Fantasy Landscape 4- Snowy peaks

Hartington and Snowy Peaks.

I enjoyed going back to the peak district,this time with snow under foot. The landscape looked completly different with the snow and the light refecting. I decided to continue my theme of domineering animals in habitual landscapes and this time used a cow and of course a sheep being in the Peak district. I choose Hartington as it was a great little village and I loved the frozen pond.I have used photoshop to create the image below firstly opening the images then using the magnetic lasso, crop tools, blur tools and transform control holding down shift to keep items in proportion, I copied and pasted the images, Placing them into their positions. I did this with four different peices of images that are shown below in the Fantasy Landscape-Manipulated image. I am now used to this part of Photoshop now as I have familiarised myself with the options I have needed to create the images. I feel as though there are no legal or ethical considerations to be made as I have used my own images throughout my Manipulated image.

Hartington and the Pond.

The Sheep.

 1/200 Iso200 F5

The Cow

 1/200 Iso200 F8

The Phone Box.

 1/200 Iso 1600 F5

The Mill Stone.

 1/40 Iso1600 F8

 

 

Fantasy Landscape 2- Ducking Antics Melbourne Hall

Ducking antics at Melborne Hall

Continuing the theme of domineering animals in habitual landscapes I felt that here at Melborne Hall the Humans were the minority and the ducks were not affraid of anything!!

I have used photoshop to create the image below firstly opening the images then using the magnetic lasso, crop tools, blur tools and transform control holding down shift to keep items in proportion, I copied and pasted the images, Placing them into their positions. I did this with three different peices of images that are shown below in the Fantasy Landscape-Manipulated image. I am now used to this part of Photoshop now as I have familiarised myself with the options I have needed to create the images. I feel as though there are no legal or ethical considerations to be made as I have used my own images throughout my Manipulated image,

Landscape- Melbourne Halls Pond

 F5 Iso 400 1/30

The Duck

Ff 5 Iso 800 1/50

The Phone Box

F5 Iso 800 1/125

The Boat.

 F5 Iso 1600 1/500

Abstract-Raindrops.

Raindrops

I wanted to carry on with some abstract images and incorporate my theme of water.
I was sitting in the conservatory continuing with my blog when it started to rain really quite heavily and loved the patterns that it was making on the windows.
Ever played race the raindrop?
Below are some images I liked after grabbing the camera and taking some shots of the patterns I liked alough this was unplanned I did look at the colous that were reflecting in the shots and which shots I thought would look good in black and white. I thought some of these would look good in a series of pictures.

1/125 F5 Iso 800 Cropped and black and white edited.

1/125 F5 Iso 800 Cropped and edited black and white.

1/13 F5 Iso 800 Cropped.

1/13 F5 Iso 800 Cropped and Black and white edit.

1/160 F5 Iso 800 Black and white cropped edit.

Fantasy landscape- 3 Dominating London

Dominating London.

My Third Fantasy landscape-Manipulated image is continuing along the concept of Animals domineering the particular landscape where the photograph was captured.
This time the image was taken on a trip to London, I played with various options but decided that where better than Piccadilly circus and included the world famous taxi too. I have used photoshop to create the image using the magnetic lasso, crop tools, blur tools and transform control holding down shift to keep items in proportion. I did this with four different images that are shown below the Fantasy Landscape-Manipulated image. I am now used to this part of Photoshop now as I have familiarised myself with the options I have needed to create the images.I feel as though there are no legal or ethical considerations to be made as I have used my own images throughout my Manipulated image, however I am using the underground sign as wheel hubs and permission to use this logo may need to be sought.

I edited the image in Photo shop and used Magnetic lasso to outline the Pigeon's, big ben's clock face and Icirus. I then copied and pasted onto the Landscape picture used the rubber and blur tool to even out the edges.
This pigeon means business!

The Landscape-Picadilly Circus.

F5 Iso 800 1/200

The Pidgeons

 F5 1/250 Iso 800

Icirus

 F5 1/250 Iso 800

Big Ben's Clock Face.

 F5 1/200 Iso 400.

Research- Erik Johansson.

Erik Johansson,  is a professional photographer and retoucher from Sweden. He mostly works on personal- and commercial projects. For him  "photography is just a way to collect material to realize the ideas in his mind". He gets inspired by things around him in daily life and all kinds of things he sees. Every new project is a new challenge and his goal is to realize them as realistic as possible."

Tools: Canon EOS 5d mark II, Canon L-lenses, Elinchrom RX-flashes, Homebuilt-PC, Eizo displays, Adobe Photoshop CS5.

Instead of shying away, as some photographers do, from revealing the intense levels of Photoshop work done on the images he produces, Johansson is proud of the technique he has developed and says it is "somehow different from other kinds of art".

Having taken photographs “all [his] life” he developed a specialist design technique that tricks the eye and the brain. His work is humorous and playful, but can also be quite hard-hitting and political.

The Independent caught up with Johansson by phone, as he was eating his lunch at the university canteen in Gothenburg, Sweden. Matilda Battersby May 2010.

Who or what inspires you?

I get my inspiration from artists rather than photographers. MC Escher, Dali and Rene Magritte and other old fashioned artists mainly.
Work at sea


 Square.

I really like the humour behind some of the images that Erik creates and the realisum in the unrealistic, I like the way that the images are there for individual interpretation and that any one looking at he images could make a comment that would not be protested.
I found it really hard to date his works.

Research- Susan Derges

Susan Derges.

Susan Derges was born in London in 1955. She studied painting at the Chelsea College of Art and Design from 1973-1976 and at the slade school of art from 1977-1979. She then turned to photography, exploring in particular early photographic techniques of cameraless photography - exposing images directly onto photographic paper - techniques she has continued to refine and develop to this day.

 For the 1997 River Taw series she worked at night, placing photographic paper on the river bed and allowing the images to be exposed through ambient light, aided by the use of a flash gun. Her technique involved a very direct and unmediated physical relationship with the landscape.
River Taw, 19 January, 1999, photograph, 76.2cm x 30.5cm by Susan Derges.
Much of her subsequent work has dealt with this relationship - of separation and connectiveness with the natural world. Her images are often beautiful, conjuring metaphysical and metaphorical layers of meaning. Her methods have been consistently experimental, a constant search for new cameraless methods of recording imagery, including the photogram, while directly connecting with the world she observes.she first experimented with cameraless photographywhile living in Japan.



Susan Derges, Full Moon Hawthorn.Under The Moon series involved working with photographs of the moon and combining these with water and branch patterns exposed to sound vibrations in the darkroom. Her images, though based upon the capturing of external natural realities, take on a metaphorical dimension that echo the inner life of the unconscious and imaginative.I think that her works are very beautiful and to be able to creat such pictures amazes me to the point where i really have to try it!! Her pictures also capture the beauty of our planet and she is influenced by the planet around her with natral lights and objects, susan is very creative in what she does and showing you only two of her pictures was very hard as there are many to choose from.I love the closeness of her pictures and the colours that are created.

Research-Giles Norman

Giles Norman.

Giles norman lives in kinsale, co.cork born in 1961 to Belgian and English parents, Giles has lived in kinsale since 1976.

While completing his formal schooling, a chance request to photograph a school project provided him with his first real opportunity to use a camera. this experience proved to be a very positive one and in 1979, he received his first camera for his 18th birthday. by 1981 he had begun creating his first portfolios.
Quickly developing his own distinctive style of black and white photography giles began to successfully sell his black and white photographs to craft shops around Ireland. to support this demand he rented darkroom space in kinsale, where a small window to the street drew a steady stream of visitors. This welcome intrusion convinced him to open his first black and white photography gallery.
By selling work from his earliest portfolios of kinsale, dublin, kerry and west cork, the gallery became successful and gained giles recognition as one of Ireland’s leading black and white photographers.
Going on to add to his collection he returned many times to the west of Ireland photographing the aran islands, clare and galway, while also visiting donegal in the north and wicklow in the east.
Giles made his first trip to paris in 1994, returning again in 1997. in the intervening years he visited venice and florence,this necessitated a move to a larger premises in 1992, which is now home to the complete black and white portfolios of Giles Norman.
while Giles spends much of his time in kinsale he also finds time to add to his portfolios, more recently launched collections include beara, new york and dingle.

Below  picture,
"From the furthermost tip of the beara peninsula to the edge of connemara and further to donegal, these images take us on a journey filled with enigmatic rural landscapes. the irish coast is beautifully captured in photographs that blend wild shores, dramatic clouds and the constant movement of the ocean."

Seagulls, coumeenole beach, dingle, co. kerry, ireland, 2010.

Crashing waves, coumeenole beach with blasket islands in the background, dingle, co. kerry, ireland, 2010.

The style of photoghraphs are documenary they are telling you about the place, his photos give a real feeling of the ruggedness of this coastline and how the sea is a force in it's self, going to Ireland every year as a child I can realate to these Pictures, you can see the whole series on his gallery website of which there are 22 pictures of the same coastline all of which portray the drama of the sea and the beauty of this exceptional coastline. The photographer is inspired by the very landscape where he lives and I cant think of anything better than to everyday see more and more of what is around you.The photos themselves inspire me to take photos of the sea something that I am yet to do.

Research- John Goto

John Goto.

John Goto (b. 1949, Stockport, England), a British artist best known for his photo-digital artworks, notably coming to wider attention with the "High Summer" section of his Ukadia series of pictures. Goto has worked with historical, social and political subjects throughout his career.
In the late 1960s John Goto studied Fine Art at St. Martin’s School of Art, London, where an interest in the narrative forms of European cinema and literature led him to the medium of photography.

‘Dreams of Jelly Roll’

Work in progress on a series of pictures
by John Goto.

Ferdinand 'Jelly Roll' Morton was first and foremost a great musician and composer. A good starting point for the new listener is his 1926 masterpieces recorded with the Red Hot Peppers, with whom he remained until 1930. Then maybe listen to the earlier solo recordings and piano rolls, before turning to his late solo sessions, the tracks made with Sidney Bechet, and finally his Hot Six and Hot Seven recordings. Jelly Roll was ‘the true connecting link between ragtime and jazz’ (Blesh R and Janis H, 1950) or as Morton put it ‘... I myself figured out the peculiar form of mathematics and harmonics that was strange to all the world but me’
(Reich H & Gaines W, 2003).

"Pictures about a musician, as presented here, might seem paradoxical as the images remain forever silent. And yet music has been a recurring theme in the history of western narrative painting. As well as the symbolic and allegorical meanings to be found in musical pictures, within each viewer resonates a world of imagined sounds, evo
king the musicality of silence."

Women of the Family
Morton’s family was Creole, and is seen here in front of the Louisiana State Museum in New Orleans. From left to right – Edward Joseph Lamothe (father); Jelly Roll Morton; Louise Hermance Monette (mother); Frances (Mimi) Mouton (sister); Laura Hunter (aka Eulalie Hécaud, godmother and voodoo priestess); and Laura Péché (grandmother).

BridegroomAt the alter of St Louis Cathedral in New Orleans a group of eminent ragtime pianists and composers make up the wedding party.
From left to right are - James Scott; Arthur Marshall; Joseph Lamb; Artie Matthews; Tom Turpin; and Louis Chauvin. In the bishop’s vestments is Scott Joplin and dressed in the groom’s attire, Tony Jackson. On the far right in the bridal gown is Ferdinand 'Jelly Roll' Morton.

The final series, entitled Dreams of Jelly Roll, will consist of between ten and twelve pictures. It will first be exhibited at the Freud Museum, London, in 2012. It is hoped that the viewer may occasionally return to see progress over the coming year or so.

I enjoyed reading about John Goto and his exceptional cv and was suprised to learn that he is a Lecturer at Derby, I like his work because although it does seem very fake and unrealistic it gets me thinking and wondering why?? It also reminds me of cartoon animation works.
John Goto is the past present and future and his work is ongoing.

Melbourne Hall

Out to Melbourne Hall on a quite dull, dreary afternoon. The light wasn't to good so with my camera fully charged and my memory card clear and my tripod packed up off we went.
I had been to Melbourne Hall on many occasions but I found a few new places to take photos..

Here I changed the picture to black and white on Picassa and Smudged the edges. 1/10 F5 Iso 200.
                                   

                                                                      1/50 F5 Iso 200

                                                          1/3 F5 Iso 200, Rubbish in the Pond.

                                                     1/10 F5 Iso 200, Edited to black and white.

