DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 3.5

After my images were edited they were all renamed according to the shoot it belonged to.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 3.4

My client and I reviewed all my photos once edited and selected the ones that we believed were the best ones to show the detail of the make up.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 3.3

Once my images were uploaded onto my laptop I copied them onto my usb device so I can transfer them onto another laptop to edit them.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 3.2

When I uploaded my photos I checked all of them to ensure they were of good quality and if they were not to my standard I deleted them.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 3.1

For my grave photo shoot I had to use automatic camera settings as my flash gun is a standard on/off flash which means i couldn't customise the aperture or shutter speed because I needed the auto focus in order to get crystal clear images because of the lighting situation. If the camera settings were all on manual the shoot would have taken much much longer because i would have had to adjust the focus manually which would risk the quality of some photos because the surroundings were so busy It would be difficult to get the focus spot on and it would have been impossible to try and achieve the correct focus for when the actors/models were moving targets.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 2.5

I covered legal issues in pre production by writing a letter to the police stating the purpose and equipment the crew and I will be using and also by producing release forms for the actors/models, cemetery and farm. I carried out a risk assessment too.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 2.4

For my grave photo shoot I had to use automatic camera settings as my flash gun is a standard on/off flash which means i couldn't customise the aperture or shutter speed because I needed the auto focus in order to get crystal clear images because of the lighting situation. If the camera settings were all on manual the shoot would have taken much much longer because i would have had to adjust the focus manually which would risk the quality of some photos because the surroundings were so busy It would be difficult to get the focus spot on and it would have been impossible to try and achieve the correct focus for when the actors/models were moving targets. 
Also my camera produces jpeg images by default.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 2.3

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 2.2

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 2.1

My client strictly wanted the grave shoot to be taken in the daytime as she wanted a grey, muggy, slightly mystical feel to the photos which I could then enhance in photoshop. When people think of the genre of zombie/grombie they instantly think of a dark, nighttime setting as they are dead, human eating beasts and therefore creep around at night to scare their food/prey. I liked that Anne broke this convention and chose daylight. However for the second photo shoot at the farm we had no choice but to do it in the dark because of work commitments but this was not a bad thing. The night time enhanced this particular set of photos to the maximum as I had good lighting from my flashgun and so the focal point was clearer and the images themselves were better quality than the first shoot in the daytime. Anne did not specify in her brief what kind of editing she wanted for the farm shoot but i did ask her when we was on location and she said she wants the photos to draw every bit of attention to the make up and so the sky or surroundings do not necessarily need an atmospheric colour put over them like the first shoot did. By simply having the 2 shoots in different times of the day changes the feel you get from each shoot despite them both showing zombies in action.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 1.3

When taking photos for a sports event it important that you have a fast shutter speed, you can get faster shutter speeds if you have a fast lens. If you want to get a very clear, in the moment photo without any blur, a shutter speed of 1/1000th second is perfect. However if you was a little bit of motion blur you can use a 1/250 second setting. In order to obtain a fast enough shutter speed you should set the sensitivity to the lowest ISO setting. In good light, a 100 or 200 ISO would be fine, the less light you have, the higher the ISO number should be. Using a wide aperture will increase the shutter speed however will decrease the mouth of depth of field.


For portraits, it all depends on what type of portrait you are doing. For example when doing photos of someone, inside, you want try not to put them so close to walls when using a direct flash that is close to the lens to avoid heavy shadows. By using off-camera flash you can achieve a softer, more attractive effects with the correct shadow in the right places. For all close ups it is ideal to use a low f setting such as f/8 because it allows more light in. Using the 'Aperture Priority' setting on the camera is the most effective way to control the f settings and allows you to control the depth of field so you can blur the background and put more focus on the subject. When getting a sharp focus, I personally like to focus closer on the eyes as they can say a lot about the person in the photo. 


When taking landscape photos you should be aware of your surroundings and take many things into consieration. For example if you are doing nature photos of trees and flora you want to note the weather conditions. Wind can cause the flowers, branches and leaves to move which means you will not get a clear cut shot. Genuinely with a landscape photo, photographers will want to get as much in the photo as possible. In order to do this you will want to use a small aperture setting, smaller than 8. Although, a small aperture means a longer exposure time and therefore, on a windy day, your photo will be ruined by small but visible motion blur of the flora. A way to avoid this is to use the 'Aperture Priority' or 'Shutter Priority' camera settings. On a clear day with no wind, setting your camera to a small aperture will produce sharp images. In windy select the 'Shutter Priority' setting with the exposure time less than 1/400 to not get any movement of the flora.


Good quality night photography can be very difficult due to the lack of light. It requires you to know the capabilities of the camera being used and technical knowledge. Poorly lit scenery can be captured only with long exposure times. You will need to know what 'ISO' speed is and how to steady the camera at different shutter speeds. Again 'Shutter Priority' mode is the best setting to use because you can have more control over the exposure time. A shutter speed of 1/13, the speed is very slow which means you will need to hold the camera very still or use a tripod in order to get a great photo. The ISO setting depends on what you want in your photo. For example if you want low noise you could use a ISO setting of 50. I fyou want more noise then simply use a higher ISO speed.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 1.2

There are many elements to what makes good image composition, and these vary when different elements are put together.


One element which is something I enjoy incorporating into my photos is 'Depth Of Field'. The depth of field that you chose when taking your photo will dramatically affect the composition of the image and can give different meanings and feelings. It can isolate a subject from it's background or foreground, therefore giving instant focus to that subject. It can also put the same subject in context by revealing it's surroundings with a larger depth of field.


A rule that I like to stick with in all my photos is the 'Thirds'. If there is a specific subject or could of objects in my photos i like to place them in either the left, centre or right third. I think it gives the subject(s) power in the photos.


Another element is 'Pattern'. We are constantly surrounded by patterns, we just don't notice them. Taking photos of these patterns and emphasise and highlight them in ways we would never see. The outcomes could show exciting shots and new perspectives on things along with highlighting broken patterns.


Symmetry can produce lovely, dramatic photos with strong composition. Although without a strong point of interest it can be predictable. 


If you have experimented 'Texture' photography before you will be able to create the illusion that the photo appear almost 3D and come alive.


'Lines' are an important element in composition because they have the power to draw the viewers eye to a key focal point and increase the meaning and feeling the photo gives. All lines, horizontal, diagonal, converging etc, produce different impacts and should be when framing the shot.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - 1.1

For my photo shoots I used my own camera which is a Pentax K-x. This camera is pretty good but also quite standard and possibly not the best camera to use for my type of project photos. Also my flask gun is just an on/off one, I had no control of the exposure which would have really helped, particulary for the goat shoot. I changed my settings for the correct aperture and shutter speed but the camera would have had of been on the manual setting but this would not work because as the shoots were being done in low light I needed automatic focus which then limited the ability to get correct exposure.


A better, more suitable camera to use for my photo shoots would have been the Canon EOS 1D X. For my grave shoot, when trying to photograph the models running, this camera would have been ideal because it captures every second up to 12 frames per second continuous shooting which can increase to 14fps in 'Super High' speed mode. Also having the Canon Speedlite 430 EX II flashgun would have been perfect for both shoots because it is made for the EOS cameras and manual mode settings in 1/3 stop increments with settings that can be controlled though the camera menu system.

PRE PRODUCTION - 4.4

The way the pre production documents were generated worked well for me and had no faults or restricted any further development when taking the photos. They were all done consistently and in order. At all stages of the pre production section I knew what I had completed and what I still needed to do. I took the pre production documents with me to both shoots and they did they're job as i was the only one that needed to refer to them but in order to get a clearer visual of what exactly the client wanted I could have sat down and crested them with the client so then as I was wiring and sketching she could guide me and by her actually watching the shots being planned out it may have sparked more ideas for the client.

PRE PRODUCTION - 4.3

I am very pleased with the way I chose to document my pre production part of the project. I completed it in a comfortable way using programs and methods in which I am confident with. I prefer the more traditional pen and paper technique instead of computer generated although producing documents on a computer does make it easier and clearer to view and transport onto different programs because they can easily be moved with a usb or email. Whereas i had to take photos of each hand drawn documents and upload them to the programs. As the client is also my friend it was easy to talk to her because we already knew each other and felt comfortable discussing lots of ideas and was able to get our models/actors easily because we used mutual friends who were also comfortable to the photos because they were not shy to do funny poses and make a fool of themselves. I communicated with my client through Facebook and text messages.

I was pleased with the feedback that I received from my client as I feel I did do my best to incorporate the clients ideas effectively into a series of photographs. My client mentioned in her feedback that I "made sure that she took detailed documents displaying what it was that I wanted from the photographs and ensured that I had as much input as possible when on location." It was important for me to do this as it helped me stick to the requirements and mood of the photo shoot but despite the client being a friend of mine I still wanted to look and act professional as this work will be graded and contribute to my portfolio as well as my client sending them to international special effects artist companies and production companies.  

PRE PRODUCTION - 4.2

The final products came out very well however not to my expectations. The client though they were brilliant and is very happy to use them how they are but I wished I experimented more with lighting and camera settings in the particular lighting that were at the locations. The photo shoots went as planned, everything I wanted and planned to do, displaying the brief's requirements, and even added extra details and ideas in that the client and I thought of during the shoots.


Here is the clients feedback.


"I've worked with Jemma twice now and I've been very pleased with the results on both occasions. She remains professional but friendly throughout the photography shoots and has a great knack for directing the subjects and expressing exactly what it is that she wasnts to acheive from them. Throughout both shoots Jemma made sure that she took detailed documents displaying what it was that I wanted from the photographs and ensured that I had as much input as possible when on location. My photo's came back to me one week later, edited exactly as I had asked and they've improved my SFX makeup portfolio hugely which will surely make an impact when my target audience view it.
I'll definitely use Jemma and her photographic skills again.
Anne Furby"