If only I had seen this before I covered the Lord Mayor's show. Looks like Dan Chung got some good footage of this military parade in North Korea.
It has given me some food for thought about how I would approach shooting a parade in the future.
I like the way the moving image is so different to capture than a still. But all these images could be stills. It almost teases you - at which point would you press the shutter button.
Thursday, 20 December 2012
Exercise 16: Exploring function
This exercise looks at spaces and makes us think about how they are intended to be used and then translating this to an image.
I have to chose an interior space and think of it in terms of its function. Who will use it? What is it intended to be used for?
I chose a toilet for this exercise and its it intended use is pretty self explanatory. However, I wanted to capture the sink/hand basin too, the soap dispenser and the bin and towels. I have also included the mirrors in this shot which adds to the composition whilst also telling us more about the room's function.
The towel beside the sink has been used providing evidence that someone has been there.
I have to chose an interior space and think of it in terms of its function. Who will use it? What is it intended to be used for?
I chose a toilet for this exercise and its it intended use is pretty self explanatory. However, I wanted to capture the sink/hand basin too, the soap dispenser and the bin and towels. I have also included the mirrors in this shot which adds to the composition whilst also telling us more about the room's function.
The towel beside the sink has been used providing evidence that someone has been there.
Part 3: Buildings and spaces
Space and function
For this section of the course we are going to look at structures/buildings as an extension of human activity and spaces that are utilised by people.
Fundamentally we are looking at purpose and we can chose to include people in our shots unlike the genre of architectural photography. If we chose not to include people in the shot we can look at evidence of people in the shot.
Architectural photography is concerned with showing space and its function but pays particular attention to constructional techniques etc. Converging verticals and lens distortion are very important for architectural shots.
For this course we will be looking at how buildings and man made spaces are used and how people interact with them.
For this section of the course we are going to look at structures/buildings as an extension of human activity and spaces that are utilised by people.
Fundamentally we are looking at purpose and we can chose to include people in our shots unlike the genre of architectural photography. If we chose not to include people in the shot we can look at evidence of people in the shot.
Architectural photography is concerned with showing space and its function but pays particular attention to constructional techniques etc. Converging verticals and lens distortion are very important for architectural shots.
For this course we will be looking at how buildings and man made spaces are used and how people interact with them.
Assignment 2 feedback
Overall the feedback I received for this assignment was positive. My tutor said that I had a good eye for capturing the perfect moment for a photograph but that more work was needed on my shooting discipline to get backgrounds and framing perfect.
I feel that my choice of lens for this section of the course contributed to the background problems. It is difficult to get the balance right in being conspicuous and choosing the relevant gear. However this is something I will continue to work on moving forward. I feel that only with more practice and experimentation will I find a set up that will be the most comfortable for me.
He also mentioned avoiding visual gimmicks in the future instead relying on the power of the content of the image to relay a message. Again I am pleased to have this feedback because up until now I have been unsure of how far to go in post production. My gut feeling and the images I myself like the most are those that look more natural and tell a story rather than are heavily manipulated in photoshop. Maybe this is a lesson I need to learn and rely more on my own judgement.
Images that were highlighted were
I feel that my choice of lens for this section of the course contributed to the background problems. It is difficult to get the balance right in being conspicuous and choosing the relevant gear. However this is something I will continue to work on moving forward. I feel that only with more practice and experimentation will I find a set up that will be the most comfortable for me.
He also mentioned avoiding visual gimmicks in the future instead relying on the power of the content of the image to relay a message. Again I am pleased to have this feedback because up until now I have been unsure of how far to go in post production. My gut feeling and the images I myself like the most are those that look more natural and tell a story rather than are heavily manipulated in photoshop. Maybe this is a lesson I need to learn and rely more on my own judgement.
Images that were highlighted were
Marching Soldiers
My tutor said that I had captured the action at the decisive moment in this image. The key element being the foot. He compared it to an image of Reni Burri where the woman's heel is the key element. He mentioned the fact that the flagpole is coming out of the Sgt Major's head but that was being picky. I was pretty restricted movementwise for this shot. If I was able to move I may have been able to compose so the flagpole was better placed.
Tour de France
This image highlighted the problems of the backgrounds in the set. Although my tutor did say that this was a superb capture of expression.
