statement of intent
My theme
I aim to produce a website of work on Weebly demonstrating my ideas, development, creative thinking based around the theme of the ‘Texture.’ At the end of my coursework time, I will choose my best Photographs and present them in a final gallery. My theme around Texture could be either natural texture, such as, fruit, vegetables, trees, moss, leaves, ferns and water. I could also take images of manmade objects such as metal and glass, but I am not so keen on this and so I think I may concentrate on natural texture.
photographers i am going to research
For my initial research I will start by looking into ‘Texture’ photographers. At the moment, I have two in mind that I want to look at. These are Edward Weston and Richard Wong. I chose Edward Weston because he is an old photographer who specialised in taking black & white photos of fruit. In his images he brings out the texture using light and I think that I can gain a lot of inspiration for my own work. I really like the detail he brings out and the way he makes a simple cabbage leaf look special.
I chose to look at the contempory photographer Richard Wong as I really love the colours he captures and the beauty of nature. It would be a good contrast to the other photographer and will help me decide in which direction I want my work to go in.
I chose to look at the contempory photographer Richard Wong as I really love the colours he captures and the beauty of nature. It would be a good contrast to the other photographer and will help me decide in which direction I want my work to go in.
my first thoughts about this texture
When I chose this theme, my initial thoughts were of natural textures such as fruit, leaves, plants and feathers. After thinking about the project title more thoroughly I realise there are so many more routes for my work to go down, but I think I will concentrate on nature as this interests me more. I hope to do studio shots to improve my technical skills as well as going outside on location. We are planning on going to Padley Gorge, which is a wood with a stream where I will be able to capture texture, colour and different natural objects. There maybe different light throughout the day and so I will have to get used to changing my camera settings. If I get a range of different textures, this will allow me to have more images to experiment with and contrast when I am working in Photoshop.
my starting point
To start my project I will photograph the fruit, leaves and plants that I can bring into school. I will also bring in contrasting props such as metal and glass so that I have a larger range of texture. When taking photos, lit will help me learn how to use focus, WB, iso and exposure to get good shots. I will also use an infinity curve and lighting inspired by Edward Weston, to bring out the texture. I will then develop these images further in Photoshop and Photopea, learning how to use different tools and layers, such as duplication and free transform I then hope to do some more independent work around where I live and hope to go to Padley Gorge
cameras and equipment I will use
I would like to experiment with a wide range of techniques within my work, because in my opinion it will make my work more creative. I have a school manual DSLR Canon camera, which I will take most of my photographs on, but I would also like to experiment with my own mobile phone camera, which is a iPhone Xr which has a excellent camera. I hope to use a microscopic lens to see the effects of close up texture that I can create with it. I will also try to push myself to be more creative within Photoshop, learning how to use the image adjustment layer for Black & White, exposure, levels, colour saturation and contrast. I aim to experiment with the magic cut technique and creating patterns to push my outcomes.
How i will show progression
I have 3 months to produce my texture Website of work towards the production of my final piece. I aim to complete my initial research within the 4 weeks and start photographing by the 5th week. Next steps will be to watch tutorials and learn how to use different tools so that I show progression. I will then continue to develop my work in photoshop and be prepared to go out again with my camera and capture new images to enhance my project. When I have completed the project, I will select my best photography outcomes and display them in my final gallery. I might try printing some of the images out and mount them on the wall as a small display.
i will evaluate my project
As my project progresses I will use annotations throughout my webpage, to show my understanding of photography techniques, labelling my ideas and development clearly. This will also help me to reflect on the work I produce and how far I have come on my journey. I will mainly seek advice from my Tutors and my peers on how to make my work better as well as using tutorials and past students work. I’m always aiming to push myself to new levels as I want to do well in photography and it allows me to be creative. I will also watch tutorials and demonstrations and find my own as well to help me develop my skills and knowledge of Photoshop. After the creation of my final portfolio I will write a final evaluation on the project as a whole, reflecting on what went well and what I would do differently or change given the time.
