Mersedes vs Samara

Just before Easter holidays I went to studio to practise some my ideas. My daughter suits the role of Samara perfectly as I hoped as she can be really scary and really sad in the same time, what looks very impressive on photographs as whether alive or dead though, creepy little girls have become iconic within the horror genre. 
With sunken eyes, perfect hair, and always the same style of going-to-church dress, the image of the creepy little girl has become standardized, but the fact that it still remains creepy while being so familiar is a testament to its ability to strike a deep psychological chord with the audience. In many ways the creepy little girl is the flip side of the silent witness character. Both imply that young children know more about their surroundings than they let on, but where as the silent witness can’t communicate... the silent witness represents the purity and innocence of childhood, the creepy little kid represents all the cruelty and selfishness that children are capable of.

The horror genre has become popular amongst its audiences throughout decades. This phenomenon of evil child phobia has dominated the horror cinema landscape since the beginning.  A phobia which can be traced back to the movie “The Bad Seed”, where a seemingly innocent and friendly little girl perpetrates a series of murders. The release of this and further projects into the 70‘s like “The Exorcist” (1973) struck fear into the hearts of audiences around the world, the most frightening factor being the lead role of the child, possessed by the devil shocked and stunned but left audiences wanting more and so Samara from The Ring.

The role of the child as the demonic figure in a horror film has become increasingly popular that's why I probably wanted to create something similar and familiar into photographs of my daughter.

I'll start my story from the chair fallowing images of my daughter as Samara still living...to be continued...

Loretta Lux

 

There’s always been an unsettling connection between children and the genre of horror in culture. The number one goal of the horror genre is produce fear in the audience - children suit that kind of role perfectly. Looking at the artist-photographer - Loretta Lux, surreal portraits of young children moment of fear is captured perfectly by combination of still life painting and digital manipulation.

Lux’s main subject matter is children of various ages in choreographed poses and with accentuated features. Provoking questions about our views on childhood and ideals of beauty, Lux’s images create scenarios of isolation and distance.

Loretta Lux was born in 1969 in Dresden, Germany, and was introduced to art at an early age. Her childhood museum visits made a profound impression on her, and, not surprisingly, it was the images of children that especially caught her interest. She trained as a painter at the Munich Academy, and her time-consuming technique is more related to painting than to photography. Like a painter, she arranges forms and colours in her images, digitally creating cohesive compositions from staged photographs with carefully selected models, costumes, props and backdrops.  A single image can take several months to produce.

Loretta Lux’s photographs are not portraits in the traditional sense. 

Lux is a former painter who brings an understanding and passion for form, shape, and colour to her current work.  Her strange and magical portraits of children have turned into a signature work.  

With digital technology Lux has been able to recreate such portraits over and over again, making the process of construction:

 - First arranging the model in real life, choosing her clothes and posture, and then taking a photograph of the child. 

- After taking a photograph, Lux transfers the data to her computer.  

- On the computer she strips away the background and replaces it with quiet settings- grassy fields, abandoned buildings, indiscriminate sky- from her personal stack of paintings and pictures.  

- Then, she erases any objects that crowd the picture; thereby, making the child appears part of the work. 

- Finally, Lux digitally manipulates the appearance of the model and the background, changing colour scheme, enlarging the model's eyes and hands.

So it’s not surprise it’s could take a while to produce such a work.

My own photographs won’t be involving that amount of manipulation, for a very simple reason…I’m not to skilled for that kind of art yet. But it’s very helpful to gain some ideas of this kind to help me realise my own.

 

As you can see in mine it’s no much about art as more about portraits, even manipulated it’s hardly the same as Loretta’s. But getting closer that’s was my idea to get at least same impression.

I really wish to become more original with my own style and trademark, as these days to be something you have to be in the right place in the right time with the right original idea.

Research on Loretta Lux was really interesting she seems like a really talented and creative artist especially because she takes both new and old media and combines them to produce her work - photos of children producing something really ordinary - really unique. It reflects her style, because it seems like once she's done with a piece, it is not just any photo of a child. Her style has something about it that set her pieces apart from other ordinary photos of children.

http://trendland.com/portraits-by-loretta-lux/#

http://www.lorettalux.de/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretta_Lux
http://www.yossimilo.com/artists/lore_lux/
http://www.mocp.org/collections/permanent/lux_loretta.php

FINAL IMAGES - LANDSCAPE

I’m glad to present you with my final Landscape images regarding my Assignment 307 Location Photography (Theme I).

One of the most important parts of capturing a good landscape image is understanding quality of light…There are many terms to define the various qualities of light, such as soft or diffused light, hard light and so on, but the purpose of landscape photography – the most important part is knowing how the light interacts with the landscape at certain times a day.

For my first location I choose sea…who can blame me as its everyone`s photographers favourite subject. As I was telling you before I had a chance for two weekends went down to Cornwall, the most amazing places where I ever had been searching for best golden hour scenes – as the most part, the best time to photograph a landscape is just before sun rises and right before sun sets.

So going through all my hundred’s and hundred’s images I manage to get down to the most representable 22… from was even harder to choose final 10, as all 22 will be presented as a slide show.

 

 

• SETUP LOCATION: Lizard Point to Lands’ End via Porthleven. Right by the edge of England most southern and western points.

• LIGHTING: Early mornings and late afternoons – evenings, using all the best light of Magic hour.

• LENS: WIDE ANGLE LENS Tamron’s SP AF 10-24mm F3.5-4.5 Di ; KIT LENS Nikon 18-55mm VR lens; TELEPHOTO Tamron AF 70-300mm lens.

• CAMERA SETTINGS: I use Manual exposure mode, to get full control over Shutter speed and Aperture. Early mornings and evenings were captured using Bulb setting.

• ACCESSORIES: Tripod Velbon DF-50 and various Cokin filters.

Final 10 descriptions will comes in the very end of the course together with theme II images.

Cokin Filters (Photo imaging equipment and materials (205)

Only few years ago, photographers and videographers were asking for special effect filters. Today, they ask for COKIN filters.

A French professional photographer, Jean Coquin, invented the concept of creative filter photography. To allow everybody to get a chance to produce great "creative images"

 Jean Coquin`s designed a system with the following prerequisites: simplicity, rapidity of use and versatility is perfect for individual inspiration and creativity.

The more you learn about photography the more you'll also learn that artificial filters and manipulation are required to make a natural looking image. In the summer I had a stroke of good lack and I manage bought 2 Cokin filters for incredible low price. As a victim of online shopping I was searching for it for months, as if you want to buy new you have to pay a price, what is quite high. 

So in my possession came two excellent filters…Graduated Sunset filter and Circular Polaraizer filter from Cokin P Series Filter range.

There are over 140 filters to choose from - the most popular are: 

 

1. Polarizers - Designed to eliminate unwanted reflections and darken skies.
2. Graduated - Add colour to a scene by using a Cokin graduated filter to enhance a dull sky, or use a Sunset filter to add warmth.
3. Pastels and Diffusers - Ideal for portraits, still life and landscapes, to create a moody atmosphere and a softer effect.
4. Warm-up Filters - Add warmth to a portrait shot, giving improved skin tones.
5. Colour Filters - Colour correction filters are available, as are Neutral Density filters and filters specifically designed for use with black and white film.
6. Optical effects - There is a wide range of filters available to add special effects to photographs, such as Starbursts, Multi-image, close-up, Rainbow, Double exposure etc. 

Graduated filters are easy to spot because half of them are clear while the other half will gradually fade to a colour. They're particularly useful for landscape photography because it means you can tone the sky a different colour, or enhance the blue, without affecting the land…There are lots of colours to choose from and each will have a different benefit.

Polarisers are an important part of photography because they're possibly the only filter that can't be replicated in post-software. They work by cancelling out or allowing polarised light - depending on where the filter is positioned - and if you allow the polarised light to come through, a camera won't record the non-polarised version so the information is generally lost. With a polariser, you can cancel some reflections from water and windows, deepen blue skies and increase saturation on bold colours such as green or red.
Because they perform more than one task it makes them good value for money although they generally cost more. There are two types to look out for: linear polarisers and circular polarisers.
Particularly designed for cameras, with a polarising half mirror - (split beam metering) and Digital cameras. This Polarising filter increases the colour saturation of blue skies and removes unwanted reflections from non-metallic surfaces such as glass, water, et cetera. The polarising effect can be changed by rotating the filter in the holder.

Most of photographer’s admitting, then selection of the proper filter is actually far more important than any choice of lens or camera.

I couldn’t more agree…specially in Landscape photography. The feel what right filter gives you rare can be manipulated on software. I found a really big difference using them over in holiday`s.... Sky what is at some point dull in colourless can applier brighter and more dynamic. 

Also the all Cokin filter system is designed for easy to use as you can slide filter easy up and down, even using multiple filters together to create more dramatic look.

 Sunrise over the waters....

I used my polarizer to calm calors, its very hard to explain how it works, as I don't have really examples of before or after...

 Sunset by Baltic Sea...
Used Graduated Sunset filter and also Graduated ND filter....

Sunset in Land`s End...

Just used Sunset filter, but effects is very visible, as that day, sky wasn't given much performance.

More about benefits of using my filters I`ll will discuss together with structured  and reasoned my final image explanation.

http://www.cokin.co.uk/

RESEARCH

PART 1 (Location Photography - Landscape)

PERFECT MACH – Kah Kit Yoong&Winnie Ho

Only two photographers left to research in Landscape photography I was looking for some inspiration all over the internet when I by chance come across them two. Kah Kit Yoong and Winnie Ho mostly working together taking unforgettable images was perfect match for my conclusion about Landscape photography`s research part.

Kah Kit Yoong. Melbourne based travel and nature photographer developed his skills while tramping the pristine wilderness of Tasmania. Kah Kit's appreciation of the world's wild places has inspired him to capture its landscapes: raw, dramatic or beautiful. He has been widely published in many magazines, including National Geographic Traveller, Popular Photography, Nature's Best, Digital Camera and Australian Photography. His work has been awarded both in his home country Australia as well as in the UK and USA.

Winnie Ho. Also based in Melbourne, she`s love of photography goes hand-in-hand with her love for exploring new places. Her photographic journey reflects a personal quest to understand light and always seek beauty in the unexpected. She is drawn to the natural landscape and its rhythmic flows and Her work has been published in various publications including the ANZANG collection, Australian Photographer Magazine (cover) and National Geographic.

Introduction on both join web page they says ~”We strive to capture the light that transforms land, sea and the legacy of man into a scene that stirs the emotions and senses. More often than not, this quality of light can be found during the ‘magic hour’ … We hope the viewer will share our anticipation and excitement as the light unfolds.”

Looking they photographs I just sit in the silence as I didn’t have words to described how beautiful they are, I selected the most impressive to put on my post, even find an each one`s description what allows us to get idea how they was made.

Lone Apostle

Twelve Apostles, Port Campbell, Great Ocean Road, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

Dawn on the Great Ocean Road.
Blend of two exposures, one for water action (2 seconds), one for the sky (60 seconds).
Canon 5DMkII, 16-35mm 2.8L, ISO 50, f14, 60 seconds and ISO 200, f9, 2 seconds, GND filter, Gitzo tripod.

Photograph by Kah Kit Yoong

Paradise Cove

Betka, Croajingolong, Victoria, AUSTRALIA 

An interesting formation in the rocks... Canon 1DsMkIII, 16-35mm 2.8L, 3HS GND, ISO 100, f20, 0.8 seconds.

Photograph by Kah Kit Yoong

Blue Beach

Twelve Apostles, Port Campbell, Great Ocean Road, Victoria, AUSTRALIA

An overcast on the Shipwreck Coast.
Canon 5DMkII, 17-40mm 4L, ISO 100, f22, 30 seconds, GND filter, Gitzo basalt tripod.

Photograph by Winnie Ho

Infinity

Great Ocean Road, Victoria

The Southern Ocean in alayered presentation.

Canon 5DMkII, 17-40mm 4L, ISO 100, f9, 1/40, GND filter, Gitzo tripod.

Photograph by Winnie Ho

I feel really jealous looking these photographs …they are captured so well, with such a feel to it. The entire gallery is a partnership comprising the artistry and vision of Kah Kit Yoong & Winnie Ho. And it’s not only includes seascapes. They apparently been all around the world to capture places and make them into breath taking, beautiful fragmented scene`s.

I wish I for future will develop same skills and be able to travel more to gain the experience of capture the world, as only by trowelling both of Kah Kit Yoong and Winnie Ho get to the point that they photographs now undertaking major projects on commission.

When Photo Review asked how he dealt with the inevitable questions from friends and colleagues about "how do you take such good photos?” his reply: “My answer is that you just need to go out and take lots of photos. There's no substitute for it. A good alarm clock is useful to make sure you're up at dawn.' In the end, says Kah Kit Yoong, 'you need to be looking at what's around you. The reason I got into photography to start with was that I love being out there taking photographs. You could read lots and lots of books, but nothing makes up for being out in the field.”

Both Winnie and Kah Kit are talented and increasingly recognized photographers and seasoned travellers…all the places they been and capture is beyond every man’s wildest dreams. I even found some photographs from the visits to Cornwall, which I find very useful to my particular Cornwall Magic hour theme.

Wild Brushstrokes

Cornwall, England

High tide on a remote beach.

Canon 5DMkII, 70-300mm 4-5.6L, ISO 400, f5, 0.5s, Gitzo Mountaineer tripod.

Photograph by Winnie Ho

 Lizard Land

Cornwall, England

Sunset on the coast of the Lizard Peninsula.

Canon 5DMkII, 16-35mm 2.8L, ISO 100, f13, 14 seconds, GND filters, Gitzo tripod. 

Photograph by Kah Kit Yoong

These Cornwall seascapes are recently added. Looks like they, were luckier with weather as I. really strong images showing that exact moment, atmosphere. Shot, as you can see, with low shutter speed in order to get blurry water feel.  Probably using extension shutter realise, what I still don’t have. In my pictures I mostly work with a Bulb setting to control exposure myself…Have to say it’s a hard job by the open sea during strong winds. Lots of my images just don’t do on sharpness wise and this is something that even Photo Shop can’t do.

Looking through my photographs’ of same Lizard point and other places in Cornwall, I decided not to put any on this post as I have nothing to compare with Kah Kit Yoong`s and Winnie Ho`s work. I have lots more to learn, I have to find time to go places and to be patient towards weather forecast.

Please feel free to look at other great work of this couple as it`s something unbelievable, considering, that they just took camera to they travels once and made by now in the top spot.

http://www.magichourtravelscapes.co

http://www.photoreview.com.au/features/profiles/magic-hour.aspx 

m/index.php 

http://blog.vividaspectphoto.com/2010/09/11/plugging-into-magic-hour-travelscapes/ 

wide-angle lens (Photo imaging equipment and materials (205))

What is wide – angle lens? From a design perspective, a wide angle lens is one that projects a substantially larger image circle than would be typical for a standard design lens of the same focal length.

It refers to a lens whose focal length is substantially shorter than the focal length of normal lens for the image size produced by the camera.

Longer lenses magnify the subject more, apparently compressing distance and (when focused on the foreground) blurring the background because of their shallower depth of the field. Wider lenses tend to magnify distance between objects while allowing greater depth of field.
My images is maybe not the best examples, but surely you get the picture what I'm talking abut.

On the beginning of this course I get new addition to my photo equipment WIDE ANGLE LENS  Tamron's SP AF 10-24mm F3.5-4.5 Di. With the wide zoom this lens certainly looks like a tempting prospect for photographers in search of sweeping vistas. 

 

Manufacturer description: Wider and longer than others in its class, this compact, lightweight, high-performance lens for DSLRs with APS-C size sensors provides 35mm equivalent coverage from 16mm ultra-wide to 37mm semi-wide, a remarkable 2.4X zoom ratio. With a maximum coverage of over 108°, this state-of-the-art classic is the perfect solution for expanding your visual horizons.

Construction:

There are two different varieties of wide-angle lens: short-focus lenses and retro focus lenses.

~Cross-section of a typical short-focus wide-angle lens.

Short-focus lenses are generally made up of multiple glass elements whose shapes are more or less symmetrical in front of and behind the diaphragm. As the focal length decreases, the distance of the rear element of the lens from the film plane or digital sensor also decreases. 

 

~Cross-section of a typical retro focus wide-angle lens.

The retro focus lens solves this proximity problem through an asymmetrical design that allows the rear element to be further away from the film plane than its effective focal length would suggest. 

 

 

 

 

The basic comparison of impression between different types of lenses:

 

The image shows how different lenses affect the perspective. The wider the angle the shorter the stronger the difference in the sizes of the elements in the photograph.

  
One of the most interesting features of wide-angle lens is -the capability to stretch perspective- when you look through a wide-angle lens, it seems that the distance between objects has extended. The objects that were not so distant could appear too far away. And the proportion of objects dramatically increases, so the one that close to the camera look enormous, but those, which are father away almost, disappear in the distance.

 

 

When I bought this lens I didn’t quite understand how it works till I saw what it can do, how these lens make photograph complete different, how beautiful sky looks captured with wide angle lens. In one image you can capture such amount what human aye just not see. I still getting used to it as is a lot things need to be explored, but this lens is worth having, I would say essential for everyone interested in landscape photography.

The only downside probably for me is losing sharpness - if you have a wide angle zoom lens so is less sharpness at the very wide angle, especially with the widest aperture, which very hard to avoid. And also when I’m using a filters - filter holder on a widest setting applier in the edges - causing vignetting. But that’s something what you can’t avoid unless if you forget about filters, what is not a best of ides as the filter can transform any dull, plain day photograph into impressive image, but I will be closer discussing filters on my fallowing posts.

Returning to wide angle lens ability…I have only one thing to say…if you don’t have one - get one, even if it is pricey it`s worth to have.

Some useful sites to explore:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide-angle_lens

http://tips.romanzolin.com/articles/article045.php

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tamron/10-24mm.htm 

http://www.photozone.de/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/466-tamron_1024_3545_nikon 

http://www.tamronlensreview.com/tamron1024review