Assignment 1

This is my first assignment for this course which asks for 8 contrasted pairs and a single image which combines them.  The difficulty of this assignment is to not strictly present diametric opposites visually but to try and introduce abstract ideas and communicative them effectively. The results are I think a mixed bag some are explicit others require some explanation.  In any event these are the pairs chosen and why:

1) Many and Few

225mm at 1/45s, f/5.6 & ISO 320

400mm at 1/20s, f/5.6 & ISO 320

This image pair was taken at Chongquing in China during what I would call a local government team building exercise.  The mass of the workers somehow lose any sense of individualism by being organised in regimented rows presumably by department.  This contrasts with the second image not only because it focuses on the few within the mass but more importantly the eye contact creates a connection between the observer and that individual.  This connection reinforces the sense of the individual who stands out from the crowd.

Technically these images are a little soft fundamentally due to the nature of the lenses used. Many have a sweet range and the Nikkor 80-40mm 4.5-5.6 used is excellent up to 320mm.  I decided to include these nevertheless because of the message they convey.

2) Hard and Soft

330mm at 1/320s, f/8 & ISO100

330mm at 3s, f/8 & ISO 100

In these image pairs I wanted to express an abstract idea of hard and soft or fluid detail.  You could argue this is more to do with motion which is true but I wanted to convey the creative options of long exposures. In a low light beach scene using a 10 stop ND filter you would end up with an abstract image containing nothing more than coloured bands of sky, sea, breakwater and sand. In this instance I decided to include the boat as a pictorial focal point with some sea details.

The first image was captured tripod mounted with the boat skimming the horizon with an interesting back-light sail. The second contrasts with the first by the fluid or soft depiction of the elements of sea and boat. It was achieved with a 10 stop ND filter. The boat itself would have been significantly more blurred if it was not tacking and therefore reasonably stationary.

This set would equally fulfil the contrast of still and moving.

3) Light and Dark

16mm at 30s, f/2.8 & ISO 4000

16mm at 30s, f/2.8 & ISO 4000 and a stack of 30 images

The contrasts in this pair are obvious but I wanted to show that the night sky does not necessarily equate to black. These images were taken at Bardsey Island in North Wales. Compositionally they are a little weak lacking a strong foreground.  The first image shows the sky at dusk with a deep blue hue while the clouds add some texture and the twinkling of the stars add interest as they are just becoming evident. The contrasting image reveals the secrets of the night sky if you are fortunate enough to live in an area of low light pollution. In essence night sky is illuminated beyond that of the brightest stars and includes the spiral arms of our own galaxy the Milky Way.  The increasing density of light towards the horizon is due to the mass of stars at the centre of the galaxy.

4) Large and Small

300mm at 1/1250, f/8 & ISO 200

25mm at 1/250, f/8 & ISO 200

This is a simple contrast and conveys the idea of scale.  The first image depicts the detailed or large view of a group walking across snow and ice.  But the second image gives the context and a sense of scale as a group traverses a glacier across the French Alps.

The composition of both images are simplistic with the first group travelling diagonally from left to right while those in the bottom image are shown moving in an arc. This set would also satisfy the diagonal and rounded contrast but it is the perception of scale which is important.

5) High and Low

 38mm at 1/1250s, f/2.8 & ISO 400

23mm at 1/1250s, f/6.3 & ISO 400

I wanted to focus on perspective in this pair.  In the first image we have a normal perspective but in respect of the dog the image is rather high.  With that in mind to get an idea of what the world may seem like to the dog it is necessary to get down low.

Compositionally the first image is uncluttered in the sense that there that no other faces to distract the viewer and hopefully you are focused on the disabled lady and her dog. The emphasis shifts to her pet dog in the second image but still leaves the viewer with enough information to see that she is disabled and therefore suggesting a special bond between them. Also without the first image the sense of scale would be lost as the size of the dog is deceptively large.

6) Broad and Narrow

 105mm at 1/250s, f/2.8 & ISO 320

105mm at 1/80s, f/5 & ISO 400 

This one is a little weak as a contrast.  It focuses on the transformation from the narrow physical existence of a caterpillar to the broad existence of a butterfly.  In the first instance the butterfly has not only changed but is no longer a limited munching tube.  Instead it is a beautiful creature with broad wings which can fly and feeds on nectar and pollinates plants to aid the next generation of butterflies.

Compositionally the images are pleasing in that they focus on the physical differences between them. The first is a crisp view with a narrow depth of field of the head and torso with the wings ready for flight while it is at rest on long delicate legs. Other details include the eyes and the proboscis and the fine hairs on the body. The second is on a diagonal with an emphasis on the method of eating and tubular shape with the details of the head segmented body and spikes.

7) Straight and Curved

 175mm at 1/400s, f/16 & ISO 250

400mm at 1/500s, f/16 & ISO 250

This pair is a study of relative motion.  In the first the plane is dynamic with trailing smoke curving on the diagonal while the other is simply travelling from right to left on a traight line.

Compositionally they make an intersesing pair. The colour and light contrast is good and the smoke emphasised the direction of travel.  The viewers attention will ultimately fall on the wing walker who may wonder how she copes with the speeds and forces as the plane dances across the sky.

8) Sharp and Blunt

 17mm at 1/350s, f/10 & ISO 200

17mm at 1/500s, f/10 & ISO 100

These images focus on geometric shapes.  The contrast between them is most strongly demonstrated by the second image which thrusts through the centre to a sharp point.  It is back-light and is a little menacing as it is mostly in shadow with a gleaming edge which could almost be a cutting edge.  The other is sculptural being round and smooth as well as being brightly lit it creates a tranquil emotion.

9) Still and Moving

17mm at 30s, f/22 & ISO 100, three frame HDR

This single image attempts to capture both stillness and motion.  These contrasts are reflected in the  structure, light and the environment.  The castle is a focus of hope as it offers warmth and a place of security, a lasting presence and stillness within a changing hostile environment.  That environment is cold depicted by the blue colours and the motion of the billowing clouds suggests howling winds.

Exercise: Filling the Frame and Sequence of Composition

I chose to amalgamate these exercises into a single image sequence. The exercise is asking me to consider how I can represent the world through the constraints of the viewfinder of the camera. When I observe the world around me my vision is not consciously bounded like the sensor of the camera.  The viewfinder implicitly limits the world and defines what can be captured. It is a conscious choice then to release the shutter when those various elements are framed to your satisfaction. This arrangement of objects becomes the composition of your image and conveys a message for that instant in time.  This is a personal expression of how I saw the world and in deciding to share this with others I hope that the viewer can engage with it and appreciate the message that it attempts to convey.

The exercise on framing is asking us to look at ways the subject can be examined by observing details or its place in the wider context. It is encouraging us to work the subject from these perspectives. This not only means using different focal lengths to fill the frame or not but also to move around it and to direct the subject if it is a person for example. Now that the subject has been observed from a number of viewpoints I have a sequence of images with different compositions from which I can select the most interesting.

For these exercises I chose to explore an abandoned water pump which I found along a country lane. I did not find a suitable people subject for this exercise.

The pump sits by the side of the road next to a hedge and is slowly being covered with vegetation.  It seems to have been well cared for until fairly recently or it may be in the process of being restored as the spout has been recently painted.

Side on straight view of the pump.

Focus on the details in the head and pillar which has contrasting textures with the lichen, corrosion, black painted spout and the vegetation. I wonder why the spout has been recently painted.

A view of the front and you can see the fixing bolts holding the pump to the pillar and you can just see the handle to the back.

 A closer view of the spout and fixing bolt.

The top view of the with corrosion providing a strong colour contrast.

A close view of the nipple and the corrosion.

This is more interesting in that it explores the shapes of the pump.

 The wider context with the farm gate and farmhouse beyond that the pump may have serviced with water.

The final wider context shot with the farmhouse clearly seen in the background.

I have two favorites in the sequence and those are the fifth image which focuses on the fixing of the pump to the concrete pillar. There are tonal and textual contrasts here between the porous grey pillar encrusted with living lichen and the cold metal of the pump which is corroding with deep reds pushing through the white paint. The ivy or plant struggles between the pillar and post for life which ironically the pump itself supplies with life giving water but will also ultimately corrode the pump into iron oxide.  The next image is the last but one were it gives the viewer the context of the pump. You can see the house it must have supplied water or possibly the farm animals kept in the gate. Whichever option is left to the imagination of the viewer.

Old Garage at Llanrug

I was travelling back from the North Wales Photographic Award ceremony yesterday when I noticed that the garage door at Llanrug was open. You may wonder why that was important? Simply the garage is unique  in that it is relatively unchanged after a 100 years.  It has been photographed many times, including myself and indeed I met Paul Miller from a camera club in Birmingham who was also taking pictures of the building. What was significant to me was that I hoped to meet the owner! I did, who is Dylwyn Parry Jones and is the third generation of the family to own and work in the garage.  He told me that his grandfather was there during the great war serving petrol even before there were pumps.  It was a real pleasure to meet him and talk about such a famous landmark.  He was kind enough to allow me to do a mini photoshoot of him in his garage.

But before we get into the shoot I just wanted to show you why this place is important to me. The image above used his garage as a backdrop and has been my most successful to date and has been accepted into the 155th Royal Photographic Society print exhibition. I have found that my objectives and motivations in photography are evolving all the time and I find that I am moving away from competition photography and more toward documenting people and places in North Wales.

Dylwyn stands outside his garage context shot that connects him to the building.

Then I wanted to get a sequence with him in a more prominent position. I particularly like this mono version standing next to his pumps.

I then wanted to do something a little different with the flashgun. I was looking for a subdued background with a fill flash to make him more prominent. The standard pose with Dylwyn slightly turned toward me with his right hand shoulder turned away and leading the viewer towards the building.  He stands well forward and cuts the horizon making him the focal point.  I like the crossed arms.

We then moved inside the garage and what a fascinating place it was.  The clutter had built up over years and it was great to see that it is still a working garage. I simply wanted to capture him in his working environment.  We then moved into his workshop and that was a treat.

I loved it in there with the accumulation of mechanical bits and bobs over the workbench.  Once again he was happy to work with me.  He even chuckled to himself at the state of the workshop. I then wanted to get a closer portrait shot of Dylwyn himself.

This final image focuses on the person and a little less on the environment.  As I was taking it I noticed the Ted Baker t-shirt and asked if he had any overalls as that would be more relevant to his work.  Ironically he told me that he did not work in them and wore whatever was clean.  The images document him as he  was and I kind of like the branded t-shirt.  I was really pleased to get this little sequence and to find out a little bit of the history of the garage and his family.  This is what I enjoy about photography, the ability to meet interesting people and attempt to capture them in their place.

Project: Speed and Motion

I have thought about this one and wanted to do a couple of little projects as I have not really explored motion that much.  When I consider this it appears to me from a simplistic level you can capture this in two ways.  The first is a hard capture with a high shutter speed that essentially freezes the motion.  This can be effective with subjects that you may not see unaided such such as a kingfisher diving into the water or with  dynamic elements in sport images. But you can be creative with your shutter control to give a better sense of motion by using slower shutter speeds.

The image above was captured with a shutter setting that was faster than the movement of the subjects. This has the effect of freezing the moment and makes it look static. While the composition might be pleasing as the children are walking across the frame in order of height and the little girl has seen something inside the cafe it does not give a great sense of motion.

This image was taken at the Pageant of Power and is an example of an image which gives a sense of motion. The tonal range is limited as it does not have a great deal of separation between the subject and foreground/background but you can see motion blur while the subject remains sharp. Closer inspection will reveal that mud is kicking up from the track, the wheels are also blurred as they are rotating at a higher speed than the shutter. What adds to that sense of speed more importantly are the figures holding on for dear life.

But the course asks us to explore motion at various shutter speeds. While I have a few subjects the abstract subject of the bird in the course notes did inspire me to do a sequence of a seagull.

This first image was taken with a high shutter speed with the result that the subject was sharp through the frame. The eye of the bird is clear and the red ring helps to draw the attention of the viewer. The subjects position does not follow the rule of thirds and is a little central and is not wholly satisfying. The bird was gliding on the wind and was moving slowly and as such a shutter of 1/250th was sufficient to capture it.

The seagull in the image above was moving a little faster and shows the topside of the wings. It is not quite as sharp as the previous shot as the subject was moving a little too fast for a shutter speed of 1/250th. You must be aware of the ratio between the speed of the subject and the shutter speed in achieving your goal.

You can use the shutter to be more creative in giving a sense of motion as these three images hopefully demonstrate. Each was taken with a slow shutter of 1/15th of a second. I chose these images to include the seagulls head as I wanted the viewer to see the contrast between the relatively stationary body against the beating and blurred wings.

This final image is a little abstract as you have to work out that it is a seagull. Of course in this sequence you would work it out. The wing tips are very fluid and the subject is almost feather like in its presentation. It was shot at 1/15th of a second as above but of course it was moving far faster than the shutter.

 

This composite image taken at the same location within 10 minutes and at different shutter speeds and aims show the effect of shutter on motion. The figure on the left is a hard capture at 1/500th of a second and is frozen. The second figure is almost ghost like with a shutter speed of 1/10th of a second. The final figure appears blurred and may not be the most effective capture of motion as it occupies that subtle space between the first and second figures at 1/100th.

The final sequence concentrates on sports.

1/1250th

1/1000th 

The above images capture the high speed motion of the wake boarders. But the slower the speed of the shutter the more surreal they become. The high shutter speed is more effective in capturing the subject whose facial concentration adds to the mood of the image as does the frozen wake of the water behind them.

1/250th 

1/50th

In the above examples the slower shutter speed is less effective in capturing the figure which looks blurred and surreal while the background is sharp. But a slow shutter pan can be used to achieve the opposite effect by tracking the subject through the viewfinder as you take the picture. The final image now gives a sense of the wake boarder zipping through the frame.

1/160th

I will do another sequence on motion before the end of the month just out of interest. The shutter can be used to capture motion in different ways. You can use high shutter speeds to freeze the action which is effective in dynamic sports or high speed subjects. Slower shutter times can be used to create abstract shapes from subjects moving at speed or blur the background while keeping the subject sharp as used with panning. The options are up to you as creativity is only bounded by your imagination and the limitations of the camera. It is just knowing how to use those limitations to your advantage in creating something different.

Llangwnadl Church Photo Essay

While I was in the Church for my OCA focus exercise I decided to do a little photo essay of the interior of the Church for myself.

This is a three image stitched HDR panoramic. The distortion in the image is a consequence of the extreme stitching process as each image has an 11mm focal length. Each individual image is made up of a four sequnce bracket taken at 2EV steps. It was processed in Photomatix Pro and Photoshop. I wanted to capture the sense of space and colour in this unusual church.

A single frame of the seat cushions which are had embroidered in Welsh. The wide angle shot gives a sense of space, while the cushions lead you and through to explore the interior and windows in the background.

Working the theme of the prayer cushions. The red as a primay colour catches the eye and is in front the alter denoted by the circle in the back ground. The cushion reads, 'Duw Cariad Yw', God I love Thee.

The simplicity of the reading table under the window caught my eye. The wicker cross in the window was a lovely detail. I wondered if this would work in mono?

There is a certain mood in mono but it is the chair that is an interesting element.

The electrical socket on the wall is a distracting element. But image sitting at the table reading the bible with the window to guide you to the heavens.

The most pleasing element for me in its simplicity is the wicker cross in widow. The window itself has some broken panes.-This is my favorite image.

I will have to do some external shots to complete the set.