Since the start we have been given different photographic tasks to complete on a weekly

basis, and each week the brief gets slightly more complicated. I love a challenge and decided

to take things head on. I tried to take a more forward approach but I realised that when it was

time to put my thoughts into action, it was a lot more complicated than I had anticipated.

Week 1 - I'm not a fan of taking pictures of myself for 'public display' - So i was rather

hesitant about the first task we were given. I did however, love idea/concept of being able to

incorporate the things that best reflect us as a person. When taking the image, i decided to

set up a platform and surround myself in the items closest me as a person. After I had taken

the image I wasn’t completely happy with it and re-shoot. The reason the picture turned out

the way it did is because I have been working a lot recently and feel as if this is how I see

myself. The image could be taken again with better lighting and better use of the camera.

My initial approach when I received the second brief was extremely relaxed. I felt as if these

pictures could be taken within a minimal amount of time. I did some planning to give myself

a place to start but quickly recognised that I needed help. I was struggling, specifically to find

something that represented balance. I had many good ideas but catching them on film

wouldn’t be easy. On my lunch break at work I stumbled upon a skate park. There I managed

to take 2 of the 10. The hardest part of Week 2’s challenge was ‘Low Light Image’. Taking a

picture of a street scene at night was by far the most provoking yet. Consciously trying to be

inspired by your surroundings is difficult. It’s frustrating and takes patience. The most

pleasant part of it all was taking the images home and reviewing them on a bigger screen. It’s

amazing to see how much was captured by mistake.

The photo I chose to take for ‘Colour’ was very well thought out. To be honest I think the

representation was quite bold. The concept I originally came up with was extremely similar

to the picture Jacky had taken. I wanted to take some colourful sweets and creatively arrange

them. On the other hand I was happy that another person had that image as it forced me to be

more innovative, more imaginative – and with that, I noticed how cliché my original pic was.

Lines – on my way to and from university I pass these stairs and have always felt slightly

dazed when going past. It’s only when I had a camera around my neck that I realised this

staircase has a large number of lines embedded in it. This photo was taken at Elephant and

Castle tube station and I had to wait at least half an hour for that split second were that area

was free to take my image. I’m particularly fond of the gradual slope, and the cylindrical

design. The black colouring at the bottom and the white on top is very understated. Overall I

believe that the set up could have been better but I had very little control of that.

Movement & Shallow Depth Of Field – most people took a very expected picture of a

moving car. I however decided to do the opposite and sit on the fastest moving, accessible

vehicle, and take a picture whilst it was moving at its speediest. I was unsure when I looked

back on it but actually quite like the outcome. My ‘Shallow Depth of Field’ was an accident

but turned out great. I was in my friend’s back yard and rather enjoyed the overgrown

messiness of her garden, so I grabbed the camera and the first shot I took I was happy with.

Week 3 – To recreate an image taken by an artist. Surprisingly this task was not as simple as

I had predicted. I researched as many artists as I could and saved the pictures that appealed to

me the most. Positioning the light and getting the right background was tough. I’m not

particularly pleased with the end result but if we could use all Photoshop tools I know that I

could have made this 10 times better. I have learnt many different ways that the ‘Clone Tool’

would have helped me with the design of the fork and the lighting. None the less The ‘Burn’

& ‘Dodge’ tool helped to emphasize the shading and placement of the light but keeping in

mind the picture was taken on top of my chest freezer, it turned out really well.

Week 4 – To add or remove something from an image. For this task I took advantage of the

images I’d snapped as practice for the previous week’s brief. On my way to find something

suitable for texture, (In particular I was looking for a tree trunk) I met a man who insisted I

take a photograph of him. When I uploaded the files on to my computer I was contemplating

whether or not to use it. In the end when I finally came to the decision to go ahead with it, the

2 pictures naturally collided. It was the open space of the street scene, and the clear outline of

where I could cut out the man’s figure. Doing this took very little time. The most tricky part

was cutting out and re-sizing.

Week 5 – Human Identity & Digital Culture. After I read the brief and saw that we had no

limits using Photoshop I once again thought this was going to be easy going. When I started I

tried with many different pictures. I ended up using a gorilla and a man. It did not turn out

how I had expected or wanted. The lack of Photoshop skill really shows in this one but it just

makes me want to learn that little bit more.

As an overall project, I enjoyed the experience and look forward to the next. If I had the

chance to do it all again I would definitely take more time and use more appropriate aids.