I have looked at cropping the shot which I think improves the composition but I could have made a better job of the shot at the time of shooting. I think this is where practice will really come in. Until I started this part of the course I underestimated how quick you have to be to get these images!
Child Soldier
I personally like this shot, but it does have problems in the background like in many of the other images I have taken for this set. De-saturating parts of an image is generally frowned upon by the professionals so it is something I should avoid in the future for this type of photography.
My tutor suggested converting to black and white which is what I had originally done -again I should have listened to my gut instinct.
On the plus side my tutor said that this image together with the majority of my submission is very well seen and just needs a little tightening of technique to reach an excellent standard of street photography. This feedback I really do value and it means I am on the right track. I think all I can do now is work harder and practice more.
Assignment 2 - People and activity
For this assignment I chose the Lord Mayor's Show as the subject. My images are below.
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Taylor Wessing exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery
I recently went to see the Taylor Wessing exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Spencer Murphy, whose work I wrote about earlier on this blog, got third place this year and I was keen to see the other work that had been shortlisted or selected for display.
This year first prize went to Jordi Ruiz Cirera for his portrait of Margarita Teichroeb from the series Menonos. The images was shot while the photographer was documenting members of the Mennonite community in Bolivia. The Mennonites have an uneasy relationship with the camera preferring not to be photographed and this can be seen in this portrait. The subject found it difficult to look into the camera and we can see her awkwardness in the way her hand is covering her mouth. She looks on edge and uncomfortable.
Second prize was awarded to British photographer Jennifer Pattison for her portrait - Lynne, Brighton. The portrait comes from an ongoing project of Pattison's which consists of a combination of naked portraits and landscapes. Her focus is in depicting the shift in consciousness that occurs when someone poses without clothes. Pattison speaks of creating honest and frank portraits which seem all the more honest when the subject in naked.
Spencer Murphy took third prize for his portrait of Mark Rylance which I have written about in a previous post. I feel I can connect more with his work as I feel looking at naked portraits makes me feel uncomfortable for some reason. The meaning of the image seems to get lost or perhaps overtaken by the fact that the subject is naked.
Alma Haser received fourth prize for her portrait titled The Ventriloquist. The subjects are best friends Luke and James and with their identical haircuts they look like twins. Haser peaks of wanting to connect with the viewer by 'telling stories and working with narratives'. Sometimes the subjects just tend to speak for themselves.
One of my favourite images from the exhibition was the winner of the John Kobal New Work award, Matthew Niederhauser. His Nine Lives of Ai Weiwei is a beautiful piece of work. I love the rich colours and lighting. But the most striking element is the photographers use of the ginger cat as a prop. The concept is one I feel works really well.
Other works at the exhibition that I found inspiring include:
Pastry Chef by Jason Pierce-Williams. I love the shapes in this black and white image and the use of lighting. The frame is filled with the subject which enhances his size. He looks aggressive with the rolling pin in his hand.
Mo Farah by Kate Peters. I like the use of colour here and the fact that Mo is actually serious. We've seen far too many humorous images of him since the Olympics so this one is a welcome change. I feel that the photographers decision to focus more on the upper half of the body basically a head and shoulders shot shows that sport is not just physical it is mental as well. Taken before the Olympics, Farah looks focused on the task ahead.
Four Hats by David Stewart. The four teenagers in this image are trying hard to stamp their own individuality on the world but in doing so they look more similar than anything else. This brings back memories from my own teenage years where being different was so important.
This exhibition has given me plenty of ideas for shooting my own portraits in the future. I have seen first hand now what a simple prop like a cat can make to an image. I have discovered interesting use of lighting and colour to introduce mood to a picture. These are things I am going to work on moving forward.
This year first prize went to Jordi Ruiz Cirera for his portrait of Margarita Teichroeb from the series Menonos. The images was shot while the photographer was documenting members of the Mennonite community in Bolivia. The Mennonites have an uneasy relationship with the camera preferring not to be photographed and this can be seen in this portrait. The subject found it difficult to look into the camera and we can see her awkwardness in the way her hand is covering her mouth. She looks on edge and uncomfortable.
Second prize was awarded to British photographer Jennifer Pattison for her portrait - Lynne, Brighton. The portrait comes from an ongoing project of Pattison's which consists of a combination of naked portraits and landscapes. Her focus is in depicting the shift in consciousness that occurs when someone poses without clothes. Pattison speaks of creating honest and frank portraits which seem all the more honest when the subject in naked.
Spencer Murphy took third prize for his portrait of Mark Rylance which I have written about in a previous post. I feel I can connect more with his work as I feel looking at naked portraits makes me feel uncomfortable for some reason. The meaning of the image seems to get lost or perhaps overtaken by the fact that the subject is naked.
Alma Haser received fourth prize for her portrait titled The Ventriloquist. The subjects are best friends Luke and James and with their identical haircuts they look like twins. Haser peaks of wanting to connect with the viewer by 'telling stories and working with narratives'. Sometimes the subjects just tend to speak for themselves.
One of my favourite images from the exhibition was the winner of the John Kobal New Work award, Matthew Niederhauser. His Nine Lives of Ai Weiwei is a beautiful piece of work. I love the rich colours and lighting. But the most striking element is the photographers use of the ginger cat as a prop. The concept is one I feel works really well.
Other works at the exhibition that I found inspiring include:
Pastry Chef by Jason Pierce-Williams. I love the shapes in this black and white image and the use of lighting. The frame is filled with the subject which enhances his size. He looks aggressive with the rolling pin in his hand.
Mo Farah by Kate Peters. I like the use of colour here and the fact that Mo is actually serious. We've seen far too many humorous images of him since the Olympics so this one is a welcome change. I feel that the photographers decision to focus more on the upper half of the body basically a head and shoulders shot shows that sport is not just physical it is mental as well. Taken before the Olympics, Farah looks focused on the task ahead.
Four Hats by David Stewart. The four teenagers in this image are trying hard to stamp their own individuality on the world but in doing so they look more similar than anything else. This brings back memories from my own teenage years where being different was so important.
This exhibition has given me plenty of ideas for shooting my own portraits in the future. I have seen first hand now what a simple prop like a cat can make to an image. I have discovered interesting use of lighting and colour to introduce mood to a picture. These are things I am going to work on moving forward.
Street Photography Now
If you are looking for a book that introduces the world of street photography and some of its major current players then Street Photography Now is the book for you.
I bought this a couple of years ago at the London Street Photography Festival and have found it to be a great source of inspiration especially recently. At the time I was new to the genre and it is fair to say a little clueless as to what exactly constitutes street photography. However, this books provides a solid introduction, history and current day dilemmas facing street photographers along with their a critique on their theatre of everyday life.
It introduces the work of 46 contemporary photographers from Magnum masters Martin Parr and Bruce Gilden to international emerging photographers whose work focuses on cities in China and India.
What I like the most is the sheer diversity of the images. On the one hand you have the traditional style black and white street photographs on the other beautiful works in colour that border on social documentary.
Lately I have turned to this book before going out and about shooting in the streets. Many of the exercises in the last section of this course required me to work on the streets capturing every day events and life as it passes by. I have the work of David Gibson, Nick Turpin, Trent Parke and Joel Meyerowitz of particular interest.
Street Photography Now has become my very own mini encyclopaedia of street photography.
I bought this a couple of years ago at the London Street Photography Festival and have found it to be a great source of inspiration especially recently. At the time I was new to the genre and it is fair to say a little clueless as to what exactly constitutes street photography. However, this books provides a solid introduction, history and current day dilemmas facing street photographers along with their a critique on their theatre of everyday life.
It introduces the work of 46 contemporary photographers from Magnum masters Martin Parr and Bruce Gilden to international emerging photographers whose work focuses on cities in China and India.
What I like the most is the sheer diversity of the images. On the one hand you have the traditional style black and white street photographs on the other beautiful works in colour that border on social documentary.
Lately I have turned to this book before going out and about shooting in the streets. Many of the exercises in the last section of this course required me to work on the streets capturing every day events and life as it passes by. I have the work of David Gibson, Nick Turpin, Trent Parke and Joel Meyerowitz of particular interest.
Street Photography Now has become my very own mini encyclopaedia of street photography.
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Street photographer David Gibson
I first came across David Gibson a year or so ago when I went on one of his photowalks in the East End of London. His work is full of dark humour and he has very observant presence on the streets. When I look at his pictures I feel that I have walked past many of his humorous moments and have failed to see. His work has taught me that simply seeing is not enough you have to have the vision to see a story unfold and it is your job as a photographer to convey that scene.
He emphasizes the importance of studying the work of other photographers to improve your work saying that he spends more time looking at pictures as opposed to shooting them. This is good advice and is something that I need to do more of if I am to become a better photographer.
Throughout his work you will see one word juxtapositions and visual puns. After walking the streets for many days over the last few weeks I now truly appreciate how special these moments in his work are. They are hard to come by and you have to be ready when they do. It is now with this in mind I am determined to bring my camera with me whenever I leave the house.
It was through looking at Gibson's work that I felt myself move away more from black and white images and to appreciate the diversity offered by colour. I think people tend to write colour off too easily and I can see from his images that those in colour are as good if not better than black and white.
His work can be seen on his website. I particularly like the series Subtitles for Life and Colour Street.
http://www.gibsonstreet.com/
He emphasizes the importance of studying the work of other photographers to improve your work saying that he spends more time looking at pictures as opposed to shooting them. This is good advice and is something that I need to do more of if I am to become a better photographer.
Throughout his work you will see one word juxtapositions and visual puns. After walking the streets for many days over the last few weeks I now truly appreciate how special these moments in his work are. They are hard to come by and you have to be ready when they do. It is now with this in mind I am determined to bring my camera with me whenever I leave the house.
It was through looking at Gibson's work that I felt myself move away more from black and white images and to appreciate the diversity offered by colour. I think people tend to write colour off too easily and I can see from his images that those in colour are as good if not better than black and white.
His work can be seen on his website. I particularly like the series Subtitles for Life and Colour Street.
http://www.gibsonstreet.com/
Klein/Moriyama study visit
I have managed to get a place on this study visit organised by the OCA in January. I had planned to go but I am glad I will now get the opportunity to attend with some fellow students.
It's been awhile now since I was able to go to an OCA study visit so I am looking forward to it. I find that I get more out of these organised visits than when I attend exhibitions on my own.
I have also recorded the BBC 1 programme Imagine which focuses on Klein and I will watch that before I go.
I will be posting my thoughts on my blog after the event.
It's been awhile now since I was able to go to an OCA study visit so I am looking forward to it. I find that I get more out of these organised visits than when I attend exhibitions on my own.
I have also recorded the BBC 1 programme Imagine which focuses on Klein and I will watch that before I go.
I will be posting my thoughts on my blog after the event.
Exercise 15: A public space
This exercise required me to turn my attention from an organised event to a semi-organised space. I chose Trafalgar Square in London for this.
I had to capture the sense of varied use - how people make their own personal or small group activities within the same general area.
I didn't encounter too many problems photographing here.
I had to capture the sense of varied use - how people make their own personal or small group activities within the same general area.
I didn't encounter too many problems photographing here.
A street entertainer poses with a passer by
Sitting on the wall of the National Gallery smoking
The National Gallery
The Tom Show
Fed up
Monday, 26 November 2012
Neil Libbert
I visited the National Portrait Gallery recently to see the Taylor Wessing exhibition and I discovered that there was a Neil Libbert exhibition on too. I hadn't come across Libbert before but I am really glad I saw his work.
This solo display of photographs by Neil Libbert celebrates his 55 years as a photojournalist and focuses on key works from 1958-1984.
Libbert was born in Salford and studied art before opening his on studio. He started his working life at the Manchester Guardian moving onto the London version in 1961.
His reputation has been built on his reportage and street photography. He is probably best known for his coverage of the Brixton Riots in 1981 and more recently (for me) the bombing of the Admiral Nelson pub in Soho which won him a World Press Photography award.
He still works on assignments for the Guardian but his work mainly focuses on the performing arts now.
The exhibition consists of a series of black and white images which were in the main taken for the Guardian. The subjects are the rich and famous. The opening image is of Jayne Mansfield and TUC leaders (1959) which appeared on the front of the Guardian newspaper. It was taken at the opening of the TUC congress in Blackpool. The image is almost surreal - we see this beautiful woman surrounded by three unattractive old men. The contrast is stark and kind of makes for uncomfortable viewing.
I particularly like his portraits of George Best, Francis Bacon, Edward Burra and Patrick Lichfield. They are very honest and almost blunt showing the characters as they really are.
He also shot a very glamorous and youthful Helen Mirren.
