TASK 4

Posted by: lalalalalaaa on: November 29, 2009

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TARGET AUDIENCE:

The target audience for the magazine that I have been commissioned by, Essex Life, is middle-aged and older citizens. Therefore the images I will be supplying to the magazine will also have to appeal to the same target audience. The majority of my target audience will live in Essex, as the title of the magazine suggests, so to attract its consumers I based my photography in the Essex countryside. I don’t think the images I have produced will attract the majority of the younger generation; as landscape photography is not a common interest for this age group. However, when I presented my images to my class i received positive feedback. A student, Louise Furlong, commented on my photograph of the sun setting by saying ‘It’s quite a plain image but it still manages to say a lot. There is also a good contrast of colours’.

Landscape photography is more suited towards the older generation as they have more appreciation for scenery. Although my images target older citizens; I think they appeal to both genders. They will attract male and female 50+, who will probably be retired or do little work which allows them to have more free time. People who enjoy walks and bike rides in the countryside also tend to like landscape images. This is because most people make the decision to go to the countryside so they can observe nature, this applies to why people look at landscape images aswell. My photos may also interest members of organisations that campaign and protect the environment such as WWF and Green Peace.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT:

As my images were going to appear in the November issue I had to ensure they were related to the month. This was a good time to capture photos as the changes going on within nature is evident. During the Autumn period changes in the leaves, the weather and the amount of sunlight altered how my images were captured. The photos I produced also show a moment of time that could change drastically in months or years or even centuries. The amount of how nature is being destroyed is increasing steadily so this image may be the only existence of nature on this area even in just years to come. In addition our climate is changing so this could also display how the weather has changed to future generations. For example below is a photograph taken in 1955 of the lily pond in Epping. Now, over 50 years later, the lily pond hardly even resembles this picture.

PRODUCTION:

I feel I have made a lot of progression with my technical and creative ability in photography. I was unable to even use an SLR camera at the beginning of the module, now I can confidently use all the settings and aspects of an SLR. It can improve your image a lot by using the settings suited correctly in the scene you are capturing. It is essential to consider the use of aperture, ISO and the shutter speed when taking an image. For example a narrow aperture and slow shutter speed will give you a sharp and in focus image. Where as a wide aperture and fast shutter speed will make the background blurred and out of focus.

I have learnt about the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is an aid to help photographer’s organise elements within a photograph to attract and hold the attention of the viewer. A photographer will imagine a grid of nine identical squares and position the key elements accordingly. Below is an example of this method.

I have also learnt about a lot of elements of composition in photography such as:

• Negative space: Is the empty space around forms and shapes.
• Lines: The the path your eye follows within your image.
• Texture: Refers to the surface quality which may be implied or actually existing within the scene.
• Depth of field: Is the amount of distance in front and beyond the object that is in focus. For example the photograph below shows a very shallow depth of field

I am now also aware and capable of using most of the software on photoshop. Photoshop is a method used to digitally manipulate your photography which offers a range of effects to enhance your image. Below is the layout of photoshop.

When you take a photo that you feel needs to be improved photoshop provides tools to make this possible. Editing the contrast, cropping and removing obstructions are some of the things you can achieve on photoshop. Below is an example of one of functions, the cloning tool.

REFLECTION/SELF EVALUATION:

I feel my skills and understanding with photography have progressed drastically as at the beginning of the module I knew practically nothing about the subject. I am now able to identify most of the settings on a SLR camera, talk about photography techniques and use photoshop. Although I am able to perform basic effects on photoshop I feel I still need a lot of improvement within this area. I need to practice more with this software in order to know how to achieve different effects as sometimes I tend to forget.

I feel I have performed all the tasks given to me to my best ability. I always tried to receive feedback from my family and friends by showing them my photography work. This enabled me to know how people reacted to my images which was a great insight.  As when i received positive and negative feedback I used it to improve my work as soon as I could. I was very committed to managing my time correctly when arranging to take my photographs. I think I done this well as I managed to capture a range of images in a short period of time so I was able to choose the best ones. I planned ahead effectively by researching ideas before taking my images aswell. I also tried to be as creative and imaginative as possible. I think this is apparent when looking at my final images as none of them look the same and are unique.

I also feel that my need to get my work perfect is sometimes a weakness and a strength. This is because I focus all my time on trying to get something flawless that doesnt need to be, and that time could be spent on something more important.