Photography Practise

Photography is the art or practice of taking and processing photographs. There are a variety of applications to serve a range of purposes. One of these is advertising photography. 
Advertising Photography
Advertising photography is used to grab peoples attention and they can be complex or very simple. These type of photos are used in magazines, billboards and also flyers. They help to generate profit by exaggerating what the product looks like so that people would buy them. This makes them commercial photography.
Here are a few examples of this type of photography:

This example of advertising photography is on the front of a magazine and is advertising the show House M.D. This magazine cover grabs people's attention due to the bright colours. As this will catch everyone's attention because of how bright it is, it is good advertising and it encourages people to look at it and inside and potentially buy it.

 

I find this picture to give a big impact as it shows the hard truth of what could happen whilst smoking. This shows someone with a toe tag on which identifies a dead person which resembles what will happen if people smoke a lot and it affects them so much that they may die young. Using this as an example influences people to stop smoking.

A final example of advertising photography is the picture below:

I like this picture because it's an amusing way to advertise the Tabasco sauce. This sauce is known for feeling as though as your mouth is on fire and the fire extinguisher is ironic and funny.

Promotional Photography

Promotional photography is the publicising of a product, organisation, or venture to increase public interest to influence sales. This type of photography is similar to advertising as they are both influencing the sales of a product. However, promotional is different because this type can be easily changed or modified. 

Here are some examples:

This promotion is for a Canadian engraving company. It's an advert that is simple but effective as it catches the eye. There's not too much on there but enough to promote the business and the kind of jewellery that they engrave thins onto. 

Promotional photography is popular for bands to advertise them and their music. This one by the photography Tom Di Maggio is an interesting one as it shows the members of the band looking at a large poster of themselves. It's unusual and makes people question it but that could be a good thing because it could mean that it's on peoples minds. 

This picture is to advertise Shrek: The Musical. It's a simple photograph for a promotional piece but is effective because of the bright colours of Fiona's dress and Lord Farquaad's outfit. The donkey suggests that it's quite comical like the musical and the film. Even though it's simple, it will catch the eyes of millions because they will have seen Shrek many a time before. 

Fashion Photography

Fashion photography is the displaying of clothes and other fashion items such as shoes and jewellery. It is mainly used in fashion magazines and as advertisements. 

Here are some examples:

This example is simple but very effective. The blurred background draws the attention to the woman that's modelling the dress. Also, the bright colours draw the eye to the dress. The centre of the focus is the woman modelling the dress.

I like this photography because it is different to what you would usually see. The bright colours catch the eye like the unusual material used on the right does too. The centre of the focus is on the material because it is brightly coloured compared to the dull ones of the woman and it seems more in focus than the rest. You can tell that the photo has been edited a lot to give everything a smooth look which could link to whatever the brand the brand is advertising.

This photography is very common due to the well-known brand Gucci. The main focus of this photo is the glasses as that is what they are advertising. By using a man and a woman, it will catch the eye of both genders as that is what they are providing for. The picture has some quite dull colours which could match the simplicity of the glasses but the pattern gives it a brighter atmosphere.

Photojournalism Photography

Photojournalism is is the collecting, editing and presenting of images that are news material to tell a story. This type of photography is typically used for tragedies such as death and war. 

Here are some examples:

This type of picture is the most common one that you will see with photojournalism. This shows poverty with using random bottles for what I presume is water and the goat in the back looks malnourished. Smoke can be seen in the background which could suggest burning which could suggest that there could have been a disaster which could have resulted in poverty. This is good photojournalism as it will make an impact on people and at the time, it will have been in the public interest. 

This photo suggests that something extreme is happening because of all the police lined up in one long line. However, the man juggling could suggest that he's trying to make light of whatever maybe happening by distracting people to enjoy watching him juggle rather than concentrating on what may be happening in the background. At the time, this photo would have been in the public interest which makes it good photojournalism.

This photograph has to be one of the most iconic examples of photojournalism. This is of the Vietnam war when the napalm bomb had dropped and the children are running away. No matter what, this photo will always be remembered it has had such a huge impact on everyone. An example of brilliant photojournalism is this picture. 

