Contact Sheets - shoot 9

Work Diary - Shoot 8

Evaluation

For shoot 8, I wanted to explore photographing Innocent smoothies. I bought three bottles of this brand, all of different flavours, as I was going to be experimenting with bottles on their own and the bottles grouped together. I took many photographs during this session, where I used a tripod for the majority in order to capture still images instead of ones that ran the risk of having the subject blurred. There is a depth of field in a few of the photographs as well, as I experimented with composition. For this, I placed bottles in front and behind, along with ingredients of the bottles in front and behind. This allowed me to decide what worked best in the picture and what should have been the focal point. I didn't use just one background in this shoot as I have used a white background a lot in previous shoots, so wanted to switch it up this time by using a wooden table top and a black backdrop. I felt that the mixtures of colours worked exceptionally well as the black allowed the smoothies to stand out with their pops of colour. I feel I have employed this formal element effectively in this shoot as I have photographed bright products, which would stand out to an audience effectively. Below are two examples of photographs I shot from this session that I was pleased with.

For this picture of the grouped bottles, having the green as the foreground subject worked the best as this colour has the connotation of healthy eating, which is exactly what this brand sells. Therefore, having this one as the focal point of the frame meant that this way of eating is advertised, whereas if the pink or orange smoothies were in the foreground it could suggest to the audience it is just a tasty juice/smoothie instead of one with health benefits. I was overall pleased with the outcome here, as the backdrop and table top work well together, both being colours that compliment each other rather than ones that clash. These colours allow the smoothies to pop out from the frame and have their outline highlighted by the dark backdrop, making this a successful piece of advertising. Shape, colour and line are formal elements that stand out in this picture, all contributing to its appealing appearance.

This is a photograph that I took against a white backdrop. I used an infinity curve for this picture as I wanted the background of the subject to flow with the table cover of the subject. The white colour compliments the white label on the Innocent smoothie which gives this photograph a fresh feel. The smoothie itself is a fresh healthy drink along with the fruit in the pot next to it, which emphasises that fresh feel. In Photoshop, I selected the pot of fruit and bottle and inversed the selection, in order for it to select the background. I then increased the brightness so I was able to brighten the appearance of the photograph, which brings out the positive colours instead of allowing them to have a dim tinge to them. My intentions with this photograph was to advertise the fruits in these smoothies. This one includes strawberries and bananas, so I cut up these fruits and put them in a bowl next to the bottle of the product itself. Online, I then found a picture of an arrow which I simply added into the frame in order to advertise exactly the message I was trying to portray. If young children who see this advertisement struggle with their reading, then all they would have to do to know what fruits are in this smoothie is look at the pot next to bottle. I believe this is an effective method of advertising as it is child friendly. 

Progression

In order to progress from this shoot, I will be developing the theme of drinks. For a future shoot, I intend on capturing photographs of a hot chocolate with wafers and whipped cream featured in the composition, advertising additives that can be used with this hot beverage. I will also hopefully photograph a simple glass of milk with a stack of cookies by it's side, as this is a tasty snack to indulge in when you're peckish. Through this, I could advertise Cadbury's hot chocolate and Maryland cookies, perhaps adding the brand's logos to the frame of each image in my next shoot, as I haven't experimented with logos yet. 

Straight Images - Shoot 8

Contact Sheets - Shoot 8

Connecting Essay 5

My Photograph

This is one of the photographs I captured when I was in Rome this October. I went on this trip with the intention of photographing some images that portrayed the stunning ancient architecture of Rome. These types of photographs would look appropriate if in a magazine or a holiday brochure, advertising some locations in Rome and the type of beautiful scenery someone else could experience. I composed this photograph above well, by having the left side of the frame filled with a Rome dome (a very popular building found anywhere you go in Rome) and then had the trees fill the rest of the frame. I like this composition because the different heights of the buildings and trees work well together as a contrast. The mixture of colours in this piece are also effective elements. The beige Dome, the burnt orange tone to the buildings in the distance and the dark green trees all appear as vintage colours, which emphasise the history evident in the architecture. The light tinge of blue in the sky adds to the warmth of the image, instead of the whole sky appearing white and making the picture feel cold. There is a lot of pattern featured in the buildings which makes the city look extremely artistic, which is an element of the photograph which may influence a creative person interested in travelling to fly to Rome.

