Long Exposure Photography

I recently had an assignment in my Photography class that involved using long exposure photography and painting with light to produce five final images relating to a theme. I chose the theme of "transformation" to base my photos on.
This photo is meant to represent a cocoon, which relates to my theme. I took this photo by using a long exposure and getting someone to spin a hula hoop covered in fairy lights to create the streaks of light. Originally the light was round, but I altered it in Photoshop to fit with my theme.

I used the same technique for this image as for the previous one. I'm really happy with how this one turned out, as I think its visually interesting and relates to my theme. I wanted the figure to appear as though it was "walking towards the light", therefore representing the transformation from life to death or the afterlife.

My aim in taking this photo was to make an image representing the hope and possibility of redemption and transformation. The butterfly is meant to represent transformation, and the figure someone who has lost hope. I wanted to make an interesting image with a deeper meaning about never giving up hope for a transformation.

My idea behind this image was to make a photo representing the transformation from life to death by using the image of a ghost leaving the body. I like the ethereal quality of this photo, and the story told by the image.

This is another photograph using a hula hoop and fairy lights. I used my brother as a model and raised the hula hoop over his head to create the streaks of light surrounding him. The photo was meant to represent the process of transformation.

I'm really happy with how these photos turned out, and I had a lot of fun experimenting with light and photography.

Rebel Poster Thumbnails

Typography!

In class we've been talking about typography and the use of fonts in design. I've been doing some research online and have found some examples of interesting typography which I really like.

From Graphic Design

I really like the uniqueness and creativity of this design. The designer used a simple font in an unexpected way to create a very interesting design.

From Graphic Design

This design is similar to the visual poetry exercise we did in class a few weeks ago. I love the use of the fancy font which has been repeated to create unity in the design.The arrangement of the single letters to create the shape of a tree is very effective.

From Graphic Design

I like the use of varied fonts in this magazine page. While the page is quite simple, the use of many different fonts adds interest to the page, and transforms the page from simple and somewhat boring to visually interesting and aesthetically pleasing.

From Graphic Design

This magazine page is also very interesting due to the use of typography in the design. I think the use of line and shape in the typography is very effective, and I like the composition of the page.

From Graphic Design

I like the use of typography and texture in this design. The font is curly and somewhat old-fashioned, but contains enough variation to create interest. The crumpled texture in this design also appeals to me.

From Graphic Design

I really like this design. The designer has used many different fonts to create a collection of ampersands, using a variety of interesting fonts in differing sizes to create a very effective designs.

I enjoyed searching for these examples of good use of typography, and learnt about what sort of typography is effective and what appeals to me.

Rebel Assignment Idea

For the graphic design assignment, "Rebel", where you are required to choose an issue to rebel against and create a poster and website, I have chosen the issue of sweatshops and outworkers in Australia. While researching issues affecting Australian freedoms, I came across this issue and was shocked that workers are being so severely exploited here in Australia. There are approximately 300,000 sweatshop workers and outworkers working in Australia today, earning between $2 and $3 a day and working up to 18 hours a day, 7 days a week. Recently, many sweatshops have been closing down due to stricter worker rights laws, but the exploitation is continuing. The former sweatshop workers are now working from home (called outworkers or homeworkers), with the same poor conditions and pay. I was aware of sweatshops and outworkers existing in more disadvantaged countries, but I did not know that they existed in here Australia. I think many Australians are unaware of this issue, which is why I have chosen to raise awareness about this issue using the design process.

The fictional organisation I have created to rebel against this issue is called "Beyond the Label". I chose this name as the aim of the organisation is to encourage the Australian public to look beyond the designer label and find out more about how their clothes were made. I would also like to encourage the purchasing of sweatshop free clothing, and petition the Government to stop the exploitation of these workers.


The symbol I have created is meant to be a play on the name of my group. I wanted to create a symbol representing a clothes label, and create depth behind the label to represent the exploitation that exists to produce our clothes. The sewing machine symbolises the exploitation of workers. I will probably continue to refine this design, but this is my process at the moment. The next step is to continue my research and begin making thumbnails for my poster.

Art Video

I came across this video a while ago and it made me smile. It's a visual illustration of the song, "Art", by Tanya Davis, and explores the various challenges and benefits of creating and sharing art. I like the cartoon style of the art, and I can relate to the content of the video and song which I find really inspiring.

Inspiration

I gather a lot of inspiration for my creative work from flickr. There is such a wide variety of extremely talented photographers and artists sharing their work, and the community is very supportive as well. I love browsing through photos on flickr to gather ideas or just look at some beautiful images.

This is a mosaic of some of my recent favourite photos that I've found on flickr. I find that I'm drawn to soft light and light pastel colours at the moment.

My Recent Photography

I thought I would post some of the photos I've taken recently.

These were taken at a second hand bookstore in Bungendore. I wanted to capture the interesting textures and colours of the old books, and used Photoshop to give them a vintage feel.

This photo of fairy lights was taken at night using a long exposure and zooming the lens during the exposure. My aim was to create a surreal, dreamlike quality in the image.

I took this macro photo of a dandelion in my backyard and converted it to black and white to emphasise the form and shape of the subject.

I took this series of photos in my backyard using an old typewriter and some blossoms as props. I wanted to emphasise the juxtaposition between the shapes and textures of the old typewriter and the delicate new blossoms.

So there's some of my personal photography and the processes and thoughts behind the images.