Unit 18 Research Guidance

This unit is fairly research heavy, so you need to make a start on it as soon as possible.

There are three aspects to the research. The usual artist research, but with focus on the characteristics of their location photography and potential problems they would have faced in conducting these shoots "Sundays" - Xavier Ribas and "Turn on the bright lights" Yelena Yemchuk. Other things you need to identify and explain how they were used include 'Media' e.g. the film, equipment and their techniques that they employed when shooting.
Equipment research - identify and explain the use of 6 different key pieces of equipment that is typically used in location photography... (1) Tripods of different types (2) Light baffles – different types and how they are used. (3) External flash different types and how they are used with particular attention paid to Fill-in flash. (4) Reflectors – different type and how and when they are used. (5) Light/flash meters different types and how they are used. (6) Backgrounds & their support systems – different types and how they are used.

Location specialties research (see the list below) Choose 4 of these - in the research for these identify the equipment, media and techniques used as well as details about what characterises these specialties and what challenges and problems are faced in the production of this type of photography.

Location Photography is almost any photography that takes part outside of the studio. So if you were in the studio at college taking pictures of me there and walked me outside into the Atrium that would then be Location Photography. Even if you then brought the studio lights out into the atrium and used them, that would still be location photography.

Location photography is basically photography where you have to deal with 'Ambient light' (Light that exists at the location). See the definition here https://www.shootfactory.co.uk/what-is-location-photography/

Location agencies - https://www.locationsdirect.co/?gclid=CjwKCAjw_-D3BRBIEiwAjVMy7BkKbyIMh7UJWUGipBleczRqozBkSeO3CUR4lkyFtnCx5KLwqNDC3BoCWE4QAvD_BwE
https://www.shootfactory.co.uk/

It is suggested that you produce research for at least 4 of the following specialties.

• Fashion Photography
• Wildlife Photography
• Portraiture
• Sports Photography
• Architecture Photography
• Landscape Photography
• Photo-journalism/documentary

Your research pages as you know are expected to conform to the format above. You can choose to combine the specialties in the 2 page format or produce two pages for each of the specialties. Needless to say the more you do and the more detailed, the higher the chances of attaining the higher grades. 

Guidance 

If you look at the criteria, there are key words and phrases that you can use as the prompts/headings when you layout the main page (Right-hand side). These include.

• Characteristics
• Equipment
• Techniques
• Media
• Challenges
• Production process*

Your initial response could simply be your knowledge and observations of your chosen specialties prior to doing the research e.g. what do you know already guided by the prompts listed above. 

*Production process isn't listed within the 'A' Learning aims but can be addressed in your research at this early stage. (See here for help with production process). 

Within the research you need to cover (Write about and illustrate with images) The characteristics of your chosen specialities. Write what makes them difficult and challenging, how much pre-planning and specialist knowledge is required in order to produce the images. Click on the images below...

This one below the legendary Annie Leibovitz. If you click on the links they take you to more videos of Leibovitz shooting at different locations.

When you write about the specialities that you choose to research, one of the key things that you need to write about (Analyse and explain) is the challenges you face...
Finding or locating the subject - which sometimes requires specialist knowledge.
Access - not only to the location itself, but to the country or region you need to shoot in.
Obtaining visas, work permits.
Finding specialist guides or security services to take you to the place and keep you safe.
Shooting in London - you can't just turn up as a pro photographer and shoot on the streets. Look at Southend councils terms, conditions and permits to shoot photography on the beaches in the Southend Borough.
Walking around Southend taking pictures is much safer than doing it in other towns that are only a few miles away. Areas within Towns themselves differ from street to street because of the demographics.

*You need also to write about the challenges in terms of the equipment and techniques.



Jont Davies Beach shoot
https://btecy01.blogspot.com/2019/09/location-photography-shooting-on-beach.html