Using Film

As part of the media unit we had to try using film-both colour negative and colour transparency.

FILM...
Advantages

• Image quality is better than digital. The resolution is higher and that means that more fine detail is recorded
• Greater range of tones and better highlights in film
• Good for long exposures (into the minutes) and can even do double exposure.
• Creates hard copies and can do contacts that can be physically stored

Disadvantages

• Slow process compared to digital and you have no way of seeing the results until they are developed
• There is a middle stage (i.e. negatives) which doesn't exist for 
• Very expensive hardware and film for good quality film cameras.
• Film fades.

DIGITAL...
Advantages

• Very fast process from pressing the shutter and seeing them on a screen seconds later and you can have prints done within about 5 minutes if you wanted to.
• Easier to store images on disc and hard drives than boxes and cabinet like with film
• Potential to take more photographs than film
• Cheaper...you essentially by the hardware (which is cheaper than film anyway) and that is all you need (no film needed)
• Can easily create backups ('tis the beauty of Copy and Paste!)

Disadvantages

• Digital doesn't fade but hard drives and discs can be unreliable and you might lose your images so you end up having to have many backups which costs more and is more effort when backing up work,
• Poor quality images unless you buy a really high-end DSLR which is horrendously expensive

Again, this is like the question which is better Matte or Gloss. There isn't really a correct answer only which is better for a particular situation. For example for landscape photography, film would be better however for perhaps sports photography it might be better to use a digital camera so you can take as many images as you like without worrying.about cost and whether they'll come out OK.

Of course 'film' isn't just one type of film, there are many different types and the two we looked at were colour negative (CN)  and colour transparency (CT)...

CN FILM: A strip of transparent plastic where the light areas are dark in the image and dark areas are light (hence 'negative')

Advantages

• Good for highlights and shadows (greater range). This is called the exposure latitude and CN film has a wide exposure latitude
•  Simpler to process
• Relatively cheap

Disadvantages

• Needs to be printed or scanned to see the results

CT FILM: A strip of transparent plastic where the light areas are light in the image taken and dark areas are dark (produces a positive image)

Advantages

• No need to develop...the film is the final product.

Disadvantages

• Narrow exposure latitude
• Very complicated to process and often need to process them yourself at home because few places develop them for you.
• Expensive

I thoroughly enjoyed using these two film techniques. When was given a roll of CN film and a Canon digital SLR to go out and photograph with I could really tell the difference  in the experience of using film compared to DSLRs. I loved the experience and I would love to pursue this in the future...perhaps when I have more comfortable financial means (basically I'm skint!). Here is a scan of the image that were produced from the CN film...

When we did the colour transparency image we had to think eve more about the settings, angle of view and the composition because we only had one shot each main;y because it was expensive and also we would have been fighting over the Large Format Camera (NB:See 'Camera Types' post for more information on Large Format). We had to ensure that the image was perfectly in the frame (which as someone not used to the inverted nature of the camera it proved more difficult than I care to admit). We even used a black cape thing on top of us to ensure that we could see the screen and check it was in focus.

Matte vs Glossy

Hot topic in photography. Which paper is better: Matte or Glossy? We looked at them in class then did our own research. In order to answer the question you have to compare them...

	Matte	Glossy
Finish?	Dull	Shiny
Vibrant colours?	No	Yes
Quality?	Very Good	Good
Good for v. fine detail?	No	Yes
Glare in bright light?	No	Yes
Fingerprints and dust?	No	Yes
Cost?	Expensive	Cheaper

I have come to the conclusion that different paper is better in different situations. Imagine this scenario you live in Miami where it is always sunny and you want to display photographs for an exhibition outside. Which do you choose? In this scenario you are going to choose matte to avoid glare and dust, it costs more but if you want to present them in an exhibition you should use the higher quality paper even if it cost more. No imagine this scenario you want to print a family photograph to place in a frame with glass where it will be kept inside and you live in dreary old britain. Now which would you choose? Glossy because it is cheaper and because it will be in a frame and behind glass there is no risk of getting fingerprints or dust trapped. Also no chance of glare.

PERSONALLY, I prefer matte paper because it feels better when you hold it, it looks better (the shininess of glossy really puts me off), the quality is better and I don't mind paying a little extra for it because I prefer it! 

Detailed Plan for My Music Shoot

As part of the media unit we had to do a detailed plan relating to a shoot we will do for a specific purpose. We have to make up a scenario ourselves, do the research and plan then do the shoot and present our final images. The scenario I make up for myself was this...

"The Northern Quarter is a very large part of the history of Manchester and very well rooted in its heritage as a musical city. Great have come from Manchester: The Smiths, The Bee Gees and  The Stone Roses to mention a few. Manchester City Council want you to take between 5 and 10 images they can choose from to use in brochure about the Northern Quarter for those who don't know much about the area. The aim is to generate interest in the area"

There are many questions I needed to ask myself before setting off, which included...

Will I use Film or Digital?
Digital because the way in which I plan the take the photographs is slightly candidly. I want to do it in a way that's very casual and laid back and I feel digital would be better because it would allow you to look at the photograph there and then to see if it is what you're looking for (there is a risk I would over think things if I were to do film).

Who is it aimed at?
As mentioned in the scenario, it is for people who don't know very much about the area and have perhaps never really spent time there. This affects what I photograph because there is no point going out and photographing some very specific and niche aspects of the area if they won't understand it or if it won't captivate them. This is what led me to decide that the images need to be in colour and not only that but colourFUL and lively to capture the readers attention. 

The impression we want to give is it is a lively and exciting place to be. We want to give the onlooker a sense of the area so street photography I'm thinking is appropriate because when you walk into the northern quarter before you walk into a cafe or record shop you walk down the street so I want to ensure they recognise the image when the see it/go to the northern quarter after seeing it. 

Also, because it is to do with music, our target with the brochure would be music fans so all the images must in some way link Manchester and music (so there is no point in photographing...say...a hair salon!)

How much would it cost?
Well because it is digital and not film the capturing of the images won't cost anything but I will need about £5 for transport and ranging from £5-£10 for the prints; I am going to present them as 12x8 inch prints so they can see the detail well to make an informed decision as to whether that is what they are looking for.

What settings would I use?
Well that depends on the weather and the subject. WB will be adjusting according to the light available (obviously most will be in natural light or a mixture of natural and artificial). Also shutter speed and aperture will be adjusted depending on the weather but also whether or not I want motion blur (which I don't see myself using) and whether I want shallow depth of field or deep depth of field (example...I want to do at least one wide angle shot down Oldham Street and for that I will need a high aperture etc). I will probably use Automatic Focus (seems appropriate for the assignment). The final technical aspect I need to consider is exposure. I decided to have the exposure at 0 because if it is too dark, it will appear too dreary and if it is too bright you will lose colour and detail so I decided to meet in the middle!

How will I edit them after?
Just ensuring exposure is correct and crop and rotate as needed. I also want to increase the saturation and the contrast evvver so slightly just to give the images an extra kick!

Where am I going to photograph?
ALL OVER the Northern Quarter, but mostly based around Oldham Street and Thomas Street.

How long will I spend?
Well I've been to the area before so I know it. Also I have done some street photography in town before so I think I am will equipped (don't think I really need a test shoot). I have decided I will spend most of my day there.

Now that my plan is done, I needed to do some hands on research. Me being fairly new to Manchester myself I have been down to the Northern Quarter a few times however I have never spent a substantial amount of time there so before I did the shoot I went for a brew in Teacup Cafe on Thomas street to get a feel for the general area. It was elevenses time so people had started coming in for a  cup of tea and cake or brunch. These were my observations...

• Theme was brown,white and red.
• So many teapots! Mostly red and white.
• People generally in two's,a couple of people on their own but no larger groups.
• Lots of mums with prams and children so it's a child friendly cafe
• Happy-go-lucky type music...elevator music...I think its called Musak...even in the toilets I discovered
• Quite a dark cafe to be honest because it only has two windows (albeit large windows) one either side of the cafe
• Very cluttered place, gives a cosy atmosphere but borderline claustrophobic
• Small and squeaky wooden chairs and square wooden tables
• Friendly but busy staff.

Here are some images I took on my phone...

I've even included a video so you can see what I saw!

Looking at the research I have come up with 5 words to describe the place...

1. Lively
2. Quirky
3. Traditional
4. Welcoming
5. Interesting!!!

I decided to use this research to mould my understanding of the area and hopefully that will translate into my images!!!

I then set out, keeping all that I've discussed in mind, taking photographs of the area. I went to  Afflecks, all the way down Oldham street, all the way down Thomas Street and down towards Lever  Street and Newton Street. I got plenty of images and when weeding out the maybes and the definite no I would refer back to the scenario and consider if it fulfils the requirements and does its function as an image for an informational brochure. I kept doing this until I was left with 7 images I was happy with. All of these fit the criteria I had set myself (Is it in the Northern Quarter? Does it represent the Northern Quarter fairly? Is it related to music? Is it vibrant? Is it accessible to all?)

I edited them in PS as I said I would earlier in the post and these are my final images...

'Cut Loose'

I included this image purely for the wonderful bright colours. They are very eye catching and in turn stimulating, which would definitely benefit the brochure and help fulfil its aim to generate interest.

Leaflets

I felt this image really represented the music scene because it included everything from a musical to a gig held in the Bohemian Grove...there was even a leaflet for ParkLife music festival. The chaos of the leaflets just strewn across the table I feel really reflects on the liveliness of the area.

Northern Quarter

This is the image I was talking about  where I wanted to do a simple photograph of Oldham Street when you enter the Northern Quarter to demonstrate what the area looks like. This again goes back to the fact that anyone can recognise this area and would relate to it this image when they see it for themselves.

Posters Galore

I felt this image  is similar to the Leaflets image. This shows the diversity of the music scene here with everything from DJs to TOTP! The posters really catch your eye because that is their purpose in the street and now that is their purpose in the photograph!

Record Shop

This image I took from the inside of the record shop. I shot through the window out onto the street. What I love about this image in particular is not just the fact that it is very much about records and about music but the records in the foreground and the reflections really add some depth and is intriguing and I feel would catch the reader's attention.

Afflecks

I included this image because the mosaic on the wall of Afflecks is so iconic that it is not a landmark in Manchester with the Manchester icons and the dragon opposite. I felt that it would lead to some interest within the article as I felt it would help them introduce this landmark.

Vinyl Exchange

I believe traditional was a word I used to describe the area...and nothing is more old school than vinyl...Am I right? This image quite simply sums up the Northern Quarter: Music and Tradition!

I thoroughly enjoyed this task as I felt that I learnt a lot about the variables and factors you need to include to produce images of a high quality. I felt that without the planning and the research I wouldn't have been able to produce images that satisfied their function outlined in the scenario. It just goes to show that the process is just as important as the images you produce!

Cyanotypes

As part of the media unit, we had to investigate a historical process so I decided to mess around with cyanotypes. In order to do so, first I had to select an image. I chose these images I took earlier this year in Cyprus...

I then had to convert them to B&W, increase contrast then invert in PS. They were then printed on acetate. What this does is creates a 'Negative' which I would use to create my cyanotypes. Here is a scan of what the negative looked like...

Negative 1                                       Negative 2

Now that the negative had been created, I had to make my 'film'. Here are the steps I took...

1. Create a solution using equal amounts of Ammonium Ferric Citrate and Potassium Ferricyanide.
2. Using a large, flat brush, apply a layer of the solution onto the thick paper/card in straight lines across page.
3. Place in a dark cabinet to dry.

When I did this the first time, I found that the layer I had applied was too thick so it ended up looking like this...

The excess started to run and the layer wasn't even. So I repeated the process but with less solution. When it dries it turns bright sunshine yellow and you have to quickly place the negative on the card/paper and fasten with a board at the back and metal clips. I then left it outside in the sunshine for about 15 minutes.  I did this for both negative (simultaneously). A chemical reaction happens between then chemicals and UV light from the sun's rays that causes the areas that are clear on the negative to become dark and the parts that are black on the negative came out lighter and were the detail. When the the paper has been exposed to sunlight, it becomes a sickly green colour (see above). I then brought them back inside and rinsed them out with water to remove any excess chemicals and left them to dry. It is when you rinse them they turn blue. Here are the results...

As you can see negative 1 came out stupendously wrong; I came to the conclusion there wasn't enough contrast and the detail was too fine for the cyanotype to capture so most of the paper ended up reacting, creating an almost entirely blue page! The other negative came out much better however another conclusion I came to is that I left it out too long so next time I decided to only leave it out about 10 minutes. I repeated the entire process the next sunny day I could...and here is the result (I only did it for negative 2)...

This is my final image from the investigation I did into cyanotypes. I am quite happy with the result (I can honestly say it looks better in real life it came out funny in the scanner!) and I plan on investigating further in the future perhaps with better negatives now I have an idea as to what negatives work and which don't. Also I think I still left it out a little too long (or perhaps comparatively it was just an extremely sunny day!) so that is something I need to be aware of in the future. One final thing I will say is that when I do this again, I plan on using either Hydrogen Peroxide, Lemon Juice or Vinegar because apparently it intensifies the blue which I think would be interesting to see!!!!

Field of View Shoot!

I went out to experiment with field of view and how it affects the image. I found that when you increase the focal length, you lose some of the 'stuff' in the frame however in some cases that works and the final image is better and sometimes it doesn't...Here is some of the shoot with explanations as to which I prefer...

 

                  14mm                                         19mm                                       26mm

                                             36mm                                       42mm

From this set my favourite is the photograph at 26mm because I feel that there is a good sense of depth/distance however the car on the left of the focal lengths 14mm and 19mm is distracting so the 26mm photograph is a good balance...I would however crop it ever so slightly to remove the wheel.

                    14mm                                         18mm                                       25mm

                                           36mm                                       42mm

From this set my favourite is the photograph at 18mm because at 14mm you lose the subject (cone and plastic fence). Again with the other three photographs you lose the background (especially in the 42mm photograph). However the bus in the 18mm really annoys me..i have no idea why it frustrates me so but I think it might be because it is taking away from the subject. 

                                       15mm                                               18mm

                                       25mm                                                36mm

                                                                    42mm

Again, my favourite is the photograph at 25mm because I feel that with the 14mm and 18mm image there is too much pavement and with the latter two the depth perception is lost.

                                       14mm                                                18mm

                                      26mm                                                   36mm

                                                                     42mm

From this set my favourite is the photograph at 18mm because I think the fact that the bike is in the middle of the image and there seems to be a split across the middle of the image between the pavement and the grass and I think it works. The 14mm is too distracting and the other three are 'too green' (too much grass).

Health and Safety

As part of the Media unit in the Level 3 award we must research, understand and implement the Health and Safety (H&S) regulations as outlined by the government. I researched these five aspects to ensure that the process is as low risk as possible from start to finish...

Working in a Darkroom
When doing research into safety in a darkroom, I found most of it to be common sense and stuff I'd already heard in school in chemistry classes but these are the main points I picked up...

• Use gloves (to protect skin from chemicals), goggles (to protect eyes from chemicals) and an apron (to protect clothes from chemicals.
• Use tongs to avoid touching prints with chemicals on.
• Ventilate the room (windows and fans or air conditioner)
• No food or water in the darkroom (to avoid accidental ingestion of chemicals)
• Ensure all chemicals are labelled and efficiently organised.

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH)

Again, a lot of these I recognised from chemistry because it is essential the chemicals are labelled correctly because it gives the user and idea on what the dangers of using them is, how to handle them and what to do if a problem should occur e.g. not keep something flammable near flames and keep a fire extinguisher close by in case it does catch fire.

Here are the symbols...

Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)

These guidelines were put into place to ensure any machinery or equipment used by employees (or in this case students) is safe. This is done by training employees/students to work safely. When on the course before we used any equipment we were shown how to use correctly and were also made aware the risks of the appliance and how to avoid the risk. This was particularly relevant for the studio where we were using a vast amount of electrical appliances and it was crucial for us to know how to safely use the modelling lights power packs. Also, to ensure all electrical appliances were safe, they would all be inspected and a green label placed on so we would know it was safe...

Display Screen Equipment

Finally, I considered the risks associated with using a display screen when using a laptop/computer. I read the "Working with display screen equipment (DSE)" booklet I found on the Health and Safety Executive website. As I went through it I realised I do a lot of the things mentioned already without meaning to such as keeping wrists straight when typing and taking regular breaks and stretch to prevent aches. However there are still some guidelines I should follow such as ensuring I am always sitting up straight when using a display screen. Sometimes the I use a table that is too low and I end up bending my back to type which is REALLY bad for you(...old habits die hard I guess but I will change that now).

Using all of this information about H&S, I have chosen three scenarios where I have used the information for my benefit...

1. When we did the cyanotypes as part of this media unit, my knowledge of COSSH (and my previous experiences in chemistry in school!) helped my identify the risks of using the Ammonium Ferric Citrate and Potassium Ferricyanide both of which are irritant, Also our tutor advised us on what to do if we got any on our skin (rinse it very quickly and "DO NOT touch your  eyes")
2. As I mentioned before, our tutors instructed us very thoroughly before we used any equipment in the studio. It was from very basic, common sense instructions such as 'no food or drink' to 'this is how you use a power pack...". This ensured that when we used the studio for our studio unit we knew how to use the equipment and we appreciated how dangerous (and not to mention expensive!) some of the equipment is.
3. When I did the exterior location brief, I went out to this abandoned derelict cotton mill in Cheadle so i obviously didn't go alone (that would have be too death wish-y)...I dragged my dad along. I also had to make sure i didn't fall over, the ground was very uneven and slippery. Also, to the side of the mill was  stream...with a very steep drop to I had to take care not to plunge to my death!

Being Abstract!

Creating abstract and interesting photographs isn't easy howver one technique I thuroughly enjoy using is the use of a wide angle lens (WAL). Using a WAL distrorts our depth of perception and messes with the perspective of the photograph therefore provides a more interesting and thought-provoking composition. The entire 'mood' of the image changes just because of the use of a WAL and a change in viewpoint. Here are some of the photographs from this shoot...what I did was do a before and after thing so i can compare the two...

                                            BEFORE                                       AFTER

What I love about this set is the fact in the first one you can tell its a cone whereas in the second because of a combination of the unusual birds-eye view and the WAL it appears to be a cylinder! MIND=BLOWN!!!

As you can see here the composition seems to be pretty standard and lets face it...BORING! However with a little outside-of-the-box thinking you can make the line converge which produced a more intresting image.

 This set is a perfect example of how in using the same composition and making it abstract can completely change the image...I dislike the first one... I feel there is no life in it..u'know its just a lampost with a wall and trees in the background...whereas the second has a more intuging and I feel it has personality...also I like the fact there is nothing buy sky in the background (the background in the first one was just distracting)

I really dislike the first image, it's so clumsy and pointless! However I really like the second image because of    angle of view the WAL provides. It gives the photograph 'layers' and the shallow depth of field just tops it off for me really.

This works well I think becasue in the second image you cannot really tell what the word is you can only really make out the first 4 letters so I feel it gets you thinking and if you are as stubburn as me you will not take your eye off of the photograph until you figure it it just says 'Reception>' XD !!!!