previously shot as part of this unit. I also feel that this location will give me the chance to shoot the interaction between people and instruments as there is likely to be customers visiting the store who will be hoping to try out some of the instruments, and if given consent, I'd like to photograph them too to feature as part of my portfolio. My idea for this relatively basic shoot has come from some of the images I looked at for my image bank, as I was impressed with the use of different colours and shapes in images of instruments on display, and I feel that a lot of my finished pieces will come from being edited afterwards, as I have also planned a few computer experiments where I will change some of the colours in my photos to represent contrast and different tones. 

A bus from college to my location takes approximately 30-40 minutes, and so including shooting time and travelling, I plan to return to college between 12 and 13:30, which will give me sufficient time afterwards to download, edit and print my final pieces. 

Shoot 9 - Work Record - Ukulele Shoot

Plans for the shoot:
This shoot is also going to make up part of my Media coursework, as I need a music-related image to use on the front cover of a magazine: www.laurenbarrettmedia.wordpress.com
My plan is to shoot my model in the studio using a ukulele and hippie/boho-inspired clothing and accessories to portray the themes and ideas associated with indie or folk music.

What I hope to achieve:
I hope to achieve a set of photos with a high quality so that I can also use it for the front cover of the magazine. I want the images to be a realistic representation of the genre of music, but to also experiment with different poses and shapes that I haven't used in any of my other portraiture work.

What I actually achieved:
I am really happy with the outcome of this shoot as I feel the images are an appropriate representation of the folk or indie genre. I also feel that I have learnt a lot about experimenting with different positions and poses in the studio too and it has also led to me conducting some interesting computer experiments. Here are a few of my favourite edited images from the shoot:

What I am going to do next:
Instead on conducting another shoot, I am going to use the upcoming week to continue with any outstanding contextual work and to also prepare for my 5 hour exam starting on Friday. My initial plan is to go to a local music store and shoot a variety of different musical instruments together.

Shoot 8 - Work Record - Violin Shoot

Plans for the shoot:
My plan for the shoot involves my model, a violin and a masquerade mask. I plan to portray the deep emotions associated with the violin, which I will hope will be shown through the concept of the mask, which I am using to represent the idea of the 'Phantom of the Opera'.

What I hope to achieve:
I hope to achieve two different styles of photo with this shoot: half of the shoot I plan to look at close-ups of just the face and the violin, primarily focussing on the mask. With the rest of the shoot I plan to take away the mask and experiment with how the body and the violin work together - getting my model to hold the violin in different ways, such as behind her back, across her front etc.

What I actually achieved:
The model I planned on using for this shoot wasn't available, so I had to use someone else, who was more than happy to do the shoot for me, expect she wasn't wearing dark clothes like I would have wanted, so the actual outcome of some of the photos didn't have the dark, moody feel I wanted them to have. However, I did also have some spare studio time where I photographed just the violin and the mask together, which I feel looked really effective and reflected the ideas I had planned for"

What I am going to do next:
Next I am going to begin to plan for my exam piece. Alongside this, I have a guitar shoot I want to plan for where I will use a model in a hippie-inspired shoot. I also have a ukulele hawaiian-themed shoot I want to plan for at some stage too.

Topic

By the end of this lesson you will have clearly demonstrated that your understanding and exploration of your chosen exam topic has increased and you understand the potentials of the topic.

                                                                                                                                        

To further explore my chosen topic of Musical Instruments and Musicians, I have conducted some research into the use of musical instruments in other forms of media and performance. One of the biggest ideas I came across was the use of instruments/orchestras in plays or musical productions. As I have access to a violin today, I have chosen to re-create the theme of 'Phantom of the Opera' as both the musical and the violin are both very dramatic, and I feel they will work well together. In order to explore this, I have a masquerade mask which my model will wear in the studio whilst she plays and holds the instrument in various different ways. 

Target

By the end of this lesson you will have demonstrated a clear understanding of the potential and possibilities of your chosen topic by undertaking practical work that adds to the shoots in your practical folder.

                                                                                                                                        

One of the main potentials I have discovered which is associated with my chosen topic is the idea of album covers and albums booklets/sleeves that come with the actual CD - they are used to persuade customers to buy the product and also provide extra entertainment alongside the actual music.

Today I am going to continue creating the product I began to produce during tuesday's lesson, adding more photos of my shoot to the album booklet. Once I have completed this to a standard I am happy with, I hope to conduct another shoot in the studio considering that there is space and my models aren't busy, to create my products for a band rather than a single musician - such as a poster, other promo shots or album covers. 

Album Booklet

Target (12/03/2013)

By the end of this lesson you will have clearly demonstrated that your understanding and exploration of your chosen exam topic has increased and you understand the potentials of the topic.

                                                                                                                                        

My own target for today is to explore my topic further by completing the edited album covers and album booklet I shot for last lesson. Most musicians, whether they are instrumental, singers, or a mixture of both, will release an album/CD/LP during some point in their career to showcase their work. In order to reflect on my topic of musical instruments and musicians, I am going to create an album cover design based on research I have completed into famous and well-known album covers. With my album design, I am going to look into using a repetition technique to create a pattern with the images I have previously shot. 

Inspiration: