concept photography

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conceptual_photography
a photo which illustrates an idea, derived from conceptual art.

attempt 2 (475)

Perception.
In this photo I've used lines from the architectural structure of a car park. Each line creates multiple points of focus which lead the viewer in different paths around the photo. The two paths(lines) going towards the horizon are the ones leading to university. The curb or central path is if I go from college, very direct. The car parking spaces represents the path I will take if I decide to go traveling because I'll go somewhere, park up and then pursue university at some later point. There is also a container which is blocking the majority of that path, making it harder for me to go to university. The path going to the left, with the warnings signs represents me trying to make it as a professional in the BMX industry. This is extremely risky because the chances of making it as a professional in BMX are very slim and as stupid as it sounds I still value this path as much as the others. 

Education.
Here I'm using a 8mm fisheye lens with f/5.6, shutter speed around 80-100 and ISO 3200. This photo highlights the main focus in my own and the foundation years lives at the moment, which is UCAS. Its took over our lives and for me not being in the foundation group makes it that bit harder because I'm constantly back and forth between years groups. Comparing my work to theirs and trying to implement their work ethics into my own whilst at the same time not completely distancing myself from my own year. On the left theres a second year student (my year) and on the right theres a foundation student, with me juggling between both years.  

The obsession.
The easiest way I can bond both photography and BMX is the fact that its not the equipment you use its the way you use it. I use BMX and photography to influence and motivate one another because like anything else if your not motivated, your not going to do your best.

In the photo above I've tried to implement the advertising techniques of Monster because I personally liked the style of their advertising and the whole persona the brand has in the BMX. Less colourful, weathered almost but very raw and real which describes the industry perfectly.  

My home.
A small pit village on the boarder between derbyshire and nottinghamshire. Here I'm sat looking in from a distance. Simply overviewing an area from a far really helps me to re-evaluate , re-motivate and start over. I chose my foot over any other body part because it symbolises I've made my mark and its time to move on. 

In the photo its self I've tried to combine a macro, close up with landscape. focusing on the foreground rather than the background really highlights how I'm thinking about my future. 

leeds digital portfolio (identity)

Perception. In this photo I've used lines from the architectural structure of a building, curb and hazard pole along side some car park space makings as multiple points of focus which don't actually lead the viewer to anywhere in specific. This whole photo is based around perception and how people see this area differently. For me it a place to ride, although its one of the more boring places to ride it really makes you think outside of the box. The simple fact that you have to think creatively to enjoy your session here is one of, if not the best thing about riding this setup and is probably why i have this addiction to spots that are simplistic. Its as if the simpler it is the more possibilities it has. 

 Education. Here I'm using a 8mm fisheye lens with f/5.6, shutter speed around 80-100 and ISO 3200. This photo highlights the main focus in my own and the foundation years lives at the moment, which is UCAS. Its took over our lives and for me not being in the foundation group makes it that bit harder because I'm constantly back and forth between years groups. Comparing my work to theirs and trying to implement their work ethics into my own whilst at the same time not completely distancing myself from my own year. On the left theres a second year student (my year) and on the right theres a foundation student, with me juggling between both years.   

The obsession. Ive been riding BMX pretty much all my life and its hard to capture the emotion in a single photo. All the preproduction, motivation, frustration, excitement and adrenaline that compiles action photos equates to high pressure with minimal reward. Although, its justifiable when you do. The easiest way i can bond both photography and BMX is the fact that its not the equipment you use its the way you use it. i almost use BMX to motivate myself when taking photos because even when it doesn't go right first time its noting your mistake, learning from it then perusing thats key.
In the photo above I've tried to implement the advertising techniques of some high end energy drinks such as, red bull, monster and rockstar. all of these use extreme sports as their branding. However, they all do it in a different way. Monster for example use darker, weathered, high contrast photos which I've tried to implement here. I chose Monster because i personally liked the style of their advertising and the whole persona the brand has in the BMX industry. Less colourful, rough but very raw is the best way i can describe it.      

My home. A small pit village on the boarder between derbyshire and nottinghamshire. most people my age here goes to school till the age of 16 and then gets a job in a trade of some sort. I'm slightly out of the ordinary with regards to being creative and having that mindset. Here I'm sat looking in from a distance. This because its easy to get caught up in my own life and be very selfish without ever intending to be. Simply overviewing everyones lives from a far really allows me to clear my head, re-motivate and start over. I also found its a great cure for artist block and its a good way to practice self evaluation. Looking from a far also gives me that bit of extra confidence when i need it because as silly as it sounds its almost as if I'm looking down on people as almost a godly figure and notifying areas in which i could make a change whether that be physical or mental.

The techniques I've used are pretty basic as I've tried to make the horizon as parallel as possible with the horizontal edge and I've used a MACRO lens to get the focus on the foreground. The reason I've decided to focus on the foreground is because although id like to sit back and think about everyone else's lives before mine, its just not practical. 

Humans as a raise strive for change. This can only be achieved by putting yourself and your beliefs forward. Which is the reason I've gone down the creative career rather than a more industrial one. Being creative has not only made me accept change but push for it.   

Implementing lines

In these photos I've used a technique where you create a focal point by using a line either being parallel with the horizontal/vertical edge of the photo or as a trail.

In the top image to get used to the technique and as a bit of preproduction. I just simply took a picture of a space we would be utilising for action shots later and tried to alone the red brick wall with the vertical edges. This was a good warm up shot before actually getting stuck in to the shot because it really makes you think about every line.

This is the best action photo I got from this session. Even though the shutter speed wasn't pin point accurate the lighting conditions weren't great. I used the curb as the trail to the focal point and mad e the focus further up the curb where the rider would be doing his trick. Thai technique creates a bit more of a conversation in your head than just a point and shoot documentation type photo. I also used the rule of thirds which pretty much goes without saying for most of my photos. 

areas of research-shadow sculpting extension

This is work is from the artist, Kumi Yamashita. the work interested me because i like how subtle her work is, especially with the top 3 images. however, i wanted to make my own spin off of it by taking away that subtleness and creating are rather dynamic piece to make the shadow. 

This is when i found Tim Noble and Sue Webster and as you can tell they use very dynamic sculptures to create the shadow. they also draw the shape they want on the wall first so that they can just continuously add junk to the pile until they get the shape they desire. but I'm wanting to have a meaning full sculpture and a accurate shadow image. 

How the tests came out

These are the casts from the test run of my final piece. In the next run I'm going to imbed hoops into the plaster so that I can hang them from the ceiling.

I also used a brush to get rid of the remaining sand on the casts. 

the definition

snaps from 16th of jan(before snow)

these are a few snaps from saturday nights session at the canch before the snow. the conditions were extremely dark and the temperature was below freezing so there wasn't much photographable riding going on. on both i used flash to give the photos that bit more light so that i captured the moment well. the top photo was a bit of pre production as i was about to film a clip using this space. the second photo was a photo where everyone had gave in on riding and we were about to go home. 

typography with portraiture

these are some bauhaus graphics where you can see how they implemented the primary shapes, colours(multiple tones) and green. in the bottom image i like how theres silhouettes in the background however unlike most they are actually lighter than the back ground. the top 2 images i chose because the were very effective although simple. 

tycho posters

in these two images theres a distinct editorial factor to them both. the top image has quite clearly had a minimum of 3 separate images combined together. its also had some colour alteration in the horizon which compliments the light trails in the fore ground. 

the second image hasn't had multiple images combined together but its had some drastic colour alterations the greens. blues and magentas are very harsh.  

propaganda posters

posters like this is what filled the creative scene during the 1st and 2nd world war. this was in hope to inspire and create controversy between the opposing sides. 

I've choose this one because i like the block, bold colours and the way the posters composed.

advert inspiration ideas (monster advert)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmh-ew1swD4
this is a monster ad and i like how its shows two very different people at the start. one very mainstream and the other clearly an extreme person. then he jumps over her giving her a glimpse of the lifestyle of being creative on an extreme level and then he turns around and picks her up so metaphorically showing her what the extreme and creative lifestyle looks like.

first idea of advertising

poster
video-a quick lifestyle advert with voice over showing how pretty much everyones mornings are the same and then show how lives different when your creative. use gopro/first person so that it shows the perspective of the person. this gives instant reliability to the ad.
a few examples of this are:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBO67EP3Xz8

facts about the creative industry

£76.9bn a year
£8.8m an hour
5% of economy in uk
35,073 software and games
10,248 advertising
9,938 publishing
9,308 film&TV
5,453 music, arts&culture

shadow sculpting

after trying to arrange my sand casts on the plaster canvas i created it became apparent that the whole thing just didn't have the space to create any sort of conversation. this triggered off a whole thought process where i began thinking about placing my sand casts on a wall and then that idea expanded to the whole building, then to place them in a sort of path like fashion leading form one cast to the other and finally thought of using light in my sculptures to create a contrast between physical and visual conflict between diana and acteon.
looking into artist which incorporate artist which ddi this sort of thing was the obvious way forward at this point. Tim Noble & Sue Webster came to mind even though they pre draw the image they want first. the clump of 'shit' and the way its photographed is interesting.

updated and refined personal statement

Photography has become one of the most influential and exciting things in the past few years.
I am an open minded individual with the ability to grasp new concepts and techniques quickly. I am forever pushing towards my own style of photography, which I often recorded around and link to my lifestyle of BMX. I train pretty much every day, enjoying the health, atmosphere and the lifestyle it brings. I've also took interest in the style of brand such as monster which has a really raw and weathered recording and advertising style. Combined with the photographic style of Josh McElwee who has really high contrast and saturation, underlined by some really shadowed areas in his photos. I've also taken inspiration from Roger Ballen because his style of work fits well with the rich detailed, urban style I am trying to achieve. I have decided to capture this passion through the use of photography and video, to document what happens and to highlight my personal achievements. One of my projects at college is to link the creative industry with BMX lifestyle where I am experimenting with promoting on social media.   

I've already created a Facebook page that has already caused interest. The aim of the page is to advertise my work as much as possible enabling any future clientele to view my progression and hopefully give them confidence in my abilities and realise my passion for a future career.
I ride my bike as often as the british weather allows me to. It's taken me to various areas of the UK for example Sheffield, Nottingham and Liverpool and has given me the chance to observe different lifestyles, architecture and the diversity of the local culture. It goes without saying that urban life has a faster pace and has a higher volume of people in comparison to rural towns and villages. It’s interesting to see the diversity in architecture between a city and in the countryside which greatly intrigues me and is captured throughout my images. This also relates to my urban action sports mind-set, where we simply don't see a bench as a place to sit or a handrail as a safety precaution, I see those places as obstacles and opportunities to place my personal stamp. Whether that be a photo, video or memory.

My ability to learn, adapt and overcome situations quickly and efficiently is the greatest transferrable skill that I have developed through training on my bike. It may be seen as irresponsible and reckless lifestyle, but it has taught me some of the most valuable lessons in life. For example I have been able to improve my communication skills by visiting many places I've visited and the new people I have met throughout the many trips I've been on. This for me is a key skillset as I must be able to converse at any level with future clients.

In my part-time job, my current role consists of having to work in both a team (dispatch) and on my own (hygiene) to deliver solutions. Either completing individual task’s as part of a team effort or working in isolation,  I am often required to manage my own time to ensure these are completed. This has resulted in confidence from my peers and also my line Manager, however if I did require any guidance or had any queries i wouldn't be afraid to ask. This for me is a critical skill.  Be it in the workplace, college or social life and without hesitation ask for that guidance if needed, is one of my strongest attributes.

During my degree I foresee myself spending as much time as possible immersed in the local culture that this location would offer whilst studying and rather than going home in the holidays, I will use this opportunity to further advance any skills I've come to learn. I am passionate about travelling, I am keen to immerse myself into other cultures and by doing this I will be able to gain experiences of different lifestyles. This will give me a new outlook to life which will be visible in the photos I take whilst being open minded and developing my creative mind set. 

personal statements improvements (4353)

Photography has become one of the most influential and exciting things in my life in the past few years. This course would not only broaden my understanding of the principles of photography but would give me an idea of the direction to pursue.
In my opinion I am the right man for this course because I am an open minded individual with the ability to grasp new concepts and techniques quickly. Although I do have my own style of photography, which I tend to link to my lifestyle of BMX and urban action sports,  whereby since I was  6 years old I have ridden my bike every day, being hooked by not only the health feeling you get but also by the atmosphere and the lifestyle it brings.

In the past 2 years however,  I have decided to capture this passion by both the use of photographic and filming mediums to capture what happens and to cover my achievements. By learning new techniques and different styles of photography which I will gain from this course I will be able to apply them straight to my lifestyle, documentary and sports photos.

I've recently created a Facebook page where I have 135 likes and climbing! The aim of the page is to advertise my work as much as possible enabling any future clientele to view my progression and hopefully give them confidence in my abilities and realise my passion for a future career.
Expanding more on my bike riding, I ride as often as the british weather allows me to (and in many cases even when its not at its most glorious). Riding my bike has taken me to various areas of the UK for example Sheffield, Nottingham and Liverpool and has given me the chance to observe different lifestyles, architecture and the diversity of the local culture. It goes without saying that urban life has a faster pace and has a higher volume of people in comparison to rural towns and villages but it’s interesting to see the diversity in architecture between a city and in the countryside which greatly intrigues me and is captured throughout my images. Relating back to my urban action sports interest also where we simply don't see a bench as a place to sit or a rail as a safety precaution, I see those places as obstacles and opportunities to put my personal stamp on. Whether that be a photo, video or memory.

Personally, my ability to learn, adapt and overcome situations quickly and efficiently is the greatest transferrable skill I could take away from riding my bike and photographing it in the process. Although it may be seen as irresponsible and reckless it has taught me some of the most valuable lessons in life. For example I have been able to improve my communication skills by visiting many places I've been too and the new people I have met through out the many trips I've been on. This for me is a key skillset as I must be able toconverse at any level with future clients.

Moving away from BMX and into my current role is where I have to work on my own or as a team member to deliver a solution. Either completing individual task’s as part of a team effort or working in isolation,  I am often required to manage my own time to ensure these are completed. This has resulted in confidence from my peers and also my line Manager, however if I did require any guidance or had any queries i wouldn't be afraid to ask. Thisfor me is a critical asset, being able to complete tasks solely or as a team member,  Beit it in the workplace or in my academic life, and without hesitation and with the humility to ask for that guidance if needed is one of my strongest attributes.

This leads me to my next venture!, During my degree I foresee myself spending as much time as possible immersed in the local culture that this location would offer whilst studying and rather than going home in the holidays, I will use this opportunity to further advance any skills I've come to learn. I am passionate about travelling, I am keen to immerse myself into other cultures and by doing this I will be able to gain experiences of different lifestyles. This will give me a new outlookto life which will be visible in the photos I take whilst being open minded and developing my creative mind set.

Post degree I'm hoping to create a freelance photography business based around documentary and lifestyle and of course on the side I will continue to ride and take photos for a commission like a magazine, website etc.

Couple of phone snapshots

these are a few very quick snaps from just an average day riding. personally i think that they both have a good depth and are both composed well. the first one is a more of a landscape photo if anything else with slight lifestyle grates to it. the second photo is a combo between action, lifestyle and first person. 

samyang 8mm fisheye research and tips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlEJOU0FjDI

in this video the guy, Chris. goes into some of the functions and differences between similar lenses and then get into the key information about the lens. such as, focal lengths and apertures. these can only be changed by the lens itself due to it being manual. this also keep the price of the lens down whilst not hindering the quality.
the biggest change which concerns me is the difference between f/3.5 and f/5.6 begauce the sharpness and contrast differences are dramatically improved and after testing this out for myself i noticed the same results. i think its down to the fact that theres a stop between every aperture setting other than between 3.5 and 5.6.

advert test and finalisation

these are my other advert tests where as you an see in the first one I've tried to relate music to a common issue and in the second I've gone for a simple quote which directly relates to my brand name. 

