Dan Boulton

Dan Bolton was born in 1973 in Enfield, London. The type of photography he did was documentary and street. A particular thing he liked to take pictures of was skateboarders. A collection of his work was published as a limited edition book. Recently Boulton's work was included alongside the work of Ed Templeton, Tobin Yelland and Dave Schubert in the 'Film Por Vida' group show curated by Angela Boatwright at New York's Fuse Gallery and it will also run at London's Wayward Gallery in june of this year. The camera he uses Leica M6, a 50mm f/2 Summicron and Liford HP5 film.

The visual style Dan chooses to use is an urban black and white look. The pictures are very effective with the suroundings and the youths on skateboards.  

Number: 42 of 53

Title: SouthBank

Year: 2005 - 2011

Story: Southbank

Client: -

This photograph shows a group of young skaters. The artwork on the wall behind them tells you that its set in a more underground vibe in London. The black and white style that Dan seems to follow works well with the whole skater style. You can see the skaters seem to big taking turns to perform a trick.

Number: 32 of 53

Title: -

Year: 2005 - 2011

Story: Southbank

Client: -

In this picture it tells a bigger story. You can see in the picture a skater in the middle of doing a trick with a fairly larger audience in the background. You can see the designs on the steps and the walls. The look of the set looks like it is under some sort of motorway overpass. I seems that there is little light and works well with the black and white. Overall its a good action shot.

Number: 49 of 53

Title: -

Year: 2005 - 2011

Story: Southbank

Client: -

In this photo you can see a couple of teenagers sitting on a ledge and the art work covering the whole pillar. In the background you can see part of the skatepark. Also you can see that this skate park is under the steps of some sort of London estate. In the far back you can see that it looks over onto a river.

Question for Dan Boulton:

Why did you decide to take pictures in black and white and why did you want to take dark pictures without life or colour?

KEY PHOTOGRAPH No 6

My plan for this photo was to have a group shot over looking the school. This was to give the idea of power and importance to the characters and how they are more powerful to the people in the school. I chose to center this photo with the people in the middle. I thought this would be best because it tells people that they are the most important thing in the picture.

I chose this photo because I felt the stance of the characters is the best in this photo more than the others. Another reason I chose this photo over the others is because it didn't have the people walking on the path in the distance. I felt this photo was suitable because I wanted a shot they showed all the characters and how they will end up working together.

For this photo I didn't do much editing because I wanted to keep it looking as realistic and natural as possible. I started the editing by cropping a little bit off the side of the photo because I wanted the people to be exactly center. The second part of my editing process was to brighten the exposure of the photo because originally when we were taking the photo I didn't have much time to play around with the exposure settings.

My final opinion of this photo photo is that it works well because it gives the viewers more of an idea of the story and who the characters are. When I was planning my photos I felt it was necessary to have a photo like this with all the characters, so I felt this did the job.

I feel this photo has a high importance to the DVD box because it gives the viewer a range of photos and allows all the characters to be shown together. This is important because it gives the idea that they will work together in the film. I feel this Photo contributes to the success of my DVD box I feel its a great group shot looking over the school.

KEY PHOTOGRAPH No 5

My initial intentions for this series of photos was to have it as one of my back cover photos for my DVD box. I originally liked the idea of this photo because it gives the idea of action and danger within my film. I was going to cut out everything in the background, including the body and then put in a sky. This was to give the idea that the guy was holding onto a ledge far above the ground.

I chose this photo because I felt it would look the most realistic for the purpose I needed it for. For this photo I wanted it to look like the guy was hanging of the edge of a building, and I felt the way the fingers were in this picture looked the best. I thought this photo would be suitable for the back of my DVD box because I wanted to give the viewers the idea that there will be action involved in my film.

For this photo I didn't do many adjust because I felt I wanted it to look natural. My first adjustment was to crop out any unwanted space, so I closed in on the top and sides. This made the shot seem more cinematic. My second adjustment was to change the colour. I felt this frame would look best in black and white.

I felt with the picture in black and white it made the shot that much more effective. I like how with the majority of the top of the photo cropped off it makes the shot look very cinematic. I felt the lighting in the original photo was very bright so with the photo in black and white it works with the idea that he is hanging off the top of a building.

After much consideration I felt that the photo wouldn't work well with the other photos on the back of my DVD box. So after the editing process I decided to not use the photo in my final poster or DVD box.

KEY PHOTOGRAPH No 4

For at least one of my photos I felt it important to have main female figure involved. So I chose an over the should shot to be a good way of integrating it. I chose an over the should shot because I felt it was a good way of showing power and importance over other characters.

I chose this photo because compared to the the photos this one looked the most serious. I felt the expression of the woman's face would be important the criteria for this photo wasn't hard because this photo isn't going to be of great importance to the whole DVD cover. I felt it was suitable for my DVD because all it needed to do was to introduce a character that wasn't a guy.

I didn't do a significant amount of editing because I didn't feel it need it. I don't like over editing because I wanted it to look realistic. So when it came to editing the only thing i felt was necessary was to crop empty space out of the to and a small amount off the sides. I did this because I believe this rounded of the image to make it look more cinematic.  

