time : final proposal

Since my last idea was a fail, I've taken a whole new approach to this project.

For this project, I aim to explore and communicate how time effects and transforms the food and meals we eat each day. I am taking a look at what meals are made of and what they become. I aim to show this in an interesting way which is through provoking. I want to try and portray a commercial feel to the images, as I feel the advertisement industry sometimes hides the reality of products, much like the meals which sometimes hide the ingredients in it, showcasing an appetising exterior.

I will show this transformation in food by taking before and after shots of meals which I have throughout the week. Using a document style layout and shoot, I will clearly display the beginning and end product, allowing the contrast between the two to be able to be seen clearly. In the "before" image, the ingredients will be lay out without any association to one another. After the meal is prepared, I will take an "after" photo, where all the ingredients are combined into one appealing dish. I will use bright lighting to give the images a "commercial" feel, and to enhance the coloring of the ingredients. This also creates an "exposed" feel to the pictures, the ingredients are being shown for what they are. From here, I will use a short shutter speed to maintain correct exposure in the images, also allowing to get crisp images that are a "snap shot" of time. This allows me to explore time in a different way - by not following the actual process but showing clear examples to start and finish - and the difference that time has on the initial products.

I think that this idea will be interesting to shoot as it makes me, and viewers, think harder about what is actually in our food, in where it all came from. As emphasis on organic and natural products develops in the modern society, I believe that this series will act as a small window into this issue. I think that it will explore time in an interesting way, by seeing how with time, things can completely transform.

time : stop motion development

I am not happy with it at all. Like I said on my last post, the images are too jumpy and don't flow together. It also proved really hard to photograph every aspect of my day as challenges rose from the second I woke up - such as getting undressed. Also, I don't actually think i'm comfortable showing all this stuff. Although this would be interesting to see and communicate, I think I need to change up my idea and start again from scratch.

Here's the stop motion anyway..

time : second shoot

These photos are for the beginning of my stop motion. They are from in the morning from the time I wake up and got out of bed, and go into the bathroom to have a shower. The lighting made it really hard to get good shots as it was hard for my camera to focus and take consecutive shots to get a seamless and not jumpy shoot.

time : initial shoot redo

I just realized that the contact sheets I posted yesterday, were actually all the same, not the actual different contact sheets, so here's the rest of them! Sorrrrrrrry.

time : task 1

Stop motion attempt:

time : initial shoot

My first shoot wasn't that successful because my camera ran out of memory space so I couldn't take enough photos.

time : proposal

For this project I want to create a stop motion that will show the process of my day. I will be looking at the journey from leaving the house in the morning and what goes on in my day. In this journey, I hope to capture my perception of the day and how my mood changes throughout the day. For example, at the start of the day it will feel slow and boring, and as the stop motion goes on it will become more fast paced an vibrant.

space : final photographs

For this project, I explore the different "tracks" of the Wellington Railways Station. Starting off from entering the station then to the trains leaving, I looked at the space and how it offered different routes for people to take their individual journey; how the space provided paths for people to take. 

I feel that my final series is effective as it shows the idea of "going places" clearly. It was interesting to explore the train station as a place people all came together, to go different ways. I demonstrated this in my first images as there are many people in the same area, then contrast this with the different routes people take within the station where not so many people are. Supporting this, I used a similar composition in all of my images to show a connection between all the routes. Furthermore, I communicated the idea of direction by using a large depth of field which gave dimension to my images.  The dark lighting in the photographs also give a sense of ambiguity and unknown to the images. I think that this adds to the idea of a journey as these feelings are sometimes present in many of the journeys taken within life - in this, I wanted to look further into the meaning of  a journey, rather than just the physical journey from going to the train station and boarding a train. 

I think the series works well as the first image captures the first steps into this space, and goes through the different tracks that the space provides. It then ends with the most obvious track of the Wellington Railways Station, almost sending off the people pictured earlier.

space : shoot 3

space : task 3

Large Aperture:

Small Aperture:

I think these two images worked well. The large aperture isolated the toothbrush from the rest of the image successfully, while the image with a small aperture put everything into focus, connecting the different subjects of the image.

Short Shutter:

This image wasn't as successful as I hoped it would be. I would have liked to use a faster shutter speed but my camera didn't have a low enough aperture setting, so there was not enough light let in for a shorter shutter speed. I do think it captures some sort of frozen moment, but not entirely.

 Long Shutter:

Again, I don't think this image was as successful as it could have been. I think a slower shutter speed would make the image seem a bit more realistic as I think it looks like that the hand is turning the tap at an incredibly fast speed. However, it does still show motion.

space : discussion

I really liked the last photo's I took, especially the one's influenced by Neil Paddington. If I incorporate his style with the movement of people at the train station, I think my theme of a journey will be clearly communicated.

space : precedent development

 ARTIST EXPERIMENTATION

During my last shoot, I took the time to take some shots of the station similar to the way Neil Paddington did with these shots. I think this style goes fittingly with what I am trying to portray in my photographs as they give a strong sense of direction. These paths, created by using a large depth of field, are the routes people take to get from point A to B - a journey. I like how your eye is sucked into the middle of the picture, and you are drawn into the image. 

images from: here
explanation of series from: here

The series of Pardington's which these images belong, was a time consuming operation which looked into the storage spaces of Museums around New Zealand. The images were of tunnels that were hidden away and not to be taken. Pardington captured the spaces with a very slow shutter speed which allowed him to capture minute details of the place. As I use Pardington's composition while taking my photo's, my exploration of the space is totally different. While Pardington concentrated on private and unused spaces, I am looking at one which is constantly used and is alive. In this, Pardington's technique which he used to take his photographs will not be suitable for my series as there is too much movement i my photographs. Here are my experiments...

I think that these shots were pretty successful. I like how they show the routes where people are going. Also in the last two images, I like the dullness of it compared to the upper levels of the station - the under ground parts were built with no character while the upper ones are beautiful and rich.

space : shoot 2

This is my second shoot, I have tried to focus more on the movement within the station and the different points of entry there. I think these points act as transitions and are significant to the theme of a journey. I have again shot at night time and think that, at this time, the station is lit in a way which it glows and the colors seem rich. I have also taken a step back form my initial shoot and looked at the station as more of a space.

space : precedent development

ARTIST EXPERIMENTATION

Andreas Gursky took photos of spaces in a way where the form and structure of the area was overridden by pattern. This meant that the smaller details of the space were taken away, and I feel like there is a a different essence and feel of the space presented by doing this.

Explanation of work from: here








I like the idea of capturing a space as a feeling instead of the actual space. I think it is more interesting to the viewer to be shown something, and not really know where it is, and interpret it in your own way.   I think that the ceiling and window's at the train station are prefect for doing this. Here are some takes on Gursky's work...

The ceiling at the train station was perfect for doing this because of it's decorative ceilings and windows. I think my shots were quite successful, but don't think that they are quite as fitting for this project as I thought it would be. This technique doesn't allow me to explore my theme for journey in space well, although it interesting to look at.

space: shoot 1 review

These were my favourite shots from the first shoot. I think I am too concentrated on smaller details and need to take a step back and look at the train station as a whole space - what the project is about.

I like the colour of the building in this photo. I think shooting at night time gives a pleasant lighting to the place and makes it a bit softer. However, I don't think this shot establishes the space of the station.

These photo's are too concentrated on small aspects of the station. Although I do like how it shows the wear and tear of the place.

I like these photos a lot as I think they capture the movement of people in the station. I think they show what the station is for - a space for transportation. I think I could explore this idea more and use it as a theme in my work.

I think these photos also give the idea of traveling or going somewhere. I like the idea that doors are an opening to somewhere new - a journey. The lower image, I think, connects to the upper one nicely and shows a connection between two places.

I like this photo as it clearly has a sense of going somewhere, however I think it is a bit ordinary and cliche.