1. Discovering Photography
Task 7 (LO4)
Patrick Gouldsbrough

2. Visual Language
The vantage point used for this photograph
is from a low one. This enabled me to
capture the photograph of the tower I
wanted. However, this vantage point was the
only one I could have taken to easily capture
this particular part.
The colours of the photograph originally were
restrained and toned down. However, I
wanted to create an image that would be
striking, interesting and easily identifiable.
For this reason, I added the post-production
colour through a photo filter of ‘sunset’, while
also making the windows darker, which
would make the overall image have more
impact, therefore fulfilling its purpose.
This photograph is unlike the others in terms of
texture. Where as the others are from long or
mid range, this image is captured in a way that
you can actually see the texture of the object.
That, along with the black darkened
background, adds to the impact of the image.
This is due to the consumer thinking ‘what
would the texture feel like?’
This image uses symbolic codes of darkness in
the background to create a connotation of
mystery. The light colour of the wood further
adds to that because it contrasts to add even
more mystery then if the whole image was dark.

3. Visual Language
A monochrome colouring has also been used
for this photograph. Added in post-production,
this, one of my two monochrome images, is
effective because of the contrast of light and
dark, which the monochrome brings out more
than the original colours.
Most of the images that I have captured are
unique and contain a feature that another
doesn’t. This image has prominent geometric
shapes used within. You can see this from the
metal grids of the staircase making up a
complete shapes with lots of little geometric
shapes. Where as other photographs have
these shapes, they are not as evident as this
particular piece.
The low vantage point and high camera angle make this image
more effective than if the shot was captured at a level ground
vantage point and a straight on angle. This is due to the elevated
balcony, as the central focus of the photograph, been elevated
and not straight, which I set out to do. I wanted to capture my
architectural photography from quirky and unique angles, which I
tried to emulate from later mentioned Julius Shulman.
In terms of construction of the image, the colours used make
some features more prominent, while making others less so.
With the gradient level applied, I managed to create this
image so the balcony rails were darkened and the backing
wall and stonework to be lighter. This is to give the
photograph a repetition in pattern with the brickwork, while
giving a contrast through light and dark after the postproduction technique was applied.

4. Visual Language
The contour of the window outline sets the image up to
be effective, while also adding elements of the pillar
photograph, a connotation of mystery. This is done in a
similar way as the pillar, by contrasting the dark of the
background, with the light of the main focus, which on
this particular photograph is the window.
Surprisingly, for the contrast and the effectiveness of
light and dark, I didn’t need to add any post-production
techniques. The blurred out background, the window,
or the main focus of the image is done effectively using
a very low aperture, which produced his photograph.
However, given the lowest aperture was used for this
picture, it’s surprising more of the image wasn't blurred
out, which would have left the photograph as useless
and unusable. On the other hand, if that was the case, I
would have added post-production techniques to alter it.
While the image has no visible or actual line to direct the viewer to
the main focus, the window. The banister of the staircase acts to
direct the viewers eye down the photograph and to the central
focus of the window. Lines are normally used in images to direct a
viewer to an object or show how far something goes back in terms
of space, however, they are usually more evident than they are in
this particular image.
My second monochrome image from the final collection has
similar characteristics of the first monochrome coloured image.
Contrast is a main feature of the image, while a feature that isn’t
evident in the other is used. Dynamic range is included in this
photograph of the staircase. This photographic technique states
that images that stem from dark to light are considered to have a
dynamic range included. This dynamic range is present in the
image because the light through the window produces the lighter
colouring, whereas s the dark room behind the camera is
producing the dark light on the forefront of the image.

5. Visual Language
The vantage point plays a big part in this image. It’s taken from a
low vantage point, with a craned camera angle. The effectiveness
of the image has increased because I’ve taken it at this vantage
pint, due to a level ground vantage point shot not including the
sky above the window, which gives the photograph extra contrast
The colouring of the image was done by using a photo filter,
altering brightness, while altering the saturation also. I used this
technique for a few of my other images, due to me wanting a run
of similar pictures that are part of a ‘mini-collection’. Like most of
my images, this one includes a contrast from light and dark, with
shape been used effectively also. The shapes that go into
making the whole architectural feature itself. To the human eye,
it looks like a whole window piece, but this image shows that it’s
lots of little similar shapes that make up this window instead. As
well as this, the shapes are repetitive to create a pattern
technique for this particular photograph.
Another image in the ‘minster mini collection’,
which features the same photo filter for 3 of my
images. While it’s not as effective on this image
compared to the one on the left, it still has qualities
of contrast, while ensuring features such as the
windows and doors to be highlighted, therefore
enabling them to be more prominent.
The angle of the image is key to the effectiveness of
the photograph. If the image was taken from a straight
on angle, the Minster would look flat. Where as, the
angle in which it’s taken allows the viewer to see a
range of features. Another reason why it’s more
effective is that the image enables the look of space
at the back of the image, instead of looking like it
stops at the forefront of the image.

6. Visual Language
While some of my images of
Nunnington Hall have been
represented as mysterious and dark,
this image represents it in a very
different way. The image is dark and
does have elements of mystery, but a
peaceful representation of Nunnington
Hall is portrayed, due to the calm and
restrained colours giving it a feel of a
dusk time of day.
While a monochrome colouring has
been added to the photograph, I also
added some colour to the grass and
sky. This was due to me wanting a
contrast in colours, without having the
contrast between light and dark on a
monochrome coloured photograph.
The monochrome filter would have
been enough to make this photo
effective, but I wanted the green colour
also, which added to the effectiveness,
while the sky, which I mentioned
earlier, adds to the peaceful
representation of Nunnington Hall on
this particular image.

7. Audience
All the images, due to them been
architectural photography, do not
directly link to a particular social,
age or gender group. However,
my collection of photographs
may draw a more male
dominated audience in, due to
the dull, restrained colours ion
the photographs I have
produced. As for the age group,
an older audience would be more
appealed to in terms of colour.
On the other hand, an older
audience may not see the shots
of windows, stairs and pillars as
architectural photography, due to
it not been a whole building. For
that reason, I believe the way my
pictures are captured, not
coloured, would swing towards a
mid to young audience. If I had to
narrow it down to a particular age
demographic I think I would
select a 20-35 category.
Social groups is a hard
demographic to categorise.
However, I would say my
photographs are aimed more at
an ABC1 demographic because
of the locations these images are
captured in. This is due to this
particular group having a
disposable income to spend on
trips to places, where as the
C2DE group only have money for
necessities. This is relevant
because the group that goes to
these places can relate more to
them, therefore an ABC1
demographic would link more to
the images.

8. Julius Schulman
Shulman uses the monochrome look of a
photograph to add effectiveness and make
contrast more evident. Despite not having
the option of coloured images, due to
technological constraints, I still tried to
emulate this style of work, most notably, on
my two staircase pictures. This highlights
that my photographic influences are not
modern photographers, but past
photographers.
The architectural photographer also has an
everyday style to his photographs. This
means he has the ability to take pictures of
everyday, normal looking buildings and
make them look almost artistic. Shulman
does this by either taking the images at
quirky angles and vantage points, or makes
the overall picture look busy, while having a
passive foreground and busy background
like the image of the petrol station to the
right. I emulated this style on my modern
staircase photograph, which people consider
a staircase, not an architectural feature,
which I’ve portrayed it as.
Context
The last thing Shulman does with his
photographs, which I tried to emulate in this
project, was the objects in which he
captured in his images. Pre Shulman
architectural photography was a lot about
the buildings as a whole, rather than the
individual architectural features, which
Shulman captured for his photography. This
technique was key to the success of this
project and was carried out many times in
my final collection. From the Minster
window, to the Nunnington Pillar, I
photographed architectural features, not just
the buildings themselves.
Some examples of
Shulman’s work

9. Karl Schmolz
Context
Karl Shmolz, an architectural photographer
at a similar time to Shulman. Due to the
same technological constraints keeping
Shulman from taking coloured photos,
Shmolz also used monochrome colouring on
his photographs. As you can see from the
images to the right (especially the far right
image) a lot of contrast can be seen on the
image, that wouldn’t be seen if the
photograph was coloured and not
monochrome. As I said on the last slide, this
technique was emulated and used to get a
successful and effective image, especially
on my modern stairs image.
An effect that Shmolz uses and Shulman doesn’t, is
the close up angle. While Shulman sometimes gets
close to the object and gets the full architectural
feature, Shmolz captures an even smaller part of
that architectural feature, sometimes so close that
you can see the texture of the object. Like the
photograph on the far right for instance, this image
is of a bannister rail. While other architectural
photographers may capture the full thing, Shmolz
captures a tiny part of the image, due to the function
he’ll use it for. The German doesn’t want to show
you the feature, just make the viewer question the
texture of the actual object and the shapes
(geometric or otherwise) that go into it.
The last function that I emulated from Karl Shmolz
was his ability to define architectural photography as
architectural features, not just capturing a whole
building. Along with Shulman, these two were a few
of the first to try this technique and change this
particular photographic application forever. Even
though Shmolz sometimes takes pictures of whole
t
buildings (Cathedral, bottom left), he mainly focuses
on the architectural features (the bannister and the
staircase) instead. You an see I emulated this
feature from my final collection, I only captured a
few pictures of a whole building, the rest were
features or small parts of the building.

