OCA Learning Log

Assessment

2010-01-06T12:30:00.004Z

Well, I have applied for March assessment for this course and have enrolled on my next course, 'Progressing with Digital Photography'.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this course although at times challenging; I wouldn't have it any other way. It has been good to focus my photography and look at things differently, trying things I probably wouldn't have before. The lighting section particularly has convinced me to buy an off-camera flash and to use reflectors and angle to get different effects. I always have tried to capture a moment or situation but now feel there are times I will manipulate things to get a desired result.
There were projects I may go back to even though I have now completed the course, either because I did not have the time/circumstances to complete them the way I would have liked or I feel I could now improve on them with the benefit of what I have learnt throughout the course.
I have tried to observe others' work but think there is more I could look at and learn from. I plan to visit more exhibitions and look at more photographers/artists' work over the next year as well as always taking a second look at my own work and perhaps bring it out to air more often rather than sitting in a folder on my computer!

Snow

2010-01-06T11:43:00.011Z

How can you not be enthralled by the snow and its beautiful effect on our surroundings? Fields blanketed in snow and skeleton trees become elegant shapes outlined in white. People come out to play whatever their age and us photograhers, well, we can't resist!

I have always loved the delicate and intricate shapes of snowflakes, I have found this site with beautiful images taken with microscope photography:

http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/photos/photos.htm

Science enables us to see how truly amazing an artist nature is, on a microscopic level as well as what we can see with the naked eye.

Assignment 5: tutor feedback

2009-12-22T20:08:00.002Z

My tutor was pleased with my submission for this assignment. He had a few minor suggestions if I feel I need to make any changes.

I have decided not to make any amendments as I feel that the overall document would be changed, e.g. increasing the saturation of the final sunset picture would mean it would not blend with the other images on that page.

Assignment 5: illustration and narrative

2009-12-22T18:14:00.002Z

For this assignment I created a 'magazine cover and article' on my weekend trip to the New Forest:

http://www.vixart.co.uk/assignment5.pdf

Project 65: symbols

2009-12-14T22:12:00.003Z

"List more than one symbol for the following subjects...":

Growth - acorn/seedling, graph (stock market, etc.)
Excess - piles of waste/rubbish, plates piled high
Crime - weapons, graffiti, car on bricks, smashed windows, swag bag/stripy suit
Silence - zipped mouth, fingers to lips, empty scene, tumbleweed, library?
Poverty - shanty town, people in rags, empty pockets, run-down buildings

Project 64: evidence of action

2009-12-14T22:07:00.002Z

I could only capture this on my phone camera but how could I resist! I believe the action missed is obvious!

Project 63: narrative picture essay

2009-12-14T21:58:00.005Z

I chose to extend Project 62 - the Dickens Festival, Rochester, Kent

Project 62: researching an event

2009-12-14T06:55:00.003Z

I chose to research an event earlier in the year. I had skim-read the materials for the whole course and knew of a local event that would be ideal for this project - the Dickens Festival in Rochester.
I started by looking on the Medway Council website, downloading a programme of the events that went on over the bank holiday weekend in May, 29th -31st.
I looked at previous images from the festival via 'google' and 'flickr'. Being a yearly local event I have already attended this in the past so knew partly what to expect - certain figures that would be there, e.g. Fagin, Miss Havisham, etc.
I looked up times and a likely date I could attend. I then planned photos I would like to get:

Grand parade (12.00 starting at Star Hill, moving along the High Street into Rochester Esplanade and finishing in the Castle Gardens)
People in costume including famous characters
Victorian games and costume competitions
Funfair (possibly go back at night?)
Crowds and atmosphere

Project 52: tungsten balance

2009-12-10T18:30:00.003Z

Taken without flash on auto white balance - very yellow/warm colour to the room

With flash but still auto white balance the room looks drained and cooler

Taken without flash and on the tungsten white balance setting - still a warm shot due to the slow shutter speed but less yellow cast.

Project 61: making the best use of built-in flash

2009-12-10T18:01:00.005Z

Taken with flash under fluorescent lighting - the flash has caused a hot spot when reflected on the glass jar - perhaps would be better with diffusion but off camera lighting would be better.

The flash has reflected off the copper pot but has also caused harsh shadows behind it.

The flash has reflected on the shiny surface of this kettle but I think because it is 'brushed' there are not the same hotspots.

The flash has not washed out this statue but you can see the strong outline shadow on the left side.

The subject looks too bright against the darkened background, the flash has lightened the face and burnt out the shirt.

Taken with flash in a room lit by tungsten bulbs - perhaps still needs some brightening but the colours are warm and deep.

Taken with flash only, the colours are a little drained and very dark background.

I am not sure the flash made any difference to this shot as the camera has darkened the light shades and ceiling to expose for the bulbs?

The flash has brightly lit the shiny black surface of this appliance, also highlighting any dust!!

I don't think there are many situations in which built-in flash is best if there is another option. i think it is about convenience and having it to hand. It is very limited but can still enable you to get a shot you may not have done otherwise. Built-in flash is probably best used for a short distance away but still with some distance from the background to avoid harsh shadows as well as too brightly lit foreground.

Project 59: concentrating light

2009-12-10T17:50:00.003Z

Image 1 shows the lily lit fully by flash showing the true bright yellow colour

Image 1

I started trying to cover the flash in places and found it created some shadowing (image 2 & 3 below) but the cardboard I was using didn't seem to give me much flexibility. I also think it was because the subject I used I needed to be too close therefore not enabling me to focus the light.

Image 2

Image 3

I then got out a small torch that I shone into the flower in different ways (images 4, 5 & 6 below). My favourite is Image 6 as it has real contrast between light and shadow making the stamens stand out.

Image 4

Image 5

Image 6

I think I may have to try this project again with another still-life on a wider scale to enable me to focus the light in a different way.

Project 53: fluorescent lighting

2009-12-07T08:20:00.005Z

Here are a few of the images I took for the project on fluorescent lighting using different white balance settings. I only had my compact camera available for these with a choice of 'halogen' setting with no separate options for tungsten/fluorescent.

Auto white balance has worked very well and is how I remember the scene although it was probably nearer the 'halogen WB' image

Auto white balance but with flash - image appears too 'warm'

Daylight WB - again too yellow

Halogen WB setting - cooler cast. I prefer the auto white balance image.

Auto white balance

Daylight white balance

Halogen white balance - still quite a strong colour cast - the auto white balance works better.

When using my main DSLR camera I tend to take photos in RAW and on auto white balance. I then have the option to change the white balance/colour temperature later.

Project 50: rain

2009-11-13T09:43:00.008Z

1/50s @ f/3.5 ISO 200 (exposure compensation -0.33)

As the rain eased the water was dripping off the leaves of this plant and I liked the round droplets against the straight lines of the leaves.

1/30s @ f/2.8 ISO 400

The rain had stopped but the sky was still overcast and it was early evening. I captured the raindrops on this spiderweb against a background of autumn ferns. I used a slow shutter speed, wider aperture and higher ISO due to the low light.

1/60s @ f/4.5 ISO 400

Taken on the same evening as the spider web, you could look across the landscape and see the rain was still falling in the distance.

1/100s @ f/4.0 ISO 400 (exposure compensation -0.67)

Raindrops on my window - I used a viewpoint that provided a darker background allowing the highlights on the raindrops to show more.

I saw a post on flickr of rain on the window - I liked the conversion to black and white, it added to the mood of the shot:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/snowmoon/4065180323/in/pool-ocarts

Unfortunately I don't think it works so well on my image as although effective there is not enough light in the picture to create the same effect:

Assignment 4: Lighting - tutor feedback

2009-11-13T06:54:00.008Z

I received my tutor feedback which was very positive but he made a few suggestions that I tried and subsequently resubmitted:

Texture1:
"You have had quite a problem in showing the surface modelling on the head. The illumination coming from behind through the wings has obviously created difficulties in concentrating interest on the head. It is difficult to offer wise observations from a distance but I wonder if it could have been possible to cut out the illumination from behind the wings."

I submitted 2 more photos for texture:
I tried taking new shots of the dragon’s head using the light from the window (with nets diffusing the light). I used a reflector (foil over card) to highlight the shadows slightly.

My tutor feels this first revision is the better of the 2 that I submitted to replace Texture1 as there is less background interference.

Shape2 is the same view as Shape1 - suggested using this to replace Colour1 as he felt "This image suffers from a similar problem as Texture 1".

I submitted the images below to replace Shape2 with the following text:
I took some shots of a side view of the dragon, set against the window for a light backdrop still retaining some colour/detail but showing the edges clearly. I wanted to use the greens in the garden as a backdrop opposed to a plain white and tried to use an aperture that would allow detail in the dragon but blur the background in muted greens. I liked the first version but am not sure about the ‘blurred’ right wing so have also sent you another version with more in focus.

My tutor feels this is the better revision for Shape2 as the wing is not so heavy.

Points of View exhibition

2009-11-12T14:01:00.003Z

I found this exhibition being held at the British Library in London: Points of View (30 Oct 2009 - 7 Mar 2010)
http://www.bl.uk/pointsofview/
It has an online version of the exhibition which I looked round.

Themes: Art, Beginnings, Life, New Century, Portraits (a new age of celebrity dawned thanks to portraiture - so did the carte de visite and the PR photo), Progress, Science, Travel.

I particularly liked:

Kodak factory
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/pointsofview/themes/newcentury/kodak/index.html
Oh, how things have changed especially with the digital era. No computers needed but plenty of sunlight and chickens!

Central Line
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/pointsofview/themes/progress/centralline/index.html
I liked the image of the ‘Central Line’ showing the building of the London underground – something we take so much for granted. I like the information given in the image of the construction and people but I also like the actual image with its shapes and people framed in those shapes.

Frog x-rays
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/pointsofview/themes/science/frogs/index.html
Revealing a hidden world and providing diagnostic information that we all rely on today. The image has a lot of impact with the bright whites against the black background and the detail of the frogs’ bones in sharp contrast.

I really enjoyed looking at these snapshots of photography history and I love the idea that photography enabled people to see things they could not before due to distance or cost. Today, the internet has taken this further, we can see more and more around the world; I can look at this exhibition without travelling to the British Library.

Project 45: picture count

2009-11-04T12:45:00.003Z

Identify 10 photos from The Textbook where lighting is of prime importance (at first I wasn't going to detail these on the blog but then decided I needed to show I had done the project):

Pg 49 - side-lit portrait
Pg 63 - backlit 'sergeants' - people under-exposed, background bright and hazy
Colour Plate IV - backlit stones and pronounced shadows
Colour Plate V - frontal lighting, contrasty, dark shadows behind tree, face only just visible
Pg 82 - side-lit portrait
Pg 87 - leaning trees are side-lit casting horizontal shadows and dark/light tree trunks
Pg 93 - side-lit nude, shows form
Pgs 144 & 145 - portraits, lots of shadow with 'luminous' faces in contrast
Pg 147 - side-lit profile/frontally lit taken from the side
Pg 220 - backlit legs
Pg 224 - side lighting

Project 48: cloudy and dull weather

2009-11-03T19:18:00.003Z

Photos taken on an overcast day to see the effect of diffused light

1/80s @ f/8.0 (ISO 200)

The colour in this photo is washed out due to the overcast day.

1/180s @ f/7.1 (ISO 400)

This photo shows a lot of detail in the wood with minimal shadows due to the diffused light of a cloudy day.

Project 48: cloudy and dull weather

2009-11-03T19:04:00.003Z

Take the same view under sunlight and under cloud

As suggested I used a day that was sunny with cloudy spells to take the photos below:

1/320s @ f/9.0

1/250s @ f/7.1

The 'sunny' image has much harsher shadows, especially on the face with loss of detail in highlighted areas. Much warmer picture, more yellow.

1/250s @ f/9.0

1/125s @ f/7.1

Again the 'sunny' image appears a lot warmer. There are more shadows providing greater contrast which gives more shape to the shrubs and the circles. However there is detail lost in the trees which have been under-exposed to compensate for the rest of the frame.

Assignment 4: Lighting

2009-11-03T15:20:00.009Z

These are the images I have submitted to my tutor for Assignment 4

Colour1 - The dragon was lit from behind and I went in close to hide the source of lighting and capture just the fiery colours of the dragon. (The image originally had a highlight in the bottom left corner that was distracting. People agreed on flickr and I used brush and clone tools to remove it)

Colour 2 - A small lamp was held slightly above and to the right of the camera, throwing the background into darkness and revealing the different colours of the dragon. A slow shutter speed emphasised the warmth of the colours.

Form 1 - I used natural light for this image slightly to the side of the dragon creating minor shading on the side angled away from the light. I felt that the lighting and angle of view showed the curvature of the dragon’s body, neck and wings.

Form 2 - I chose to light the dragon from both sides and slightly behind to shine through the wings. The lighting on the wings with the head shadowed produces a powerful 3D image.

Shape 1 - The only lighting I used was a small lamp behind a sheet of paper directly behind the dragon creating a silhouette and clearly showing its shape. (I chose to crop to a square format after receiving feedback on flickr.)

Shape 2 - I chose to use a blue background which I hoped would contrast with the red of the dragon therefore defining the edges/shape. I lit it with a small lamp over and slightly behind the dragon to make the reds glow which also highlighted the top edges and reduced detail on the front of the ornament.

Texture 1 - This macro shot using diffused light shows a high amount of detail on the dragon’s head.

Texture 2 - This image was taken in natural light on an overcast day to expose as much detail/texture as possible. I also used a diffused flashgun to fill in any shadows.

Assignment 4: Lighting

2009-11-01T14:41:00.002Z

I have started work on Assignment 4: lighting.
I do try and capture light in my images and use different camera settings to do so but this deliberate manipulation of light with one subject to capture different elements has been a real challenge.
I didn't quite know where to start but I chose a subject, one of my dragons, that I thought presented a good shape and its part translucency gave me the additional option of shining light through it to show colour.
I have a few possibilities that I have posted on the flickr forum for critique before refining further.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vixart/sets/72157622708303008/

New Forest

2009-10-29T20:25:00.005Z

I recently spent the weekend at the New Forest - the weather was changeable but the autumn colours were starting to show.

The camera was in my hand, the shutter speed was only 1/60s but suddenly there were deer and although it is blurred, I like the movement in this shot.

Splashes of colour could be found in amongst the browns and greens

I loved the light shining through to this patch of ferns within the forest

Project 44: low sun

2009-10-26T09:21:00.007Z

Taken in low sun demonstrating:

Frontal lighting - this image was taken with the sun hitting this wall towards the end of the day

Side lighting - light hitting the side of the face leaving half in shadow

Backlighting - although the sun was low it was quite bright because of the cloud reflecting the light, I bracketed exposure.

Auto-exposure

-1 exposure:

+ 1 exposure - far too bright!

Due to the conditions, post-editing using levels etc. is probably needed to get the full range of highlights/shadows or perhaps an ND graduated filter could have been used at the time.

Another backlit photo but due to the transparency of the seeds on this plant, the whole plant 'glows'.

Edge lighting - this pony's mane and its head/neck was highlighted by the sun

Project 40: using a meter

2009-10-25T14:31:00.003Z

First part
Produce photos that are deliberately lighter or darker than average.

I knew when taking this image in a forest that the dark surroundings would cause the camera to over-expose the fungus (above). I therefore chose to under-expose (using exposure compensation) to correct the colour of the fungus and capture the texture detail.

I took this image of a pony laying in the ferns. The camera was set to evaluative metering and

has over-exposed the image due to the darkness of the pony's colouring.

I therefore reduced the shutter speed which was a little too slow anyway to reduce the exposure. The ferns are still a little light but the pony now doesn't look washed out.

Second part

Make several exposures of the same subject. The coursework stated half stops but my camera works in thirds.

The ferns in this forest show quite a difference in detail using different exposures. I preferred the under-exposed images as the detail was retained in the lighter ferns at the centre of the picture and kept it truer to what I saw at the time as it was taken in a shaded woodland.

The camera's exposure for this fallen apple seems about right although I think I prefer the slightly underexposed version (-0.33 stops) as the colours are more saturated.

Project 39: using faster film and higher sensitivity

2009-10-24T17:01:00.008+01:00

I found that although taken in the middle of the day pictures of my lively niece were difficult to get reasonably exposed. When using flash I felt her face was too bright and stark and I could not get anything much at all using ISO 200.

I tried increasing the ISO to 800 and was much more pleased with the results although it did leave the image a little soft because of the slower shutter speed especially with a moving subject!

Using the higher ISO also allowed me to capture movement

The auto exposure on this image was a little bright but ok, unfortunately the shutter speed was reduced to 1/13s which I knew would have incurred some camera shake.

I reduced the shutter speed as low as I felt I could go, i.e. 1/60s but the image was now too dark.

I increased the ISO to 400 which gave me a lighter, more natural image although I probably still need to adjust the levels a little.

This photo was taken in the evening when the light was low after an overcast day. The auto exposure settings showed some of the scene and colours but again was a slow shutter speed with no tripod to hand.

Increasing the shutter speed resulted in a very dark image, ok for use of the tree as a silhouette but no detail at all in the foreground and not as the scene actually was at the time, I was not stumbling around in the dark!

I tried a higher ISO, increasing from 200 to 400 but still not any good.

Increasing to ISO 1600 lightened the foreground and showed the colours still using an ok shutter speed of 1/60s but there is no detail in the sky. Although higher ISO has enabled the scene to be captured, I feel it still requires either composites of differently exposed images or a graduated ND filter to allow the sky detail to be retained.

This section of the above image taken at ISO 200 although dark and 'soft' doesn't show any noise.

This section of the image taken at ISO 1600 shows more noise.

Project 57: lighting angle

2009-10-07T21:35:00.009+01:00

I worked on this project at the same time as project 56. I kept the camera level with the ornament and moved the light round the subject, initially on the same level, then raised before suspending it overhead. I enjoyed photographing and looking at the results of this project. I think the subject lends itself well to a variety of lighting angles due to the mix of rounded and sharp shapes.

I was unable to take a photo with the light directly behind without the light showing in the frame but this is one I took at a slight angle. As advised in the coursework lighting from behind created a lack of foreground due to the shadow therefore showing the shape of the subject.

I felt this image showed form most. The shadow is less than in some of the other photos but are enough and in the right places to show the 'form' of the ornament - fairy, wings and ball - though detail can still be seen in the majority of the subject.

I like this image as it has a pleasing colour and a good balance of shadow and detail.

I am considering using this ornament in Assignment 4 as it is moveable and has a variety of surfaces/shapes that I think will prove illustrative.

Project 56: softening light

2009-10-07T21:28:00.003+01:00

Without diffusion - 1/20s @ f/5.6

With diffusion (greaseproof paper) - 1/8s @ f/5.6

I took both of these images in aperture priority mode but in hindsight perhaps I should have used a fixed shutter speed also as this has given a different colour and brightness to the image that confuses the results of this experiment.

However, I think you can still see that the second image is ‘softer’ with less contrast and therefore less sharp edges. You can still see that with diffusion the light has not washed out the colour of the fairy on the right hand side (although the slower shutter speed has lightened the background).

I have shown a conversion to black and white as I think this shows even more clearly the strong effect of the harsher light on the first image although the colour is truer in image 2.

Project 38: measuring the intensity of light

2009-09-25T21:17:00.002+01:00

I at last found a sunny day when I was about for the whole day to take these measurements. I used a photographic grey card and the camera was set at a shutter speed of 1/125s.

