Assignment 3 - feedback

Overall this assignment was successful but it wasn't as strong as the previous two assignments I submitted.  I'm not sure why that is really.  Perhaps it was down to this particular assignment and the fact that I struggled to shoot indoor spaces.  I felt the assignment was overall frustrating to carry out.  It was very difficult to avoid taking pictures of buildings that looked like tourist snaps.  It was also difficult to find locations where I could shoot indoors.  It was also difficult to focus on so many buildings.   I felt that I didn't have the time or the ability to do my chosen ones the justice an in depth treatment of an individual building would give. From looking at other students blogs I was not alone in finding this assignment challenging.  It seems that many other people struggled with it too.

However in saying that I believe that I would tackle the subject differently if I was to do the assignment again.  The benefit of hindsight always is a wonderful thing!

My tutor made comments about my use of an overly wide angle lens and the fact that the edges of the pictures lacked sharpness.  I think my major mistake with this assignment was trying to get as much as I could into the frame hence the reason why nearly all have been shot using an extreme focal length.  I think this probably arose from me trying to avoid cliched shots or touristy ones.

Feedback on specific pictures is detailed below.

The Geffrye Museum
These images suffered as a result of shooting with an extreme focal length.  It was suggested by my tutor that I look at the work of Peter Fraser to discover a different way to explore the relationship people have with places.  I have looked at Fraser's work and posted my thoughts here.

Tate Modern
Although I have used the wide angle better for these images some would have benefited from a closer angle like the image shot in the tanks.  My tutor also suggested that I looked more at landscape shots for some of the images as with the portrait style I chose there is a lot of empty/dead space as in the image below.

British Museum
My tutor found these to be the most interesting of my shots.  He suggested that I pay more attention to what people are doing in the frames.  Most cases the people are moving towards the camera and it would be interesting to hang around awhile and see what I could get of the people actually milling around.

Covent Garden
I felt these were my weakest shots and my tutor's comments reflected this. I agree with him when he said they looked a bit hurried.  Looking back I believe I did rush them and this can be seen in the final images.

London Underground
My tutor said that these pictures were very different to the others I submitted and that they provided an interesting dimension to my assignment.  I personally felt more comfortable in this environment to explore more hence the resulting tilting angles.  While I was doing this assignment I shied away from shooting passengers up close.  I think this is something I would like to try in the future but it is very difficult to do.  My tutor suggested I look at the work of Luc Delahaye and Bruce Davidson.  I have looked at this and I have found them interesting.  The images are very close up and at times the commuters look a little weird.  I think I would be interested in shooting people that are asleep etc commuting to work.

Overall I have learnt quite a bit from this assignment.  I am looking forward to moving on the next assignment and finding a new space to explore.

Assignment 3 - A sense of place

Here are my images that I submitted for assignment 3.  

The Geffrye Museum

Tate Modern

The British Museum

Covent Garden

The Tube

Exercise 18: How space changes with light

If you re-visit a place at different times of the day or even in different weather the light is different and can alter the scene.

Taking one or two locations, I had to photograph them in different lighting situations.

The images are of a hotel room.

Taken at night in artificial lighting

Taken the next morning with the light from the window only

For a different viewpoint I decided to shoot away from the bright lights at night and chose a different composition of the bed. The lighting effect is softer but I am not so sure about the angle of the bed. 

I also chose to focus on the desk.  

  

Exercise 17: The user's viewpoint

For this exercise I had to chose 2-5 buildings or spaces designed for a particular activity that is taken from a specific, distinctive position.

For each of these places I had to take photographs that attempt to capture the user's point of view, whilst considering height, orientation and lens focal length.

So, for example, if a room or space is to be used from a sitting position I should shoot from a sitting position.

The first building I looked at was Waltham Abbey in Essex.  I wanted to capture the building from the user's viewpoint which I believe was mainly from a sitting position. I have included images from a standing and kneeling position too.

Taken with a wide angle lens kneeling down.  

Standing position looking down the aisle.  This viewpoint is a little less intimate for the viewer - there is a slight distance. 

Taken from a sitting position looking down the aisle.  

I think of the three images there one from a standing position is the less effective.  

The next building/space I looked at was in the inside of a train.  This is taken from a seated position.  I feel that this gives the viewer a better sense of presence in the scene.

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.

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.