Week 5: Reflection

This weeks task was to improve two images I had already taken on photoshop to make them look better.

The first image I chose was a photo of Grace because the original image was too dark and not the right framing. To edit this image I changed things such as the brightness and contrast to bring the light in the photo out. I also edited the saturation.

The second image I chose was an image of someone stood in front of a sunset. I knew this image would be challenging to edit but this is why I chose it. I wanted to play around and see just how well I would be able to fix a difficult image and put my skills to the test. I was able to lighten to image and make the subject more clear by editing things like the brightness and exposure, however, the colours in the sunset were just too saturated and it was hard to change this without ruining the whole image and taking away from the beauty of the sunset. However, I still think I managed to improve the image and now know going forward that I will not be taking images where a subject is darker in front of a bright background as it is difficult to deal with. This was also a landscape image, so was hard to crop down without losing the bottom part of the image. Although this could have turned out better, it was fun to experiment with adjusting different things and seeing how they all impact an image.

Week 5: Cropping and colour correction

Before

After

I decided to edit this image as I felt the original image was too dark due me using a high f-stop when taking the image. I edited the image in Photoshop and began cropping the image to 1024 x 768 px. Then I wanted to edit the brightness and contrast to make the image lighter. I set the contrast to -10 and the brightness to +54. The lightness is set to +3 and the saturation is +9. I feel as though the image looks better after I have edited it as it is a clearer image now.

Image 2

Before

After

I decided to edit this image as the original image was vey dark and it was hard to fully see the face of the person in the image. I began by cropping my image to 1:1 (square) as it was originally a portrait picture. I wanted to make it brighter so edited the exposure by changing the Gamma correction to +1.17. However, after doing this the colours of the sky became drowned out and lost so I brought them back by changing the saturation at +26 and lightness to +8. Now he is more visible but the colours of the sunset have stayed too.

Week 4: Shutter Speed Workshop

The shutter speed on a camera is normally set to manual, however can be changed to affect how your image will turn out.

The shutter speed controls how much light gets to the sensor- a faster shutter speed will make your image darker and anything in your image that is moving will be in focus and defined. If your shutter speed is set to slow, the shutter on the camera is opening and closing at a slower rate, so anything in the image will be more blurry and more light will be captured in your image.

This image was taken with minimal blur as I used a fast shutter speed. As you can see in this image, my image has minimal blur as the shutter was set to a fast level meaning the movement of my subject jumping can be captured easily. The background is slightly darker.

This image was taken with a slow shutter speed. As you can see, her head is blurry yet my subject is completely in focus. This creates a great effect and allows my subject to be the main focus.

With a fast shutter, you are able to freeze the moment you are photographing, whereas with a slow shutter, more movement will be visible. This is important to know as it can really change the outcome of your image. In this image, her head is moving and blurry whereas her body is set still and in focus. You can really create interesting images with these settings and I would love to practice this more in the future.

Week 3: Reflection

Week 3 was all about learning about focus and aperture on a professional camera. After being taught what it all is and how to set it on the cameras, we were set the task of going outside and taking images with the F-stop set to 3 different settings- one low, one in the middle, and one high. Straight away I noticed the difference in my images and immediately starting thinking how I can use this when taking images for my final piece so I found this lesson really useful.

At first I found it quite hard to get my head around the different settings, but after being shown how to do it I was good. I now know the higher the F-stop, the more HD one particular thing in the image is, and the higher it is, the smaller the aperture is so more of the image is visual.

After going outside and taking the three main images, I was able to come back inside to practice some more with different items and see how defined I could make one image compared to the others. I found this really interesting as it is something I have never done before and really feel like it could be useful in many different scenarios.

Week 3: depth of field workshop

When taking images it is important that your focus is set to the correct settings to allow your image to turn out exactly how you want it. When Focus can make an image blurrier or sharper, depending on how you want your image to look. Altering the Aperture (F-stop) changes what you camera is focussing on and how blurry or sharp the background of your image will be. Aperture measures the diameter of the lens openings. The higher your F-number is, the smaller the aperture will be. For example, if your F number is set to 2, your background will be blurry and your camera will focus in on one thing. If your F-number is set to 8 there is a wider focus and your background will be more visible.

In the first image I was aiming for a blurry background with the focus being on Grace. The second image took I was aiming for the focus to stay on Grace, but to incorporate a bit more of the background. This therefore makes the image slightly darker because there is less light due to the wider focus. In the final image I wanted a wider focus on the whole image so used a higher F setting. This made the image a lot darker, but everything was in focus.

F 5.6

F 16

F 32

I shot three images on a flat surface and arranged the images so that one was closer to the lens, one was just slightly further back and then one was at the back. The first image shows all three objects in focus. I set my camera to F 1.4 to achieve this. The second image shows the front image being in sharp focus with the other two objects being blurry. I set my camera to F16. I used my iPhone 13 camera for this and set my camera to portrait to therefore change the F level.