Up until 3.00pm the measurements were reflecting what I expected and as detailed in the coursework. However, after this time the aperture appeared to get smaller again. I can only think this was due to having to take the photos in a different place to capture the light (although still at home I had to stand in a different place). I wouldn't expect it to make too much difference but... Perhaps I will try again another day to see if I get different results.

Assignment 3 - revision

2009-09-19T17:40:00.002+01:00

My feedback from Assignment 3 was very positive but suggested assembling the images into more of a narrative. I therefore revisited my submission and pulled them into one document, adding some text along the way to detail my relationship with the River Medway throughout my life and its effect on the Medway towns.

As my tutor had suggested that the 'fisherman' image was my weakest, I removed this photo and added the M2 bridge to fit in with the areas I was talking about.

Rankin Live

2009-09-16T16:22:00.002+01:00

I came across a documentary on Sky Arts following Rankin on his project to not only hold a retrospective exhibition of his images but also to hold live photo shoots which he will use to photograph 1,000 people (over the age of 13) that will be immediately displayed in the exhibition alongside portraits of celebrities etc.

It was interesting to watch how quickly he puts people at ease and brings out qualities in them to make good images that display well on screen. As Rankin explains, digital allows immediate viewing of an image which he enjoys and says challenges him as his subject can also view his work straight away so he needs to provide immediate impact/quality.

When asked who he wants to photograph, he says everybody!

http://www.skyarts.co.uk/rankinlive

Many images seemed quite high key with white backgrounds and a minimum of colour except to add impact and looking more at them on the Rankin Live site, this is seen from just looking at the shots on the home page.

http://www.rankinlive.com

I really enjoyed this look at Rankin's work and seeing the 'everyday' person given the celeb treatment. I'll certainly be taking a look at more of his work.

Project 36: warm and cool colours

2009-09-05T17:45:00.004+01:00

This tree trunk was oozing sap and in the afternoon light the different tones of brown, orange and yellow seemed to shine. I'm not sure the photograph shows the different colours that were visible.

Green, blue and purple - making this a photograph of cool colours (excepting the yellow of the pollen)

A contrasting image of green (cool) and yellow (warm)

KCC Photography Competition

2009-08-31T18:49:00.002+01:00

I work for Kent County Council and in August they held an exhibition of the entries in one of their photography competitions for 'Explore Kent Woodland'. I went to have a look and found it quite interesting to see the different images entered. I have found that the entries are also held online (including many that weren't exhibited), see link below:

http://www.kent.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/explore-kent/photo-competition-results.htm

The winner was a lovely shot with the sun shining through the foliage of a large tree.

I also particularly liked one by Sarah Goodwill called 'Magic Ashurst' showing a path through wintry trees covered in frost. The shot was well exposed with lots of detail and atmosphere.

http://www.kent.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D8885D95-32A4-41C2-992B-576E0448B74D/21471/SarahGoodwill2.jpg

This one also was a happy image:

http://www.kent.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/E73B830C-F066-47B9-A4AB-D3EFB15E55D8/21566/SuzyWorth3.jpg

Critique & Feedback

2009-08-31T18:06:00.002+01:00

I find myself wondering if I am still somewhat lacking in the critique, both of myself and others, that should be evidenced for this course. I have determined that as well as explaining my intentions for an image, I need to say how successful or unsuccessful I found it and perhaps post some of the images here that I am less happy with. It is so easy to select those that demonstrate what you are trying to do or those that look good and hide those that don't. If I continue to do that, I am in danger of not showing what I have learnt.

I do sometimes comment on other students' images on flickr and must dedicate more time to doing so, however I am not sure how this can be evidenced here (perhaps links to the specific flickr pages?).

I also am sometimes unsure what to look at and books can be costly so will go along to my local library this week:)

Assignment 3: Neighbourhood

2009-08-31T16:44:00.015+01:00

Applying what you have learnt so far - 'NEIGHBOURHOOD'

I chose a theme of the River Medway as it is central to the Medway Towns where I live and provides a wide variety of photographic opportunities.

I have selected the images below but still need to eliminate at least one more! It's difficult when you want to represent the different faces of the river - military (Chatham Dockyard), historical (Rochester Castle and Cathedral), industrial, leisure, countryside and tidal (estuary) as well as incorporate some of the things learnt in the course, e.g. choice of shutter speed, light, etc.

(I have also added these photos to 'flickr' and have asked fellow students for feedback)

I wanted to show the industrial side of the river and took this image towards the end of day. There wasn't much colour due to the weather and I wanted a more moody shot so changed the white balance to shade to warm it up.

The old machine shop at Chatham Dockyard. I liked the shapes the windows formed. Don't look at it too long, it may give you a headache!

Tracks at Chatham Dockyard.

I chose to use the arrow painted in the road to point into the picture.

M2 motorway bridge across the river.

I liked the shape of the reflection and the colour accent of the traffic cone in the water.

An abandoned trolley in the mud flats seen at low tide.

Picture postcard view of the historic buildings in Rochester from across the river.

These stumps of wood still show the outline of the boat left there.

Fisherman with a background of reeds in the estuary at Rainham with the white specks of seagulls.

I wanted to picture the power station across the river and used these wooden structures for foreground interest.

Although there was no colourful sunset, I liked the rays of light from behind the clouds and the reflection on the water.

I wanted to capture the movement of the water at the weir and I also loved the greenery that could be seen behind the 'window' of water. I chose this version taken with a faster shutter speed.

Many leisure boats can be seen travelling the canal by Allington Lock.

The country aspect of the river with greenery either side and Teston Bridge. I was hoping for blue sky for the country images but it was not to be!

Schlieren Photography - photographing the invisible

2009-08-18T21:45:00.002+01:00

I receive newsletter emails from http://www.photojojo.com and the one I received today had an article on Schlieren Photography. I followed a couple of links to some of the photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianorg/3765868913/in/set-72157621875118350/ or http://www.ian.org/Schlieren/. Wow, look at those shapes and colours!

Project 35: colour relationships

2009-08-16T12:32:00.006+01:00

"Colours opposite each other on the colour circle appear to the eye to balance each other... complementary. However the hues vary from dark to light... the ideal proportions, then, would be as follows:

red:green 1:1
orange:blue 1:2
yellow:violet 1:3

Here are my interpretations:

red:green 1:1

orange:blue 1:2

yellow:violet 1:3

And a few other strong colour combinations:

pink:orange:green 1:1:1

(all of the colours are lighter than on the colour circle provided. The pink and orange are close to each other on the circle and almost blend but the complementary green livens up the image)

pink:yellow 1:2

(these 2 colours are about a third of the way round the colour circle from each other, they seem to almost clash with each other - your eye being drawn between the two)

green:purple 1:1

(this is part of a seat in a playground, see below. The colours aren't quite complementary but when seen against the grass create a colourful frame that then fits into the background)

pink:green 1:2

(a variation of the red:green combination still providing a complementary relationship but slightly unbalanced by the brightness of the pink)

Illness - curse and blessing

2009-08-16T12:22:00.002+01:00

Early on in this course I had a back problem preventing me going out as much as I would normally like and it was surprising how it affected me even taking pictures closer to hand - you don't realise how much bending you do to get that right positioning for the shot! Luckily this has improved significantly and I was starting to feel my life getting back to normal.

However, my luck is obviously on a downturn at the moment as I now have the dreaded swine flu, again holing me up in the house. For the first few days I could do nothing but now however, although not able to go out taking photos, I feel well enough to sit at the computer and collate those I already have and log them here. I guess it has given me the time I needed to look at the coursework and pull it all together.

Project 34: black-and-white and grey as colours

2009-08-15T18:21:00.003+01:00

I photographed a pair of shoes for black and some pages of paper for white - not interesting pictures but I have been limited on going out due to illness and these seemed to be the extremes I could find.

I expected that if I metered from the black/white object the camera would compensate thereby under-exposing the white and over-exposing the white. I metered from a neutral area as advised in the coursework and therefore there was not such a compensation. However, it was surprising to note from the values in Photoshop that areas that appeared white/black varied considerably in their values and it still took a change in exposure to correct this. This did mean though that features in the pictures could be lost, there is a need for balance.

Project 33: secondary colours

2009-08-15T18:13:00.002+01:00

I had to approach this project slightly differently as my camera works in 1/3 stops not 1/2. I took all the images at 1/3 and 2/3 stops either side of the meter reading but have only used 1/3 for orange and green but 2/3 for the violet to show a difference in colour.

Orange - I believe the photo taken at the meter reading (the one in the centre) is closest to the colour circle.

Violet - I think this image may be too light to fulfil the task but have included for now as it is the same hue. I believe the under-exposed image is therefore nearest to the colour circle.

Green - the under-exposed image is closest to how the plant appeared but I think the over-exposed is closest to the colour circle provided.

Project 32: primary colours

2009-08-14T16:10:00.007+01:00

Fallen apple

I feel that the under-exposed image is the closest to the colour circle.

Close-up of kitchen spray bottle
The images turned out a little green but I think the over-exposed one is probably closest to the colour circle.

Handbag

The under-exposed image is closest to the colour circle but I have my doubts about the colour circle in the coursework as it is very dark and not as bright as the red and yellow.

Project 31: analysing a colour

2009-08-13T17:00:00.002+01:00

"Imagine that you have your camera aimed at a distinctly coloured object under normal daylight. Which of its 3 colour qualities - hue, brilliance, saturation - can you change at the time of shooting, without moving the object or changing the light falling on it?"

My answers:
Hue - using White Balance (digital) or coloured filter
Brilliance - exposure settings
Saturation - polariser filter

Coursework:
Hue - coloured filter, tungsten-balanced film & different colour balance settings on a digital camera
Brilliance - nothing - although different films can give varying results
Saturation - nothing - although different brands of film give different balance of colours

Project 30: colour control

2009-08-13T12:57:00.007+01:00

1/100s @ f/8.0

1/100s @ f/7.1

1/100s @ f/6.3 - normal meter reading

1/100s @ f/5.6

1/100s @ f/5.0

The difference I can see between the images is that the over-exposed images are lightened/bleached with the effect of flattening, i.e. the planks of wood are not so defined whereas the under-exposed are darker and the lines in the wood show more clearly.

I checked the values for the dark and light parts of the darkest and brightest images:

Darkest image

Dark area 83 26 19

Light area 167 90 72

Brightest image

Dark area 179 95 69

Light area 241 159 137

Assignment 2: colour - submission

2009-08-05T23:28:00.011+01:00

The red and green in this image are complementary to each other, i.e. they are opposite on the colour wheel.

I looked at the available colours in a tube of Smarties, using the colour wheel to find complementary and then contrasting colour groups. This combination provided a striking image.

I loved the reflection of the profusion of pink flowers in the water below, a vibrant combination of colours.

Car indicator – the deep colours oppose each other on the colour wheel.

The greens, yellows and browns of this image pulled together to make a warm, intimate image of your common snail.

Layers of cool colours

These colourful buildings are at Greenwich Village. Even on a dull day their oranges were warm against the grey sky.

A profusion of 'Golden Chain' flowers

Fresh, contrasting colours of the iris against its green background.

Highlighting pens of contrasting colour.

Ludo playing piece with other pieces of contrasting colour behind.

The bright yellow of the lemon stands out in contrast to the deep blue

I found colour accent the most difficult within this assignment. I saw a lot of colour splashes against white or black but not against another colour. This lone dandelion stood out against the grass it was on, one the gardener had missed!
Colour accent using similar colour relationship.

A small stripe of red in the countryside, summer poppies.

Colour accent using the complementary colours relationship.

A splash of vivid yellow highlights the gate of this red brick building.

Colour accent using contrasting colours relationship.

The neon blue of this small dragonfly made it stand out against even the bright green of the leaf.

Colour accent using similar colours relationship.

Assignment 2: colour

2009-08-05T22:27:00.002+01:00

I have completed and submitted Assignment 2 although I have not yet completed all of the projects for Section 4. I considered not uploading the assignment to my blog until I had reached the right point of the coursework but decided to I should reflect the work I have done in the order I have done it.

Below is the link to my assignment photos on 'flickr':

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vixart/sets/72157621956518242/

(I decided to provide this link to evidence the availability of my pictures for fellow student critique as suggested in the course and I believe the OCA group on 'flickr' provides a wider audience than my blog alone.)

Section 3 - elements of design

2009-08-05T22:07:00.002+01:00

I have taken and collected pictures over several weeks that I have then pulled together for the last few projects in Section 3, uploading them all to my blog at once. Some projects were easier than others.

I find I am not doing everything in the order of the coursework so that I can utilise the opportunities that I have in which to take photographs. I don't want to miss the ideal shot for illustrating a project because I had not got to that page yet... However, I do understand the need to take/create images on demand which I have still had to do for some projects.

