A picture representing innocence.

This image is a composition, the photographer has purposely positioned the subject of this image and angled the camera in a specific way so that the baby looks like it is looking towards the camera. The image has also been taken at a specific time to capture the smile and reflect the happiness of the child. The fact that the child is laughing insinuates innocence.

Lighting has been used here to make the baby's skin appear pale, with hints of slight pink which are both colours that could potentially be linked to 'innocence'. The light is reflecting on the baby's face which emphasises the smile and the depth of his eyes.

This is a closeup shot showing in-depth detail of the mother and child's faces displaying the emotion to the audience.

Lighting and Composition.

The lighting and time of day that an image is captured in can effect the overall look of the final piece. Depending on ho the image is composed, the photograph could show different aspects of the same object. Different lighting conditions can compliment objects in different ways. 'Flash' is now widely used in photography to help find the best lighting conditions for the object being photographed, however natural light is just as important.

These to photographs are of the same object from two different angles and lighting conditions. As you can see, the overall composition seems very different. This shows that the lighting and angles of an object have a huge impact on the overall product. The first photo shows the bridge's age and discolouration, and also the reflection in the water, whereas photo two makes the bridge look more modern, and the reflection in the water isn't as effective. Being able to see the ageing of the bridge is to do with lighting, and the reflection in the water is to do with positioning and composition.

Researching Image Manipulation Techniques.

With the popularity and development of new products constantly increasing, images are being manipulated and improved more often. There are many different programmes allowing you to do this, and I will be looking into some of the ways that you can manipulate an image. Programmes allowing you to use the following techniques are usually photo-editing software, and one of the most popular forms of this software is 'Photoshop'.

1. Image subtraction.

Sometimes, when there is an unwanted object in distracting the audience from the subject of the image, this object could be edited out. The first image shows the picture before editing, and the image below shows the picture after editing. An example of when image subtraction would be used is in motion detection (to detect object motion between two or more images). Usually, two images with the same background are subtracted leaving an image that only shows the object in motion.

2. Merging images.

Sometimes, two seperate images are merged together to look like one individual image. The image left is made up of two different images. This manipulation technique works best when the backgrounds of the images are the same/similar. This technique is used to add something into a photo to make it complete.

3. Edge enhancement.

   Another technique used is edge enhancement. This can be used to make an image look less realistic, as it defines the outlines of the subject. Edge enhancement reduces an image to show only its edge details. This technique is similar to another technique called 'Hi-Pass', but edge enhancement focusses more on the edge of the subject rather than the contrast between the subject and its background. The most common is 'Laplacian' edge enhancement, which highlights the edges in an image, irrespective of their orientation.                                                    

Researching shot types.

Different shot types are used to manipulate the subject of the image in different ways. These shot types have different effects on the audience, and somes the choice of shot type depends on the age range of the audience. For example, on the news, they might chose to use a plain shot type which mainly focusses on the person talking, however on a childrens programme, a cutaway shot type might be used, to show different aspects of the topic so that the audience doesn't get bored.



1. ECU (Extreme Close Up)




The definition of this is when the camera zooms right in. This shot type is often used to reveal small details of the subject. For example, this shot might be used to show a certain emotion on the face of a person being interviewed. This helps to change the emotion of the audience. Another example of when this shot could be used is in a mystery, when the detective picks up a small clue from the subjects expression, and in this case, the ECU shot would help the audience to understand the plot.

2. Point-of-View Shot (POV)

A point of view shot is when the camera shows the audience a view from the subjects perspective. This shot is a common trick of a horror film because it makes the film seem more realistic, and gives the audience a view as if they were at the scene, making them more involved in the plot. A POV shot doesn't have to be restricted to only visual means, sometimes the manipulation of sounds can be used to emphasize a particular character's point of view. Some films are totally shot using this technique, while others incoporate this technique into only particular sections of the film, emphasizing certain scenes or events.

3. Weather Shot

This is when the subject is the weather. This is usually used when the weather is symbolic to the mood of the scene, for example, lightening for a horror movie. This shot is important because it shows how weather can effect mood. It also sets the scene for a certain event to occur.





There are also other types of shots used in media today. Some of these shots are the following:

EWS (Extreme Wide Shot)The view is so far from the subject that he isn't even visible. Often used as an establishing shot.
VWS (Very Wide Shot)The subject is visible (barely), but the emphasis is still on placing him in his environment.
WS (Wide Shot)The subject takes up the full frame, or at least as much as comfortably possible. AKA long shot.
MS (Mid Shot)Shows some part of the subject in more detail while still giving an impression of the whole subject.
MCU (Medium Close Up)Half way between a MS and a CU.
CU (Close Up)A certain feature or part of the subject takes up the whole frame.
Cut-InShows some (other) part of the subject in detail.
CA (Cutaway)A shot of something other than the subject.
Two-ShotA shot of two people, framed similarly to a mid shot.
(OSS) Over-the-Shoulder ShotLooking from behind a person at the subject
Noddy ShotUsually refers to a shot of the interviewer listening and reacting to the subject.

Writing about a media product of my choice - 'Titanic' the film.

'Titanic' is a 1997 film, written, co-produced and co-edited by James Cameron. Left is an image of the DVD cover for this film. Films on DVD are an effective and popular form of media, and available to everybody with a DVD player. This film in particular is also frequently played on BBC channels, making this media product available to an even wider range of people. Films are one of the more expensive types of media, both to make and to consume, as it is necessary to own certain equipment to be able to view them. Therefore, this does restrict the overall target audience.

I think that 'Titanic' is aimed at an older audience, as it includes 'adult' themes and is a fictionalized account of a real event, which a younger audience might not understand. The rating of the film is PG-13, so the original target audience would have been any person from aged 13 and upwards. However, I think that the film would primarily appeal more to older teenagers and adults. Personally, I don't feel that 'Titanic' is gender-specific, however the genre of the film might appeal more to a certain gender, depending as to which genre an individual would class the film as. The main genres of the film are:

• disaster
• romance
• drama

A romance might appeal to a female audience, however the other genres that 'Titanic' is classed as are not strictly aimed at a particular gender.

There is also an alternative animated version of this film, which is aimed at a younger audience. The bright colours and simple language used would appeal to children, helping them to understand the whole concept of the Titanic sinking, so that the original version of the film might appeal to them when they are older. This helps to widen the audience of 'Titanic'.

Usually, released along with a film is a trailer. A trailer is a form of advertisement for newly-released films, helping to promote it and persuade people to view/buy the film. Adverts are a different type of media, however both adverts and films are visual forms of media. Below is the official trailer to 'Titanic'. Watching this trailer, the viewer would notice that the most interesting and engaging moments in the film are included in short glimpses, leaving the audience interested and wanting to see more. A trailer that makes the viewer feel this way is fulfilling it's purpose. This trailer in particular is suitable for an audience of all ages, as the more serious themes in the film itself aren't included in full. Most trailers also state the rating of the film, to warn any viewer about whether the film would be suitable for them to see.