coggle mind map to show my first ideas
natural moodboard
manmade moodboard
photography research
edward weston
context
I have bee researching about Edward Weston and this is the information I have found:
"Edward Henry Weston was born March 24, 1886, in Highland Park, Illinois. He spent the majority of his childhood in Chicago where he attended Oakland Grammar School. He began photographing at the age of sixteen after receiving a Bull’s Eye #2 camera from his father. Weston’s first photographs captured the parks of Chicago and his aunt’s farm. In 1906, following the publication of his first photograph in Camera and Darkroom, Weston moved to California. After working briefly as a surveyor for San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, he began working as an itinerant photographer. He peddled his wares door to door photographing children, pets and funerals. Realizing the need for formal training, in 1908 Weston returned east and attended the Illinois College of Photography in Effingham, Illinois. He completed the 12-month course in six months and returned to California. . Weston gained an international reputation for his high key portraits and modern dance studies. Articles about his work were published in magazines such as American Photography, Photo Era and Photo Miniature. Weston also authored many articles himself for many of these publications. In 1912, Weston met photographer Margrethe Mather in his Tropico studio. Mather becomes his studio assistant and most frequent model for the next decade."
https://www.edward-weston.com/edwardweston
"Edward Henry Weston was born March 24, 1886, in Highland Park, Illinois. He spent the majority of his childhood in Chicago where he attended Oakland Grammar School. He began photographing at the age of sixteen after receiving a Bull’s Eye #2 camera from his father. Weston’s first photographs captured the parks of Chicago and his aunt’s farm. In 1906, following the publication of his first photograph in Camera and Darkroom, Weston moved to California. After working briefly as a surveyor for San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, he began working as an itinerant photographer. He peddled his wares door to door photographing children, pets and funerals. Realizing the need for formal training, in 1908 Weston returned east and attended the Illinois College of Photography in Effingham, Illinois. He completed the 12-month course in six months and returned to California. . Weston gained an international reputation for his high key portraits and modern dance studies. Articles about his work were published in magazines such as American Photography, Photo Era and Photo Miniature. Weston also authored many articles himself for many of these publications. In 1912, Weston met photographer Margrethe Mather in his Tropico studio. Mather becomes his studio assistant and most frequent model for the next decade."
https://www.edward-weston.com/edwardweston
composistion
This is a black and white photograph of a cabbage leaf and the texture of the vegetable has been brought out by the contrasts of the white veins against the black shadows. Weston has taken this photo in a studio and has carefully lit the cabbage from the right hand side, I can see a highlight on the top right hand corner which makes you focus on this spot. He has also thought about the composition and has used the rule of thirds. We can see this as the top main stalk falls in one third of the image, the 'sweet spot' and this makes you look at this point. The strong leading lines of the cabbage go diagonally from the top right of the photograph to the bottom left hand corner, which adds interest to the image. The black background silhouettes the cabbage and makes it stand out and in my opinion, I think it makes it look quite beautiful. Weston has tightly cropped the image so that we feel quite close to it and it makes us look carefully at the beautiful texture and shapes on the leaf. I think Weston would of had his camera on a tripod as the lighting is quite dark and so he may of had a slow shutter speed. I think we would have set the ISO to 400 and had Fstop 14. I am going to use some of his techniques to inspire my own work when I also will be taking photos of fruit and vegetables.
connection
I will use this research to develop my work by taking similar images of fruit and vegetables, trying to bring out the texture of each object and make it look special. I really like the way he uses light to bring out the detail and this is something I will try use in my own work. I can also see that he has used the rule of thirds to make his images stand out, this might be something I will try to produce in my own work. Although I admire the use of black & white I prefer it with colour because it is more creative in my opinion. I really like the way the image is framed, I would hopefully produce this type of photography in my own work.
comment
I like the way that Weston brings out patterns and shapes in his work but if I'm honest I find it not that interesting and I feel that there are better texture object that I can photograph. However I feel that I would enjoy setting up a studio setting, learning how to use the studio lights and create a infinity curve background. I think the meaning behind his work is to make ordinary objects seem special and unique and to bring out the beauty of the object, this is something I aim to do in my work.
richard wong research
content
I have been researching about Richard Wong and this is the information I have found:
"A California native, I was born and raised in California My eventual photographic interests were shaped at an early age by family trips along the California coast and to the conidian Rockies. Though I had always enjoyed looking at landscape photography I didn’t take an interest in photography until in college. Prior to then I had always thought of photography as “boring” studio portrait sessions and wedding photography. A few years later, I discovered the works of Galen Rowell through a copy of Outdoor Photographer magazine that my cousin had brought along on a road trip. That inspired me to pursue photography as a lifestyle. Things came full circle several years later when Outdoor Photographer asked me to write and illustrate an article for their magazine. I've since spent a significant portion of my adult life pursuing the art of photography. Though I started off shooting with print and slide film, I purchased my first digital camera in 2001 (much earlier than most current photographers) and now work exclusively in that medium. The amount of detail that can be reproduced from digital files is unrivaled. In 2021, I added a drone to my toolbox for aerial photography and am FAA certified. I currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my wife and two young children. Photo Licensing Info & Fees: My photos are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Most photos are available for licensing on a rights-managed basis priced for fair market value based on the usage. I do not respond to free image requests so only serious licensing inquiries please. If you feel a need to use images then the photos have value. Photography helps me to pay my bills so I do not work for free. for licensing fees. Print buyers include private collectors for home decor, corporate fine art buyers and art consultants for architectural design jobs. I have also been a featured guest speaker for the Sierra Club, Contra Costa Camera Club in Pleasant Hill, Redlands Camera Club and the Peninsula Camera Club in San Mateo.
Richard Wong, Photographer"
https://www.rwongphoto.com/gallery/richard-wong/
"A California native, I was born and raised in California My eventual photographic interests were shaped at an early age by family trips along the California coast and to the conidian Rockies. Though I had always enjoyed looking at landscape photography I didn’t take an interest in photography until in college. Prior to then I had always thought of photography as “boring” studio portrait sessions and wedding photography. A few years later, I discovered the works of Galen Rowell through a copy of Outdoor Photographer magazine that my cousin had brought along on a road trip. That inspired me to pursue photography as a lifestyle. Things came full circle several years later when Outdoor Photographer asked me to write and illustrate an article for their magazine. I've since spent a significant portion of my adult life pursuing the art of photography. Though I started off shooting with print and slide film, I purchased my first digital camera in 2001 (much earlier than most current photographers) and now work exclusively in that medium. The amount of detail that can be reproduced from digital files is unrivaled. In 2021, I added a drone to my toolbox for aerial photography and am FAA certified. I currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my wife and two young children. Photo Licensing Info & Fees: My photos are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Most photos are available for licensing on a rights-managed basis priced for fair market value based on the usage. I do not respond to free image requests so only serious licensing inquiries please. If you feel a need to use images then the photos have value. Photography helps me to pay my bills so I do not work for free. for licensing fees. Print buyers include private collectors for home decor, corporate fine art buyers and art consultants for architectural design jobs. I have also been a featured guest speaker for the Sierra Club, Contra Costa Camera Club in Pleasant Hill, Redlands Camera Club and the Peninsula Camera Club in San Mateo.
Richard Wong, Photographer"
https://www.rwongphoto.com/gallery/richard-wong/
composition
In this photograph by Richard Wong, the main focus is the beautiful tree and it's twisted trunk and branches. This is obviously a photograph that has been taken on location and I can see that he has thought about the composition as he has used the rule of thirds as well as making the image symmetrical. In the bottom third of the image, we can see mossy mounds and in the next two thirds, we have the main tree. This makes us feel quite close to it and it makes the tree stand out. I also like the way he has captured the changing colours of the leaves, in the top part of the tree, the leaves are a soft orange and as we work down the tree, we can see the contrasting light green of the background foliage. The branches really stand out against the foliage as they are in a contrasting colour and so they become strong leading lines that twist and turn. You can clearly see all of the detail of the different textures and so I think we may have used either a telescopic lens or a wide angle lens. There is quite a deep depth of field as we can clearly see the trees in the background and everything is in sharp focus. I think the ISO would have been set to 100 and Fstop would have been quite a high number. As the shot seems so well thought about, he may of had his camera on a tripod. Looking at the light, it is quite soft and so he may have taken this image in the early morning. He has cropped the image quite tightly, cutting off the top of the tree and the sides, this makes the viewer feel as if you are standing very close to it, looking slightly up, which makes the tree feel special. I really like the colours he has captured and i hope this will inspire me when I go out on location.
connection
I have chosen this photographer because I really like their work and I am going to use the image above to inspire me when I go out on location to Padley Gorge. I will try to capture the colour and light when I take my own photos, so that I bring out the texture in the natural objects around me.
comment
I really like the photographers work as I am drawn to the colours he manages to capture. I think his images celebrate the beauty of nature and brings out texture, colour and soft lighting. I like the compositional techniques he uses and I hope to try and use some of these in my own photographs. I like the detail of the branches and how these are silhouetted against the bright leaves, making a contrast and helping the form to stand out.
first shoot
I For my first shoot I am going to develop my camera skills my using a DSLR Canon camera on manual settings. I will explore the white balance, shutter speeds, Fstops and exposure. I will also try different compositional techniques, such as the rule of thirds and tight cropping.
kiwi
oranges
kiwi and oranges
change of composition
pineapple
lettuce
cabbage
peppers
best and worst
This is my best because when I was taking this picture I checked everything: the aperture, the exposure and I made sure that the camera was on a good angle. The photograph has a smooth texture to it. I feel as though the cabbage is visually eye-catching. Which made this picture my best. |
This is my best because when I was taking this picture I checked everything: the aperture, the exposure and I made sure that the camera was on a good angle. The photograph has a smooth texture to it. I feel as though the cabbage is visually eye-catching. Which made this picture my best.
|
feathers
My first shoot was looking at natural objects, I am now going to contrast this with man made objects so that I have a contrast of texture images and see which ones I prefer to use in my final outcome gallery.
tissue paper
twig
metal
macro lense
padely gorge
I am now going on a location shoot to Padley Gorge for the day to get a range of different texture photographs. I will be using a Canon DSLR camera which I will use o the manual setting, so will need to set the iso, white balance, and exposure. I will have to constantly check my camera and change the settings because the light will be changing all the time.
berries
best and worst
FERNS
LEAVES
best and worst
best
I believe this is my best picture out of my whole gallery as the
colour is standing out to the rest of the picture and also, I think that the natural light plays a big part in this. I think that the soft back ground draws you in and it looks professional. |
worstIn my opinion, this photo is my worst because I wasn't focusing when I took it so it look's unprofessional. Also
it looks dull and the aperture was wrong. To improve this picture i will focus more when taking pictures and improve my skills. |
trees
best and worst
bestI believe this is my best picture because the contrast is making the leaves look brighter and I think that there's a lot of detail in this photo and the leaves have different shades of green and yellow also the detail on thee branches look professional.
|
worstIn my opinion this photo is my worst because, the picture is very blurry and it looks rushed and I wasn't focused whilst taking this which made it look like this. This makes it seem un professional.
|
moss
gate
river
river
developing my ideas
original image |
OUTCOME |
Further outcomes
changing saturation
final outcome
exploring different filters |
before
after
exploring colour and black and white
developing ideas
exploring layers |
exploring patterns
final gallery
Evaluation
My main theme was different types of textures such as manmade and natural textures. I thought the theme was good because I was able to take images of objects that I liked and explore different types of texture from a broad range of forms.. I took pictures of shells, trees, fruit, vegetables and for my homework I took pictures of the sky. It allowed me to be more creative, and I improved my knowledge and skills towards photography, such as using the camera on a manual setting and developing my images in PhotoShop.
In photography I found the use of Photoshop the most interesting because I enjoyed manipulating my work and improving the images I had taken. I preferred taking photos than the writing part. I enjoyed taking photos when we went Padley Gorge, mainly because it was interesting and it was a good experience to go out on location. Learning how to use the camera on manual settings was difficult but I practiced and I got better at composition and exposure. I also developed my understanding of WB/ISO and shutter speed.
Building a website using Weebly was a new skill that I did not know before and I think it makes my work look professional and creative. I have learnt how to use Photoshop, using layers and free transform to create patterns and shapes. I found Photoshop hard to use at first but then my confidence grew and I enjoyed my final outcomes. I used a tutorial to show me how to make patterns, using multi layers and this is something I will develop for my next project.
In photography I found the use of Photoshop the most interesting because I enjoyed manipulating my work and improving the images I had taken. I preferred taking photos than the writing part. I enjoyed taking photos when we went Padley Gorge, mainly because it was interesting and it was a good experience to go out on location. Learning how to use the camera on manual settings was difficult but I practiced and I got better at composition and exposure. I also developed my understanding of WB/ISO and shutter speed.
Building a website using Weebly was a new skill that I did not know before and I think it makes my work look professional and creative. I have learnt how to use Photoshop, using layers and free transform to create patterns and shapes. I found Photoshop hard to use at first but then my confidence grew and I enjoyed my final outcomes. I used a tutorial to show me how to make patterns, using multi layers and this is something I will develop for my next project.
Techniques I would like to develop further
I would like to develop my skills more in Photoshop because this is an area I don't feel confident in yet. I have started to learn how to turn images to black & white, saturate the colour and use duplicate layers to create interesting outcomes. However, I would like to develop my knowledge and skills a bit more for my next project. I also want to improve the way I light my images and try and do more studio shots with coloured backgrounds.
Research
The two photographers I researched for this project were Edward Weston and Richard Wong, they were contrasting because one used black and white and the other used colour. They were also from different time spans which I found interesting. I preferred Richard Wong's work because I like colour and the detail he managed to capture. His work inspired me when I went to Padley Gorge where I also tried to capture detail and texture. I also tried different camera viewpoints, looking up at the trees but also close-up images.
Techniques I enjoyed on this project
I really enjoyed learning how to use the DSLR Canon camera on manual settings. Went I went out on location I had to keep changing the exposure on the camera and other settings such as WB and ISO. I found it hard at first and my images were not as good as I wanted. However, I got use to changing the settings and by the end I was proud of my images. In particular, I really liked my images where I used a shallow depth of field, making the background blurry and the main object stand out.
Most successful part of my project
I think the most successful part of my project is the final gallery as it shows how I developed my ideas and shows how creative I can be. I am also proud of my photography site as I feel it looks very professional and shows all of my hard work and how I developed my ideas. One problem I faced was thinking of ideas of how I would develop my ideas in Photoshop, so I watched some tutorial and that helped me with my skills.
What I would do differently
If I were to do this project again or for my future projects I would bring in my own props because it will make my work more personal and interesting. I would also watch more tutorials and look at other student work to get inspiration. However, overall I am pleased with my Texture project.
I would like to develop my skills more in Photoshop because this is an area I don't feel confident in yet. I have started to learn how to turn images to black & white, saturate the colour and use duplicate layers to create interesting outcomes. However, I would like to develop my knowledge and skills a bit more for my next project. I also want to improve the way I light my images and try and do more studio shots with coloured backgrounds.
Research
The two photographers I researched for this project were Edward Weston and Richard Wong, they were contrasting because one used black and white and the other used colour. They were also from different time spans which I found interesting. I preferred Richard Wong's work because I like colour and the detail he managed to capture. His work inspired me when I went to Padley Gorge where I also tried to capture detail and texture. I also tried different camera viewpoints, looking up at the trees but also close-up images.
Techniques I enjoyed on this project
I really enjoyed learning how to use the DSLR Canon camera on manual settings. Went I went out on location I had to keep changing the exposure on the camera and other settings such as WB and ISO. I found it hard at first and my images were not as good as I wanted. However, I got use to changing the settings and by the end I was proud of my images. In particular, I really liked my images where I used a shallow depth of field, making the background blurry and the main object stand out.
Most successful part of my project
I think the most successful part of my project is the final gallery as it shows how I developed my ideas and shows how creative I can be. I am also proud of my photography site as I feel it looks very professional and shows all of my hard work and how I developed my ideas. One problem I faced was thinking of ideas of how I would develop my ideas in Photoshop, so I watched some tutorial and that helped me with my skills.
What I would do differently
If I were to do this project again or for my future projects I would bring in my own props because it will make my work more personal and interesting. I would also watch more tutorials and look at other student work to get inspiration. However, overall I am pleased with my Texture project.