Shape

Shape

SHAPE (definition).

•A shape is an area enclosed by a line. It could be just an outline or it could be shaded in.

•Shapes can be either geometric, like a circle, square or triangle, or irregular.

•When drawing shapes, you must consider the size and position as well as the shape of the area around it. The shapes created in the spaces between shapes are referred to as negative space.

 

Bill Brandt has used negative space to create triangle shapes and it draws more attention to the main

picture. Also, the negative space has a strong contrast with the focus image, therefore, it attracts the

human eye a lot more. In my opinion, I am not a fan of nude photography because I don't like how

the person is over exposed. Bill Brandt has cropped some of the the woman's head and torso out to

make the photo look more abstract. 

Research

            (of artists techniques)

Andy Goldworthy

I like Andy Goldworthy's photography work because he has used natural things in nature to create
shape. Additionally, he's images contain both regular and irregular shapes, and in most if his photos,
the shape is normally placed in the centre of the frame. Andy Goldworthy has given me inspiration
because I was able to access a park near me which I could take similar photos to Goldworthy. His
photos have a variety of tone in it, the background and the main object normally contrast in tone,
which gives me a few ideas on how i can manipulate my photos later in photoshop. 

Image Bank

The following images were added as part of my visual research.

Selected Images 

                           Contact Sheets

Best Images

I choose these next images as my best photos.

I have selected these as my best because I thought that they all represented shape in different ways. 

I like my first image because it shows a rectangular and silhouette shape from the polaroid 

photograph. Also, I like how the background is in colour but the main shape is in black and white 

which creates a strong contrast. I like my second image because the leaf stands out compared to the
ground, creating an unusual shape. Additionally, I like my third and fourth image because the trees
create a semicircle shape in the background. Also, I like my last photo because the rock has formed 
a heart shape, which is uncommon to find and fits the theme of 'Shape' well. 

Images that requires improvement

I have selected these as my images that require improvement because I don't like these photos
because they do not represent any form of shape and they do not have a main focus point. Some of
these photos are not in focus, therefore, it makes my photos look less skilful. To improve these
photos, I would spend more time checking I have my photos in focus. Also, I would double check
what I am taking a photo of and see if it fits in with the title I am working on.

AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.

My idea for recording shape was to photograph the landscape in Lee Valley Park in near me from 
natural and man-made objects. My researcher was Andy Goldworthy, who helped inspire me on
what I should takes picture on for lines. Additionally, most of my photos came out as I thought they
would come out, however, I need to make sure all of my photos are in focus and link to the main
theme of the topic (shape).

I like my image using the polaroid photo because the black and white photo creates shape due to the
rectangle photo and the silhouette in the photograph. this links to my artist research Andy
Goldworthy because he has taken a few photos of someone walking away in the distance and I
wanted to put my own twist on it. 

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

Due to my lack of understanding of my camera and time to take these photos, I took these photos in
automatic. Additionally, I might not of gotten the best quality of photos I could of if I manipulated
the settings on my camera. I took these photos early afternoon, however, I was constantly moving
from shade ti bright light due to the amount of tress around, therefore, it made it difficult to find the
right lighting for some of my photos. 

Manipulating my images

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

The artist I decided to research was Andy Goldworthy, he helped me come up with multiple ideas for
my composition. He used natural objects to create shape by repositioning them or creating a strong
contrast of colour to help make the shape stand out. Andy Goldworthy takes most of his photos in
nature, such as a park or a forest, luckily, I was able to take all of my photos in a park. 

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

My intentions for my photos was to take photos of natural objects which create a shape (like Andy
Goldworthy). I decided to take pictures of natural objects because it would make my photos stand out
because it would be unusual to see natural objects create a distinctive shape. Furthermore, to make
my photos more personal to me, I decided to manipulate them slightly in photoshop using curves, to
create more variety of tone. 

I like my manipulated photos because it links more closely to my artist Andy Goldworthy. I created
all of these final images using curve which helped me change he contrast of the darker to the lighter
areas. By doing this, I was able to make the main focus of my photos stand out even more by making
the background slightly darker. However, I would of liked to use different settings in photoshop but I
would not of been able to link it to my artist, Andy Goldworthy, because he keeps his photos more
natural compared to other artists I have researched in the past.