Image 1

I took this photograph on a holiday in Valencia 2010. I thought the row of palm trees along with the shadows on the pavement gave it really great composition and the angle it is taken shows this well. The warm tones to the photograph give you the sense of summer and being on holiday again. This is one of my favourite images simply because of this.

Palm Trees in Valencia

Image 2

I took this image in a back garden. I wanted to try and capture the wind chime along with the noises it was making, as if you could almost hear it by looking at the photograph. I used the largest aperture i could get on my camera to give it a really shallow depth of field, so that the only thing in focus would be the chimes. The tones are really subtle which i really like and also the way the background almost has a pixel effect works well.

Windchime

Image 3

This was taken on a 5 by 4 medium format camera for a 'Revisiting Classics' College project. After being given the task to re-make a photograph by Cecil Beaton in a group of three we decided to use an image he had taken of Marilyn Monroe. We then scanned the final negatives into the computers and converted and edited the using Photoshop. I decided to also add a hint of colour to my final edit as I think it works well and I was really happy with how it turned out.

Cecil Beaton Marilyn Monroe Re-make

Image 4

I found this abandoned trolley on a walk home and thought it would make quite an interesting photograph. I really liked how it wasn't just left it had been knocked over, either on purpose or by accident in the wind. This makes it really mysterious. I also added to this effect in Photoshop by brightening up the trolley and the area around it and darkening everywhere else.

Trolley

Image 5

This was taken as part of a set for a project called 'Fashion on Location'. We were given the task to photograph 5 different locations for 5 different publications then choose which one we wanted to go back to with a model. I chose the women's weekly magazine and the location I visited was the back of a restaurant called 'The Saxon Mill'. This was one of my final set of images and one of my favourites. I really like the natural tones to the image and the way my model looks relaxed. The composition worked really well with the wall and the bushes etc surrounding her almost working as a border and leading your eye to her. I think this really exaggerates the clothes she is wearing which was the whole idea as it was a fashion shoot and i was really pleased with it as a whole.

Emma

Image 8

This image was taken along with four others for a college project 'Specialist Location'. I had to create images and edit them using Adobe Photoshop as if they would be stills used for a movie set, without the actors. The idea behind this photograph was a thriller movie such as The Dark Knight. I found an old abandoned garage area which was really eerie and I really enjoyed editing my images to make them look even more glowing and spooky. I really like the old tatty look to the garage on the left and how they were both at an angle to eachother, with bushes surrounding them, the composition was great. I decided to darken everywhere other than the garages to make them stand out. I think this adds to the spookiness of a thriller or horror film. I also really liked the red glow this image seems to have, it makes certain areas stand out alot more.

Abandoned

Image 6

This image is part of a set again for the 'Specialist Location' project but this time these were for a romance movie scene, such as 'When Harry Met Sally'. It was a really sunny day when I took these images and this was one of my favourites as I really liked the reflections in the water and the way the arch of the bridge works as a border. I exaggerated the warm tones using Photoshop to add to the romantic feel, and I think this worked well.

Canal Bridge

Image 7

I took this photograph of my mum originally as a test shot for a family documentary project, however it has turned out to be a favourite of mine.Using the curves tool on Photoshop I changed around the RGB and really liked this blue/grey tone. The shallow depth of field focuses on her face rather than the cigarette which I like as it shows my dislike for smoking. I was happy with the way she is looking away and lifting her hand at the time I took this photo as it makes it a lot more interesting than just a simple portrait, and believe when a person is looking away from the camera this always adds a lot more mystery to it.

Mum

Image 9

Here is another from my 'Fashion on Location' shoot. This was my favourite out of my final five images because of the elegant way the models hand is posed holding her face, and the way her eyes are intensely looking into the lens. I think her hair really stands out in this image and almost matches some colours in her tights, these work well together as whole. Overall i really like the green and red tones in this photograph and the slight awkwardness to her feet, i think this makes it interesting to look at.

Emma

Image 10

This image was taken for an AS Level project. I was given the word 'Hidden' and this had to be my project title so i came up with a series of photographs of a young girl hiding in different groggy places, as if she was running away from something or trying to hide from something/someone but we would never find out the truth. This photo was taken in a garden shed, i wanted it to look like a deserted place and to make the model look scared i told her to hold a blanket and almost hide behind it. The reason i chose this as a final image was because i really liked the way she is staring into the lens, it almost makes the audience thinks she is staring at her and you wonder what she is thinking. I chose to have these images in black and white because i wanted to keep the focus on the content of the image rather than the colour and i think this works alot better.

Hiding

Image 11

I took this photograph whilst standing on a bridge over the top of some train tracks. I really liked how the arial lines and the bridge were almost parallel with each other and the red colours in the sky were beautiful, and i exaggerated this using Photoshop. The sillhouettes of the trees really stand out against the sky and i really liked this about the image.

Red Sky

Image 12

This was created for a college project where we were given the task to create a new book cover for a new story. I decided to change an old fairytale into something more dark and sinister, and came up with 'Snow White & the Seven Sins'. Using fake blood and a rosy red apple i took this image in the studio. I only used one light for this image coming from above to create a deep shadow underneath the arm. Using Photoshop i made the hand and arm alot more pale to look like Snow White and exaggerated the redness of the apple and the blood. I was really happy with the final outcome.

Book Cover

Me, Myself and I

I first developed an interest for photography towards the end of junior school when I realised that I had developed an artistic flair and a passion for capturing a moment that can never be brought back. At secondary school I enjoyed Art at GCSE level and then decided to take photography as an AS level course to support my creative style. Through the duration of my photography projects such as Fashion on Location, I particularly enjoyed the independent side of the subject and the way I could decide what could be represented behind the lens. I took a real pride in finishing the work to a high standard and this made the work considerably more interesting. This then prompted me to think seriously about a career in photography. I know that if I pursue the area of study to a higher level I will want to continue to proceed until I am a fully qualified, registered photographer. As a result of my determination to solely study photography and since leaving school after completing my AS levels, I decided to challenge myself and begin studying BTEC ND Photography at Warwickshire College. This enabled me to look deeper into the different aspects of the subject as there were a new range of modules including dark room practice and I was able to learn a much wider range of skills. During college I have visited many exhibitions such as the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery in London and realised an area I particularly enjoy and want to take further is fashion in photography; working in the studio is one of a number of areas where I have developed my knowledge, the confidence I have gained by working with models and colleagues is reflected in my growth as a person. I feel I can now pick up new techniques easily allowing me to be an efficient worker and complete tasks to a required high standard. Time management is very important to me and with the coursework and research needed for all my different modules, I have shown that I can manage my time effectively and still have time to concentrate on other aspects of life. Being a photographer relies hugely on independence but the importance of teamwork is also needed and is something I have incorporated in my time in education so far. My experience with the company Permajet (2010) and Ilford (2011) at the photography show 'Focus on Imaging' in Birmingham showed me how photography can be pursued in a business environment and that as much as a photograph is important it is also about how you present them, which I have taken on board considerably in my own work. I feel my part-time experience in retail has given me the ability to complete tasks by myself which is particularly important in photography and in higher education. Overall, I think that I can be a successful photography student at Manchester Metropolitan University because I enjoy both artistic and technical aspects as well as solving the challenges it throws at me. Fashion photography is an area that really appeals to me and it has always been an ambition of mine. Amanda De Cadenet has inspired me to look further into this side of photography as her work is always so clean and natural and the subject never looks too made up. Her work is in many publications and this is where I want mine to end up one day. Studying photography will allow me to look further into the fashion industry and other areas so that when the time comes where I can make this my career I will have all the knowledge I need to fulfil my dream. I would like to play a part in the future of photography and its effect on everyday life.