Like any final shoot, prior to creating the images required, i did a test shoot in order to clarify what the desired effect was that i wanted, below is a digital contact sheet of my first test shoot:
After this initial test shoot, i decided that i had not achieved the images that i required, although following the trials and errors from my first shoot, the problems i experienced with lighting and lack of equipment, the images were not framed or composed to my intentions, because of this i re-scheduled a second test shoot, below is the digital contact sheet from my second test shoot:
Again, like the first test shoot, i did not achieve the images i wanted to as composure was not right and the images lacked the effect i wanted, this is partly due to the lack of equipment i had like a single small memory card that quickly ran out of memory space, a remote release and my reliance on the cameras self timer mode. Upon completion of this shoot and uploading the images i concluded that my desired effect was to only be created by a further extensive collection of equipment to hand and decided that the final shoot would be composed via film based techniques:
For my second set of images, my intentions are to show that i am able to show an array of skills and techniques aswell as the use of digital photography, there are other mediums in which i have found that i am competent with, i wish for the remaining final images to show this. With the use of a lomography camera and 35mm film, my intentions are to create exquisite and unique film based images portraying that of both of the style images that are my intentions.
The above camera is a lomography film camera, using 4 separate lenses, each lens, upon compression of the shutter firing separately in a sequence. With this camera i am planning on creating my images collaborated from either the 4 numerous images or from selecting 1 of the 4 images that i will accomplish.
Four lenses whir in sequence as they take your subject’s movement, and stamps it on your 35mm print. Now even more robust, ultra-heated and, in its awesome packaging.
With one push of the shutter button, all four lenses fire in perfect synchronicity with the rapid-fire flash. Flash at night to reveal critical action at parties, concerts, and nocturnal events. Flash in the day to fill in those highlights. Uses standard 35mm film.
Quoted from: http://uk.shop.lomography.com/
The above film contact sheet (which i scanned into the computer) is an example of the images produced by the camera, as you can see each of the 4 images on each 35mm negative is slightly different from the last, this is because each of the 4 images has its own shutter which works separately to each of the shutters, working simultaneously in a sequence one shutter following the last. The reasoning behind my images is due to the fact that in my previous 2 images, ive used techniques and processes in which create a harsh, grainy and stark image, i can accomplish this technique manually only by photographing the images and enlarging 1 of the 4 images, bringing out the graininess of the image. Another reason behind using this style of photography, means that i can also fully achieve the shot that i intend even though i cannot preview the image that im taking, this is based on 2 reasons;
1) Out of every 10 exposures i take, this accounts for upto 40 images in total, meaning that with this easy abundance of variable images i will then be able to select from 40 images as opposed to 10 and these images will all hold a variable from the last.
2) Because of the different shutters, working simultaneously by being active either with the image or from the cameras point of view each image will be assured to be different, as the 2nd of the 2 images involves lifting and the moving of weights and also to not include the weight or physical actions of the subject within the image, only portraying what it is they are doing, the 4 shots will have the ability to portray and select the exact point of motion which i require as i can select from 4 images of the single full motion.
Upon shooting of these image, then will i decide wether to choose individual exposures from the 35mm or to use the collaboration of the 4 images upon the 35mm negative.
The other medium in which i will be displaying my competency with is the 35mm format of film photography, the standard film used for all styles of photography. I will be using hp5 and fp4 Ilford films for 2 reasons:
FP4: A finer, crisper, sharper and clearer image although only viable to be used in brighter light with a lower ISO, i will use this for the first of my 2 portraits.
HP5: A faster film for brighter lighting and a higher ISO, i will use this film for the faster, more explosive involved shots, this being for the second of my images.
A wide variety of largely proprietary gauges were used by the numerous camera and projection systems invented independently in the late 19th century and early 20th century, ranging from 13 mm to 75 mm (0.51–2.95 in).[4] 35 mm was eventually recognized as the international standard gauge in 1909,[5] and has remained by far the dominant film gauge for image origination and projection despite challenges from smaller and larger gauges, and from novel formats, because its size allows for a relatively good tradeoff between the cost of the film stock and the quality of the images captured. The ubiquity of 35 mm movie projectors in commercial movie theatersmakes it the only motion picture format, film or video, that can be played in almost any cinema in the world. The gauge is remarkably versatile in application. In the past one hundred years, it has been modified to include sound, redesigned to create a safer film base, formulated to capture color, has accommodated a bevy of widescreen formats, and has incorporated digital sound data into nearly all of its non-frame areas. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Eastman Kodak and Fujifilm have held aduopoly in the manufacture of 35 mm motion picture film.' Quoted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/35_mm_film
As well as a film camera, i will also be using a digital camera, my reasoning behind this is to assure that the images that i am taking with film (which i cannot see due to the lack of digital technologies within the system) are portraying the images that i wish to create. By using digital technologies i will be able to instantly see the images i am producing before i take them on film, before i develop them and before they are printed.
The images i intend to create are to hold very similar stylings to that of the first set of images, the main differences being:
I will be using myself as the model
I will be using a film based medium
I will be shooting the images with a lomo camera
I will be using a remote release in order to operate my camera, even though i am not beside my camera.
I will be pairing my camera and remote release with a tripod for stability as i will not be holding it.
Have just finished final shoot for my final 2 images of myself, pictures went really well, below is the digital contact sheet from the shoot:
I used a digital camera for the composing of my images as test shots, to decide the look and style that i wanted to achieve, following this i used the lomo camera to take the final pictures.
I feel the pictures taken with the lomography camera went really well, except for the fact that that camera had run out of battery power, meaning that the camera was still operational, yet i could not use the flash gun facility. Although i could not control the low lighting and without the use of a flash gun, i used a faster film (ISO 400, HP5):
- High Speed ISO 400
- Great results in varied lighting conditions
- Wide exposure latitude
- Available as 35mm, 120 Roll & Sheet Film
HP5 PLUS is a high speed, medium contrast film making it especially suitable for action and press photography and also an excellent choice for general purpose photography. Nominally rated at ISO 400, it yields negatives of outstanding sharpness and fine grain under all lighting conditions. HP5 PLUS has been formulated to respond well to push processing and film speeds up to EI 3200/36 are achievable withILFORD MICROPHEN developer maintaining good shadow detail and well separated mid-tones with sharp grain.
Hp5 information quoted from: http://www.ilfordphoto.com/products/product.asp?n=7
If, when developed, the images are underexposed, i will try to rectify this problem by burning in the images or using photoshop techniques in order to burn in the images, bringing out all of the contrasts, details and information clearly.
I will, upon developing the film, be deciding on the final images and whether to use each 35mm series of images or using an individual image from a quarter of the 35mm frame.
I believe, apart from the lack of battery power, the shoot went really successfully, the images that i acquired were, strong and effective and i believe that they are completely suited to my purpose of final images and for the use of fine art and exhibition work.
Above is the contact sheet that i produced in the dark room of the film that i captured from my final shoot using a lomo 35mm camera. Although underexposed, i plan to scan these images, digitising them to manipulate them in photoshop. I will use exposure correction techniques as well as other digital processes in order to rectify the underexposure. I believe the images were successful, even though they were underexposed, this enabled me to use techniques and processes that i know and am competent with to create images unique from the other 2 finals and still maintaining my purpose and intents of the images whilst keeping the viewer interested and intrigued.