Online Photograph

This is an internet photograph of Rome, which has captured some beautiful attractions of this ancient city. The image has been captured from a high point of the city, with the camera angling down on the below surroundings and features in the distance. The building in the top left hand side of the frame is the Altare della Patria, with the two chariots on each podium clearly defined against the light orange sky. Although they are a very small feature of the picture, their silhouette outline is evident through being against a flat skyline. This is an effective use of colour and contrast. In the bottom segment of the composition, there are more defined buildings with their evident colour, tone, shape and pattern all complimenting each other. The colours are once again subtle and appear vintage, with the yellow and burnt orange and browns. This landscape of this particular area of Rome has captured some beautiful tourist destinations and overall stunning view. The tone of the piece is gentle as the sun is setting, which casts a warm layer over the photograph.

The Connection

When comparing the two of these images together, there are many connections evident in both pieces. My photograph has focused more on just one Dome and the lucky appearance of another building, whereas the internet photograph has focused on a large quantity of Rome's architecture. This enables more of the beauty to be apparent, however both photographs are successful for what they are portraying. In my photographs, the shape of the buildings and the trees have a clearer definition because they are against a plain sky. The internet photograph has employed this aswell, allowing the shape of the landscape and particularly the chariots to stand out. The detail in the domes are clear in both photographs, as there are two that are a main focal point of the internet image on the right side of the frame, and one that is a focal point on the left hand side of my image. Both photographs have an effective composition, and illustrate how the frame has been put to good use.

Contact Sheet - Shoot 6

Connecting Essay 4

My Photograph

This is a photograph I captured from a birds eye point of view, angled down towards the ingredients and smoothie sitting on a wooden table. I situated the ingredients and measuring utensils around the right side of the frame and added a sprinkle of cinnamon to finish it off. To the left of the frame is the smoothie itself, which is the outcome of all these ingredients mixed together. I composed this piece so that it would be a clear recipe of a healthy drink, rather than just listing ingredients for something for somebody else to create - it looks far more creative and interesting as a photograph with text. I added the text in the empty space of the frame at the top left rather than overlapping with the subjects in the image as this avoids any interruption to the composition. I'd managed to apply the text to this picture through a website called befunky.com where I selected the type writer tool, and as I typed the words a faint white highlight would form with the text. When taking the photograph, I used natural daytime lighting for this piece as I had no lights to use at home, however the subjects could possibly look brighter and more emphasised if I'd used some lights or reflectors for this photograph.

Online Photograph

This is a photograph from online which is a visual recipe, portraying the ingredients and the outcome of the ingredients mixed together. There are multiple dishes in this piece and multiple ingredients, even if you don't need all of what's in the frame. The white wooden boards create a vintage feel to this piece, along with the floral printed tea towel. These textures and patterns add an artistic feel to the photograph, which could be emphasised by the point of this picture, as cooking is an art. The tea towel also contributes to the homely feel of the photograph, which is an effective prop in the piece as cooking is a home comfort. There is one cooking pot of this Apple and Pear Cous Cous in the top left hand side of the frame, and then some portions of it put into two bowls in the top and bottom right hand side of the frame. In the left middles is two pots of dried fruits and some seeds that can be added to the dish for a diverse consistency of flavours/textures in the mouth. These have also then been sprinkled around the pots, which looks appealing rather than messy. The combination of colours in this image work well together, as they are subtle tones of brown, beige and cream with pops of colour such as the red and green of the fruits and seeds. 

The Connection

There are many connections shared between my photograph and the online photograph. Firstly, both images are visual recipes, rather than photographing an outcome from different angles and putting the recipe on a website or blog, we have both added the recipe to the composition of the picture. This is a more creative idea that works well in my opinion. Both photographs have a gentle tone of colours as they are subtle instead of highly saturated. The colour of the background that we both used is similar, and also the most appropriate colour for advertising healthy food and drink. White is too plain and black is too harsh. The ingredients in both photographs are spread out across the frame in order to fill it to its best potential. There are more in the internet image, as there is less of a zoom on the composition. I zoomed in a lot in my photograph as there were less ingredients I needed to portray in the frame in comparison to the online picture. The colour of the background allows the subjects in the photographs to contrast and stand out, whilst being colours that still compliment one another. There are more subjects in the online photograph, which is somewhere that I could have improved on by adding more glasses of the orange and banana smoothie in the frame. I could have also used more fruits - cut them up and kept some whole - to advertise how to make more of the smoothie instead of just 200ml.