Definition&Theory:
•A shape is an area enclosed by a line. It could be just an outline or it could be shaded in.
•Shapes
can be either geometric, like a circle, square or triangle,
or irregular.
•When
drawing shapes, you must consider the size and position as well as the shape of
the area around it. The shapes created in the spaces between shapes are
referred to as negative space.
Negative Space - This is the area which surrounds the main subject in your photo.
Positive Space - the main subject in the image.
I think direct and diffuse lighting play a huge part in creating shape images, although this is a theory of colour, it is commonly used to help highlight specific colours of shapes in an image, helping them stand out, or cast a shadow.
Direct Lighting - lighting provided from a source without reflection from other surfaces.
Diffuse Lighting - usually creates a reflection is the reflection from a surface such that a ray incident on the surface is scattered at many angles rather than at just one angle.
Positive Space - the main subject in the image.
I think direct and diffuse lighting play a huge part in creating shape images, although this is a theory of colour, it is commonly used to help highlight specific colours of shapes in an image, helping them stand out, or cast a shadow.
Direct Lighting - lighting provided from a source without reflection from other surfaces.
Diffuse Lighting - usually creates a reflection is the reflection from a surface such that a ray incident on the surface is scattered at many angles rather than at just one angle.
Photo Analysis
This is a photograph by Bill Brandt, he has photographed a series of images based on the female form. The use of negative space that Brandt has created in this image of a woman highlights the insecurities that many women feel due to their appearance, by showing her face and her breast. It shows that she is sensitive with these parts of herself due to her sad facial expression, and the reluctance to show her full body.Research (Artists&Techniques)
My chosen artist is Debby Lewis Harrison she is a photographer who likes to make "something from nothing". Her work is very modern and consists arranging/rearranging items to create different colours and shapes, she mainly uses kitchen items, food and drink to achieve this. However, she does also arrange many other items to create great photography. I also noticed her strong use of complimentary and analogous colours, which I will try to incorporate into a photograph. Complimentary colours are colours which are opposite to each other on the colour wheel; Analogous colours are when colours used are next to each other on the colour wheel, usually found in nature and are harmonious to the eye.
The above images are photographs by Debbie Lewis Harrison that I found across a variety of media platforms and sites. The images that I have chosen all illustrate things that you could make or find in your average kitchen. She uses the idea of arrangement to really emphasise the different shapes that you can create from such simplistic items, and is successful with this.The image of the salt and pepper shakers really show how arrangement influences achieving shape. She shows this by moving the items around so that they are at different angles this connotes confusion and chaos. The lighting is also crucial as she has managed to show more shape by creating shadows, she also uses complimentary colours like orange and blue creating a vibrant look. The arrangement of the kitchen utensils also sees a particular arrangement to achieve shape, yet it is landscape and the items are stacked on top of each other. This cluster of shapes and different levels in the image connotes to me that the price and size of things creates a hierarchy even with non-living things, like these kitchen items. The image of the ice cream is a perfect example of how food can be used to create effects with shape, in this image the way the cones are arranged illustrate order, yet the fact that the ice cream has melted and dripped on to the surface, contradicts this and illustrates to me that order can not always be maintained. She has also used the analogous colours of green and yellow, which makes the image aesthetically pleasing.
Debby Lewis Harrison's photography has inspired me to focus my own images that show shape by using the technique of arrangement However, I will still explore all other ways to achieve shape within my contact sheet.
IMAGE BANK
These photos have been taken by many different artists, and all give me possible ideas on how to approach my chosen technique of arrangement to achieve shape. These all show types of images that I can all be taken within indoors and possibly within my own home. I will bear in mind when taking my photographs.
AO1. You must ensure that several of the visual ideas/inspirations within the image bank are pursued.
My first image is a birds-eye view shot of my arrangement of paper cups, I did this to manipulate the negative space into creating more shapes which shows me diversity, as you can see I also cut one cup in half to create a new-shape. This was inspired by Debbie Harrison's images where she uses simple objects to create abstract images.