10. Julius Schulman/Patrick
Gouldsbrough comparison
Context
As you can see from
Shulman’s image on
the right, a low
vantage point is taken,
while a craned angle is
also taken. While I
didn’t use a low
vantage point, I still
wanted to take some
of my photographs at
various angles and
vantage point, instead
of been straight on,
level ground shots.
The image on the right
clearly shows the high
vantage point I’ve
used in some of my
photographs, while an
almost birds-eye view
angle is taken also.
I wanted the monochrome colouring on my photograph, like Shulman
has on his. Even though the Architectural photographer didn’t have a
choice due to the technological restraints of those times, I still wanted
to emulate the monochrome effect of Shulman’s photographs.
Another of
Shulman’s
techniques I wanted
to try and emulate
was one of the
features which made
him famous in the
architectural
photography world.
Before the time of
Shulman,
architectural
photography was
considered the
building as a whole,
but Shulman instead
photographed
architectural
features, such as
brides, pillars and
staircases, therefore
setting a trend in the
architectural
photography
movement.

11. Realisation of intentions
At the start of the project, I aimed to try and produce a set of high quality photographs that are a
standard similar to that of industry, while emulating styles from my influences, Julius Shulman and
Karl Shmolz. For the most part of the project I carried out this function, however, some of the
images I captured turned out more like documentary photography than architectural photography.
On the other hand, I captured photographs in their masses , therefore didn’t use those particular
images, instead using more architectural appropriate photographs.
Both Shulman and Shmolz, my two influences, used a black and white effect on their pictures,
which I emulated on two of my final pieces, so therefore achieved what I set out to do. Another
issue I had in my project was that the high quality images that I set out to make was compromised
in the original image. This was due to the edges of the images not been squared off properly and
the proportions were occasionally out (like the one on the right). However, I got round this issue
with the post-production technique of cropping, which I used for a number of my photographs.
The final problem I had on this project was the scale
to which I should add post-production techniques.
When I first started to edit my photographs, I didn’t
add enough to it, therefore it didn’t have the
effectiveness I intended. I then decide to try it over
post-produced, which turned out even worse than
the original image. I however found the perfect postproduction technique to use, which, most of the time,
included a gradient level or a photo filter.
Post production techniques are good and are
used to make the image look more appealing
and more effective. However, too much postproduction can ruin an image, like this one.
An image that I
used, without postproduction
techniques. It
needed cropping
and a bit of
burning adding to
it, to lighten it up.

12. Fitness for purpose
I stuck to my proposal in terms of the application I was
going to carry out. This was due to, as stated in the
proposal, it was more convenient for the locations I was
planning to use. No photograph that I took was a crossgenre, but instead, pure architectural photography.
As you saw from the ‘context’ section of the evaluation,
Julius Shulman was one of my final influences for the
project and I did emulate his style on a few photographs.
However, I decided Edwin Smith and Adrian Dennis were
not appropriate to be influences. This was due to Edwin
Smith’s photography tending to be of overall buildings, not
Shulmans architectural features, while Dennis was a
Documentary photographer and he used lots of that
applications techniques, not architectural techniques, that’s
why I decided to pick Shmolz.
I photographed architectural features alone, with no
nature involved in any of the shots. This was due to me
not wanting a cross-genre picture, but a pure
architectural shot, like I explained previously.
I haven’t completely stuck to my proposal in terms of technique.
This is because of the lens that I’ve used to captured these shots.
I stated in my proposal that I would use both a wide and telephoto
lens for my photography, however, a telephoto lens was not used,
due to the availability of the lens. The ambient light element light
was not stuck to either, because I used some artificial light on my
Nunnington Hall staircases. However, I didn't use these shots in my
final collection and instead decided to disregard them when I was
cutting it down to my final eight. On the other hand, I have carried
out all the post-production techniques that I stated on my proposal.

13. Technical qualities
Exposure in this project didn’t become an issue and didn’t prevent me from taking and
producing the set of photographs I set out to achieve. On some of the shots that I took
where I drastically altered the ISO, shutter speed or aperture, the exposure did make
some of the images unusable. However, as stated in the realisation section, I took
plenty of photographs to make sure this project wasn’t a failure. In addition ,the
equipment that we used on this project, allowed me to view the images after capturing
them, therefore I just deleted the affected picture, alter the setting and re take the
photograph.
One image with a
problem with exposure
that I didn’t delete.
An overexposed photograph, compared to an image with the
right exposure of light.
As for the post-production techniques, they added to the effectiveness of the photographs after
applying them. However, as previously said, the perfect post-production was difficult to find. On
the other hand, images can still be effective without filters or colour alteration techniques, like the
Nunnington contrast window successfully shows, therefore post-production was good to add, but
sometimes raw photography is the best, instead of ruining it on over producing it.
Another of my
photographs that I
believed was over postproduced.
*I did try some depth of field shots, but it didn’t look as effective as I would have hoped. The first
attempt at the Nunnington pillar shot was an aperture shot, but I deleted it, due to the exposure not
been correct. Due to this, I decided to get a shot where the background was blacked out
completely, to represent Nunnington hall as mysterious.

14. Technical qualities
A few techniques I used in the post-production process:
cropped
Original
Levels
Filtered
Hue/
saturation
Brightness/
Contrast
Colour lookup
Colour overlay

15. Aesthetic qualities
The overlay and filter added during postproduction of this image, enabled it to be
more striking and noticeable than the
original. This is for a similar reason than
the image opposite (modern staircase),
the contrast of the light of the image,
goes well with the darkness of the
image, almost in a way which dynamic
range is involved. However, this
photograph is a little different. Only the
windows and doors are dark and the
building is light, which makes the
contrast more evident and obvious,
compared with the staircase shot.
The monochrome colouring on this
image enables it to look more
professional, artistic and potentially
gallery worthy. While the original is
effective and high quality, the
monochrome gives it contrast that it
didn’t have before. The gallery worthy
part of the photograph also links in
with my proposal, which states I want
to create images that could be used in
gallery contexts and situations.
Geometric shapes are used in
such a way in this image, that
they are almost in a repetitive
pattern style of architectural
features.

16. Skills and knowledge gained
The production process
I think overall, my technical competency has improved over the course of the project.
This is due to my images at the start of the project been over exposed, due to the
wrong settings been on. However, as the unit progressed, so too has my competency,
and the images I images I produced were of a high standard.
As I stated in the last section, before I started the project, my photos were over
exposed, due to my limited prior photographic knowledge. At the conclusion of the
course, however, I can say I can take better images and now understand functions and
settings of a DSLR camera.
The over exposure of the
window section, along
with the tilted angle, make
this shot an unusable
one. (taken at the start of
the photography trip to
Nunnington Hall)
Now I have completed the ‘discovering photography’ project, I can now take more
creative images, compared to before. This is because of the knowledge I have gained
from this unit. For example, I learnt about the monochrome effect and the
effectiveness of it, as well as discovering the effectiveness of quirky angles and
vantage points, compared to the straight on angles that I took photographs at, at the
start of this project.
In this particular project, I think I managed my time well and made the most of the time
I had available. My shooting schedules were mainly the reason for my good time
management, as well as the contingency time I added in. Even though I didn’t need
that period of time, a lot could have gone wrong in a project like this, so the addition of
contingency time was key. I took my photos early in the project, so I had time to add
post-production techniques, which I eventually felt was too much time. While I wanted
a lot of time to experiment and edit these images, I didn’t want to over produce and
constantly alter the construction of the image, which I don’t think I did, due to me being
cautious of such things happening.
This image has no over
exposure and the tilt is
only slightly, but I wanted
to keep a bit because of
the quirkiness of the
angle in which it was
taken. (Taken at the end
of the Nunnington Hall
trip)

17. Skills and knowledge gained
Feedback response
These examples were taken from a combination of all three peer
feedback sheets:
I agree with the statement because I think this is the
strongest photograph also. With the monochrome
colour creating contrast, I believe this is the image
nearest to been gallery worthy out of my collection,
something which I wanted out of the project, which
is also stated in my proposal.
I agree with the decision to pick this image as
the weakest, but not for the reason given. I don’t
believe the post-production is very evident in the
image and the angle and tilt on the image was
meant to be interpreted as quirky.

18. Skills and knowledge gained
As I said in the second peer feedback piece, I don’t
think post-production is evident on my pillar piece,
however, on the balcony image it is, but it’s justified and
looks effective. The framing on a couple, I admit, could
have been better, a couple of the Minster shots in
particular would be changed if the process was
repeated.