Lucy Bannister:My Portfolio

Module: The Still ImageStudent No.: 3014712Course: Digital Media Arts

1st Brief: Self-Portrait (no Photoshop)

2nd Brief: 10 Images(no Photoshop)

Image 1: Use of self-timer

2nd Brief: 10 Images(no Photoshop)

Image 2: Low light image[Aperture: F 4.0]

[Shutter Speed: 1/125]

2nd Brief: 10 Images (no Photoshop)

Image 3: Shallow depth of field

2nd Brief: 10 Images(no Photoshop)

Image 4:Fast shutter speed

2nd Brief: 10 Images (no Photoshop)

Image 5: Light

2nd Brief: 10 Images (no Photoshop)

Image 6: Colour

Image 7: Texture

2nd Brief: 10 Images (no Photoshop)

2nd Brief: 10 Images (no Photoshop)

Image 8: Line

Image 9: Balance

2nd Brief: 10 Images (no Photoshop)

2nd Brief: 10 Images (no Photoshop)

Image 10: Movement

3rd Brief: Recreate am im-age

Peter Kennard’s work

My recreation

4th Brief: Change an image to change its

meaning

5th Brief: Human Identity & Digital Culture

The idea for the self portrait (image 1) came quite quickly. It seemed personally important to link my shyness (which fortunately isn’t so bad nowadays) and a wealth of words that I use to identify myself together because it defines who I am. If the image wasn’t so yellow, particularly in the background (I used flash but it was also taken under indoor electric lighting) it may look better. However if we could’ve used photoshop this could’ve been corrected. However, I don’t think this detracts from the effectiveness of my image as a self portrait.

The ’10 images…’ brief was the most challenging as I’d never had to create so many images for different purposes before. Before this course I was used to photography as a pleasurable activity, doing it to enjoy myself and capture memories. It gets more challenging when you have specific goals and objectives to fulfil. I’ve reshot some images for final submission because they weren’t to the standard I wanted them to be. Some weren’t imaginative enough/effective at showing the word /effect we were meant to express when taking the image. Seeing what others had done made me realise my own work could improve. It was also an extra chal-lenge that we couldn’t use photoshop. The images I found easiest to take were those whose briefs were just individual words (light, balance, movement, texture, colour-the last 5). They were more open yet you weren’t lost for ideas due to too much choice. I think they could’ve been better had I included other people as my subjects, but I’m still pleased as, like I said before, I found this brief challenging.

Another favourite brief was when we had to recreate an image we’d found. I liked this because I didn’t have to take ages thinking up a concept. I wanted to steer away from certain photos as those with nudes wasn’t something I’d be able to get my university friends to volunteer to recreate! I liked the idea of something with a powerful political message because the political world isn’t something I know a lot about/ am involved in. That’s when I stumbled on Peter Kennard’s work. The work of others didn’t speak to me like his did. I was aware his work was photomontage, but I thought of it as a test, to see whether this image (of a fist holding a missile) could’ve been created without having to put different images together. For me, the message that Ken-nard’s piece sends out is: weapons are a threat to the world, and the power of different nations is the key to ending widespread conflict. This message is particularly poignant in these modern times and that is another reason why I wanted to highlight it.

One of the most enjoyable briefs was when we had to take an image and change it in order to change the meaning. I knew I could change something small yet create a big effect. Something controversial appealed to me because it’s unlike me to do or say something controversial. I’ve been a big royalist all my life, so to change a picture of the Queen and put her in a bad light was hard to do. However deep down I knew I didn’t mean it. The image is a response to those (and their conspiracies) who believe the Royal family is responsible for Prin-cess Diana’s death. I think this is nonsense, a way of people shifting blame and a way of people finding some-thing regarding the royal family to be angry about, because they are jealous, deep down, of their privileges.

For my final image I wanted to create something slightly comical and a little more ‘in your face’. I think this is a clever image and I wanted to leave my own stamp on it while still having a nod towards digital culture/me-dia. The cat featured is one of my pets, while the eyebrows, eyes and mouth are my own. Both were images I’d taken myself. The head jewels were from some earrings. The newspaper background takes a nod towards me-dia and gives the image context. We’re all guilty of anthropomorphising animals in various ways. It’s been an element of entertainment, art, media and general everyday life for many years. We’ll never fully understand an animal unless we were a member of that species ourselves, so anthropomorphism allows us to understand animals in relation to ourselves. In short, I wanted to create a ‘comment’ on how anthropomorphism happens everyday, in all sorts of media. Are we right to put our own species ahead of others? I’m a strong believer of animal rights so this is particularly poignant. In relation to human identity, animals are so integrated in our lives we may not even feel like we are humans without them. We need the difference between us and other species to identify ourselves. We need animals for sustainance, transport, enjoyment etc. To identify yourself as human is to realise that we have and do need animals in our lives. Unfortunately we sometimes exploit them so I wanted to highlight this.

Although the moments when I was stuck for ideas was scary, particularly when a deadline was approaching, I enjoyed the different briefs that made up this portfolio. I’d never used photoshop before university, so it was good to finally learn how to use it. I’m quite proud of myself because I’ve learnt to be self-critical positively rather than negatively (constructively), and I’ve enjoyed the praise from others. The limitlessness of one’s artistic scope is something I came to realise while trying to complete the different briefs. I found more open briefs more difficult because you are so unrestricted and you have more options to go through, and so much choice that it’s harder to make a decision. It’s great seeing how differently other people interpret your own work, and how differently people may interpret the briefs. Although, nothing beats the feeling when people are enjoying viewing a piece of your own work.