Photo analysis

A2 Photography essay.

For my photography investigation i have decided to look into the wok of Charlotte Rutherford, who specifies in image manipulation and post production. When i came across charlotte’s work i was instantly very interested in her photography because each image was different, her techniques vary from set to set, which intrigued me into wanting to use her for my investigation. I could see a vintage theme running through her images which varied throughout the sets, depending on the models and location. I knew that this would be a great chance for me to experiment with new techniques that i haven't yet tried, And i would easily be able to imitate them as she uses such a wide variety of techniques and ideas. I am hoping that throughout this investigation that i will be able to prove that i am capable of widening my horizons and pushing myself out of my comfort zone to be able to achieve what i yet haven't, which will also help me with my graphic’s and help me feel more confident with using photoshop. I am very excited to complete this project as i know i will progress upwards from it.

This is a portrait photograph of a model taken by charlotte Rutherford. In this image we can see that she has tried to create a vintage looking atmosphere as the colours (blue and orange) are colours that contrast on the colour wheel which create a very vibrant and striking composition, almost resembling the 70’s/80’s. Within the image we can see the model in the foreground facing towards the camera smoking a cigarette which makes the photograph feel very grunge. The smoke helps to direct the viewers eye through the composition, from the foreground to the background. Light is coming into the image from the right hand side, creating a shadow on the left hand-side of the woman's face. which contrasts against the dark and light tones of orange and yellow. The image has been made to look grainy which has reduced the quality of the photography, but helps to give the piece its vintage rustic feel, which also explains the black lines around the edge which represent a polaroid.

While choosing photographs this one really stood out to me. I thought the choice of colours worked really well as using a range of warm colours makes the photograph seem more inviting and alive. The photograph consists of an image of a man singing with a microphone, but the image is repeated and overlaps its self, creating a kaleidoscope effect also fitting in with the vintage theme because kaleidoscope pattern’s were very 80’s. Also Charlotte has photoshopped some floral patterns into the image, which makes the composition seem more interesting and eye-catching. The opacity tool has been used which helps to direct the viewes eye from the top of the image where the most saturated elements to the piece are, down to the less saturated elements.The photo quality varies as some parts of the photo aren't as crisp as others which relies on the fact that it was tampered with on photoshop, but nonetheless it still looks great.

For my recreation of this image i took a photo of my brother against a white wall so that it would be easier to edit later on in the process. I wanted him to wear vibrant clothing so that the image would look more lively and interesting. The male in charlotte's photograph looked very natural and unknowing so i also wanted to re-create this as it makes the composition of the image feel very innocent and candid. 

I used repetition in this piece to create a kaleidoscope effect. I reduced the opacity levels to create layers which gives the image depth. I also added layers on top of bokeh images and light which i set to multiply to give it that vintage grunge feel. I took some photos of some lilies which i also photoshopped into the image. I also played around with the hue and saturation so that i could change the colours and choose the ones that contrasted the best. 

The image above consists of two males combined to create another kaleidoscope looking piece. 

Although the composition is similar to the previous one i really like the way this piece fits together. In colour and shape. The colours in the piece are very dark although there is a vibrant orange light leakage that helps bring the piece to life. Although the kaleidoscope is from the 80's, the picture of the youth shows that she is trying to bring back the effect, which mixes modern and retro together. I am very intrigued in this composition and am looking forward to re-creating my own version. 

This image is another weird and wonderful composition created by Charlotte Rutherford, Here we can see a birds eye view of some hands overlapped. The grainy effect and mustard background make the image seem very vintage and retro, along with the big crystal on her finger. The long nails make it seem very elegant and feminine. The way the hands are overlapped could possibly represent time and movement throughout the composition. I think this image also represents kaleidoscopes in a way, although it doesn't look similar to my other images i have analysed but because there is a lot of repetition in the piece.

I really like the composition of this last piece. Its very different to most of her images because there is a mixed mood in the image. the black and white contrast together which create a dark shadowed tone in the photograph which makes the image seem very dull and gloomy, yet she has photoshopped sequins into the foreground which lighten the mood and make it seem childish yet playful. The main article in the picture is the girl, who is directly in the centre of the image, she holds a very emotionless posture which gives the photo a sense of feeling. 

The image is in a dark sepia tone which contrasts against the sequins making them stand out and look bold and eyecatching.