I read my Tutor's critique with great interest. I certainly agree that the composition in some images suffered from the immediate response needed that came from the approach that I had opte to take. And with hindsight the very bright light of the cloudy weather that day caused me problems which I did not really successfully overcome at the time of taking the photographs nor in the processing of the images taken afterwards. Saturation and contrast were often not right.
It would be interesting to go back to the Pride event this year and maybe take a different approach e.g. taking a fixed location for shots in a number of locations rather than walking with and in the parade to see what kind of differing result I could achieve.
I did have a go at reworking some of the images along the lines suggested and the results are below.
Original magazine cover
Revised cover
My tutor suggested that leaving the above image to the last page of the magazine article was in a sense a waste of an image which could bring inevidence of serious local political support right at the beginning and in some resepcts it does. That said, I prefer the original image in terms of the composition. So we have a pure visual image set against a picture which sets the scene i.e. a celebration of Gay Pride supported by the city council which has the added adjunct of a figure coming out from behind the poster board. Maybe from the magazine news angle the revised cover is the more 'newsworthy' one.
Original layout - page 3
Revised version
I agree that the revised version works better with less images and a more straightforward layout.
Original layout - page 5
Revised version
I chose some different images here for page 5 and cropped the image of the lady in the mask. This second version works better than the original.
Original version -page 6
Revised version
Again I changed one of the images and cropped the image of the two ladies more closely to arrive at a better interpretation of the post parade activities....avoiding tilting one of the images improves the visual aspect of the layout.
I have decided that it would be a good idea to keep a record of what I have been reading during the course and thereafter as a point of reference.
Reading list
Clarke,Graham. The Photograph, Oxford University Press,1997
Cotton,Charlotte. The photograph as contemporary art.Thames & Hudson, 2009
Freeman,Michael. The Photographer's Eye, ILEX, 2007
Hunter,Fil. Light - Science and Magic, 4th edition, Focal Press, 2012
Marien,Mary Warner. Photography: A Cultural History, 3rd edition, Laurence King Publishing, 2010
Peterson,Bryan. Understanding close-up photography, Amphoto Books, 2009
Stepan,Peter. 50 Photographers you should know, Prestel Verlag, 2008
Wells,Liz. (ed). Photography. A critical introduction, 4th edition, Routledge, 2009
Wilson,David.H. Henri Cartier-Bresson, Thames & Hudson, 2008
Over the past few weeks I've been looking at the various videos on preparing material for assessment on the OCA website, queried a few practical things with my tutor e.g. quantity of prints to submit and how to present these prints.
More importantly, I have been looking at the work that I've produced for each of the five TAOP assignments, judging what images would be best to send in as being representative. Interestingly and maybe not surprisingly, I have become far more critical of my work and what seemed a good image earlier on the course now looks less so. Part of this reaction must be drawn from my tutor's critique I guess but I do think that my own inner critical eye has been developing over the months. Looking back at some of the images, I feel inclined to have another go to see whether I could achieve more of what I was looking for the second time round.
On the advice of my tutor, I have decided to submit 4-5 prints from each of the assignments.
Achieving a good quality print has been a challenge so far. To resolve the slight mismatch of colour between what I was seeing on screen with what came out of the printer, I have had a go at calibrating both screen and printer using Colormunki and different software. The result has been a slight improvement with some prints and a more strident colour with others. I'm not yet happy with the end result and will need to recalibrate. Little did I know that in undertaking the TAOP course, I would not only be developing my photographic eye and skills but also developing other IT technical skills...an extra bonus !!
Now at the end of my first course with OCA, I can genuinely say that it has been a steep learning curve for me but a very enjoyable one. I feel my horizons have been widened and I get so much more out of both taking photographs but also viewing the work of others.I shall make a determined attempt in 2013 to gert to more photgraphic exhibitions and if I can, to go with fellow students from OCA.
I hope that my assessment submission will be successful but regardless, I shall go on determiningly and enthusiastically to the next course with a great sense of excitement and expectation. An over the top reaction? Maybe but I think not....