F 1.4

F 16

Week two: Reflection

In week two, we were set the task of completing a research post to help us think about the type of photography we would like to do for our project. We were told to research a type of photojournalism that we wanted to look into more and could potentially end up doing for our final piece.

I decided to choose candid images as these are the types of images that have always interested me. I also have an idea of what I would like my project to be about, which will most likely include a lot of candid images, so I thought this would be the best thing to learn about.

I included my favourite candid images in my blog piece, which two out of three turned out to be black and white. I was quite surprised with how many candid images are actually black and white as I have only ever seen coloured ones. I am unsure whether I will use colour in my final piece so decided to include a mix in my blog.

In class, we were shown all the different types of photojournalism there are and how they are used to portray different stories through different methods.

Week 2: Paige’s research post

Candid/street photography captures spontaneous moments that are genuine and not pre-planned. It is important that you ensure you do not interrupt a candid moment by taking photos as that may make the authenticity of the moment become tampered with or lost completely.

The first known street photo was taken in 1826 by Joseph Nicephore Niepce. This image was of a Parisian Street scene. However, the definition of street photography has changed since this first image was taken. The meaning of street photos in the Edwardian times used to be a photographer who would take portraits on the street for a small fee. After the war, cameras became a lot more affordable for people and therefore photography became a lot more popular.

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) is a French man that is now known as one of the most famous street photographers from the 20th Century, and built a name for himself by taking “decisive” moments and helping to make street photography what it is today. Many know Henry as being the “master of candid photography” as he is referred to on a number of websites. Henri’s most famous images come from his shots in post-war Europe, Asia and America.

Saul Leiter is another well-known street photographer who was born in America in 1923 and died in 2013. He began taking all his shots in black and white, however then moved to taking coloured shots. The majority of his photos were taken in the city and he aimed to capture the cities feel for others to see.

Fan Ho (1931-2016) was a Hong Kong street photographer that would capture the lives of children and workers down different streets. His photos show the beauty of how light and shadows can increase the beauty of an image take it to that next level.

Nimit Nigam – Sneak Peek

Saul Leiter – Red Umbrella

Fabio Boer – Alone Together

The images above show some popular examples of street photojournalism over the years. All of these images are candid images that have captured genuine moments.

Although candid and street photos allow pure moments to be captured, it can be a difficult form of photography for those who are both inexperienced and experienced. Candid photography is about being in the right place at the right time and being completely prepared. Genuine moments pass quickly so it is important to always be ready. A lot of people can become conscious of the camera and change their behaviour.

After research, I have realised a lot of candid photos are published in black and white. This is to remove any distraction the colour from a background may cause. It also allows light and shadows to be more visible and can set the tone of an image.

The fall of the high-street

Popular shops in Leeds City Centre are being forced to close down as the cost of living crisis continues to make it difficult for businesses to survive as prices soar higher.

The whole of the UK has felt the impact of the living crisis as living prices are continuing to increase with no end in sight. Rent, electrical prices and heating have all become more expensive than ever before and some businesses are struggling to cope, forcing popular shops to close.

House of Fraser, Debenhams and Victoria Secret are just a few of the shops that have recently closed down on the Leeds High Street leaving many shocked and worried what will happen to other popular stores.

Victoria Secret in the Trinity Centre is now showing closed signs on the front of their store

As big-named shops on the high-street continue to fall, workers are left wondering whether their shop will too be affected with the constant increasing rates and the growth of online shopping.

Mark Stones, sales assistant at House of Fraser said, “I have worked here for coming up to 10 years and I’m sad to see the store have to close. Everything is completely discounted with us just trying to get rid of final stock before closing date.

“What was once an extremely popular and thriving store can just no longer cope any more or keep up with struggling times. Many shops need financial help and it’s just not possible.”

With pressure on the high-street, shops have no choice but to continue to try and remain successful during these trying times.

Week One: Reflection

In week one, we were set a task to find a story on the streets of Leeds and find relevant images to match our story. I decided to do a story on big stores on the Leeds High street closing down.

I feel as though this was a good story to do as I was able to take images of the stores closing down and there were a number of stores to choose from. I was also able to get an interview which I was glad about as a story is always more reliable with an interviewee giving their take on things.

When I spoke to Karl and Ruth, they told me that my work would be improved if I included a picture of the person who I had interviewed. I had every intention of doing this, however when I returned to the store to try and take on board the feedback, the store was closed and therefore I could not get a picture of him. From this, I learnt to work faster and always use my initiative as my work could have been improved but I missed the opportunity.

Overall, I enjoyed week one and it made me excited for what was to come in photojournalism.