Monday, 15 June 2015

Image bank - Image within an image

The image within an image technique in photography is where pictures are put into frame outlines present in a photograph and so on. Examples of this are all below.

This frame photography is effective and successful for many reasons. It is a unique and fun way to capture a family photograph, and having the parents looking down at the baby in the smaller picture conveys a sense of protection for the child. Each frame is being held at a different angle, and both parents have a smile on their face. This adds to the positivity in this photograph which I like. The parents and child are dressed in dark clothing so that they match and keep the photograph structured, keeping the piece neutral. It has been constructed well, as the man is in possession of his partner, protecting both her and their child in the frame, and then the mum of the baby is in possession of their child, also protecting him. It's a well thought of photograph with love and care oozing out from it. 
This is a very clever piece of photo montage where the picture within a picture theme has been used exceptionally well. The illusion of a man climbing up a ladder that leads through a photo frame can also be viewed as a man climbing up a ladder through a hole in the wall. It looks extremely realistic which is what I think always makes this type of photograph a successful construction. The colours in this piece have again been thought about, keeping the feel neutral and simplistic instead of there being a colour overload. I think that the beige cargo shorts are a successful piece of clothing that are usually associated with men who are undergoing an adventure of some sort. The man climbing through the frame is indeed going on his own sort of adventure, up a tree it seems, therefore adding to this photographs successful creation.
I like in this photograph that the clever part of it is the Polaroid picture. An individual picture of the mans face was taken on a Polaroid, and then placed in front of his body in front of the coastline. I think this is extra effective than with a frame, because it is an actual photograph. If I were to use Polaroids to replace frames in this style of photography, I could even place other images into the Polaroid frame and use it as an outline; I could use an empty Polaroid sheet and edit a picture in front of it. I intend to take some picture similar to this when I go on my holiday in the summer. I may do this in front of the sea like the person who captured this photo did, or in front of a historical building when I visit Rome. 
This is one of my favourite photographs. The dark green and yellow colours compliment each other successfully, making the photograph appear bold and fun. The model also having red lipstick on is a nice touch, adding an extra pop of colour. The fact that she is holding a frame on a slant creates edge, rather than doing the everyday thing of holding the frame directly in front of the camera. By repeating the original photograph of the girl in the frame, it makes the formal element depth stand out so much more. Everything gradually becomes smaller each frame you look at, which would not have been as evident if whole different kinds of images were placed in the frames. Overall it is a very colourful and funky style of creating interesting photographs. 
This picture within a picture piece is my favourite type of style. I really like the theme of using Polaroid pictures instead of frames. The winter jumper on the females hand suggests that the weather is cold, which would explain the dark blue tones in the actual Polaroid. This frosty picture compliments the jumper. On the other hand, there are more lighter pastel shades on the houses and a lighter road in the blurred background. This may have been unintentional, however it could be suggested that the Polaroid and the blurred background are exactly the same place, whilst both having been taken in different weather conditions. I like this creative technique and may use it in my project. Also, the Polaroid being in front of the road interrupting it's length, can actually be seen through the Polaroid which I find really clever. The depth of this street is evident in this photograph, despite how it is portrayed. 
This is another unique way of using the picture within a picture theme in a photograph. The couple have used an iPad to convey the subject of this image. Having them both hold the iPad conveys a sense of connection and them both being part of what the viewer looks at on the screen; their love. The man and woman are both admiring each other in a romantic way which is extremely sweet, and like the family photograph above, is another unique way of capturing memorable pictures. I like that the background is blurred so much that the focus is on what's going on in the iPad. The fun colours in this piece top it all off and make it a very positive piece. 

Thursday, 11 June 2015

Image Bank - Sequencing

Sequencing is a following of one thing after another, perhaps of a related or continuous series.

I find this sequence piece of photography quite interesting. I first of all believe that the unsaturated tones in this piece adds to the natural feel of nature. Having a pop of colour featured through the use of the grass in the background is effective because it adds to the vibrance of the overall picture. Illustrating the movement of the birds wings looks fascinating, and they convey pattern which is an effective formal element used in photography. I like that the bird feed has been situated in the right side of the frame as this enables 4 stages of the bird flying towards it, rather than having just 2 stages of it's movement as this could be misinterpreted as two birds. The decision in the framing and the overall look of this image is a very successful photograph in my opinion, conveying a very effective sequence. 
This sequence photography piece has practically every movement of a man on a bike performing a flip stunt in the air off of a ramp, which has been documented from start to finish. Having him and his bike appear at the end of the first ramp is effective because it looks as though he has just appeared out of nowhere in the picture. The picture contains just his movements in the air, to focus the viewers attention on the stunt, rather than his movement towards the 1st ramp and down the 2nd ramp. I like this sequence because if your eyes travel from the first bike to the last bike, it's almost as though you've watched an animation of the stunt man moving, despite this being a still 2D piece. There could have been more of the frame cropped on the left to even out with the right side, however the viewer would be so focused on the sequence in this piece that it makes it a successful photograph.  
This photo really exhales the word fun. Ski'ing looks extremely enjoyable in itself, let alone performing tricks on slopes. This whole photograph is successful in so many ways. The subject of the picture is a stunt man who has started off at the right side of the frame, performed a summasault in the air and then landed on the left side of the frame. The photo has been captured with a fish eye lense, allowing the surroundings and the man to fit into the frame without worry. This lense is extremely effective in allowing all of the stunt to be included, whilst making it a 3D piece instead of a 2D one like the one above. The 3D effect adds extra impact to this adrenaline filled photograph. Although the sun is not part of the sequence in this piece, it finishes it off perfectly. Also, the blue, white and red coloured theme doesn't allow everything in the frame to become messy with a variety of colours, it is simplistic and effective. 
This black and white sequence photograph of a cat falling from the top to the bottom is quite a fun looking picture. It's humorous because the subject is of a cat falling with worried facial expressions, not performing effective stunts like the top two images. Having the cat against the black backdrop allows it to stand out, rather than having a cluttered background. It could have been more humorous if there were more movements of the cat in the frame, however having just 4 of them is just as effective because the sequence is clear. This photograph also has a vintage vibe to it because of it's lack in sharpness; it's a very soft photograph with a slight grain. I like that it isn't 100% clear and defined and therefore see it as being an admirable and unique sequence piece of photography. 

I like this style of sequencing just as much as the top four, because it shows a period of time in just one piece, where the process of an apple being eaten is photographed. It allows a series of different apple shapes to be captured and put into one piece, making the process more effective rather than shooting each one individually as it's own photograph. Having the apple placed infront of a white background, allowing the core to slightly blend in at times was an effective choice because it keeps the focus on the red colour that's gradually dissappearing. It may have looked more efffective if it was all in a row, rather than two rows, however this would have shrunken the size of the apple. Overall I like this piece and it has inspired me to perhaps create something similar in my personal project. 
I don't quite like these types of sequences as much as the top ones, simply because they look less creative in my opinion. Despite this, collage sequences are very effective because you can capture different emotions of someone like the photographer did of this man above. It has been put into a triptick of three different activities/emotions; smoking, a blurred face which could perhaps suggest the man is dizzy or not feeling himself, and then lastly, him holding his head in his hands. These are all negative pictures, and I feel that the black and white effect reinforces this. The man however is dressed in smart attire. The choice of costume mixed with his negative faces has many different interpretations. I see it as perhaps being a sequence piece of photography that conveys that money is not always definitely going to make someone happy. His outfit contradicts his emotional state and can be viewed as a photograph echo'ing a very strong message.