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.

Looking through the viewfinder 1

Exercise 6  Fitting frame to the subject

Having taken on a 366 challenge to post a photo a day on Flickr for all of 2012, I had already started to look around each day wherever I was for any possible/ interesting photo shot. Since starting this course this activity has now blossomed into an almost constant search for possible subjects and settings whether I'm out and about or musing / chilling out at home. My casual, interested look is slowly turning into a more critical one given a few fories out recently to what seemed like good settings only to be defeated by the detail needed in the photo challenge.

So for this exercise, I tried a boatyard, local children's playground  before a font caught my eye with its interesting shape and play of light.
The idea was to take at least four shots; a conventional viewpoint; the subject shot to exactly fit the frame; a detailed shot; and lastly placing the subject within a landscape.

P50 : f/7/1 @ 1/2

P51 : f/7/1 @ 1/6

P52 : f/7/1 @ 1/4

P53 : f/7/1 @ 1/4

            The exercise also required a few cropped versions :

P54 : f/7/1 @ 1/4

P55 : f7/1 @ 1/4

Photographing movement 2

Exercise 5  Panning with different shutter speeds

For this exercise I took 12 photographs using a tripod to follow the movement of my volunteer cyclist. I used a range of shutter speeds from 1/1250 to 1/2 to capture the shot. Comparing these shots with the previous cyclist photographs set in the same location showed that the panning technique best captured the essence of speed here.
This can be seen by looking at the following shots:

P 24:  Panning with a shutter speed of 1/10 @ f /32 

P18 Same position with shutter speed of 1/10 @ f 32

P28 : Panning with shutter speed of 1/25 @ f/32

P17: Same position with shutter speed of 1/25 @ f/ 32

Looking at all the photographs taken, I prefer the sharpest photograph taken from the same spot for its accuracy in capturing the subject( P10). The subject could have been better positioned though - maybe a little to the left.I found it difficult to compose the shot with a moving subject even with the help of the forward moving shadow.

P10 :  1/1250 @ F/5 

That said, I do like photo ( P18 ) for its abstract feel and sense of speed.

For really showing speed though, I have to opt for P28 above, a better shot than P 24 ( marred by a vertical light strip ). It conveys speed through the streaking of the background ( handy to have a brick wall here with its blurred horizontal lines of cement adding to the sense of speed) complimenting the turning wheels while keeping a clear shot of the cyclist.
I really enjoyed doing this exercise though with hindsight I could have placed the shots better against the brick wall background. And I think that my panning technique needs a lot more practice - I suspect that I was not turning the camera quick enough as the amount of blurring at say 1/60 was hardly noticeable.

Photographing movement 1

Exercise 4  Shutter speeds

I decided to use a 'volunteer' cyclist for this exercise, having found a nearby quiet road with a long brick wall providing the backdrop.Using a tripod I took a series of shots adjusting the exposure each time my cyclist rode past. I set the camera to automatically adjust the aperture each time I changed the exposure. Starting with the fastest speed ( 1/1250 ), I followed through to a very slow one taking 12 photographs in all.

P13 : 1/500 @ f8
P13 was the sharpish version at the lowest shutter speed in the series.

P14 : 1/250 @  f11
At 1/250 a slight blur re the cycle spokes can be seen but no real sense of speed here.



P15 : 1/125 @ f16
The cycle is now more blurred than the rider
  

P16 : 1/60 @ f 22
Rider and cycle become more blurred but brick wall remains focused.


 

P17 : 1/25 @ f 32
More blurring - wheels looking wider now which gives a sense of movement.

P18 :  1/10 @ f 32
The sense of the bike spokes turning hints at movement rather than speed.

P19 : 1/4  @ f 32
A sense of forward movement but no real sense of rider .The brick wall is discernable but colour is bleached out.

Focus at different apertures

Exercise 3

This exercise was all about taking three photographs standing at an angle to a row of things  - in my case a row of houses. The photographs were taken using a tripod and with the camera set at three different apertures. I printed out each  photograph to compare the differences between them.

Photo 7  :   f 5.6  @ 1/4000

Photo 8 : f 11 @ 1/1000

Photo 9 : f25 @ 1/250

Comparing the three prints to determine the depth of field at each of the different apertures was not as easy as I expected.I'm not sure whether this was the quality of the photography or my varifocle glasses! It took a while to really see the limits of sharpness but that said, I could then see the difference between the lowest and highest aperture setting.