Project 28: rhythms and patterns

2009-08-05T21:57:00.004+01:00

The repeating windows on this large building demonstrate 'rhythm' - see sketch below

The wooden pieces that this table is made of form a repeating pattern

In the image below, the plants growing together form a random pattern with their stalks/foliage

Project 27: real and implied circles

2009-08-05T20:54:00.006+01:00

A spiral of liquorice and a sweet round centre - circles within circles

Maybe not perfectly round but both this urchin and its rock pool provided the circles for this image

I was trying to photograph water droplets with varied success but the ripples formed circles I could use for this project

Need I say anything!?

Project 26: real and implied triangles

2009-08-05T20:25:00.004+01:00

REAL TRIANGLES

"Find a subject which is itself triangular" - triangular face of a pyramid perhaps!

The struts on this bridge meeting high above provided a triangle by perspective, converging towards the top of the frame.

I found it a little harder to make an inverted triangle by perspective but these parasols formed a triangle shape by their arrangement converging towards the bottom left of the frame.

IMPLIED TRIANGLES

Still-life arrangement forming a triangle with the apex at the top

Still-life arrangement forming a triangle with the apex at the bottom

3 faces making a triangle

Project 25: rectangles

2009-08-05T19:54:00.005+01:00

This view straight away struck me as ideal for illustrating rectangles, the repeating doorways and walls ending in rectangular doorframe and a rectangle of light! Not all are face on therefore you lose the true rectangular shape except for the end of the corridor.

Maybe obvious but windows seem the ideal subject for photographing rectangles, 4-in-1.

Brick walls show a repeating pattern of rectangles

Project 24: shapes

2009-08-04T23:15:00.002+01:00

The contrast of the golden sand against the blue sea accentuates the shape of the island seen from above

The shape of this hut stands out against the barren background but also the shape of the cut-out window stands out in its own right, the light that can be seen contrasting against the dark colour of the wood

Project 22: curves

2009-08-03T20:39:00.004+01:00

Natural curve of the bay taken from a higher viewpoint

The fields have been cultivated around the shrubs/woodland, creating curves in the crops

Natural curves of the drooping palm fronds

Taken from inside the curved building you can see the curved outer walls as well as the curved central building

Project 21: diagonals

2009-08-03T19:21:00.003+01:00

As suggested in the coursework I looked for examples of diagonals in the textbook and found a few. The main one that stood out to me was 'The Open Door' by William Henry Fox Talbot. The diagonal angle of the broom provided a stark contrast across the straight verticals of the door frame.

Other examples were:
Hippolyte Bayard's 'Place J.-B Clement' with diagonal steps leading the eye to the building at the centre of the image
Herbert G Ponting's 'The Pines of Mio' - diagonal twisted trees with a woman holding a rake diagonal to them - a striking shot of lines across the whole image.
Frederick Evans' 'On Sussex Downs' with a road/track diagonally cutting the fields.

Project 21: diagonals

2009-08-03T18:50:00.009+01:00

Diagonal lines of these steps and their handrails

Parallel windows/arches in this building demonstrated a diagonal line when taken from an angle

These branches were highlighted in the late afternoon sun, cutting diagonally across the frame

Diagonal lines provided by this view along the beach including the row of umbrellas and the edge of the sea.

Project 20: vertical lines

2009-08-03T17:56:00.008+01:00

Examples of vertical lines, surprisingly not all taken in portrait format! I found it quite easy to find examples of both horizontal and vertical lines, although most were man-made.

Rows of albums on a bookcase providing many vertical lines immediately obvious both when taking the picture and looking at it later.

The vertical height of 'Big Ben' and the vertical lines in the detail of the building caught my eye but now think perhaps this is not an obvious 'line'?

These posts provided vertical lines especially in contrast to their horizontal shadows

This path through the fields provided a vertical line that divides the image in half

Project 20: horizontal lines

2009-08-03T17:52:00.006+01:00

Examples of horizontal lines

These steps presented horizontal lines repeating themselves in this image

The horizon at the beach provided a clear horizontal line of the sea against the sky but also the sand against the sea

This fallen tree divided the frame with its horizontal line

The stands at this cricket match provided an elongated view with their horizontal banding

Project 19: multiple points

2009-08-03T16:45:00.010+01:00

Setting up a still-life of 'holiday' items to show relationships between points

Final composition indicating the 'lines' that relate the objects

Project 18: eyes

2009-08-03T15:18:00.003+01:00

I took this image as suggested in the coursework to show the 2 points attracting attention equally. I think it would have worked better without the light shining on the right hand side of the photo as this does draw the focus slightly.

Project 18: relationship between points

2009-08-03T15:08:00.007+01:00

In this image the eye is drawn first to the larger object, i.e. the lampost partly due to its size in the frame but also because of the bright light. Your eye is then drawn to the 'pod' of 'The London Eye', a recognisable object to many.

In this picture I was trying to capture the dandelion in its 2 phases 'before and after' in the same frame. My eye is drawn first to the clock because of its height/prominence in the image but quickly then to the flower with its bright colour.

Project 17: positioning a point

2009-07-30T10:56:00.004+01:00

I only had a few moments in which to compose and take this shot as I was flying overhead! The boat was leaving a trail in its wake and I wanted to position the boat in the top right of the frame to emphasise the direction in which it was travelling -nearly there!

This lone seat/parasol took my eye and I positioned it on the left of the frame to show the scenery it was there to enjoy

Small points in the frame often don't work when placed centrally but I chose to with this shot as these two people were sitting in the middle of nowhere and I wanted to show how insignificant they seemed against their backdrop. It was a still image and therefore suited the static nature of a centrally placed focus.

Project 13: Golden Section

2009-07-16T17:28:00.019+01:00

I decided that to understand the concept of the 'golden section' I would take/examine photos with both the 'golden section' and the 'rule of thirds' in mind.

Taken with the 'golden section' in mind but to be honest still thinking of the 'rule of thirds' (see below) with the poppy head almost sitting on the intersection of lines.

This image seems to fit the 'golden section' criteria with the older girl sitting in the ‘square’ of the golden section and the baby in the smaller ‘square’.

Both sets of eyes are on the intersection lines and also the 2 figures are separated in rough thirds, baby sitting in one third and the older girl sitting in the other two.

The horizontal part of the window frame sits I the top third but not sure it works as a golden section?

The edges of the window frame both sit on ‘third’ lines.

I think I could get too caught up worrying over what the 'golden ratio' can provide when as stated in the coursework, even golden rules should not be followed all of the time.

Project 13: the golden section

2009-07-12T08:35:00.005+01:00

I found the comparison between the golden section and the rule of thirds a little confusing, I just couldn’t get my head round it so I decided to do some reading on it.

