Unit 57: Photography and Photographic Practice

Research of other photographers work (P1, M1, D1) Lewis Dunn

Photographer: Caesar Sebastion

Theme or focus of images

There are specific reasons to why I chose the photos of the music photographer Caesar Sebastian first I like how he uses different unique techniques to capture each image not using the same methods which a lot of other photographers do. For example the photos I have selected above each have been taken from different angles using different lighting techniques. Personally my favourite picture from the selected above would be the last one I like how the photographer has used a wider lens to cram the audience and the artist playing who looks to be Skrillex all in to one shot. The photographer name is Caesar Sebastian who involves his photography around music vibes, festivals and gigs shooting the most eye catching moments. I don’t know exactly where he takes his photos but he seems to travel with famous bands and artist on tours and gigs so each picture could easily have been shot anywhere around the world at any time. I think that the photo was taken just at the end of the gig that’s why the artists are sweaty and the crowd are all hyped and bouncing around, it makes you feel like you are Caesar being at that moment taking the photo yourself from the point of view the photo has been taken at.

Composition

Looking at the angle which the photo was taken the photographer has obviously shot the picture from dead centre cramming in the whole audience plus the artist playing. I don’t exactly know if the photo had been cropped or zoomed in just slightly before taken but I think the main focus for this photo was for everyone who had experienced that gig to be in the shot as one, I think that’s was more of a priority to the photographer than the lighting, shutter speed etc… The photographer may had some type of lighting coming through on each bottom corner of the photo and by zooming into the crowd a little bit would exclude the lighting from out of the photo, this method may or may not have been used to accomplish a better looking and better quality photo. Analysing the other photos I have chosen he has varied the shutter speeds due to how dark the environment is surrounding the photographer. The photographer seems to be a in all different angles when viewing the other photos he’s taken he seems to be on his knees capturing photos from unusual point of views which I think looks better than setting up a tripod and basing all the photos from the same angle.

Techniques used

Think shutter speeds, rule of thirds & depth of field

For when constructing depth of field on his photography he adjust to how the picture will be taken for example to last photo I chose he didn’t have the depth of field on so high because he wanted to capture the whole audience as well as the artists. Having a higher depth of field would blur the background making the audience hard to view, but on some of the other photos he has purposely blurred the backgrounds using depth of field to discard of any unused light or objects which could be interfering with his photography. Looking at the shutter speeds he uses on his photos are quite similar considering they were all took during gigs which are ,mainly big dark rooms so I think he shot using higher shutter speeds to capture the light which would make the photo more easy to view. The photo with the artist hands and smoke would have been shot with I high ISO and possibly the shutter would have been open for a longer duration this is because at the angle he has took it from it would have been hard to capture light with the smoke effecting as well so shooting with a higher ISO it would have enabled him to capture the light the photo needs to see the purpose of the photo.

Strengths & Weaknesses

What you do and don't like and how it can influence your work

There are more ups than downs about this photo which I see I like how he used a wide lens and a high angle to get the whole concert in the photo which kind of

pulls you in and makes you feel a part of that gig and like you were the photographer shooting the photos. I also like the pictures that were took in the dark where he’s used either a flash or captured more light to surround the person he is shooting and blocking out everything that is not needed in the shot. This could influence my work by using building at Salford quays as main objects and capturing light which surround that object which would hopefully block out other objects which could be ruining the shot. There’s not much I could say about not liking the photos for any particular reason but what I think could improve the shots would be possibly more light on some that need more of a view of the surroundings, this would be good as there are shots of the artists but some are to zoomed in or cropped so you can’t see where it has been taken at or when.