Myoung Ho Lee
Myoung Ho Lee photographs solitary trees framed against white canvas backdrops in the middle of natural landscapes
Myoung Ho Lee, a young artist from South Korea, has produced an elaborate series of photographs that pose some unusual questions about representation, reality, art, environment and seeing.
Simple in concept, complex in execution, he makes us look at a tree and its structure in its natural surroundings, but separates the tree artificially from nature by presenting it on an immense white ground, as one would see a painting or photograph on a billboard.
Myoung Ho Lee, a young artist from South Korea, has produced an elaborate series of photographs that pose some unusual questions about representation, reality, art, environment and seeing.
Simple in concept, complex in execution, he makes us look at a tree and its structure in its natural surroundings, but separates the tree artificially from nature by presenting it on an immense white ground, as one would see a painting or photograph on a billboard.
In response to Myoung Ho Lee's work, I went to Coldfall Woods near my school and held up a white background as a backdrop for leaves, branches and logs. The contact sheet includes photos of nature by itself as well as photos against a white background. The photos below the contact sheets are my favourite chosen images, edited on photoshop. They were all brightened using the curve function, as well as being cropped.
WWW: The sharpness of the images and how well the white background brought out the intricacies of the structure of the branches.
EBI: I edit out the hands holding the edges of the paper using photoshop.
EBI: I edit out the hands holding the edges of the paper using photoshop.
Sanna Kannisto - Field works
Kannisto’s work addresses the acts of staging and image-making. Her photographs, with their biologically correct titles, show not only the breathtaking beauty of nature, but also the tools used to achieve the would-be image at center—the velvety black drapes at each side, the difficult “neutral” lighting rig, the seamless white background.
My Reponse - contact sheet
Edit Process
Final Edited Images
I placed flowers in stands against a white background to draw attention to the structure of the plants and the colours of the flowers. I chose these three images as the structures are very varied with different compositions of the leaves and stems. The colours are also very bright and gives the images a bold feel.
WWW: The very sharp contrast and the bold colours of the flowers.
EBI: The lighting of the third image caused the photo to be of lower clarity and slightly blurry.
WWW: The very sharp contrast and the bold colours of the flowers.
EBI: The lighting of the third image caused the photo to be of lower clarity and slightly blurry.
Brutalist Architecture - Simon Phipps
The term Brutalism was derived from the French ‘Béton brut’, or raw concrete, was a term coined for the futurist architecture being created by Le Corbusier and others like him. From this label the term Brutalism was created as a way to classify this style of architecture.The expression became associated with a movement emerging in postwar British architectural offices. The architecture itself is characterized by the large size of the buildings and the use of raw unfinished concrete. Brutalist buildings also make use of geometric forms in a way to attempt to communicate the buildings function and what the rooms behind the slabs of concrete are used for.
The photography by Simon Phipps provides a unique perspective and portrays Brutalist architecture in a sensitive, realistic and distinctive manner. Phipps has spent the last 15 years photographing and documenting Brutalist and buildings in the UK, creating a survey of photographic images that demonstrate the breadth of this contentious architectural style.
The photography by Simon Phipps provides a unique perspective and portrays Brutalist architecture in a sensitive, realistic and distinctive manner. Phipps has spent the last 15 years photographing and documenting Brutalist and buildings in the UK, creating a survey of photographic images that demonstrate the breadth of this contentious architectural style.
For my response, I visited the Barbican Centre and took a series of photos inspired by Simon Phipp's work. I took the photos from a low angle. For the composition I made sure that for most of the photos the structures filled most of the screen and that there are layers to the images as well, with buildings overlapping each other in the composition. I also looked up from the base of buildings in 3 photos to give the structure a sense of scale and symmetry. I then edited the photo to make them black and white.
Final edited images
WWW: There is a great amount of variety in terms of camera angles and composition. I also took photos of many different structures of Barbican as I went around almost the entire estate.
Extension - EVOL
German street artist EVOL transforms banal urban surfaces into miniature lifelike buildings. He is like an urban planner, but unlike the others, he creates a city within the city.
The artist uses complicated stencils and photographs to quickly transform powerboxes, and other worn urban surfaces into miniature apartment buildings or other structures. By drawing tiny balconies and satellite dishes onto the side of an electrical box, he is able to turn it into a realistic tiny skyscraper.
The artist uses complicated stencils and photographs to quickly transform powerboxes, and other worn urban surfaces into miniature apartment buildings or other structures. By drawing tiny balconies and satellite dishes onto the side of an electrical box, he is able to turn it into a realistic tiny skyscraper.
In response to his work, I first chose some of the photos I took at the Barbican and zoomed in on the side of the buildings, aiming for a direct, straight on angle. I tried to include as many windows as possible to make it as authentic as possible.
Then I printed them out on paper, cut them into different shapes and arranged them on a piece of cardboard cut out, resembling the side of a new building.
My Response
WWW: I used all the different components of each structure of each side of the buildings I chose and they all compliment each other very well. There is also a mixture of compact structure in terms of the placements of the cut outs in the middle as well as space close to the top and bottom of the cardboard
EBI: It took me 2 lessons instead of one, as I thought of the idea of mixing different types of structures last minute
EBI: It took me 2 lessons instead of one, as I thought of the idea of mixing different types of structures last minute
Thomas Danthony - Brutalism
The Brutalism project is a collaboration with Black Dragon press about Brutalism architecture in London. He turns photographs that he has taken in to simplified images in Photoshop and then in turns creates screen prints of his creations.
I edited my response on photoshop. I used the polygonal lasso tool to select the areas I want to highlight and then use the average function in the "blur" section to simply the selected areas. I then repeated this for every shape in the photo until the process is complete. The screenshots are in the slideshow below.
My response
Structures of the body
Task 1
I set up the skeleton and bones in the studio and photograph them on a white background. Then I took a series of portraits of my classmate and then using photoshop and other experimental techniques, I merged the portraits with the skeletons and bones.
I set up the skeleton and bones in the studio and photograph them on a white background. Then I took a series of portraits of my classmate and then using photoshop and other experimental techniques, I merged the portraits with the skeletons and bones.
Process
1. First, I opened a picture I took of the skull on a new layer called layer 2
2. Then I used the quick selection took to highlight the outline of the skull which I want to use
3. After using free transform to move the skull to the first layer, I decreased the opacity of the skull for it to "blend" more into the face
4. Then, I chose "hide all" after selecting "layer mask"
5. Lastly, I used the brush tool after selecting black and white on the colour section to erase part of the skull to show half of the original, unedited face.
2. Then I used the quick selection took to highlight the outline of the skull which I want to use
3. After using free transform to move the skull to the first layer, I decreased the opacity of the skull for it to "blend" more into the face
4. Then, I chose "hide all" after selecting "layer mask"
5. Lastly, I used the brush tool after selecting black and white on the colour section to erase part of the skull to show half of the original, unedited face.
WWW: The lengthy effort produced a good end result. The skull largely fits the head of my subject and the transparency is clear, revealing the skin and tones underneath the skull.
EBI: the mouth of the skull doesn't quite match the mouth of the subject.
EBI: the mouth of the skull doesn't quite match the mouth of the subject.
Tate Modern Trip: Radical Eye
Our class went to exhibit the Elton John Collection at the Tate Modern. His collection included some of the world’s greatest private collections of photography, drawn from the classic modernist period of the 1920s–50s. An incredible group of Man Ray portraits are exhibited together for the first time, having been brought together by Sir Elton John over the past twenty-five years, including portraits of Matisse, Picasso, andBreton.
First Strand - Removing structures from cityscapes
For my first Strand I will be taking photos of busy streets in London, similar to the blurred photos of Bill Jacobson trying to include subjects such as people and traffic in the photos. I will later be removing structure from cityscapes using blur tool in photoshop.
My response
For my first response I took photos of the streets in Archway, London. I aimed to take portrait images of the busy street by going there close to rush hour. I aimed to capture the bustling street life as well as the structures around it. This is different from some of the taller skyscraper structures in Jacobson's photos but the photos still felt lively and the movement of the people can still be seen.
I used the blur function of photoshop and chose Gaussian Blur. This type of blur is more authentic to the blurring effect in Bill Jacobson's photos than the other types of blur. Finally, I increased the radius of the pixels affected to very high (91.9).
I then replicated the same process for 2 other photos.
WWW: I chose the location well as Archway was a place with lots of movements and actions, including people and vehicles. This was very faithful to the Bill Jacobson photos.
EBI: I took photos from more exciting angles from different streets instead of a similar location on a corner. I could choose to shoot at a much busier section of London with bustling activity from all directions, such as Oxford Street next time if I chose to pursue this strand.
EBI: I took photos from more exciting angles from different streets instead of a similar location on a corner. I could choose to shoot at a much busier section of London with bustling activity from all directions, such as Oxford Street next time if I chose to pursue this strand.
Second Strand - Removing facial structure
I will take portraits of people's faces and then removing facial structure using the clone tool. This related to the theme of structure as I am changing the structure of the face.
My response
I took portrait photos of three students in my class, all of their eyes and mouths clearly visible.
First I selected an area of the skin which I will clone to "cover" the eyes and mouth. This is done using the clone stamp tool. I dragged the cloned area of the face over the eyes and mouth to remove the facial structures
Then, I used he spot healing brush tool to smooth out the colours of the now covered up regions. This makes it seem more natural and the cloned area blends in with the skin tone around it. This is seen in the two side-by-side comparison photo above (ignore the mouth).
The photo below is the finished image.
Then, I used he spot healing brush tool to smooth out the colours of the now covered up regions. This makes it seem more natural and the cloned area blends in with the skin tone around it. This is seen in the two side-by-side comparison photo above (ignore the mouth).
The photo below is the finished image.
I then repeated the same process for the other two images.
WWW: I blended the skin tone of the mouth and eyes very well for the last two images, especially the girl's mouth. The clone stamp and spot healing brush tools were very hard to use and I think I utilised it very well.
EBI: I did not accidentally blend the hair/eyelash with the eye, distorting the colour scheme and making it look unnatural. However this was quite minor.
EBI: I did not accidentally blend the hair/eyelash with the eye, distorting the colour scheme and making it look unnatural. However this was quite minor.
Third Strand - Brutalist Structures
I particularly enjoyed the brutalist structure section of the set tasks we had to do for the structure exam unit. I will expand more on Simon Phipp's work by visiting more locations and taking photos, editing them to become black and white later in photoshop. I will aim to experiment with different camera angles and try out new compositions.
My response
I chose to go to another location with brutalist structures - the National Theatre on the Southbank. I chose four of the favourite images I took that day and edited them black and white.
First I chose the "black and white" option in the adjustment section, then I selected the original background in the layer section. After choosing the background I changed the curves of the photo to sharpen the colours and really make the black and white "pop".
This is shown in the screenshots below
This is shown in the screenshots below
This is my favourite image because of the composition. The building contains a lot of smaller components protruding from the structure, as if it is its own structure. This makes the composition more complex as I included as many as I can in the frame, and the individual "structures" all compliment each other very well.
I like this image because there is considerable more space in the photo, unlike the last photo. There is almost an equal amount of man made structure and sky in this photo, and I really like the balanced composition.
WWW: the composition of the photos are very packed and I like the way it turned out. Also this was a very good location and has many different shapes within the structure
EBI: I took more photos from different angles instead of mainly straight-on. I could have also climbed stairs to access the higher level and took photos from there.
EBI: I took more photos from different angles instead of mainly straight-on. I could have also climbed stairs to access the higher level and took photos from there.
First development - adding structure to brutalist buildings
Alexey Bogolepov is an artist adding red lines to black and white images of brutalist structures to accentuate its edges and its rigid structure. For this development I will add lines to my photos in a similar fashion to Bogolepov using photoshop.
My response
First I chose the line tool in order to draw the red lines. I then changed the colour in the toolbar above.
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I made sure to change the weight of the line to 10 pixels, otherwise it is too thin
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I selected the black and white section of the layers in order for the red to show up ( if I chose the background or curves the lines show up as grey)
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I then traced most of the edges of the building loosely with the line tool
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These edited photos relates to the theme of structure as it adds layers to the structure. It essentially adds structures to the images which is exemplified by the bright red colour of the lines , as well as accentuating existing components of the structures and making it stand out.
WWW: the colour of the lines contrast very sharply with the high contrast black and white structure. The lines also compliment the sharp edges of the shapes of the structures very well.
EBI: there were some overlaps of the lines in some parts of the photos, however this is vey minor and does not really affect the aesthetics of the photos.
EBI: there were some overlaps of the lines in some parts of the photos, however this is vey minor and does not really affect the aesthetics of the photos.
Second development - nighttime photography using long exposure
for this development I will take photos during nighttime using long exposure, much like the photography of Pygmalion Karatzas
For this development I returned to the Southbank and took photos of the National Theatre again, but this time at night. To create a long exposure I turned up the ISO too 3600. I then switched to manual and turned down the shutter speed. Lastly I set the aperture to quite a low setting of f/4. This ensure that I was able to take bright and clear photos of structures at night without using flash.
My response
To make the picture stand out more, I increased the input level of my photo. Then, I used the polygonal lasso tool to select areas of the photo and used the fill tool to fill it black. This draws attention to the edge of the building that stands out, the parts of the building which I want the viewer to focus on. For the third photo I actually used the fill tool to cover up projected words on the surface of the structure. The parts which are singled out are also lighter in colour and almost "shines", therefore drawing attention to them in ways that would not have been possible if it was photographed during the day.
WWW: The edits on photoshop really increased the quality of the photos, the high contrast helps bring the lighted parts of the structures to attention and really catch the eye.
EBI: the quality of the original images were better (the clarity of the photos). I could improve on this by holding the camera more still or use a tripod.
EBI: the quality of the original images were better (the clarity of the photos). I could improve on this by holding the camera more still or use a tripod.
Third development - Deconstructing structures
Espen Dietrichson (born 17 September 1976 in Stavanger, Norway) is a Norwegian artist. He lives and works in Oslo, Norway. In his series of photos the buildings of Lyon are pulled apart in the impossible photographs.
For each image the walls and roof of a building are moved apart into the sky, just like the exploded axonometric diagrams drafted by architects. Dietrichson stated that "The series of modified or levitated architecture started as my first interest when I went to art academy," in an interview shortly after the unveiling of the photographs at the Galery Roger Tator in Lyon.
For each image the walls and roof of a building are moved apart into the sky, just like the exploded axonometric diagrams drafted by architects. Dietrichson stated that "The series of modified or levitated architecture started as my first interest when I went to art academy," in an interview shortly after the unveiling of the photographs at the Galery Roger Tator in Lyon.
My response
I took photos at Trellick Towers for me to deconstruct it on Photoshop later.
First I used the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select the side of the building I wanted to take apart. Then, I used the paint bucket tool to whiten the background and also to fill in the black gap that is created after the removal of the side of the building. I repeated this for every part of the structure that I wanted to take apart.
Unfortunately, the photos I took were not easy to deconstruct as they are often flat and does not show side to the buildings, so I only did one edited photo.
I will focus on adding structure to buildings for my next developments.
Unfortunately, the photos I took were not easy to deconstruct as they are often flat and does not show side to the buildings, so I only did one edited photo.
I will focus on adding structure to buildings for my next developments.
Fourth development
I decided to continue the development of adding structures to building via adding lines in photoshop, inspired by Alexey Bogolepov's work. For this development I decided to use black and white photos of Trellick Tower from the last development and use less opaque, blue lines.
The process was very similar to my first development, except this time I changed the opacity of the lines to 50% for every single layer containing the line shapes drawn by me. I also selected the background layer and made it black and white, changing the curves as shown in the screenshot on the right to increase the contrast and make the image pop.
WWW: The blue complimented the black and white well, just like the colour red in the first development. The fact that it is not opaque also worked out really well. The lines these time also look more 3D as they "wrap" around buildings more this time, creating more depth to the arrangement.
EBI: most of the 24 photos I took of this structure are quite hard to add structures to as it is quite flat and does not have enough shapes in its structure.
EBI: most of the 24 photos I took of this structure are quite hard to add structures to as it is quite flat and does not have enough shapes in its structure.
Exam Final Piece
For my final piece I will combine my development of taking night photos of brutalist structures using long exposure with adding structure to buildings like the work of Alexey Bogolepov. I took photos of the Barbican at night.
I chose white as it will starkly contrast very clearly against the white black background.
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in order to fill in some of the gaps between the white lines, I used the magnifying glass tool to zoom in
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by zooming in on a specific part of the structure it made it a lot easier for me spot gaps between the lines and fill it in with the line tool.
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I chose to use black and white photos as it has been a running theme for my strand since the beginning, and I've learnt from development two that it works very well for night time photos. The white lines help accentuate the added structure it brings to the image, offering a clearer and bolder presentation of the editing changes to structure I made in the photos.