Shoot One

I have been doing some experimental photography using many different techniques.

I used the technique Projection photography and I'm quite happy with the results, they're fun and creative and they seem to have worked well. I projected a photograph of many different things onto my friend, however I really like this one because of the colours. All I had to do for this was search for an image, project it onto the white screen and get my subject to stand in line with the projection. 

For this, I didn't use my own photograph but I used the joiners technique which I did on photoshop. I like the effect of the photograph, although I think I moved the squares around a bit too much which doesn't really give off the same effect had I not have moved them around so much. It's quite easy to do so I can definitely do it again as long as I have access to photoshop.

For my double exposure, I walked around the college ground to find something for an interesting background and found the graffiti, I photographed this and also photographed my friend. To make this I had to use photoshop and put the both the photographs together and then deciding the different effects and contrasts to make the photograph more appealing. This photograph could be made better if I took a photo of somebody using a plain background then a photo of something more vibrant and exciting so they both work well together.Now I know this, there's a lot of potential.

This was my experiment with light painting, it's nothing special but I was just testing out what could be done, I used the bulb setting for this photograph and got my friend to have a go at drawing something with the torch on her phone. I really like light painting and it's also really easy to do and fun! I took this photograph in my kitchen with the lights off, I quite like the fact the background is lit up because I feel like it gives it a better effect and looks more mysterious.

This was my emulsion transfer that I did using a photograph I took 4 years ago in New York during a snow blizzard, I think it worked out well and is still visibly clear what the photograph is of. To improve I could possibly try using a different photograph but personally I really like this one. I could do it again and try to improve just in general.

For this, I wasn't really expected much to come from it as I was on a tour bus in New York but I just saw the sign and thought I would give a zoom burst a try as I had not yet managed to perfect it. It's not the best but I quite like how it has turned out, especially as well because it looks slightly like a double exposure too but that was completely accidental. I think this would be good for a final image also as it's quite creative.



The last thing I did was scanograms, which I found quite interesting and I like them, I chose to do it with my personal belongings because I like that it's reflecting my personality and also it's really high quality. I could use something like this for my final image as it's easy to do and has a really good outcome.

Shoot Plan

For my final work for this brief, scanograms would be interesting and to make this image I will use my personal belongings from my bag. The equipment I need is a flat bed scanner and my belongings. I will do the shoot in the classroom as that's where the scanner will be.
There are some technical considerations and these include not putting too much weight onto the scanner itself as it only has a glass screen and that could easily break or scratch.
If you are scanning your face ensure your eyes are closed as it can blind you and if you are moving an object whilst scanning, dust particles could potentially show up. Don't use any liquid on the scanner as it is electrical.
This is how my scanogram will hopefully turn out, as it shows someone with their personal belongings, although I won't be in the image.

Emulsion Transfers are easy to do and give photographs a really abstract and vintage look. For this, I will use an old family photograph and then use acrylic paint and paint onto the photograph and some paper, then after sticking the photograph onto the paper and then smooth the photograph down, I then have to dry the photograph with either a hairdryer or hand dryer, once it is dry I will wet the photograph and then rub it to peel away and it will be printed onto the paper and appear old and abstract. This will have to be done in an art classroom as it will have all the paper and acrylic paint that I need. Some things I need to consider is the amount of paint I use as too much or too little will effect the way the photograph turns out. I also need to consider how much I rub the image, as if I rub away too much, the photograph might end up with holes in it and tears in the paper.

Projection Photography is really good for being creative and you can use a photograph of anything you want and this could work well for my final idea. I am going to use one of my own photos that I have shot and project them onto somebody or can have them projected onto myself. For this I will need a camera, projector. To get a good photograph, it is better if the person is wearing a light colour so the projection lights up their clothing too. This would be taken in the studio as that's where the background is and all the equipment that I need is ready and set up. The camera settings for this will not always be the same. 