I like this photo because all the photos I used in my DVD cover have an importance and bring something to it to make it seem a better quality. This photo brings the idea that there will be a main female character that will attract my target audience. The other photos bring the idea of violence and action.

I feel this photo fits well with the rest because none of my photos have been overly edited except the fist. All of them work because they show a variety of ideas that would make a good film. A mix of violence, action and students it aim it at the target audience.
This photo contributes because it tells the audience that there is going to be a main female character in the film. This will intrigue young guys to want to watch this film.

KEY PHOTOGRAPH No 3

My initial plan for this shot was to have a depth of field shot for the back of my DVD cover. I chose to take this photo at this angle because I felt it showed a clear idea of what was happening in the scene. You can see the hand holding the gun and a victim in the distance. I wanted to show danger and to tell the viewer that this was going to be a action thriller because without this shot it would be as clear look at all the photos.

I chose this photo because I saw potential. I originally was going to have two separate shots and then combine them later. However when it came round to it I decided it would look cleaner if I took them together. I felt this photo didn't need the most editing so when it came to the editing process I didn't need to adjust it as much as the others.  

When it came round to editing this photo I didn't feel it needed cropping. Look at the photo I felt it showed enough but not to much to need to cut off any. On the colour side of it I could see that it needed it brightening significantly so I adjusted the exposure to allow the hand and gun to standout and to make the person in the background to be clearer. I Played around with darkening the edges but decided against it because it looked to over adjusted.

I was significantly happy with the final. I felt that it was powerful and gave the viewers a strong idea that my film was going to involve action and violence. I felt the colours looked natural and real. My main target was to to make it look like it had just come from scene in the movie and I feel thats exactly what it looks like.

I feel this photo fit well with the rest of the design and the colours matched perfectly. The main purpose of this photo was to give the viewers the idea that it would involve action and violence and I feel that is what this photo brings to the project. This photo is the only picture that gives that impression so that made it even more significant. I only did one of these types of photos because I didn't want to over push the idea.

KEY PHOTOGRAPH No 2

My plan for this photo was for it to be my main image for the poster and the DVD cover. Originally I was going to have the fist a more of a human colour but after putting the image into the poster I felt it needed to come across much darker. For this photo I didn't need to frame the photo because I knew I was going to be cropping it completely anyway.

I chose this photo because it looked the lightest and I felt it would work the best with the rest of the images. Compared to the other images this one had the the most consistent light over the whole hand compared to the others which had dark patches. For what I had in mind for the photo this was important.

For this photo I cropped out all of the background using the magic wand tool leaving just the fist. After that I felt the colours didn't fit in with the rest of the product so using the exposure tool I darkened the image significantly until it was at the stage you can see now.

At this point I was happy how the photo turned out. I think it came out at a high enough quality for me to want to use it in my final product. I believed this photo at this stage would fit with the rest of the images and will add to the idea that this film will be an action thriller and a 15. With the image of a fist it gives the idea of violence without making it seem to obvious.

I think this photo was a large part of the success of my whole poster. With it being the main image it needed to attract people and make people want to view the film and I feel like thats is exactly what it did. I feel it ties in with the rest of the images and contrasts enough with the background to make it stand out to the viewers.

KEY PHOTOGRAPH No 1

My initial intentions for this photo was to a a dark image as my main background for my poster and DVD cover. I felt that one of these photos would fit the bill for what I wanted. The main idea of of the Film is that it is going to be dark but over all an action film. I originally was going to have a black background but after taking these photo's I thought they fitted better with the theme. I didn't resize the image because because I felt the image didn't need it.

I chose this photo because out of the photos I took it came out the best. Compared to the other photos I could see that I could adjust it to create a great image. I used this photo as the background for my poster and DVD cover.

For this photo I didn't  do a lot of adjusting because I felt it didn't need it. The only adjustments I did was to darken the whole image with the brightness and contrast tool then brighten the oranges and yellows with the colour balance tool in the photo.

My opinion on the final image is that it looks really good and suits the rest of my poster and DVD cover images. I feel this photo worked a lot better then a plain background would because it gives a lot more depth to the DVD cover.

I feel the rain drops image is needed because and adds to the whole product. I believe this because it looks really affective with the fist in the poster and the DVD cover. The colours match the rest of the product and give a clear idea to the viewer that its going to be an action thriller rather than a comedy which would more likely use lighter colours. 

POST 2: Gregory Crewdson

Gregory Crewdson was born in Brooklyn, New York and went to John Dewey High School.
Graduating Early he started a band called The Speedies. In the mid 1980s he studied photography at at SUNY Purchase, and recieved a Master of Fine Art. He taught at many universities including Yale.

Gregory Crewdson has a unique style of photography were he main sets his photos in small town across America and creates very dramatic and cinematic scenes. He often features disturbing or surreal images. All his photos have very high budgets and can take weeks to get the perfect shot. He was known for liking the styles used by Stephen Spielberg, and the documentary style used by William Eggleston. When creating a scene he uses incredible detail.
http://artblart.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/crewd-2009-untitled-01-web.jpg

Untitled (1)
'Sanctuary'
2009
Framed: 28 1/2 x 35 1/4 in. (72.4 x 89.5 cm)
Pigmented inkjet print

In this image it is looking through a doorway. The scene is empty and seems abandoned. with a lot of Gregory's photos they are left untitled they leave a lot to the imagination. when I see this image I imagine an old abandoned town were now there is dead silence.
  

http://whitecube.com/artists/gregory_crewdson/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregory_Crewdson 

http://artblart.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/crewd-2009-untitled-01-web.jpg

Untitled
'Beneath the Roses'
2005
144.8 x 223.6 cm
Digital chromogenic print

In this photo you can see a house were it has been destroyed with a man just sitting in an arm chair surrounded by all the destruction. the unusual part of this picture is that there is light coming from the hole in the ground even though the room shown is on the bottom floor because you can see the front door. The whole scene seems ghostly and empty even though you can see a man in it.

http://artblart.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/crewd-2009-untitled-01-web.jpg


Untitled
'Beneath the Roses'
2003
144.8 x 223.6 cm
Digital chromogenic print




In this photo you can see a man digging up old buried lounge. this photo tells a vivid story. From the first few seconds of looking at it. I get the idea that this man came out in the middle of the night so no one would see him to try and find something that maybe of value to him. The same with a lot of his work they seem dark and disturbed, and the same goes with this one. it comes across dark and mysterious. 

http://youtu.be/S7CvoTtus34

POST 4: Ansel Adams

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Adams

Ansel Adams was born 1902 and died 1984. He was an American photographer and an environmentalist. many of his photos were turned into calendars and books. Ansel was born in California with upper class parents. He was known for taking his photos in black and white and took a like for the Yosemite National Park. He created his first portfolio Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras. 

It became a big success and got him a number of commercial assignments. 

Looking across lake toward mountains, "Evening, McDonald Lake, Glacier National Park," Montana., 1933 - 1942

(2,000 × 1,515 pixels, file size: 495 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

This photo was taken looking across a lake in the Glacier National Park. It shows large mountains in the distance with clear still water covering the lower half of the photo.

The Tetons and the Snake River (1942) Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the National Park Service. (79-AAG-1)

(3,000 × 2,402 pixels, file size: 1.78 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

This photo shows a snake river surrounded by trees and mountains in Grand Teton National Park. As are a lot of his photos it is in black and white which makes the image even more power full.

Close-up of leaves, from directly above, "In Glacier National Park," Montana;
From the series Ansel Adams Photographs of National Parks and Monuments, compiled 1941 - 1942, documenting the period ca. 1933 - 1942.

(3,000 × 2,639 pixels, file size: 2.05 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

This photo shows a close up of a leaf in Glacier National Park. It being in a close lets you see the detail in the leaves. All the different kinds of leaves in the image gives you the idea that there is so much around the photo that you can't see.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Adams

http://youtu.be/rdCq-1MJmHw

POST 3: Henri Cartier-Bresson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was born in 1908 and recently died in in 2004.
He was a French photographer who was known for being the father of modern
photojournalism. He was an early adopter of the 35mm format and was a master
of candid photography. He influenced a generation with his "street photography" style.
In the early years he was trained to be a painter but started his career in photography in 1931 on a trip to the Ivory coast. He was one of the first photographers to use a Leica camera in a 35mm format.

Henri never used flash because he saw it as "impolite…like coming to a concert with a pistol in your hand." He also believed in composing his photographers in the viewfinder not in the dark room. In most his photography's he had them full screen, free of cropping.

http://www.afterimagegallery.com/bressonmouffetard.htm

Rue Mouffetard, 1954

Black & white silver gelatin in 11" x 14" and 16" x 20" sizes (30 x 40 cm and 40 x 50 cm)

This photography shows a young boy holding two large bottles of wine. The story I see behind photo is that a young boy was sent by his parents to collect some wine from the shop. the photo was taken at the perfect moment because the face the young boy is pulling just just makes the photo that much better.

http://www.agallery.com/pages/photographers/cartier-bresson.html

Behind the Gare St.-Lazare, Paris, Vintage, with Hand-Written Letter au recto the photograph

Gelatin silver print, printed 1950s

13 7/8 x 9 1/2" (35.2 x 24.1 cm)

http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=98333

This photo by Henri shows a man just about to jump into a puddle. This photo was well know because it captures the man millimetres away from creating a large splash in the water. The rule of thirds is used because Henri has put the man to left.

http://www.agallery.com/aspx/inventory.aspx?ItemID=HCB-11821&photographer=&search=henri&sort=

Seville, Spain (Laughing Kids, Ruins)

Medium	Silver Gelatin
Negative Date	1933
Print Date	1996
Image Size	11 3/4 x 17 1/2
Paper Size	16 x 20

This photo shows a group of kids playing on rubble through a large hole in the wall. This is shown to be a happy place even though there is destruction all around them.

http://youtu.be/VR7JPiLyDGk