I like his use of light which can be seen especially in his image of Harold Pinter. I also like the way he captures the person in their environment whatever that may be.
I think looking at Libbert's images have given me some food for thought in relation to how I ask my subjects to pose or not to pose. It is clearly evident in his work how important the environment and surroundings are - it tells a story all by itself. I would like to work this more into my images. I feel at the moment my work is not clear or frank. It lacks a true sense of purpose and I feel working on meaning and narrative more will help me find and show meaning in my work.
A collection of Libbert's images from the exhibition can be viewed on the Guardian website.
This solo display of photographs by Neil Libbert celebrates his 55 years as a photojournalist and focuses on key works from 1958-1984.
Libbert was born in Salford and studied art before opening his on studio. He started his working life at the Manchester Guardian moving onto the London version in 1961.
His reputation has been built on his reportage and street photography. He is probably best known for his coverage of the Brixton Riots in 1981 and more recently (for me) the bombing of the Admiral Nelson pub in Soho which won him a World Press Photography award.
He still works on assignments for the Guardian but his work mainly focuses on the performing arts now.
The exhibition consists of a series of black and white images which were in the main taken for the Guardian. The subjects are the rich and famous. The opening image is of Jayne Mansfield and TUC leaders (1959) which appeared on the front of the Guardian newspaper. It was taken at the opening of the TUC congress in Blackpool. The image is almost surreal - we see this beautiful woman surrounded by three unattractive old men. The contrast is stark and kind of makes for uncomfortable viewing.
I particularly like his portraits of George Best, Francis Bacon, Edward Burra and Patrick Lichfield. They are very honest and almost blunt showing the characters as they really are.
He also shot a very glamorous and youthful Helen Mirren.
I like his use of light which can be seen especially in his image of Harold Pinter. I also like the way he captures the person in their environment whatever that may be.
I think looking at Libbert's images have given me some food for thought in relation to how I ask my subjects to pose or not to pose. It is clearly evident in his work how important the environment and surroundings are - it tells a story all by itself. I would like to work this more into my images. I feel at the moment my work is not clear or frank. It lacks a true sense of purpose and I feel working on meaning and narrative more will help me find and show meaning in my work.
A collection of Libbert's images from the exhibition can be viewed on the Guardian website.
Exercise 14: An organised event
For this exercise I had to research an event, prepare for it and then photograph it. As it is winter there's less outdoor events on so I had to plan a little harder. The event had to be one where I would be able to shoot with confidence and variety.
I chose the Regent Street Motor Show. Although I am not that interested in cars the people involved more than made up for it and it was an enjoyable day.
I had some problems again with shutter speed as it was a dark, overcast day but I increased the ISO to help with this.
I have tried to put the pictures together in some way where they would tell a story. I think the narrative for this was how when I arrived I started to shoot the first set of cars and their owners and as I moved on the quirkier the owners became and the more enthusiasts I could see.
My aim was to capture the people involved in the day to show what car enthusiasts are truly like!
I chose the Regent Street Motor Show. Although I am not that interested in cars the people involved more than made up for it and it was an enjoyable day.
I had some problems again with shutter speed as it was a dark, overcast day but I increased the ISO to help with this.
I have tried to put the pictures together in some way where they would tell a story. I think the narrative for this was how when I arrived I started to shoot the first set of cars and their owners and as I moved on the quirkier the owners became and the more enthusiasts I could see.
My aim was to capture the people involved in the day to show what car enthusiasts are truly like!
I think what I enjoyed the mot about this exercise was the fact that the people were happy to have their pictures taken. This made it a far more relaxing experience and I found that I had more time to think about composing shots rather than worrying about being undetected by my subjects.
There was a huge variety of potential subjects at this event too and I took several hundred images in total.
Mario Testino: British Royal Portraits
At a recent visit to the National Portrait Gallery I came across this exhibition. Although I am not really a fan of the Royal Family I decided to have a look as I have heard so much about the photographer Mario Testino.
The display consisted of images of Charles and Camilla, William and Kate and Harry. What struck me first about the images was Testino's use of colour and black and white.
The first images are of William and Kate's engagement - one formal and one informal. The colours and crops are interesting in both. In the informal shot the colours are weaker, faded and the focus is soft, and the crop tight. This introduces a level of intimacy to the image and its subjects - an intimacy that you would expect in an engagement shot.
