Reece Hack A2 Photo Component 2: March 2017

Discussion of Exam Paper

For my exam, I have chosen the topic of Everyday objects. I mindmapped the topics of Everyday objects and Manufactured structures, but I decided that manufactured structures is too similar to the work I have previously done and I want to try different styles of photography, which I feel Everyday objects would facilitate. Within Everyday objects, I want to focus on macro photography, while I am also able to implement documentary photography and studio portraits.

This is a photo by Andre Keretsz, a photographer who focuses on still life photography, often incorporating everyday objects. This image incorporates a very large tonal range, due to the use of black and white and the hard shadows the two mugs in the image cast. The hard shadows that the mugs cast create a every hard shadow, which creates some very dark tones. There are also dark tones in the background due the use of low key lighting. These are heavily contrasted by the light tones shown in the foreground and on the mugs themselves, which is cast from the lighting used in taking the photo. This image is relevant to me as it has been taken in a macro style; The camera was using a wide angle lens while the photographer was close to the subject, meaning the mugs in the image appear larger than life. As a result, a narrow depth of field has been captured, in which the background is out of focus. The use of the very grey filter with this image creates a very dull mood, which could be linked to the monotony of everyday life.

This is another similar image by Andre Keretsz. It has the similar hard shadow cast, as the lighting used is very low key, meaning a hard shadows is cast. I can tell that the source of the lighting has been positioned above the subject, leaning in from the top of the frame, as he shadow is angled towards the bottom side of the frame. The photographer captured a narrow depth of field, focusing sharply on the fork and leaving the bowl it's leaning on and the table out of focus. Due to the use of the very grey filtered black and white film, the image comes out in an almost duotone effect, which there is a strong contrast in the dark and light tones. The dark tones are displayed in the hard shadow that is cast on parts of the fork, whereas other parts of the fork as well as the bowl and the table on which the image was shot create some lighter tones which contrast this. The presence of both dark and light tones within the fork can represent the possible meanings a fork can have; for most, a fork is just another everyday object that has no significance and acts as a positive as it simply enables people to eat in order to survive. However, for some who have trouble with either under or over eating, it can be an everyday obstacle to their health, and therefore a symbol of struggle.

Image Bank

This is a macro photography style image; it captures some eggs in a close up nature, making them appear larger than life size. I chose this image as I felt that I could use a similar macro style throughout my project, and it creates ideas of how you can document everyday life through photographing food.

This has been taken using a very narrow depth of field, meaning the watch is in focus but the background isn't. The setting of rocks creates a strong sense of depth, as you can see which parts of the rock formation are in focus. This is relevant to me as it displays the use of photographing everyday objects within a non everyday environment, which is something I'd like to experiment with.

This creates a clear sense of narrative; it displays that the photographer has lit each match one by one, letting the match burn more each time, then lining them up in order of least to most burnt. This could create connotations of everyday life getting harder and harder, with the amount of the match unburnt representing the person's will to go through everyday activities. This is relevant to me as it demonstrates the use of several of the same object to create narrative.

I felt that this image showed a great deal of closeup detail, particularly in the formal element of texture. There are some very rough and weathered textures shown throughout this image, particularly on the ends of the screws. This creates a sense of uncertainty, which contrasts to the presence of the screw, as it should represent security and utility.

Shoot One - Work Record

For my first shoot, I plan to shoot in the style of macro photography. I will be taking photos of post it notes around my households, and I plan to get close up to my subject and shoot with my lens on a wide angle setting in hope of achieving a wide angle closeup macro style shoot. From this shoot, I hope to achieve a linking series of macro photographs that document the things that people forget to do in the household.

Here is one of my straight images from my shoot. I wanted to capture a macro style image with a very narrow depth of field, therefore I shot on f5.3, setting my shutter speed to 1/60 to avoid camera shake as I was shooting handheld rather than on a tripod. This image presents a very strong tonal contrast, with the post it note being visible but the surface it is positioned on being too dark to view details, meaning you get a low key lighting effect. The image captures a sticky note that has been left out on a kitchen work surface that reads "you know you're right". I liked this because the message is open to interpretation; you can create your own meanings to what it could mean. You could suggest that as this is around the household, it could be a message left from one person in the house to another, perhaps as confirmation to them regarding a discussion they were having. The fact the camera has a very narrow depth of field, and that it focuses on the "you're right' line portrays that who the note was directed at being right was more important than whether they knew it or not. The use of a very cold colour palette, which almost entirely consists of black and white, could reflect the writer's bitter mood when writing the message.

This is another one of my straight images from my shoot. I shot this image on 1/60, with an aperture of f5.6 and an ISO of 640, therefore the result was a very narrow depth of field, in which the bottom text is in focus. The sticky note reads "Book Theory" at the top, which has been underlined, and underneath is written "sort out uni fees", with a second line of writing being cut off so you can't read it. The entire post it note is obscured the shadow, meaning the tones of the image are mostly dark; this could be presenting daily life as dull and monotonous, with there being little hope for breaking the repetitive daily activities that make it so dull. However, the shadow ends just before the top of the post it note, meaning there is a small section in which there is light tones. The light tones could represent that there still is a glimmer of hope that everyday life could be interesting. The use of a red pen is also significant, as the rest of the image is monotone, being shades of black, white or grey, therefore the red could reflect the writer's attempt to make such a dull task as writing down reminders on post it notes more interesting through the use of colour.

For my next shoot, I want to mostly keep to the close up macro style, however, at certain points it became restrictive as I couldn't capture a wider scene of what is happening around the post it notes. I plan to move the camera further away in some of my shots for this reason, as it will help create context to my shots.