Tone

Tone

Definition & Theory

Tone: Refers to the lightness or darkness of something. This could be a shade or how dark or light a colour appears.

Tones are created by the way light falls on a 3D object. The parts of the object on which the light is strongest are called highlights and the darker areas are called shadows. There is a range of tones in
between the highlights and shadows.

Without tone, form does not exist. Tone is therefore an important aspect in the visualisation of 3D objects.

This image was shot with a direct lighting from a small light source, this shows masculinity as the darkness and the light compliments each other, the darkness on his cheeks makes his cheek bones look more sharp making him look stronger. The look on his face is compelling because he's looking straight at the camera with almost a scared look but because of the lighting and the high points/dark points it gives off a threatening look.

Diffuse lighting was used to take this image. This makes Marilyn look more feminine as there is more use of light rather than darkness, which is able to make her skin brighter. As her skin his brighter, it looks smoother - Marilyn Monroe is an inspiration for some girls who want to look/appear like her, this image falsely stats what she actually looks like as the lighting makes a difference.

Research of artist

Callum Mcinerney-Riley is an amateur photographer who also reviews cameras. He studied photography at Harlow College and then started work as a freelance photographer in London. He went on to set-up a studio in his home town where he specialised in advertising, product photography and portraits.

 

Callum's work is very simple. He has taken photos of everyday life and what he sees. I feel as if I could capture similar photographs as most of his work is wildlife and buildings. I will just adjust some colours, etc in photoshop to make my photos more professional. His work seems very accessible because its everyday life, but its all about the right time and the composition of the camera, which is skills that I need to develop on. He takes photos of people minding their own business - the first image is of people on an escalator and I assume Callum was waiting for the right moment to capture this and was waiting for a while. The second image is of a street and a singular person walking past, this image was taken at the right moment because the man is perfectly between two poles. The last image is of a fisherman holding his rod, this image was heavily edited so the colours are stronger than they were originally.

Image bank

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

The above images are what I would like to capture when it comes to tone. Most of these tone photographs are of landscapes which I feel I could take similar photographs. The first image is of a fence, a tree and lots of green space - this is similar to the area I live in so I will be able to achieve some similarities in my photography. The second image is close to the first one because it's a park scenery so I can do something like this. The last image is of some coca cola glass bottles, the tone has made this image more detailed and you can see each piece of writing on the lid.

(A01: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding)

Selected images - CONTACT SHEETS

I think my photos will represent tone once I have edited them. I am very happy with all the images I have taken with only a couple not turning out right. I believe my images do reflect my image bank and my researched photographer. The images I have captured are all very simple and cold be improved in many ways, I feel I could have taken more different photos because there are multiples in my contact sheets. I know I could have managed my settings a bit better as clearly some of these images are not the best - some are blurred and some are too dark.

My best images

I took this photo using the shutter speed with an ISO of 1600. This was taken in the Harlow town park, whilst I took the dogs for a walk. I like this image because it gives a sense of happiness for the viewer. This was shot using the shutter speed at 1/125 and I took it as the dogs were running towards the camera after I called them both over. Too edit this image I will transform it to black and white (like some of Callum Mcinerney-Rileys work). I like how both dogs are looking and running towards the camera because like I said it shows happiness and also it is comedic as they both look confused as to what I am doing and want to explore it.

 This was taken in the town centre as the sun was setting. I like how the main focus of the image is the bright light the sun is emitting contrasting with the darkness of the bench and surroundings. This image has many details in it and I had the correct shutter speed as every thing has stopped in place; the fountains in the pond and the person walking past, I like this effect because everything has frozen in time. I will edit this image so the ground is brighter and less dark than it is already, just so everything is balanced. I will also perhaps darken the sky and sun a bit so the brightening sun is not too blinding.

This was also taken as the sun was setting. This image was taken to emphasise the brightness of the sun and how amazing it is, everything is dark and the main focus is on the sun. By the surroundings being dark, it emphasises the sun more. This has the same effect as the one before, where everything is frozen in time. I will edit this so the ground is brighter and not dark as you cannot see what is actually there, so I will use the curves tool to do this. 

Images that need improvement

The first image is of the town centre, I did not use shutter speed for this so the people are blurry and the image just does not look good. Also, it is just slightly unfocused aswell. If I were to reshoot this I will use shutter speed and set it on the right unit and focus the images. I will also use a tripod to get the composition accurate as I know that it will make the image more desirable.

The second image is of some cigarette butts on the top of a bin. This would have been a good photo but I did not set the focus and angle right so it looks bad. I should have zoomed in a bit more as well to get the details of each cigarette. This image could have made an effective point, how smoking is bad and can only lead to a dull, black and white life. If I were to re shoot this I would focus it and zoom out more. I would also perhaps take multiple pictures at different bin ash trays just to have a wider range of options.

(A03: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress)

My idea of recording tone was too take pictures of landscapes and people and then photo shop them into black and white or a different filter to add an affect. I loved taking pictures for tone as I feel I can be more expressive with my images and make them more meaningful and full of depth. This has inspired me too take more photographs of landscapes as you can get a lot of colour, tone and meaning into one photo. I was attempting to take photographs of people minding their own business, as this is similar to Callum Mcinerney-Riley's work.    

This image shows the rule of third

(AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and 

processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops)

These were all taken using the Samsung NX20 20.3 MP SLR and I am happy with all of my images. Some need improvement possibly because I did not do the settings right. I am starting to get used to the Samsung camera and also using my creativeness/imagination to make my photographers look different compared to others.

Below I edited one of my images using photoshop and adding tone to it...

The first thing I did was use the curves setting to make it a bit brighter and using the spot healing brush tool I cleared up the image, I got rid of a few leaves and sticks that were on the floor and I also got rid of the dogs leads. Next I changed the colour of the image to black and changed the sliders so some colours were darker, for example I made the grass darker than what it was before. After this I selected the black pug and decided to make him seem lighter so his face features can be seen. I did this by selected his face and then using the hue/saturation tool, I then put the saturation slider to a higher number. The last image is the final product and I am please with how it came out.

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

I feel like most of my images relate back to my chosen photographer and my image bank. I think this because Callum (the researched photographer) takes photos of very everyday things he just concentrates more on the detail in those photographs and he does a lot of close ups. My images were an attempt of this and I am pleased with the outcome.

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

Tone is very interesting because you can take a picture of anything and then edit it to show tone, but I feel as if there's more to it. For me, you have too take a picture of something interesting so once edited and possibly turned black and white, the colour will add an effect and could change the meaning of the image.

Below are some edits I have made...

Shape

Shape

Definition & Theory

Shape: A shape is an area enclosed by a line. 

It could just be an outline or 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.

Negative space: The are which surrounds the main subject in your photo (the main subject is known as the "positive space")

BILL BRANDT - NEGATIVE SPACE

This image is of a woman surrounded by darkness. In this image the woman looks upset as if she looks depressed, also the neck is covered in darkness as well this could be that her mind is separated from her body as the photographer believes that most men choose body over mind. The term 'body over mind' can also be seen by how her breast is seen and that would be what most people would look at first because you wouldn't really expect to see such a thing. Also, she has half a face this can show how beauty is what is 'important' in this society.

Research of artist

The photographer I have chosen is Bill Brandt. He was a British photographer and photojournalist. Although born in Germany, Brandt moved to England, where he became known for his images of British society. He is widely considered to be one of the most important British photographers of the 20th century. During World War II, Brandt concentrated on many subjects – as can be seen in his "Camera in London" (1948) but excelled in portraiture and landscape. To mark the arrival of peace in 1945 he began a celebrated series of nudes. Brandt became Britain's most influential and internationally admired photographer of the 20th century. Many of his works have important social commentary but also poetic resonance. His landscapes and nudes are dynamic, intense and powerful, often using wide-angle lenses and distortion. The following images are examples of his work...

(A01: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding)

Bill Brandt uses natural settings in his photography. All of his work seems to be in black and white which adds a more in-depth affect on the image and on the person looking at the image. The first image is of some type of bird on a large field, this image captures nature and how pure it is. The second image is of a pair of legs, this is part of Bill Brandt's project called "Brandt Nudes", where he explores the details of a women's body and if put into a obscure position, how different it looks. The third image is of a girl at the beach, she appears to be shirtless which shows she is free and confident. I feel that most of his work has a meaning behind it and I like how I can decide what that meaning is without looking at the photo description.

Image bank

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

The above images I am inspired by and I aiming to try and achieve similar photographs. I feel as if these are very 'everyday' objects which I see a lot around Harlow and other towns, so I know I can make similar photographs. Shape is located everywhere so I can take a variety of images. The first image is some power lines - because of the composition the power lines looks larger but further away., this image has a high aperture as you can see what is further away from the camera. The second image is of some salt and pepper, I chose this image because of the shape of the shadow surrounding the salt and pepper. The last image is of some poles, this has the shape in the circles the poles create.

(A01: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding)

Selected Images - CONTACT SHEETS

I took a few of these photos when I was on holiday in Spain with family and the rest in Harlow. I am happy with these as I was used to shooting with the Fuji Fineopix and also some where taken with the Samsung camera. Shape is clearly everywhere but it was difficult not to mix it with pattern as they can sometimes merge together. I am going to put some of my photos into photoshop and change the filter to black and white to make my images more close to what Bill Brandt created. I will also experiment with some other filters to just see what is the most appealing to me. The images I have created are all average as I am still exploring what sections I am good and what sections I need to improve on - with the sections I need to improve on I will do this over my time of doing more photography.

My best images

The shapes I have focused this on is the shape of the dogs. This was taken in the Harlow town park, I like this image because it looks like the dogs have an interest in something on the ground and it lets the viewer decides what it is they are sniffing. This has a high amplitude as you can see everything in the frame but you can tell where the main focus is (the dogs). I will edit this by using the spot-healing tool to get rid of some leaves, etc so the scenery looks cleaner.

 This image was taken on a light box. The camera focused really well on the dice and captured the reflection of the dice on the light box. The shape I focused on was the shape of the actual dice and the shape all three dices make which is a triangle. As the dice are facing different directions, this can show how even though they all face different directions they can still come together and form something new. This was taken in the studio where I felt like I was being rushed because there were others waiting to use the dice, even though I felt rushed I was still able to take a reasonable image which is one of my best images.

This was also taken on a light box. The background of this image is a chess board which compliments the main focus of the image, as they both relate to each other. This image shows a knight and a rook which are both used to protect the king and queen during the game. So by them being in focus and separate from the others, it can show the importance of them. This had the same situation with the dice, I feel the composition could have been a bit better but I can edit this in photoshop. I used a low aperture so the background is blurred and the two chess pieces together are focused.

This was taken in Spain. This image was taken to resemble some of Bill Brandt's work, as he does a lot of portraiture. I like this image because it shows that the girl is looking at something but we don't know what. I like how her blonde hair stands out against the white and grey background along with her yellow bathing suit. The shape focus for this was her head/top half of body - this image will be edited into black and white.

Images that require improvement

The first image is of my back door keyhole, I wanted this photograph to represent wasted space (the area around the keyhole) but I did not focus it right. I wanted this to also similar to one of Bill Brandt's images as it is an everyday thing but it can have a different meaning but this did not turn out like that. If I were to re-shoot this image I would use a tripod so I am able to correctly see what I am focusing on and change the settings.

 The second image is of a crested gecko and was taken in my room. I did use the flash for this one as the natural light was not good and I was not yet used to my new camera's settings. The reason I don't particularly like this image is because I do not like the background. It is too distracting and bumpy so it just ruins the photo, if I were too reshoot this I would take the picture on a flatter surface.

(A03: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress)

My idea of recording shape was to find shapes wherever and create my own shapes with different objects. I found it difficult to take photographs of very different shapes as I feel most of my images are the same. I tried my best to relate some of my images taken to my image bank and my researched photographer which I feel I have done. I feel I need to work on taking more photographs than what I think I should do because then I can talk more about my images, select my best & worst and relate more back to my research - by having more images it gives me more opportunities.

With the images I have now, I have the ability to make a short series of edited photos which will all relate to Bill Brandt. Bill Brandt's work has interesting and unusual scenes which I could have done but I may not have had the time to do such a thing as once I finished taking photos for this, I was suddenly researching about the next formal element - so there is a sense of rush within my work.

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

I used a Fuji Fineopix S9600 and a Samsung NX20 20.3 MP SLR. All of these images were taken using the manual focus on both of these cameras. I am starting to have more experience on the Samsung camera, so I have been changing the aperture settings and using the shutter speed. I believe that by having experience on two different cameras helps me see what different cameras can do. I enjoy using the Samsung camera more as it is new and easier to use/understand. Below I edited one of my images using photoshop to make it more alike one of Bill Brandt's images. To do this I changed it to black and white...

The final image was formed by using the curves setting, and I made the scene look lighter. Next I used the colour balance tool and adjusted the sliders, I made the yellow slider a bit higher than the others as it makes the whole image a bit brighter. The rest of the sliders are lower as it adds a darker effect. I like what I have created as it looks like a more meaningful photo, as it is an image of a bench by itself insinuating loneliness. I wanted this image to look depressing - I want this because its a single bench in the woods, this can give a sense of loneliness and depression. Because it shows a single thing by itself surrounded by big objects that can be overwhelming. There doesn't have to be a meaning behind this image because its just a photograph and it's up to the viewer to decide what is happening in this image. 

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

By researching photographers and their intakes on shape, I realised how some photographers are really creative and have used some sort of abstractness in their work. By exploring the different photographs/photographers I then knew how to capture shape. I believe my work does represent shape which I am pleased with. I enjoy my images of the people, because they are effective and I like how shape can represent a person. There was a mixture of different types of shape and interpretations of shape within these photographers, which I enjoyed because it gave me insights into what photographers see when they take photographs. I was able to take multiple images of different/similar things but I think I could have accessed a deeper understanding of what shape is and how I can photograph it.

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

Shape appears to be quite easy to take photos of because shape is everywhere, the thing I found difficult was taking photos of the right shapes and getting the right angles. As I was looking at a variety of images and professional photographers I was able to get different insights of what their interpretation of shape is, some were creative and some were basic. I found looking at basic and abstract interpretations of shape inspiring as I was able to look at objects and scenery in a different way. Below are some edits I made, there are a mixture of my selected and best images...

Next I have made some edits to represent a journey from home to a forest...