Work Record 2

Work Record 3

For this shoot, I decided to take pictures of fairy lights with books. I decided to do this because I found that it made the photos seem more like magic coming out of the books and demonstrate how books can transport you to somewhere else.

Research Artist

For this shoot, I was inspired by Suren Manvelyan because I liked the way he would lights to add an extra element of interest and draw the viewer in more. Also, I like how he made his photos seem slightly more magical by adding them into the background.

Contact Sheet



Best Images



I like this photo because the fairy lights are coming out of the book equally making the photo seem more symmetrical and balanced. Also, I like this affect because this seems like all of the words in the book are magical and coming out of the page instead of only a few. I like how the there are a lot of lights in this photo because this helps draw the viewer in more and follow the circular pattern they have created through the image.



I like this photo because it shows how I experimented with the lights by having a longer shutter speed and moving the lights which created a blurred light affect. I like this affect because it makes the photo seem more interesting because the light is practically bursting out of the page making the book seem that it has powerful and magical words. Additionally I like how I was able to experiment with this shoot because I was able to portray a variety of photos that looked interesting in different ways.



I like this photo because the lights are coming out towards the camera creating another layer to the image and filling up negative space. Also, the line that the fairy lights are on creates multiple leading lines towards the book and where majority of the lights are, therefore, dragging the viewers' eye through the whole image. This affect helps make the overall photo seem as if the magic is spilling out of the book and touching everything that is close to the book.



I like this photo because once again, the fairy lights create the affect that the lights are spilling out of the book continuously and spreading out into the world. Therefore, this could be interpretative to how the magic in books could make someones life more magical by the power of the story and where they transport the reader. This message in emphasised because this book is filled with fairy tales in far off kingdoms and contains a lot of magical elements, which could spread into the reader.

Wort Images



I don't like this photo because I didn't have the correct exposure, therefore the whole picture is dark. This spoils the magical affect because you are not able to clearly see the book or the lights clearly, therefore you are not able to see the same level of magic that the other photos do.



I don't like this photo because it is blurry, when taking this photo I accidentally knocked over my tripod. This doesn't help the magical affect because the viewer would not be focused on the lights coming out of the book, more of the fact that the photo is blurry and that has caused the photo to also look slightly overly exposed.



I don't like this photo because I tried to experiment with a different affect of only moving half of the lights and try to leave the other remainder still. In my opinion, this makes the photo look too busy and unpleasant to the eye because there is too much going on and you cannot focus on anything, therefore spoiling the magical affect.


AO1 - Suren Manvelyan was the photographer that helped influence my work because I liked the way he would use fairy lights and lights similar to make the most impact in his photos. His work inspired me to think about the positioning of the fairy lights in my photos to make the most impact. I was able to do this by laying the lights across the book and leading up towards the lens, this helps draw the viewer in more and makes the photo seem magical.

AO2 - For this shoot, I used my Canon 600D and set my ISO to 400 but for some of the photos where there was more light I changed the ISO to 200. Throughout this shoot, I set my aperture to f5.6 because I wanted as little as possible of additional light coming into the lens. For majority of this shoot, I set my shutter speed to 1/100 because I found that gave me the correct exposure for my work, and for the photos where I was moving the fairy lights around, I set my shutter speed to 1/4 so I could still see steaks of light and they didn't blur all together like one big light. I decided to use a tripod for this shoot because I knew my hands wouldn't of been steady enough to get a clear photo, also by using the tripod it allowed me to move around more freely to change the lights around.

AO3 - My idea for recording Artificial Light was to use fairy lights and place them on top of a fairy tale book to create a magical atmosphere. In my opinion, this shoot helped me produce more ideas for later shoot which made me more focused on my work instead of having a lot of different ideas that didn't really connect together. For this shoot, I wanted to capture how books can hold a lot of magic in them that can transport people into far off places. I feel like I was able to capture this idea in the photo where the fairy lights were equally distributed across the whole book (Best Image 1) because this shows how every single word holds power and magic. Also, I feel like this message has been emphasised in the photo where I experimented with the lights by moving them up and down (Best Image 2) because it seems as if the magic of the words are bursting out of the page, showing how powerful that can be.

AO4 - I feel as if I have produced a strong series of images because I have clearly shown Artificial Light and how to use it in different ways to produce a variety of photos that seem interesting. By doing this, I am able to show the viewer that I am able to manipulate and expand my way of thinking from my original idea and develop it to something new. Also, I feel like these images could be personal towards anyone by thinking back to their favourite book and how that transported them to a different place that they could control. However, these photos are personal to me because I enjoy reading and feel that more people should read to help them escape and I enjoy writing my own stories that could do the same for others that books I read does for me.

Manipulating My Images



For this project, I didn't want to heavily edit my photos because I wanted the main focus to be on the artificial lighting. Therefore I used settings such as vibrance, curves, contrast and levels to help emphasise the lighting more to make them stand out further to the viewer and drawing them in more. Also, I used burn and dodging in some areas of the photos to exaggerate some highlighted and shadowed areas so it would create more of a contrast and an extra element of interest.

Image Bank

Image Bank

Photographer Researcher - Jack Hicks (2)

Jack Hicks (2)

I have decided to use Jack Hicks again because he also did a shoot using a projector, and I when I first saw Artificial Light on the exam brief, projector photography was one of my first ideas.



I like this photo because Hicks has used words to cover the model and he has kept everything in the same colour scheme to make the photo appear more smooth. Also, I like how you cannot really make out what the word is because it creates a sense of mystery which is emphasised by not being able to see who the model really is. This photo gives me ideas on what to do when I do a projector shoot, I could use meaningful words that is relevant to the model themselves to help demonstrate how I am producing work on a deeper level.



I like this photo because Hicks has matched the models outfit to the projection of water. This helps sale the photo more because Hicks has attempted to make the illusion that the model is underwater. Additionally, I like how Hicks has made the model's hair seem wet, this implies that Hicks thought of every detail before taking the photos which helps me realise that I would need to do the same if I want to produce something of a similar quality. This photo inspires me on how I could take photos of models, I could ask them what their favourite hobby is and use that to take photos, therefore this will show how I am keeping everything close together instead of using random photos.



I like this photo because the red helps draw in the viewer more due to the colour being really bold compared to the dark blacks and greens in the photo. Additionally, I like how the flowers surround the model so you can see her face instead of covering her completely and hiding her facial features. I like how the flowers cover other sections of the model but not her face, this really helps the viewer automatically draw towards her face and then through the other areas of the photo. I could use a style similar to this and take photos of the models' favourite flower.

Photographers Research - Suren Manvelyan

Suren Manvelyan

Suren Manvelyan did one photoshoot using fairy lights and I found looking at his work was helpful for what I wanted to do in future shoots.



I like this photo because the model is staring straight into the camera with fairy lights surrounding her. I like the blue tones because it makes the photo seem more like a winter wonderland and has a relaxing feel. Additionally, I like how the fairy lights surround her because they feel up all of the negative space and makes the photo seem more peaceful.



I like this photo because they have used multiple colours of lights which creates more of a pattern and makes the photo seem more interesting and draw the viewer in more. Also, I like how the lights kind of blend in with each other creating a smooth transition, making the photo seem more like one instead of different pieces together. I like how the lights are on the other side to the model creating the photo seem more balanced and equal.



I like this photo because the blue lights in the background are extremely blurred and makes the overall image seem more magical and fairy-like. Also, I like how the model has her eyes closed because this creates the impression that she is thinking deeply about something. In my opinion, the blue lights make the model seem as if she is in a dream-state and making her feel relax. Also, by the model being in a dream-state could suggest that the model is able to forget about all of her worries and concerns, which is emphasised with the blurred lights.

Work Record 1

Shoot One

For this shoot, I went around in the alleyways of Barcelona and along Las Ramblas to try and find things to take pictures of that could resemble artificial light. I found that I was mainly taking pictures of traffic and street lights.

Contact sheets




Best Images



I like this photo because the alleyway seems dark and eerie and the only way to see down are the lights at the side. Also, there is a slight reflection on the ground from the water creating an interesting affect which helps fill up the plainer areas of the photo. I like how the line in the middle of the pavemnt creates a leading line towards the man at the end of the alleyway. I prefer how the man is facing away from the camera because it adds to mysterious atmosphere because you don't know who he is or what he looks like. Also, the streetlights create a leading line towards the end of the alleyway towards this darkness, creating this contrast of light and dark.