Pilcrow embellishment ABC evaluation

this is the packaging for the kids version of the earphones. the packaging itself i meant to entice a young audience with the colour and not put of the parent at the same time. I've achieved this by making the packaging as simple as possible but the buyer will soon realise the quality of the box will over exceed their expectations. i will be using a triple layer of cartridge paper and double for the creases just so its easy to assemble. the quality of packaging will give the parent/guardian faith when allowing their child to use or product before they've even got it out. the info graphics have been changed because as you can tell its hard to read and not most visible. I've also moved the QR code to the back of the packaging with the info graphics. I've make the warnings larger as the aren't visible at all. not he sides of the packaging I've also used a light claiming green just for a slight differentiating colour contrast between primary and secondary colours. however, i have got a few other alternative colours to choose from. such as, light browns(almost wood like), baby pinks and blues etc. something else i might want to add is a card board plate in which the earphones will be wrapped up, just so they are loose i the box. 

 positives of packaging  are that the colours stand out and text is bold. I've also used the detachable logo on the front because i think that the brand name is to much info for kids to digest. so i went for the full brand name on the top of the box.  

Pilcrow embellishment pro evaluation

this is the best and most intricate piece of packaging I've made and this is to mirror the qualities of the product because inside this packaging will be the industry standard, high quality ear phones which could be used when making music if chosen to. 

I've chosen not to put the detachable logo anywhere on this packaging because the full brand name just looks more professional and make the packaging look more balanced in my eyes. I've also placed the product name in a rounded rectangle with the name cut out of it. i chose this because simply out of all the test i did example: black rectangle with back outlined text, no rectangle with block black text etc. 

i wanted to keep this packaging pure so i just opted for no colour with this one because whites the purest colour. 

the info graphics are placed along the bottom of the packaging because it just fitted perfectly and i wanted the inside of the packaging to be only about the product itself not the information about it. the QR code is placed on the bottom of the product just because its a it of an eye sore and on the bottom no one can really see it unless they buy it. 

the lid of the product has nothing on it at all other than the lines of the triangles. i didn't get rid of them because it just added that visual ascetic of the structure of the packaging and its shape is very much like an upside down diamond which makes it both elegant and tough. 

first flash and fisheye photo session+evaluation

in these photos I'm showing how my first fisheye and mounted flash session went. 

in the first two photos I've gone for action shots and in the second two I've gone for lifestyle photos. 

right the first thing i noticed when using the mounted flash is that you had to be near on perfectly right with time otherwise the flash that I've got wouldn't react as well. another problem i came cross was that i had to mess about with the setting on my flash so that i had the right amount of power for the conditions i was in. this was solved by simply taking multiple test photos in this room to make sure the flash and iso complimented each other well and didn't over expose the subject. however, the main problem and struggle i came across was the focus on the fish eye and to be honest i still don't really have much idea on how to focus it properly or how cows you have to be for it to have maximum affect. as you can tell in the first photo i had no idea on how to focus it and its blurry. in the second photo its slightly more focused but nothing to be really proud of. personally, i think that a good research session on reviews of my lens and how to use my lens to its full potential would be idea and can only help me at this point. 

1/200s, 1600 ISO

                                                   

 1/200s, 1600 ISO

these are the lifestyle photos. in these i did my primary tests where i wanted to see how the flash reacted in this room. however, in these tested i didn't really know how awkward the focal range was. the first photo in these two is my personal favourite because its well exposed and captures the mood perfectly. the second one however, is slightly over exposed and some facial features are lost by how bright the photo is. you can probably tell by the settings that i was still playing about at this point.

the first photo of the two was the decider in what settings i used for the action photos above.  

 1/200s, 3200 ISO

1/125s, 6400 ISO

to conclude, i think that the photos i took where much better than i expected and only practice with make this process less awkward. i also need to research more into the functions and possibilities of my lens. 

personal statement attempt 2

Photography has become one of the most influential and exciting things in my life in the past few years. This course would not only broaden my understanding of the principles of photography but would give me an idea of the direction to pursue.
In my opinion I'm the right man for this course because I'm an open minded individual with the ability to grasp new concepts and techniques quickly. Although my passion is taking photos I do have a broad artistic understanding due to the fact I've done a art and design course rather than a photography one.  . Since I was roughly 6 or 7 years old, I've pretty much ridden my bike everyday and have stayed hooked on it by the atmosphere and lifestyle through out my life. However in the past 1 or 2 years i have decided to capture it by both photographing and videoing what actually happens and my achievments. By learning new techniques and different styles of photography which i'll gain from this course I will be able to apply them straight to my lifestyle, documentary and sports photos.
I've recently created a Facebook page where I have 135 likes and climbing! The aim of the page is to advertise my work as much as possible enabling any future clientele to view my progression and hopefully give them confidence in myself and my passion for future jobs.
Expanding more on my bike riding, i ride as often as the british weather allows me to (and in many cases even when its not at its most glorious) i frequently ride my bike. Riding in many different areas for example Sheffield, Nottingham and Liverpool has given me the chance to observe different lifestyles, architecture and the diversity of culture in each place I travel to. It goes without saying that, Sheffield has a faster pace of life and has a higher volume of people in comparison to Worksop but its interesting to see the differences in architecture between a city and in the countryside which greatly intrigues me. This again relates back to my urban action sports interest where we simply don't see a bench as a place to sit or a rail as a safety precaution, I see those place as obstacles and opportunities to put my personal stamp on wether that be a photo, video or even memory. Even without the physical proof you gain a feeling self accomplishment when you learn something new.
Personally, my ability to learn, adapt and overcome situations quickly and efficiently is one of, if not the greatest transferrable skill i could take away from riding my bike and photographing it in the process. Although it may be seen as irresponsible and reckless it has taught me some of the most valuable lessons in life. For example I have been able to improve my communication skills by visiting many places I've been to and the new people I have met through out the many trips I've been on, which is a key as i must be able to talk and comfort my future clients. Moving away from BMX and into my current work, i have to work on my own accord and manage time well as I don't actually have to communicate with anyone to complete my tasks at work. therefore i need no guidance from my boss although if i ddi need that guidance or had any queries i wouldn't be afraid to ask. this is important for not only this course but its important for the world of work because a worker that needs help constantly and has to rely on other people to do their work for them are more of a burden than not acing a worker at all in my opinion.
In the long run I'm hoping to complete my degree etc but during any holiday times rather than going back home to enjoy my time off and reminisce on my situation. id like to use this time to further advance any skills I've come to learn, id like to be able to travel abroad and immerse myself into other cultures. by doing this ill be able to gain experience of different lifestyle and give myself a new outlook on the photos and to keep myself open minded which promotes the creative mind set. After my degree I'm hoping to create a freelance photography business based around documentary and lifestyle, whilst on the side ill be continuing to ride and take photos for a commission like a magazine, website etc.

canch 23rd december

in these photos i focused on getting majority of action photos as i knew that this would more than likely be our last session before christmas and new years. unfortunately i was right. i chose to get action photos simply because it gave me both something to do and added a good end to the year. 

in these theres a combination of burst/motion and silhouettes

onboard all nighter-mock fmp

these are a few photos from an all nighted i went to a couple of months back. these images were to show the commitment of action sports athletes as we literally rode from 9pm till 9am(with pizza breaks). this also shows how good a session can be with just your friends because the skatepark isn't my favourite tbh and just the plan fact that everyone their i had rode with before made the experience unforgettable. I've focused much on the lifestyle and events of the night rather than the riding. overall, theres 1 action shot. none of these photos use flash and the shutter speed was constantly 60-125 and the action photo was 160, f/3.5-4.5 and iso varied between 6400 and 12800.