I first went to the OCA forum group on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/ocarts/discuss/72157604189312985/?search=golden
It didn't clarify much and I considered starting another post but I then found another group on flickr via a ‘google’ search, that had a useful diagram/summary:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/golden_rectangle/

An Infinite Pattern.
If you were to cut a square from the Golden Rectangle, the remaining small rectangle would have exactly the same height-to-width ratio as the original rectangle. Only a rectangle with a Golden Ratio has this property. This is the Golden Rectangle.

Project 12: positioning the horizon

2009-06-28T21:55:00.004+01:00

Take several photographs with the horizon at different positions in the frame:

Shows all of the fields but the long grasses in the foreground become too prominent in the image.
This is my preferred shot. The majority of the frame is still filled by the fields that I wanted to capture but they are not so dominant and there is depth to the image. Would have been nice with some of the blue sky you can see at the top of the later images but the cloud was low and therefore the colour was not seen with this horizon position.
Shows some detail in the sky and the fields but it is neither one thing or the other.
Some of the long grasses at the front have been lost (including the distracting white flower!) and more sky detail is visible.
The poppy field and trees on the horizon are now visible without long grasses in the foreground and they are a lot smaller in the frame, giving more emphasis to the sky.
Probably should have taken this with an even lower position for the horizon. Much more detail has been shown in the sky which in some photos would be lovely but in this shot, draws attention away from the poppies which have just become a coloured strip at the bottom – your eye cannot settle.

Project 16: defining a point

2009-06-28T10:37:00.006+01:00

This project asked for me to jot down situations which would make a clear photograph of a point, including how lighting could create a point:

Single flower in a field
Plane or balloon in the sky
A boat on the sea
Single car in an empty parking lot
Door in a large plain wall
Animal/bird in a field/lake
Lighting:
Spotlight on a subject
Moon in the sky
Light through crack in a door or through a window into a dark room?
Lit building at night

And here are some of my pictures in which I have found obvious 'points'

Not a completely plain background but the main subject is a small point within the frame

This is one of the borderline cases - the subject is isolated but is larger in the frame

Project 14: vertical and horizontal frames

2009-06-22T22:49:00.014+01:00

I chose vertical framing to capture the full length of the statue but then took it again as landscape and was quite pleased with the different effect it gave.

I took this image as portrait to emphasise the length of the backlit grass

I took this photo as both landscape and portrait at the time as I was taking several shots to capture the expression of this beautiful cheetah in the late afternoon light. I like both!

I took this image of a dandelion initially as portrait to show the stem and then considered the horizontal format, but chose to place the dandelion flower to one side

The shape of bluebells just cries out for a vertical frame due to its slender height - just doesn't work horizontal (unless you were trying to capture several/a carpet of them)

I initially took this shot as vertical because of the straight vertical line of the lampost, creating a sharp curve in the treetops. I then retook the image as horizontal resulting in a more gradual curve.

I prefer my original vertical framing of these steps - I feel it is a stronger composition

The vertical framing of these sweets enabled me to show the shapes and the coloured centres of all 3, the horizontal didn't allow this in the same way.

Although these 2 shots are very similar, I feel they show something different. The first one I took as vertical to try and compress the view, exaggerating the crowds (I think it does work better than when I retook the shot horizontal). The second view was less crowded and I used vertical to show the buildings and flags.

Vertical framing shows the length of the swan's neck

Overall, I did find myself looking for tall/long objects but after a few shots pictures I would naturally have taken as landscape, I tried as portrait first. The framing doesn't just enable capture of the objects/shapes of the view but can actually change the mood of the image. I think it is probably worth trying both ways more often.

Project 11: Balance

2009-06-22T20:15:00.006+01:00

Project 8: Recording a Sequence

2009-06-09T22:10:00.007+01:00

Further crops made as suggested by fellow student. I feel that this has helped to focus on the action and detail of the jousting. I particularly like the way it has enhanced the action poses of the 'knights' (see bottom image).

Project 8: Recording a Sequence

2009-06-07T21:51:00.011+01:00

I decided to try this project, capturing a sequence leading to the final desired shot, at a jousting event at Leeds Castle, Kent. Unfortunately my viewpoint was limited due to the crowds.

My aim was to capture an image showing action (preferably impact) and the colours.

I caught my final shot with the lance impact on the opponent's shield - due to the limited view, I cropped the image later to fill the frame.

There were 2 shows and the shots below were taken at the first demonstration with the camera held above my head! I then knew what to expect enabling me to take the shots above.

Assignment 1: Contrasts

2009-06-06T23:38:00.006+01:00

I have finally taken and paired up my images for this assignment. I am sending them off to my tutor but am unsure how to show them in my blog. Do I put all 17 images on this blog with my comments or perhaps link to a set on Flickr? I think for now I will put a link to Flickr as blogger does not seem to make it easy for adding text etc. when inserting several images.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vixart/sets/72157619266239299/detail/

Project 9: focal length

2009-05-21T18:16:00.007+01:00

I took 4 photos of the same scene to show the effect of using different focal lengths:

18 mm

55 mm

100 mm

250 mm

As the focus of the shot is the building, I would say that my favourite image is the one taken at 100 mm as the eye is drawn to the building but it shows the amount of foliage surrounding it too.

Project 15: cropping

2009-05-16T15:21:00.010+01:00

Original Image

Cropping to a square format removes the distracting piece of wood in the bottom right of the image but also focuses the eye on the cat's face and its fur.

The original image was taken deliberately with space left for text etc.

To eliminate the extra space, I cropped the image but using a square crop (as above) cut off some of the petals and I felt it would be better to stretch the crop.

Original image

Cropped to a 'panoramic' format with equal thirds for ground, sea and sky

Narrowed the crop

Photo 360 Magazine

2009-05-14T22:27:00.003+01:00

I saw an advert for this online photography magazine and have looked at the last couple of issues which are emailed through when available. I have enjoyed looking through them and they are quite interactive with short videos and roll-over sections. I have particularly enjoyed the Tom Mackie landscapes videos which I think will be useful when I get to the part of AOP on using filters.

Coursework

2009-05-11T19:54:00.002+01:00

I was disappointed to find that the course materials did not include an electronic version of the paperwork as previously provided for Introduction to Digital Photography. I found the pdf's useful for reading when away from home and I also wanted to carry the projects with me for times when I was out with my camera. I want to incorporate some of the projects in my days out as well as setting out with specific projects in mind. I skimmed the coursework when first received but have now spent some time reading through the paperwork properly and making my own electronic version.

I appreciate that this does mean my photos and therefore my blog will appear a little random but I intend to label any posts so that they can be looked at in their right place.

Project 4: Shutter Speed

2009-04-18T16:47:00.024+01:00

I decided to try and capture the movement of some ribbons attached to a fan for this project. As I was indoors the light was limited and therefore the shutter speeds available to me. I was unsure if it would do what I wanted it to but decided to give it a go.

I took some photos at a faster shutter speed but they were almost completely dark until approximately 1/200s when visibility was poor but you could see the fan and ribbons. I have only entered images here that were clear to demonstrate the changes to the image with shutter speed.

(N.B. Some ribbon nearer the camera looks blurred but this is due to focus/depth of field rather than the slow shutter speed)

Shutter speed of 1/60s was the slowest shutter speed where the majority of movement was frozen.

Shutter speed used of 1/25s - some blurred movement starting to show.

Shutter speed of 1/13s - the shapes of the ribbons are still visible but blurred with the movement.

Shutter speed of 0.5s - the ribbons are visible but smudged and some are not clear to see other than wisps.

Slow shutter speed used of 1.0s in which many of the ribbons have almost disappeared (smoke-like).

MY PREFERRED PHOTO IS 1/13s AS I LIKED THE MOVEMENT SHOWN BY THE BLURRING OF THE RIBBON BUT YOU COULD STILL SEE THE SHAPES.

I decided to try using flash to see how it would freeze the movement:

Fast shutter speed of 1/200s - the flash has lit up the front of the image and has frozen the movement of the fan blades which could not be done in the shots without flash.

Slow shutter speed used of 1.0s but with flash which has still enabled the fan blades to be seen.

Project 6: fitting the frame to the subject

2009-04-14T21:44:00.016+01:00

1) 'Snapshot' taken without any consideration of surroundings/project requirements - captured the image but with distracting foreground/background

2) Found hole in the fence to shoot through and composed the shot so that the plane filled the frame - not much different to the 'snapshot' but clearer with the plane being the main focus of the image

3) 'Zoomed in' to capture just part of the plane - shows shapes and textures more clearly

4) 'Zoomed in' even closer to capture just the symbol painted onto the plane - does not show any sense of the scene but provides good detail

5) Took photo from across the road to capture the surroundings of the stationary plane - although the eye is drawn to the plane it no longer dominates the shot

6) Cropped to a portrait format - does not suit the subject so well

7) Cropped to a square format

Looking back at the shots my preferred photo was number 2 with the plane filling the whole frame but taken at an angle (due to how close I got) which shows the size and impact of the plane also minimising the distractions of the foreground/ background.

Project 3: Focus with different apertures

2009-04-13T23:57:00.007+01:00

Set a wide aperture of f/5.6 blurring the background

Set a mid aperture of f/8 still blurring the background but not as much

Set a smaller aperture of f/13 for a larger depth of field. (I didn't set a smaller number due to the light available)

I realised when looking at the photographs afterwards that I could not clearly define the limits of sharpness as suggested in the project but you can still see the effects of using a different aperture on the ground foliage to the left of each image.

Project 2: Focus with a set aperture

2009-04-13T23:46:00.004+01:00

Focused on the cluster of flowers nearest to me - this is the image I preferred as the flowers stood out with the background blurred, the other images had distracting foregrounds.

Focus on the middle depth of the subject, i.e. the cluster of flowers further back in the tree, blurring the foremost flowers.

Focus on the branches behind, blurring the flower clusters in the foreground.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008

2009-04-09T23:47:00.026+01:00

Today I went to the Natural History Museum in London to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at the winning and recommended images of the competition. I have selected a few to show below:

Snowstorm leopard by Steve Winter

This was the overall winner of the competition. I have heard differing opinions on the method used, i.e. setting up of the equipment but the shot being taken by remote when triggered by the snow leopard's movements.

I can see both sides to this argument, the photographer was not there to choose to capture this particular moment but he did research the animal and its habits, then setting up the equipment to get the shot.

Polar Sunrise

I think this was my favourite image of the exhibition and I liked it displayed backlit. It is so simple with hardly any of the animal showing but enough to highlight the bear's shape.

Ghost of a March Hare

I am not a big fan of blurred images, I prefer just part of the picture to show the movement, e.g. with panning, etc.

I could understand the thinking behind this image but it wasn't for me.

Sun Jelly

I really liked the definition of this photo, with all the different shapes and textures clearly showing.

There were many other images I liked that I couldn't put here but have provided the link to the gallery below:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/onlineGallery.do

Practical Photography - 50th Anniversary

2009-04-08T22:56:00.002+01:00

I have just finished reading the 50th anniversary issue of Practical Photography. I found it interesting to read the comparisons of then and now, showing the change in photography both in equipment and technique over the last 50 years.

Mention was made of the increased sensitivity/paranoia towards photographers today and the change of view towards women both as models and photographers.

There was a showcase of iconic images including the first man on the moon, the Berlin Wall and Twin Towers. Seeing these pictures together shows you the impact that photos can have on everyone's lives, recording moments in history and capturing the emotion of those times.

Big Cat Photo Experience - 1 April 09

2009-04-07T22:51:00.007+01:00

Last Wednesday I was lucky enough to go on a big cat photo experience day at the Wildlife Heritage Foundation in Kent. Wow!

I had a wonderful day and am very pleased with some of my shots. I tried to consider aspects of the course and will post photos specific to projects when I come to them.

http://www.whf.org.uk/

More of the photos taken on the day can be seen on my Flickr account (link on the right)

Project 1: Focal Length continued

2009-03-24T22:52:00.002Z

I went back today with the prints, moving them towards or away from me until they appeared the same size as my view of the scene. These are the approximate distances I needed to hold them at:

18mm - 15cm (pretty close to my face)
35mm - 40cm (comfortable, bent arm's length)
77mm - 85cm (enlisted a friend's help)
200mm - 1.5m (not easy when you send your friend a few feet away holding a picture in the air getting some very strange looks from passers-by!)

Project 1: focal length & angle of view

2009-03-18T19:55:00.007Z

I took photographs of this scene at different focal lengths. I will now print them A4 size and take them back to the same spot to compare.

Resources & Inspirations

2009-03-17T21:59:00.003Z

Have just watched 'David Bailey: Brush With Fame' - former forger John Myatt paints celebrity portaits in the style of the greats, this time Alberto Giacometi.
An interesting programme giving insights into David Bailey as a person and an artist. An honest man with a sense of humour.
I intend to look at the work of some of the famous photographers and David Bailey is one of them, his name is instantly recognizable for his portraits.

The Beginning

2009-03-16T22:30:00.008Z

So, progress so far. I’ve skimmed the coursework and have made a note of some projects that I can keep in mind when the opportunity arises. I am also keeping an eye open for interesting subjects/places that I can use in the course.

One thing I need to do is create a colour library, here’s a start with yellow: