SAZ MEDIA
IN THIS ISSUE:
Hello and welcome to issue tHree of tHe saz media zine. for our tHird publication we wanted to explore pHoto editing, sometHing tHat we are very passionate about Here at tHe studio! over tHe coming pages you will find images and words from some of tHe nortH west's most creative pHotograpHers, including collage work from rocHdale-based pHotograpHer luke saxon, and textural wonders from journalist and film pHotograpHer samantHa jagger. we will also be sHowing you How to edit your own pHotograpHs witH industry-standard tecHniques including re-framing, cropping, cHanging colour pHotos into black and wHite and mucH more.
but first, wHat are we talking about wHen we say 'editing'? well, it's tHe way in wHicH we cHange or modify images to communicate a message or explain information. tHe editing process can involve a few or multiple cHanges tHat will Help us as pHotograpHers to produce pHotograpHs tHat Have a desired impact.
editing can also be tHings like cHanging colour and exposure in wHat is called post-production software, sucH as pHotosHop, to cutting up an image and pHysically rearrange it in order to create an entirely new pHotograpH.
as well as editing tecHniques we also sHine tHe spotligHt on pHotograpHing textures and sHowing How pHotograpHs of eartH can appear to be from anotHer planet. alongside tHese martian images we also caugHt up witH our studio assistant tolu to ask Him about How He got in to pHotograpHy.
so, sit back, relax and enjoy issue 3 as we sHow you tHe best tecHniques and tricks to take your pHotograpHy to tHe next level...
luke saxon: creative collage
instagram:luke_saxon
HOW DID YOU GET IN TO PHOTOGRAPHY, LUKE?
a close friend introduced me to pHotograpHy wHen He was studying at preston university.
i remember seeing His work and wanting to take pHotograpHs tHe way He did.
WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCE CURRENLTY?
my influences cHange so mucH but my current obsession is witH pHotograpHer jack davidson, His work isincredible.
HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN AN EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHER?
i managed to get into university to study pHotograpHy but i didn't properly start to experiment witH tHe medium until i graduated.
HAS ONE THING IN PARTICULAR HELPED YOU WITH YOUR WORK?
a major development Has been using social media as a platform for sHaring my work; i remember realising tHat creating an online presence was really important.
samantHa jagger: eartHly textures.
samantHa jagger: textures
samantHa is a pHotograpHer and journalist based in mancHester. Her work explores tHe textures of nature and geology , all tHe wHile inspired by tHe surface of mars.
in Her own words:
' art sc H ool wasn ' t really an option for me for various reasons so i just started picking up and playing around on disposables and cHeap point-andsHoot cameras. it was learning from my mistakes tHat made my work stronger, ratHer tHan learning tHe tecHnical knowledge of How to work cameras. tHere is sometHing about saving cHapters of life's moments on film tHat's so meaningful to me. a camera system recently sent into mars tHat takes pictures of its surface Has been my inspiration recently. tHis camera uses false-colour imagery, a type of image tHat sHows an object in different colours from wHat you can see witH your eye, tHat is so beautiful. it really makes you try and figure out wHat exactly it is you can see in tHe pHotograpH
tolu sHolanke: diorama and calming waters
from about tHe age of 5 i Have Had a kenn interest in pHotograpHy. like most Homes, mine Had plenty of family pHotos, eitHer in family albums or tHose tHat were placed on tHe fridge witH magnets. i was always interested in looking at tHem wHen i was younger and i'm still fascinated by looking at tHem now.
in year 9 of HigH scHool i cHose art and design as one of my btec options and by year 11 i was experimenting witH tHe camera on my samsung mobile. i was fascinated by tHe distortion functions tHe camera Had and i used an image taken on it for tHe basis of a portrait painting.
from HigH scHool i continued to study art and design at bolton college. tHe course i studied Had an optional module for pHotograpHy and i naturally enrolled. tHe lecturer was amazing and really Helped me to develop my pHotograpHy skills and tecHniques.
after excelling in my studies at college i enrolled on anotHer course, tHis time at tHe mancHester college. around tHis time my mum gave me a samsung compact camera, witH wHicH i used to create a pHotograpHy project called 'water'. experimenting witH slow sHutter speeds i was able to create tHe dreamy effects of flowing water , using water falls and canal lock gates.
on finisHing my second college course i went to study at university, enrolling at tHe university of bolton. studying at tHis level gave me a fanstatic opportunity to strengHten my skills and abilities in pHotograpHy witH professional support. i learnt about ligHting and How to use it in my work, as well as many otHer crucial skills tHat Have Helped me to develop my pHotograpHy.
for my final major project i focussed on tHe idea of constructed realities. i explored tHe arrangement of minature layouts, called dioramas, wHicH contain small figurines and veHicles tHat are placed in front of real life-sized layouts. my final piece of work produced 16 images and a cHildren's book, for wHicH i won a prize.
after graduating from university i delivered pHotograpHy worksHops at a youtH organisation called pesHkar in oldHam.tHis organisation Helped me to get an arts council grant to develop my creative practise in pHotograpHy. i developed a project on african culture tHat produced a bank of images and two sHort books.
since 2018 i Have worked at saz media as a pHotograpHy worksHop tutor. i really enjoy sHaring my knowledge and skills witH botH young and older people.
my love of pHotograpHy started as a very small cHild, witH tHanks to my grandma. sHe always Had a camera in Her Hand, taking pictures of me, my sister and my cousins. i remember Her telling me How talented i was and i never realised at tHe time sHe was boosting my confidence to do sometHing i loved.
but it was wHen i got my first camera, a canon 750d, tHat my passion for pHotogrpH really grew. i pHotograpHed all of my friends and family and my interest just grew and grew. over tHe years i tried my Hand at everytHing, i was pHotograpHing people i knew and loved so anytHing tHey wanted me to pHotograpH i would. due to my illness i don’t get to pHotograpH too mucH, but tHis is wHere i found my love of editing. tHrougH it i found a style of pHotograpHy i was in awe of: fine art pHotograpHy. i watcHed lots of tutorials and learned skills for pHotosHop and, tHrougH teacHing myself, i learned to create tHe looks tHat i desired.
over time people Have reacHed out to me from seeing my work on pHotograpHy groups, asking me to teacH tHem How i edit. i Held off for a long time, not knowing How i would even do it, How it would work or if i was really good enougH. i’d still never really cHarged anyone for my work before, so How could i cHarge people to sHow tHem wHat i know? time went by and i Had more and more people ask, i even made a small group of 5 pHotograpHers and taugHt tHem wHat i knew for free.and you know wHat? i absolutely loved it! and i just knew tHis was wHat i wanted to do.
people ask me a lot wHat fine art pHotograpHy is, tHe true definition. but, to be Honest, i tHink it is different for everyone. to me, a fine art image tells a story or provokes an emotion. and tHis is my favourite tHing about it, being able to tell stories witHout words, knowing tHat your story will capture people in completely different ways.
pHotograpHy is my tHerapy, my passion, my voice. i want you to know you can follow your dreams no matter wHat, i made a lot of excuses in tHe past, and tHen one day i took a cHance and it was tHe best tHing i ever did.
kirsty louise sweet soul pHotograpHy
feature in tHis magazine!
we need your content! images taken by you and articles about your pHotograpHy journey, or stories relating to your expereiences. Have you been inspired by tHis editing issue? do you Have images tHat sHow your amazing editing skiils tHat you are proud of and would like to sHare? or, could you feature in our next magazine later tHis year? we Have put togetHer some questions to Help you tell us your story in your own style:
1. w H o isnpires you wit H creative editing in t H eir pHotograpHy?
2. do you already Have editing skills, tips or tricks tHat you can sHare witH otHer pHotograpHers?
3. wHat look do you like tHe most in pHoto editing and wHy?
4. do you look for textures in tHe every day? if so, wHat, and wHere, and wHat inspires you to take pHotograpHs of textures?
5. if you could visit any place in tHe world, or even tHe solar system, to pHotograpH, wHere would you visit and wHat do you tHink you would find?
competition!
connect witH us and you will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win an amazon fire stick, a yellow, refurbisHed fabric backdrop and a disposable camera!
simply send in your images and eitHer a brief paragrapH about you, or include your answers to tHe questions on tHe opposite page - or include a bit more and tell us your story about your pHotograpHy.
tHere are 2 ways to ensure your images and story reacH us, tHese are:
tag us on instagram in your post and use #sazmedia club please note if you Have a private profile we may not see tHis, so it may be best to go witH tHe second option! send an email to info@sazmedia.co.uk we will send you a message (dm) or email you back to confirm we Have recieved your submission. we will not sHare your contact details witH anyone else.
