"Conflict is drama , and how people deal with conflict shows you the kind of person they really are" - Stephen Moyer
Statement of intent My aim for this project was to create a portfolio around self harm and bullying for my conflict topic. I want my work to reflect the struggles and hardships of self harm and the effects of it in a realistic way. As well as this i want to compile together my best pictures at the end which show the stages of my pictures and the process of the project.
For my initial research I will look at war photographer Don MCcullin as his photography is very interesting and capture's conflict well. Also I want to get a foundation for my photos by starting with war and incorporating elements of self harm as I progress. Another reason for my choice of research is because the simplicity of his photos are very effective and I believe that simplicity is the key for a great picture in order to present what you want to talk about. Most of my photographs will be inspired by MCcullins photography style.
The main theme of this project is abuse so I want to show the main ideals of that through self harm as I believe it is the most effective way. I need them to be simple as the focal point will be on the self harm and I do not want to overwhelm whoever is looking at it with too much information at once.
To begin with I will take my photographs where there is a plain background in school as my locations are limited however as the project progresses I would like to go out of school with the project and go to places where there are different concepts that will go with my images . I have some ideas of where i need to shoot my photos ,as of now I am aiming to build my foundation for them first. I will have only one model in my images to reflect its simplicity and focus on the theme.
My photos will be developed through using different filters on the camera and lens types. As my theme is quite dark i need the camera settings to reflect that so white-balance will be a key feature for me. I want to experiment with lighting to create a specific mood for my image which will be clear when looking at it. To develop them even more I will use Photoshop to enhance my images and use my creativity in order to produce campaign posters which will help my work research the highest grade possible.
I will have eight weeks to create my project and work on it so I will split it into four weeks of taking pictures planning shoots and organisation and the other four to improve them on photo shop and organise them so that my best photos will be in the right place and I have no mistakes.
Throughout my project and will evaluate my work and assess it to see what i need to work on and improve. this will help to make the quality of my work a high standard. This will happen in lesson throughout my classmates and teachers opinions. Due to this I will be able to work better and achieve as much as I can and give me the opportunity to see how I can do better in my next project and see how to organise myself for my future work to run smoothly.
CONFLICT COGGLE
Analysing an image using the 5c's
CONTEXT-photo by UNICEF UNICEF saves children's lives ,defends their rights and helps them fulfil their potential. Every two seconds, a child takes his or her breath in a conflict. Among refugee and migrant children on the move , the risks to new-borns and mothers are especially acute. Worldwide , more than 16 million babies were born into conflict this year. Refugee and migrant flows into Europe remain at an unprecedented high.
CONNECTION- The message in the image is to deliver the problems that there are in the world and how it impacts their emotions. this links to conflict because it shows poverty and the challenges that come along with it i.e. the weather and environment which look very damp and bleak. The house in the background looks dilapidated and the ground is a literal sea of mud. In the picture it shows four refugees fleeing and portrays the pain and sadness of it through their body language for example all of them are gripping each others hands scared of the dangers that would arise if they let go.
CONTENT- There is a use of rule of thirds in the image which allows a deeper look into the picture. 1/3 makes up the sky leaving the remaining 2/3 for the ground. In this case it is effective because it focuses on the bleaker area. The main focus point of the image is the family of four refugees consisting of a baby , toddler, mother and father. Their facial expressions reflect what is happening to them and the house in the background ties up the issue showing how they are letting go which many refugees are having to do .
COMPOSITION- The photographer has used a deep depth of field in order to capture every element of the picture. This creates a sharp and focused look. Shutter-speed has also been used around the mark of 1/3000 causing the image to capture the movement precisely. There is an eye-level focus point with gains attention straight away. Finally a white balance setting of shade has been used to set a downcast mood. As well as this the photographer has positioned the family at the front of the image which is effective because of how important they are in the image and what they are representing.
COMMENT- In my opinion , this image is very effective as it reflects the struggles of refuge in a stripped down way which allows the person viewing it to take in what is really important and to not be bombarded by unnecessary elements. It clearly shows the problems a family would have to face and the struggle of their life.
Don McCullin is a well-known photographer who is notorious for his war photography. He was born in 1935 and was evacuated during the blitz in his childhood. McCullin specialised in capturing different aspects of conflict and the pain and grief that comes with it. CONTENT In the image there is a distraught family in what seems to look like a village. There are children crying and grasping onto their mothers who are helpless and upset. The focus point of the image is in the center with the family and the image has a monotone reflection. Onlookers in the background tie the image up as it represents the separation between the family in that exact moment from the rest of the world. CONTEXT The context of the image comes from the war and how families were affected. In this instance the family must have received some upsetting news about a loved one which has impacted them hugely. War images in this time were very influential and hard-hitting as they represented the real struggles of conflict around the world. the image is taken by famous war photographer Don McCullin who captured horrendous scenes all around the world during the time of war. CONNECTION
The message in this image is showing that war has very negative outcomes on families and represents their vulnerability towards danger. Especially in poorer areas where families are very restricted. In the image the family are all holding hands which can symbolise love and hope which contrasts well to the actual message.
COMPOSITION The photographer has used tonal contrast to create a black and white effect in order to set the mood for the picture. A small shutter-speed may have been used to capture the facial expressions. Also there is an eye-level focus which captures the viewer's attention right away.
MOODBOARD
mind-map plan
conflict shoot plan
SHOOT ONE-
best photo
This is my best image because I believe it captures my theme well. Also the background fits well and the expression on the model reflects the mood and tone of my message.As well as this the rule of thirds looks effective.
worst photo
This image is not the best as the shutter-speed used is blurry and I believe it looks unprofessional.
SHOOT 2
Best image This is my best image as it captures what the message was in the shoot. The lighting in the shoot is a nice contrast with the deep meaning.
Worst image This is my worst image because the model's facial expressions were wrong and the lighting is too harsh.
CAMPAIGN POSTERS INSPIRATION
facts on abuse and self harm- . 90% of people who self-harm begin during the teen and pre-adolescent years . nearly 50% of people who have self-harmed have been sexually abused . 1 in 10 young people will self harm . cutting is the most common self-harm method
PHOTOSHOP ATTEMPT 1 -
For this edit I used the text tool to further enhance my outcome. I played around with different fonts until I found the best one that suited my work.
Final image
Photoshop poster 2 -
I used the blotting tool on photoshop to get the bristled effect on the models face.
Final image
POSTER 3
For this outcome I had to use and experiment with different fonts and the blurring tool in order to get a certain effect
FINAL POSTER
Gallery of all posters
EVALUATION
For our project we started off with conflict as our initial concept.I researched themes within this topic and chose to aim my portfolio on self harm and abuse as I believed these were subjects that I could experiment with a lot and gave me a broad space to incorporate my own ideas. Throughout the project enjoyed various parts of it in particular using Photoshop and taking my pictures. The processes of both of these really interested me and allowed me to work independently and creatively so that my work was up to the best standard it possibly could get to. There were a quiet a few new techniques I used throughout this project that I had never heard of before such as photo-shops new adjustment layer which let me add definition to my images and experiment with new saturation and colour contracts therefor improving the quality of my work.I would like to improve my camera techniques by using white balance more effectively In my work and using my camera properly when using focus and depth of field For this project I searched war photographer Don MCcullin who was famous for his conflict photography. I was intrigued by his way or work and seeing how his simplistic pictures had the most effect on me personally. McCullin's work influenced my pictures when I used black and white layers in Photoshop and his simplicity .I believed that a simple approach to my work would be the most effective and it would come across well to other people who saw them as well.The technique I enjoyed the most was Photoshop because it added something more to my pictures which wouldn't have been possible without it and I believed that Photoshop and recording its processes would get you a higher grade. Overall this project has been successful in giving me the confidence to begin working on my own and developing new skills for my future in photography. I am proud of the work I have produced and I aim to create even better work as my journey through photography continues.