Lauren Skeggs
Unit 9: Exploring Photography and Digital Imaging Evaluation
Media and Their Audiences:
In this unit, I have been given three briefs. The first brief I have been given is to create 18 images. I was asked to get a collection of images (both from internet and taken myself) and put them together to create images illustrating photos and their audiences. Within the 18 images, I was given the following media industries to create images for: Television, Radio, Cinema, Print, New Media and Advertising.
Looking back at my work, I think my strongest images are ‘Television’. This is because I felt that I connected well with the relationship between television and its audience and I could be very creative when working on this industry.
I feel that my weakest images are ‘Print’. I don’t think I spent enough time on creating these images. Also, I had planned to do one image, which did not turn out as I planned; therefore, I had to re-do a couple. My finished photographs for print were not as good as I was not focused and I struggled to show the audience interacting.
Once I collected all the images I needed off the internet, and took myself I then used Photoshop to combine my images to create the final look. I used a lot of new tools, such as enlarging and overlapping layer, which I had never known about before unit 9. At times, I had an idea in my head but was not sure if it was possible, this was when I asked for support from my teachers.
The images I took myself, took a couple of lessons. I had to make sure my model was in the correct position, so it was easier for me when it came to combining my images together on Photoshop. I had to use a variety of people for my final images.
My 18 images were well planned in order for me to think about the technical quality such as the print quality, the lightening on the pictures itself and the image resolution. I also had to think about the lightness and brightness of the pictures I took myself, when combining them with the internet images. I had to make sure the lightness and brightness was the closest it could be in order for my images to be at the best quality possible. For example, when I was creating my Television images, I had to make sure the backgrounds that I had used were the same as the photographs I took myself. For example, I could not use a picture as the background that was taken at night if my image to go with it was taken in day light. Unfortunately, sometimes I printed off an image and the print quality was poor. This was when I asked my teachers for advice on how I could make it better quality.
After my images were completed, I created an exhibition to show my work to the audience, this was in the schools corridor that anyone would be able to see and give me feedback. I picked 20 students/teachers at all different ages to view my work. I created a questionnaire that I gave out when people viewed my work. The questionnaires were a good idea as I got a lot of support of the students as they were willing to come and have a look at my work. They gave me good and very specific feedback. For example, my first question was which images they preferred and this is the results:
TV | ADVERTISING | RADIO | CINEMA | NEW MEDIA | PRINT |
9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
I also asked questions like ‘do you think I was created enough’ I then gave them a chance to say how I could have improved my work. I was very happy with the results.
People and Their Heroes:
When I was given my brief, I took it step by step to focus on the main points I needed to complete. Looking back my work, I feel that my images are done to a very high standard. My final 6 images show six people that I know, and their heroes.
First of all, I picked my 6 people that I was going to use. These were my mum, Lorraine, my step dad, Tim, my brother, Philip, my work friends, Abey and Kirsty, and my best friend, Shelby. I then asked them who their heroes were. When they told me, I then used the internet to search for images of their heroes. This helped me on my next step as I then knew how to position my friends and family when I took their pictures. This worked out well as when I combined the pictures together, they looked really realistic.
Creating my final images was very interesting as I used Photoshop which was still quite new to me. I used a blank canvas and decided on the background, I then combined the pictures of the people and their heroes, and combined it all together to create a final look. By combining then, I used the overlapping tool to put layer on layer to create a finished picture.
When I first created my final images, I was very happy. Then I decided to go over each one touching up all of the edges that may needed to have been changed slightly to make them look more realistic. However, sometimes I felt it was easier if I took the photographs again, therefore, I took time out of lesson to do so. Once I had completed that, I felt very proud of my work.
Sometimes, I came across the problem of the lighting of my friends/family and the lighting in the picture of their heroes was not the same. This was when I used the brightness and contrast and did my best to create a good quality image and make it look as realistic as I could.
When I had completed the images, I asked 20 people to view all of my images including the Media and Their Audiences. I gave them a questionnaire and they were asked to be as honest as they could. I had a variety of results, for example, one of the questions was ‘Which image do you prefer’ and the results were:
ABEY | LORRAINE | TIM | SHELBY | PHILIP | KIRSTY |
5 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
Story Illustration:
The brief for the story illustration was very easy to understand. We were asked to read a short story and create four images that we thought went well with the storyline. We were not allowed to give away the ending of the story to the audience, we had to pick out four main points in the story to illustrate. After planning my images, I used a camera and took the pictures myself.
When I was planning my final images, I decided to focus on the dark alley with a bike in the picture, a big clock which was in an empty dull corridor, a crossword puzzle and double gates.
In order for me to create the final images, I had to think about what angle shot I wanted the pictures to be when I was taking them, as the pictures that I took was the final image.
When I had taken the pictures, I turned them all black and white. This was to create extra effect for readers. I picked the images as the brief was to show the reader what the story was about but I was not allowed to give the ending away.
During this unit, I found out my weakness was that when planning an image, you need to plan it exactly how you want it. Another weakness of mine was meeting deadlines, sometimes my attendance went down therefore I did not complete my work in time.
My strengths was that I worked very quick on this unit as I enjoyed the storyline so I found it quite easy to understand what was going on and what I needed to do. Another strength of mine was taking the photographs, I took a lot of time out of school to take the photographs as I wanted them to be as good as they could be, and I also was experienced in taking photographs. I also think I was very creative at times during this unit when planning my images.
Throughout unit 9, my skills on Photoshop have developed and I now know a lot more than I did. I think I have learnt that when I am planning out anything, I need to plan out thoroughly and now just do it without knowing exactly what to do.
