Photographer research

Photographer Research (connotation, denotation and context)

   No1 why picked..... 4 photos......evaluations....... influence....sum.....

This is a more detailed level of research  (than the research log) where you need to look at 5 photographers (No1, No2, etc.).  For each photographer, you are required to evaluate each photograph, the evaluations will require a critical analysis of the photograph (denotation, connotation and context) and some contextual information on the photographer.  If they are a known photographer (e.g. Henri Cartier Bresson, Robert Frank), you can start with an intro with contextual information about them.

The influence and summary section should only be completed once you have completed your shoots and will require you to explain how the photographer research influenced the way you executed your project.   You should include an example of your own work to show visually how your work relates to theirs.  This could relate to e.g. the way you used similar lighting, composition, etc.

·       the influence can relate to the visual approach of the photographer or technical /conceptual approach.

·       technical approaches e.g. lighting, composition, camera settings, etc.

·       conceptual approach e.g. follow similar ideas.

     The first photographer I researched was

Shoot 5

Research (of artists and techniques)

The artist I will research for this shoot is Robert Mapplethorpe. Maplethorpe was an american photographer known for his stylised black and white photography. 


This photo is a photo of Andy Warhol taken by Maplethorpe. It is a portrait with a spotlight shone directly onto Warhol's face which is described as "ghastly". The spotlight frames Warhol's face by putting everything else into shadow and making the viewer only look at his face and the minimalistic background behind him.

What I aim to achieve.
I aim to take portrait images of people and use photoshop to frame their faces within light and shadows.

Contact sheet

My Best images (target 4 - 6)

Images that require improvement.

I believe these two photos require improvement because I think .

The first photo used settings ISO , F and . 

The second photo used settings ISO , F and . 

AO3a: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.

My idea for framing devices shoot four was to

The images came out better than i expected

i chose the first photo as 

I chose the second photo 

I chose the third photo 

I chose the last photo 

AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.

I used a cannon EOS M body for all my shots. I used ISO , a shutter speed of  and my aperture was F. 

AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.

(note here there needs to be a clear focus on how the work can be developed further i.e. into the next shoot) ANALYSE YOUR IMAGES AND SHOW HOW THEY CAN BE IMPROVED, THROUGH E.G. PHOTOSHOP, FURTHER SHOOTS, PHYSICAL MANIPULATION ETC.

To improve my images i decided to 

I have thought about physically manipulating them by 

AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.

Shoot 4

Research (of artists and techniques)

The artist I will research for this shoot is Robert Pastryk

What I aim to achieve.
I aim to 

Contact sheet

My Best images (target 4 - 6)

Images that require improvement.

I believe these two photos require improvement because I think .

The first photo used settings ISO , F and . 

The second photo used settings ISO , F and . 

AO3a: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.

My idea for framing devices shoot four was to

The images came out better than i expected

i chose the first photo as 

I chose the second photo 

I chose the third photo 

I chose the last photo 

AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.

I used a cannon EOS M body for all my shots. I used ISO , a shutter speed of  and my aperture was F. 

AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.

(note here there needs to be a clear focus on how the work can be developed further i.e. into the next shoot) ANALYSE YOUR IMAGES AND SHOW HOW THEY CAN BE IMPROVED, THROUGH E.G. PHOTOSHOP, FURTHER SHOOTS, PHYSICAL MANIPULATION ETC.

To improve my images i decided to 

I have thought about physically manipulating them by 

AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.

Shoot 3

Research (of artists and techniques)

The artist I will research for this shoot is Lee Friedlander. I want to take pictures like Friedlander by using reflections from mirrors as the photo and the frame of the mirror and the background as the framing device.


Lee Friedlander is an American photographer and often shot photos of an urban social landscape with many of them being reflections. This photo is a photo of Friedlander taking a picture of a storefront and using the reflection to show the landscape behind him. I'm going to try to recreate these kinds of pictures with a mirror.

What I aim to achieve.
I aim to take landscape photos in a rural setting instead of an urban area, using reflections from a mirror. This would replicate Friedlanders photos where he used reflections from windows to photograph the urban landscape around him. 

Contact sheet

My Best images (target 4 - 6)

Images that require improvement.

I believe these two photos require improvement because 

The first photo used settings ISO , F and . I think i shouldve changed my settings to have a lower iso but higher apeture and f-stop, to keep the photo light but not have any grainyness. This photo doesnt look as bad as the second because the other settings work with the high ISO.

The second photo used settings ISO , F and . The photo is quite grainy, the subject was moving in the shot and i dont think the frame was set up right. If i retook this i would use different `

AO3a: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.

My idea for framing devices shoot three was to take natural landscape photos through the reflection of a mirror. I wanted to photograph the natural rural landscape that i grew up with and is currently around me as it is very personal to me.

The images came out as i expected. The main problem that i had with this shoot was the weather, although the snow presented a nice aesthetic, the snow was still falling which made the mirrors spotty with snow/water, which ruined some photos but added some aestheticness to others.

i chose the first photo 

I chose the second photo 

I chose the third photo 

I chose the last photo 

AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.

I used a cannon EOS M body for all my shots. I used ISO 200, a shutter speed of 1/8 and my apeture was F11. I used a tripod for all of my shots and used a softbox light for all of my shots directing light from the right of the photo onto the subjects.

AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.

(note here there needs to be a clear focus on how the work can be developed further i.e. into the next shoot) ANALYSE YOUR IMAGES AND SHOW HOW THEY CAN BE IMPROVED, THROUGH E.G. PHOTOSHOP, FURTHER SHOOTS, PHYSICAL MANIPULATION ETC.

To improve my images i decided to import them into photoshop to put the frame into some of the last photos. I also used it to brighten the images as  some of the shadows were too harsh.

I have thought about physically manipulating them by sewing around the frames or painting the backgrounds around the subjects, to further frame them.

AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.