                                                                      Iso 400 f7 1/125.
 With this photo ensured that I focused in on the top of the old wall to lead the eye over the water to the other side.

                            

                                                                 Iso 1600 F5 1/2

                                                    f5 1/20 Iso 1600
 Edited to black and white, the old oak was such a focal point on the Hill that I had to get a shot. I wanted the tree to be the only thing in the frame. I positioned myself and zoomed in to miss out the two bushes that could have been in the frame also.

                                                                      Iso 400 F5 1/6
 I felt that the coloured Ivy and the Iron fencing would frame the pond shot well drawing the eye out over the pond.
                                                                  
I was disapointed in myself , as although I had checked my equipment I had forgotten the attachment for the tripod so I could not use it effectivly for the planned water shots, which means I will have to go again for the shots I was planning!I feel as though I still need to sharpen up the images to have a final image that I will be happy with and that alot of the images I am happy with are very loosly connect with my actual theme of water,

Research- Helen Saunders

Helen Saunders

Helen creates photographic collages, exploring the layers in the urban environment and creating a tension between the photographic realism and surface beauty of the image. Her work uses the power of photography to transform our everyday surroundings, and for this commission celebrates Highfields in Leicester.

 

Constructed landscape.

I enjoy looking at Helens work because it is very detailed and she uses everyday recogniseable objects and places, her pictures are very good at depicting what is going on in the world which are good topics for discussion.

 

Research - Joe Cornish

Joe Cornish.

Joe Cornish was born in Exeter in 1958. He studied art at Reading University, where he first came under the spell of photography. After graduating in 1980, he worked as an assistant for four years in London and Washington DC. A few years of penury as a young working photographer followed.

Joe moved to North Yorkshire in 1993. After a decade shooting 35mm and 6x6 film, in 1995 he started working with a Horseman SW 612 wide-angle camera. After another year he switched to 5x4. It was a move that allowed Joe to develop the style that characterises his work today.

Joe Cornish - a photographer at work, published by Envisage Books, explores Joe's philosophy and working methods. A joint collaboration between Joe and Eddie Ephraums, it is a unique record of Joe's working approach.

The style of photographs are portraiture, the title of the work is Life force which is important as Joe is establishing the importance of woodland and the way trees and woodland show us growth and life.

The works were made in early June 2009 over a four year project for the book Joe Cornish – A Photographer at work. The composition of the works in lundy bay woods of which there are three in the book have been stated to be “to firstly seek out the underlying structure, secondly seek out the things that appealed to Joe such as expression and gesture and thirdly, make sure the light was right".

I like the images as they remind me so much of playing in the woods as a child and how I used to imagine the tree trunks as people and made shapes and images with the Ivy. Joes work is inspirational to me as he create shots of beautiful places that truly reflect the beauty of natural landscapes and trying to reciprocate the photos myself show what a hugely talented man he is.

Lundy Bay Woods.

Dunstanburgh



Research - Fay Goodwin

Fay Goodwin

1931 Born Berlin, Germany, father was a British diplomat, Her mother an American artist. Educated at various schools all over the world. In 1958 Settled down to live in London. 1966 Became interested in photography through photographing her young children. No training.                               

The Photo below is featured in the book Our forbidden Land 1990, where Fay gives a passionate account of the effects of the closure of vast tracts of countryside for commercial, venal reasons, such as the rearing of animals and birds merely to shoot them. this the importance of the title.

                                 

Sleeping Fisherman, Dungeness, 1974

                                                                             

A good majority of fays works are in black and white.These are from her book landmarks.

Copper beech, Stourhead, 1983

Flooded Tree Derwent water 1981.

In a stroke, Godwin had changed the context in which her work was to be seen. She has done it retrospectively, as well as prospectively; Our forbidden land makes it impossible that we will ever be able to look at any of her photographs again without being aware of the passion which informs her output. The experience of the new work makes us savour the photograph of that unsullied moment, down to the last detail, obsessively, noting how it was, hoping that it still is, and praying that it yet will be; despite the worst efforts of the barbarians, more often witless than unwitting, whom Godwin now reminds us are surging round the gate.

Fays works are inspirational to me as I love the simplicity of her photos, they appear dramatic yet sometimes bleak, however sometimes that is how some landscapes are and she captures the moment well.

