Wednesday 29 December 2010

Practise For LRRH task!

Before creating the perfect final outcome I wanted, I needed to practise first. So from images from the Web and from people I know, our task was to manipulate the photos in order for the image to look real enough to be that character or person.

So I started off with manipulating a young girls face to an old lady. This is the photo I found from the web:

I used this ladies face- to create a more older look to it

I used this ladies top and blazer- to create more of an older dress look to it.

Here are a few print screens to show my process to my final outcome:


Here shows the initial process of rubbing out the younger face over the top to show the older face from underneath layer 1. This was done basically all around the face to the hair.


Here shows simply the face once all rubbed out. I was going to leave it like this but then i thought that the clothing was still too young for the lady, as she is meant to represent a old lady or even the grandmother from LRRH.

So as mentioned from above, I then decided to change the clothing into something more appropriate. So I found the image on google images and matched the colour to the original image then erased it in just like the face.


Here is my final outcome of my old lady practise:

Research for LRRH

The next thing I completed for this task was research on other artist or photographers that could link to my tale.















The first artist I found was ANNIE LEIBOVITZ; she is an American photographer, She has done lots of other pieces of work but one which she has done recently was one that she worked on magazine photography and shot celebrities dressed up as fairy tale characters for a Disney campaign. This works and links very well with the task that I am completing, as the photos that are below show how lots of manipulation and work would have gone into it to create such realistic images of which are animated. This links with our task as the idea of the photos is very much similar and to do this, photo shop is needed.









Peter Pan and Pocahontas
















Cinderella and Snow white



Another artist was SANDY SKOGLUND; she is an American photographer and an installation artist. Her work is very abstract and shows a obvious use of manipulation. She creates surrealist images by building her elaborate sets. Her images consist of many overwhelming colours capturing the differences between night and light, contrast is the main element.



For Sandy and many other artists base their work on relying on photo shop manipulation and also creating their own sets which is exactly what our task is to do. For example: LRRH set is possibly in a forest, or cottage and the photo shop needed would either be the wolf or granny.




Here are a few photos from Sandy's Work:



Radio-active catsFox games Revenge of the Goldfish










Both the artists are good example of showing how well using manipulation can work and the outcome that could come from it, if it all turns out well. So in our task, so far I am finding it a challenge to get used to using photo shop as my main element rather than just taking the photos and being done. It is shown how the use of photo shop works well in many images and the manipulation on the colour, morphing and so on shows a different aspect of photography and that it brings excitement and different feelings to the photos. But with practise will bring those, hopefully, to my photos from this task.






Friday 17 December 2010

Little Red Riding Hood

Our task was to create an outcome using our knowledge of photo shop; by morphing together my own photos with images from the google images. In order to create our own imaginative narrative image of a nursery rhyme or fairy tale.

There are many steps to this task and first I needed to mind map a few ideas of rhymes or tales of which I could use.






After planning out a few ideas, I decided on Little Red Riding Hood; I chose this one because it was the idea I had thought of originally but seeing as it was a popular decision I was conscious for using it but in the end I found it the most interesting and fun to base my work on.





So next was my research on the tale; I found out many things and interpretations which were very intriguing.



Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH) has a far-reaching and arguable history; it is the most studied and interpreted fairy tales. Commonly the story goes like this: The child is to bring custard/biscuits etc to her grandmother who to be believed ill. On the way she meets the wolf and he wants to eat her right there and then, but fears the woodcutters nearby. She answers, not knowing that it is dangerous to stay and hear a wolf talk. The wolf takes a short cut to the cottage while the girl dallies picking up flowers. The wolf eats her grandmother and disguises as her, in her clothes, in her bed. When LRRH enters the cottage, the 'grandmother' tells her to come to the bed. At this point there is much talk on the features of the wolf. Depending on what story, depends on what ending is told. The common ending is that LRRH tries to leave but gets tricked and eaten by the wolf, but this is different for many different interpretations.



One moral of which I found is that little, gentle, precious girls should not talk to strangers no matter who they are or how nice they are; the quietest ones are the most sly.



Another interpretation consists of cake and wine instead to the sick grandmother. Both cake and wine are symbolic to the christian communion. This shows a significant shift in variations, where the child bringing cake and wine (religious context) instead of bread and milk which symbolise mother/feminine figure.



For different sections of the story there are many different interpretations and above are a few to give a background and history of how the tale would and could have been told or understood. For the younger generations to them its just another tale amongst others of which they hear, but for adults they read into things much more due there developed way of analysing things. For example: the cloak that she wears; its red and this could symbolise danger or even the blood from the wolf.

Sunday 7 November 2010

Documentary Challenge!

This challenge is all about developing confidence, relationships/ people skills, preparation/ planning, persistence and Independence. As well as developing our technical considerations for our camera: shutter speed, aperture, lighting, flash and focus.

So below are photos from my task, this shows how I interpreted what place I was given.

The place I was given was a the RSPCA: the cattery. :)



When completing part of this challenge it helped me develop my people skills when interacting and talking with the person or people at your specific place, as well as general confidence, and Independence. I was there long enough to be asked if I would like to see the laundry/ and shower room. With persistence this was possible. Luckily the lady of which was supervising me was very nice and chatty.

While I was there I was trying to develop my people skills and relationships while there as I found out a lot of information while there:










  • Any animals that are brought in will be immediately scanned for a ownership chip, if unchipped they will eventually be chipped prior adoption. Meanwhile they will be flied and vaccinated and if necessary neutered prior to re-homing. Some animals that may have been ill-treated or may have been stray for a long while may need greater veterinary attention. it is always the RSPCA to rescue and re home animals, but sometimes this isn't always possible.




  • The cages get cleaned after cats removed





  • They are handled, stroked, cuddled many times everyday






  • They sometimes rename cat


  • They complete a was every 45 minutes from all the bedding etc


Below are the photos i took:












































As well as visiting the RSPCA I also went to a home run cattery which looks after cats for families when they are away on holiday etc. So here are photos of Bournemouth Boarding Cattery: this place was a lot different from the RSPCA but cared and catered for the cats just the same.























DUCK!

When away on the Cornwall weekend trip, we were given a task to do; which involved a plastic duck. We were asked to take it with us everywhere because at any moment 'DUCK' could have been called, which meant we needed to get a photo of it in 60 secs! Overall we should have 10 photos in 10 different locations.









Cornwall! :)

While we were at Cornwall, we visited many places and i took many photos :) So here are a few contact sheets of my photos to show an overview of the weekend!

Eden Project


Newlyn Harbour


Barbara Hepworth Gardens


Minack Theatre


St Ives


St Michaels Mount