Portraiture Photography

Portraiture photography is the capturing of a subject, which is normally a person or a group of people, where the facial features are prominent. Each type of portraiture photography will be different due to the different styles.. They are mainly based on the photographers tips and recommendations and the preference of the subject. 

Here are a few examples:

I like this first example a lot because everyone can relate to it. The image only shows half of the woman and the rest is blacked out. This could suggest that the woman is only showing people what she wants others to see her like and the blacked out part is what she doesn't show people and keeps hidden.

I also like this example as it is very simple yet effective. The chains and the hands on the woman's shoulders could suggest that someone is controlling her and the hardened expression on her face could infer that she doesn't want to be there but she is being forced to be there and this could be because she has gone through a lot.

This examples is interesting as it makes you question what it means. Looking at it, it makes me think that it's perhaps about a broken home due the worn-down door and frame, and the black and white of the photo suggests a dull mood. 

Architectural Photography

Architectural photography is the photographing of buildings and similar structures that are aesthetically pleasing and are accurate representations. This type of photography is one of the most popular types for using leading lines and the rule of thirds and this is what makes them so aesthetically pleasing to look at.

Here are a few examples:

I love this one because it is almost perfectly symmetrical which is pleasing on the eye. The ceiling has the most prominent leading lines along with the floor and which leads the viewers eyes to a point where the tunnel is no longer visible to the eye. Leading lines leave people interested in the picture which is why architectural photography is so popular.

This one is a simple way of showing leading lines. Due to the one building being the feature, your eyes are instantly drawn to it and your eyes are led towards the top of the building due to the leading lines. It has been heavily edited but it gives the picture as a whole a nice effect and brightens what may have been a dull picture to begin with.

Saltburn Pier is brilliant for leading lines. This is just one example from there. Looking down the pier, it seems to get smaller as the railings lead your eyes down towards the end. They lead you towards the sky also which gives the whole picture a peaceful atmosphere.

Fine Art Photography

Fine art photography is the idea, message or emotion that a photographer has. These images can include text or can just be the image itself with a bit of editing to emphasise its features.

Here are a few examples:

This is a simple example of fine art but an effective one. The tree and the picture as a whole being black and white gives a gloomy effect and could represent death due to the tree not having any leaves. 

This one is very interesting with the way that it has been shot. Showing two sets of stairs with what looks like two different scenes with each set could suggest different ways of life. Down the stairs looks like there is greenery behind the window which could suggest an easy way to live and the way to follow the crowd. However, up the stairs looks like there is a winter scene which could suggest a struggle in life because of climbing the stairs as well. 

A simple example is an effective one and this is one of them. The leading lines lead you to the end of the pier and into nothing which creates the sense of loneliness.

Documentary Photography

Documentary photography is used to chronicle events or environments that are significant and relevant to history and historical events as well as everyday life.

Here are a few examples:

This photo is very morbid but can show the truth about the extreme things that can happen with attack and things such as the Holocaust. The amount of skulls and bones suggests a large amount of people have been through the same treatment and have resulted in being dead. 

On a happier note, a good thing to document is family life and that is what this one is doing. We can see a mother playing her son and the father smiling in the background. This is one of the pleasant examples of documentary photography.

Here we can see what looks like an American football/rugby team getting a pep talk from their captain before the game. This is an interesting one for documentary as it is covering sports unlike the typical pictures in this category about disasters or subjects like that. 

My Representation: Documentary Photography

Original Picture

To make this photo a bit darker, I added a filter on top.

I upped the brightness so that it wasn't too dark and upped the contrast to also make it a bit brighter.

I upped the vibrancy to try and make the colours more prominent.

I added a blur in so that there would be more focus on the hands which are the centre of focus that I wanted.

This is my final piece. It is simple editing but I feel it gives just the right effect. As you can tell by the picture, it is a couple holding hands whilst in the hospital. My thought process for this picture was that there is always someone who loves you even in the hard times and that they are always there.