The Liverpool waterfront is one of the most iconic waterfronts in the world. I am to produce a photographic project that records and celebrates the magnificent waterfront. I am to use a range of lenses and camera techniques to ensure that my work is successful. I will look at he work of other photographers as a starting point to help me with ideas and technical understanding. I am also to use monochromatic techniques for some of my work.
Liverpool Waterfront - Map and Aerial view
Shown above are aerial images of the docks and the surrounding buildings. Another image is shown which is a map view of the dock to give an idea of how big the dock area is and what the dock has to offer.
History of the waterfront:
Research - Work of other photographers
These are my research images of the waterfront. I like the variation of all of the shots, the use of filters, the different times that the photos were taken and the wide shots that have been used in some of the shots. I will use these images to inspire some of my own images that i will take. The pictures covered in red crosses are pictures that have angles that are unrealistic for me to get so i will avoid them. The images boxed in green are images that i will aim to take, with good angles and lighting, clear skies and cloudy skies.
Work Of Other Photographers - McCoy & Wynne
Just from one google search of McCoy and Wynne, we get these results. A clear representation of the types of water front photos that McCoy and Wynne take. They take their photos using wide shots, narrow shots. Bright lighting, dark lighting. During Night, during sunrise/ sunset.
This is the Opening Page of the McCoy and Wynne Photography website (mccoywynne.co.uk) and makes a good first impression of how McCoy and Wynne use water as a part of their photos. They use the reflections to their advantage to make this image almost symmetrical. It captures the clouds perfectly reflected in the water as well as the hills in the background and the buildings of the left.
This is the architecture page of the McCoy and Wynne website. They use a variety of angles from up high in widows and down low on the ground the capture the full body of whatever is above. They have also used a fisheye lens on some of the images which allows them to get a wide shot, capturing the full building or grounds around or inside the building.
McCoy and Wynne Image analysis
This photo is a prime example of McCoy and Wynne waiting for the perfect lighting to get the perfect photograph. They have waited until the sky was clear of all clouds and the sun was setting to make the sky a beautiful blue colour. The colours coming from the building on the right make a nice contrast between the dark blue of the night sky and the light blue, green and yellow of the building.
In this image they have used the perfect angle which makes the image look like it is all zooming into the middle of the image. This image is also another great demonstration of how McCoy and Wynne use natural lighting to make their images look very pleasing to the viewer of the image.
Review of McCoy and Wynne:
McCoy and Wynne are a photographic duo who are husband and wife. They specialise around the area of Liverpool and take photos for different companies and organisations such as the Liverpool council taking photos of the city centre, Liverpool football club, taking pictures of the stadium and many other companies request for them to take photos for them to use on their advertisements. They will take photos only when the lighting is right, at sunrise and at sunset. They will also pay to get on rooftops of building to get the right angle for their photos.
Research: The work of Dave Wood
Shown above is some work of the photographer Dave Wood. As you can see, he focuses on capturing buildings, and a large range of them too. From modern buildings to old buildings Dave has done it all. The pictures he takes capture the architecture of all the different buildings, using all different views wether it be square on or a side view, he makes sure to get the perfect image.
My own images: A preview.
Above are previews of some of my images. The previews that have been shown of my images it gives you an idea of the types of images that i have taken. A variety of locations with a variety of angles and lighting.
My own creative photography:
Here is a gallery of some of my own images that I have taken on the waterfront. I have taken a variation of photos, some being during the day when the area is busy, to during the evening when the sun is setting, making a perfect reflection on the water and creating a glow behind the buildings.
Experimenting with black and white imagery on my own images:
Above is an array of four images. One of which is of The Beatles statue on the dock, and the other three are of buildings around the general dock area, including the Liverpool museum and the Liver buildings. I have used lines and angles to lead into the photo. I have also turned all of the photos into black and white to make the images look more dramatic. The sky on the day was grey and the colours were quite mute, so turning the images into black and white helped resolve that issue.
Using refection in my images.
In the three images above i have used lines and geometrical shapes to lead into and create the image. I have also used the words inside the environment and made them blend into the images. I have also used reflections that the building has made to give the image more of a unique feel to the image.
Getting Creative with my own images:
Here I have overlaid two images and removed strips of the images to make them merge into one image. This creates a unique images and gives an insight into what the life of the waterfront is like.
Some more of my own images.
More of my images in Black and white.
Experimenting with photoshop CS5
Adding a creative drawing affect to my own photographs: