markcairneyphotography
Mark Cairney Photography
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Landscape - Sense of time final diptych
I am really satisfied with how this turned out, I think doing a bit of research on the location helped me get a good spot with ideal lighting fit for the brief. I believe these images convey a different atmosphere and look very different from one another. The use of colour helps impact this as the first image is very bright and inviting, with vivid green grass and a cold blue sky. The second image is much more relaxed, with warmer tones and deeper blacks.
Again this is not what I would have shot in an ideal world, as restrictions are still strict in Glasgow I don’t feel safe travelling far to do my shoot and potentially causing spread of the virus. If I were to change anything I would like to have shots a beach showing a tide coming in, but I'm very happy with the compromise.
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Landscape - Sense of time post production
Before
After
In post production I didn’t have an awful lot to do, as the raw images looked really good. I was a bit frustrated that in the 2nd shot somehow I had managed to change the focal length slightly on my lens to make it more zoomed out. This could be corrected in future by having a fixed lens as opposed to a zoom lens.
In the first image I slightly brought down the highlights to give the clouds more detail and shifted the colour balance to make it a bit warmer.
In the second image I brightened it a bit, added some clarity and contrast to emphasise the shadows. I colour shifted the greens to look more orange, to show further change in mood between images. I also had to match the crop to the first image as I mentioned earlier I managed to nudge the zoom to make it a bit wider.
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Landscape interrupted finals
I’m happy with the outcome of these and think it fits the briefs purpose. In the first one it highlights the juxtaposition between human made and the natural environment, with the trees towering over anyone who walks by but they look dwarfed by the high-rise flats. I think this expresses that human dominance nature and the environment.
The second one features two buildings, which I think shows even when you’re looking at fields and animals almost as far as the eye can see, there is still the ugly, blocky buildings interrupting the landscape. I think the buildings here act as a reminder of how artificial the world is becoming, more and more land is being taken and covered with man-made structures. The buildings feel like they’re creeping up on the landscapes in a way?
I am relatively happy with what I was able to produce, although I didn’t get to shoot what I initially wanted with restrictions still being held in Glasgow I managed to produce two nice pieces of work. I just wish I was able to follow the sort of fine art, dramatic images that I had wanted to.
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Landscape interruption shoot 2 post production
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After
Being a bit of a dull day it was hard to shoot this landscape, but I had made the journey out so I had to. In post I cropped in to show the buildings in the background more clearly, while this is more subtle than my first shoot I wanted a bit of variety. I turned down the highlights because the sky was losing some definition, and brightened the grass a little as well as changed the green tones to make it stand out, as in the original the grass looks dull and underexposed.
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Landscape interrupted first shoot post production
Before
After
In post production I cropped in a lot closer to remove all the distractions of the image as well as remove the buildings to the right of the frame which makes a cleaner image I think. I colour graded the image to make it look a lot more inviting, so some pink tones in the building which amplifies the sunset that was slightly coming through the clouds.
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Landscape - Sense of Time contact sheets
I sat for a couple hours and took intermittent photos during this to show the change over time. Thankfully it was a sunny day and the scene turned out the way I had hoped. The first couple of images look very green, bright, and evenly lit. The later photos look much moodier, with a nice warmer light, which I think looks good in contrast to the colder green-looking photos.
Hopefully when it comes to post-production I can make it clear that this fits the brief and successfully passed.
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Landscape - Sense Of Time
My initial response to the brief was to look around for locations that I knew looked different as the day progressed. I had a couple ideas of shooting in my garden, or out my window to showcase a urban enviroment that I could shoot from morning to night and feel comfortable leaving my camera.
I've decided against this and will travel to a country park that's 10minutes away. I've got an idea to shoot a traditional grassy landscape, which should show the sun going down and creating shadows and changing the mood of the landscape, looking much warmer and more inviting than the initial earlier one.
I went a walk and noticed there's trees at this bit which gives a nice shadow onto the field, aswell as sheep which gives you more to look at and adds the image.
I took this picture earlier that day which shows the lighting looking very different. I think I will face my camera in this direction and the sun should set towards the left of the scene, casting long shadows of the trees onto the foreground. I'll take these roughly 3-4 hours apart, so I'm not sat out in a field all day babysitting my camera, but there's still enough time to show a nice change in scenery.
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Landscape Interrupted shoot 2
I shot this one at a park, which features buildings behind a nice grassy landscape. Again I wish I'd had better equipment to get a closer view, but my camera is pretty decent so I'll be able to get away with cropping in a bit.
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First Landscape interrupted shoot
My first shoot went pretty well, I think they will take a bit of editing and cropping, as again I didn't have ideal equipment but im pleased with the outcome. I think for my second shoot I'll try something a bit different as a contrast but again will have to keep it local, I want what I described in my ideas with a traditional landscape with buildings in the background.
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Landscape interrupted thoughts and research
After receiving this brief my initial thoughts were to travel to Loch Voil and photograph the mirror cube pictured below.
Sadly I can’t do this, and it will have to be somewhere local as we’re currently advised not to leave Glasgow, so my next idea is to capture a traditional landscape with high-rise flats in the background. I can think of a couple locations and will start shooting then post some contact sheets if they work out.
I have gathered some research images that helped me think of what I wanted to shoot.
I like the square crop of this, helps the viewer focus on what’s in the centre of the frame, as well as mimics the shape/structure of the poles.
This one is subtle but I like it, you notice a shape far in the background which does not look natural. It looks man-made and catches your eye.
This one is definitely my favourite, it was shot at Loch Doon with more of a fine art style. The long exposure makes the water turn to a smooth blur, aswell as the reflection. It makes you question: what is this weird block? that looks almost like an island, or a building. The edges and corners immediately catch your eye as you never see those features in a landscape.
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Brand Slogan final presentation board and evaluation
I watched some videos on how to do psd mockups, which turns out is actually pretty easy. After learning this I applied my images onto different advertising products, and I'm really happy with the outcome. Having postponed this brief for a couple weeks, not feeling too mentally well to deal with it, I think I have passed the briefs needs.
In relation to the client -Glasgow City Council- I believe my images and chosen subject makes sense for their needs. As the idea of tackling rubbish, wastage and the lack of recycling and reusing which is a big problem in Glasgow specifically. I believe this campaign could help in these areas.
For my presentation board, I decided to use the Glasgow city council colours on the background, to help the association with Glasgow and the client specifically. I picked some of my better mockups and edits that I created while doing the worksheet and decided to use them on the board. I also added more text and the logo again to further the association with the client and make clearer what the initiative is.
Unfortunately I went AWOL for a while and wasn’t able to get feedback via the zoom task, which is my own fault. I’ll do my best to not let this happen again for the rest of the folio, which should be easier with lockdown rules easing and things going back to normal.
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Brand Slogan post production
Before
After
I started with the plant in the first image, I flipped it so I could have the nicer looking side on the left hand side. Because I accidentally bent the green background card in the top left, I had to use the right hand side of the image. I also cropped in on both images, resizing until they were the same size. Using the pen tool I cut the 2nd image in half and placed it over the first one. Other than adding the text and the Glasgow city council logo, I think that was the majority of what I changed. I also edited a vertical one which looks very similar, but not quite as good. I’ll still use it for billboard etc.
Now I have to start putting the image onto different advertising devices, billboards, buses, instagram ad, bags whatever else I find. Then ill make a final advertising brand board with the ‘Not All Rubbish Is Rubbish’ slogan and message.
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Brand Slogan selection + setup
I shot this time using studio lights and a background, which helped me achieve more consistent, even results and let me have more control over the shoot.
This is what my dodgy setup looked like, I forgot to photograph the lights and their position so I made a diagram to show it.
Contact sheets
I am much happier with the raw files this time around, and think I can make them work in post the way I hope them to. I’ll be attempting to combine the two different shoots to create a final including both split down the middle.
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Brand Slogan failed attempt
For my first attempt at brand slogan, I had the idea to shoot empty tin cans which had been turned into sort of plant pots. I took 3 empty bean tins, ripped the label off, cleaned them before housing plants in them. I decided to shoot in natural light outdoors on a bench in my garden, my thought process was this would amplify the natural, organic feel which I was aiming for. I thought Glasgow city council would make sense for a good campaign to choose, in theory it would tackle problems like litter and waste that Glasgow faces.
When it came to actually practising this idea I was really unhappy with the outcome, it looks messy and there is too much going on. I tried my best to salvage the shoot in post, by blurring everything but the middle plant but I still thing it doesn’t look great and I wouldn't want to put something I'm not proud of in my portfolio.
I’m going to have to reshoot, I think what I’ll do differently is shoot on a solid background to avoid the eyesore of the first attempt with the bars of the bench drawing too much attention. I also think I want to use soft studio lighting, so probably a softbox on the background and a beauty dish to light the subject, ideally I’d want a spotlight for controlled lighting but I don't own one. I want to keep Glasgow city council my client, as I think my idea will still fit them.
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Reimagine Post Production and evaluation
Before
After
In post production I overlaid the source images onto my images, and messed around with the opacity modes pictured below.
I tried using ‘darken’ and different options, as I didn't like original overlay setting because the highlights would disappear, or the shadows would be too prominent in comparison. I also went around the edges of the source images with a 0% hardness eraser brush, after laying them ontop my image. I did this to have it look more naturally combined, rather than just a photograph placed straight onto it.
After struggling with my initial idea I am much happier with the outcome of this and think it fits the brief more successfully. There are some questioned proposed in the brief I am going to reference and answer.
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FIND a photograph. Not yours.
STUDY the photograph. What do you know about the elements of the photograph?
I know these were taken during the 1930s, I’m not sure what they were taken on. I recognise the location in all of them.
Does it have people in it? Who are those people?
There are a few people within 2 of the images, I have no idea who the girls are in the 2nd image. And the post office back then was owned by a family with the surname Wotherspoon. I managed to find photos of old postcards they used to sell of Baillieston Cross, back when ‘Glasgow Crosses’ were sort of a thing.
Is it a familiar place? What happened there?
It is familiar to me, as I grew up going between Baillieston and Garrow. It is personal to me and maybe others that lived here.
Does it signify and event? Describe the event.
No it doesn't signify a specific event.
How do you FEEL about the photograph?
I feel a sense of wanting, perhaps wanting to live in the area during this time? As it’s went downhill and is not what it used to be, it’s mainly a place that contains takeaway shops, convenience stores and some random shops.
If you know nothing about the photograph, write down imagined stories; possibilities within the frame
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Ask others about the photograph.
I asked my parents, who didn’t know much about it as they grew up elsewhere. With lockdown there was not really anyone else I could ask that would have any more information about the photograph or anything related to it.
Using the photograph as a starting point, CONSTRUCT a narrative using images of your own. Include found material if you like.
Present the images in a way that INTRIGUES the audience.
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After reviewing the brief, I think I have passed successfully, and achieved everything the brief set out to me.
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Reimagine source images
They’re pretty low quality as you’d expect, I’ll try to sharpen them a bit and will have to shoot wide angle to fit them in during post and make them not look too blurry.
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