Macrophotography is the other subject area that I am particularly interested in, so I did some research on that too.

Macrophotography is close-up photography, usually of very small subjects. Classically, a macrophotograph is one in which the size of the subject on the negative is greater than life-size. However, in modern use it refers to a finished photograph of a subject at greater than life-size. The ratio of the subject size on the film plane (or image sensor plane) to the actual subject size is known as the reproduction ratio. Likewise, a macro lens is one lens capable of reproduction rations greater than 1:1, although it can now refer to any lens with a large reproduction ratio, despite rarely exceeding 1:1.


Outside of technical photography and film-based processes, where the size of the image on the negative or image sensor is the subect of discussion, the finished print or on-screen image more commonly lends a photograph its macro status. For example, when producing a 6x4 inch (15x10 cm) print using a 135 format film or sensor, a life-size result is possible with a lens having only a 1:4 reproduction ratio.


Reproduction ratios much greater than 1:1 are considered to be the realm of photomicroscopy, often achieved with a digital microscope.

"Macro" lenses specifically designed or close-up work, with a long barrel for close focusing, are one of the most common tools for macrophotography. (Nikon designates such lenses at "micro" because of their original use in making microforms, but most lens makers use the term "macro" or "makro".) These lenses are optimized for high reproduction ratios. Most modern macro lenses can focus continuously to infinity as well, using complex focusing mechanisms that alter the optical formula. In most cases these lenses produce excellent optical quality when using them for normal photography, although a macro lens may be optimized to provide its best performance at its highest magnification. True macro lenses, such as the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8, can achieve higher magnification than life-size, enabling the photography of the structure of small insect eyes, snowflakes and other miniscule objects.  Others, such as the Infinity Photo-Optical's TS-160 can achieve magnifications from 0-18x on sensor, focusing from infinity down to 18mm from the object. However, macro lenses with 1:1 or 1:2 ratios are more common, and many of these find frequent use for general photography because of their excellent optics.

Macro lenses of different focal lengths find different uses:

• Continuously Variable Focal Length - suitable for virtually all macro subjects.
• 45-65mm - product photography, small objects that can be approached closely without causing undesirable influence, and scenes requiring natural background perspective.
• 90-105mm - insects, flowers and small objects from a comfortable distance.
• 150-200mm - insects and other small animals where additional working distance is required.

Extending the distance between the lens and the film or sensor, by inserting either extension tubes or a continuously adjustable bellows, is another equipment option for macrophotography. The further the lens is from the film or sensor, the closer the focusing distance, the greater the magnification, and the darker the image given the same aperture. Tubes of various lengths can be stacked, decreasing lens-to-subject distance and increasing magnification. Bellows or tubes eliminate infinity focus. They can be used in conjunction with some other techniques (e.g., reversing the lens).

 Placing an auxillary close-up lens (or close-up "filter") in front of the camera's taking lens is another option. Inexpensive screw-in or slip-on attachments provide close focusing at very low cost. The possible quality is less than that of a dedicated macro lens or extension tubes, with some two-element versions being very good while many inexpensive single element lenses exhibit chromatic abberation and reduced sharpness of the resulting image. This method works with cameras that have fixed lenses, and is commonly used with bridge cameras.  These lenses add diopters to the optical power of the lens, decreasing the minimum focusing distance, and allowing the camera to get closer to the subject. They are typically designated by their diopter, and can be stacked (with an additional loss of quality) to achieve the desired magnification.


Photographers may employ view camera movements and the Scheimpflug principle to place an object close to the lens in focus, while maintaining selective background focus. This technique requires the use of a view camera or perspective control lens with the ability to tilt the lens with respect to the film or sensor plane. Lenses such as the Nikon PC-E and Canon TS-E series, the Hartblei Super-Rotator, the Schneider Super Angulon, the LensBaby, the Zoerk Multi Focus System, and various tilt-shift adaptors for medium format, allow the use of tilit in cameras with fixed lens mounts. Traditional view cameras permit such adjustment as part of their design.

Ordinary lenses can be used for macrophotography by using a "reversing ring". This ring attaches to the filter thread on the front of a lens and makes it possible to attach the lens in reverse. Excellent quality results up to 4x life-size magnification are possible. For cameras with all-electronic communications between the lens and the camera body, such as Canon EOS, specially reversing rings are available which preserve these communications. When used with extension tubes or bellows, a highly versatile, true macro (greater than life-size) system can be assembled. Since non-macro lenses are optimized to for small reproduction ratios, reversing the lens allows it to be used for reciprocally high ratios.

Macrophotography may also be accomplished by mounting a lens in reverse, in front of a normally mounted lens of greater focal length, using a macro coupler which screws into the front filter threads of both lenses. This method allows most cameras to maintain the full function of electronic and mechanical communication with the normally mounted lens, for features such as open-aperture metering. The magnification ratio is calculated by diving the focal length of the normally mounted lens by the focal length of the reversed lens (e.g., when an 18mm lens is reverse mounted on a 300mm lens the reproduction ratio is 6:1). The use of automatic focus is not advisable if the first lens is not of the internal-focusing type, as the extra weight of the reverse-mounted lens could damage the autofocus mechanism. Working distance is significantly less than the first lens.

Depth of field is extremely small when focusing on close subjects. A small aperture (high f-number) is often required to produce acceptable sharpness across a three-dimensional subject. This requires either a slow shutter speed, brilliant lighting, or a high ISO. Auxillary lighting (such as from a flash unit) is sometimes used. Uniform lighting can be difficult with subjects very close to the lens, so a ring flash is often used, especially when working distance is small. Good results can also be obtained by using a flash diffuser.

Limited depth of field is an important consideration in macrophotography. This makes it essential to focus critically on the most important part of the subject, as elements that are even a millimetre closer or farther from the focal plane might be noticeably blurred. Due to this, the use of a microscope stage is highly recommended for precise focus with large magnification such as photographing skin cells. Alternatively, more shots of the same subject can be made with slightly different focusing lengths and joined afterwards with specialized focus stacking software which picks out the sharpest parts of every image, artificially increasing depth of field.

Compact digital cameras and small-sensor bridge cameras have an incidental advantage in macrophotography due to their inherently deeper depth of field.  For instance, some popular bridge cameras have the equivalent magnification of a 420mm lens on 35mm format but only use a lens of actual focal length 89mm (1.1.8"-type CCD) or 72mm (1/2.5"-type CCD). Since depth of field appears to decrease with the actual focal length of the lens, not the equivalent focal length, these bridge cameras can achieve the magnification of a 420mm lens with the greater depth of field of a much shorter lens. High-quality auxillary close-up lenses can be used to achieve the needed close focus; they function identically to reading glasses. This effect makes it possible to achieve very high quality macrophotographs with relatively unexpensive equipment, since auxillary close-up lenses are cheaper than dedicated SLR macro lenses.

I decided to research Forensic Photography because I think it is a possible career path that I would really like to explore further.

Forensic photography, sometimes called forensic imaging or crime scene photography, is the art of producing an accurate reproduction of a crime scene or an accident scene using photography for the beneit of a court or to aid in an investigation. It is part of the process of evidence collecting. It provides investigators with photographs of victims, items and places involved in the crime. Pictures of accidents show broken machinery, or a car crash, and so on. Photography of this kind involves choosing correct lighting, accurate angling of lenses, and a collection of different viewpoints. Scales, like items of length measurement or objects of known size, are often used in a picture so that the dimensions of items are recorded on the image. 

Crime or accident scene photographers usually capture images in colour, but also use black and white. The photograph of the skid mark was made during reconstruction at the accident scene to show how or why the ladder had slipped and caused a serious injury to the user. Colour pictures are generally preferred because colour may be an important aspect of the trace evidence, for example. Thus traces of paint or dye on a piece of evidence may be crucial to linking the evidence with a crime or accident.

Various forces and different countries have different policies in regards to 35mm film or digital photography. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Conventional film images, even using disposable cameras, have a high resolution, enabling great enlargement in case details in a picture need closer examination. Pictures from surveillance cameras are a growing source of evidence for courts, as are pictures taken by bystanders using mobile phones. The former are being used increasingly at accident blackspots, and bystanders may take pictures of events when no police officer or investigator is present, but may yet be critical to a case. Digital photographs usually have an automatic date and time marker on each image, so that authenticity can be verified. Conventional photographs without such marks must be authenticated by the photographer, usually in a witness statement. Pictures of the relative position of objects can establish a sequence of events at a crime or accident scene. Due to continued advances in digital technology and software, DSLR cameras are increasingly being used by law enforcement agencies.

The images must be clear and usually have scales. They serve to not only remind investigators of the scene, but also to provide a tangible image for the court to better enable them to understand what happened. The use of several views taken from different angles helps to minimise parallax (the displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight). Overall images do not have scales and serve to show the general layout, such as the house where the murder is thought to have occured.Context images show evidence in context, like how the knife was next to the sofa. Close up images show fine detail of an artifact, such as a bloody fingerprint on the knife.

Road traffic incident photographs show the overall layout at the scene taken from many different angles, with close-ups of significant damange, or trace evidence such as tire marks at a traffic collision. As with crime scene photography, it is essential that the site is pristine and untouched as far as is possible. Some essential intervention, such as rescuing a trapped victim, must be recorded in the notes made at the time by the photographer, so that the authenticity of the photograph can be verified.

As with all evidence, a chain of custody must be maintained for crime scene photographs. Sometimes a CSI will process his/her own film or there is a specific lab for it. Regardless of how it is done any person who handles the evidence must be recorded. Secure Digital Forensic Imaging methods may be applied to help ensure against tampering and improper disclosure. Accident scene pictures should also be identified and sourced, police photographs taken at the scene oten being used in civil cases.

Crime or accident scene photographs can often be re-analysed in cold cases or when the images need to be enlarged to show critical details. Photographs made by film exposure usually contain much information which may be crucial long after the photograph was taken. They can readily be digitised by scanning, and then enlarged to show the detail needed for new analysis. For example, controversy has raged for a number of years over the cause of the 1879 Tay Bridge disaster when half a mile of the new bridge collapsed in a storm, taking an express train down into the estuary of the river Tay. At least 75 passengers and crew were killed in the disaster.

The set of photographs taken few days after the accident have been re-analysed in 1999-2000 by digitising them and enlarging the files to show critical details. The originals were of very high resolution since a large plate camera was used with a small aperture, plus a small grain film. The re-analysed pictures shed new light on why the bridge fell, suggesting that design flaws and defects in the cast iron columns which supported the centre section led directly to the catastrophic failure. Alternative explanations that the bridge was blown down by the wind during the storm that night, or that the train derailed and hit the girders are unlikely. The re-analysis supports the original court of enquiry conclusions, which stated that the bridge was "badly designed, badly built, and badly maintained".

Commercial photography.

Commercial photography is any photography for which the photographer is paid for images rather than works of art. Commercial photography could include:

• Advertising photography is photographs made to illustrate and usually sell a service or product. These images, such as pack-shots, are generally done with an advertising agency, design firm or with an in-house corporate design team.
• Fashion and glamour photography usually includes a model. Photographers here are paid more because of the demand for good photographers to shoot the item being sold and incorporate the model's beauty into the image. Fashion photography like the work featured in Harper's Bazaar emphasizes clothes and other products; glamour emphasizes the model and body form. Glamour photography is popular in advertising and men's magazines which means these pictures are more revealing than editorial fashion photography. Models in glamour photography sometimes work nude.
• Crime scene photography consists of photographing scenes of crime such as robberies and murders. A black and white camera or an infrared camera may be used to capture specific details.
• Still-life photography usually depicts inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural or man-made.
• Food photography can be used for editorial, packaging or advertising use. Food photography is similar to still-life photography, but requires some special skills.
• Editorial photography illustrates a story or idea within the context of a magazine. These are usually assigned by a magazine.
• Photojournalism can be considered a subset of editorial photography. Photographs made like this are accepted as a documentation of a news story.
• Portrait and wedding photography are photographs made and sold directly to the end user of the images.
• Landscape photography depicts locations.
• Wildlife photography demonstrates the life of animals.
• Paparazzi.

The market for photographic services demonstrates the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words", which has an interesting basis in the history of photography. Magazines and newspapers, companies putting up Web sites, advertising agencies and other groups pay for photography.

Many people take photographs for self-fulfillment or for commercial purposes. Organizations with a budget and a need for photography have several options: they can employ a photographer directly, organize a public competition, or obtain right to stock photographs. 

Photo stock can be procured through traditional stock giants, such as Getty Images or Corbis; smaller microstock agencies, such as Fotolia; or web marketplaces, such as Cutcaster.

Write up and analysis of "The Order" by Matthew Barney.

Write-up:1st degree: The Order of the Rainbow for Girls

2nd degree: Agnostic Front vs. Murphy's Law

3rd degree: Aimee Mullins

4th degree: The Five Points of Fellowship

5th degree: Richard Serra

 

Matthew Barney, who is playing the main role of the Entered Apprentice, begins climbing the various floors of the Guggenheim, following a dance sequence from the Order of the Rainbow for Girls. On his way we see Richard Serra propping up slabs of metal against one another. As the Entered Apprentice continues his climb, we see a punk band and their fans beginning a gig. The Entered Apprentice sees and approaches a cross made of tiles on the floor. The Entered Apprentice makes a box out of the tiles. Again we see Richard Serra shoveling a Vaseline-like substance from a bucket and throwing it at the slabs of metal we saw him prop up earlier.

The Entered Apprentice is then approached is then approached by Aimee Mullins, who is wearing a white dress. All of a sudden they are both wearing white dresses. They embrace, and as they do, Aimee Mullins becomes a cat, who scratches his back and removes the cloth from his mouth, which seems to be stemming some kind of bleeding. 

 

The Entered Apprentice is now back in his clothes and climbing again. He comes across a sculpture, The Five Points of Fellowship. Across the room, there is a pile of balustrade-type objects and the Entered Apprentice begins to pule them on top of the sculpture. However,  the next time we see the sculpture, the balustrades have gone.

On the next floor,  we see the Vaseline-covered metal slabs and Richard Serra again. Simultaneously, we see the Vaseline dripping, balustrades piling up, and the ladies dressed as lambs dancing. The woman in the white dress is a cat again. The Entered Apprentice crawls along the ceiling past the cat, who is then back in the white dress. We then cut back to the punk gig. All of a sudden, the Entered Apprentice is holding a cat's skeleton. He climbs back past every floor - the pool, the dancing ladies, the punk gig, the cat woman and the sculpture.

The cat woman is hissing. The Entered Apprentice goes to the box he made from tiles earlier, and takes a hammer from within. He then goes back to the cat woman and hits her with a hammer between the eyes. The Entered Apprentice then falls past all the floors of the Guggenheim into the pool from the start of the film. The last thing we see is the woman in the white dress with blood-soaked bandages over her eyes. She is a holding a leash with lambs attached to it.

Analysis:To be honest, when we watched this film in class, I had no idea what it was about, how it was relevant, what the message was. However, having made notes during the lesson, somewhat subconsciously, and then doing a full write up from my notes, I have begun to make some links between things, and see some of the symbolism within the film. I'm not saying I completely understand this film, as it is only an extract of the entire thing, but I believe I grasp it a lot more than I did 12 hours ago.

Having done some research into the Cremaster Cycle, the project from which The Order was taken, I discovered that the concept behind the project, and Cremaster 3 especially the moment in the womb when a gender is assigned to the growing fetus. This actually helped me to understand certain aspects of the film that had confused me before.

Matthew Barney.

Matthew Barney is an artist from America. He typically works in sculpture, photography, drawing and film.

In 1994, Barney started an art project called the "Cremaster Cycle". It consists of 5 feature-length films and also accompanying photographs, sculptures, drawings and books. It is Barney's best known work.

The project took 8 years from inception to completion and culminated in a huge museum exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. The exhibition also traveled to the Museum Ludwig in Cologne and the Musee d'Art in Paris.

The Cremaster Cycle was described by Nancy Spector from the Guggenheim as "a self-enclosed aesthetic system". The original concept point is the cremaster muscle, which raises and lowers the male testes in response to temperature change.

The whole projects is full of anatomical implications to the position of the reproductive organs at the time of differentiation (the fetus because either one gender or another).

The Cycle repeatedly explores the moments during early sexual development when the outcome of how the child will turn out is unknown.

Some people consider the project a major work of art, even comparing it with Dali and Bunuel's "Un Chien Andalou", whilst others call the Cycle self-indulgent, vacant and tedious.

Images for deco/reco.

Deco/Reco project.

In order to re-create this image, you would need to photograph it in two parts. First, you would need to photograph the background, or you could create the background in Photoshop.  Next you would have to photograph the model holding the two ice cream cones. Then, you would have to cut the hands and the cones out on Photoshop and and then place them onto the background. Finally, the text and logo needs to be added in Photoshop. The corners of the background also look like a vignette has been applied too.

Concerning the lighting, me and Vickie decided that it looked like a low lighting at the left hand side of the image (from where the photographer would stand). This could possibly be a softbox if it was at close range or a beauty dish. Both of these lighting techniques would help create the texture and shadows on the picture.

Theme for glass project: WKD.

Ideas of products to advertise.

Recent polls have revealed that Beyonce's Heat perfume is number one on the top 10 list of celebrity perfumes. She beats other celebrities including Kylie Minogue, David Beckham, and Mariah Carey.

1. Beyonce - Heat
2. Coleen Rooney - Butterflies
3. David Beckham - Homme
4. Mariah Carey - Lollipop Bling
5. David Beckham - Intimately Yours
6. Kylie Minogue - Pink Sparkle
7. Kylie Minogue - Darling
8. Kate Moss - Lilabelle
9. Britney Spears - Radiance
10. Victoria Beckham - Signature

Summer assignment: Part 3.

Bertie.

Summer assignment: Part 2

For the second part of my summer assignment I researched potential university courses, assuming that was what I end up doing after college. After deciding I wanted my university to be close enough to come home each night, as I don’t want to move out of my house, I used the UCAS course search as a starting point. Of course, this narrowed down my options a lot, as the transport around my area isn’t very good. I started by doing a general search on photography, and got over 500 results. So, I narrowed down my search by area, and digital photography. After reading through each course, these are the 5 courses I came up with:

1.       Staffordshire – Photography.

2.      Manchester Metropolitan – Photography and Digital Imaging.

3.      Central Lancashire – Photography and Journalism combined.

4.      St. Helen’s – Photography.

5.      Mid-Cheshire – Contemporary Photography.

 

Staffordshire University.

I chose Staffordshire University’s photography course because it comes highly recommended by both past and present students. This course will challenge me, and expand my horizons in terms of how I use/view photography. The course also aims to develop my professional practice and enhance my chances of future employment. My research techniques will also be improved, along with giving me the opportunity to direct my own work.

Entry requirements – 240 UCAS points.

 

Manchester Metropolitan University.

I chose Manchester Metropolitan’s course in photography and digital imaging because it gives me the opportunity to study as well as pursue part-time industry-related work. This course also boasts the latest technology and will allow me some choice regarding what I work on. Studying on this course will equip me to work directly in the photographic and digital media world. This course also offers further development of my digital skills, which some of the other courses I researched didn’t. 

Entry requirements – 160 UCAS points.

 

University of Central Lancashire.

The University of Central Lancashire’s photography course boasts experienced lecturers that will develop my creative skills. The core of the course consists of experimenting with and evaluating my own work. The course will also give a head start in the media world and will enable me to attain relevant skills. The course also includes intensive workshops and guest speakers, who have experience in the industry. This course appeals to me because it is both creative and vocational.

Entry requirements – 260 UCAS points.

 

St. Helen’s College

I chose St. Helen’s College and their photography course because it focuses on expressing your views through photography, discussions and peer critiques. The course also prioritizes one-on-one tuition and help. The course boasts a delicate balance of theory and practice. The course uses both analogue and digital photography, unlike many other courses I looked at.  The facilities are said to meet industry standards, and the course is run by professional photographers. The professionalism of the course is what appeals to me.

Entry requirements – 120 UCAS points.

 

Mid-Cheshire College

Mid-Cheshire College’s photography course appeals to me because it offers a wide range of photography, from documentary and conceptual photography to portraiture and studio-based work. This intrigues me because I am still unsure what avenue of photography I would like to pursue. This leaves my options open for the future and at the same time opens up my choices for a career.

Entry requirements – 120 UCAS points.