Work Record 3

Plans for shoot: I plan to shoot the general public in London, Convent Garden. I will be shooting in the style of street photography focusing on framing people within structures, door frames, buildings, windows etc. I will use the decisive moment in this shoot, capturing people once they are within a frame, whether they are walking past a door way or sitting by a window. I will be shooting during the daytime so that my images are clear.

Research Influence: Ronya Galka is a photographer that I have looked at and used as the primary influence for this shoot. In her work she includes a range of framing devices mostly involving structural and environmental elements as she predominantly shoots street photography based in London. I plan to use her images and ideas about framing devices and shooting people at the decisive moment to shape the way I complete my shoot. Additionally I will use elements such as buildings and structures to frame my subject similar to a lot of Ronya Galkas work. Additionally John Baldessari is my secondary research influence for this shoot as I will be incorporating his style of editing to my images once my shoot is complete. This will include converting my images to black and white and using paint or coloured stickers to cover the subjects faces.

Contact Sheet:

I completed what I set out to in the shoot as I was able to shoot clear images during the day time which included my subject of framing devices through the style of street photography and spontaneous shooting of the general public in London. I used architectural elements and buildings with things like doorways, windows and archways. 

Best  Images:

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

1/60  f/5.0

I like this image because the man is sat in the perfect place so that the top half of his body is framed within the first two red bars, his legs are framed by the second set of red bars and his head is framed within the window behind him at the end of the carriage. Also, a lot of the people in Galka's images are shot minding their own business, without knowing they are being photographed and usually doing an activity to themselves and in this case my subject happened to be reading a book similar to some of Galka's images. I might crop the top and bottom areas of the image while editing to remove any unnecessary negative space. Considering I wasn't using a tripod and I shot this image on a moving train the image is really clear and light.

1/200  f/10

I used the decisive moment for this image, I had already decided that I wanted to shoot someone framed within the doorway but had to wait for someone to stand in the right place. I also had to ensure that no one walked in front of the subject to distract the image. Fortunately the woman in the background stood in the right place for me to shoot the image, and similar to my previous image the woman is on her phone here, unknowingly being photographed. I also like the other pedestrians in the image so that the image is not too empty or quiet, but I just made sure I shot it before the man walked in the way. All three pedestrians are slightly framed within the black fence in the background as well. 

1/60  f/6.3

The woman in the purple is framed in this image by the doorway. She is obviously a worker for "MORELLI'S GELATO" and serves gelato from this stall. I might adjust the contrast when editing this image because the light above her head is quite yellow and bright and can be distracting. I might also slightly crop some of the wall out on the left side so that it is even to the right. This woman is also an unsuspecting member of the public who happens to be working whist being photographed. 

1/40  f/5.6

I really like this image not just for the perfect framing but the connotations with the image. The man is sitting in a cafe and appears to be on his own in this shot with his head down, as if he is on his phone or reading something. He is framed very nicely in the window and completely in focus despite the window being at the forefront. The reflection in the window is still visible and sets a scene as if the photo has been shot in a busy place which contrasts with this man being sat on his own. It is also clear that he is sat in a cafe as some of the writing on the blackboard describing some of the food options behind him is visible.

1/50  f/5.0

This wasn't an image I had planned to take but I saw this man as I was walking through the street as he was having a smoking break presumably from his job in the hairdressers next to him. I stood directly in front of him so that he was positioned in the centre of my image and he looked at the camera when I shot the image. He is talking on the phone, like all of my other images where the subjects are distracted with other things. He is dressed fairly smart which suggests that he is a worker in the hairdressers rather than a customer. He is framed perfectly by the blue door which also works nicely with the colours he is wearing making him stand out in front of the blue. The number on the door is also placed right above his head.

1/80  f/7.1

In this image the man is framed by his own shop and displays. I did also shoot this image as a landscape but felt that is was more aesthetically appealing as a portrait. Similar to the rest of my best images in this shoot the subject is preoccupied and getting on with what is probably his daily routine at work. I think all of the displays in the shop and art work that is being sold gives the image an artistic tone. When editing the image I think I will crop the top of the image to remove the lights on the ceiling as they are quite bright and can be distracting. 

1/100  f/8

Finally, this image is quite a typical image in regards to framing devices, the hardest part of shooting this image is finding the right setting. The long walkway does look pleasing to the eye, but I think that the image would have looked a lot better if it was empty at the end of the walkway, in front of the women. However this was a factor that I could not change, also it may have looked nicer if only one person was walking down he walkway in the middle but I did quite like the idea of the two women walking together as it creates a certain tone in the image, like the two women are on a journey together and probably share a strong bond. Although this shot could have had a very lonely feel to it if only one person was shown walking on their own. 


Images that require improvement:

This image would have been more successful and aesthetically pleasing if I had taken from the middle of the walkway rather than to the side, not only would the image be more symmetrical but the stalls outside of the walkway on the right will have been less visible, making less distraction. Also it would have ensured that the individuals walking through will have been framed more clearly by the archway.

There is a similar issue with this image. If I shot this from a different angle, head on, the woman walking through the archway will have been the main focus in the image and therefore the framing here would be much clearer. Additionally  because of the angle I took it from there is a lot of noise in the image, this shoot was obviously carried out in a busy area so it was inevitable that I would have a lot of people in my images, however I could have avoided this problem If I zoomed in. 

This image was unsuccessful as the man moved and therefore his head was no longer framed through the window, also as I didn't have a tripod, movement made this image blurry and out of focus. I did re take this image once the man was in the right position and I was holding the camera still. But I had to ensure that the forefront was more in focus than the man himself to create a more intimate, quiet tone in the image.

Finally, this image was also unsuccessful as I tried taking this image quite quickly while the subject was framed by the blue doors behind him. This resulted in a wonky image, also there were some cars in the way so I was unable to shoot the image head on so it was central.

A02: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.



I shot all of my Images with a Canon 350D, free hand without a tripod. I have noted the F stop and aperture below each image. I shot in aperture priority mode to ensure that my images had the correct lighting, with a shutter speed appropriate for the aperture that I desired for my images. To improve my Images I proceeded to edit them on Photoshop.

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

The artist research that I did was very helpful as it strengthened my understanding of light photography and the elements a photographer looks for when taking photos. Researching things about his personal life such as when he was born and the country he grew and lived in (America) supported me to gather a strong understanding of the context surrounding his photography. Looking at his images inspired me to search for colourful subjects and take my photos as a high standard. It also helped me to look for realistic images and signs and capture them. Finally, because of the research I developed a better understanding of the visual element 'colour' and how different colours can convey different feelings and emotions.

Philips pictures were of neon signs which were highly saturated which inspired me to tie the same approach and actively search for this. The purpose of the signs are to stand out so the saturation of these colours give the signs some punch.

A04: 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 colour and saturation and Philip-Lorca DiCorcia's images. The final images produced were refined by developing the contrast and saturation. Similar to Philip-Lorca DiCorcia's images I have photographed shop signs that caught my attention and aimed to emphasise the saturation of the colours to make them bolder and more exciting than they originally looked.