Double Exposures are good because I could use anything I want, these can be taken

Abstract (Zoom Bursts)

The majority of the types of photography in this experimental brief do produce abstract images but one with the main focus being on the fact it is abstract are Zoom Bursts. Zoom bursts involve zooming in all the way on a subject then zooming out once you've pressed the shutter. Although they turn out blurry, which basically makes the effect, they look really effective and unique and can be done using almost anything. I tried this myself but they didn't turn out very well, I think they turn out better when using colourful objects such as flowers. 

Personally I don't really like zoom bursts because I don't like the blurred effect, although it's all about experimenting and seeing which types of photograph you do and don't enjoy.

The only thing I slightly like about these photographs is the colour and energy feel it gives off. 

 This is another 2 examples of zoom burst just to show that you can use anything and get the same effect. I prefer these ones as they look more lively and exciting. It appears like more is going on and it captures your eye.

Double Exposure

Double exposure involves taking two separate photographs of absolutely anything you want and then you merge them together in photoshop to create an abstract photograph. I haven't yet done it but I have taken a portrait of Poppy and a photograph of the graffiti on the college grounds.

These are some examples of Double exposures and I really like both of them, they look really cool and abstract and much better than if they were to just be a standard portrait. They should be really easy to do, as it just involves taking two photographs and merging them together in photoshop so once you know how to work photoshop, you should be quite capable of doing these easily.




I like that they're different and add an edgy effect to the photograph. There's many possibilities for this and it's really good for experimenting. I really like this style of photograph and the technique because the photographs are all unique and unlike every other.

Joiners

I haven't yet made a 'joiners' photograph as i'm not fully aware how to do it, however I have taken some photographs that I'm planning on using when I know how to put them together. Joiners involves taking lots of photographs of the same thing but in different angles and moving forward and backwards so that when the photographs are joined together they look like a full photograph just more abstract which is the whole idea of it. I think joiners look really great and different.

For example, the picture underneath is what is similar to how it would normally look without being done using the joiners technique. I think that using joiners just adds more fun and creativity to it and makes it more pleasing to the eye. 

This is another example using joiners and I just think it looks much more exciting and like more is going on. They're really abstract and unique.

Light Painting

Light painting is really easy to do and it's one of the things I enjoy most because I have always seen photographs of it and never had a clue how to go about it and now I do and I think it's great and you can paint a picture of absolutely anything that you want! All you need is complete darkness, a light and your camera on a long shutter speed, preferably on a tripod so it's completely still whilst somebody is doing the light painting. I've had a go at, at home with my dad and friend and I think the results are actually really good. However, I still want to complete the task of trying to make 'orbs' with the light, here's an example...

I think this looks really good and quite mystical. I've yet to try it out but with light painting, there's so many things you can do and just from searching it in google, you get tons of ideas that can easily be done.

You can be really creative and most of the time, even if what you were trying to do doesn't work out, it will almost definitely still look really good!

I tried out some light painting at home and I think they turned out well.

I like the one on the right better because I just feel like it's more 'in your face' it's brighter and there's more going on, however I also like the one on the right! I'm not sure what my friend was trying to achieve but regardless they both worked out well!

  I also gave light painting a go, using a street light and I like the effect it appears to have, with speckles in the light itself. It reminds me of a firework in mid explosion. I'm not sure what it is about the photograph, I just really like it and light painting is all about experimenting, as is the rest of photography.

Emulsion Transfers

Emulsion transfers are easy to do and involve using a photograph you have already taken and have processed. It involves putting acrylic and emulsion paint onto the photograph and then onto a piece of paper, to give the photograph an edgy look and appear quite old.

It looks really good if it works out well and anybody can do it. I had a go at it myself and this is what my final piece looked like. Personally, for a first try I think it turned out quite well, although some parts rubbed off a bit too much but because I know this now, if I try it again I know how to try and perfect it.

I quite enjoyed doing this activity and I think it's fun and creative and I'm rather excited to try it out on one of my own photographs. With emulsion transfers, the aim is to make the photograph look different and it gives it the kind of look like a Polaroid photograph.

These two photographs are both examples of emulsion transfers and I really like them, they are better than mine but there's no reason why I couldn't produce one as good as these. I don't know how to explain the way they look but there's something about them that's different and slightly out of the ordinary which I really appreciate.

Projections

Projections are brilliant for getting abstract images that are also quirky and have lots of colour. To take a projection photograph you need a dark room and a white background so the image is clear and can be seen perfectly. You need a high resolution picture so when it is stretched it doesn't go grainy. The person being used for the photograph needs to be as close as possible to the background so that there is as little shadow as possible. To get a perfectly exposed photograph, you need a high ISO.

I really like the idea of Projection photography because you can be really creative with it and get some really great results. I chose these 2 images to show projection photography because they aren't too in your face and are quite simple but very good and really effective.

I took some projection photographs myself and I like the way they turned out, although i'd like to try it out again and do some more things and try to be a bit more creative with it because there's a lot of potential with projection
photography. It's simple and easy to do all you need is a projector, laptop and a dark room.

These are two examples of the projections I did. I like idea of abstract and colourful projection, I just think there's more going on and it can look really effective. It works better if the person you are taking a photograph of has light coloured clothing on like white or grey because then it projects onto their clothes very clearly as well.






I like the first pattern better but I think the second pattern works more effectively. I wasn't really trying to get a specific look, I just thought it would look good because of all the different colours. I'd really like to try projection photography again and spend longer on it to see what sort of things I could produce.

Initial Research

For this brief I am working on experimental photography which means experimenting with different techniques within photography, the techniques include; Scanograms, Emulsion Transfers, Projection Photography, Double Exposures, Joiners, Abstract Images (Zoomburst) and Light Painting. All of these techniques are quite quirky and unoriginal so it is good to try them out and see how they turn out and whether or not they are enjoyable so you get a feel for which sort of photography you most enjoy.


Scanograms


Scanograms are very simple to do and tend to be abstract and very detailed.






                                                           Emulsion Transfers
Emulsion Transfers are done by using a photograph and painting onto it with acrylic and emulsion and then print it onto paper and you get the effect that can be seen to the right.                                                          






Projection Photography


Projection photographs are done in a dark room using a projector, projecting an image onto someone/something to create a rather abstract and colorful effect.

                                       Double Exposure

Double exposure uses two different images and merges them together in photoshop.

Joiners
                                                               

Joiners are done by taking lots of photographs of the same thing but different parts and putting them together to make it appear like a collage.









Abstract


Abstract photographs vary a lot but a good one is Zoom bursts, they are unique. To do this, all you have to do is zoom in all the way on a subject and then zoom out when you press the shutter.







               Light Painting

Light paintings need to be taken in complete darkness and the shutter speed needs to be quite long to capture the light movement and produce something like the image on the right.

Scanograms

Scanograms are photography made using a scanner. To do so, all you need is a scanner and an item or items or even somebody's face and scan it like you would a normal item and from that 'scanography' is made. You can scan anything you want to create art with it, even 3D items, photos made with a scanner are usually very high quality and look very quirky and quite abstract.


These are just some examples of scanograms that I found which I think look really good and also different. They're interesting and certainly grab your attention.









 Scanograms are really easy to do and tend to turn out very effective because of the quality of the scanner.






These are just some more examples of scanograms that show you can scan pretty much anything and still get the same good results. Scanograms are very good quality because of the high definition scanner, they often are better quality than a photograph you could take with a DSLR camera. They're a really good way to be creative and experiment with different things, hence the reason it's included in experimental photography!
I like the idea of doing a scanogram based on yourself, almost a reflection of yourself but not neccessarily your face, you could empty your pockets or bag and scan all your items to show what sort of person you are and the things that interest you or you can scan something that you enjoy doing or just something to make it look effective.


This is another example of a scanogram and this is one with a man using his personal belongings and you can clearly see from this image, that he must have an interest in photography because of the fact his camera is in the image.

There's so many things you could do with scanograms and I really like the way they turn out.