My second image of the two bread-rolls is to do with the aesthetics of shape, the circle roll illustrates to me simple and plain tasting bread whereas the triangle roll makes me feel like the flavour may be unique, thus showing how shape can change your minds perception of something. This was inspired by the work that Debbie Harrison did with food arrangement.
The image of the cut-open peppers is my favourite image, my intention was to show the natural shapes formed in nature. However, I noticed that they are all of similar shape and I was intending to find different shapes when cutting them open, I realised this is to do with our consumerist preferences and how we do not buy things that look different from each other. I think this is interesting because it shows urge for perfection in society - as the shapes are nearly identical - I used my inspiration from Debbie Harrison's use of space to create a meaningful image. I also incorporated analougos (yellow and green) and complimentary (red and green) colours into this image.
My image of the spilt drink shows an intentional variety of shape and illustrates to me the uses of a kitchen, which is to experiment and make mistakes. I created this image in inspiration of my research on Debbie Harrison, aiming to re-create the feelings from the image of the ice cream, I chose that cup specifically as I believe the shape is very abstract and unique.
On the other hand, My image of the knives arranged in order of size, was influenced by Debbie Harrison's photographs where she uses utensils to illustrate specific ideas. I believe that from this image, I conclude that size and shape go hand in hand when demonstrating the practicality and function of an item . The way I have created this image is very abstract as I feel that it contradicts from the stereotypical connotations of a knife and represents order and stability.
The images came out as I expected but for me the kitchen isn't a place I like to be, I will illustrate this opinion by using the gradient tool, to create a vignette effect, which darkens the image, reflecting my mood.
AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.
I used a CANON EOS 1300D for all of my photographs. The images were taken at and aperture range between f6 and F8. I increased and decreased exposure where necessary, especially when capturing negative space. I only increased aperture with certain photographs , to gain sharper pictures with a wider depth of field.
The image is an example of this, where the negative space of the skyline creates lots of interesting shapes. This represents the landscaping of Bishops Stortford town, and is much like one of the images from my research of other artists.
AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.
My artist research was very helpful as it showed me ways in which to create shape by manipulating objects that I already had. It encouraged a vast amount of creativity and helped me to come out with unique pictures that were all based in the kitchen as inspired by Debbie Harrison's work. My research from other photographers influenced me to look at the relationship between shape and size and was helpful in helping me tackle different ways to approach shape, for example negative space and through balancing objects.
AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.
I believe the photographs I have produced illustrate shape, by using a variety of techniques, inspired by Debbie Harrison and research from other photographers. My editing on Photoshop has successfully illustrated my opinions on being in a kitchen - as a woman - as degrading and boring . I achieved this by using the gradient tool, creating a vignette effect.
IMAGE BANK
These photos have been taken by many different artists, and all give me possible ideas on how to approach my chosen technique of arrangement to achieve shape. These all show types of images that I can all be taken within indoors and possibly within my own home. I will bear in mind when taking my photographs.
AO1. You must ensure that several of the visual ideas/inspirations within the image bank are pursued.
The images circled in red require improvement.
Photographs to improve
In this image I cut out a shape to create a triangle using negative space, I used food as inspired by Debbie Harrison. Unfortunately, the lighting here changes the background and casts a beam of light across the top, which takes the focus away from the centre of the image. To improve this I could take the image in a dark room, and ensure that the direction of light can be manually changed.
I at first believed this image would have been great in my five best final images as it was influenced by Debbie Harrisons use of kitchen utensils, until I noticed a few things that ruined the ability for this image to express my intentions, I did re-take the image in a different style completely. However, this image definitely needs to be improved the framing does not capture just the knives, and I feel that there was a bit of carelessness in arranging the items. I can improve this by zooming to eliminate capturing surrounding things and use a trial and error method to see the best arrangement style.
AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.
my idea for creating shape was inspired by Debbie Harrison and her work with arrangement, her work with foods and utensils influenced me to take many of my photos around the home. My best five images are all based around domestic objects such as items in your fridge and around the average kitchen.
The images came out as I expected, yet some images I had to improvise (knives) because in my own kitchen I didn't have every single knives part of a set, and it would have been impractical to buy them just for one image.
My first image is a birds-eye view shot of my arrangement of paper cups, I did this to manipulate the negative space into creating more shapes which shows me diversity, as you can see I also cut one cup in half to create a new-shape. This was inspired by Debbie Harrison's images where she uses simple objects to create abstract images.
My second image of the two bread-rolls is to do with the aesthetics of shape, the circle roll illustrates to me simple and plain tasting bread whereas the triangle roll makes me feel like the flavour may be unique, thus showing how shape can change your minds perception of something. This was inspired by the work that Debbie Harrison did with food arrangement.
The image of the cut-open peppers is my favourite image, my intention was to show the natural shapes formed in nature. However, I noticed that they are all of similar shape and I was intending to find different shapes when cutting them open, I realised this is to do with our consumerist preferences and how we do not buy things that look different from each other. I think this is interesting because it shows urge for perfection in society - as the shapes are nearly identical - I used my inspiration from Debbie Harrison's use of space to create a meaningful image. I also incorporated analougos (yellow and green) and complimentary (red and green) colours into this image.
My image of the spilt drink shows an intentional variety of shape and illustrates to me the uses of a kitchen, which is to experiment and make mistakes. I created this image in inspiration of my research on Debbie Harrison, aiming to re-create the feelings from the image of the ice cream, I chose that cup specifically as I believe the shape is very abstract and unique.
On the other hand, My image of the knives arranged in order of size, was influenced by Debbie Harrison's photographs where she uses utensils to illustrate specific ideas. I believe that from this image, I conclude that size and shape go hand in hand when demonstrating the practicality and function of an item . The way I have created this image is very abstract as I feel that it contradicts from the stereotypical connotations of a knife and represents order and stability.
The images came out as I expected but for me the kitchen isn't a place I like to be, I will illustrate this opinion by using the gradient tool, to create a vignette effect, which darkens the image, reflecting my mood.
AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.
I used a CANON EOS 1300D for all of my photographs. The images were taken at and aperture range between f6 and F8. I increased and decreased exposure where necessary, especially when capturing negative space. I only increased aperture with certain photographs , to gain sharper pictures with a wider depth of field.
The image is an example of this, where the negative space of the skyline creates lots of interesting shapes. This represents the landscaping of Bishops Stortford town, and is much like one of the images from my research of other artists.
These screenshots below show how I created a vignette effect on my images, using photoshop.
I used the gradient tool, to put the main source of light into the middle of the image, making the edges darker.
AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.
My artist research was very helpful as it showed me ways in which to create shape by manipulating objects that I already had. It encouraged a vast amount of creativity and helped me to come out with unique pictures that were all based in the kitchen as inspired by Debbie Harrison's work. My research from other photographers influenced me to look at the relationship between shape and size and was helpful in helping me tackle different ways to approach shape, for example negative space and through balancing objects.
AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.
I believe the photographs I have produced illustrate shape, by using a variety of techniques, inspired by Debbie Harrison and research from other photographers. My editing on Photoshop has successfully illustrated my opinions on being in a kitchen - as a woman - as degrading and boring . I achieved this by using the gradient tool, creating a vignette effect.
In this post there is a lot of good work. It needs to be developed further though for example through use of analogous/complimentary colours. Do a mind map of objects that you could photograph and consider how you would use lighting. Look at the theory for direct versus diffuse lighting and work out how you might be able to photograph objects using a certain type of lighting... current grade C on this it needs to be developed further... + where is the contact sheet.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete