Pixel Experimentation

The following collections of images are pixel experimentation's which were made in Photoshop from the ground up. This first collection of images are from my Highstreet collection that I began working on at the start of this project. I chose to start here because I wanted to find a way of using these images to develop on rather that leave them behind. These Highstreet images are my strongest images from this collection. The pixel abstraction was something that I found fresh, new and fun to experiment with but I don't think they fit well with this kind of abstractions. For me my eyes don't dance around the image naturally.  

This edit was made by using the strongest image that I had made from the natural landscape images. This style of editing works well with this style of photograph because the grass makes your eyes move up the image due to the lines it makes. This is enhanced by the bright coloured pixels that is layed on top of the grass. 

This image is the weakest of my newest edits because it has been abstracted to the point where you cant make out what it is anymore. I need to practice with the idea that less is more. 

Second Tutorial

In this tutorial with my tutor I spoke about the images that I had made earlier that day, however this was rather difficult because the he was unable to view them by himself. Due to this we decided that I should continue to experiment with abstracting my images using Photoshop and other photo editing software. We also discussed recreating my photographs from scratch using pixels. Every image is made up of these small squares so this should be something that I look into when developing my work. I was also instructed to look into how to get my work out into the public domain through past ups or by other means. In the mean time I was asked to post the work that I have made to my tutor so that they could look at it in person and on good quality photo paper.

To do:

• Send work to tutor
• Work on building up images using pixels and layers
• Look into how to get my work out into the public
• Look into social media

Work after tutorial

As soon as my tutorial with my tutor finished I began looking into editing my work in a way that would resemble the photographs displayed on my wall. I chose to look through my past images from both the highstreet and the newer nature photography that I have been looking into. 

These two images were my first attempt to experiment with image placement and how to get my head around what I wanted to go for when it came to abstracting my photographs. These images however aren't anything special. They have no reason behind them and were done as an experiment. This was of abstracting images doesn't work well with natural landscapes because it looks lost. It doesn't make your eyes dance around the image naturally and looks messy. There is no purpose and doesn't make the viewer think about what they are looking at. I chose to move away from the natural landscapes and chose to look back on my highstreet images to experiment with abstracting them further. 

These two images are abstract images were made with some of my highstreet images that I had taken whilst I was in Leeds. I chose to edit these images in this particular was because I wanted to show the abstract, mix matched and uniqueness that you find when walking around the highstreets on South Yorkshire. I wanted these images to make the viewer want to examine them closely because at first glance you wouldn't see all aspects of the image. 

I had enjoyed my time working on these images and this is definitely something I want to explore further within my current project and in my third year.  I chose to stop here and wait for my tutorial with my tutor to discuss my ideas and edits. 

Project Update

After going out and making my most recent images I found that due to the current circumstances that have affected us all I am unable to go out for a long period of time. My recent images don't relate well to my past works and current theme well. Due to this I requested a tutorial with a tutor to discuss how I could go about my work. After speaking to my tutor I have decided to look into post editing and purposefully building my images from the ground up using layers. When having my tutorial my tutor pointed out my polaroid images that are displayed on my wall and said that he found it to be interesting to look at. There was an order to them and even though he couldn't make out what they were he knew there was a reason as to why they were displayed the way they were.

Here is the wall display:

Looking into how to display my work was something that was suggested to me to look into rather than going out and making photographs. This tutorial lifted a lot of stress from me and gave me motivation to explore something that I wouldn't have thought have. Post editing is something that I am interested in so this will give me the opportunity to explore this interest. 

To do:

• Experiment with playing around with my current collection of images
• Abstract my images further
• Edit my images further and crop them into small squares
• Look into displaying my work in a book form 
• Make postcards and leave them around Wombwell whilst on my daily walks
• Look into different types of photography paper
• Look into what other photographers use
• Look into Martin Par - glossy paper (why he chooses this paper)
• Explore disorder 
• Watch "The history of the image. The power of photography" (BBC2)

Towards the end of my tutorial I was asked to think about what I wanted to explore and at the end of the day we would have a second tutorial to discuss further.

Park and Farmer Fields

This collection of images were taken at the large park and farmers field close to my home. I chose to make images here because I remember that there used to be lots of unique areas there. I hadn't been there in years and was shocked to see the difference from then to now. Lost of things that made that park special to me had gone. There used to be a small bridge that led to a secret den that children would play in. This den was filled with flowers, and bushes which made up what could be described as small corridors. I remember running through these and making daisy chains. 

These images to me were stronger than my woodland images. I had gotten in amongst the small bushes to make my images. This is something I wish to develop further within my project which means that I will be getting out more. 

Wombwell Woods

After my university has closed due to the Covid19 virus, I had decided to still go out to make photographs since no official lockdown was in place. Early in the morning I had gotten ready and went to the Wombwell Woods which is a place I know very well. I wanted to try and avoid the dog walkers that go there since it can get busy, and I wanted to limit any contact I had with people. This collection of images isn't my strongest. I know this because I was having a hard time trying to find pattens in the environment I was in. However I cant let this stop me. I need to get out as much as I can to make photographs before there is an official lockdown. 

Project Update

My work so far has come to a sort of standstill sue to the Covid19 break and amongst this confusion and stress I found creating work difficult. My university have been sitting round one laptop waiting for daily updates, which reminded one student of how people would sit around radios to listen out for updates during the war. This was something that hit us all deeply. We got news that our university would close but we would be continuing to work from home and attend online classes. This was something that I found hard to grasp because as a photographer I need to be out making my work. I also believe that university is the best was for me to work on my edits and other forms of digital work, because at home there are distractions. I felt bad for the people that paint or even do textile works because they wouldn't have access to the materials needed to make the work. This type of situation hasn't been planned for and this is new for all of us so it will be hard at first.

To do:

• Try to go out during times where it isn't busy to make photographs. 
• Look at ways to display my work digitally. 
• Have a tutorial with a tutor to discuss my work and my production of work

Before leaving university I had a tutorial with my tutor in which we spoke about the images I had made whilst out making photographs. The images that I picked out to be my strongest were fine but nothing was mind blowing and they didn't have a reason behind them. However one image caught the eye of my tutor and a fellow classmate who was in the tutorial with me. 

This is the image that they felt was the strongest. This is something I agree with. The image makes me want to run through the tall grass and find out what is on the other side. This was where we began to speak about my theme and how it should be about freedom. Freedom is something that is important to me. I am someone that likes to live by my own rules and follow my own lead. I believe in freedom from societies norm, responsibility and expectations. I was then asked "do you want a job?" I answered I would want to work for myself which made both my tutor and classmate laugh. Feminism cropped up in the conversation. and should be something that I looked into. This made me cringe because I don't see myself as a feminist but rather an equalist, and when I think of feminism I think of this new wave of feminism which is "man hating." When talked through further it is important to look into as a female photographer.

• Marriage is expected of Women
• Having children is expected of Women  
• Staying home to raise children is also expected. 

Myself as a Woman 

• Marriage isn't essential for me 
• Want children, but only after I am able to provide for myself and have a house
• I want to own my home
• I want to be successful 
• I am unapologetically me 

With this spoken about I was given ideas as to where to start. The main place I would photograph would be the Wombwell Woods or other places there I spent time at as a child. 

To do:

• Look into the history of my area and the woods
• Who owns it
• Look into isolation
• Look into the act of play

Photograph myself through the lens of abstraction. Photography is male dominated and as a female from a small area this is important. From my experience the woods was and still is male dominated. However I preferred to be there alone than surrounded by others. 

I was also advised to look into other medias that explore the idea of freedom through nature such as books. 

• The Secret Garden 
• Wind and the Willows
• The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe