Unit 23 Research Task - Task 1, 2 and 3

The idea of these tasks is to show the advantages of the portability, and therefore flexibility, of modern camera systems. Unfortunately, we weren't given this task at the time we should've done. This is the reason why, apart from the images for task 3, all my images were taken on my normal DSLR. We should've been given this task on the day we went into the Northern Quarter in Manchester, but unfortunately we didn't get it until we came back to college the week after. But, at least I've still managed to shoot the relevant images.

Task 1

I've decided to use some photographs showing the use of images in posters and record shops.

Task 2

Unfortunately, because we didn't have the brief, I haven't actually got images that would be perfect for this part of the task. However, I do have images of well known music related buildings and shops in Manchester's Northern Quarter.

Task 3

I was hoping to get images related to music, but was unable to do so due to personal reasons. However, I did manage to get this task done with a different subject. The photographs and sounds were taken and recorded on my iPhone 4. I did this in Alexandra Park in Oldham, UK.

Bullet points:

- Woman applies sun cream
- Child runs to mother
- Group of people turn on radio
- Child eats some crisp
- Woman sits down on bench
- Woman calls her child over
- Child runs past

Images:

Sound Recording:

Below is a link to the sound recording I recorded on my iPhone 4. Seeing as I was positioned right next to a big playground, it's mainly the sounds of the children playing.

Sound Recording

Unit 23 - Task 3 and 4 - Shoot Plan

Had a phone call from my friend, asking me whether I'd be interested in a photo shoot. Of course, any opportunity like that is one I take, so we agreed on a time and date. The idea for me was to simply get some experience in the studio. Being a landscape photographer by nature, shooting in the studio is still a rather new thing to me. This was only the second time I was in a studio with a model and the first time without instructions.

So on the day, I went over to the studio. The gear I had at my disposal consisted of the following:

• Canon 550D DSLR
• Canon EF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS Lens
• Canon EF 70-300mm USM Lens
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Mk II
• Several other things such as filters, wireless triggers etc.

There are a few reasons as to why I shoot on digital and not on film. Although in some instances, the grain and noise of film can be nice, overall I prefer the crispness of digital. Also, digital is more versatile, because the sensors are far more sensitive compared to film. This means digital cameras can handle low light situations a lot better. Add to all this the fact that film is quite expensive, the fact that I can see straight away what I shot and the fact that I can go home and edit my images on my laptop rather easily compared to having to go into a darkroom and it becomes quite clear that there are several advantages to shooting with digital. Don't get me wrong tho, I can see why some people would prefer film. It can really add to the feel of photographs sometimes. But a lot of these things can now also be achieved by using Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom.

When it comes to the pricing, the actual structure was rather simple in this case. The model came and posed for us and we offered her the images on a disc. This is known as Time For Print (TFP) or Time For Disc (TFD). This meant that when it comes to the target audience for this shoot, it's mainly about the model and myself. She might want images for any portfolio she might be creating and I need the experience and images for possible portfolios. Normally, I'd charge people for the type of shoot they want. Hourly rates, day rates, it all depends on the type of shoot. To figure out an hourly rate, it's important to keep in mind your fixed costs, taxes and, of course, how much profit you're wanting to make not only on that shoot, but also over a year. But in this case, there was no money involved. It was simply a shoot for fun and experience for both parties involved.

Ok, so on to a couple of my shots. Here is the lighting diagram of the studio setup.

The following are some test shots. As it was a very tiny studio, with quite a low ceiling, it was quite hard at first to get Angela in the frame without the frame being filled with unwanted things. As you can see, the background roll kept creeping into view here.

To avoid this, I decided to get myself up on a higher platform, giving me a higher viewpoint and therefore I was shooting slightly down. This way, I managed to avoid the roll in the background without it seeming as tho I was shooting from a long way up. This was also the reason behind my focal length choice. The following shots are taken after this small and simple adjustment and, in my opinion, are much better without background clutter.

Aperture: f5.6,
Shutter Speed: 1/125
Focal Length: 50mm

Aperture: f5.6,
Shutter Speed: 1/125
Focal Length: 50mm

Aperture: f5.6,
Shutter Speed: 1/125
Focal Length: 32mm

Aperture: f5.6,
Shutter Speed: 1/125
Focal Length: 23mm

Aperture: f5.6,
Shutter Speed: 1/125
Focal Length: 23mm

Aperture: f5.6,
Shutter Speed: 1/125
Focal Length: 48mm

The images are quite decent, to say I only went into the studio to gain a little bit of experience and to try and get used to working studio equipment such as lighting etc. on my own. Are there things I would improve? I think, overall, my  knowledge of the studio is only just developing. There's so much to learn, so much equipment used in different situations. My main issue in this situation was the fact that I hadn't been in situations with models before. This meant I was unaware how to deal with the situation and how to interact properly. In other words, I was a quiet, shy little boy. It was only towards the end that I started getting a bit more confident. So that's something I would improve next time, now that I know what it is like. Another thing is experimenting more with different settings, such as light settings and types of light. However, part of this shoot was nude and not suitable for posting here. Those shots were done in low key. Also, I'd probably try different viewpoints and making the shots overall look a bit more attractive. I have to learn about poses and things like that, because it's important that you know what to ask of your model. The lighting is nice and so is the composition, I think. Perhaps if the studio was bigger with a higher ceiling I would've been able to do more. If I'm honest, I'm quite pleased with the overall result, but will definitely keep pushing myself for better results each time.

Unit 23 - Task 2 - Health and Safety

COSHH

COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations) was put in place to ensure companies comply with the regulations and where necessary, they take action. Employers are supposed to do the following:

• Check whether chemical substances could be dangerous and pose a risk to health and see what could be done to control it. For example, labels on containers etc.
• Enforce the rules they create, making sure employees abide by them.
• Be sure the rules do their job and work properly.
• Make sure employees are aware of any risks to their health and are well informed.
• Give the employees proper training, so they can deal with any issues.

Provisions and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)

PUWER was put in place to ensure companies comply with the regulations in regard to work equipment. Meaning companies have to make sure equipment is safe to use, whether they own it or not. They have to do the following things:

• Make sure equipment is suitable for use.
• Make sure equipment is safe to use, maintained properly and is inspected to check whether it's installed correctly and doesn't deteriorate.
• Make sure equipment is only used by people with the correct training, information and instruction.
• Make sure equipment comes with suitable health and safety measures. This means it should come with the right protective gear and controls, ranging from emergency stops to proper isolation and protection from sources of energy. They also need to ensure things are clearly marked and warning devices are in place.
• Make sure equipment is used according to specific requirements. This counts for mobile work equipment and power presses. They have another set of health and safety legislation in addition to PUWER that they have to comply with. An example would be lifting equipment with its LOLER regulations.

Display Screen Equipment

People working with a VDU (Visual Display Unit) have to take care that there are no risks attached. VDU, VDT, Monitor and DSE all mean the same thing: A display screen.

VDUs are often wrongly accused for causing a wide range of health problems to its users. However, these problems can often be avoided by designing your workplace and job the right way and using your workstation and VDU correctly.

Aches are often caused by screenglare, poor image quality, the need for different spectacles, stress from the pace of work, anxiety about new technology, not taking regular breaks, poor posture or a combination of any of these.

Employers should analyse the workstations. Assess the risks and reduce the risks. They're supposed to look at the full workstation. This includes the equipment, furniture and the work environment. They should also look at the work that's being done and make sure each individual staff member's special needs are fulfilled.

Employees can look at making sure they're comfortable, meaning the position of their chair is right, the position of their screen is right etc. They need to make sure the equipment they use is right for them, such as the mouse and keyboard, and make sure they're in the correct position for them.

Risk Assessments

Risk assessments make people think about what risks are attached to, for example, a photo shoot. They can then do their best to prevent them or minimise them. Risk assessments follow the following basic principles:

1. Identify risks.
2. Decide who might be harmed.
3. Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions.
4. Record findings and implement precautions.
5. Review the assessment and update if necessary.

Here are my risk assessments for 3 past briefs.

Risk Assessment #1 - Exterior Brief

Assessment #2 - Studio Brief

Assessment #3 - Interior Brief

Unit 23 - Task 1 - Large Format

Large Format refers to film or the cameras that use film larger than 4x5 inches (102×127 mm).

The advantage is that a Large Format image has an area 16 times the size of standard 35mm, thus containing 16 times the resolution of a standard 35mm. This means Large Format images are of a much higher resolution and often contain much more detail.

Old Large Format Camera

They're often used for images that have to be enlarged to a high magnification while still requiring a high level of detail.

Large Format Film

An example of a photographer who used to use large format on a regular basis is Ansel Adams. Because of his big landscapes, he used large format regularly so he was able to develop his prints with these high levels of detail.

Unit 23 - Task 1 - Colour Negative

A negative is a strip of plastic film, on which the darkest areas are lightest and the lightest areas are darkest. They're an inverted version of a black and white image.

A colour negative works on the same principle, where the colours are converted into their respective complementary colours.

35mm Colour Negative Film

Colour negative film usually has a dull orange tint to it, because of a colour-masking feature within the film.

Colour negative film is the most commonly known film. Everyone will most likely have used it or at least heard of it. In the days before digital photography, colour negative film was available to use in your professional camera, but it was also integrated in those cheap 'throw away' cameras designed for one time use. You would then simply hand in the camera at the shop and they would develop the film.

Above is an image that I shot 17 years ago with my 'old' Canon camera on 35mm colour negative film, whilst on holiday in the United States of America.

Personally, I think that shooting on film is a skill. It makes you think. Nowadays, the camera does almost everything for you and all you have to do is press a button. The only thing you have to think about is composition. Don't get me wrong, when I took this image there were already 'Auto' modes and things that made life easier for the amateur photographer. If I was to take that image again with the knowledge I have now, I wouldn't use those. I would do it the manual way.

Even though this images was taken when I was 15 years old and without any photographic skills at all, it's clear what differences there are in image quality compared to digital photography. The film image is not as crisp. Perhaps it's because of my age, but digital photography has my preference. I prefer the sharpness in images.

Unit 23 - Task 1 - Colour Transparancy

This type of film produces transparancies or diapositives (called diafilm in a lot of places). The film can then be used with a slide projector. In our task, we used a medium format film in combination with a Hasseblad camera.

We were asked to produce images inspired by Andres Serrano.

These resulting images are in the hands of my tutor.

Unit 23 - Task 1 - Different Paper, Different Result...

Today we discussed paper types. In order to do so, we had a whole bunch of different types of paper with identical prints on them. We did so for colour print and black and white print.

• Photo Rag 308 gsm
• Bamboo 290 gsm
• Photo Rag Pearl 320 gsm
• Normal A4 paper
• Baryta FB 350 gsm
• Photo Rag Satin 310 gsm
• Leonardo Canvas 390 gsm
• FineArt Baryta 325 gsm
• Photo Rag Book & Album 220 gsm
• Photo Rag Baryta 315 gsm
• Photo Rag Bright White 310 gsm
• Photo Rag Ultra Smooth 305 gsm 
• Rice Paper

Now when you put all these different types of papers together, you'll notice big differences between every single one of them. For example, looking at the Leonardo Canvas, there's a lot of detail lost in the prints and the canvas is very floppy. And although there's a lot of detail lost in the colour print, it's a lot better than the same print done in black and white. Put that next to the Photo Rag Baryta and the difference is clear. It's much stiffer paper with great detail, colours and the whites really stand out.

The Rice Paper is very thin and has a strange yellow colour. The Photo Rag Bright White and some others have no reflections when in the sun. The Bamboo in black and white is very smudged, resulting in a lack of detail.

Every single paper has different qualities and different faults. My personal favourite is the Photo Rag Baryta, but that's my opinion. Everyone will have their own opinions on these papers and all these papers are great when used for the right prints.

Unit 23 - Task 1 - Abstract Imagery

These are some images I submitted for my Experimental Photography brief. Using my Canon 550D and my standard 18-55mm IS lens, I took photographs with a shutter speed of 1 second. During that second, I zoomed out and this is the result.

A Gerbera

My Grandson

Pieces of Fruit

A Rose

A Fish Tank Ornament

As you can see, zooming out while taking a photograph can create a great abstract effect. It's almost like rays of sun or even like travelling at warp speed! I was quite surprised by some of the results. A pretty simple technique with a great outcome.

Unit 23 - Task 1 - Historical Process - Cyanotype

Historical processes, there's plenty of them. One of my favourites is the Cyanotype. The process starts by mixing equal amounts of Potassium Ferricyanide and Ferric Ammonium Citrate. This photosensitive mixture is then applied onto paper or cloth and allowed to dry in a dark space. As long as the surface is able to soak up the solution, a Cyanotype can be printed on any surface. Watercolour paper is the most common material used for this process though.

I decided to use the following image to create a Cyanotype from.

By letting ultraviolet light, such as sunlight, pass through a contact negative a positive image can be created on the chosen surface. So I attached the negative on top of the paper I used for this. This is what the image looks like when it's turned into a negative.

When you leave it in the sun, the surface with its solution soaked in, will turn a grey/blue colour because of a chemical reaction caused by the solution. In this case, the surface was only exposed for about 10 minutes, which was enough. After this, it's time to develop the Cyanotype. This is done by rinsing the surface with water, which rinses off the yellow unreacted iron solution. Although the blue colour darkens during the drying process, it can also be accelerated by soaking the paper in a solution of Hydrogen Peroxide. After which you'd rinse it once more.

All that's left now is to leave the print to dry and the Cyanotype is finished. Here is the result I got.

SEE SKETCHBOOK FOR FINISHED IMAGE

I really love this process. It's great to see your surface react to the sunlight and simply not knowing exactly what the finished product will be. An awesome print in about half an hour work. Great stuff!

Task 3 - Camera Types

There are many different camera types. From digital to film, 35mm to large format. Every single one has its advantages and disadvantages, so it can be confusing finding the right camera for the job. Below I will talk a little bit about some of the important types of cameras. First, let's talk about a few of the formats available in photography before we discuss the types of cameras using these different formats.

ISO 400 Fuji 135 Colour Film (35mm)

35mm

35mm film is probably the most popular film used by people today. Each image on the film is 36x24mm and is commonly known as "full-frame" format. In 1934, Kodak introduced it under the term '135'. The full-frame format has now been adopted by many high-end Digital SLR Cameras.

Original 120 and 620, Modern 120 Film

120 Film

120 film was created by Kodak for use with their 'Brownie' No. 2 camera. Intended for amateur photographers, it was quickly overtaken by the 35mm '135' film. However, together with its relative '220' film, it remains the only Medium Format film widely available for professionals and amateurs.

Medium Format (left) and 35mm (right)

Medium Format

Medium Format is a term used to refer to a certain type of film and the cameras that use this film. It is used for film, and cameras that use film, that is larger than 36x24mm but smaller than 4x5 inches. Anything bigger is referred to as 'Large Format', which I will discuss too. The image on the right shows the size comparison between 'Medium Format' and 35mm.

Large Format

Large Format film

Large Format refers to film or the cameras that use film larger than 4x5 inches (102×127 mm). The advantage is that a Large Format image has an area 16 times the size of standard 35mm, thus containing 16 times the resolution of a standard 35mm. This means Large Format images are of a much higher resolution and often contain much more detail. They're often used for images that have to be enlarged to a high magnification while still requiring a high level of detail.


Now that we've discussed a few popular types of film, let's talk about some of the different cameras that use these types of film.

Single Lens Reflex (SLR)

The inner workings of a SLR camera

SLR cameras are often 35mm, but can also be Medium Format. They use a prism and mirror system that allows the user to see directly through the lens, meaning "what you see is what you get". Unlike viewfinder cameras, where the image captured can differ a lot from what the user saw through the viewfinder. SLR cameras are available with many different lenses and many different lenses can be bought. Some examples are removable lenses, fixed lenses, prime lenses (fixed focal length) and zoom lenses (range of focal lengths). Before the SLR cameras, all cameras with a viewfinder had two light paths. One directly through the lens onto the film. The other above (Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) cameras) or to the side (Rangefinder cameras). Because the two path were different, it meant the captured image could differ greatly from what the photographer had seen through the viewfinder.


Medium Format SLR

Medium Format SLR cameras are the same as normal SLR cameras, but use Medium Format film instead of the 35mm film. This means that there isn't a standard size to the prints. Instead, the image size is only restricted by the size of the film. Therefore, the images could be anything from 36x24mm to 4x5 inches.

Twin Lens Reflex (TLR)

Classic Rolleiflex TLR

TLR cameras are cameras, as the name suggests, with 2 lenses. Both lenses are of the same focal length. One lens is the photographic objective lens (the lens that takes the actual photograph), while the other is the lens connected to the viewfinder. The viewfinder is usually positioned on the top or the side and mirrors used to get the scene from the lens to the viewfinder. TLR cameras most often use the Medium Format '120' film, although there are a lot of examples of TLR cameras using different formats. There are no general purpose Digital TLR cameras, since the era of the TLR camera ended long before the Digital era began. The only exception is the rather expensive Rollei Mini-Digi, which was introduced in 2004 as more of a collector's camera.

Large Format Cameras

Most Large Format cameras are 'view cameras'. These cameras have a front and a back part which are called 'standards'. The front standard contains the 'lens pane' (which as the name suggests contains the lens) and the back standard contains the 'film pane' (which contains the film). The bellows is a flexible box, pleated like an accordion, that sits in between the two standards and makes it so the standards can be shifted and tilted. This shift and tilt movement was especially good for architectural and close-up photographers, because it gave them a better control of rendering perspective and increase apparent depth of field. It would help them solve otherwise impossible depth of field problems and they could create special effects that would be impossible to create with conventional fixed-plane fixed-lens cameras.


 Instant Cameras (Polaroid)

Instant cameras are cameras that use self-developing film and generate a developed film image. The most popular instant cameras were formerly made by Polaroid Corporation. 

Polaroid SX-70

The original idea, by Edwin Land, behind this type of camera was that they would be easy to use for everyone. In the early days, a photographer would take a picture and pull a large tab at the back of the camera, which would pull the negative over the positive. The image would then go through some rollers to spread the developing agent. After waiting the required time, the photographer would open a little hatch at the back of the camera and would peel the positive from the negative. He would then need to coat the black and white positive in a fixing agent, which would prevent fading. This was a messy procedure which led to the development of coater less instant pack film which didn't need this coat of fixing agent anymore. 

2 photographs taken on instant film

The later integral film cameras, such as the Polaroid SX-70 shown above, managed to really bring Edwin Land's idea to life. The photographer would simply take the photograph and the camera would do the rest. It would adjust exposure, take care of focus and simply eject the photograph which would then develop without needing any intervention from the photographer. In October 2009, Polaroid announced they would bring back their classic instant film cameras after they announced a year before that production was to be stopped.


Rangefinder Camera

A Rangfinder camera is essentially a camera with a rangefinder fitted to it. A rangefinder is a mechanism which allows the photographer to measure the distance to his subjects, allowing him to take photographs that are super sharp. Most rangefinder cameras display two of the same images of the subject. One of the images moves when a wheel on the camera is turned. When the two images merge into one, the correct distance can be read off the wheel. Older cameras then needed that value transferred to the focus ring, giving the correct focus.

1947 Foca Rangefinder Camera

Nowadays, digital cameras have a rangefinding mechanism that measures the distance using electroaccoustic or electronic means. And of course also focus automatically using the autofocus.

Pinhole Camera

A pinhole camera is really simply a box, entirely light-proof, with a tiny hole on one side. The light will pass through the hole and project an inverted image of the scene on the other side. In other words, the image will be upside down. Because pinhole cameras require lenghty exposures, the shutter would be operated manually by using light-proof material to uncover and cover the pinhole. To create a photograph, the scene could be projected on photographic film for example. Once the scene has been exposed on the photographic film, the photographer would simply develop the film as normal.

The principle of a pinhole camera

It can be a little tricky to find the right size required for the pinhole. The smaller the pinhole, the sharper the image, but the image becomes dimmer too. If the pinhole is too small, the sharpness worsens due to diffraction.

An example of a 20 minute exposure taken with a pinhole camera

 The Camera Obscura is a very well known example of the pinhole camera. Often, people would use a light-proof room with a little hole on the window side and project the scene on the walls of the room. It is often used for drawing or entertainment. In drawing, the scene would be projected onto paper, upside down, and traced for a perfect representation of the scene when turned around.

Image Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:135_fuji_film_macro.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Film_size_comparison.jpg

http://benneh.net/blog/tag/large-format

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/camera5.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/120_film
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin-lens_reflex_camera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/View_camera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_camera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_film
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinhole_camera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangefinder_camera