Final Evaluation

This is my final evaluation of all of the work that I have done both leading up to, and during, the examination period. At the end I will sum up how I feel about my work in general and how I feel I have linked back to the exam paper.

At the start of the exam period I chose to base my work on the premise of the 'Passing of Time'. I chose this starting point because I had looked at many photographers, including Alexey Titarenko, who's work could be linked to the 'Passing of Time' during the course of the year and even during my GCSE course. By relooking at this work and researching some further artists/photographers I was able to successfully plan out what I was going to do for the exam. As I researched the different photographers and their different styles I was able to develop different ideas and look at different ways that I could link to and how the 'Passing of Time'.

My research into the 'Passing of Time' photography has helped me to find different ways and different techniques that can help me to link to the 'Passing of Time'. My artist research and even my research log influenced my final images because by researching the different people and their end products I learned new camera technique and even editing techniques too. I was able to do different types of photography as I learnt about people trails and long exposure, time lapse and multiple imagery.

I think that the main influence on my overall exam work was Alexey Titarenko. He was the main reason I chose to do the 'Passing of Time' exam piece. I chose it because I had worked on his photography before, it was familiar to me, and I enjoyed photographing in his style. I therefore thought that it would be a good opportunity to test both my skills and my equipment. Going back and doing work on Alexey Titarenko again was good as I was able to do more detailed and in depth research this time around.

In my preparatory shoots I linked to a number of different photographers and used many different techniques. I looked at different ways to show the 'Passing of Time' and different camera uses that I could incorporate into my work. I went with a more lighthearted tone for my photos than some of the photographers who's work I was linking to. However, as I went along I quickly realised that there was a moral undertone in most of the artist's work. Overall, I enjoyed my time working on my prep shoots and feel that I gained valuable experience whilst doing them. I feel that my work had a natural progression to it. I started off with something quite simple and as I went on my edits and photos got more complicated and more technical.

My exam shoots were, I feel, the next level up from what I had already achieved in my prep shoots. I wanted to go out and take some more photos that linked to the work of Alexey Titarenko as I think that that was the most obvious choice that linked to the 'Passing of Time' and he want mentioned in the exam paper too. But I also wanted to show a different angle on that specification. And so I chose to also do another shoot on the work of John Clang. This was at completely at the other end of the photographic spectrum to Titarenko's work. People trails is all about how you use the camera and then you can change it on the computer whereas, John Clang's work is completely different. It doesn't matter how you take the photo because it is a type of physical experiment and so you use your own hands to make the image. Then, jumping back to the other end of the spectrum again, I did a shoot linking to Tom Hussy. His work is comprised of computer experiments. You use your camera to take the image and then you use the computer to make the final edit. Overall, then, as well as being the next step along on my photographic journey, my exam shoots all showed the 'Passing of Time' but all in very different ways.

During this exam period I have done several different physical experiments. This meant that I had to use the scanner we have in our classroom. Once I had completed a physical experiment I would have to scan it into the computer and then put it onto my blog. Also, I was able to further expand my knowledge of photoshop whilst working on my computer experiments for component two. I used several new techniques including, blur gallery, colour manipulation and the liquify tool. Also, for my final examination blog I gave a simpler layout so that it was more easily navigated.

I think that, overall, I responded to the exam paper quite well. I feel that all the shoots that I have done and all the images that I have finished link well the 'Passing of Time' exam piece. I feel that they all show the 'Passing of Time' in their own way. I think that most, if not all, of my final images were successful and achieved what they were meant to. Which was, quite simply, to link to both the 'Passing of Time' and the photographer in who's style they were taken. One of the strongest areas of my work is my use of the various computer programs that we are supplied with. I used many different tools on photoshop that, overall, improved the outcomes of most of my images, especially the people trails series. However, there are a few areas of my work where I would want to improve. The positioning of my camera and tripod during shoots for example. For some of the shoots the tripod I was using was not overly stable and so my final images were affected, this was mainly for the people trails shoot (Shoot 1). Also, on the second shoot (John Clang) the quality of my tripod let me down when aligning the images for my final piece as not all of the parts of the different images lined up.

Overall then, I feel that even though there are some areas of my examination that could have been improved or be improved upon in the future, I did a good job in linking to the exam paper and making all of my images link to the 'Passing of Time' and their relevant photographers. I have really enjoyed doing this exam, learning newer techniques, researching new photographers and their work.

Final Pieces

 These are the final pieces for my examination linking to the 'Passing of Time':

Shoot 1:

These first five images are all from my first exam shoot. This links back to my preparatory shoot because I did a prep shoot linking to the work of Alexey Titarenko. This shoot is a progression of that because I was able to get better results from this shoot than I did with the other one. I also improved my camera technique for this shoot as well as turning these images black and white.

Shoot 2:

These two images are from my second exam shoot, linking to the work of John Clang. This is a progression of my preparatory work because I did a prep shoot on Clang's work and thereby this is a better version of that. I have improved only prep work as with this shoot I was able to get more final edits out of it.

Shoot 3:

This image is from my third and final exam shoot. Because of time constraints I was unable to do a prep shoot linking to Tom Hussey but I did do the artist research for it. I was able to do this shoot and get a good edit from it. This is a progression of the prep work I did as it is built on the artist research that I completed.

Exam Shoot 3 - Straight Images - Tom Hussey

This is, unfortunately, the only edit I was able to get out of my shoot linking to Tom Hussey. This was because of the lack of suitable subject that I could use as well as the limited amount of time I had to do this shoot. I do, though, feel that this is a really good image. To make this edit there were a few simple things that I had to do in photoshop. After taking the photos and checking that they were okay, I opened up the images in photoshop. I used the quick selection tool to go around the mirror in the image of the younger person and then inversed it and deleted the background. I then dragged the mirror image onto the other one and positioned it so that the mirrors lined up in both images. I then simply flattened it. Although a very simple technique I feel that the end result is a good one and it shows the 'Passing of Time' well. I had my camera on auto settings and auto focus.

Exam Shoot 3 - Work Record - Tom Hussey

Pre-Shoot:

As I haven't done any prep shoots linking to Tom Hussey I do not really know what to expect from this shoot. I do hope, however, that I am able to successfully show the 'Passing of Time'. I hope that I can make a few different edits from this shoot and that I can link well to the work of Tom Hussey. I feel that this shoot will be a good alternative to the others as it focusses on a different aspect of the 'Passing of Time'.

Post-Shoot:

For this shoot I was only able to get one final edit, this was due to lack of suitable subjects and also the time constraints of the examination. I do think that the edit that I do have, though, is a good one and really does show the 'Passing of Time' as well as link to Tom Hussey himself. I will discuss the good and the bad of this image in order to give a balanced view of my own work.

I really do like this image, not simply because I both took it and am in it, but because of how well it actually worked. To take this image I set up my camera and tripod in the hallway of my house, so that it could not be seen in the mirror. I then got my Dad to stand in front of it looking towards the mirror. I then took the photo. I set the timer on my camera and quickly swapped over with my dad before the picture was taken. This photo did, however, cause some problems. Because I am taller than my father I had to bend my knees a little in order to be of the same height. This meant that several photos of my were taken until my height and stature were correct. I think that this image is a good one that shows the 'Passing of Time' very well. However, the image could be seen as a little dark.

My Progression:

Although I have said that this shoot was quite easy and went well, there are a few things that I would improve upon were I to go out and take these photos again. One of which would be to get more edits out of the shoot. I think that this is a fantastic concept for the 'Passing of Time' and I would have loved to explore it more. I would also check the exposure of each of my images before taking the photo.

Exam Shoot 3 - Contact Sheet - Tom Hussey

Exam Shoot 2 - Work Record - John Clang

Pre-Shoot:

For my second examination shoot I hope to link to the work of John Clang. I hope to take more photos and produce more edits from this shoot than I did for my preparatory shoot in which I linked to John Clang's work. I will go to a slightly busier area and then take more photos so that my final image has a bit more diversity than before. In this shoot I hope that I will be able to improve upon the work I did earlier in the year.

Post-Shoot:

For this shoot I managed to produce two edits from the two different locations I visited and then make the edits from the images. I think that one of these shoots and edits is better than the other even thought they are both very good images. I think that with these edits I really captured the 'Passing of Time' and how John Clang works. Here is the image that I think is best:

I feel that this image is the better one because every photo in this image lines up perfectly. For this shoot I set up in the town centre area, in a sort of square, open area. I set up on a wall in the corner so that I was out of the way and people wouldn't notice me too much. As people came I took photos as they crossed my path so that I had all angles covered. It was then a matter of printing off the ones that I thought would best fill the image. I made sure I had each bit of the image covered by somebody. I ripped the pieces up and put them into the correct areas. As there was a roof with lines it was easy to match up and line up each of the images. I feel that this edit is a good one to link to the 'Passing of Time'. 

This was the first part of the shoot that I did. There was a smaller area that needed to be covered for this edit but a lot more people came walking past so I ended up using roughly half of the images. I set up on a set of stairs looking out onto a loading bay area. My camera was set up so that the bar in the top left of the photo could be guide for me when selecting photos to put together. Unfortunately, due to the unstable nature of the tripod I was using some of the photos didn't line up with the others. Also, when starting to put the photos together, I started from one end and worked my way across. This means all the images are slotted together in the same way. Although I feel that this is a good image, I think it is the worse of the two that I have.

My Progression:

Although I feel that this is the best John Clang inspired shoot that I have done to date I would still improve on it were I to go out and take these photos again. The main thing that I would improve would be the tripod I used. The quality of the one that I had on the day was not up to scratch and gave me some difficulties further down the line. I would also go and shoot in a few more locations in order to do more edits.

Exam Shoot 2 - Straight Images - John Clang

These are the best images from my exam shoot linking to the work of John Clang.

This was the first edit I did for my exam shoot. I set up looking out onto a loading bay and took photos each time someone came across the path of my camera. I made sure I was out of the public's way and only took as many photos as I actually needed so as not to aggrevate any members of the public who may have disagreed with what I was doing. After taking the photos I uploaded them onto my computer and set about deciding which ones were the best. After deciding and in some cases editing the images I printed them off and set about organising the image into a decent order. Once sure, I ripped the images into sections with the people in them and blu-tacked them onto a fresh piece of A4 paper. Once I was happy with what I had I scanned it into the computer. I made sure the image size and the orientation were correct and then I uploaded it to this blog. I feel that this image is a good one that links to my 'Passing of Time' exam piece quite well. For all of the images I had my camera set on auto mode and auto focus. 

I really like this edit as it is more alike to John Clang's work than any of the work I had done before. In this edit I didn't just take different parts of the same sized photos and then put them in a row, I cut around different areas of the image and then stuck these areas in their relevant places on the final edit. This meant I was able to fill more of the image with less pieces. For example, where the front entrance of Boots is, I ripped around the entrance and then put it on top of the other image. And on the far left of the picture I cut around the two men walking and put them down on the image. I really like this image and think that it gives you a real feeling of the passing of time. Thereby, I think this is my best image from the series.

Exam Shoot 2 - Contact Sheet - John Clang

Exam Shoot 1 - Straight Images - Alexey Titarenko

These images are the five best ones which I was able to get during my first exam shoot.

This is one of my favourite images from my people trails exam shoot purely because there aren't that many people in it. It shows that not everyone is constantly moving, not everyone is constantly heading somewhere or doing something, but there are always some who are. I also like this image because it is of a wider angle than most of the other ones, it gives you more of a perspective of other people's surroundings. I did have to edit this image in photoshop because the original was a little overexposed. I used the brightness/contrast adjustment in order to level it out. This made the image look a lot better. Then, in order to complete the link to Alexey Titarenko's work, I changed it to black and white. I think that this makes the image look a better because it means you aren't drawn in by the colour, just by the simplicity of the photo. 

This is another one of my favourites. This image is slightly closer in to the building than the previous one and has more going on in it. There are more people moving around, some so fast that they are a faint blur off to the side, but some are moving slow enough that they are fully formed and only slightly blurred. This, I feel, shows that everyone is always moving at different speeds. Time passes for everyone but everyone moves differently. For this image my camera was set to f22 and a shutter speed of 1.6 seconds which meant that whether someone was walking or running I was able to pick them up in some capacity, be it a blur, a fully formed person or even just an outline.

I like this image because the two people walking up the centre are very similarly dressed and give the image a look of almost symmetry. I also like the fact that to the left of this image you can see a very slight blur where a body would be and then a white trainer at the bottom. I like it when these images don't catch the entirety of a person because it shows that some people pass so fast that you are unable to catch them. I also think that the black and white colouring of this image makes a lot of difference to how this image is looked at. Had I left it in colour I do not think that it would have the same impact as when it is in black and white. I also think that this image links well to Alexey Titarenko's work and the 'Passing of Time' exam piece.

I like this image because of it's almost ghostly feel. Not one person featured in this image is fully formed. They are merely ghosts of time. None of the people in this image will be in the position they are in this image now. They have moved on and the only impression they have made is on this image, and we do not even know who they are. I feel that this image is a great example of the 'Passing of Time' because it shows us just how quickly time can go and something can be forgotten, or lost. I think that the inclusion of the black and white colouring really adds to this effect as well. This image is also one of the few where my tripod didn't slip and so all of the background is stable. I had my camera set to   f22 and a 1.6 second shutter speed. I had to use the brightness/contrast adjustment in photoshop for this photo too as it was slightly overexposed to begin with, I did this before turning it black and white.

My final straight image I have left in colour. I have done this because I feel that this image wouldn't look as good in black and white. My reasoning behind this is the overexposure of the sky in the image. Despite my best efforts to rectify this in photoshop I was unable to make this image look any better than it does now. When putting this image into black and white, I saw that almost the entire image was white and the parts that were black were thereby overshadowed somewhat. So I decided to leave this particular image in colour. I feel that in doing this I have made the image better. There was a lot of movement whilst I was taking this photo and I think that it shows how busy people's lives can really get, thereby it was a perfect candidate to go on my straight images for my 'Passing of Time' exam piece. Because of the change in location for this photo I also had to change my settings in order to prevent the entire image being white. For this photo my camera was set on f22 with a shutter speed of just 1 second. 

Exam Shoot 1 - Work Record - Alexey Titarenko

Pre-Shoot:

For this shoot I hope to improve on the work that I did in my preparatory shoot earlier in the year. I hope to go to a slightly busier area and take more photos to get more straight images than I did before. I will also attempt to edit these photos more in the style of Titarenko, changing them to black and white. I will try to get more people trails in this shoot than I did in the last one.

Post-Shoot:

For this shoot I used the camera on f22 and differed between a shutter speed of 1 second and 2.5 seconds. This gave me a wide range of photos to work with some turned out quite well and some did not. For this shoot I had to go above the boundary for the shots and almost all the photos I took were overexposed, some even more so. The problem was that with the equipment I had it was impossible to get people trails and them not be overexposed in some capacity as the camera I had did not have an ND filter or other such equipment. Thereby, I had to edit the images in photoshop to get them back to a more suitable level.

This is one of the better images from my shoot. For this photo I had my camera set to f22 and had a shutter speed of 1.6 seconds. I was unable to get any decent photos that weren't majorly overexposed if my shutter speed was any longer than this. However, if my shutter speed had been longer I don't think that the images would have been as good and they wouldn't have shown as much movement. Because I was on a high street people weren't exactly moving slowly so had I been using a 30 second shutter speed I wouldn't have actually caught anyone's movement anyway. So, having a 1.6 second shutter speed was perfect as it meant that the camera could pick up the people's movements no matter how fast, or slow, they were walking. When first taken this image was slightly overexposed, however. So in photoshop I used the brightness/contrast section to darken the image and get it back down to a better level and I think that this worked quite well.

This image is an example of the kind of overexposure I got when my camera had a shutter speed of over 1.6 seconds. For this photo I has my camera set to f22, I was unable to get any higher with my equipment, and the shutter speed was at 2.5 seconds. As you can seer this image is majorly overexposed. The sort of white blur on the right hand side of the picture was actually a man in a white sweater, it didn't come out too well. Also, the movement of some other people in this image isn't actually picked up at all. This supports my thinking behind having less time on my shutter speed. Because this image was so overexposed I was actually unable to make it look any better in photoshop.

My Progression:

Although I feel that overall this shoot was a success there are some things that I would improve upon should I have to go out and do it again. First of all, I would take a sturdier tripod. The tripod I took had a tendency to wobble ever so slightly and thereby in some of my photos the buildings are even a little blurred. Also, I would acquire an ND filter for my camera. This would mean that I was able to have longer shutter speed without having to worry about overexposure. Overall, though, I think that this shoot went well.

Exam Shoot 1 - Contact Sheet - Alexey Titarenko