Tone Research Notes

Ansel Adams

Adams, Ansel (Feb. 20 1902 — Apr. 22, 1984), photographer and environmentalist, was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Charles Hitchcock Adams, a businessman, and Olive Bray. The grandson of a wealthy timber baron, Adams grew up in a house set amid the sand dunes of the Golden Gate. When Adams was only four, an aftershock of the great earthquake and fire of 1906 threw him to the ground and badly broke his nose, distinctly marking him for life. A year later the family fortune collapsed in the financial panic of 1907, and Adams’s father spent the rest of his life doggedly but fruitlessly attempting to recoup. 
Ansel Adams created a zone system. this is a technique that was created in the 1930's. It is an approach to a standardized way of working that guarantees a correct exposure in every situation, even in the trickiest lighting conditions such as back lighting, extreme difference between light and shadow areas of a scene, and many similar conditions that are most likely going to throw off your camera's metering giving you a completely incorrect exposure. The zone system divides a scene into 10 zones on the tonal scale (though there are variations of 9 and 11 zones). Every tonal range is assigned a zone. Every zone differs from the one before it by 1 stop, and from the one following it by 1 stop. So every zone change equals 1 stop difference. Zones are identified by roman numbers, with the middle tone (with 18% reflectance) being a zone V which is zone 5.

The Zone System

Ansel Adams Work

Physical Images Mind Map

Physical Images Research Notes

Barbara Kruger

Barbara Kruger is a feminist photographer who's work is in black and white and consists of a bright slogan across the image to draw the attention of viewers. her slogans and quotes, often have a meaning behind them. Usually they refer to women, or the stereotypes that are expected between the sexuality, and how men and women shouldn't be what society expects them to be like and that they should be themselves. She also critiques the economy, politics, gender, and culture, as well as society as a whole.

Kruger concentrates on expressing herself to the viewers and get her opinions out and try to change ones views on society rather than trying to sell her product. 

To do her work she chooses appropriate images from their original context in magazines and sets them as the background against which she embraces confrontational phrases. From her use of clearly legible font to her jarring palette of red, white, and black, each element of the final artwork is crucial to its effectiveness as both an artistic expression and a protest against facets of postmodern life.

This is one of Kruger's Images;

Your Body Is A Battleground;

Kruger designed this print for the 1989 reproductive rights protest, the March for Women's Lives, in Washington, D.C. Utilizing her signature red, black, and white palette, the woman's face is split along a vertical axis, showing the photographic positive and negative sides, suggesting a highly simplified inner struggle of good versus evil. The political and social implications of the work are self evident, but Kruger emphasizes the directness of her sentiment by having her subject stare straight ahead through the print, frankly addressing the viewer through both her gaze and the words emblazoned across her face. The message unequivocally addresses the issue of the continued feminist struggle, connecting the physical body of female viewers to the contemporary conditions that necessitate the feminist protest. Kruger's slick graphic aesthetic and use of dramatic found imagery also place this work within the purview of postmodernism, tying it not only to contemporary critique, but to the larger social and cultural responses within the period.

Some more of her images

I like this image as I look at it in the perspective that, men don't have to be a hero, and go along with the stereotypes and that they are able to be themselves. I think its a powerful image as it is able to show people that they are allowed to be themselves and do what they want to do and not go along with societies expectations. There are plenty of heroes, men and women, who are nurses, midwifes, vets etc. The fact that the woman is pointing at the young lads biceps show that he thinks that having muscles makes you a hero. Which is completely wrong. 

I like this image as is argues against stereo types and the fact that all violence isn't just men and that women can be violent too. The fact that Kruger calls stereotypes 'pathetic' shows her feelings towards who society expects things to be. Additionally this image is different as the main slogan is in the typical red and white it is infact in black and white surrounded by red and white words that are complicated to read. 

Physical Images Image Bank

Inspirational Images

This image manipulation below, makes me think that it symbolises the sense of control by others, and the lack of self respect and self control. this is links to todays problems to relationships that are broken down by physical and mental abuse. the image also signifies the lack of knowledge that the people that are being puppets to the 'boss' to the point where they don't know they are being controlled in every movement they make. I like this image as it speaks out the truth with nowadays issues in society.

I like this image as it shows how someone can be in such a big area and feel trapped in a way they feel they cannot escape. This is explained within the photo as in reality a human is increasingly bigger than a glass, however this image demonstrates how little someone can feel.

I like this image as it shows the thought that the young girl is thinking, in this case it could be nature, as the tree is on a white bubble that covers all of the features on the face. Its a powerful image, as it shows how they feel and the images that are going on in there head.

I like this image as i think it symbolises a memory that wanted to be forgotten, therefore they screwed up the image, however once they realised that it waspart of there life they wanted to keep it even though it could have been a bad memory, therefore the creases in the photograph symbolises confusion and regret, as the creases are all muddled and not in a specific order, which could reflect their feelings and thoughts. Additionally the colours in the image are calm and collected which could be the holiday they wanted to remember however it didn't go to plan.

I think this image speaks out a lot, as it can show that true beauty can be changed due to societies expectations. this is shown in the top section of the image on the right. On the left hand side of the face it shows true beauty, however on the right it is manipulated to look old and scarred, which could reflect on their life and the pain they have suffered to fit into the society expectations. as the image goes further down the young girls face is completely manipulated and changed. However it could also resemble ageing and the fear of growing up and facing the fact that people can change, in years to come. 

Physical Images

Definition

Physical images, is physically manipulated images.

Photo manipulation involves transforming or altering a photograph using various methods and techniques to achieve desired results. This is usually done using software, e.g. photoshop, the physical manipulation of images is done by tearing, cutting, painting, scratching etc. 

How does Gilliam’s animations link with Hannah Hoch’s photo-composites?

Gilliam's animations link with Hannah Hoch's photo-composites as they are both extravagant edits of the original images. this is because both photographs, changed the image completely and makes them look unrealistic and mysterious. additionally they both use the same materials, for example magazines and newspapers, as well as they both don't take all the photographs. 

How is meaning changed through creating photo-composites?

Meaning is changed through creating photo-composites as different parts of the photo are taken away from there original context and placed in a different place. Additionally, photo-composites can have 2 meanings, they can either be just made for fun which Gilliam is more likely to do as Hannah Hoch is more serious and plans her photo-composites in a meaningful way.

Hannah Hoch

Terry Gilliam

Composite Image Making Research Notes

Storm Thorgerson

Storm Thorgerson was an English artist, graphic designer, film maker and tennis fiend. He was born in Potters Bar, Middlesex on 28 February 1944 and attended Cambridgeshire High School for Boys. He graduated in English and Philosophy from Leicester University (1966) and went on to study an MA in Film and Television at the Royal College of Art (1969). Thorgerson formed his own design studio called Storm Studios. He went into video directing and made TV documentaries, including "The Art of Tripping" (1993), which investigated the effect of drugs on creativity, and a science documentary called "Rubber Universe" (1994). He designed album artwork for more recent artists such as the Cranberries, Anthrax, Audioslave and Biffy Clyro and continued to work on Pink Floyd projects. 

Some of storms work beg the question of is it real or not?" He used applied techniques such as multiple exposures to create surreal dislocations and disturbing juxtapositions. He cited artists and photographers including Man Ray, Rene Magritte, Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, and Juan Gris as influences behind his work. In his designs, Thorgerson used computer manipulation in favour of building massive sets and tableaus, staging performances and actions and "doing it for real" in what he called "mind movies" and "photo paintings".

AlthoughThorgersons images were unrealistic the majority of his work would be shot for real,  as he stated himself that; "I prefer the computer in my head to the one on my desk."

His photograph "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" involved dragging 700 wrought iron beds onto a beach. In an interview, Thorgerson confirmed, "Yeah, that is what we did. And we had to drag them all back again because of the God-damn English weather. It rained".

A Momentary Lapse of Reason

My Examples

This is my example of Storm Thorgersons Work. 

I done this using photoshop, by using three original images which were;

Using these three images, and put them into one image. To do this I had to select both the cards, and remove the background I then copied and pasted them into the landscape image. I then positioned the cards where I wanted them to be. After this I cut off the bottom of the card on a diagonal to give the cards the effect that they are buried into the grass. However cutting it in a straight line didn't give it a realistic effect, this meant that I had to do something about it. Therefore I used the brush tool, and tapped the bottom of the card to give it a more natural and realistic look, as it makes it looks like the grass is over the card as well.

2.

I done this using photoshop, by using two original images which were;

Using these two images, I put them into one, this meant that I selected the ball, removing the background and copied and pasted them onto the landscape photograph. I then positioned the first ball in the position i wanted it to be in. I then duplicated the ball 4 more times, as it gives the effect that the balls are rolling down the hill. To give it this effect I had to adjust each size of the ball, with the ones at the back being smaller, and the ones at the front being bigger. However, the photograph didn't look very realistic, as the balls didn't have no shadows. this meant that I had to make them look like they belong there. I done this by adding a layer called shadows, and used the brush tool to put a darker colour over the bottom of the ball, with an opacity of 38% and flow of 34%. 

Composite Image Making Image Bank

Inspirational Images

Composite image making

Definition

Composite image making is where a photograph is completely manipulated and changed into a different image.

Is composite image making right?

I personally don't agree with composite image making, this is because it isn't natural, and therefore you can't correctly analyse and understand the photograph. I also don't think its fair, this is because people on the front of a magazine, are idols to people who aren't happy with themselves, as manipulating with photographs takes away individuality, therefore everyone expects that they need to look a specific way, however the person who is on the front of the magazine doesn't look exactly like that in reality.

Additionally if photographs are able to be manipulated into a specific way, and gets put on the news, this wouldn't be the original photograph, therefore it can cause problems. problems can be caused as if someone went missing and a photograph of themselves had been manipulated and com positioned to somewhere they haven't been, could cause issues as no one will have any idea where they are, as composite image making is based on lies.

Although some composite image making can be acceptable, for example removing something in the image, that is unable to be cropped out.

Although, there is an image editing software, which is often used to manipulate the captured image to an extent determined by the artist/retoucher. There are 3 different levels of editing on photoshop. The first level is a basic level, which is colour balancing, this is where you edit the colours in the image, then there is contrast, which is where you edit the different colours that effect each other, then finally there is cropping, this is when something is in the image that isn't meant to be there, it can get removed from the photograph. This extent of editing is acceptable as it isn't completely manipulating someones image. Furthermore there is the next level which consists of retouching and airbrushing, this is where you edit little features of the photograph, for example removing spots of someones face, or making someone slightly slimmer. this can be acceptable however only if its only little parts that have been edited. Then finally there is the final level, which is compositing, this is where you can completely change the image, by replacing someones face to another persons and steal their complete identity. I don't agree with this level of editing as it takes away peoples individuality and confidence within themselves.


Here is an example that I produced using photoshop. 

To create this image, I started off with two separate images, which were

a duck and the photograph of tower bridge

I then, cleared the white background on the duck and selected the whole object, however the left eye didn't get selected, this meant that I had to mask the eye, which meant it was able to get selected. After i done this, i copied and pasted the duck onto the image of tower bridge. I then positioned the duck where i wanted it to be, and changed the size, then I applied the change to the photograph. then I duplicated the image of the duck and went through the same procedure. after the ducks where positioned in the way I wanted them to be, I then added a mask layer, and mask the bottom off the duck black with the opacity and flow being 30%, this then gave the ducks the effect that they look like they were swimming. 

Documentary Research Notes

Henri Cartier Bresson 

The Decisive Moment

The decisive moment is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as the precise organisation of forms which gives that event its proper expression.

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer whose humane, spontaneous photographs helped establish photojournalism as an art form.

Henri Cartier-Bresson was born on August 22, 1908 in Chanteloup, France. A pioneer in photojournalism, Cartier-Bresson wandered around the world with his camera, becoming totally immersed in his current environment. Considered one of the major artists of the 20th century, he covered many of the world biggest events from the Spanish Civil War to the French uprisings in 1968.

Cartier-Bresson's rise as a photographer proved rapid. By the mid 1930s he'd shown his work in major exhibits in Mexico, New York, and Madrid. His images revealed the early raw possibilities of street photography and photojournalism in general.

He is considered to be one of the foremost photographers having established Magnum an organisation  which represents documentary photographers and his fine art background helped him in establishing creative compositions such as rule of thirds golden ration etc. 

This is a powerful image created by Henri Cartier Bresson, this is because the woman walking up the stairs alone, shows a sense of loneliness, as well as the birds flying away symbolises one life passing on, this could show that the women is suffering a loss, and is going somewhere to rest in peace. we are able to tell that she is walking up a set of stairs to the top as the railings shows a leading line, in a spiral. additionally with the image being in black and white, indicates loss and pain, however the fact that its brighter with more white as she walks ups the stairs, could indicate some hope as she is walking away from the darkness below her.

This is an interesting image as it shows how oblivious the two young boys are that someone is taking a photograph of them, as well as the planes and crowd behind them. the fact that the boys are so oblivious shows that they are interested in something, that has completely taken their whole attention. you know they are looking at something as the young boy is pointing at something, that we cannot see, which creates a sense of unknown as we don't know what he is pointing at. The fact that the photograph is in black and white represents that the photograph is old, which is also symbolised by the planes as it looks like there is a war going on, this means that it was a long time ago, additionally the clothing is old fashioned. this represents the decisive moment because their are many things going on at once, however the main focus is the two young boys.

This image represents the decisive moment as the cyclist has been captured while riding down the road. its an inspirational image as the stairs have made the photograph interesting, as we don't know where they lead to, as well as we don't know where the man on the bike is going. The black and white effect shows all the different tones on the street, as in the left bottom corner its a darker shade, than the steps leading up towards the middle bottom of the photograph.

Matthew Seed

Matthew seed is a horse photographer who creates intensely moving artistic equine portraits in fractions of a second. To create such powerful and artistic portraits it consists of using controlled lighting, a camera and intuition.

Aperture and Blur

The main f stops for aperture are;
F2,  F2.8,  F4,  F5.6,  F8,  F11,  F16,  F22

F2 is suitable if you are taking a photograph of an individual as it has a shallow depth of field, as this means they will be completely in focus, however this F stop isn't suitable for taking a group photograph, this is because some of the people will be blurred, therefore for a group photograph, f stop 16 and 22 are more suitable as this means that everyone will be in focus and it will be a clear photograph. Changing the aperture is important as it is able to show a wide depth of field, which means its able to show the detail in the photograph. For example, a photographer who takes photographs at a wedding will change the aperture and adjust the depth of field depending on the amount of activity and people within the photograph, as well as blurring out anything that is in the background which isn't meant to be there, an example would be someone trying to get in the photograph that isn't meant to be there.

Depth of field definition 

The depth of field in photography is the distance between the nearest and the furthest objects giving a focused image.

The 2  images below I used f stop 22

The 2 images below I used f stop 4