Work Diary - Form (Studio Shoot)

For this session, we were told to go into the studio and shoot form. We were told about how lighting is used for this element in order to show shadows to emphasise the 3-dimensional element of the pictures we were going to take. This was quite easy at first at it was straight forward but after a while, it got repetitive and I eventually ran out of ideas. Most of my pictures consisted of someone standing in front of a black background, the only difference is that they have turned their bodies to face a different direction or that I have photographed a different part of their body. I tried using one or two props but this didn't really work. 

I think this picture is successful because half of my subject cannot be seen due to the shadows I have created. This shows the 3-Dimensional element of my main subject as her back is bright, whereas her front is completely dark. I used soft lighting in order to emphasise on the shadows and thus the form of my subject, this also helped to make her stand out. I like how her hair contrasts with her shirt, it makes his picture even more exciting. 

However, I don't think this picture was successful because no shadows are present so the element of form isn't really put forward. I think that if I maybe moved her body round a bit or used a different angle, form could have been shown. I initially thought that the movement of her hair would somehow show form by creating shadows but this didn't really work out. 

If I had the chance to do this session again, I would like to focus on hands. I think will give me a lot more to do and get my pictures to vary. I could manipulate the person's hands to create shadows and make my pictures look way more interesting. By being able to include different gestures, the pictures won't be repetitive and will all be equally as exciting.

I will be able to experiment with the lighting, thus manipulating the shadows.

 

Straight Images - Form (Studio Shoot)

Describing Form

Structured

Dynamic

Detailed 

Linear

Distorted

Geometric

Tense

Sharp

Definition - Form

Form: 

The visible shape or configuration of something.

My own definition:

A specific shape or appearance of something. 

In this picture, form is shown by the black background and by the shadows in the collar bone. The shadows make the dent in the collar bone look much deeper than it really is, creating an illusion for the viewer. The black background makes the shape of the shoulders sharper and more defined.

The 3-dimensional element of this bench is exaggerated by the shadows being stretched due to the position of the Sun. Moreover, the Sun is shining directly onto the bench, making one side bright and the back of the bench dark; this further shows that the bench is 3D.

In this picture, the shadows of the dancers are bigger and the photographer has done this in order to show the importance of the dancers and the element of form. The shadow shows the dancers at an angle in which the viewer can not see in the photograph - this shows form because the viewer can see the dancers at different angles.

Form is a main element in this picture; shadows are found on the water coming out of the tap. By doing this, the photographer shows the viewer the shape of the water and highlights its 3-dimensional element. 

Work Diary - Form

This session was based on the topic of form. When we were first told about this topic, I wasn't quite sure what form was and how to capture it in a picture. However, after it was explained to us, I soon began to understand the concept of it. Shadows are the main way to portray form. By photographing the shadow of an object, the viewer can see the 3-dimensional element of the picture and thus feelings of presence are evoked. As we did this shoot on a sunny day, finding shadows was easy, however, i had to figure out how to show off the shadow and I did this by experimenting with the angles so that the shadow was shown clearly along with the object.

From the shoot, this is my favourite picture because the ladder looks 3D. Not only does the shadow of the ladder show this 3-dimensional element but the angle in which the picture was taken emphasises how real this object is. The wall also looks 3D, further emphasising the element of form. The shadow is very strong due to the Sun, this shows contrast and highlights the shadow, making it stand out from the other bright colours, showing the 3-dimensional element of this ladder even more. I think I should have experimented with the different angles because I feel this would have given me more choices and by doing that, I could have seen which angle would be best to show form. For example, if I used an angle lower down, the shadow of the ladder would be more exposed rather than hidden behind the ladder, however, the corner of the building might not be as clear, therefore not show form on that bit of the image.

This picture doesn't look good; I don't think it was successful because the angle was completely wrong. I think this angle didn't show off the shadow of the tape. If I stood right in front of the tape, I could have taken a better picture. Moreover, I should not have included the grass in the image as this shows contrast with the tape but takes the focus away from it as it makes up almost half of the picture. If I took the picture behind the tape facing the pavement, that would have been a better idea because this wouldn't have included the grass and shown the shadow better. Also, the shadow would have been stronger because the Sun would be behind me. However, I'm not too sure if that would work because my shadow might have gotten in the way and ruin the photograph.

If I could do this session again, I would do it in a studio so that I can manipulate the lighting and change the sizes and the intensities of the shadows. This will allow me to show the importance of an object and work with people. I will be in completely control of the lights, allowing me to take my pictures exactly how i want.

I can also use different backgrounds to show off the shadows and the object.

I would like to use a black background to look like one big shadow.

I can also experiment with the lights find different ways in which I can show off the 3-dimensional element of an object.

Straight Images - Form

Image Bank - Form

Form is used in photography in order to show the 3-dimensional element of the picture. Photographers often do this by including the shadow of the main focus in the scene as this shows off the volume and shape of the object. This means the lighting has to be manipulated a lot so that the shadow being portrayed is clear and strong enough to show the element of form. In a couple of the pictures above, a black background is used so that shadows on the main object/subject kind of blends into the background, highlighting it's form.