AT1 Photography Task
Exploring how light, color, and framing convey emotion and perspective.
Introduction
For this task, we chose photographer Martha Cooper, who is known for capturing street life and graffiti culture.
I analysed three of her photos and tried to recreate them in my own way. During planning, I looked for similar graffiti locations and lighting to match her energetic but realistic style. I took my photos at sunset to add warmth and show movement in daily life, though it was hard to control shadows and natural light. Later, I reduced brightness and saturation to give a softer, vintage look that fit her tone. Through this project, I learned how composition, colour, and timing can tell stories about ordinary people and spaces.
This project helped me understand how to work with light and background better, and how small changes can make a photo feel more natural and alive.
Other images
The reference photo shows an old lady facing the sunlight, with warm light on her face that shows her calm expression.
I tried to recreate this photo by sitting on the grass in a similar pose and direction of light. I wanted my version to feel soft and natural, so I used sunset light to get a warm tone. When editing, I made the photo a bit brighter and reduced the saturation to fix the strong orange colour, then adjusted red, green, and blue to keep a balanced, warm look.
Through this process, I learned how light direction and small colour changes can make a portrait feel peaceful and real.
The reference photo shows a man running with an umbrella in the middle of the street. The low angle and wide shot make it be active and full of movement.
In my version, I used a similar running pose and kept the umbrella in the centre of the frame. I tried to capture the cloudy mood, but it was hard to get the same lighting and street look. When editing, I lowered brightness and saturation to make the image softer and less colourful, then changed the tones to make it look cooler and match the weather.
From this task, I learned how camera angle and colour temperature can change the feeling and energy of a photo.
What I Learned From This Task
This task taught me to notice how light, colour, and angle can completely change a photo. Some shots didn't turn out the way I planned, but those mistakes helped me see how important timing and luck can be. Through this project, I started to see photography not just as a skill, but as a way to feel, observe, and tell small stories from real life.