Photographers Research 5

My Next Photographers research is a photographer called Benoit Aquin, who did a study into the deserts in China. The Study called The Chinese "Dust Bowl" looks into how 18% of China is now covered in desert. The photos present how the environmental change affects peoples life and can be dangerous as the air they breathe into their lungs can affect their health. By climate change causing droughts, People have to leave in unsuitable conditions, with hot temperatures, droughts and poisonous air around them. 

I thought Aquin's pictures were very natural, which is needed in a project like this, as you don't want to dramatise the subject or events due to people then not believing its real or get emotionally affected by the photos. From Researching Aquin I am influenced to take photos in the moment, and not staged a scene. This way, I will create a snapshot of real life and the dangers of climate change and environmental damage.

 The first photo i have chosen is first photo seen after the writing about Benoit's Collection. This creates the series of photographs as images of harsh tones and dark meanings. For example, this first photo creates two messages for me. The first message is made to emotionally connect the viewer with the events happening. This happens in the way the photograph captures the movement of the dust- creating a connotation of a dark and deadly gas with unknown danger. However, the second message creates a sense of irony because even when they are in a sense of danger from environmental damage, they are using cars and motorcycles which only cause more damage.

This next image creates a more emotional message the the viewer. The long miserable road makes you feel sorry to the unknown figure. It also leaves the audience wondering more, like how long have they been walking? do they have long left to go? are they tired? Due to the misty air making their face undiscoverable, the audience cannot get any details about the person- are the old? young? do the look upset? The sense of mystery makes a photo more interesting and keeping the audience wanting to see more.

In this photo, you see a busy town with with many people looking rustic and dirty and in a hurry. The rubbish and litter add an extra effect of the unclear are air and destroyed country who are facing damage of their bodies due to the poisionous air. Like the other photos, this image is taken in the moment, showing the realistic snapchat of what was happening in that moment.

Photographers Research 4

Brandon Seidler:

My fourth Photographers Research is Brandon Seidler. Seidler draws attention to the damage humans have done to the environment by photographing natural landscapes that have been altered by chemical pollution and then soaking the film in the same harsh chemicals that were found at the site. The developed film, which has been corroded by different acids, yields distorted, uncanny images of a world transformed by manmade toxins. I think the images were very creative and the use of bright colours draws attention to the picture.

This photo highlights the effect of pollution and the damage we are causing the world 

Relevance to my Images:

My artist research is shown throughout my images, with similarities of dots and bubbles of the filter as if there was gas bubbles.The final images I have edited present a destructive world in different ways. The use of plastic in order to create my filter creates an ironic effect of how materials are destructive, Burning plastic for example creates a poisonous gas, which i has to create in order to get the filter I wanted.

Photographers Research 3

Chris Packham:

Christopher Gary Packham CBE is an English naturalist, nature photographer, television presenter and author, best known for his television work including the CBBC children's nature series The Really Wild Show from 1986 to 1995. He has also presented the BBC nature series Springwatch, including Autumnwatch and Winterwatch, since 2009.
I like the uniqueness of Packhams photos and how it shows the increase of littering. The importance of the images is that they give the message of the dangers littering can cause to highlight to people that it affects animals massively.

What I like about this image is that the colours of the bottles match the beach huts.

This picture highlights how materials are left in the sea, ruining animals habitats and potentially harming them. I like the continuous tones in the photo as the non saturated colours doesn't overpower the image.

Relevance to my images:

My Research of Christopher Packham was helpful in my work as it gave me the idea to manipulate the image a bit by taking my own rubbish with me to make sure i had stuff to photograph. I think my research of Packham is shown in my picture by the use of leaving rubbish around, showing how it can affect other animals like fish but also make a place that should be pretty, look unpleasant, compared to other country’s beaches which are lovely.

Possible Portfolio Images

 

 

 

Work Record 7

Preparations:

In this shoot I will be going back to showing a destructive world through enviromenal damage of rubbish. This time, instead of a seside, i will be walking around a urban town of Harlow, known for rubbish, desruption and homeless people. This hopefully means i will be able to show how destructive a 'family friendly' place can be.

Artist Research:

Eduardo Leal:

Eduardo Leal is a Portuguese documentary photographer focusing mainly on South East Asia. Previously he worked for several years in South America. Currently based in Macau S. A. R., China.

Contact Sheet:

My Best Images:

Images That Need Improving:

These two photos are my least effective photos that need improving. This is because, for the first image, I didnt have time to change lenses so i couldnt zoom far enough to capture the bag floating in the air. However, if i had my different lens on, i think this could have been very effective as it could show how rubbish doesnt just stay of the floor and affect humans. It also goes into the sky, in which birds could fly into and get stuck etc. For the second Image, i wanted to capture how ridiculous it was for rubbish to be on the floor, right next to a bin. But i couldnt get the right angle, making the photo look boring.

Editing& AO2:

I wasn't sure how i wanted to edit my images. By photographer from my research stayed in colour, however i wasnt sure if that would look effective. Instead I used a similar effect to my shoot 2, where i made the rubbish the main focus. To do this i made the rest of the image black and white but kept the rubbish in colour. I then went on to change the contrast, curves and saturation of the images to make them look more harsh.

Settings of my best images:

DSC_0002

Focal length 55mm

shutter speed 1/125

aperture f/5.6

iso 1100

DSC_0005

Focal length 55mm

shutter speed 1/125

aperture f/5.6

iso 800

DSC_0016

Focal length 55mm

shutter speed 1/125

aperture f/5.6

iso 800

DSC_0020

Focal length 55mm

shutter speed 1/125

aperture f/5.6

iso 1100

DSC_0021

Focal length 55 mm

shutter speed 1/160

aperture f/5.6

iso 800

DSC_0035

Focal length 55mm

shutter speed 1/125

aperture f/5.6

iso 900

DSC_0043

Focal length 55mm

shutter speed 1/125

aperture f/5.6

iso 1250

DSC_0057

Focal length 55.0mm

shutter speed 1/250

aperture f/5.6

iso 280

A03:Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.

I think my shoot went well and reflected my idea of a dustructive world through environmental damage. My Research of Edaurdo Leal was helpful in my work as it gave me the idea to take the image of the rubbsih excatly how i found in, to look mor real. The images came out as I expected, however when i went out to take photographers, there were volenteers picking up rubbish so it was hard to get many images. I wanted my photos to show a miserable world in a way that will effect the audience in a emotional way. I think my images have portrayed this in many ways.

A01:Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.

I dont believe that my artist research is really shown throughout my images. I think my images are very different, they are more bright and staurated and there is different rubbish. I think my research of other waste photographers- Like Chris Pickham in shoot 2- have helped by though, as it inspired me to how i wanted my photos to turn out.

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

 I believe that I have produced a strong series of images inspired by my research of environmental damage and the images of Edaurdo Leal and Chris Pickham.
The final images I have edited present a destructive world in different ways. The use of rubbish highlights the simple actions of leaving rubbish left around
can affect the enviroment and also make a place that should be pretty, look unpleasent and uncared for.

Final Images: