Work Diary - Shoot 2: Leigh-On-Sea

Evaluation 

For this shoot, my camera was set to ISO 200, F22 and a shutter speed of 1/125. I wanted to take photos of the best parts of Leigh-on-sea but the weather was extremely bad so the lighting of the images was dark. Therefore, I decided to shoot a few photos of an old fashioned cafe in the streets of Leigh-on-sea instead. I liked the old fashioned vibe of this cafe, as well as a few other places around too, but the images of the cafe's seating areas and old, rustic signs etc. were far more appealing than other images I took. I would like to go back to Leigh-on-sea and try to shoot photos of the sea and the boats lined up together, as well as sailing in the sea. Due to not being able to capture the photos I want, this shoot doesn't really match all my other shoots. However, I think it relates to my topic because the 'identity' of the cafe is old fashioned and rustic, which is what I have been able to show through my images anyway. These photos add a contrast to my project, as all my other photos are quite modern - whereas this shoot is quite vintage. 

This is one of my favourite shots, as I like the contrast between the white wall and wood panels as appose to the brightly coloured 'Hot Chocolate' sign. When editing this image, I knew I had to make sure the sign was standing up straight that I think I have achieved and am happy with the outcome. The fact the sign is rusted and discoloured in some places, shows that the cafe is quite vintage and old fashioned - which again is what I was planning to achieve. There were a few signs like this dotted around the place, but this one and the photo I shot of it, is my favourite. 

I shot a few images of the seating areas and tables within the cafe, at different angles and zooms. I like this one in particular because the focus is on the center of the table, which is the flowerpot and condiments. Therefore, the chair and background look slightly blurred, and because of this, the flowers look brighter and are the most colourful aspect of the image. Again, I like the old fashioned, vintage vibe of this image as the chairs and tables were quite old, as well as the pot that the flowers are being held in. The tabletops also had a bright orange menu on top, which was also quite old fashioned as well.  

Progression

Although I didn't shoot the images I would have liked due to weather issues, I think the outcome of this shoot came out very well. Despite the images not fitting the theme of my other shoots, as there are no people present in these images, I think they display a contrast from busy, popular places to smaller, and far quieter places. I also like the architectural and interior factor of these images, due to the table images. If I get a chance, I would like to shoot the images I planned too in Leigh-on-sea. However, for my next shoot I plan to move on, back too busier places, where I will be shooting in Brighton. I plan to take photos of people like my Norfolk images, but capturing the business of the place. As well as focusing on the beach, pier and the Brighton wheel. 

Work Diary - Shoot 1: Norfolk

Evaluation

For this shoot, I decided that I would like to explore the 'identity' of the place. When visiting the beach and pier, I liked the depth from the walls and lights along the cycle track, which is why I focused on this during the shoot. I also shot a couple of Location Portraiture images, as in some of the photos I have used a model, but there is still depth shown within the background of the photo. I enjoyed this shoot and considering it wasn't planned, I think the photos came out really well and are relevant to my topic this unit. If I were to reshoot this, I think I would experiment more by taking a lot more photos, especially on the beach itself. I also would've concentrated more when shooting an image, as most of the photos on my contact sheets turned out to be blurry, this could be a fault of my own or a fault in the setting of my camera. I also think I should used a tripod when shooting on Location as this would make my images a lot steadier and straight - particularly where there are lines in the images. 

This is one of the shots, which portrays depth. I took this photo with and without a model, but prefer the image without as you can see the lines and depth from the wall of the beach. I also like this image because the lampposts across the beach get smaller and smaller, again showing depth. I believe this image shows the beauty of the beach and the seaside, particularly as I captured the many footsteps in the sand, as well as the pier in the background. My aim for this shoot was to capture the essence of fun and beauty within the seaside, which I think this photo represents perfectly.

This photo is one of my favourites from this shoot, as it portrays my set purpose very well. In this photo, we can see a seafood, sweets and ice cream shop. Each shop has its own coloured roof, which I have over saturated using Photoshop to make them appear brighter - as this makes the photo more eye-catching and vibrant. This photo shows the other part of the seaside, as appose to the beach. I think this photo represents childhood as sweets and ice cream is what made the seaside so enjoyable, as well as the pier and arcade games, and the bright colours emphasize this feeling of fun and joy. 

Progression

I enjoyed this shoot, and although at the time I wasn't shooting anything in particular, I think the photos relate very well to my topic of identity - particularly as they create the feeling of childhood fun at the seaside, as well as showing the beauty of the beach. The only fault of this shoot was that I didn't capture any photos of being in the sea as the weather was very windy and cold, but nonetheless I think my images came out rather well. For my next shoot, I plan to travel to Leigh-on-sea and take photos of the place to again - get the feel of what it is like there.