Summing up...

Looking back over the exercises that have led to this point in the course i.e. poised to start on my first assignment, the first thing that strikes me is how much I've enjoyed the work. Secondly, how much I've learnt ..that is, in tackling the various exercises, I've not only had to think more about what I was trying to achieve but think carefully how my camera was contributing to the final result. This may seem rather odd to say but linking the technical and creative side continually is not something that came naturally ...it is still not quite second nature  but I've set off in the right direction. I've also learnt to slow down and look more before lining up a shot ..I hadn't realised how much I rushed taking photographs.

Though I'm still suffering from the frustration of not always being able to deliver in photographic technique what my 'inner eye' is seeing maybe I'm becoming better able to analyse what isn't working even if the solution does not always present itself! 

Preparation for Assignment 1 - Contrasts

Getting ready...

I've been thinking for a while now how to approach this assignment which presents all kinds of challenges. It is not as easy as first imagined.I found myself having to define exactly what the actual contrast words meant e.g. referral to a dictionary re 'opaque'. What seems a good idea in theory fails in practice due to maybe an uninteresting composition presenting itself / too busy a background to define the concept visually e.g. a railway line for 'straight' / how to express 'diagonal' using flights of stairs in a block of flats - much more effective at night than during the day during tothe vagaries of  light. Or the difficulty in delivering the concept accurately in 'photographic terms of technique'. It is also easy to become obsessive in looking for contrasts when out and about.

Some contrasts seem easier than others but in wanting to avoid more pedestrian interpretations I've come up against whether it is better to create a visual interpretation sometimes rather than pull something from the surroundings inside or out ( more satisfying not to 'create' I think ...at the moment !). What I am finding, not surprisingly, is how much I'm drawing from the previous exercises in deciding / shaping and executing shots. 

So I'm gathering a number of pictures at the moment for each of my chosen constrasts, wanting to leave a little time after taking each shot before going back to assess how effective it is in expressing what I'm looking for... the theory is that that slight distance will help decide the final shot for each contrast.This may seem all rather serious but the actual process of getting ready and carrying out the actual assignment is proving very enjoyable !!

Cropping

Exercise 14

Taking three different pictures, I used a cropping tool to look for a different picture within the original one.

P67 : f7.1 @ 1/1600

The logic here was to produce a more human interest view :

P133

This cropping works well I think as it has removed the distraction of the wall opposite the subject.

With this next set of pictures, I wanted to create a tighter view of the street within a distinct frame :

P130: f7.1 @ 1/2000

P131

I don't feel that the above cropping works that well other than tidying up the edges of the picture.

However, in the last cropping exercise below, I feel the cropped version does produce the different picture that I was looking for.

 

 



P134 : f8 @ 1/250

 



P135 

Vertical and horizontal frames

Exercise 13

I decided to use Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth for the location of this exercise. as it is a good venue for taking pictures both horizontally and vertically. The aim of the exercise was to take a number of photographs fitting everything into a vertical frame and then repeat the photographs by shooting a horizontal version of them considering afterwards how easily subjects fitted into a vertical frame. As I often opt for a vertical frame I was not that surprised that most scenes can be made to work vertically:

P95 : f16 @ 1/125

P96: f16 @ 1/125

P102 : f16 @ 1/80



P119 : f16 @ 1/80



P110: f16 @ 1/60

P126 : f16  @ 1/30

P122:  f16 1/60

P105 f16@ 1/80

P109 : f16 @ 1/80

P125 : f16 @ 1/100





Theories of frame division - the Golden Section

I had never heard of 'The Golden Section' so spent some time googling this on the Internet..  I had been only aware to date of the Rule of Thirds and have tried to apply this when taking shots.My search threw up the 'Golden Spiral' / Ratio. Also found an interesting site for pictures showing the spiral etc.. See :

http://bit.ly/xicfMf

Since coming across these theories,I've been checking out the pictures posted each morning on the online version of the Guardian to see whether this applies to any of the selected photos..Not sure this is always the case with these particular series as I suspect dramatic subject matter might often override here. That said, I will be looking at Hockney's exhibition next Friday in a new way ( and future planned trips to the Tate ). I've also decided to track down where I can view exhibited photos as opposed to those posted electronically- again to look at the images from these various points of view. 

Dividing the frame 2

Exercise 12  Positioning the horizon

Using a local seascape I took six photographs varying the position of the horizon to see the effect of placing the horizon high, low or towards the middle of the frame. 

P89: f/10 @1/160  28mm

P90: f/10 @ 1/160  28mm

Positioning the horizon towards the top of the picture as in P89 and P90 gives greater prominence to the foreground which in this case adds little to the overall image. The effect would likely be different and maybe more interesting if there were different foreground detail.

P91: f/14 @ 1/260  28mm

P92: f/14 @ 1/250   28mm

Though the horizon in P91 is centrally placed, what could be a static composition is rescued by the foreground detail. If I had to choose one image I would opt for P92 with the slight foreground detail.

I was expecting P93 to appeal more to me given the overall effect ( more sky ) results in an unequal division less static than say P91 but this was not the case.


P93: f/14 @ 1/250  28mm
  



P94: f/14 @ 1/250   28mm

The last shot (P94) really does not work for me. The prominence of the 'flat' sky dominates and overwhelms the picture rather than adding anything. I feel that much of this comes from the actual scene selected though and the effect of the horizon's position on the composition would change if there were more interest coming from the sky e.g colour /shape / texture.