I like this photo because the lights going across the trees makes the photo seem more magical and winter wonderland like. Also, I like this photo because the whole scene looks/ feels romantic and by the two people towards the edge of the frame helps emphasise this look by standing close together and seeming like a couple. I like how the bollards at the sides of the image are equal to each other creating the photo seem more balanced and they create leading lines towards the centre of the photo, making the viewer's eyes drag through the whole image.

Worst Images



I don't like this photo because I did not have the correct exposure causing the photo to be extremely dark, therefore, you are unable to see any detail in the image. This photo does not contribute to my final project because you cannot see the artificial light clearly.

AO1 -

AO2 - For this shoot, I used a Canon 600D with my settings set to ISO 1600, because it was night time, and shutter speed set to 1/125 through out the whole shoot. My aperture was varied during the shoot but was mostly kept to around f8 - f11 depending on how much light was coming through. Due to buildings blocking out different lights or somewhere having more streetlights compared to other areas, I had to keep manipulating my settings.

AO3 - My idea for recording Artificial Light in the shoot was to take pictures of streetlights and any other source of light I could find around the streets and alleyways of Barcelona. I like the photo I took of the man walking away with the lights leading up to him (Best Image 1) because this demonstrates Artificial Light clearly for the viewer to see and also has a bit more of a darker sensation to it by the man walking away from the light and into the dark.

AO4 - I feel that I have produced a series of images that helps contribute to Artificial Light by helping me having a better understanding on how I can take photos of light and make the overall image still seem interesting. This shoot helped me create a starting point for me in this project because I was able to create a concept of Artificial Light and set me on a path. Also, this shoot helps me understand where I could go for future shoots and develop on my idea further.


Manipulating My Images



For this shoot, I wanted to keep my photos realistic to the original outcome. In my opinion, I do not like heavily edited photos where the final outcome looks nothing like the original image. Therefore, for this shoot, I just enhanced some of the colours to make them look more vibrant to capture the viewers attention more and darkened up some areas to create more of a contrast.

Photographer Research - Jack Hicks

Jack Hicks

I like this photo because of the smoky affect Jack Hicks has edited in, creating a mysterious and edgy atmosphere. I like this affect because it helps make the photo stand out further because the additional texture from the smoke. I would like to create this affect in photoshop because I feel like that this could add more detail to my photos.

I like this photo because of the bright vivd lights/ colours Jack Hicks used. Also, I like how the background goes from a bright centre to the darker edges. I like how this helps the model stand out further because the lights create an exaggerate contrast of tone. Also, I like how the clothing looks shiny under the lights creating a smooth texture and drawing the viewer in.



I like this photo because of the different coloured lights, they persons face now has a blue tint to it, this creates the photo seem more extraterrestrial. Also, the models clothing helps build this atmosphere because of the silver jacked and the tattoos. The tattoos makes the model seem like she has patterned skin like an alien under the lights because you cannot clearly see what the tattoo is. Also, I like how the colour light on the model and the colour of the background strongly contrast each other making the photo seem more interesting. 

Shoot Idea

Shoot Ideas

- Bubbles
        - Use a large surface light to capture the different colours in the bubbles, creates abstract looks
- Cars following
       - If I pan the camera following the car everything behind will be blurred creating abstract streaks
- Motorway
        - Go at night so I will get the streaks from the cars going across the photo
- Fairy lights
        - I could wrap them around people or create leading lines to add extra depth
- Christmas lights
        - I could use these as well so I will have colourful versions, adding more formal elements
- Portrait foil
        - By placing a bright coloured light behind them and some foil in front will create more texture
- Smoke bomb
        - If I use a smoke bomb with some fairy lights could add more texture and show I am developing
- Slow sync
        - By doing this I can demonstrate how I understood the techniques we learned at the beginning
- LED lights
        - Use one light and move it around them while taking the photo will create a weird light affect
- Spinning around lights
         - I could uses fairy lights and spin them around to create a weird abstract look at the end
- From behind the camera
           - Have lights leading into the frame which would lead the viewer through the photo
- Light reflection
          - Use a bit of water to make the photo reflected and more interesting
- Projector
         - I could use this right at the end to tie all of my photos together
- Candle light
         - Use a candle to demonstrate artificial light
- Croatia shadow
        - This could create interesting affect on the models face.