I have started taking reflections of trees as well and love the mirrored effect.

Research!-Ed Collacott

As part of the qualification I have had to research 10 photographers,at least three have to be Photographers that manipulate there images.Time is ticking on and I needed to get my teeth into it.
I have taken quite a few books out of the library and have also been on various websites to collate the information.

ED Collacott

Ed Collacott has a passion for taking photographs and his work features the finest landscapes in the UK. Aided by a background in Geography and Geology, Ed appreciates the natural and human processes that have shaped our environment. The patterns, textures and natural forms that reflect nature's rhythms are a continual source of inspiration.

He is very much a landscape artist and his work reflects a great love and deep understanding of the countryside. A thorough technical knowledge and a "seeing eye" enable his pictures to convey the beauty of the landscapes that surrounds us all. This has earned him the envied reputation as not only one of Britain's finest but also most popular landscape photographers.

Dramatic lighting, patience (lots of it!), the use of mood and atmosphere and attention to detail help to create his distinctive and evocative photographs. The photographs are all taken on either medium format camera (6x6cms) or on a large format panoramic camera (6x17cms) - these achieve truly outstanding quality. Every image has been captured using Fuji Velvia film and a sturdy tripod.

Filters are rarely used. Ed prides himself on using natural light in natural surroundings and dislikes the obvious use of filters especially grads.

Ed believes his photography reflects these qualities and the reputation he has acquired over the last 25 years is testament to that.( http://www.fineartphotographs.co.uk/index.htm)

The below images are from Eds Book Landscape Britain 2010, I love the fact that what he sees is what you get , no filters a pure natural photograph something that I will endeavour to do, as then, you can see the real beauty of what is around you.I feel that his photography is amazing!!

I have taken a picture similar to the avenue of limes myself at Calke Abbey and will be going back at various times of the year to create different coloured shots.

Avenue of Limes, Nottinghamshire

 

Avenue of Limes, Nottinghamshire.

My Attempt- Calke Abbey.

Fantasy Photo 1 -Di Liu

Di Liu

As part of the course I have to manipulate four Photos using Photoshop I have taken some inspiration from Photographers that manipulate they work.
Below is my first attempt at this and using photo shop for the first time was very confusing to say the least. I have used, Di Liu as my first example as I love the way Di Liu, a 25-year-old Chinese photographer, worked on the difficult relationship between nature and human society, the consequences of the galloping urbanization in China today.

Di Liu, a 25 year old chinese photographer won the 2010 lacoste elysée prize. His work examines the relationship between animals and the city, and it’s totally awesome.
The perpetual conflict between man and nature is illustrated by young Chinese photographer Di Liu in a series of photos depicting oversized animals at odds with their settings. The rapid changes in urban development play a major role, of course, in this conflict. However, despite the seriousness of the situation, Di Liu chooses to highlight it by using humour and playing with scale.

Here is my attempt,

I used a photo that I had taken in the Peak district and combined it with a photo of a sheep that I took whilst at Calke abbey using photo shop and the Magnetic lasso tool.
I like what I have done as it shows the dominance of the sheep in the peak distict and the fact that they are such a large part of the country side not forgetting that they can block our path at any given time.

Research-Graham Vasey.

Graham Vassey.

"My photography is inspired by the landscape. I attempt to create pictures which draw from the atmosphere of the environment around me. Rather than just taking a photograph of a location, I hope to give the viewer a sense of what’s beneath the surface of the land. It is my aim to convey what it feels like to be there in the moment surrounded by the elements. For this reason I am often drawn to the wild moors, mountains and dramatic coastlines of Northern Britain."    

Equipment...

"I have a few favourite cameras which never leave my side when I am out shooting. I have a trusted old Hasselblad  500cm  which has been a faithful companion for many years, as well as a host of folding and twin lens reflex cameras many of which date back to the 1920's. All of them have their own characteristics which I feel add something to the final image. I produce all my work using traditional hand printing techniques because of the control they give me, and the unique quality of the final piece they produce."

I find that black and white photos are really good at exploiting the baroness of places, I love the composistion of the photos also giving me the feeling of the vastness of the open spaces.The images can be found in books and on his website, The photoghrapher is influenced by the county around him.
The images have been manipulated to create borders and turned into Black and White.