What I think this all shows me is that moving the horizon up and down in the frame can work equally well as other factors come to have a bearing on how the overall effect works e.g. the foreground detail / the look of the sky etc.





Dividing the frame 1

Exercise 11  Balance

This exercise was all about looking at a number of photographs to decide how the balance works in each one. I found identifying the dominant parts of the image easier in some of the shots than others due to the degree and complexity of detail in the composition. Below are two examples of where I applied the 'weighing scale' interpretation to the image itself and illustrated in sketch form.

P 84

P64 was harder to gauge.

P64

Focal lengths 2

Exercise 10  Focal lengths and different viewpoints

I started here by taking a photograph with a telephoto lens. Then changing to a wide angled lens, I moved forward towards the subject in a straight line until I could see the exactly the same view of the subject in the viewfinder.

P80 : 109mm

P81  18mm

Comparing these two photographs, the shot taken furthest away with the telephoto lens brings the viewer much closer to the lectern. But the wide angled view gives more sense of space and  a feel for the surroundings showing more detail The angles exaggerated by the paving stones are more pronounced though which gives a strange perspective of almost looking down at the lectern.Not sure whether this makes for a more interesting shot or not ! That said, this exercise has made me think more about the difference changing lenses can make and again, emphasises how I should slow down more in composing the picture ; to think more keenly re what I'm trying to achieve so that I really set up the shot to deliver what I anticipate achieving. Easy to say but harder to do... 

Focal lengths 1

Exercise 9   Focal lengths

This is all about appreciating the effect of changing lenses from one focal length to another ..i.e. the amount of view achieved. I started with an open view ( P74 ) Then without moving and using a tripod I took a sequence of photographs aimed in the same direction but with a range of lenses / focal lengths.

P74:   18mm

P75:  55mm

P76 : 70mm

P77 :  161mm

P78 :  218mm

P79:  300mm

Looking through the viewfinder 3 - a sequence of composition

Exercise 8

This exercise is all about thinking about the practical process of composing an image; to record the way we approach and shoot a subject from the moment when we catch sight of a possible photograph, to the best  image that we can make of it.

I decided to look at the possibilities that the Market Cross in Chichester offered; it is a natural focal point at the centre of four roads; has a number of architectural features and is a magnet for people of all ages. From some distance away I thought a series of photos moving towards the cross through a busy shopping street might work.What caught my eye was the sun catching the pendants flying at the top of the cross.

P60; f/22 @ 1/320   300mm

I made a trial run but soon realised that the bright winter sun was placing a good part of the street in deep shadows which I couldn't make work for me however which way I moved across the road. I then realised that the close environs of the Cross offered more people possibilities and started again. 

P61:  f/7.1 @ 1/1600
  

Decided to move closer to the Cross to take advantage of the sunlight / shadows on the surrounding buildings.


P62 : f/7.1 @ 1/1000 @ 1/100  47mm

Wanted to take a tighter / closer shot of the people around the Cross.

P63: f/7.1  1/1000  55mm

Decided to move round the Cross to incorporate the surrounding buildings and view people's use of th building from different angles. 


P64: f/7.1 @ 1/1600   18mm

P65: f/7.1 @ 1/2000  18mm 

From P 64 and using a wide angled lens,I decided to move further around the Cross to see how the shadows would influence the next shot. Then I spotted the artist at work in  composing P65. The next few shots focused in on the artist moving from a standard to telephoto lens to try and capture what he was doing without being too intrusive.

 P66: f/7.1 1/2000 55mm

P67: f/7.1 @ 1/1600   141mm

P68: f/7.1 @ 1/800  141mm

P69 :  f/7.1 @ 1/1000   300mm

After P69, I decided to continue moving round the Cross to explore further people shots.

P71: f/7.1 @ 1/800 104mm


 

P70: f/7.1 @ 1/400  104mm


 



P73: f/ 7.1 @ 1/640   70mm

P72: f/7.1 @ 1/500    81mm

After P72, my eye was drawn back to the artist. P73 was my last shot capturing the 'people ' aspect of the Cross. Looking at the photo now, I feel the composition could have been much better- I think I rushed the shot wanting to capture the moment before people moved away. There is only limited scope for cropping here which I decided against. And maybe I should have really opted for a tighter shot of the artist ( capturing his concentrated expression perhaps).    

Looking through the viewfinder 2

Exercise 7 :  Object in different positions in the frame


I found it really difficult to find a suitable subject for this exercise which was both very clear and set within a large, even background.In the end I had to compromise with a seascape (using a telescopic lens) on the basis that I would keep my eye open for a better scenario if the seascape did not deliver.
The idea here was to take a series of photographs placing the subject in different positions and judge which version works most comfortably.

P 56 :  f/ 14 @ 1/250



P57 : f/10 @ 1/400



P58 : f/10 @ 1/500

P59 : f/10 @ 1/500

Though the floats are not an ideal subject, their positioning across the frame does give a sense of what works most comfortably i.e. P 58 . P 57 works second best followed by P59 ( if the headline were cropped from view ) and then P56..
Why this is, I'm not really sure other than I may be being influenced by the rule of thirds. Maybe a larger subject would be a better guide.