ashleighclarkphotography

[ashleighclarkphotography]

Final Photo PDF

[ashleighclarkphotography]

Project Statement (500 Words) FINAL

What Remains - Ashleigh Clark

In my photography project, I aim to showcase the history of Kauri logging in the Waitakere Ranges, uncovering what remains of a bygone era. Through a series of meticulously composed images, l showcase what remains in the Waitakere Ranges as well as what is left behind. By exploring the remnants of the old logging sights, tramway tracks, and the restored Kauri transportation dam I believe I captured the juxtaposition of nature reclaiming its territory and the echos of human intervention. The towering Kauri trees captured were once felled for their valuable timber as it was a buoyant material mostly sought after as a building material but now they stand as a silent witness to the past and histories within the Waitakere Ranges.

As humans pass on, nature does not always as these Kauri trees have been living in the area for longer than I have and will continue to live on much after I have gone.

The photographs I have taken serve as a window into the past, revealing the past of the Waitakere logging operation, and the challenges the loggers faced with transporting these giant trees and cutting them down. 

In addition to the physical traces of logging, I will focus on the natural beauty that has emerged in the wake of the industry. The regrowth of the forest, the vibrant flora and fauna, and the interplay of light and shadow are all captured, celebrating the resilience and regenerative capacity of the Waitakere Ranges. 

Kauri trees in New Zealand have always been under threat whether it be from the logging industry or now Kauri dieback disease which is a fungus that threatens to kill every Kauri tree it comes into close contact with. The Waitakere Ranges are heavily protected by the Rangers as some of the famous tracks in the ranges are now closed due to the threat that humans will bring Kauri dieback on an article of clothing that could wipe out all the Kauri trees in the area. There is no cure for Kauri dieback disease so it is deadly. 

Through my photography project, my aim was to create a visual narrative that not only educates viewers about the history of Kauri logging but also fosters a sense of appreciation for the Kauri tree that still remains are they have under threat for the past 100 years whether it be by human-force for felling the trees for materials or a deadly tree disease threaten to wipe out all Kauri in it’s path. My intention is for viewers of this work to feel something for the Kauri trees as throughout their whole time of growing on earth they have had some kind of threat to their lineage. Kauri trees are magnificent giants and an important part of New Zealand's Heritage which should be protected to ensure that future generations can enjoy their beauty and wonder.

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Week 6 - Aoteroa Photographer of the Week

Chris Corsen-Scott

I find Chris's work inspirational as he touches on the subject of residential development and nature. In today's world there are at least 4 townhouses on 1 section behind constructed everywhere you turn. This reminds us that the rate of the population is rapidly growing and the more the number rises, the more we must occupy nature's space. The images I have chosen perfectly show the way Chris captured the development of the houses in nature's space.

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Week 5 - Writing a Brief (Catch-Up)

I used the link provided on Canvas to help me write my brief. The piece of text lists out 6 basic ideas for an artisan photo so I will translate this into my own brief by using the same 6 ideas.

Wide photos of the logging area.

Wide photos of the tram tracks.

Close-ups of Kauri Trees.

Close-ups of the tram tracks.

Close-ups of the dam. 

Close-ups of a Kauri tree

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Week 5 - Aoetearoa Photographer of the Week (Catch-Up)

John Miller

John Miller has been a photographer at many protests and has managed to capture historic images of people/cultures representing what they believe in and their rights in this world. He shows great courage by being in the front line with the protestors and captures the history that unfolds. The images I have shown show a young Maori woman standing above her peers in what looks like the inside of a Marae, Although I don't know exactly what she is saying I can imagine it is a powerful message of an influential nature. The other photograph is of people outside of a Marae conversing and sharing a laugh on the sacred ground of many who walked before them.

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Week 12 - Final In-Class Presentation

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Week Four - SDL (Catch-Up)

This Photo Graph Isn’t What It Looks Like, The Bigger Picture with Vincent Brown

Notes:

“Kill the Indians, Save the man”

Government policies threaten the survival of native people

American Indians being photographed

She is not recording, the chief is listening to something through a sonogram

Why was the mountain chief sitting for a photo

Met 4 United States presidents

Apart of the American Indian leaders

He understands representation and wants to tell his own story and be represented the way he wants

Photographed 20 other times

Seen as a visionary for paving the way for American Indians

Speaking forcefully in recording

Keeping culture and tradition alive.

Summary:

This documentary short video explains the history behind a photograph of a native American chief sitting in front of a voice recorder with a white woman using an instrument to record. For many years there had not been any explanation behind the photograph, where it came from, or what the context was but this video explains that the photograph is not as it seems. The true reasoning behind this image being taken was that the chief realized that he needed to continue to be photographed to help preserve the history and culture of the native American people. The chief is seen as a visionary for paving the way for American Indians and their representation across the world for his plan was to keep his culture and tradition alive for future generations.

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Week Four - Aotearoa Photographer of the Week (Catch-Up)

Ngahuia Harrison

Ngahuia Harrison's work explores themes of identity and cultural heritage. I have selected my favorite photographs of hers and have uploaded them above. These images really speak to me as they give a very warm nature to them. The warm smile from the 'Aunty Reo' photograph gives me a homely feeling as it feels as if an Aunty or grandmother is welcoming her family with a friendly smile, enchanted in the presence of her family. The image of 'The Cave' is a very visually striking photograph to me as I really love landscape photography so the framing of this image is really successful. The windows framing the tops of the mountains give a picture frame-like feel as if the windows are framing photographs of the mountain tops. The photograph 'Said with salt in her eye' puts the focus on the girl in the photograph in the forest but casting all of her attention up to the sky. This makes me wonder what is so captivating up there for her to focus all of her attention up there.

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Week 7 - SDL (Catch Up)

RE: Two Cars, One Night

The photo above was me ticking the box every time one of these shots appeared in the music video and short movie.

Analyse film for composition and storytelling techniques. While watching the film, write down as many different camera angles.

Two Cars, One Night - Taika Waititi

This film uses composition to create a story using the emotions and expressions of the characters. It uses a wide range of shots to help convey the emotions and relationships between the characters. This film has a lot of close-up shots of the actors and their facial expressions which helps the audience connect on a deeper level. The wider shots help show a sense of surroundings as the film is set in a bar car park during the night time so the focus is very much on the interactions between the characters.

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Week 10 Photography Notes (Catch-Up)

Think through fonts

Photobook design

Making a Portfolio for images, not a book

Can use PowerPoint to map out photobook

Contrasting colours, warm/cool

Lines 

Double Page Spread

See if images are better bigger or smaller

First encounter going through images

Captions are not essential,

Information from the caption may help the reader understand why is it needed?

Match colors when photos are nearby

Stacking imagery

Echos - contrast around nature and culture

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Week 12 Formative Feedback

Takeaways from other classmates presentations:

Opening with a hook,

Change the font to something that fits and add some captions

Hero Image that can be repetitive

Emil’s comments:

Short text at the beginning to explain the context of the photobook

captions in the corner floating would be beneficial

Chris Corsen photography - gallery show

Trishclark website to find Chris Corsen’s work

Mark Adams Photography

Captions for context on images

Setting the scene

Getting a wider shot as more of an exterior shot as all of my shots feel quite interior

No student ID number is needed.

Fix up font and text - Chat with Isobel about what fonts would be fitting

The current hero image should not be the hero image

Change out the hero image

Caption Huia Museum image

Keep bridge image

Lose on the railway line shot

keep a large kauri tree 

Put trees earlier on in the project

Railway bending round the corner earlier

Keep the 

Outward point for the railway line

Ending 

Think about how Kauri is still under threat 

Write a written short statement at the start to 

Kauri dieback brings threat

Think about when it gets introduced into the photo book

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Week 11 - Photoshop Notes from Cornelius and Emil (Catch Up)

Photoshop Notes - Cornelius

Set up preferences in Photoshop (Not default settings)

To do this…

Go to Photoshop - settings - units & rulers (pixels - mm) - print resolutions (set 300) - performance - raise history levels ( - to 1000) - 

Edit - colour settings - adobe RGB (1998) - colour management policy ( turn off) - Ask when opening  - intent (perseptual) 

Use histogram in Camera Raw

(do not have too much information on the ends in histogram

White (250 - Do not go over!)

Black (0)

(5-250)

Color sampler in Camer Raw

Export as .TIF for Photoshop processing 

Do not have 2 numbers under 5 - black

Camera raw - photoshop - optics (user profile)

Detail - no sharpening only if printing. 

Export as .TIF -USE File

.XMP Raw file

.TIF Open with Photoshop

Width - original times 3.5

Info - RGB use the numeric values

Photoshop Notes - Emil

Save as PSD… 

Turn into Layer 0

Duplicate layer and lock

Healing brush to fix details

Take out distracting things

Continue to save

Add adjustment layer

Start with exposure

Exposure - Subtly adjust exposure number

Can make new adjustment layer to change offset more accurately

Another layer for brightness and contrast -space between black and white levels

Use vibrance as an adjustment layer

Zoom in and out and look globally at the image to see changes

Do not go over 15 on vibrance and saturation

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Week 11 -(Catch Up)

Attached above are my notes to the video shown in class of the first image of the earth taken by NASA and how it shaped the way we see the earth and our perceptions of it.

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Week 9 Peer Review (Catch up)

My Feedback for Noesheen

My notes from this feedback session were that I found her close-up shots of the interior of the train really successful and I felt inspired to include some more close-up shots into my photography project. She showed me some photographs and I noticed there were a lot of textured photographs I found them successful for her project as they gave a different feel to the photographs.

Isobel's Feedback for me

My feedback from Isobel for my project was that she found my photographs of the Waitakere Dam were successful because the look of the water was working well. I showed her some images I had taken during my photoshoot at Huia and we discussed how some of my framings for some of the subjects in my images were slightly off and it would be beneficial for me to try cropping some images to make them seem more in the frame or to reshoot.

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Week One Prompts and my answers to the reading "Can I take a photo of the Marae?" written by Natalie Robinson

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Draft Positioning Statement

In my photography project, I aim to shocase the history of Kauri logging in the Waitakere Ranges, uncovering what remains of a bygone era. Through a series of meticulously composed images, I will showcase what lives in in the Waitakere Ranges as well as what is left behind. By exploring the remnants of the old logging sights, tramway tracks and the restored kauri transportation dam I beieve I captured the juxtaposition of nature reclaiming its territory and the echos of human intervention. The towering Kauri trees captured were once felled for their valuable timber as it was a byount material mostly sought after for as a building material but now they stand as a silent witness to the past and histories within the Waitakere Ranges. As we past on... nature does not always as these Kauri trees have been living in the area for longer than I have and will continue to live on much after I have gone.

The photographs I have taken serve as a window into the past, revealing the past of the Waitakere's logging operation from the 1810s to the 1910s, and the challenges the loggers faced with transporting these giant trees and cutting them down.

[ashleighclarkphotography]

Aoeteroa Photographer of the Week, Week Three - Edith Amituanai

In Week 3 we studied the New Zealand photographer Edith Amituanai who does a lot of photography of the experience of being a Polynesian immigrant to New Zealand. The images I felt most compelled by were the two images above as I can relate to dressing in my best on a Sunday morning and going to church with my grandmother as I interpret the image of the young boy blowing on the dandelion as in his all-white outfit as him waiting for his family to get ready to leave. The other image I have chosen I feel best represents the hierarchy within those families and the research Polynesian people feel for their elders. The young woman is carrying two cups of tea probably for the elder members of her family to relax and rest.