Initial Photographs:

For my initial photographs, I chose to take photos of a variety of effects caused by the sun and other light sources. I especially focused on shadows, refractions and reflections to show how different light can change an environment or a face. For my project, I want to focus on how different types of light effect the face, through using portraiture and fashion photography. I am also interested in the connotations that different lighting creates within a photograph and the mood that this creates. 

Portraits:

I chose to experiment with different amounts of light and the different patterns created by the sunlight on the face. I focused on shadows and the effect of backlighting on how a model's face comes across and the difference that more and less light can make. 

Architecture: 

I chose to focus on shadows and shapes created by the sun shining through and onto buildings - I found the variety of shaped shadows and reflections of light that one building could create interesting as each building can create such different results. 

 

Still Life: 

Through still life photography, I explored the effect of refraction and shadows on and around objects. 

Nature:

The sun is easily photographed through nature and therefore I chose to explore flare and reflections through nature. The use of water was especially effective as it was able to create reflections and shadows easily.

Fashion Photography:

For my fashion photography, I aimed to use back lighting and sun flare to create an aesthetically pleasing image and a romantic mood within each photograph. 

Prism:

I chose to use a prism to create a rainbow effect with the sunlight, I found that this was effective as it showed the a different way in which sunlight can be perceived and therefore create a striking photograph. 

Top 5 initial photographs: 

From selecting my top 5 initial photographs, it is evident that my architecture and portrait photographs are strongest at meeting my brief of 'the sun.' The process of taking initial photographs has therefore enabled me to establish my strengths and therefore focus my work on these strengths within photography.

This photograph is effective as it shows the sun in two different forms, harsh and soft. However through both of these types of light, the sun creates structure within the photograph - the shadows in the bottom half of the photo effectively emphasise the structure of the building whereas the light shapes created in the top half of the photograph almost break apart the shadow. 

This sun within this photograph is very soft, creating an eery mood, this is also emphasised by the blue tones exposed by the high saturation. I believe that the mood created, along with the crop, are effective at creating a sense of mystery. This photograph allowed me to see how the sun could heavily impact a scene to create a variety of moods. 

This photograph is effective as the sun creates a sense of romance through the use of back lighting and sun flare. The slight over saturation of the photograph emphasises this by making the sun flare more evident within the composition, it also creates a link between the model and the wall within the photograph as the pink tones are evident in the model's clothing and in the wall. 

The use of a prism to create a rainbow spectrum allowed me to experiment with colour and how the sun could change how the model's features are seen. For example, the light from the prism over the model's eyes makes the viewer question their colour. The photograph  is also effective as the low depth of field allows the details within the face to be more evident within the photograph. 

 The sun is clearly evident in this photograph as it creates harsh lines along the left side of the face however one of the main aspects of the photograph which I believe is effective is the way the right side of the face is lit. The light is just strong enough to show the basic outline of the face however the eye is lit enough to show it glistening. I believe that this enables the photograph to create a sense of mystery as the viewer can see both the model's eyes but not wear she is looking.