In contrast the more formal shot has strong colours, the crop is not so tight and shows some of the background which appears to be a room in the palace. They look less like young lovers ans more like the married couple they are due to become. It has a stately and official feel to it.
I found the black and white image of Charles and his sons very refreshing, casual and intimate. The image is high key so therefore bright and the pose suggests a close bond - a natural one between a father and his sons. The black and white conversion is also interesting as it suggests timelessness - similar to the bond between father and son.
The official portrait of Charles shows a different side to the future king. The colours and setting are very regal,l he is in military uniform and very serious, contemplative and focused. The image says - I am important, I am a leader.
There are two images of Charles and Camilla one more formal than the other. Again strong colours are used for the formal shot with Testino opting for a soft focus for the informal one.
Testino shot both William and Harry on their 21st birthdays. William's portrait shows him in a tuxedo a young man coming of age. Testino opted for black and white here which I feel adds to the tone and focuses the viewer on the prince and his expression.
In contrast, Harry is shown working on a motorbike on his 21st birthday. We can easily see who is destined to be king and who has the freer life, less weight on his shoulders and the pressures of life as a leader ahead of him. We are given an insight into the playful and daredevil nature of Harry but we are not allowed to see beyond the layer of sophistication for the future king.
Through looking at Mario Testino's work I can see the effect colour, focus and pose has in portraits. I particularly found this display interesting as he worked with four subjects and showed the viewers the different sides to these characters and their relationships to each other. This was something similar to the first assignment on my course - shooting one subject in a number of ways - which is something I found challenging. Moving forward I would like to introduce more of my subject's character into my work and also the relationships which exists between people.
I will also think more about colour and how I can use it to improve my portrait work.
The display consisted of images of Charles and Camilla, William and Kate and Harry. What struck me first about the images was Testino's use of colour and black and white.
The first images are of William and Kate's engagement - one formal and one informal. The colours and crops are interesting in both. In the informal shot the colours are weaker, faded and the focus is soft, and the crop tight. This introduces a level of intimacy to the image and its subjects - an intimacy that you would expect in an engagement shot.
In contrast the more formal shot has strong colours, the crop is not so tight and shows some of the background which appears to be a room in the palace. They look less like young lovers ans more like the married couple they are due to become. It has a stately and official feel to it.
I found the black and white image of Charles and his sons very refreshing, casual and intimate. The image is high key so therefore bright and the pose suggests a close bond - a natural one between a father and his sons. The black and white conversion is also interesting as it suggests timelessness - similar to the bond between father and son.
The official portrait of Charles shows a different side to the future king. The colours and setting are very regal,l he is in military uniform and very serious, contemplative and focused. The image says - I am important, I am a leader.
There are two images of Charles and Camilla one more formal than the other. Again strong colours are used for the formal shot with Testino opting for a soft focus for the informal one.
Testino shot both William and Harry on their 21st birthdays. William's portrait shows him in a tuxedo a young man coming of age. Testino opted for black and white here which I feel adds to the tone and focuses the viewer on the prince and his expression.
In contrast, Harry is shown working on a motorbike on his 21st birthday. We can easily see who is destined to be king and who has the freer life, less weight on his shoulders and the pressures of life as a leader ahead of him. We are given an insight into the playful and daredevil nature of Harry but we are not allowed to see beyond the layer of sophistication for the future king.
Through looking at Mario Testino's work I can see the effect colour, focus and pose has in portraits. I particularly found this display interesting as he worked with four subjects and showed the viewers the different sides to these characters and their relationships to each other. This was something similar to the first assignment on my course - shooting one subject in a number of ways - which is something I found challenging. Moving forward I would like to introduce more of my subject's character into my work and also the relationships which exists between people.
I will also think more about colour and how I can use it to improve my portrait work.
Exercise 13: Standard focal length
Standard focal length for a full frame camera is 50mm. As I was using a smaller sized sensor the equivalent full frame focal length was between 27mm and 32mm.
Advantages:
I found shooting like this quite natural as the shot you get is as your naked eye would see before you. However, I did find that you still had to get pretty close to your subjects and were therefore easily spotted. I think also because I was working with a zoom lens there was the temptation to zoom in or out to get a better shot rather than move in closer.
The people look in proportion and as would expect them in relation to the buildings
This woman coming out of the tube station looks as you would expect to see her. There is an element of closeness.
I feel moving forward that it would be best to pick a lens you are comfortable with and shoot with that as for these series of exercises I found that I had only got comfortable using one when I had to move on to another. At times it was a little challenging to adapt.
Advantages:
- What you see is what you get
- If working with a prime lens you can get used to physically moving to zoom in and out
- No distortion to worry about
- Can still give the viewer a sense of being involved in the shot
- Enjoyable for the photographer to feel part of the scene
- Less chances of people getting in the way when shooting
Disadvantages:
- People can become aware of what you are doing
- Sometimes it is good to have the option to zoom in or out when composing to ensure you don't miss that shot
Exercise 12: Close and involved
A true wide angle lens is about 28mm or less. One of the uses of a wide angle lens is to be able to cover a large subject area in a single shot. For this exercise I have to use a wide angle lens and concentrate on using it close to people to capture a sense of the viewer right inside the frame.
Here are some of the shots I took.
I found this a little more difficult to shoot as it is very difficult to shoot someone up close without them becoming aware of what you are doing. In saying that I found it a good way to shoot if you want to capture more of the background or the subject's environs.
Advantages of shooting with a wide angle lens:
Here are some of the shots I took.
This shot certainly gives the viewer a sense of being part of the shot. I feel like I am walking down the steps looking at this.
This image is the perfect example of how a wide angle lens can distort the view. In this shot the horse is much bigger than in real life. The size of the buildings in the background are greatly exaggerated too making the man look bigger than them. The viewer of this image would feel like the horse was going to walk into them at any moment - and it nearly did!
The car is exaggerated in this shot but it gives the viewer a sense of intimacy with the shot.
I found this a little more difficult to shoot as it is very difficult to shoot someone up close without them becoming aware of what you are doing. In saying that I found it a good way to shoot if you want to capture more of the background or the subject's environs.
Advantages of shooting with a wide angle lens:
- Get to include more of the subject's surroundings which is good for narrative
- Gives the viewer the feeling of being involved in the scene
- Enjoyable to be part of the scene yourself
- Can give a sense of action or movement or just the feeling that something is happening in your shots which I feel you would lose by standing back
Disadvantages:
- People tend to notice you
- Shooting wide angled can lead to distortion of the person's face etc if they fill a lot of the frame
- Not the most comfortable way to shoot strangers
Exercise 11: Standing back
For this exercise I had to shoot using a medium focal length between 80mm and 200mm and my 18-105mm lens. I used a 55-200mm lens on a Nikon D90 which with the crop factor taken into account would mean that the longest focal length would be 300mm equivalent.
I shot the following images at the London Diwali event recently. It was a very dark day so I had to increase the ISO to get any kind of reasonable shutter speed.
I also took these images whilst out and about shooting in town.
I like the lights in the background from the stage - Diwali is the festival of light and it provides an interesting backdrop for this close up shot.
Standing back made it easier to capture this couples intimate moment.
This little boy was sitting on the ground eating some chips and from a distance I was able to capture this without him becoming aware of my presence leading to a more natural shot.
I was able to zoom down from a wall on the back of the food stalls and I got this shot of a man cooking chips. I like the way he semi lost in the steam from the fryer.
As it was Diwali I had to get a shot of someone wearing a turban. There weren't that many people there wearing a turban but I saw this man and thought he looked very proud with his flag. Standing back enabled me to shoot him without him becoming aware of me but it was difficult to get the right shot as people kept walking in and out of the frame. I think I got a good shot in the end.
I also took these images whilst out and about shooting in town.
There is a bit of distance in this shot from the subject but he is isolated from the background. I like the perspective.
You feel very far away from the subject in this shot.
There is also distance between the viewer and the child in this image. However because he is running it works better that the above.
Advantages of working with this focal length
- It was easier to remain 'hidden' from your subject and less likely for them to become aware of your presence.
- Good for blurring backgrounds which can be very distracting
- Easier to separate your subject from their background.
- Perpective is good - as in less distortion
Disadvantages
- Passers-by tend to get in the frame as you are about to take the shot
- Have to have a fast shutter speed to get sharp images which is the bane of my life this winter
- Sometimes you find yourself too distanced from the action
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