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.

Parade footage - Dan Chung

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.

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.

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

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.  

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