Abstract People

Abstract People 

FINAL TWO PICTURES -

This picture is one of my final pictures.

I have chosen it as its one  of my favourite pictures out of all of the other perfume bottles I took pictures off.

This picture is of Aabidahs hands holding some Victoria's secret perfume called Tease and it smells amaze-balls. For this picture I used a cannon and had flash on when taking the picture because it wouldn't auto focus. I like this picture as the perfume and Aabidahs hands are sharp and in focus where as the background is blurred and quite dull compared to the perfume. The focal point of the picture would be the perfume bottle as its right in the middle of the picture and the light from the flash went directly onto the perfume bottle. I like how you can see directly through the bottle and the bottle looks nice with the lace and the pink pump on the bottle. I like the perfume bottle as its got little details added to it with the lace. I haven't used photoshop on this picture as I like it the way it is.

This is one of my final pictures.

I have chosen this as its one of my favourite pictures plus it won a competition and is on the front of the sketchbook.  I like this picture because its not just lain old boring cacti these ones have little flowers on them which is eye catching and makes them look pretty.

This picture is of some cacti. I took this picture at the markets in town. I only took this picture because they looked pretty with the flowers on them otherwise I probably wouldn't of taken the picture. This picture I do really like as some cacti are sharp and in focus the ones at the front where as the others aren't in focus. The cactus in the middle of the picture with the yellow flower isn't as sharp and in focus as the two next to it but isn't as blurry as the ones behind it. For this picture I don't think there's a focal point as there's cacti everywhere. I haven't used photoshop in this picture.

These pictures are of a perfume bottle displayed on a stand with huge paper leafs surrounding it. The first picture I took was to show off the whole display and the second one I wanted to get a close up of the bottle on the stand. If I was to do this picture again I would move the perfume bottle to the left as its annoying me that its not dead centre on the stand. I do like the stand its on as it makes the perfume bottle stand out more as there's a light on top of the stand lighting up the bottom of the bottle. The focal point of these pictures would be the perfume and the leaf display as the green leafs catch your eye straight away.

 This picture is of Aabidah holding a bottle of perfume. The perfume bottle it quite plain unlike the other two bottles of perfume this bottle isn't as clear and see through as them. What I do like about the bottle is the black glittery pump on the bottle so the bottle doesn't look that boring. The bottle and Aabidahs hands are sharp and in focus and the background is blurred and not in focus. The focal point of this picture would be the perfume bottle as that's all that's in the picture as its in the centre of the picture. I haven't used photoshop on this picture but if I wasn't so lazy I would probably crop the photo down a bit to cut out Aabidahs head scarf as its a bright pink colour.

 This picture is of some cacti. This picture is different then the one I took before as it's taken from more of an angle and more closer to the cacti. This picture has sharp and none sharp parts in the picture the cacti with green flower on top to the left of the picture is the only cacti which is sharp and in focus so is the cacti which you can only see a bit of in the left corner with the pink flower on it where as the rest of the cacti aren't that much in focus. I like this picture because the cacti have little flowers on them. The focal point of the picture for me would be the cactus with the green flower on top as its the only one in focus and clear. I haven't used photoshop on this picture.

This picture was taken at the markets of a flower stall. If I was to take this picture again id go to a flower stall that is full of flowers so there's no gaps in between the flowers as it looks horrible with the gaps in it. The picture is of bouquets of all different flowers which is why I took the picture as there all different kind of flowers and not the same otherwise that would of looked quite boring. The focal point of the picture to me would be the flowers directly in the middle with the £10 sign in them as they are directly in the middle of the picture. I haven't used photoshop but if I was I would probably crop the photo down so you would just have the flowers in the middle so I would cut out the gaps.

This picture is of a bouquet of flowers. I choose to take a picture of these flowers as I liked how there just white/creamy coloured flowers. If I was to take this picture again I would get a birds eye view of the flowers as I didn't take any all I took was pictures from an angle. I haven't used photoshop on this picture but if I did I would probably crop the photo down but I haven't because I didn't to ruin the picture so I left it like that. The focal point of the picture would be the flowers as there isn't anything else really in the picture.

Natural Landscapes

Natural Landscapes 

Adam Burton is one of the UKs leading landscape photographers and author of five books. Since 2008 he has been working as a full time professional landscape photographer, regularly supplying imagery and undertaking commissions for a wide range of clients.
He has photographed five of the seven continents and now specialises in the landscapes of the UK, particularly Southwest England.

This picture was taken by Adam Burton its on a natural landscape. In the picture is a stream down the middle of the picture which big rocks in it. The water looks misty as its white. To the left and right side of the picture are trees, grass and rocks. The focal point of the picture would be the front middle part of the picture. I do like this picture as it looks calming.

This picture is one of my final two pictures for natural landscapes I have chosen this as I find the other pictures quite boring as its just of logs and wood when I find plants more better and interesting.

This picture is a birds eye view of loads of three leaf clovers. This picture was taken in lickey hills country park. When I took this picture it had been raining not long before I took the picture which is why  you can see raindrops on some of the three leaf clovers which is why I like this picture so much.

I like the range of colours of greens on the three leaf clovers.

 There isn't really a focal point in this picture as its all just based on one thing the tree leaf clovers. I haven't photoshopped this picture because there isn't anything I would want to do to it I like it the way it is.
I have chosen this as one of my final images as out of all of the pictures i really like this on. I like how the raindrops are perfectly on the three leafed clovers so it gives more to the picture.

This picture is of logs, branches and bushes. The front of the picture Is bury and out of focus where as the rest of the picture is sharp and in focus. You can see the moss and different layers on the first log at the front which is blurred. When I took this picture I didn't intend for it to turn out like this but im glad it did as I like it like this.

The focal point of this picture for me would be the log at the front even though it blurry it catches my eye straight away because its at the front of the picture and like right in your face. I wouldnt change anything about this picture. I haven't used photoshop either.

This picture is of a pathway which is right I the middle of the picture is was a dirt path. Theres a log at the front of the picture going from the bottom left the right. There are bushed and trees to the left and right of the pathway in the middle of the picture. I like how the picture is light and lit up at the front of the picture and the goes darker as theres no sunlight hitting certain parts of the picture.

I don't think they'd be a focal point to the picture as theres nothing really that catches my eye straight away.

I haven't used photoshop on this picture but if I was to take this photo again I would probably try it at different angles to see how the lighting would change.

I took this picture whilst I was looking up as I wanted to get one of me looking up at the top of the trees. If I was to take this again Id try and get it as the sun is breaking through the trees as theres just loads of green in the picture. The picture is of me looking up really theres 2 trees and a hell load of leafs. The focal point of this picture would be the two trees or all the leafs.

This photo hasn't been photoshopped. 

 I like this picture as you can see the details in the trees especially the one to the right.

This picture is of a bunch of white flowers. The flowers are directly in the middle of the photo which would also be the focal point of the picture as white stands out more than the green does.

There are 4 sets of leafs that come out behind the flower in like a plus sign.

 I like this picture because the flowers and the 4 sets of leaves surrounding it are all sharp and in focus and as you look on into the background its less sharp and more out of focus. I haven't used photoshop on this picture.

This is another one of my final pictures for natural landscapes. I like this picture as theres quite a lot going on in the picture compared to the other pictures I have taken. Theres the steps, rocks, bushes and trees in the background.

This picture I took whilst walking up some steps. In the picture you can see two of the steps. Theres a bush to the right side of the picture and to the back of the picture there are rocks sticking up through the ground and then trees to the further back that you can see. I like this picture as it has a rough look to it with the rocks sticking up everywhere.

Im glad I went on a day where the weather was nice because I like the shadows I think it gives more to the picture an it doesn't look that plain.

 I haven't used photoshop as I didn't want to change the picture. The focal point of the picture would be the middle of the picture.

event photography

Event Photography

When taking a picture indoor I would need to consider:

• The lighting ( a high ISO)
• white balance
• Fast shutter speed. 
• Have a high aperture 

This is one of my final pictures for event photography. I have chosen this because I like how she is sat around the table talking to everyone and I like how I have photoshopped it with her being in colour and everyone else being in black and white.

This photo is of the workshop the woman who is in colour is a rapper and is sat around a table full of other people. I used photo shop to make her in colour and everyone else in black and white to make her stand out more. when in photo shop I opened up the image and:

- I then duplicated the image.

-I then clicked on the duplicated layer, so all my work would be done on the layer instead of the ordinal.

- I then went to Image > Adjustments

Hue + Saturation

Change Saturation

Layer Mask.

- I then went to the paint brush tool 

Paint into layer mask.

The black box = Colour The white box = Black and white

- I then had to zoom in to the image because I coloured outside of the lines. 

This is one of my final pictures for event photography. In my sketchbook I have a picture of kanye west I got because it reminded me of this picture which makes me like this picture more.  I have chosen this picture as he is dancing and holding the microphone so theres a lot going on in the picture and I just really like it.

This picture I took is of someone who is rapping.

He is stood with one leg slightly bent which is slightly blurred. He is holding the mic up to his mouth and looking down. There is a table to the left side of the picture which is annoying as the picture would of looked better without it there. If I was to take this picture again I would of stood in a different place so the table wouldn't of got in the picture. The focal point of the picture would be the lad.

 I like this picture because he is rapping and he is dancing as well and theres no blur in the image. I used photoshop to crop the photo an did nothing else as I like the picture the way it is.

 This picture is of someone rapping. This picture was hard to take as he kept moving around which is why his feet are slightly blurred. If I was to do it again I would make the shutter speed higher so I don't get any blurs.

This picture is of a woman talking to a group of people sat around the desk. The lighting was bad which is why there left side of the picture is darker then the right side of picture. I haven't used photoshop on this picture because theres not much else I can do with it. It was hard to take pictures as non of the students wanted to have their picture taken.

These two pictures is of someone rapping. I used photoshop to crop the picture as all I wanted was him in the picture. while I was taking these pictures the ISO had to be high as the lighting was bad in there. If I was to take this picture again I would try at a different angle as the desk in the picture ruins it.

Fact files

Fact files

This is the fact file about event photography. I have chosen events as one of my 3 different location types.

This is the fact file for interiors. .

This is the fact file for commercial.

this is the fact file for architecture.

this is the fact file for people in place.

Essay

African masks

For this essay I have chosen to write about African masks. I have chosen to write about this as I don’t know much about it and want to learn more about it.

“In the early 20th Century, artists like Pablo Picasso and Andre Derain were inspired by the bold abstract designs that they discovered in African tribal masks. They collected and used these works of art to influence their own style. In effect, they used African culture to refresh the tired tradition of figure painting in Western Art.

As a result, we now tend to admire the bold design and abstract patterns of African masks through European eyes. We appreciate them as exhibits on museum walls, cut off from their original meaning and magical power. However, this is not how they were designed to be viewed.

African masks should be seen as part of a ceremonial costume. They are used in religious and social events to represent the spirits of ancestors or to control the good and evil forces in the community. They come to life, possessed by their spirit in the performance of the dance, and are enhanced by both the music and atmosphere of the occasion. Some combine human and animal features to unite man with his natural environment. This bond with nature is of great importance to the African and through the ages masks have always been used to express this relationship.” Taken from

http://www.artyfactory.com/africanmasks/information/african-mask-functions.htm  “The function of an African mask”

“Picasso's African Period, which lasted from 1906 to 1909, was the period when Pablo Picasso painted in a style which was strongly influenced by African sculpture and particularly traditional African masks.” Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picasso%27s_African_Period   “Picasso’s African period

This is Pablo Picassos artwork of "head of a woman" 1907 which was inspired by African art. Picasso's African Period lasted from 1907 to 1909.
I cant seem to find much information about this picture.
By the looks of it, it is an oil painting of a woman. The woman's face looks and reminds of an African masks on the drawing the woman has quite a big pointy nose, a long face, quite big eyes and short brown hair. The focal point of this image would be the face.
I think the drawing is quite weird and I don't really like it.

This is a drawing of 5 people. The two people on the far right are wearing African masks or have faces resembling African masks where as the other three have normal faces.

This is “Les Demoiselles D’Avigon” The two people on the far right of the picture are the beginnings of Picasso’s African period. Picasso would look towards African artworks as inspiration for some of his work his interests was sparked by Henri Matisse who showed him a mask from the Dan people of Africa.

Masks are made to fit a certain role or represent something like “the person who wears a ritual mask conceptually loses his or her human identity and turns into the spirit represented by the mask itself” This is why some masks have certain shapes and features to the mask itself.

Quote taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_African_masks “Ritual and social meaning”

Masks have played a big part in history by guiding and helping us understand more about being human. “Masks in various forms (sacred, practical, or playful) have played a crucial historical role in the development of understandings about "what it means to be human", because they permit the imaginative experience of "what it is like" to be transformed into a different identity (or to affirm an existing social or spiritual identity). Not all cultures have known the use of masks, but most of them have.” Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mask#History “History”

Masks as old as 9,000 years have been found and are being held by the “Musée "Bible et Terre Sainte”  and “Israel Museum “.

It is believed that the earliest masks where used in Africa was before the Palaeolithic era. African culture has used asks in rituals from the earliest days of civilisation. These masks are made to represent spirits of animals, mythological heroes, moral values, ancestors or a form of honouring a person is a symbolic way. Masks can be made from many materials like wood, copper, leather, metal and fabric. But mostly the masks are made from wood. Details on the masks are made from animal teeth, bones and horns, hair, feathers, seashells, straw and eggs shells.  The paint you see on some masks are made all naturally the paint is ochre which is a natural earth pigment which ranges in colour from yellow to a dark deep orange or brown colour.

African masks are made mostly shaped as a human face or a muzzle of some animal.  Animals are a frequent theme of African art of mask making, they represent the spirit of an animal and the person who wears the mask would become that animal himself which would allow that person to communicate with that animal. This is so they can ask that certain animal to stay away from the village. Animals are a symbol of virtue. Most masks made will be buffalo, hyena, crocodile, hawk and antelope. The one animal mask which is widely used would be the antelope mask.  “It symbolizes agriculture and is worn to enable better crops. Horns represent growth of millet, legs roots of the plants while ears represent songs that women sing in the harvest time.” Taken from http://www.historyofmasks.net/mask-history/history-of-african-masks/

Whereas human shaped masks represent things to like masks representing patience and calmness have half-closed eyes, one having a small mouth and eyes represents humility. Masks that represent wisdom have a wide bulging forehead. Masks with a large chin represent power and strength.

This picture was taken of Google of a Punu mask. This is an African mask from the Punu tribe of Cameroon, Gabon. Another common subject of African masks is a woman’s face which is based on specific cultures ideal of feminine beauty. The female masks of the Punu people in Gabon have almond shaped eyes, curved eyelashes, thin chin and traditional ornaments on their cheeks. The picture is an African mask. You can tell from details that the mask is based on a females face as it has the female features described above. When reading about the masks I read that the Punu masks are made by men and no one else is allowed to see the mask until it has been completely finished.  These were considered good looking traits.  “One of the well-known representations of female beauty is the Idea mask of Benin. It is believed to have been commissioned by a king of Benin in memory of his mother. To honor his dead mother, the king wore the mask on his hip during special ceremonies” Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_African_masks  “Feminine beauty”

This picture is of Burkina Faso’s Festival of masks. Burkina Faso is a country located in West Africa. This is where dances are preformed day and night and it is said the person wearing the mask embodies the spirit of the mask they wear. Villages that live around Bobo-Dioulasso hold masks festival giving people the opportunity to show of new masks to awaiting villagers. The last phase of the festival involves straw covered men like the one in the picture. Athletic dancers representing evil spirits with every stunt they do the crowd is driven into an energy filled screaming frenzy. There are three straw covered men and they all try to outdo each other in the end of the festival the good and evil spirits mix dancing alone or in matched or mixed pairs. The picture shows a person stood wearing a black and red mask with white on it. You cannot see any of the body as it’s covered in a dark orangey brown straw. You can see people in the back ground.

This is a picture of an African animal mask that I have got of Google. The animal the mask represents is an elephant as you can see this by looking at the picture as they have a trunk which isn’t that long as the tusks on either side f the trunk is longer than the actual trunk. By the looks of it the mask is made from wood no other materials have been used you can see where details have been added which would be around the eyes in the middle of the mask and the ears. There are loads of little lines I think they are there on the mask to make it look like a more realistic mask. On the masks there’s no colour to it it’s just a plain brown whereas other animal masks have a splash of colour to them. On parts of the mask it goes to a darker brown even black in some parts. As I said at the beginning of the essay people would wear these masks so that they could communicate with any animal of their choice to mostly warn the animal to stay away from the village.

From researching about the African masks I now know a lot more than I did when I started the essay. I now know about some masks and the meanings behind them, why they wear the masks and looking at the different kinds of masks and how they communicate with the dead. I do find some of the masks that I looked at ugly and creepy but now know the meanings behind them and that they all have a purpose. What I did enjoy reading about was the rituals and how they communicate with the dead it does sound mad and hard to believe when reading about it.